TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. The Necessity of the Redeemer’s Return
3. The Hope of the Redeemer’s Return
4. The Fact of the Redeemer’s Return
5. The Time of the Redeemer's Return
6. The Imminency of the
Redeemer’s Return
7. The Signs of the Redeemer’s Return
8. The Beneficiaries of the Redeemer’s Return
9. The Churchward Results of
the Redeemer’s Return
10. The Worldward Results of
the Redeemer’s Return
11. The Consummation of the Redeemer’s Return
12. Conclusion
Appendix
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PREFACE
It
is a joy to us to present herewith a reprint of what we consider the greatest
book ever written on the return of our Lord.
This
book will make sad all the A-Millennialists and Post-Millennialists.
However, the lovers of Pre-Millennialism, which is the truth of the Scripture,
will be happy to see this book again in print.
It
is true that after writing this book Mr. Pink swerved in his doctrinal position
and all the A-Millennialists make much of the fact that he, as they say,
repudiated this book. It so happens that the writer was a personal friend
of Mr. Pink and knew him well. He is one of the few individuals who is living today who knew Mr. Pink and he happens to know
that had Mr. Pink lived he would have doubtlessly repudiated his
“repudiation.” He had been influenced by the writings of another
individual, which caused him to temporarily turn from Pre-Millennialism.
At the time of his death he was on the verge of turning back to embrace his
original position as set forth in this book.
We
do not say that we agree fully with Mr. Pink in all his conclusions, yet with
minor differences we believe this to be an outstanding book. Mr. Pink was
interested in teaching babes in Christ the doctrine of Christ’s return.
This is our desire today that we might teach these glorious Pre-Millennial
truths to all babes in Christ and thus we have reprinted the book.
This
book was originally produced in 1918 under the shadows of World War 1. We
did not change nor alter the text, but have reproduced the book as it was
originally printed. The reader should take this into consideration in
view of some statements found therein.
May
the Lord richly bless this book for His own glory.
John
R. Gilpin, Pastor
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* *
* *
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FOREWORD
This
book is designed mainly for those who are beginners in the study of prophetic
and dispensational truth, though should it fall into the hands of those who are
“looking for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” and who have,
perhaps for years, been giving earnest heed to the “more
sure Word of prophecy,” we trust that it will afford meat in due season
and stimulate praise to God for the marvellous and blessed prospect which His
Word sets before us.
Many
books have already appeared before the public presenting in clear and
Scriptural language the various aspects of the subject of our Lord’s Return,
and we hesitated long before we decided to add one more to the number.
The different chapters in this volume have been given by the writer in sermon
and lecture form to numerous audiences both in this country and in England, and
it is only the repeated requests of many of those who have heard these addresses
which has caused us to now set them down in writing, so that they may be
preserved in a more permanent form and obtain a still wider hearing. They
are sent forth with the prayer that the God of all grace will condescend to use
them in blessing to His dear people and in the conversion of lost sinners even
more widely than in their oral delivery.
While
it is true that many books which treat of the Redeemer’s Return have been
issued and widely circulated, yet, there are still great numbers of the
Lord’s people who know next to nothing about this precious theme.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Second Coming of Christ occupies a prominent
place in the Holy Scriptures, notwithstanding the fact that this subject is a
most practical one having, as it does, some bearing on every phase of our
present and future life, and notwithstanding that it is calculated to awaken a
deep interest in “things to come” and lead to
definite heart-searching, nevertheless, the vast majority of our pulpits
entirely ignore the subject and in consequence great numbers of our
church-members are in almost total ignorance concerning those things which
God’s Word declares will shortly come to pass. It is with the earnest
desire to reach a few of these that this book has been prepared and is now sent
forth.
We
wish it to be clearly understood that there is nothing in these pages except
that which we have ourselves first received. We lay no claim at all to
originality. We have read diligently many works on prophetic themes and
have sought to “prove all things” and to “hold fast that which is good.” It is impossible
for us now to do more than make this general acknowledgment of our indebtedness
to other students of the Word. We have gleaned in many fields, gathering
a fragrant flower here and there, and all that we now attempt is to arrange
these in simple form, leaving our readers to admire the products of the labours
of others into which we have entered.
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INTRODUCTION
[ Pages 11- 17]
The Redeemer’s Return!
Here is a theme which in this day is
regarded by many well-meaning people as an ideal of visionaries or as the pet
hobby of certain cranks. So grievously has the study of Prophecy been
ignored, so little place is given in the modern pulpit to the exposition of
eschatology, and so generally is the daily reading of the Bible neglected
by those in the pew, that it is an easy matter to persuade the average
church-goer that the subject of the Second Coming of Christ is impractical
and one that had better be left alone. Moreover, this subject has
suffered so grievously at the hands of those who are the enemies of the Cross,
that many Christians have been prejudiced against it. Satan has not been
slow to avail himself of the wild and unscriptural teaching of such men as Irving
and Joseph Smith, and more recently, Dowie and Pastor (?) Russell; nay, he has
employed them to cast reproach on those who do seek to
search and interpret the Prophetic Scriptures. Yet, notwithstanding, it
is the imperative duty of every believer to seriously and prayerfully examine
the Scriptures for himself and see what the Word of God has
to say about Coming Events. In that Word we are plainly warned that in the “last days” (of this age) there should arise those who ridicule and mock at the very doctrine of
which we are now speaking (see 2 Pet. 3: 3, 4).
Therefore we need not be surprised if we hear and read of those who seek to
cast reproach upon this blessed theme; instead, as the Dispensation draws to a
close, we should expect just what we now hear and see on
every side.
The Redeemer’s Return!
Is there anything that can be
compared with this momentous and stupendous prospect? Excepting the Cross
of Calvary, the greatest event of all in the past history of the world was the
Advent of God’s Son to our earth. The Divine Incarnation was the theme of
Old Testament prophecy. The very first promise ever given to fallen man
was that the woman’s Seed should come and bruise the Serpent’s head (Gen.3:15). When the Divine revelation, was
committed to writing, numerous passages recorded the promised descent of
God’s Son to this earth. The prophets of Israel made known the fact that
the Coming One was to be of the stock of Abraham and a lineal descendant of David,
and thus for fifteen centuries the Hope of Israel was the Messianic Hope.
And, when the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son born of a woman.
It
is impossible for us to fully estimate the tremendous importance of the first
Advent of Christ to this earth. The Divine Incarnation is without a
parallel in the annals of the human race. Heaven itself was stirred at
the miraculous birth of the God-Man. Unto the angels was
entrusted the honorous commission of announcing the
birth of the Saviour. Heathendom was affected, the
good news being conveyed to
But
wondrous and blessed as was the first Advent of our Lord in many respects, His Second
Coming will be even more momentous. At His first appearing
He was here in weakness and humiliation, but at His second He shall come in
power and glory. When He was here before He was “despised
and rejected of men,” but when He comes back again every knee shall bow
before Him and every tongue confess His Lordship. When He was here before
He paid tribute to Caesar, but when He returns He shall reign as King of kings
and Lord of lords. When He was here before His personal ministry was
confined to the
God
does not desire His dear people to remain in ignorance of His future purposes
concerning them, concerning His Son, and concerning this earth. Said the
apostle as he was moved by the Holy Spirit, “We have
also a more sure Word of Prophecy; whereunto ye, do well that ye take heed, as
unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1: 19). If then we give diligent heed
to the Prophetic Word, if we will prayerfully study that which God has been
pleased to reveal unto us concerning things to come, and if we will
believe in our hearts all that the prophets have spoken, then
shall we be like the Thessalonians of whom it could be said – “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need
that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace
and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman
with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in
darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye
are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let
us watch and be sober” (1 Thess. 5:
1-6).
The Redeemer’s Return!
This was the great hope of the early
Christians. In the first century of the Christian era it was the normal
and regular thing to find that the expectation of a returning Saviour filled
the vision and hearts of His followers. The apostles themselves taught
their converts to look for the appearing of Christ. Writing to the
Thessalonian saints the apostle Paul reminded them how they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
and to wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Thess. 1: 9, 10). Writing to the
twelve tribes scattered abroad, the apostle James bade
them be patient and stablish their hearts, basing his
exhortation on the fact that “The Coming of the
Lord draweth nigh” (Jas. 5: 8).
Writing to “the strangers scattered throughout
Right
at the close of the first century A. D. when the time had come for the Sacred
Canon to be completed, our Lord Himself sent His angel to communicate a special
message to each of the seven Churches which were in Asia, and in five of them,
namely, in the Epistles addressed to the Churches in Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis and Philadelphia (see Rev. 2: 5, 16, 25; 3: 3, 11) Christ makes
distinct reference to His imminent appearing; while His last words
to His loved disciple were, “Surely I come quickly”
(Rev. 22: 20).
We
have thus shown that this Age began with a ringing testimony to the truth of
our Lord’s Return. Each of the apostles, of whose writings we have any
inspired record, taught their converts to look for their Saviour’s
appearing. Alas! that this testimony was not
maintained. Alas! that this Blessed Hope should
ever have become dim. Alas! that it should, for
more than a thousand years, have been almost totally lost to the Lord’s
people. Yet so it was. The immediate successors of the apostles
turned their attention to other things: as it was with the Pharisees in the
days of our Lord, so these tithed anise and mint but “omitted the weightier matters.” Instead
of expounding the Prophetic Scriptures and setting before the Church its one
great Hope, the early “Church fathers,” for the
most part, spent their time in wrangling among themselves. Even before
the apostles themselves had left the earth, false teachers crept
in and began to devour the flock, and within three centuries the whole
professing Church had become Paganized. Then
followed the Dark Ages - aptly named, for the lamp of Prophecy had ceased
to shine and the prospect of the speedy return of the Morning Star had
completely disappeared. As our Lord Himself had foretold, the virgins all
slumbered and slept: no longer were His people looking for the Coming of the
Bridegroom.*
We
need not remind our readers it was during this period known as the Dark Ages
that the Roman Catholic Church sprang into prominence and power, holding sway
over all
After
a thousand years of spiritual darkness the Sun of Righteousness shone forth
over
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The Necessity of The Redeemer’s Return
“We have also a more sure
Word of Prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the Day dawn, and the day
star arise in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1: 19).
CHAPTER ONE
[Pages
19-43]
Is
there any real need for Christ to return? So far as God’s children are
concerned only one answer is possible to this question. There is.
Christians of every shade of religious belief are agreed that there is an
imperative need for our Lord to come back again. As to the precise
character of that need, as to the particular urgency of that need, opinions may
vary, but concerning the need itself this is universally admitted. Even
post-millenarians teach that Christ must come back at the end of time to judge
the wicked and reward the righteous. But we hope to show that the need for His
return is much deeper and much wider than the reason put forth by the
post-millenarians.
Suppose
Christ never returns - then what? Has this alternative been weighed as it
deserves? The present order of things cannot continue indefinitely; such
a supposition is unthinkable. No one is satisfied with present
conditions. Even those who despise the teachings of God’s Word, hope for
a better day, a Golden Age, an era of blessedness such as this earth has never
yet witnessed. And pre-millenarians believe that this Golden Age can be
ushered in by nothing short of the personal return of Christ Himself.
Here then, in general, is the reason why we believe the Redeemer must come back
again. We say “in general,” for in the
remainder of this chapter we shall seek to show there is at least a tenfold
necessity for our Lord’s Second Advent.
1.THE
REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE DECLARATIONS OF OLD
TESTAMENT PROPHECY.
It
is very apparent to any one who has read thoughtfully through the Old Testament
that the First Advent of our Lord did not exhaust the
burden and scope of the numerous predictions which had been made concerning
Him. Many of the things foretold of
“And I will put enmity between thee (the “serpent”) and the woman, and
between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
his heel” (Gen. 3:15). There is
much in this remarkable verse which we cannot now consider in detail, yet we
will endeavour to present an outline of its contents. This is not a
single prophecy but a compound one and at least
seven separate predictions are included in it:-
First,
the woman is to have a seed: as we know, this pointed
forward to our Lord’s humanity. Second, He was to be peculiarly the woman’s
“seed,” not the man’s, hence we read, “When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, born
of a woman” (Gal. 4: 4,
Creek). Third, the woman’s “Seed” was to
bruise the Serpent: in other words, Satan was to be His
particular antagonist. Fourth, He was to bruise the Serpent’s head.
Fifth, He Himself was to be bruised in the “heel”
by the Serpent; and hence it is written, He was “bruised for our iniquities” (Isa.
53: 5). Sixth, there was to be “enmity”
between the Serpent and the one who gave birth to the “Seed,” namely
“Thou shalt bruise His heel.” That old Serpent
the Devil was to be permitted to attack and wound the only vulnerable part of
our Lord’s person - His humanity, here intimated by the
word “heel.” How this portion of the
prophecy was fulfilled our readers will know. No sooner was the Lord
Jesus born in Bethlehem of Judaea than the “Dragon”
sought to encompass His destruction (Rev. 12: 4).
Immediately following His baptism, which was the inauguration of His public
ministry, He was tempted or “tried” by the Devil
for forty days (Mark 1: 13). On the
eve of His crucifixion our Lord expressly declared, “This
is your hour, and the Power of Darkness”
(Luke 22: 53). Thus was Satan allowed
to bruise the “heel” of the woman’s Seed.
But
we also read, “It shall bruise thy head,” that
is, Christ shall bruise Satan’s “head.”
The head is the seat and source of power, and in the
Scripture we are now considering is placed in sharp antithesis with the “heel” of the woman’s Seed. Stript
of its prophetic symbolism, it can only mean that Christ is to depose Satan and
reduce him to a state of impotency. This interpretation is fully
confirmed in Rev. 20 where we learn that a
day is coming when the Devil shall be bound and cast into the Bottomless Pit
[the abyss] to remain there securely confined throughout the Millennial
Era. What we now desire to emphasize particularly is, that, this
part of the Edenic prophecy was not fulfilled when
our Lord was upon earth before, and has not yet been fulfilled.
Therefore, if this prediction is to be realized our Lord
must return to this earth and deprive the Devil of his power, for He alone is
competent for such a task.
