4. Finally, we have the Promise of the Lord given from the Throne.

We have previously pointed out that, some fifty or sixty years after His ascension to the right hand of God, Christ sent His angel to the beloved John on the Isle of Patmos saying, “Surely I come quickly” Rev. 22:20). This was our Lord’s last promise to His people, as though to intimate that He would have them continually occupied with His imminent Return. Perhaps this will be the best place to meet an objection that is frequently made by those who seek to find flaws in the Word of God. It is said that the Lord Jesus here made a mistake. He declared that He was coming quickly and more than eighteen centuries have passed since then and yet He has not returned!

The explanation of this supposed difficulty is very simple. When the Lord Jesus said, “Surely I come quickly,” He spoke from Heaven, and Heaven’s measurement of time is very different from earth’s. Never once while He was here upon earth did the Saviour say or even hint that He would return “quickly.” On the contrary He gave plain intimation that after His departure a lengthy interval would have to pass ere He came back again. In the Parable of the Nobleman He spoke of Himself as One taking a journey into “a far country” (Luke 19:12). On another occasion He represented an evil servant saying, during the time of His absence, “My Lord delayeth His coming” (Matt. 24:28). While in the Parable of the Talents He openly declared that “After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them” (Matt. 25:19). What we would here press upon the attention of our readers is, that, each of these utterances were made by our Lord during the time when He was still upon earth and therefore they must be considered from earth’s viewpoint; but when the Lord Jesus said “Surely I come quickly” He spoke from Heaven and concerning Heaven’s measurement of time we need to bear in mind that word “Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8). In the light of the last quoted Scripture it is easy to understand Rev. 22:20—if our Lord returns before the present century terminates He will have been away but two days!

“Surely I come quickly.” These are the words of our ascended Lord. This is His promise, sent from the very Throne of Heaven. This is His final word to His people before they hear his “shout” calling them to be with Himself. This, then, is the warrant, the ground, the authorization of our Hope. Let us now consider—