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71. C.S. Lewis on the Second Advent

2nd October 2014 by Arthur Eedle

“Many people find it difficult to believe in this great event without trying to guess its date, or even without accepting as a certainty the date that any quack or hysteric offers them. To write a history of all these exploded predictions would need a book, and a sad, sordid, tragi-comical book it would be.

One such prediction was circulating when St Paul wrote his second letter to the Thessalonians. Someone had told them that ‘the Day’ was ‘at hand’. This was apparently having the result which such predictions usually have: people were idling and playing the busybody.

One of the most famous predictions was that of poor William Miller in 1843. Miller (whom I take to have been an honest fanatic) dated the Second Coming to the year, the day, and the very minute. A timely comet fostered the delusion. Thousands waited for the Lord at midnight on March 21st, and went home to a late breakfast on the 22nd followed by the jeers of a drunkard.

Clearly, no one wishes to say anything that will re-awaken such mass hysteria. We must never speak to simple, excitable people about ‘the Day’ without emphasising again and again the utter impossibility of prediction. We must try to show them that the impossibility is an essential part of the doctrine. If you do not believe our Lord’s words, why do you believe in His return at all? And if you do believe them, must you not put away from you, utterly and forever, any hope of dating that return? His teaching on the subject quite clearly consisted of three propositions: –

  1. That He will certainly return;
  2. That we cannot possibly find out when;
  3. And that therefore we must always be ready for Him.

Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments. Our Lord repeated this practical conclusion again and again; as if the promise of the Return had been made for the sake of this conclusion alone. Watch, watch, is the burden of His advice. I shall come like a thief. You will not, I most solemnly assure you, you will not see me approaching. If the householder had known at what time the burglar would arrive, he would have been ready for him. If the servant had known when his absent employer would come home, he would not have been found drunk in the kitchen. But they didn’t. Nor will you. Therefore you must be ready at all times.

The point is surely simple enough. The schoolboy does not know which part of his Virgil lesson he will be made to translate: that is why he must be prepared to translate any passage. The sentry does not know at what time an enemywill attack, or an officer inspect, his post: that is why he must keep awake all the time.

The Return is wholly unpredictable. There will be wars and rumours of wars and all kinds of catastrophes, as there always are. Things will be, in that sense, normal, the hour before the heavens roll up as a scroll. You cannot guess it. If you could, one chief purpose for which it was foretold would be frustrated. And God’s purposes are not so easily frustrated as that. One’s ears should be closed against any future William Miller in advance. The folly of listening to him at all is almost equal to the folly of believing him. He couldn’t know what he pretends, or thinks, he knows.

The doctrine of the Second Coming has failed, so far as we are concerned, if it doesn’t make us realize that at every moment of every year in our lives Donne’s question ‘What if this present were the world’s last night?’ is equally relevant.”

Filed Under: New Series

About Arthur Eedle

Arthur was born in 1931, and became a Christian in 1948. At London University he gained a 2nd honours degree in Physics. He went on to get a Teaching Diploma, and throughout his career life taught physics in England, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Coupled with his love of science, he was a keen student of Greek and Hebrew, and gave many lectures on Biblical subjects. Read more