Again,
we read in Isa. 9: 6, 7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the
government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with
judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.” Here
again we meet with a prophecy which has already received a partial fulfilment,
but which has not yet been completely realized. Unto Israel a Child was “born,” unto Israel a Son was “given;” but, during the days of His First Advent the “government” was not “upon His shoulder” for He Himself paid tribute to
Caesar (Matt. 17: 27), nor did He rule in “peace” for He declared “I came
not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:
34). Nor has He yet assumed the “government”
for He is not yet seated upon His own “throne” (see Rev. 3: 21).
Observe particularly that, above, it is repeated “of
the increase of His government and peace there shall be no
end.” His “government” and “peace” are inseparably connected. The latter
part of this prophecy therefore looks forward to the time of His Second Advent,
for “When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
sit upon the throne of His glory” (Matt. 25:
31). Then will it be that He shall inaugurate a Reign of Peace, for then
it shall be (and not till then) that “He shall judge
among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat
their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Micah 4: 3). Thus we see that the
declarations of the Prophetic Word require and necessitate the personal return
of Christ to this earth, for only thus and only then will
they be literally and completely fulfilled. Many other Old Testament
predictions could be cited to the same effect, but one more must suffice.
“Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto
David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In His days
2. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY HIS OWN AFFIRMATIONS.
During
the course of His public ministry our Lord made frequent reference to His
Second Coming. When we consider how few of His discourses have been
transmitted to us and how brief is the inspired record of His teachings
as found in the New Testament Scriptures, we are deeply impressed with the
importance of our present inquiry as we note how much there is in
the Gospel narratives which relates to our Redeemer’s Return. Not only do
we find main incidental references, but most of His “parables”
treat of these things which have to do with His Second Advent, and,
furthermore, several whole chapters in the Gospels are devoted to a fuller
setting forth of the same great event. Unto our Lord’s own teaching,
then, upon His Second Coming we turn our attention. We cannot now review all
that He said upon the subject, but must content ourselves with singling out two
or three of His utterances thereon.
In
Matt. 24 and 25
we have two whole chapters occupied with this theme, and in them we find that
again and again our Lord made mention of His Return – “For
as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”
(24: 27), which means that our Lord’s Return
to this earth will be visible, public, and attended with awe-inspiring glory.
The same ideas are presented in the 30th verse of the same
chapter – “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the each mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory.” Further down in the chapter, our Lord bids
His people make preparation for His appearing because He may return at any
moment. “Therefore be ye
also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh”
(vs. 44). In the next
chapter, in the Parable of the Virgins the subject of the Bridegroom’s Coming
is again brought before us, while the closing verses furnish us with a detailed
description of His judgment of the living nations which introduces the setting
up of His Millennial Kingdom – “When the Son of Man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit
upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations:
and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25: 31, 32).
In
the nineteenth of Luke
we have the Parable of the Nobleman which is very plain and pointed. “He said therefore, A certain
nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to
return. And He called His ten servants, and delivered them
ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But
his citizens hated Him, and sent a message after Him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And
it came to pass, that when He was returned, having received
the kingdom, then He commanded these servants to be called unto Him, to
whom He had given the money, that He might know how much every man had gained
by trading” (Luke 19:12-15).
The “Noblernan”
is the Lord Jesus. The “journey into the far
country” was His Ascension to heaven. The “Kingdom” which He went to “receive”
is His Millennial Kingdom for which He taught His disciples to
pray. The “return” is His Second
Advent to this earth. The “servants” are [regenerate]
believers. The “money” (marg. “silver,” which, in Scripture symbolizes redemption)
seems to typify the Gospel, which has been committed into our hands to
proclaim to a lost world. The “occupying till He
comes” is the faithful giving out of the Gospel [good
news] and the daily witnessing for Him during
the time of His absence. The “message”
sent by “His citizens” refers to the continued
rejection of Christ and His Gospel by the Jews during the
days of the apostles and particularly under the ministry of Stephen. The
rewarding of the servants at the time of His Return, is
the allotting to them of places of honour in His
Perhaps
the most explicit of all the statements which the Lord Jesus made upon our
present theme is that recorded in the opening verses of John 14. Our Lord was alone with His disciples. He
was about to be separated from them. For three years they had companied
with Him, but now the cross with all its sufferings and shame lay athwart His
path. The realization of His approaching death had filled His followers
with fear and anguish. Their hearts were heavy and sad. Turning to
them in their grief, the Master speaks words of solace and cheer – “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe
also in Me. In My Father’s house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also” (John
14:1-3). These words of our Lord can have only one possible
meaning: He was going away, but He would return again, return in person to
receive His own unto Himself. Such was His positive and unconditional promise.
Thus we see that the fulfilment of His promises, the keeping of His
Word, necessitates the personal Return of our blessed Redeemer.
The
testimony of our Lord given while He was here upon earth was confirmed,
and rendered even more unequivocal, if that were possible, by His
post-ascension utterances. Fifty years after He had returned to Heaven
the Lord Jesus sent His angel to the beloved John on the Isle of Patmos to give
unto him “The Revelation” and in it we hear our
Lord saying, no less than six times, “Behold, I come
quickly.” This is His last promise, His final word to His people
now on earth. He is coming back again. He Himself has said so.
He said so repeatedly during the days of His earthly ministry. He said so
in language about which there was no ambiguity whatsoever. He said so
both to His friends and to His enemies. He said so again fifty years
after His ascension to Heaven. And He cannot lie. He is Himself the
“Truth” - the truth incarnate. He is “The Faithful and True Witness,” therefore
He must keep His Word, fulfil His promises, and return in person.
3. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE RATIFICATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
While
our Lord was here upon earth and on the eve of His crucifixion, He promised to
send His disciples another Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth. He
further promised the apostles that, when the Spirit came to them, He
would guide them “into all truth.”
Therefore, it is to the Divinely inspired
writings of these apostles we must turn if we would learn all that God has been
pleased to reveal concerning our present inquiry.
As
we read the Epistles of the New Testament it is highly important for us to keep
in mind the fact that we have in them not the suppositions and speculations of
their human writers but reliable and authoritative information communicated
by the Holy Spirit Himself, for “All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3: 16).
As we turn to the Epistles we find that each writer made some
contribution to our present theme: Peter and Paul, James, John, and Jude all
referred to the prospect and certainty of the Return of our Redeemer.
The
apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian saints, “I thank
my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus
Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in
all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. So
that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be
blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1
Cor. 1: 4-8). To the Philippian saints he wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to
the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Phil. 3: 20, 21). To the Colossians he
wrote, “When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (
The
apostle James wrote, “Be patient,
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold,
the husband-man waiteth for the precious fruit of the
earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter
rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts:
for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (5: 7, 8).
The
apostle Peter wrote, “Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”
(1 Pet. 1: 13). “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye
shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pet. 5: 4).
The
apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for
we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope
in Him purifieth himself, even as He is
pure” (1 John 3: 2,.
3). And again, “For many deceivers are
gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ
cometh in the flesh” (2 John
7, R.V.).
The
apostle Jude wrote, “Keep
yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (vs.
21).
Here
then is an argument simple but conclusive. Each Epistle writer of the New
Testament makes mention of the Redeemer’s Return. These men were not
hallucinated. They were not giving expression to impracticable
ideals which would never be realized. Their writings were Divinely inspired. These holly men were “moved by the Holy Spirit” and recorded truth “not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Spirit teacheth” (I Cor. 2: 13). The very fact, then, that the
Holy Spirit of God has, through the apostles, testified again
and again, ratifying the declarations of Old Testament prophecy and the
affirmations of Christ Himself, necessitates and demands the personal Return of
our Lord.
4. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE HUMILIATION OF THE CROSS.
The
degradation which the Lord Jesus endured when He was here upon earth before, requires that He shall come back again in power and
glory in order to vindicate Himself. Is it
reasonable to suppose that the last view which this world shall have of our blessed
Lord before He takes His seat upon the Great White Throne to judge the wicked dead, shall be that of the “1owly
Nazarene”? Surely not. Need we
remind our readers of the depths of humiliation into which
our Redeemer descended? Born in a manger, with the beasts of the field
for His first companions, and a bed of straw for His cradle! Sharing the
home of humble Jewish peasants and spending His youth and early manhood at the
carpenter’s bench! During His public ministry, so poor and so lightly
esteemed that the common courtesies of hospitality were denied Him – “He had not where to lay His head!” Despised and
rejected of men; the butt of Pharisaic contempt and the center
of Jewish ridicule! His life seemingly ending in defeat as He hung
helpless upon the cross, enduring the shame of a criminal’s execution and
taunted by his heartless enemies! Is this the only sight which the
earth is to have of the Lord of Glory? Is the Son of God
to retire from this world in apparent defeat without any subsequent opportunity
for vindicating Himself? Surely not. Is it
not evident then that He who was here before in humiliation must yet come back
to be glorified in His saints and to be admired
in all them that believe? Does not the very fitness of things, do not
the claims of equity and righteousness, insist, that He who was the willing
Victim shall yet return as the triumphant Victor? Does not the
Cross of Calvary necessitate that our Lord shall yet come
back to our earth in order to substantiate His claims and ratify His
promises?
“For dogs have compassed Me: the
assembly of the wicked have inclosed Me: they pierced
My hands and My feet. I may tell all My bones: they
look and stare upon Me. They part My garments among
them, and cast lots upon My vesture” (Psa.
22: 16-18). Such was the picture that was painted by
prophecy. But this scene was not to be the finale. In this very
same Psalm we read, “All the ends of the earth shall
remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall
worship before Thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and
He is the Governor among the nations;” (vss. 27, 28).
“And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas
the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled” (Matt. 26: 57). See our blessed Lord standing
there before the Jewish Sanhedrin, arraigned before His own creatures!
Mark Him as He offers no defence in response to the false witnesses that
testified against Him, and then ask, Is this to be the last thing?
Is there to be no sequel to this? We do not
have to seek far for an answer, for on this very occasion the Redeemer
declared, “Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter
shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right
hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26: 64). And again, it is written, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and
every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him.”
Yes, the Crucified Saviour is coming back again, coming back to
vindicate Himself in a world where He once endured the contradiction of sinners
against Himself, and, coming back to rule and reign as He first appeared in
order to suffer and die.
5. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE
PRESENT EXALTATION OF SATAN.
One
of the greatest mysteries in all God’s creation is the Devil. For any
reliable information concerning him we are, shut up to the Holy Scriptures.
It is in God’s Word alone that we can learn anything about his origin,
his personality, his fall, his sphere of operations, and his approaching doom.
One thing which is there taught us about the great Adversary of God and
man, and which observation and experience fully confirms, is,
that he is a being possessing mighty power. It would appear from a study
of the Bible, that Satan is the most powerful creature (not “Being”) in all the
universe. He has access to the Heaven of heavens and appears before God
day and night to accuse the saints (Rev. 12: 10).
In Old Testament prophecy he is denominated “The
anointed Cherub” (Ezek. 28: 14) and
from other Scriptures we learn that the “cherubim”
are the highest order among the celestial hierarchies.
Satan is represented as being at the head of an organized kingdom of evil, with
hosts of wicked spirits ever ready to perform the bidding of their mighty
chief. He is likened to a “roaring lion” –
the king of the beasts – going about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5: 8). When our Lord was here upon
earth, Satan had the power to carry Him to a pinnacle of the
But
not only does God’s Word enlighten us upon the great power which our Enemy
possesses, it also informs us about the sphere in which he works
and makes known the location of his kingdom. In the very
first mention in Scripture of that old Serpent, the Devil, he is seen in
We
have thus seen that Satan is an exalted creature possessing and wielding
prodigious power and that this world of ours is his present kingdom. For
six thousand years he has been the avowed enemy of God and man. But are things
going to continue thus throughout all time? Is Satan to be allowed “free rein” for ever? Surely there will yet be an
end made to his power and dominion. But what and who is going to depose
him? Humanity is helpless before him. Man is unable
to chain him. The Church cannot dethrone him, or it would have done
so long ago. Legislation is impotent, for human governments cannot vote
him out of the world. Who then shall overthrow the
6. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE PRESENT DISORGANIZATION OF ISRAEL.
Of
old
But
God’s purposes in connection with
But,
how are the above promises to be realized? When shall these prophecies be
fulfilled? The answer is, at
The Second Advent of Christ. He declared, “For I say
unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye
shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matt. 23: 39). And a day is
coming when
[* 2
Pet. 3: 8.]
“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the
words of the prophets; as it is written, after this, I will return, and
will build again the tabernacle of David (Israel)
which is fallen down: and I will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up” (Acts
15:14-16). And again, we read in Rom.
11: 26, “And so all
7. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSATED
BY THE
PRESENT DEGRADATION AND DESOLATION OF THE WORLD.
Here
is a reason which ought to carry conviction to every mind. If there is
anything which imperatively needs our Redeemer to Return it is surely this poor sin-cursed world of ours!
Look at it and what do we see? A world everywhere racked with
suffering and out of joint. A world convulsed with misery entailed by the
Fall. A world now in its very
death-throes with hope almost completely gone. Everything that man
could devise to better conditions and make this world a happier place has been
tested and proven a failure. Every possible form of human government has
been tried, each new one being as unsuccessful as the previous ones. Theocracy,
democracy, and mobocracy (the French Revolution, and
On
all sides iniquity is abounding more and more.
Crime is increasing, morality is decreasing; godlessness and lawlessness arr growing apace; while over all, hangs the dreadful pall
of world-war. In the physical world, despite all our
enlightenment, modern discoveries and the organized activities of medical
science, disease is carrying off an ever increasing multitude year by Year.
The educational world is mainly under the control of
infidels and agnostics, under whose leadership the rising generation is taught
that the faith once for all delivered to the saints is an idle superstition, or
at best a religious garment which we have now outgrown. In the economic
world greed and dishonesty are rapidly eating out the very
vitals of commercial stability, while the fight between capital and labour
threatens a revolution such as this world has not witnessed since the days when
the streets of
Today
the world stands helpless before the inrushing tide of evil which threatens to
decimate almost half of the human race, and in its impotency a grief-stricken
humanity is everywhere lifting up piteous hands to Heaven as it cries for a
Deliverer. True, the cry may not always be articulated, yet it is audible
nevertheless. True, the world, as a whole, is blind to its spiritual
wretchedness and apostate condition. True, the carnal mind is still
enmity against Cod, yet, intelligent men realize that the present order of
things is a complete failure and are ready and longing for a New Order.
The world cries for deliverance, what shall be Heaven’s response?
