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"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
The Second Coming Testified
to by Writers in All Ages
From Tabernacle Tidings
Missionary Baptist Church
Volume 40; Number 37; 9/26/94
Jesus Christ: "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." Matthew 4:44.
Angels: "...This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11.
The Apostles: "...Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Heb. 9:28.
Barnabas, co-worker of Paul: "The true Sabbath is the one thousand years...when Christ comes back to reign."
Clement (96 A.D.), Bishop of Rome, mentioned in Phil. 4:3: "Let us every hour expect the Kingdom of God...we know not the day."
Polycarp (108 A.D.), Bishop of Smyrna, the pupil of John the apostle, who leaned upon Jesus’ breast: "He will raise us from the dead...we shall...reign with Him."
Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, whom the historian Eusebius says was the Apostle Peter’s successor: "Consider the times and expect Him."
Papias (116 A.D.), Bishop of Hierapolis, whom Irenaeus said saw and heard John: "There will be one thousand years...when the reign of Christ personally will be established on earth."
Justin Martyr (150 A.D.): "I and all others who are orthodox Christians, on all points, know there will be...a thousand years in Jerusalem...as Isaiah and Ezekiel declare."
Irenaeus (175 A.D.), Bishop of Lyons, companion of Polycarp, John's pupil, commenting on Jesus’ promise to drink again of the fruit of the vine in His Father’s Kingdom argues: "That this...can only be fulfilled upon our Lord’s personal return on earth."
Tertullian (200 A.D.): "We do indeed confess that a Kingdom is promised on earth."
Nepos (262 A.D.), Bishop of Egypt, proclaimed the second coming and millennial Kingdom. His writings reveal that Dionysius, opposing the second coming, declared that John never wrote Revelation and that the book could not be understood. Opponents of second coming truth have continued this argument until today and still so argue.
Lactantius (300 A.D.): "The righteous dead...and reign with them on earth...for a thousand years."
In 325 A.D., 318 bishops from all parts of the earth, gathered at Nicea, declared: "We expect a new heaven and earth...at the appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and then, as Daniel says, the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom."
Giesseler, Church History, Vol. 1, p.166, "Millenarianism became the general belief of the time." Dr. Bonar in "Prophetic Land-Marks" writes: "Millenarianism prevailed universally during the first three centuries."
Luther, commenting on John 10:19: "Let us not think that the coming of Christ is far off." Calvin, in the third book of his "Institutes," chapter 25: "Scripture uniformly enjoins us to look with expectation for the advent of Christ."
John Knox of Scotland, Latimer, the English reformer, Joseph Mede, a renowned expositor, John Bunyan, Samuel Rutherford, John Milton, all expressed belief in the premillennial second coming of Christ.