Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
The hiatus: 70-150 A.D — Why has no record of the past Second Advent come down to us in history ? We have first to remember the very remarkable and significant hiatus that occurs in early church history. The gospel of Mark was apparently left unfinished by the author; the last twelve verses having to be added by another hand. The narrative of the Acts of the Apostles ends abruptly, leaving us uncertain as to the fate of Paul and other prominent Christian workers. And indeed the annals of the Church, for nearly a century after the destruction of Jerusalem, are almost a. blank.
In the introduction to his " History of the Eastern Church," Dean Stanley thus characterises the transition from the Christianity of the New Testament, to that of the Apostolic Fathers :
"No other change equally momentous has ever since affected its fortunes, yet none. has ever been so silent and secret. The stream, in that most critical moment of its passage from the everlasting hills to the plain below, is lost to our view at the very point where we are most anxious to watch it. We may hear its struggles under the over-arching rocks ; we may catch its spray on the boughs that over-lap its course; but the torrent itself we see not, or see only by imperfect glimpses. It is not so much a period for ecclesiastical history as for there; romances of unknown authorship; a handful of letters of which the genuineness of every portion is contested inch by inch; the summary examination of a Roman magistrate; the pleadings of two or three Christian apologists; custom and opinions in the very act of change; last but not least, the faded paintings, the broken Sculptures, the rude epitaphs in the darkness of the catacombs; these are the scanty, though attractive materials out of which the likeness of the early church must be reproduced, as it was working it's way, in the literal sense of the word, 'under ground', under camp and palace, under senate and forum. This chasm once cleared, we find ourselves approaching the point where the story of the Church once more becomes history."
In his book "The Conquering Cross" (p. 41), Mr. Haweis, speaking of the period that immediately followed Nero's persecution of the Christians (64-68 A.D.), says:
"When the mist of blood and fire cleared from the spaces now occupied by St. Peter's and the 'Vatican, the two great apostles Peter and Paul have disappeared.......During the Neronian persecution Timothy has also vanished, and Barnabas the son of consolation no longer remains to write conciliatory homiletics for Jewish and Gentile Christians."
The following passage from a review of Renan's "St. Paul" in the "Edinburgh Review," April 1870, also emphasises the exceedingly fragmentary character of early Church History:
"This volume 'The Life of St. Paul,' takes us through the whole period of what we may call the ministry of the great apostle, embracing those all important fifteen or sixteen years (45-61 A.D.) during which his three missionary journeys were undertaken, and the infant Church, with four bold strides, advanced from Jerusalem to Antioch, from Antioch to Ephesus, from Ephesus to Corinth, and from Corinth to Rome. Once arrived there, once securely planted in that central and commanding position, strange to say, the church with all its dramatic persons suddenly vanishes from our view. The densest clouds of obscurity immediately gather round its history, which our eager curiosity in vain attempts to penetrate. It is gone, amid a wreath of smoke, as completely as when a train plunges into a tunnel. The arrival of St. Paul at Rome marks for the history of the origin of Christianity the commencement of a profound night, illuminated only by the lurid fire of Nero's horrible festivities, and by the lightning flash of the Apocalypse. The history of St. Paul's life, and the history of the apostolic age, together abruptly end. Black darkness falls upon the scene ; and a grim and brooding silence-like the silence of impending storm, holds, in hushed expectation of the 'day of the Lord,' the awestruck breathless church."
The cause of the hiatus - Whence comes this remarkable gap in early Church history ? It is natural to suppose that at the Lord's Advent the sudden and simultaneous passing away, throughout the world, of believers of the first rank would make a profound impression upon the Christians of a lower rank, who because of their unwatchfulness were left behind. There are those who maintain that this would at once have found a record in the annals of the Church. This is not quite certain, owing to the disturbed state of things that prevailed, and to the sudden withdrawal of the apostles. But granting that it was so, the fact remains that we have no church literature bearing date immediately after 70 A.D. If such literature ever existed, did it perish accidentally, or was it intentionally destroyed ? Various considerations render possible the latter alternative. Church literature bearing date immediately after 70 A.D. may have been still in existence in the second and third centuries or even later. In it may have been recorded the profound impression made upon the surviving church by the death of so many Christians in 70 A.D. In that case, knowing as we do the unworthy deeds of which, at various periods of the Christian era, priests and ecclesiastics have not infrequently proved themselves capable, it is no breach of charity to suppose that in the interests of priestcraft and ecclesiasticism the documents may have been suppressed by the dominant party in the church.