Again we say that only one answer is possible. While the Holy
Scriptures reveal the fact that the severest of God’s judgments have not yet
been poured upon this world, which has so long lived in pleasure and
wantonness; while the Holy Scriptures reveal the fact that the darkest hour of
the night of earth’s sufferings and sorrows has not yet arrived; yet, they also
teach, that at the close of this night, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise
with healing in His wings (Mal. 4: 2). “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be
strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with
vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you. Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be
unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart,
and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out,
and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool,
and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each
lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there,
and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness;
the unc1ean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring
men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any
ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there: but the
redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and
come to
8. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSATED
BY THE
LAMENTATION OF ALL CREATION.
The
effects of the Fall have been far-reaching – “By one man sin entered the world” (Rom. 5:12). Not only was the entire human
family involved but the whole “Kosmos”
was affected. When Adam and Eve sinned, God not only pronounced sentence
upon them and the Serpent but He cursed the ground as well – “And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee,
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, Cursed is the ground for thy sake;
in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns also and
thistles shall it bring forth to thee” (Gen.
3: 17, 18). These words suggest a solemn and far-reaching line of
thought - Sin not only brings punishment to the actual transgressor but
it also involves others in its terrible consequences. The
punishment which was meted out to the antediluvians was not limited to the
human family, it fell upon the lower orders of creation as well - all
were swept away by the flood! The judgments which God sent upon the
haughty Pharaoh extended to the fishes in the rivers and the cattle in the
fields as well as to all his subjects! When the Angel of Death passed
through the land of the
To
what extent the entire universe has suffered the evil consequences of sin it is
impossible to say, but certain it is that they are not limited to our earth.
Adam was not the first offender, for before his fall Satan also had
apostatized from his Maker. What other worlds were affected by Satan’s
fall Scripture does not inform us, yet we may infer from
these principles which are revealed in God’s Word that the
awful consequences of Satan’s rebellion were far-reaching in their scope.
Astronomical observation reveals the fact that there are numbers of
far-distant worlds upon which no life exists, while Scripture speaks “wandering stars.” The moon is a ruined planet
where Death holds absolute sway and death is the wages of sin.
If then Adam’s transgression brought down upon the earth which he
inhabited a curse from God, may we not soberly conclude that the fall of the highest
of all God’s creatures brought down a Divine curse upon those worlds over which
he may have exercised a delegated rulership? Be this as it may, Scripture
does reveal the fact that the consequences of sin have
reached far beyond the four corners of our earth. We read “The heavens are not clean in His sight” (Job
15: 15), and again, in Rom, 8: 22 we
are told, “For we know that the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
In the last mentioned Scripture we learn that the
whole creation is in pain and misery. Surely this is abnormal.
Surely things were not like this at the beginning, nor were they; and
surely things will not continue thus for ever, nor will they. We, quote
now the entire passage in which the above statement is found – “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to usward. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the Sons of God. For the
creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of Him who
subjected it in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of
God” (Rom. 8: 18-21, R. V.).
The order of thought here appears to be as follows:-
The whole of God’s creation, which is directly concerned and connected with our
earth, (the “whole creation” can not be taken absolutely
for the un-fallen angels must be excluded) suffered the
consequences
of Adam’s sin, being brought under the bondage of corruption as the direct
result. But this “bondage” is not to last
for ever. A hope is set before creation: a promise
has been given that it shall be “delivered” and in expectation of the fulfilment of
this promise and the realization of this hope creation now “waits.” The “hope”
of creation is linked with “the manifestation of the sons
of God” and “the liberty of their glory.”
The sons of God will be manifested or revealed with their Redeemer
at the time of His Return for it is written “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3: 4). It is at the Second Coming of
Christ, His return in “glory” that His people
shall enter into the liberty, of their glory. Then
will it be that creation shall be delivered from its present bondage of
corruption. Thus we learn that though the whole creation has suffered in
consequence of sin, yet shall it soon share in the glorious benefits of the
Death of Christ who came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
How clear then is the need of our Redeemer’s Return!
None but creation’s Creator (John 1: 3)
can emancipate it from its sufferings. Hence we say that the present
lamentations of Creation necessitate and demand the personal Return of our
Lord.
9. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE SUPPLICATIONS OF THE CHURCH.
While
our Lord was here upon earth He gave His disciples a pattern prayer saying, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come”
(Matt. 6: 9, 10). The Redeemer taught
His saints to look forward to the future, to be occupied with God’s
interests and purposes, and to pray for the coming of His Kingdom, i. e.,
the
The
last promise ever made by our Lord, made some fifty or sixty years after His
ascension, given to the beloved John on the Isle of Patmos but recorded for the
encouragement and joy of all His people throughout the Christian dispensation,
was “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22: 20). The response to
this promise is the prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” As
this dispensation draws to its close and as the Return of Christ is daily
coming nearer, the Holy Spirit is causing many to make this prayer their own.
As the result of the recovery of the “Blessed Hope” which throughout the Dark Ages was lost
to the Church, and as the result of the proclamation which is now being sounded
forth far and wide, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go
ye out to meet Him,” companies of God’s saints all over the earth are
now daily crying, “Even so Come Lord Jesus.”
And our God is a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God! He
who has inspired this hope within the bosom of the Church, He who has taught so
many of it’s members to long and pray for the Return of their Saviour must
satisfy that longing and answer that prayer. Therefore we say that the
expectations and supplications of the
10. THE REDEEMER’S RETURN IS NECESSITATED
BY THE EXPECTATION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST.
This argument may be summarized thus:-
The Intermediate state into which the souls of the redeemed
pass at death is not the perfect state, it is but an “unclothed”
(2 Cor. 5: 1-3) condition. Like
their brethren who are still upon earth, those now in
In
the last Book of the Bible, where the veil that separates between the present
and the future and between this world and the next is pulled aside, we
find a Scripture that bears closely upon the point now under consideration.
We refer to Rev. 6: 9, 10 – “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar
the souls of them that were slain for the
Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a
loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost
Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth” This passage, stript of
its symbolism, signifies that martyred believers now in the Intermediate
state are waiting with eager expectation the time when God shall
avenge their death, which time is reached immediately before our Lord
returns to this earth. That which we wish to specially emphasize is
the fact that souls now in ‘
“And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was
said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little
season until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should
be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Rev.
6: 11).
The “dead in Christ”
are waiting in hope, waiting for the fulfilment of that promise, “So also is the resurrection of the dead, it is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised
in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (1
Cor. 15: 42-44). Is their hope nothing more than an idle dream?
Are they to wait thus for ever? No, blessed be God, His Word
declares that at the time of our Redeemer’s Return, “Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
Him” (1 Thess. 4: 14).
Therefore we say that the present un-clothed condition of the dead in
Christ with their expectation of the Resurrection morn
requires and necessitates the personal Return of our Lord.
To sum up. At least ten reasons require that Christ shall come back again - the declarations of Old Testament prophecy; the affirmations of our Lord Himself; the ratification of the Holy Spirit through the writers of the New Testament Epistles; the humiliation of the Cross, requiring a corresponding vindication of Christ in power and glory; the present disorganization of Israel; the exaltation of Satan and the powerlessness of man to depose him; the degradation and desolation of the world; the lamentations of a Creation waiting to be delivered from its bondage of corruption; the supplications of the Church crying “Even so, come, Lord Jesus;” and the expectation of the dead in Christ waiting for their glorification, singly and collectively necessitate and demand the personal Return of our Redeemer.
The Hope of the Redeemer’s Return
“Looking for that
Blessed, Hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ” (Titus 2:13).
CHAPTER TWO
[Page
44-69]
In
1 Cor. 13:13 we learn there are three
cardinal Christian graces namely, faith, hope and love. Concerning the
first and third of these, believers generally are well informed, but regarding
the second, many of the Lord’s people have the vaguest conceptions. When
Christians are questioned upon the subject of Faith they are, for the most
part, able to answer promptly and intelligently; but interrogate the average
church-member about the believer’s Hope, and his replies are indistinct and
uncertain. Let Christian Love come up for discussion and we
all feel
that we are upon solid ground, but when asked to pursue the theme of Christian
Hope many step cautiously and hesitatingly.
That
there is the greatest confusion of thought and belief among Christians
concerning their Hope may readily be proven by questioning a number regarding
the nature of their hope. Ask
the average church-goer what his hope is, and he will say, Salvation - he hopes
to be saved when he comes to die. Ask another and he will tell you that
Death is his hope, for it is then that he will be released from all the
sufferings of the flesh. Ask a third and he would say that Heaven was his
hope. Perhaps this last reply would better express the common and popular
belief than either of the others. But to say that our hope is future happiness, is to say no more than any heathen would
say. There are several Scriptures which distinguish between Heaven and
the believer’s Hope, “Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten us
again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 3, 4). Here the “living hope” unto which we have been begotten is
separated in thought from the “inheritance”
which is “reserved in heaven” for us.
Though closely connected, Heaven and the believer’s Hope are certainly not
synonymous as is clear from Col. 1: 5 where
they are again distinguished – “For the hope which is
laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the
word of the truth of the Gospel.” Heaven is not here said to be
the believer’s hope, for the hope is “laid up”
for him “in heaven.” What then is our
Hope?
It
is strange that there should be such ignorance and confusion upon this subject
for Hope is made almost as prominent in the New Testament as is either Faith or
Love. The Church epistles have much to say upon the subject. In the
epistle to the Romans when setting forth the consequences or results of
justification, the apostle wrote, “Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by
whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God” (5:
1). And again in 8: 24, 25 “For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is
not hope: for who hopeth for that which he
seeth? But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience
wait for it” (R.V.). To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable” (1
Cor. 15: 19). To the Galatians he wrote, “For
we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith” (5: 5). For the
Ephesians he prayed that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened,
and that they might know “what is the hope of His
calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in
the saints” (Eph. 1:18), and in
setting forth the sevenfold Unity of the Spirit he declared, “There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in
one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all” (4: 4‑6),
and there can no more be two different hopes than there
can be two Lords, or two faiths.
To
the Thessalonian saints the apostle Paul wrote, “Sorrow not, even as others which have no hope”
(1 Thess. 4: 13), and again, “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father,
which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good
hope through grace” (2 Thess 2:16). Unto Titus he wrote “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:
11-13). And unto the Hebrews he said, “And
we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full
assurance of hope unto the end. That by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we inight have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge
to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope
we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into
that within the veil” (6: 11,18, 19).
The
apostle Peter found cause for rejoicing in that God had “according to His abundant mercy, begotten us again unto a
living hope by, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”
(1 Pet. 1: 3); and again, he exhorted his
readers to “Be ready always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear” (1 Pet 3:15).
The
apostle John wrote, “Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
And every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3: 2, 3). Thus we see that the
New Testament abounds in passages which speak of the [regenerate] believer’s “hope.”
In
all ages God’s people have had a hope set before them, and that hope has always
centered in Christ. In Eden God gave to Adam the
promise that the woman’s Seed should come and bruise the Serpent’s head and the
anticipation of the fulfilment of this promise constituted the hope of
the saints in those far-off days. Said Jacob, “I have waited for Thy salvation, 0 Lord”
(Gen. 49:18). The Hope that God
set before Abram was that his “Seed” should
be a blessing unto all nations, which hope, as we learn from Gal. 3:16,
had particular reference to Christ. The Hope which God set before Moses
was expressed as follows, “I will raise them up a
Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His
mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him” (Deut. 18: 18). For the fulfilment of this
prophecy see John 12: 49; 14:10, etc.
The Hope which God set before David was stated as follows, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy
fathers, I will set up thy Seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy
bowels, and 1 will establish His Kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will stablish the throne of His Kingdom for
ever” (2 Sam. 7: 12, 13). And
later, through His prophets, God again and again set before
1. THE CHARACTER OF OUR HOPE.
As
there is so much confusion and uncertainty respecting this branch of our
subject, and in order to clear away the rubbish which human devisings
have gathered around it, we will deal first with the negative side
of the character of our Hope.
1. Our Hope is not the Conversion of the World.
We
pray that these pages may be read by many who will be startled
by the above statement. A world which shall eventually be saved by
the preaching of the Gospel has been the expectation of almost all Christendom.
That the Gospel shall yet triumph over the world, the flesh, and the Devil is
the belief of the great majority of those who profess to be the Lord’s
people. In the seminaries, in the pulpits, in the Christian literature of
the day, and in the great missionary gatherings where placards bearing the
words “The world for Christ” are prominently
displayed, has this theory been zealously heralded. It is supposed that
anything short of a converted “world” is a
concept dishonouring and derogatory to the Gospel. We are told the Gospel
cannot fail because it is the power of God, and though the Church has failed,
yet, a day is surely coming when this captivating ideal shall be
realized. To believe other than this, is to be dubbed a “pessimist,” yea, it is to be looked upon as a
hinderer and traitor to the cause of Christ. But what are the plain
facts?
The
Lord Jesus Christ preached the Gospel, preached it faithfully, lovingly,
zealously and untiringly. But with what results? Was the world “converted” under His preaching? Should it be
said this question is not a fair one because He preached only locally, we
accept the correction, but ask further, Was Palestine converted under His
preaching? We have only to glance at the four Gospels to find an
answer. In the sermon on the Mount, our Lord declared that the “many” were on the broad road that leadeth to
destruction and that only a “few” were on the
narrow path that leadeth unto life. In the Parable of the Sower He
announced that out of four castings of the good seed from His hand three of
them fell upon unfruitful ground. Again, we are told, “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the
world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received
Him not” (John 1:10, 11).
No, the Gospel as preached by the Son of God Himself held out no promise of a
world converted by the proclamation of it, for after three and a half years’
ministry such as this world has never witnessed before or since, there was but
a handful who responded to the gracious appeals of the Gospel from His lips -
there were but one hundred and twenty all told that waited in the upper room
for the coming of the Holy Spirit which He had promised to send to His
followers (Acts 1: 15).
How
was it in the days of the apostles? During the first generation of the
Church’s history, wonderful things happened which were well calculated to
convert the world if anything could. Eleven men who had been
trained by our Lord Himself were now sent forth to herald the glad tidings of
salvation. The Holy Spirit was poured forth upon them, and in addition to
the Eleven, Saul of Tarsus was miraculously saved and sent forth as the apostle
to the Gentiles. But what success attended their efforts?