The Prophetic Telegraph 2014

1. Ecclesiastes 12:1

8th February 2014 By Arthur Eedle

2. Resurrections

11th February 2014 By Arthur Eedle

3. Sarah Laughs

14th February 2014 By Arthur Eedle

4. Eternity. the Hebrew word OLAM

9th March 2014 By Arthur Eedle

5. His Name is Wonderful

12th March 2014 By Arthur Eedle

6. Open Gates

18th March 2014 By Arthur Eedle

7. The Branch of the Lord

25th March 2014 By Arthur Eedle

8. The Fear of the Lord

30th March 2014 By Arthur Eedle

9. Parallel Situation. Judah & Britain

4th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

10. Knowing the Lord

7th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

11. The Third and Fourth Generations

14th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

12. Death and Resurrection

15th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

13. The Cursed Fig Tree

16th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

14. Good Friday

18th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

15. The Seven Spirits of God

19th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

16. Promise. By Annie johnson Flint

23rd April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

17. Diotrephes

24th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

18. No Danger – Part 1

27th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

19. Destinations – Part 2

27th April 2014 By Arthur Eedle

20. Virtual Time – Part 1

3rd May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

21. Dream Time – Part 2

4th May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

22. Weather Vane

9th May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

23. Wisdom

19th May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

24. Air Conditioner

21st May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

25. The Turin Shroud

23rd May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

26. Psalm 22

27th May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

27. The Conception of Jesus

30th May 2014 By Arthur Eedle

28. The Bride of Christ

1st June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

29. Yesterday’s Manna

10th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

30. Today’s Manna

11th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

31. Tomorrow’s Manna

12th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

32. Antiprayer

14th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

33. Blessing

19th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

34. Forgiveness

21st June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

35. Jesus and His Bride

23rd June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

36. Watch!

27th June 2014 By Arthur Eedle

37. Theophany

5th July 2014 By Arthur Eedle

38. The Moslem Iman’s Thophany

7th July 2014 By Arthur Eedle

39. Worship

9th July 2014 By Arthur Eedle

40. Bones

12th July 2014 By Arthur Eedle

41. Hail

2nd August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

42. Jesus’ Baptism

5th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

43. Delight in Everyday Things

7th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

44. The Intolerable Compliment

8th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

45. Today

18th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

46. Snake in the Apple Tree

19th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

47. Two Prayers

20th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

48. Jesus’ Parables

21st August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

49. Negotiating and Bartering

22nd August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

50. The Severity of God

25th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

51. Repentance

26th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

52. Love without End

27th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

53. The Great Gulf

28th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

54. Victoria

30th August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

55. The Word

31st August 2014 By Arthur Eedle

56. Truth

1st September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

56.a Addition on the Hebrew Alphabet

1st September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

57. Chief White Feather – Part 1

3rd September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

58. Chief White Feather – Part 2

4th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

59. “I’d rather have Jesus” (Part 3) About Rhea Miller and Bev Shea

5th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

60. The Coming Glory

6th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

61. Word Studies Part 1 – Longsuffering

7th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

62. Word Studies Part 2 – Compassion

8th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

63. Knowing

14th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

64. Knowing God

15th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

65. Knowing the Voice

16th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

66. Knowing the Enemy

17th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

67. Rosh Hashanah

24th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

68. Memorials

25th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

69. Unity

30th September 2014 By Arthur Eedle

70. Bishop Ryle and the Second Advent

1st October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

71. C.S. Lewis on the Second Advent

2nd October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

72. Elijah and the Second Advent

3rd October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

73. Dressing and Keeping

27th October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

74. The Rib

28th October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

75. Enmity

29th October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

76. Three Ribs

30th October 2014 By Arthur Eedle

77. As in Noah’s Day

8th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

78. The Chess Board

11th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

79. The Name

13th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

80. Someone at the Door

14th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

81. “I hear His voice of cheer”

15th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

82. Amen

17th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

83. The Sign of Four, Part 1 – Covenants

18th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

84. The Sign of Four, Part 2 – The Cherubim

19th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

85. The Sign of Four, Part 3 – Time

20th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

86. The Sign of Four, Part 4 – Forces

21st November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

87. The Sign of Four – Summary

22nd November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

88. The Four Gospels

24th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

89. Water, Part 1

27th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

90. Water, Part 2

28th November 2014 By Arthur Eedle

91. Threefold – Introduction

1st December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

92. Threefold – Isaiah 6

2nd December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

93. Threefold – Jeremiah 7:4

3rd December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

94. Threefold – Jeremiah 22

4th December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

95. Threefold – Ezekiel 21:25-27

5th December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

96. Threefold – Revelation 4

6th December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

97. Daughters of Thunder (1 of 4)

10th December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

98. Daughters of Thunder (2 of 4)

11th December 2014 By Arthur Eedle

Article Series

  • All our Yesterdays (30)
  • Before He comes (13)
  • God's Spoken Word (37)
  • Mysteries of Science & Faith (8)
  • New Series (101)
  • Newsletter (2)
  • Original Series (109)
  • Prophecy considerations (5)
  • Recognising the Hand of Judgment (33)
  • Resurrection and Change (16)
  • Seekers Corner (14)
  • Simple Statements on Serious Subjects (6)
  • The City of God (18)
  • The Millennial Octave (23)
  • The Restitution Times (22)
  • The Song of Solomon (6)
  • The Standard (19)
  • The Wayside Pulpit (107)
  • The Wayside Pulpit 2015 (96)
  • The Wellspring (101)
  • The Wellspring 2017 (55)

Index of Topics

Arthur & Rosalind Eedle's Personal Testimonies Discipleship Expository Items Good and Evil Human Pre-Existance Jane Leade. Philadelphian Numerology in the Bible Quotations from other Authors Resurrection and the Change Ron Wyatt. Archaeology Science Topics The Kingdom of God the Millennium and the Return of Christ The Sabbath Day Universal Reconcilliation

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