The predicted secrecy of the event - Beyond all question, there are also various indications to be found in the New Testament which prove that the Advent was to be an occurrence of a more private and restricted character than is generally supposed. Christ plainly told His sorrowing disciples that a period was coming, after He had ascended to the Father (John xvi. 17) when He would make Himself visible to them, but not to the world at large (John xiv. 19, 21). According to the parable of the Ten virgins (Matt. xxv. 1-13), the Lord's Advent was to have the secrecy of an Eastern wedding. The Bridegroom was to come not at midday, but at midnight, and not only the world at large but even the foolish virgins (that is, unwatchful and imperfectly sanctified believers) also were to miss the sight of Him. It was only to those believers who waited for Him that He was to appear a second time without sin unto Salvation. [1] Without holiness (that is, entire sanctification) no man within the Christian church [2] should see the Lord (Heb. xii. 14). Christ was to come like a thief in the night, [3] whose arrival is sudden and unlooked for, and perhaps unknown and unsuspected until after he has gone away again, carrying with him, it may be, a few most precious jewels, [4] Further, the words of the angels when they told the disciples that the Lord's return and descent from heaven was to resemble His departure and ascension (Acts i. 11) suggest that His second coming would not only be personal and visible, but also private and restricted to a limited number of individuals; even although within the circle of those personally concerned the prediction was realised that "every eye" should see Him (Rev. i. 7). The Transfiguration scene (Matt. xvii. ; Mark ix. ; Luke ix.) which prefigured the glories of the Second Advent, was hidden not only from the world, but also from the mass of Christ's disciples ; being vouchsafed only to Peter, James and John, the elect among the elect. Elijah's translation, between which and the translation of the saints an analogy might be anticipated, was secret and hidden from all but Elisha, although afterwards recorded (2 Kings ii). Taking the evidence as a whole, we need not be surprised if it should prove true that the Kingdom of God came not with observation" [5] (Luke xvii. 20). Thus when the Lord returned to fetch home to heaven His faithful servants, and to call to judgment the Jewish nation (that portion of humanity which was ripe for judgment), only those personally interested were cognisant of the occurrence. No one was permitted to be a mere outside spectator and reporter of that solemn and august interview between the Creator [6] and His creatures.
The necessary powers of perception - The credibility of the event having taken place, in spite of the silence of the historian, may be illustrated as follows:-Man's ordinary powers of perception do not exhaust the possibilities of the universe, nor even reveal to him all the realities immediately around him. At the time of death, for example, persons sometimes see unearthly sights and hear unearthly sounds. They thus for the first time become cognisant of certain objective realities around them, of which ordinary mortals have no discernment, and of which even surviving friends who are present at the moment have no direct personal knowledge. And in everyday life, also, some men from exceptional natural endowment or from superior training of their senses, see and hear much that entirely escapes the notice of others. The microscope, too, has revealed quite close at hand a world of marvels the existence of which was unsuspected before.
But, further, there is no reason, in the nature of things, why we should not have had six or more senses, instead of only five. These would have given us a vastly increased knowledge of the universe. As the case now stands, there are many persons who have altogether exceptional powers of perception. It was specially granted to the Old Testament prophets to be cognisant of things around them which were real, and really present, and yet were unperceived by others. This wonderful power, the gift of seership,was perhaps part of the 'spirit' of Elijah, of which Elisha craved for himself a double portion as a legacy. [7] His master could not say, for certain, whether the request would be granted, but only knew that if Elisha could see his changed body [8]when he went away from earth, this of Itself would be an indication that he had what he desired. [9] Accordingly, when the king of Syria sent soldiers to Dothan to seize Elisha, the prophet did not share in the alarm of his servant. He could see something which his servant could not see until the moment came when in answer to Elisha's prayer "The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings vi. 17). [See Appendix C, page 193.]
Coming to New Testament times, we find that at our Lord's baptism, Jesus saw (Matt. iii. 16; Mark i. 10), and John saw (John i. 32), the sky rent asunder, and the Holy Spirit descending, in a bodily form, like a dove. Yet apparently there were people standing around who knew nothing of the marvellous occurance (Luke iii. 21). And when the great persecutor was suddenly brought to a standstill on the way to Damascus (Acts ix. 3), the risen Christ was real and objectively present. Saul saw Him and understood His words, and later on definitely based his apostolic authority oil the fact that as truly as the rest of the apostles he had seen Jesus alive after His resurrection, and had received directly from Him his commission to the world. [10] But Saul's companions who travelled with him on that occasion, although they heard certain sounds, yet not being immediately or personally concerned in the Lord's appearance, did not see Christ and did not know that He was present. [11] This clearly proves that Christ's resurrection-body could not be perceived with the ordinary eyesight
The narrow scope of the Advent - It is a fact of great significance that in the New Testament the Second Advent has afar narrower scope assigned to it, than is usually supposed. Not the whole world, but only some believers, and only some unbelievers, are described as destined to be primarily, and, at, once, affected by the event. Within the Christian church, it was only to those who looked for Him that He was to appear a second time without, sin unto salvation (Heb. ix. 28). And whilst. all the impenitent are one day to have their exact deserts rendered to them, it was the pronounced enemies of Jesus, and the cruel persecutors of His people, against whom eternal destruction was threatened at His second coming (2 Thess. i. 9). It was also adversaries whom the fiery indignation would devour (Heb. x. 27), and the open and avowed enemies of the cross of Christ, of whom we are told that their end is destruction (Phil. iii. 18).