How were they received by the world? Again we have but to turn to the New
Testament Scriptures to find our answer. Like their Master, they, too,
were despised and rejected of men. The apostles were everywhere spoken
against and regarded as the offscouring of the earth. Some of them were
cast into prison, others were slain by the sword. One suffered death by
crucifixion and the last of the little band was banished to the Isle of
Patmos. True it is that their labours were not entirely in vain.
True it is that God honoured His own Word and numbers were saved, and here and
there churches were organized. But the multitudes, the great masses, both
of Jews and Gentiles, remained unmoved and unconverted. The actual
conditions, in the days of the apostles then, gave no promise of a world
converted by the Gospel.
How
is it in our own day? “Ah!” it will be
said, “times have changed since then: Christ and His
apostles lived in the days of paganism and barbarism, but under the
enlightenment of our modern civilization this twentieth century is far
otherwise.” Yes, but all is not gold that glitters. We do
not deny, we praise God for the fact, that to‑day there are far more
Christians upon earth than there were in the first century. But there are
far more sinners too! What we are discussing now is the Conversion of the
world. Has the growth of the
Has
the Gospel failed? Have God’s purposes been defeated?
Certainly not. The Gospel was never designed to convert the world.
God never purposed to regenerate all humanity in this dispensation, any more
than He did under the Mosaic economy, when He suffered the nations to walk in their
own ways. God’s purpose for this Age is clearly defined in
Acts 15: 14 – “Simeon
hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of
them a people for His name”. In full harmony with
this the apostle Paul declared. “I am made all things
to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9: 22). Clearly then, the Hope of the
Church is not the Conversion of the World.
Having
dwelt at some length upon the general, let us now come to the particular –
2. Our Hope is not the Salvation of the Soul.
In
the new Testament the word “Salvation” has a
threefold scope - past, present and future, which, respectively, has reference
to our deliverance from the penalty, the power, and the presence of sin.
When we say above, that our Hope is not the Salvation of the soul, we mean
that it is not our deliverance from the wrath to come which is the prospect God
sets before His people. To certain of our readers it may appear
almost a wearisome waste of time for us to discuss these points, but for the
sake of the class for which this work is specially designed we would ask them
to bear with us in patience. In these days when the Bible is so
grievously neglected both in the pulpit and in the pew, we cannot afford to
take anything for granted. Multitudes of those in our churches are ignorant of
the most elementary truths of the Christian faith. Experience shows that
comparatively few people are clear about even the A. B. C. of the Gospel.
Talk to the average church-member, and only too often it will be found that he
has nothing more than a vague and uncertain hope about his personal
salvation. He is “trying to live up to the light
that he has,” he is “doing his best,”
and he hopes that, somehow, everything will come out right in the end. He
does not dare to say I know I have passed from death unto life, but he hopes
to go to Heaven at the last.
Nowhere
does Scripture present the Salvation of the soul as the believer’s hope.
Salvation from the guilt, the penalty, the wages, of sin is something for which
believers thank God even now. Said our Lord to His disciples, “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10: 20). The present-tense aspect of
our salvation is presented in many Scriptures – “Verily,
verily, I say unto you. He that heareth My word and believeth on Him that
sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”
(John 5: 24). How simple and definite
this is! Eternal life is something which every [regenerate] believer in Christ already possesses, and for him
there is no possibility of future condemnation in the sense of having to endure
God’s wrath. Again we read, “Beloved now are we
the sons of God” (1 John 3: 2).
We do not have to obey God’s commandments, walk worthy, and serve the Lord, in
order to become God’s [redeemed] children, we are to do these things because we are,
already, members of the household of faith. The
salvation or redemption of our bodies is future, for it
will not be until our Saviour’s return that He “shall
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body”
(Phil. 3: 21). But the salvation of
the soul, [meaning*]
deliverance from the wrath to come, is an accomplished fact for every sinner, that
has received the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her personal Saviour. All such
have been accepted in the Beloved (Eph.
1: 6). All such have been “made
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12). All such have been “perfected for ever” (Heb.
10: 14) so far as their standing before God is
concerned.
[* Note. There are instances
where the ‘salvation of the soul’
is shown to be sometime in the future; but this refers to the
time of Resurrection, when disembodied souls in Hades are reunited to their
bodies when our Redeemer - Messiah/Christ - returns to earth. See 1 Pet. ch. 1).
Hence, the apostle Paul, sought to attain unto this selective
resurrection ‘out from the dead’, (Phil. 3: 11).]
As
another has said, “Salvation is not away off yonder at
the gates of Heaven; [eternal] salvation is at
the cross. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared, and it
brings salvation all the way down to where the sinner is - right there.
You know our Lord’s own picture of it. It is the illustration of the good
Samaritan. You know how beautifully that shadows out this blessed truth;
that just as the good Samaritan went down the Jericho road and ministered to
the wretch who lay there half dead, pouring oil into his wounds right there
where he lay, just so the grace of God, that brings salvation, has come to the
sinner in the place where he lies in his sins. No matter how great a
sinner he may be, if he can be persuaded to turn the eye of faith toward the cross,
there salvation comes” (Dr. C. I. Scofield).
Again‑
3. Our Hope is not Death.
Of
all the extravagant and absurd interpretations of Scripture which have found a
place among sober expositors is the belief that Death is the Hope which God has
set before the believer. How it ever came to find acceptance it is
difficult to say. It is true that there are a number of passages which
speak of the Lord returning suddenly and unexpectedly,
but to make the words “At such an hour as ye think
not the Son of man cometh” and “Behold I come as
a thief in the night” mean that death may steal in upon the believer
without warning is to reduce the Word of God to meaningless jargon and is to
make sane exposition impossible. Scripture says what it means, and means
what it says. True there are Parables in the Bible; true there are some
passages which are highly symbolical; but where this is the case the context
usually gives clear intimation to that effect, and where it does not, the plain
and literal force should always be given to the language
of Holy Writ. In Scripture “death” means
death, and the coming again of the Son of man means His coming, and the two
expressions are not synonymous. As we have said, the Return of Christ and
death (sometimes) each, alike, come suddenly and unexpectedly, but there all
analogy between them ends.
It
is passingly strange that Bible teachers should have confounded Death with the
Second Coming of Christ. The former is spoken of as an “Enemy” (I Cor. 15: 26), whereas
the latter is termed “that blessed hope” (Titus 2: 13), and surely these two terms cannot
refer to the same thing. At the Return of our Lord we shall be made like
Him (1 John 3: 2), but believers are not
made like Him at death, for death introduces them into a disembodied
state. That “death” is not
the believer’s Hope is clear from many Scriptures. In 1 Pet. 1: 3 the apostle returns thanks because we
have been begotten again “unto a living
hope.”* The saint of God has a
living hope in a dying scene: a glorious prospect beyond this vale of
tears. In 2 Tim. 4: 8 the apostle Paul
reminds us that there is laid up a crown of righteousness unto all them that love
Christ’s “appearing,” which is further proof
that death is not the Second Coming of Christ, for who is there that “loves” death? Death is my
going to Christ [in the underworld of Sheol/Hades, (Psa. 139:8; Luke
23: 43; 16: 23)], but His Return is
Christ coming to me. Death is a cause of sadness and sorrow, but the
Return of the Lord is a cause of joy and comfort – “Wherefore
comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4: 18, see context). Death lays the
body in the dust [and transfers the disembodied
soul into Hades], but at the Return of our
Redeemer His people arise from the dust [and through
the “the gates” (Matt.
16: 18)] - “the
dead in Christ shall rise first” (1
Thess. 4: 17). Death is the “wages of sin,”
which means that death is the penalty of sin, but so completely has that
penalty been borne by our Saviour that we read, “So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for
Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation”
(Heb. 9: 28). Death was certainly not the
hope of the early Christians as is clear from 1 Thess. 1: 9, 10 where we read, “Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven” -
these Thessalonian saints were looking for Christ not death. Finally;
death cannot be our Hope, for death will not be the portion of all believers as
is clear from the language of 1 Cor. 15:51,
“We shall not all sleep.” What then is our
Hope? We answer‑
4. Our Hope is the personal Return of our Redeemer.
“Jesus Christ our hope” (1 Tim. 1: 1). Jesus Christ is the believer’s
“all in all” (Col.
3: 11). He is “our peace” (Eph. 2: 14). He is “our
life” (Col. 3:14). He is “made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption” (1 Cor. 1: 30).
And, we repeat, He is “our Hope.” But hope
always looks forward. Hope has to do with the future. “We are saved in hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for
what a man seeth, why dath
he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it” (Rom. 8: 24, 25).
This means that what we hope for is that which we do not yet possess. In
Scripture, “hope” is
something more than desire or longing: it is a joyous expectation, a definite
assurance. Faith is that which lays hold of God’s promises; hope is that
spiritual grace which sustains the heart until the promise
is “received.” As another has said, “Man was not made for the present, and the present was not
intended to satisfy man. It is for the future, not the present, that man
exists” (W. Trotter).
The
Hope of the believer is clearly set forth in Titus
2:13 – “Looking for that blessed hope and appearing
of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”
(R. V.). Our Hope is the personal Return of Christ when He shall come
back again to receive us unto Himself. Our Hope is to be taken out of
this scene of sill and suffering and sorrow to be where Christ is
(John 14: 1-3). Our Hope is to be
caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever “with
the Lord” (1 Thess. 4: 16, 17).
Our Hope is to be “made like Him,” and this hope
will be realized when “we shall see Him as He is”
(1 John 3: 2). This is the “one hope” of our “calling”
(Eph. 4: 4). This is the only
Hope for everything else has failed.
The hope of Philosophy has failed.
Philosophy
was the beautiful ideal of the ancients. When
The hope of Legislation has failed.
It
was the dream of the celebrated Plato that he could establish an ideal
Republic by compiling and enforcing a perfect code of laws. But a perfect
Code of Law was compiled a thousand years before Plato was
born. God Himself gave to
The hope of human Government has failed.
The
The hope of Civilization has failed.
How much all of us have heard of ‘the march and progress of Civilization’ during the
past two generations! What a Utopia it was going to create! The masses
were to be educated and reformed, injustices were to cease, war was to be
abolished, and all mankind welded into one great Brotherhood living together in
peace and good will. Civilization was to be the agency for ushering in
the long-looked-for Millennium. Any one who dared to challenge the claims
made on behalf of the enlightenment of our twentieth century, or called into
question the transformation which the upward march of Civilization was supposed
to be effecting, was regarded as an ‘old fogey’
who was not abreast of the times, or, as a ‘pessimist’
whose vision was blinded by prejudice. Was not “Evolution”
an established fact of science and did not the fundamental principle of
Evolution - progress and advancement from the lower to the higher - apply to
nations and the human race as a whole; if so, we should soon discover that we
had outgrown all the barbarities of the past. War was now no longer to be
thought of, for those cultured nations within the magic pale of civilization
would henceforth settle their differences amicably by means of
arbitration. It was true that the great Powers continued building
enormous armies and navies, but these, we were told, would merely be used to
enforce Peace. But oh! what a madman’s dream it has all proven. The
Hope of Civilization, like every other hope which has not been founded upon the
sure and certain Word of God, has also proved to be nothing more than an
entrancing mirage, a tragic delusion. The great World War, with all its
unmentionable horrors, its inhumanities, its barbaric ruthlessness, has rudely
wakened a lethargic humanity to the utter insufficiency of all merely human
expediencies, and has demonstrated as clearly as anything has ever been
demonstrated that “Civilization” is nothing
more than a high-sounding but empty title.
We
repeat again, the ONLY hope of the Church is the personal
Return of the Redeemer to remove His people from these scenes of misery and
bloodshed to be for ever with Himself; and the ONLY hope for this poor
sin-cursed and Satan-dominated world is the Second Advent of the Son of Man to
rule and reign over the earth in righteousness and peace. This is
the worlds LAST hope, for every other hope has failed it!
We turn now to consider –
2. THE AUTHORIZATION OF OUR HOPE.
The
insufficiency and failure of the various hopes of the world reviewed above,
serve only to furnish a background upon which, by way of contrast, may shine
forth more prominently and gloriously the certainty and sufficiency of our
hope. Every hope of man which originates in his own mind
and heart is doomed to end in disappointment. If men refuse the light
which is furnished by Divine revelation then they must expect to remain in
darkness, and, as our Lord said, “If therefore the
light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness!”
(Matt. 6: 23). The value of a hope
lies in the authorization of it, what then are the grounds for our hope?
What
warrant have we for expecting the Return of the Redeemer? After all that
has been said in the previous pages and in view of the various Scriptures therein
cited, a lengthy reply to this question is not necessary. In brief, it
may be said, the inspired and infallible Word of Him who cannot lie is our
warrant and authorization for looking for that Blessed Hope. But,
briefly, to particularize.
1. We have the Promise of the Lord Jesus
Himself.
We
have already quoted from John 14 in other
connections but we now refer to it again. On the eve of His crucifixion
our Saviour turned to His disciples and said, “I go to
prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may
be also” (John 14: 2, 3). Here
is an assertion about which there is no ambiguity whatever. Here is a
promise that is positive and unequivocal. Here is a word of comfort from
the lips of Truth incarnate. The Lord who has gone away from this earth
to prepare a place for His people is coming back again for them, coming back in
person, coming to receive them to Himself that they may be with Him for evermore.
2. We have the
word of God’s messengers at the time of His Son’s Ascension.
These words are recorded in the first chapter of the
Acts which presents a scene of unusual interest and importance. Our
Lord’s sojourn upon earth was now to terminate. The time of His departure
was at hand. The great purpose of the Divine incarnation had been
accomplished. The cross and the empty sepulchre lay behind, and now the
Saviour of sinners was to be exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Together with a few of His disciples He went as far as Bethany, and lifting up
His hands He blessed them, and while in the act of blessing them He was “parted from them, and went up into heaven” (Luke 24: 50, 51). And a cloud received Him
out of their sight, and then we are told, “While they
looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, two men stood by them in white
apparel: which also said, Ye men of
3. We have the inspired testimony of the
apostles.
We
have already shown in a previous chapter that each of the apostles bore witness
to the Second Coming of Christ. Their testimony is clear, full, and
uniform. At this point we shall select but a single passage, a familiar
one, from the epistles of the apostle Paul. In 1
Thess. 4: 13-8 we read, “But I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (i.e.,
“go before”) them which
are asleep. 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 which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.”
