 |  |
If these `saints' are His redeemed people, and if the Thessalonians were to wait for the
Lord to come with all His redeemed people, then what place do the Thessalonians
occupy? They were redeemed, they certainly were not the unwatchful who might have
been left behind, for they were to be established `unblameable in holiness', and if such
can be left behind, who then shall go? The distinction between `coming for' and `coming
with' excludes those to whom the Apostle wrote and contradicts the express statements of
I Thess. 4: 15, 16 and 5: 10. If we take I Thess. 3: 13 to speak of the `holy ones',
the `saints' of Deut. 33: and of Enoch's prophecy, we have the coming of the Lord
WITH His angels and FOR His people set before us with clearness and without
contradictory statements.
It is interesting to note that the Sinaitic MS reads: "ten thousand of His holy angels."
The angels that shall come at the end of the age are doubtless the same that were
instrumental in bringing about the overthrow of the first of Genesis and all the divine
interpositions through the ages.
"And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in
fine linen, white and clean . . . . . and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet
. . . . . These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with fire and brimstone"
(Rev. 19: 14-20).
When once we are clear as to the fact that `the saints' of Enoch's prophecy are the
holy angels, we begin to realize their relation in the context with the fallen angels.
Moreover, the structure shows that Michael the archangel is placed in correspondence
with the Lord and His angels, and both in conflict with Satan. Enoch's prophecy, with its
reference to Gen. 1: 2, taken in conjunction with II Pet. 3:, where it is stated that `the
world that then was' was destroyed by water, and the heavens and earth which are now
shall be destroyed by fire, lifts the doctrine of the Second Coming into its true place in
the purpose of the ages. There has been a tendency to look upon the Second Coming as a
kind of afterthought, the next best thing that could be done in the circumstances. What
we call `the Second Coming' is demanded by the purpose of the ages, whether Israel
received their Messiah and His prior presentation or not. Let the scoffers say what they
will.
"Behold the Lord CAME" (Jude 14), and
"He that SHALL COME will come, and will not tarry" (Heb. 10: 37).
Enoch's rapture, or `translation' and the complete cycle of time indicated by the 365
years (Gen. 5: 23) is another prophetic element in the teaching associated with Enoch and
Noah which has a bearing on this great theme.