Three sections of humanity - In Palestine in 70 A.D. there were three classes of men : (1) The pronounced friends of Jesus-Christians of the first, rank. In obedience to His instructions, they had made their escape from the city at the first approach of the Roman army. [12] They saw the Lord at His coming, for in that He came for the express purpose of giving them deliverance and rest they were immediately concerned in His appearing. But they were caught up to meet Him, and were taken away, to their heavenly home, and therefore could not record the event in any earthly history.
(2) The great mass of unbelieving Jews ("all the tribes of the land," Matt. xxiv. 30, and Rev. i. 7) and especially His judges (Matt. xxvi. 64) and those who pierced Him (Rev. i. 7). The unbelieving Jews were the open and avowed enemies of Jesus., and the cruel persecutors of His people. They saw the Lord at His coming, for in that He came for the express purpose of calling them to judgment they were immediately concerned in His appearing. But they perished and therefore did not live to tell the story.
(3) A section of humanity consisting of the Roman army and a minority of Jews who (being perhaps less guilty than the rest of their countrymen) were allowed to escape the general slaughter and go into captivity. Possibly also some Christians of the second rank (foolish virgins), who because of their unwatchfulness were left behind when their companions were caught up to meet the Lord at His coming. It is doubtful whether there were any such at Jerusalem itself. Yet let it be granted that some believers, contrary to the Lord's express command (Luke xxi. 20), may have stayed in the city after the first appearance of the Roman army. If, in that case, amid the horrors of the war, which lasted for three years and a half, they still retained faith in God, they must at the end have become saints of a high order. At any rate, the very fact that, the third set of individuals remained on earth proves that they were neither among the pronounced friends of Jesus Christ whom He came to fetch home to heaven, nor among His avowed enemies whom He came to judge and destroy. Hence arguing by the analogy of Acts ix. 7, and vii. 55, we may reasonably infer that not being immediately or personally concerned in His appearing, they were not cognisant of His presence. It, is worthy of special note that between His resurrection and ascension Jesus never made Himself visible to the world at large, and that even His disciples only saw Him at intervals. Hence many Christians believe that although His appearances between His resurrection and ascension were of course real and objective, yet a subjective qualification-the addition, so to speak, of an exceptional mental faculty, the opening of a special spiritual sense granted to some men but withheld from the rest of the world-was also essential to the perception of His resurrection-body. If this be so, it is highly probable that a similar subjective qualification and the quickening of a similar spiritual sense was essential to the perception of His resurrection body at the Second Advent, and that, as before, this subjective qualification was granted to a portion of mankind, but denied to the remainder. In that case it is difficult to discover any source from whence a record of Christ's Second Advent could find its way into human history.
The fact itself is certain - Even if no explanation of the silence of history were forthcoming, no event of the past can be more sure to the Christian than the fact that our Lord personally returned to the earth at the close of the Jewish dispensation. Our knowledge of it rests not on ordinary human testimony, but on the clear, emphatic, and continually repeated predictions of Jesus, that, such would be the case. We cannot reasonably question the authenticity of these predictions when we remember (1) the number of times they are repeated in the records; (2) the great variety of language by which the same meaning is conveyed; (3) the certainty that writers of the second century would not have gratuitously attributed to Jesus words which had seemingly been falsified.
[1] Heb. ix. 28.
[2] Like all the Now Testament epistles, the epistle to the Hebrews was addressed exclusively to believers.
[3] " Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth " (Rev. xvi. 15).
If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. iii. 3) "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (1 Thess. v. 2). "If the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through" (Matt. xxiv. 43; Luke xii. 38).
[4] A thief who accomplishes his work with perfect success -the ideal thief- does it also with complete secrecy
[5] The verb [paratereo-strongs 3906] from which the noun [parateresis-strongs 3906] here translated "observation" is derived, means to stand by and watch as an onlooker. Thus in Luke vi. 7, xiv. 1, the meaning obviously is that the enemies of Jesus stood watching Him.
[6] "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made which hath been made" (John i. 8). Compare Col. 1. 16: "All things have been created through Him."
[7] 2 Kings ii. 9.
[8] It is natural to suppose that, at the moment of Elijah's translation. a change came over his body similar to that which Paul spoke of as destined to come over the bodies of the living saints at the time of the first resurrection ("we shall all be changed" said the apostle, 1 Cor. xv. 51).
[9] 2 Kings ii. 10.
[10] "Am I not an apostle ? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?" (I Cor. ix. 1). "Paul, an apostle, not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God who raised Him from the dead." "The gospel which was preached by me is not after man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. i. 1, 11, 12).
[11] So, also, when Stephen, at his martyrdom, saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, there is every reason to believe that, whilst the sight was thus granted to the one man whom it was intended to comfort, it was withheld from the eyes of the unbelieving Jews whom it did not concern.
[12] Eusebius, Eccles. History, iii. 5. Josephus, Wars, ii. 19.