The
above passage is the most comprehensive statement upon the Redeemer’s Return
which is to be found in the apostolic writings. The importance of the
communication contained therein is intimated by the prefatory clause – “This we say unto you by the word of the Lord,” an
expression which is always reserved for those passages of Divine revelation
which are of peculiar importance or solemnity. Here again we learn that
Christ is going to return in person – “The Lord Himself.”
Here again we have a positive promise – “The Lord
Himself shall descend.” And here again, the
Second Coming of Christ is presented as the “Blessed
hope” of the Church – “comfort one another with
these words.” We reserve further comment upon this passage for a
later chapter.
4. Finally, we have the Promise of the Lord,
given from the Throne.
We
have previously pointed out that, some fifty or sixty years after His ascension
to the right hand of God, Christ sent His angel to the beloved John on the Isle
of Patmos saying, “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22: 20). This was our Lord’s last
promise to His people, as though to intimate that He would have
them continually occupied with His imminent Return. Perhaps this will be
the best place to meet an objection that is frequently made by those who seek
to find flaws in the Word of God. It is said that the Lord Jesus here
made a mistake. He declared that He was coming quickly and
more than eighteen centuries have passed since then and yet He has not
returned!
The
explanation of this supposed difficulty is every simple. When the Lord Jesus
said, “Surely I come quickly,” He spoke from Heaven, and Heaven’s
measurement of time is very different from earth’s. Never
once while He was here upon earth did the Saviour say or even hint that He
would return “quickly.” On the contrary He
gave plain intimation that after His departure a lengthy interval would have to
pass ere He came back again. In the Parable of the Nobleman He spoke of
Himself as One taking a journey into “a far country” (Luke 19: 12). On another occasion He represented
an evil servant saying, during the time of His absence, “My Lord delayeth His coming” (Matt. 24: 28). While in the Parable of the
Talents He openly declared that “After a long
time the
Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them”
(Matt. 25: 19). What we would here
press upon the attention of our readers is, that, each of these utterances were
made by our Lord during the time when He was still upon earth and
therefore they must be considered from earth’s viewpoint; but when the Lord
Jesus said “Surely I come quickly” He spoke from
Heaven and concerning Heaven’s measurement of time we need to
bear in mind that word “Beloved, be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3: 8).
In the light of the last quoted Scripture it is easy to understand Rev. 22: 20 - if our Lord returns before the
present century terminates He will have been away but two days!
“Surely I come quickly.” These are the words of
our ascended Lord. This is His promise, sent from the very Throne of
Heaven. This is His final word to His people before they hear His “shout” calling them to be with Himself. This,
then, is the warrant, the ground, the authorization of our Hope. Let us
now consider‑
3. THE BLESSEDNESS OF OUR HOPE.
It
is both interesting and profitable to notice the several adjectives which are
used in connection with the believer’s Hope. In 2
Thess, 2: 16 it is termed a “good hope.” In Heb.
6: 19 it is described as a hope “both sure
and stedfast.” In 1
Pet. 1: 3 it is denominated “a living hope.”
In Eph 4: 4 it is styled the “one hope” of our calling. While in Titus 2: 13 it is spoken of as “that blessed hope.” The blessedness
of our Hope is that which is now particularly to engage our
attention. In what respects is our hope a “blessed”
one? We answer‑
1. Because of its bearing upon
2. Because of its bearing upon the Gentiles.
This
aspect of our subject has not received the attention which it deserves.
It has been assumed by some that the present dispensation is the time when God
is blessing the Gentiles and that in the Millennium the Jews will
be the special objects of God’s favour. It is true that in the Millennium
Israel shall enter into the enjoyment of their inheritance and that at that
time they shall occupy the chief position, governmentally, among
the nations, but it is a mistake to suppose that the Gentiles will receive less
notice from God then than they do now. During this age God is merely taking
out of the Gentiles a people for His name, and hence it is that
the vast majority of them are still living amid the darkness of
heathendom. But it will not always be thus. The restoration of
In
the eleventh chapter of Romans, where the apostle is showing that
The
words of Simeon recorded in Acts 15 are in
perfect agreement with the teaching of Romans 11 –
“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit
the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree
the words of the prophets; as it is written, after this, I will return and will
build again the tabernacle of David (i.e., Israel), which is fallen down; and I
will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up; that the residue of
men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom
My name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things” (vss. 14‑17). It is to be noted that
here again the “Seeking of the Lord” by the “residue of men and all the Gentiles” is subsequent
to the restoration of
There
are many prophecies in the Old Testament which speak of the Millennial
blessedness of the Gentiles. We single out one or two without
commenting extensively upon them. “And the glory
of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 40: 5). “0 sing
unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvellous things: His right hand,
and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory. The Lord hath made known
His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of
the heathen. He hath remembered His mercy and His truth
toward the house of
One
more quotation must suffice: “And ye shall know that I
am in the midst of
3. Because of its bearing upon the Church.
Concerning
this point we shall here merely generalize, for this precious aspect of our
subject will come up for consideration again in a later chapter. In a
word, we may say that, the Hope of the Church lies in the future and not in the
present, is heavenly and not earthly. To His disciples our Lord said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16: 30). This is the present
portion of the Church which is His body: this is all that the
believer is to expect from the world in which he is now living. We are
not to be surprised if the world “hates” us,
because it first hated our Divine Master. Said the apostle, “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe
on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Yea, we are assured that
“all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution.” The Lord’s path to the Throne was via the
Cross, and we are called to “follow His steps.”
The Hope of the Church then lies not in this world, but above
it; not in the present, but in the future.
At
first sight it may appear strange, especially to unbelievers, that the
Christian should speak of his hope. In contrast to
the wicked who have “no peace,” the saint has
a satisfying portion. The believer has already drunk of that “1iving water” of which those who drink shall “never thirst.” The believer is already in
possession of “eternal life,” but he has not yet
entered into the full and unhindered enjoyment of it - that is
still before him as the object of his hope. In one sense then, the
Christian is satisfied, in another sense he is not.
The believer already knows One, yea, is now indwelt by One
who can satisfy him. He knows Christ, possesses
Christ, enjoys Christ; but, as yet, he has not seen Christ.
It is by faith (not feelings) that we know and enjoy Christ, but the more we
know and enjoy Him thus, the more we long to behold Him –
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye
see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;
receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls”
(1 Pet. 1: 8, 9).
“Yes, my brethren, believing in Christ, whom we have not
seen, we love Him; we rejoice in Him with unspeakable joy; we [look
forward to] receive the salvation of our souls.
But to see Christ - to have the salvation which He wrought out on the cross
applied to our bodies as well as to our souls - to have it perfected in our
experience even as it respects our souls - to have it consummated thus in all
who are fellow-partakers with us of Christ - to be with Him, and with them, in
our Father’s house - to behold His glory which the Father has given Him - to
appear with Him in glory when He appears - to reign with Him over a ransomed
and redeemed and happy creation - to fulfil our part in the universal harmony
of all in heaven and all in earth, when all shall bow the knee to Jesus, when
every tongue shall own Him Lord, and all voices shall join to celebrate His
praise - this, and far more than this - far more than heart can conceive or
tongue explain, is what we wait for; and, above all, we wait for Him
whose return shall introduce us to all this perfect blessedness - we wait for
God’s Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come. HE IS OUR HOPE. We know
Him now by faith as our Saviour, our Lord, our life, our peace, our joy, our
all. AND HE IS OUR HOPE. He is plainly said to be so in 1 Tim. 1: l – ‘Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God
our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ OUR HOPE.’ And what He is thus in so many plain words
expressly declared to be in this passage, He is shown to be by the uniform,
unvarying testimony of Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation” (Plain
Papers on Prophetic Subjects by W. Trotter). Again, the Redeemer’s
Return is a “Blessed Hope” -
4. Because of its bearing upon Christ Himself.
Our
Lord Himself is waiting that blest moment when He shall rise from the Father’s
Throne, descend to the air and catch up His loved and redeemed ones to be for
ever with Himself. What other meaning can possibly be given to that
remarkable word recorded in Rev. 1: 9 – “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in
tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.”
And
again we read, “But this Man, after He had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God. From
henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His
footstool” (Heb. 10: 12, 13).
Yes, for well nigh two thousand years, our Lord has patiently waited for
the last predestined member to be added to the Church which is His body.
Nay, may we not go further, and reverently say, from all eternity
the Lord Jesus has been waiting to possess that people given to Him by the
Father before the foundation of the world! It was for this “Joy” that was set before Him that He despised the
cross and endured its shame (Heb. 12: 2).
It was for this “one pearl” which He esteemed of
“great price” - oh! wondrous thought - that He
went and sold all that He had to buy it (Matt. 13:
46). It is for this blood-purchased people that He has been
interceding on high since the day of His ascension. And at His Second
Advent the time of waiting, the long interval of His “patience,”
will be ended. Then it will be that He shall come to receive us unto
Himself. Then it will be that He shall present the Church 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: 27). Then it will be that “He shall
see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied” (Is. 53: 11). 0 blessed Hope.
Well may we cry “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
For Him, too, as well as for us, this is “that blessed
hope.”
And
now, dear reader, what is your hope? What is it that is occupying your
heart and filling your vision? Is it the prospect of a speedily returning
Redeemer? If you are truly the Lord’s then do you not yearn to see Him face
to face? Do you not long to fall at His feet and say “My Lord and my God”? Surely you do, for you
cannot be fully satisfied in this world. How could you be? How can
you find satisfaction in a world from which your Saviour is absent?
“Earth is a wilderness, not merely (no, nor
chiefly) because of its trials and its hardships, its sorrows and its pangs,
its disappointments and reverses, but because He is not here.
Heaven would not be heaven to the saint if Jesus were not there. He,
His presence (as that which introduces us to it), His coming is our hope - the
hope of the Christian, the hope of the Church. May our hearts cherish it
as we have never done! May its brightness so attract us that earth’s
fairest, loveliest, most enchanting scenes may be weariness itself to our
hearts, as detaining us from the object of our hopes! May that object so
animate us that earth’s heaviest afflictions the narrowest, most rugged, and
most thorny portions of the narrow way - may be welcome to us, as the path that
leads us onward to the goal of our expectations, the home of our hearts, the
Jesus whose presence makes it what it is, whose love made Him tread a narrower
and a darker path than this, and whose smile of ineffable satisfaction shall
crown the faith that has trusted Him, the love that has followed Him,
throughout this dreary Journey, along this narrow way, amid the darkness and
solitude of this long and dismal night” (W. Trotter).
The Fact of the Redeemer’s Return
“I will come again and
receive you unto Myself;
that where I am there ye may be also” (John 14: 3).
CHAPTER THREE
[Pages
70- 97]
It
has been pointed out by another that the New Testament is concerned mainly with
the presentation of three great facts: first, that the Son of God has been to
the earth but has gone away; second, that the Holy Spirit has come down to this
earth and is still here; third, that the Son of God is coming back again to
this earth. To quote – “These are the three
great subjects unfolded in the New Testament Scriptures; and we shall find that
each of them has a double bearing: it has a bearing upon the world, and a
bearing upon the church; upon the world as a whole, and upon each unconverted
man, woman, and child in particular; upon the church as a whole, and upon each
individual member thereof, in particular. it is impossible for any one to avoid
the bearing of these three grand facts upon his own personal condition and
future destiny” (Tapers on the Lord’s Coming by C. H. M.) A
few words now on each of these facts.
First;
the Son of God has been to this earth but has gone away. Here is a fact
marvellous in its nature and far-reaching in its effects. This world has
been visited by its Creator. The very feet of the Lord of Glory have trod
this earth on which we now dwell. From heaven’s throne there descended
the Only begotten of the Father, and for upwards of thirty years He tabernacled
here among men. His appearing was not attended with regal pomp and
outward splendour. His glory was veiled and His Divine prerogatives were
laid aside. He who was in the form of God took upon Himself the form of a
servant. He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, was made in
the likeness of men. He who had received the worship of angels was born
in a manger. What an infinite stoop! What amazing
condescension! What matchless grace! Were it not that we had grown
so familiar with the recital of these things, were it not that our cold hearts
had lost their sense of wonderment, we should be overwhelmed with adoring
gratitude. Were it not that we were so occupied with the things of this
world and our own interests we should
prostrate ourselves before God in worship and cry, “Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5: 12). Here then is the first great
fact presented in the New Testament - the Son of God came down to this earth.
How was He received? What welcome did He meet
with? What effect did the coming of the “Almighty
God” (Is. 9: 6) have upon the
world? What effect would we suppose it to have had? Should we
expect to learn that the birth of the God-man was hailed as the most wondrous
and blessed event in all history? Should we expect to find the rulers of
the earth casting their sceptres at His feet? Should we expect to find
Him an Object of universal worship? Such expectations would but betray
our ignorance of the depths of human depravity. Of sinners it is written
“They did not like to retain God in their
knowledge” (Rom. 1: 28). And
why? Because “the carnal mind is enmity against
God” (Rom. 8: 1) - such it was
demonstrated to be when Cod was manifested in the
flesh. “There was no room for them in the inn”
(Luke 2: 7) sums up the whole tragic story.
The Christ of God was not wanted. His ineffable holiness condemned the
vile wickedness of sinners. He came here to “heal
the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” but the
world hated Him, “hated”
Him “without a cause” (John 15: 25). Men said, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him” (Mark 12: 7), and no ordinary death would suffice
and appease the hatred of their wicked hearts. He must die the death of a
criminal, He must be crucified - a form of punishment reserved for slaves who
were guilty of the vilest crimes (Josephus). By wicked hands He
was “crucified and slain” (Acts 2: 20).
“Where sin abounded grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5: 20). Marvellous are the ways of
God. He maketh even the “wrath of man” to
praise Him (Ps. 76: 10). Those wicked
hands of men which nailed to the Cross the Lord of Glory, were but fulfilling,
unknown to themselves, the eternal purposes of Jehovah. The Lord Jesus
was “delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2: 23).
