Page:The Doctrines of the New Church Briefly Explained.djvu/108

102 regarded and treated Him as an impostor,—condemned and crucified Him as a malefactor.

Seeing, then, how the Jewish church misunderstood the prophecies concerning Messiah's first advent, it were reasonable to expect that those relating to his second coming would be equally misunderstood by Christians. It were reasonable to expect that his promised second appearing would be in some form different from the general expectation;—so different, indeed, that He would not at first be generally recognized even by those who bear his name and are looking for his advent. And yet the repeated caution to "watch" and "take heed" lest we be deceived in this matter, would seem to be of itself sufficient to have prevented Christians from expecting a literal fulfillment of the prophecy. And the reason assigned for this caution, is: "For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Surely there were no need of cautioning people against being deceived, if the prophecy concerning his second coming were intended to be literally fulfilled; for in that case there were no opportunity for imposture. No one could so imitate this promised appearing of our Lord, according to the sense of the letter, as to deceive anybody. This