Maranatha

by H. Darke, Vancouver, B.C. | Category: General | Aug 1961

"Return, 0 LORD; how long?" (Psalm 90.18). "Behold, I come quickly ..." (Revelation 22.12).

Maranatha is the Greek spelling of two Aramaic words which occur only once in the Scriptures (see 1 Corinthians 16.22), and mean, "Our Lord cometh." This precious truth is mentioned very frequently in the New Testament, and it has been stated that only the subject of "faith" is referred to oftener. This alone should emphasize its importance to us as God's people, but rapidly moving events in the world today should also cause us to be looking heavenward with the constant expectancy of our Lord's return. "He. that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry" (Hebrews 10.87).

The Coming again of the Lord Jesus was a living bright reality to the saints who Comprised the early churches of God. It enabled them to endure martyrdom, imprisonment, physical suffering and distress, and as their afflictions became intensified so their watchword

Maranatha" became more frequently used. Early writings have portrayed Christians being led away to meet their death in the Roman arenas, and in bidding a tearful farewell to their loved ones, their faces took on a joyous radiance as they pointed a finger heavenward, and exclaimed triumphantly, "Maranatha " - " our Lord cometh! To these brave souls the Coming of the Lord seemed imminent, and their lives were regulated accordingly. Should this not also be true of us in the churches of God today? Sometimes we become lax in the secure knowledge of our eternal salvation, and we forget that when the Lord does come for us we shall stand before the "Bema " - the judgement seat. Paul's description of this occasion is very solemn He says,

"For we must all be made manifest before the judgement-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5.10).

The word "receive" mentioned here comes from a Greek word meaning to " receive back." What are we storing up for ourselves? What will predominate at the Bema, the good or the bad? How are we redeeming the time ?

A child of God who lived a busy life of service for his Master, was told by the doctor that he had an incurable disease, and would live only two more years. Instead of being downcast by the news the Christian said, "I must now do twice as much for the Lord as I have done in the past." Oh, that we could so view our service in the light of our Lord's soon return! We often quote, "I can almost hear His footfall on the threshold of the door, and my heart, my heart is longing to be with Him evermore"; but how real is this to us?

The Second Coming was one of the great recovered truths of the so-called "Brethren movement" in the early part of the nineteenth century. Seemingly hidden for centuries it dawned as a bright light from heaven, and as a theme in the gospel it was used by the Holy Spirit to cause many sinners to flee to Christ for refuge. It was also used by the Lord to awaken believers to their responsibilities to the One who had promised,

"if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14. 8).

He is not only preparing the place, but He is Coming back in Person to receive us to Himself. He is not entrusting this to angels nor to an archangel. Paul says,

"For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught, up in, the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4.16,17).

This great apostle also refers to this wondrous event as

"Looking for the bles8ed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2.18).

Is that how we view it? Do we live in the light of His promised return? These questions seemed to be in the mind of the poet when he wrote,

"How shall I meet those eyes?

Mine on Himself I'll cast,

And own myself the Saviour's prize,

Mercy from first to last."

Dear reader, time is fast running out, and there is much to be done. We cannot close our eyes to the many indications of our Lord's soon return as they take place around us daily. The migration of Israel to her land, the rapid spread of Communism, the arising of "the kings of the East," the increasing power of Rome, the endeavour to unite all religious denominations under one universal banner, and the talk of world government to solve all existing problems. These, in addition to the rising tide of lawlessness, some of which is reminiscent of the days of Noah and Lot, are but a few of the indications of the fact that we must be living in the last days (see 2 Timothy 3.1-5). "What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness? " (2 Peter 3. 11). Let us search our hearts to see if the Lord can expect more from us: a closer walk with Him, perhaps, or greater zeal in the gospel (whether preached, or by the printed page) ; increased steadfastness in "the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints " ; an increased love for each other, and a longing to forgive one another more readily; a willingness to bear one another's burdens. During some of Israel's darkest days we are told in the song of Deborah that

"At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart"

(Judges 5.16).

May this be true of God's people today, that we might "redeem the time," and do all things in the light of "MARAN ATHA"!

H. Darke, Vancouver, B.C. | Aug 1961
General