These words bring before us the Divine side of that mysterious
transaction. As He hung there on the Cross the Lord Jesus suffered not
only at the hands of man, but He was also smitten by the hand of God (Is. 53: 4, 10) because it was then and there that
He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2: 24). On the Cross, our blessed
Saviour who knew no sin was “made sin for us” (2 Cor. 5: 21). It was because He hung there
as the Sin-Bearer that Jehovah said, “Awake, 0 sword,
against My shepherd, and against the man that is My Fellow, saith the Lord of
hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” (Zech. 13: 7). Thus, the Death of Christ must
be viewed from two great standpoints. From the side of the world His
death was a deliberate, cold-blooded murder; from the side of God it was a
satisfaction rendered unto His justice and holiness which had been outraged by
sin. From the side of the world, the Cross was the climacteric display of
its sin and guilt; from the Divine side it was God’s provision to remove the
sin and guilt of all who believe. From man’s side, the world has yet to
account to God for the death of His Son. Therefore it is that God has a “controversy” with the nations. My reader, you
are living in a world over which hangs the judgment of God! And the day
of His vengeance draws near. God has yet to reckon with a world that is
stained with the blood of His beloved Son and soon will His fearful wrath be
poured out upon it. How rarely, in these days, is this side of the
Cross pressed upon men’s consciences and hearts. The Death
of the Lamb of God secured our salvation, but it consummated the world’s
guilt. Christ is absent. Why? Because the world rejected
Him. Yet, if the world disowned Him, the heavens received Him. If
men despised Him, God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is
above every name. We shall consider now, though, more briefly, the second
great fact.
God the Holy Spirit has come down to this earth and is
still here.
This,
also, is an amazing and stupendous fact. God did not abandon the world to which
in love He sent His Son, even though that love was requited by the crucifixion
of the Holy One. How strictly just it would have been had God then and
there entirely deserted this rebellious race of ours! He “spared not” the angels that sinned but “cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of
darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” (2
Pet. 2: 4), why then should He continue to deal in mercy with a race
that had committed a crime which far surpassed in wickedness any sin of which
the angels could have been guilty? Ah! God’s ways are “past finding out.” Where sin abounded grace did
much more abound. The day of God’s wrath was postponed. A world
guilty of murdering God’s beloved Son was granted a reprieve. In
marvellous long-sufferance God gave the world an opportunity, a protracted
opportunity, to repent and thus reap the benefits of the Death Divine.
The Holy Spirit has come down to this
earth. Here is an amazing fact of stupendous magnitude. There is a
Divine person on earth to-day. He has been here, now, for eighteen
centuries unseen, unknown, and unappreciated by the world, yet here,
nevertheless. Like the absence of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the presence of the Holy Spirit has a double bearing - a
bearing upon the world, and a bearing upon the Church. His relation to
the world is a solemn and an awful one. The Holy Spirit is here to
convict the world of its terrible crime in rejecting and crucifying the Son of
God. This is clear from the language of John
16 – “When He is come, He will reprove the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe
not on Me. Of righteousness because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no
more; Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged” (vss. 8‑11). These verses do not refer
to the work of the Holy Spirit in individual sinners, but
speaks of the consequences of His presence on earth toward the world.
It is true that by His gracious operations the Holy Spirit brings sinners
to repentance, but this is not the subject of the above verses: there, as we
have said, we have set forth the relation of the Holy
Spirit toward the “world”
in general. The above quotation brings before us the significance of the
Spirit’s presence on earth rather than defines the character of His work.
In the sense that He is now here, the Holy Spirit would not be present at all if
the Lord Jesus had not been cast out by the world. The Holy Spirit is
here to fill the place of an absent Christ. The
presence of the Holy Spirit is the demonstration of the fact that Christ is
absent. Therefore it is that His presence here “reproves the world,” reproves the world
“of the cause” of Christ’s
absence, reproves the “world” of its awful crime
in putting to death the Lord of Glory. He reproves the world of “sin.” Furthermore the presence here of the Holy
Spirit reproves the world of “righteousness,” of
righteousness because Christ has gone to the Father and the world sees Him no
more, nor will it see Him until He returns in judgment. The “righteousness” of which the Spirit reproves or
convicts the world is the righteousness of God the Father in His exaltation to
His own right hand of the One cast out by the world. Finally, the
presence here of the Holy Spirit convicts the world of “judgment” because Satan, the prince of this world, is already
judged, though the sentence has not yet been executed. So much then for
the world-ward bearing of the fact of the Holy Spirit’s
presence on earth.
Like the fact of our Lord’s rejection by the world,
the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth also has a bearing upon the Church - a
blessed bearing. God has overruled the issues of this second great
fact. Though the presence here of the Holy Spirit condemns the world, it
involves infinite blessing for the Church. Church-ward, the Holy Spirit
is here to take the place of our absent Saviour. He is here to “quicken” (John 3: 6)
as Christ quickened (John 5: 21). He
is here to “teach” (John
14: 26) as Christ taught (Matt. 7: 29).
He is here to “comfort” (John 16: 7) as Christ comforted (John
14: 1). In short, the Holy Spirit is here to do for God’s people
what Christ would have done for them had He remained on the earth. The consequences,
then, of the presence here of God the Holy Spirit are unspeakably solemn as
regards the world, but infinitely precious as regards the saints.
We
are now prepared to consider the third great fact which is presented to our
notice in the New Testament scriptures, that fact which forms the subject of
this chapter - the fact of the Redeemer’s Return. And –
1. The Statement of this Fact.
To
state in the fewest possible words the broad fact itself the Lord Jesus is
coming back again. As we have seen, He has gone away from this
world. He ascended on high. But heaven is not to retain Him for
ever. Scripture declares that He is to vacate His Father’s throne where He is
now seated, that He will descend to the air and receive His people unto
Himself, and, that subsequently, He will return to the earth to set up His
Millennial Kingdom.
The
fact of our Lord’s Return is set forth in the New Testament as clearly and as
fully as either of the other two facts to which we have referred. The
fact and truth of the second advent of Christ occupies a commanding position in
the New Testament. In our Lord’s tender farewell address to His disciples
(John 14-16) the prospect and promise, of
His Return was the first subject to which He directed
their attention (John 14:1-3). After He had
left His disciples, yea, while in the very act of ascending, He sent two of His
angels to tell them “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). In the first
Epistle which the apostle Paul was inspired to write, namely, the “Thessalonian,” he referred in every chapter
to the Redeemer’s Return. In his instructions to the Corinthians
concerning their celebration of the Lord’s Supper, he wrote, “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew
the Lord’s death till He come” (1 Cor. 11: 26). As we have already stated in
another connection, the first promise that was given to fallen man was that the
woman’s Seed should come and bruise the Serpent’s head - a prophecy which will
not receive its fulfilment until the time of the Lord’s Return. The last
recorded words of our blessed Saviour, found in the closing chapter of the
Bible, were “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22: 20).
Thus we see that at the beginning and also at the
end of the Sacred Volume, the Blessed Hope is given prominence,
while between these two utterances of God Himself are literally hundreds of
verses which bear directly upon this precious theme. The same Book which
tells us that our Lord came to this earth and went away; the same Book which
tells us that God the Spirit is now present on the earth, also declares that
the Lord Jesus is coming back again, and, as another has said, “we admit one fact we must admit all: if we deny one, we must
deny all; inasmuch as all rest upon precisely the same authority. They
stand or fall together.”
The
fact of our Lord’s Return is stated in the most positive, emphatic, and
unequivocal language. “I will come again”
(John 14: 3). He did not say “I may come again,” or “I
intend to come again,” but “I will come
again." Moved by the Holy Spirit the apostle Paul wrote, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven” etc. (1 Thess. 4: 16). The apostle did not say “We shall go to the Lord,” or “The Lord will send for us” but “The Lord Himself shall descend.”
The fact of our Lord’s Return is not set forth in mysterious and obscure
figures of speech, but is stated in language so plain and simple that he who
runs may read and is expressed in terms of finality, beyond which there is no
appeal. “For yet a little while and He that shall
come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10: 37). And again, “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:
20).
2. The Interpretation of this Fact.
This
third great fact which is presented to our notice in the New Testament must be
interpreted on precisely the same lines and by the same canons as the other two
Facts, i.e., the Scriptures which set forth the Second Advent of Christ must be
received just as we receive those statements which tell us of His first advent
and of the descent to earth of the Holy Spirit. Those verses which treat
of the Redeemer’s Return must be taken at their face value: they must be
received by faith just as they read: they must be understood literally.
We press this point upon our readers because there have been many teachers
who have sought to spiritualize the Scriptural references to our Lord’s Second
coming and who have treated them as though their language must be regarded as
figurative and symbolical. Just as the Lord Jesus came to the earth the
first time in person so will
He
come the second time. Our Redeemer is to return bodily and visibly.
The language of Holy Writ gives as much reason for believing in a literal and
personal return of Christ as it did for His First
Advent. “Occupy till I come.” “If I will that he tarry till I come.” “Ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.” “Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
and to wait for His Son from heaven.” These are representative
passages, and no one reading them for the first time without theological
bias would ever think that they meant anything else than a
literal, personal Advent. And yet the plain language of the Word has been
twisted and distorted and made to teach almost anything and everything other
than its obvious signification. We shall not weary our readers by
examining and refuting at length every forced and fanciful interpretation which
has been indulged in by various commentators; such a task is unnecessary and
would be unprofitable. Those theories which have gained the most
adherents may be grouped into three classes.
First;
there is a class of commentators who regard the coming of the Holy Spirit
on the day of Pentecost as the fulfilment of Christ’s promise to
return. This view is based upon our Lord’s Word in John 14 where, after declaring to His disciples
that He would give them “Another Comforter” who
would abide with them for ever, He immediately, added, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (vs. 18). But to regard the descent of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost as the accomplishment of Christ’s promise “I will come again” is to confuse the Persons of the
Holy Trinity. A sufficient refutation of this error is found in the fact
that the Epistles which were all of them written after Pentecost
contain numerous references to and promises concerning the personal return of
Christ.
Second;
another class of commentators regard the destruction of Jerusalem
by the Roman armies in A.D. 70 as the fulfilment of our Lord’s promise to come
back to the earth and, untenable as this theory is, strange to say, it has met
with a very wide acceptation among Christian theologians. This theory is
based upon a careless exposition of Matt. 24.
At the beginning of this chapter we learn that His disciples asked our Lord
three questions: First, “Tell us, when shall these
things be?” The “these things” look
back to the previous verse where Christ had foretold the destruction of the
temple. Second, “And what shall be the sign of
Thy coming?” Third, “And of the end of the age?”
Now in order to understand our Lord’s complete answer to
these three questions it is necessary to pay close attention to the parallel
passages found in Mark 13 and Luke 21. A careful comparison of these
chapters will make plain the different answers which our Lord returned to His
disciples’ questions. In His answers He made a clear distinction between
the destruction of
Third;
another class of commentators regard the death of the believer
as the fulfilment of our Lord’s promise to come back again and receive His
own unto Himself. This error has already been refuted in an earlier
chapter so that nothing further needs now to be said concerning it.
In
Acts 3:18 we have enunciated a principle
which supplies a sure and certain key to prophetic interpretation – “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of
all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.”
The important words here are “so fulfilled.”
How had the New Testament prophecies concerning the “sufferings”
of Christ been “fulfilled”? The answer is literally.
And, in like manner, will be accomplished those unfulfilled prophecies
which speak of the coming “glory” of
Christ. Just as those predictions which made it known that Christ should
he sold for thirty pieces of silver, that His hands and His feet should be “pierced,” that He should be given “vinegar, mingled with gall” to drink, - just as these
were fulfilled to the letter, so the Scriptures which
declare that He shall descend “from heaven with a shout,”
that “every eye shall see Him” when He comes
back to earth, that He shall return in power and great glory and shall be
accompanied by “ten thousands of His saints” -
just so shall these predictions be fulfilled to the very letter.
3. The twofold bearing of this Fact.
We
come now to a point concerning which it behoves believers, particularly young
believers and beginners in the study of prophecy, to be quite clear upon.
Like the other two great Facts which we have reviewed - the First Advent of our
Lord to this earth and His going away, and the presence now of the Holy Spirit
upon this earth ‑ this third great fact of the Redeemer’s Return also has
a double bearing, a bearing upon the Church and a bearing
upon the world. The Second Coming of Christ will occur in two
stages. Just as a man living in
The
two stages in the Return of Christ are clearly distinguished in the New
Testament. We now call attention to some of the leading differences
between them. 1. The first stage will be in grace, the second will be in
judgment. 2. The first stage will reach no farther than the air, the
second will reach to the earth itself. 3. The first stage is when the
Redeemer returns to catch up the saints unto Himself, the second is when He
returns to the earth to rule it with a rod of iron. 4. The first stage
will be secret, unseen by the world, the second will be public and seen by
every eye. 5. The first stage is Christ returning as “The Morning Star” (Rev.
22: 16), the second is His appearing as “The Sun
of Righteousness” (Mal. 4: 2).
6. At the first stage He comes for His saints (John 14: 3), at the second lie returns with
His saints (Jude 1: 4). 7. The
first stage, His secret coming for His saints, is not the subject of a single
Old Testament prophecy, the second stage, when He returns to the earth,
is referred to in numerous Old Testament predictions. 8. The first stage
of Christ’s Return will be followed by Gods Judgments being
poured forth on the earth, the second will be followed by God’s blessings
being poured upon the earth, and by the Holy Spirit being poured out upon
all flesh. 9. The first stage will be followed by Satan coming down to
this earth in great wrath (Rev. 12: 9), the
second will be followed by Satan being removed from the earth for a thousand
years (Rev. 20: 2, 3). 10. Between the
present hour and the first stage of Christ’s Return nothing intervenes, no prophecy
needs first to be fulfilled, for our Lord may return at any
moment; but before the second stage of Christ’s Return can occur many
prophecies must first be fulfilled. 11. Concerning the first stage of our
Lord’s Return we “wait for God’s Son from heaven”
(1 Thess. 1: 10), whereas the second stage
is distinguished as “the coming of the Son of Man.”
12. The first stage was typified by the translation of Enoch to heaven (Heb. 11: 5), the second was foreshadowed by Elijah
who has yet to return to this earth to herald the judgments of the great and
terrible day of the Lord (Mal. 4: 5).
13. The first stage is our Lord’s Coming as our Saviour (Heb. 9: 28), the second is His return to earth as King
(Rev. 19: 11, 16). 14. The first
stage will be followed by the saints coming before the “Judgment seat” (Bema) of Christ to be judged according to their
works and rewarded for their service (2 Cor. 5: 10),
the second will be followed by the “Throne of glory”
upon which shall set the Son of Man who will judge the nations that are upon
earth at the beginning of His millennial reign and apportion them their
positions in His Kingdom (Matt. 25: 31-46).
