"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel" (Colossians 1:5).
The patient efforts of the peace-loving rulers of the nations and the prayers of multitudes of God's children have failed to hold in check the dogs of war, and this fact has brought into fresh prominence the truth of the coming and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only hope for righteousness and peace in the earth. Many are asking, "Is this the beginning of the end?" and "Is the coming of the Lord near?" It ought always to be near to those who love Him, to them it is the next thing. It was near to His heart when He sent to His Church that last message, "Surely, I come quickly, " and it is the heart of His Church that respond with words that must be dear to Him, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." One thing is sure, we are nearer the fulfilment of that last word of His than ever before.
His coming again to receive "His own" to Himself (John 14), is "that blessed hope" and we heard of it in the gospel that we have believed, if indeed the gospel we heard was the full and true gospel. It told us of our certain translation to heaven at His coming, there to be conformed to His glorious image, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren. The hope of Israel is an earthly one to be realised when He shall appear in great power for their deliverance, ours is a heavenly one to be realised at the rapture of His saints to His own glory, before He appears to judge the world and deliver Israel.
In the first of his Epistles, Paul wrote to his Thessalonian converts. "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God: and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus, our deliverer from the wrath to come" (1 Thess. 1:10, N.Tr.). That was the beginning of the hope. In one of the last of his Epistles he wrote, "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25-27). That is the end, the high peak of the hope of the gospel, to be followed by His appearing in glory to judge the world in righteousness, when His glorified saints shall appear with Him.
It is evident that there is the danger of being "moved away from the hope of the gospel" (Col. 1:23). We must watch against this. Many have been moved away from it; their eyes have been turned from heaven to earth; they are not looking for the Saviour, but are hoping to "build a better world" when the war is over, just as they hoped that the last war would end all war. Such a hope is vain, but the hope of the gospel is not vain, it is a hope both sure and steadfast as a strong anchor, and it holds the soul steadfast and true though "the foundations of the earth are out of course, and the mountains be carried into the depths of the seas."
There is a remarkable word in Ezekiel 12. The prophet had been sent to the people with a word as to coming judgment; it had not been immediately fulfilled and the mockers said, "He prophesieth of times that are far off" and their jest became a proverb in Israel. The prophet had an answer to their mocking, given him by the Lord, it was, "There shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the word that I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord." We have what answers to that in our day, we are warned as to it in Peter's second Epistle. "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying. Where is the promise of His coming?" Our answer is "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Heb. 10:37); and the word that He hath spoken shall be done.