Here then is the double bearing of the Fact of the
Redeemer’s Return - it respects first His own people and then the whole world.
These
two stages in the Redeemer’s Return are in strict accord
with the order of events which transpired at His First Advent.
At the first coming of the Lord Jesus there was a secret or private
manifestation of Himself, and subsequently a public revelation. The
newly-born Saviour was actually seen by very few. The shepherds in the
field, the wise men from the East. Anna and Simeon in the temple saw the
Redeemer in the days of His infancy, but Herod and Pilate, the scribes and the
Pharisees ‑ the unbelieving civic and religious heads ‑ saw
Him not! After His return from
4. The Fact of the
Redeemer’s Return was typified in the lives of Joseph and Solomon.
In
the Old Testament there are numerous references to the Second Coming of Christ,
references both direct and typical, but in every instance it was His return to
the earth which was in view. The secret coming of Christ
into the air, to catch up the saints to Himself, was an event quite unknown
to the Old Testament prophets, an event kept secret until revealed by God
to the apostle Paul who, when writing to the Corinthians upon this particular
aspect of our subject, said, “Behold, I show you a
mystery (In Scripture the word “mystery”
signifies “a previously hidden truth, now Divinely
revealed, but in which a supernatural element still remains despite the
revelation.”‑ Scofield.); We shall not all sleep, but we shall all he changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of in eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”
(1 Cor. 15: 51, 52).
Many
of the Old Testament characters were remarkable types of Christ: In Adam we see
Christ’s headship; in Abel, Christ put to death by His own brethren according
to the flesh; in Enoch, Christ’s ascension to heaven; in Noah, Christ providing
a “refuge” for His own; in Melchizedek, Christ’s
Kingship; in Abraham, Christ’s Nazariteship; in
Isaac, Christ the willing Sacrifice; in Jacob, Christ toiling for a “bride;” in Moses, Christ the faithful Servant; in
Aaron, Christ the great High Priest; in Joshua, Christ conducting His people
into their inheritance. And so we might continue right through the Old
Testament.
Foremost
among the typical personages of the Old Testament is Joseph. In
almost every detail of his life we see Christ typified. The son of his
father’s love, yet the object of his brethren’s bitter hatred. His very
name meaning “adding” as Christ is adding to
the inhabitants of Heaven by the seed which issues from His travail. Sent by
his father to inquire after his brethren’s welfare, he is despised and rejected
by them. They plot against his life, and sell him into the hands of
strangers. While yet in his youth he was carried down into
Above,
we followed the typical history of Joseph to the point where he, through no
fault of his own, was sentenced to suffer the shame of being cast into an
Egyptian prison. But at this point of Joseph’s life there was a dramatic
change. Joseph’s history did not terminate in shame and suffering but in
power and glory. From the dungeon he was exalted to
In
the glorious reign of Solomon which followed the chequered career of David we
have another striking type of the position which the Redeemer shall occupy
during the Millennium. This is one of the composite types of
Scripture. There are a number such where two or more objects or persons
were necessary in order to give a complete picture. For example: in the
great Levitical offerings (Lev.
1-6) we find five - the Burnt, the Meal, the Peace, the Sin, and
the Trespass offerings - were required to give a complete foreshadowing of the
person and work of the Redeemer. In the Tabernacle, no less than seven
pieces of furniture in addition to its structure and materials, were needed to
set forth fully the varied glories of Christ. So it was with reference to
living persons. Enoch and Noah, Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha
supplemented each other in their typical characteristics. Thus it was with David
and Solomon ‑ the latter was the complement of the former
and the two must be studied together in order to secure a complete
picture. David was a type of Christ in His humiliation, Solomon
foreshadowed Christ in His glorification. David
pointed to Christ at His First Advent, Solomon looked forward to Christ at His
Second Advent.
In
many particulars David typified the humiliation of his “greater son.” He was born in Bethlehem of Judea. He is
described as “of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to
look upon,” thus reminding us of Him who “increased
in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man,” and who to the
believer is the Fairest among ten thousand and the altogether Lovely One.
By occupation he was a “shepherd,” and during
his shepherd life he repeatedly entered into conflict with wild beasts.
He was pre-eminently a man of prayer and is the only one in all Scripture
termed a “man after God’s own heart.” He
was the one who slew Goliath - the opposer of God’s
people and type of Satan, foreshadowing the conflict between the Serpent and
the woman’s Seed who, by His death, delivered God’s people from the toils of
their great Enemy. When his arch-enemy Saul was in his power he acted in
great mercy by sparing his life, just as in
After
David came Solomon who foreshadowed the glory and the millennial reign of
Christ. The word “Solomon” means “Peaceable” and thus his name suggests the
for riches and for wisdom” (1 Kings 10: 23); “And the
Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all
5. The Fact of the Redeemer’s Return was
foreshadowed in the
Ritual on the annual day of
The
order of events on the Day of Atonement are described in Leviticus 16, a chapter which is exceedingly rich
in its typical signification. The Day of Atonement had to do with the
putting away of
First,
Aaron washed in water and then attired himself in the holy linen
garments. It is to be noted that Aaron was provided with two sets
of garments ‑ those which were “for glory and for
beauty” (Ex. 28: 2), and the plain
linen garments which were used when he offered sacrifice to God: the change
from the latter into the former is referred to in Lev.
16: 23, 24. It was the plain, linen garments
which were worn by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, because clad thus
in robes of spotless white he prefigured the sinlessness of the One who came to
put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Second,
Aaron offered “a bullock of the sin-offering to “make
an atonement for himself and for his house” (vs. 6). Our Great High Priest
was without sin, He “knew no sin,” yet He became so identified with His people
that God “made Him to be sin for us” (2 Cor 5: 20), hence in
the type Aaron makes atonement not only for his “house”
but for “himself” as well. But observe
particularly “and for his house.” That is
where the Church is seen, the Church which by Peter is termed “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood”
(1 Peter 2: 5‑cf. Heb. 3: 6).
Third,
Aaron took two goats and presented them before the Lord at the door of the
tabernacle where he cast lots upon them “one lot for
the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat” (vss.
7, 8). The two goats bring before us the two great
sides of Christ’s cross-work, namely, the Divine and the human. The death
of the Lord Jesus not only provided a salvation for lost sinners but it also
vindicated and glorified God Himself. On the Cross Christ met the claims
of God’s justice, satisfied the demands of His holiness, vindicated His
governmental rights and publicly exemplified His righteousness. “One lot for the Lord” then, is
what God obtained in the death of His beloved Son.
Fourth,
the goat of the sin-offering was killed and its blood brought within the veil
and sprinkled both upon and before the mercy-seat (vs.
15). The mercy-scat was God’s “throne”
in
Fifth,
after making atonement for the holy place and the altar ‑ showing there
is that, even in our communion with and worship of God, which needs
cleansing ‑ Aaron laid both his hands on the head of the
second, live goat, and confessed over him “all the iniquities of the
children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all
their sins, and putting them upon the head of the goat” and
sending him away into the wilderness, into “a land not
inhabited” (vss. 21, 22). Just
as the first goat represented the great truth of propitiation,
the Divine side of Christ’s cross-work, the satisfying and glorifying of
God, so this second goat represented the other great truth of substitution,
the manward side of Christ’s cross-work, the acting of the Lord Jesus as
the Surety of His people and bearing away their sins “as
far as the east is from the west.” The laying on of the priest’s
hands upon the head of the innocent goat signified an act of identification,
the counterpart of which now enables us to say by faith “I was crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2: 20‑Creek). The confession of
Sixth,
after atonement had been effected, the high priest came out of the Holy of
Holies, attired himself in his robes of beauty and glory and returned to
the waiting Congregation in the outer court (vss. 23, 24). It is in this last act of
Aaron that we arrive at the point which is specially germane to our present
study. The Antitype, our great High Priest, has already made atonement
and has passed through the veil into the Holy of Holies on high “now to appear in the presence of God for us,” but soon He
shall divest Himself of the sacrificial garments and attired in robes of glory
and beauty He shall come forth to His waiting people whose sins and iniquities
shall be remembered “no more for ever.” It
is to this coming forth of our High Priest that Heb.
9: 28 (speaking in the very language of the above type) refers – “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin (our
sins gone) unto salvation.”
Thus we see that the Ritual of Israel’s annual Day of Atonement foreshadowed
not only the cross-work of Christ and His present session at God’s right hand
but that it also typified and looked forward to His return in glory.
6. The fact of the Redeemer’s Return is illustrated
in the Gospel narratives.
We
refer now to the incident of Christ walking over the water to the aid of
His storm-tossed disciples, the dispensational significance of which has
already been pointed out by several writers.
Immediately
after our Lord had fed the five thousand, He retired into a mountain while His
disciples went down unto the sea, and entering into a ship, they essayed to
journey to
Christ on the mount, praying, points to His present
position on high where He is interceding for us at the right hand of God.
The restless, tossing sea, aptly figures the world’s unrest in its opposition
to God. The ship in the midst of the sea represents the Church which is in
the world but not of it. The storm beating down upon the ship caused
by the “great wind” that blew, prefigures the
attacks and assaults upon the Church by the “Prince of
the power of the air,” seeking to destroy it during the time of Christ’s
absence. The rowing of the disciples and their failure to make headway
against the storm, shows the powerlessness of the Church to improve the world
as such. Nineteen centuries of Gospel preaching and Christian witnessing
have failed to effect any real change in the world at large. The unrest
of the world still continues, its hostility while not so open is yet
just as real, and Christ is “hated” as bitterly
as ever. The Church may pull at its oars, but it cannot still the
sea - the storm will not be hushed until the Lord Jesus
appears! All that the disciples could do was to keep the ship from
sinking, and in that they were successful. There again our type is
perfect. The world may be hostile to the Church and Satan may fling his
angry winds and waves against it, but as its Founder declared, His church is
built upon the Rock and “the gates of Hades
shall not prevail against it,” and
blessed be God they have [can] not. After almost two thousand years of human
and Satanic opposition, after every conceivable weapon
has been employed to encompass its destruction, Christ’s Church still
survives. And in the midst of the storm; at the darkest hour, in the
fourth watch, Christ came to the deliverance of His disciples. So it will be at
His Second Advent: He will come back to and for the Church which He ransomed
with His own blood. He came to His disciples and, be it noted, He
appeared not with a word of reproach but with a message of cheer – “It is I; be not afraid.” Thus will it be at the
Redeemer’s Return: He will descend from heaven with a shout of welcome,
bringing joy and gladness to the hearts of His own. Observe the blessed
sequel – “and immediately the ship was at the land
whither they went.” The typical meaning of this is obvious: when our
Lord comes back again the Church’s conflicts will be over, its journey is then
completed, its voyage ended, its destined harbour is safely reached – [and the dead in Hades are resurrected
and returned to the land of the living]. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
“For the coming of the Bridegroom,
Whom, tho’ yet
unseen, we love;
For the King of saints returning
In His glory from above;
For the shout that shakes the prison,
For the trumpet loud and clear,
For the voice of the archangel,
The Church is waiting here.
For the light beyond the darkness,
When the reign of sin is done;
When the storm has ceased its raging.
And the haven [kingdom] has been won,
For the joy beyond the sorrow,
Joy of the eternal year,
For the resurrection splendour,
We are waiting, waiting here.”
7. The Fact of the
Redeemer’s Return had a spectacular setting forth on the Mount of
Transfiguration.
The
Transfiguration of Christ is perhaps as familiar as any of the leading events
recorded in the four Gospels, yet is it less understood than the other great
crises in His blessed life. The purpose and meaning
of the Transfiguration is defined in the closing verse of Matthew 16 – “Verily I say
unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till
they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.” This is the
verse which has puzzled many Bible readers, yet its meaning is simple if we pay
heed to its exact wording. Observe that Christ did not here say, “There be some standing here which shall not taste of death
till the Son of man come in His Kingdom.” but “until
they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.” The
word “See” furnishes the key to the above
declaration. Observe further, that our Lord said to the disciples, “There be some standing here, which shall not taste
of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
The
above verse is the closing one of Matthew 16
and it is exceedingly unfortunate that a chapter division has
been made to immediately follow it and thus obscure its real meaning to many
readers. What follows in the next chapter is the fulfilment of
Christ’s promise to the [three] disciples as is clear from its opening statement –
“And after six days Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain
apart, and was transfigured before them” - the “And”
connecting Matthew 17 with chapter 16, the “after six
days” dating from the promise given the disciples, and the “some” finding its fulfilment in “Peter, James, and John.” Here then is the key to
the significance of the Transfiguration. scene ‑ it
was the disciples. seeing “the Son
of Man coming in His Kingdom:” it was a pattern and sample
[a preview] of
the glory in which our Lord shall return to the Mount of Olives; it was a
visible representation, a spectacular setting forth of each of the leading
elements which shall be found in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. To
particularize. “And after six days” – “about an eight days after” (Luke).
Every detail in the description of this remarkable event is worthy of our
closest study. A careless and flippant reader might ask, “Why are we told that our Lord was transfigured just six days
after He had given His promise to the disciples? ‑ What
does it matter to us whether it was six or sixteen days?” But the
reverent student of Holy Scripture has learnt that everything in Gods Word has
a meaning and value. “Six days after,”
then it was a seventh-day scene, a Sabbatical
scene, in a word - a Millennial scene –[after
six thousand years]. Some
students will differ from us upon this point, but we record it as our belief
that the above words furnish Scriptural verification of a
view which was commonly held by the ancients, by the Rabbis and by the Church “Fathers,” namely, that in line with the statement
found in 2 Pet. 3:8 – “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years”
‑ the seven days of Genesis one are to be regarded as a definition of the
duration of [this] earth’s
history, i.e., six thousand years of toil and labour followed by a thousand
years of rest and peace, the Sabbath‑day thus pointing forward to the
Millennium.
“And His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white
as the light” (Matt. 17: 2).
With this statement should be compared Peter’s inspired commentary – “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we
make known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eye-witnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honour
and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent Glory
(i. e., the Shekinah Glory), This is My beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased. And this Voice which came from heaven we heard, when
we were with Him in the holy mount” (2
Pet. 1: 16-18). During the days of Christ’s humiliation when He endured
the contradiction of sinners against Himself, we are told, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more
than the sons of men” (Is. 52: 14),
but here on the Mount of Transfiguration “His face did
shine as the sun.” The disciples were favoured with a glimpse of
Christ in His resurrection glory! It is thus He now appears in Heaven as
is evident from the blinding effects of Christ’s glory as manifested to Saul of
Tarsus on the
“And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah
talking with Him” (vs. 3). From
the fact that Moses (representative of the Law [and
some of the dead]) and Elijah (standing for the
Prophets [and some of the living]) were with Christ at this time we may learn that
the Old [and New]
Testament saints shall have their part and place with Christ in His Millennial
Kingdom. There is also another fact revealed here ‑ precious
thought! ‑ when our Lord returns to the earth He will be accompanied by
two classes of saints here represented by Moses and Elijah, namely, those who
have passed through death and those who have been “changed”
and raptured to heaven without seeing death. The three disciples ‑
Peter, James, and John ‑ may be regarded as representatives of [some of] the Church,
not, of course, the Church in its Divine unity, but in individual capacity.
“While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them,
and behold a voice out of the cloud which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased, hear ye Him” (vs. 5).
The mention of the “bright cloud” here is deeply
significant, the more so as it was out of it that the Voice of God was heard
speaking. This was the “Cloud” which had
been withdrawn from
“And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save
Jesus only” (vs. 8).
This touch to the picture is a very beautiful one. It tells us that in
the Millennium our blessed Lord shall be exalted high above all, that He
shall occupy the position of pre-eminency, that all human glories shall pale
and disappear before His. As it is, written, “And the loftiness of man shall be
bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord
alone shall be exalted in that day” (Is.
2: 17).
The
hour when the Transfiguration occurred is
significant. From Luke’s account we gather that it happened at
night, for we read, “But Peter and they
that were with him were heavy with sleep” (Luke 9: 32). Thus will it be at the close of
the long, dark night of Israel’s dispersion‑they shall look up and behold
their Messiah returning in power and glory, accompanied by ten thousands of His
saints who shall be on such terms of holy familiarity with Him (compare “Moses and Elijah talking with Him”) that the world
shall marvel at that wondrous grace which made them “joint‑heirs
with Christ.”
The Transfiguration also revealed the
blessedness of that time when Christ shall set up His millennial
Kingdom. “Lord, it is good for
us to be here” (vs. 4) was the
exclamation that fell from the lips of the astonished Peter. Thus will it
be in the Millennium. “Lord, it is good for us to
be here” will well express the contentment and the joy of those who
will be upon earth in those days. O! what a time that will be.
Satan removed, the Antichrist destroyed, and all that opposes the Gospel swept
from the face of the earth.
Striking
indeed was the vision vouchsafed to the three favoured disciples.
Remarkably full was that manifestation of the glory of Messiah’s coming Kingdom.
But the sequel to the Transfiguration was equally
wonderful in its typical signification, and was needed to complete
this spectacular setting forth of the Redeemer’s Return to the earth.
“And when they were come to the multitude, there came to Him a
certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying, Lord have mercy on my son: for
he is a lunatick, and sore vexed: for oftentimes he
falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. * * And Jesus rebuked the demon: and he departed out of him: and
the child was cured from that very hour” (vss.
14, 15, 18). What a sight was this which confronted our Lord and
His disciples as they came down from the “holy mount”!
What a picture of
The Time of The Redeemer’s Return
“Immediately after the tribulation, of those days shall the
sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall
appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of
the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory” (Matt.
24:29, 30).
CHAPTER FOUR
[Pages
98-131]
Having
shown the Necessity of Christ’s Return, having dwelt upon the Hope of His
appearing, having pondered some of the bearings and types of the Fact of
His Advent, we are now ready to discuss the Time of His Return and to
consider the question ‑ When is our Lord coming back
again? By the time of the Redeemer’s Return we do not mean the date,
but the position which this great event occupies in God’s dispensational
programme. Concerning this Phase of our subject there is wide difference
of opinion. Two positions have been taken and the advocates of each
appeal to the Scriptures in support of their conflicting views. These two
positions are known as Pre-millennialism and Post-millennialism. The word
“millennium” means a thousand years, and “pre”
means before and “post” means after. One school of theologians believe
and teach that the Lord Jesus will return before the
Millennium, another school insists that He will not come back again until the
close of the Millennium, in fact not until the end of the world, the end of
time itself. As the point at issue between these schools is of great
importance and as this book may fall into the hands of a number of people who
are bewildered by this contradictory testimony and who are anxious to know what
the Scriptures really say upon the matter, we have decided to devote a
separate chapter to the examination of the question ‑ Will Christ return
before or after the Millennium?
When is our Lord coming back again? In seeking a
satisfactory and authoritative answer to this question our first need is a
candid mind, an unprejudiced heart, a teachable spirit. It is impossible
for us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord while we cling to our
own pre-conceptions. The initial requirement in every student of Holy
Scriptures is that he shall bow to the authority of the Word and submissively
receive at its face value all that God has revealed. We need to
approach the Sacred Volume in the attitude of learners, willing
to have our own ideas of Truth corrected, and prepared to have our beliefs
formed and moulded by the teaching of Holy Writ. Such an assertion may
perhaps appear a platitude, yet we are fully assured that it is a timely
reminder. One of the main hindrances which prevents many of God’s
children apprehending Divine truth is that they read the Bible through the eyes
of others; they read it with opinions already firmly formed, they read it with
prejudicial interest. This is largely true with reference to the subject
of our present inquiry. People have been taught by some “Doctor of Divinity,” or Seminary professor that the
world is growing better, that the Gospel will eventually win all men to Christ,
and that the Millennium is to be ushered in by the efforts of the church.
It is difficult for those who have been taught thus to set aside the effects of
such teaching and come to the study of the Bible to End out exactly what it
says concerning these things. Yet we must do
so if we would learn God’s mind on the matter. It is “What saith the Scriptures?” not What does our church
teach? not What does our Creed or Catechism say? not what did my godly parents
tell me? But “What saith the Scriptures?”
We repeat, in seeking an answer to the question ‑ When will
our Lord return? Before or after the Millennium? we need to approach
the Bible with an open mind, willing to be instructed by
the One who inspired it, and coming to it in the spirit of the child Samuel
saying, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.”
What
is the Time of our Lord’s Return? As stated above, two general answers
are returned to this question. One class of theologians argue that our Lord
will not come back again until after the Millennium;
another class declare that He will return before the
Millennium. In order to be fair to each of these schools we will first
give a brief description of their respective positions.
1. POST AND PRE-MILLFNNIALISM DEFINED.
1. The position of Post-millennialism.
Post-millennialists
teach that the great purpose of the Divine incarnation was that the Lord Jesus
through His death and resurrection should found and establish a spiritual
Kingdom. They tell us that the Jews who expected their Messiah to set up
a material and visible Kingdom on the earth were mistaken. They insist
that the only Kingdom Christ has or will ever have is an unseen, spiritual and
heavenly Kingdom, the subjects of which are the members of His Church, in whose
hearts Christ now rules. They declare that the Redeemer is even now
reigning, reigning as King over this earth and that He will continue thus to
reign, unseen, until He has overcome all enmity and opposition and won His very
enemies unto Himself. The instrument by which He is to
achieve this glorious victory is the church, and the church, we are told, is
here to civilize as well as evangelize the earth. Post-millennialists
teach that while the Church is an institution and organization separate from
the State, yet it is interested in the welfare of the State and that it is the
duty of Christ’s followers to take part in politics and see to it that the best
men securable are elected to office and that they must be encouraged to frame
and enforce laws which make for civil righteousness.
In
present-day conditions post-millenarians see the fulfilling of their hopes and
the promise of a speedy success crowning their efforts. They regard the
multiplication of educational advantages, the discoveries and inventions of
modern science, the improvements in hygienic and sanitary conditions, the
growing demand for nation-wide prohibition, the increasing number of hospitals
and agencies to relieve suffering, the modem trend toward inter-denominationalism
and religious unionism, as so many heralds of the near approach of the
Millennium. They believe that the utilization and perfecting of such
agencies will usher in the Golden Age, an age of world peace and prosperity, an
age when all will know the Lord from the least to the greatest. It is not
until the close of this Millennium that they look for
Christ to return: then it is they expect Him to come back and ‘wind up’ all
things, judge the human race and settle the eternal destiny of every individual
of it. Post-millenarians believe in a general resurrection
and a general judgment at the end of time. Such in
brief and in general is the position and belief held by
post-millennialists. We turn now to
2. The position of Pre-millennialism.
At
every point the teaching of pre-millenarians is diametrically opposed to that
of the post-millennialists. Pre-millenarians regard the Jewish expectation of a
literal, visible, material Kingdom as being set up in the earth by their
Messiah as a hope authorized by the Word of God because
clearly revealed and expressly foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
They believe this Messianic Kingdom is now in abeyance but will yet be
established. They do not hold that Christ is now reigning as King, on the contrary
they look upon Him as at present exercising His high-priesthood, and they do
not expect Him to enter into the office of His Kingship until He returns to the
earth and sits upon the throne of His father David.
Pre-millennialists
do not believe that it is the mission of the Church to
civilize the world, but instead, they are deeply impressed that the great duty
and business of the Church is to evangelize the nations. While
recognizing that civilization is a bi-product of
evangelism, yet they insist that their marching orders are contained in
Christ’s mandate – “Go, preach the Gospel to every
creature.” Believing this, and realizing that a full obedience to their
Lord’s command will require all their strength, time and talents, they (or, at
least, an increasing number of them) look upon politics, social-reform
movements, humanitarian efforts, etc. as outside of their own jurisdiction, as
something which is an integral part of that world from which their Master was
cast out, the “friendship” of which is expressly
declared to be “Enmity with God” (Jas. 4: 4). While they rest with unshaken
confidence upon the Divine promise that God’s Word shall not return unto Him
void but that it shall accomplish that which He pleases and prosper in the thing
whereto He sends it, and while they go forth preaching the Gospel in the
assurance that the Holy Spirit will use and bless it to the conversion of many
of those that hear it, yet pre-millennialists can find no promise anywhere in
the New Testament that the world as a whole shall improve during the time of
Christ’s absence from it; on the contrary, they read that “in the last days perilous times shall
come!” and that “Evil men and seducers shall wax
worse and worse” (2 Tim
3: 1, 13).
Pre-millennialists
do not believe there can be any Millennium until Christ returns to the earth,
takes its government upon His shoulder and reigns in power over it. They
do not believe that there can be any real improvement in moral and spiritual
conditions down here while Satan is free, and realizing the utter impotency of
man to cope with his powerful Enemy they recognize that the only hope for this
poor world is the Second Advent of Christ to it and His removal of Satan from
it. They believe that before this can happen Christ will first come for
His [watchful]
Church and instead of interposing a thousand years between the present and this
blessed event, they are looking for Him to return at any moment. Such in
brief and in general is the belief and position of pre-millennialism.
Now
it is very evident that both of these positions cannot he sound and tenable,
that one of them must be false and unscriptural. Post-millennialism and
pre-millennialism cannot both be right, one of them is most certainly
wrong. Which of them is in error? Again we would urge upon our
readers the need of drawing near to God and praying Him for a teachable spirit
and asking Him to enable them to approach the examination of this issue with an
unprejudiced mind and an open heart.
2. POST AND PRE-MILLENNIALISM EXAMINED.
1. An examination of Post-millennialism.
Post-millennialists
teach that the only Kingdom over which Christ will ever reign is a spiritual
and celestial one. They say that those Jews who expected their Messiah to
set up a visible and material Kingdom on the earth are mistaken, that they
erred in the interpretation of their prophetic Scriptures and cherished a
carnal and unworthy hope. Let us examine this assertion in the light of
God’s Word. In Psalm 132: 11 we read.
“The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not
turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.”
This
was one of many Messianic prophecies scattered throughout the Old Testament
Scriptures. It is a prophecy which has never yet been fulfilled.
When our Lord Jesus was here upon earth He did not sit upon any “throne,” instead of occupying a Throne He was nailed
to a cross. True, He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on
high, but this is not the fulfilment of what Jehovah “swore in truth.” David never occupied a heavenly
throne; his throne was an earthly one, he reigned in
The
above is not a single prophecy but a compound one. It is
made up of five separate items. Mary, the “virgin,”
was to conceive and bring forth a son; her son’s name was to be called “Jesus”; Jesus was to become great and recognized as
the Son of God; the Lord promised to give unto Him the “Throne of David,” and over the “House of
Jacob” He was to reign for ever. Utterly unlikely as it appeared
to human wisdom at the time, part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled -
literally fulfilled. There was a literal birth, Mary’s son was
literally named “Jesus,” and a literal “greatness” has become His portion; by what sleight of
hand then can the exegetical knife be run through this prophecy and a literal “Throne of David” and a literal reign over the “House of Jacob” be denied?
Post-millennialists
teach that Christ is reigning as King today and that He will continue to reign
thus, unseen, until He has subdued and won all His enemies. But the first
part of this assertion is altogether lacking in scriptural authority.
Nowhere in the New Testament are we told that Christ has already begun His
Kingly reign, and nowhere in the Epistles is He denominated the “King of the Church.” It is true that Christ is
now seated upon a “throne,” but not upon His
own Throne. Christ is seated on the Throne of His Father,
but His own Throne and the Father’s Throne are clearly distinguished in
Scripture – “To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with Me in My Throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne” (Rev. 3: 21). It is not until after
He has vacated His Father’s throne and returns to this
earth that He will occupy His own throne as is clear from Matt. 25: 31 – “When the Son of Man shall come
in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He
sit upon the Throne of His glory.”
Post-millennialists
teach that the world is to be conquered by the Church. Their favourite
slogan is “The world for Christ.” It is
supposed that in order to capture the world the Church must make concessions to
and compromises with the world. Post-millennialists insist that it is the
bounden duty of all Christians to help forward every movement which makes for
civic and social righteousness. But of such it may be said, yea, it has
been said by the Holy Spirit Himself – “For they being
ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”
(Rom. 10: 3). The New Testament knows
no righteousness apart from the Cross and places no value
upon a reformation which is divorced from regeneration.
Post-millennialists argue that believers ought to take part in politics
and that it is their business to look after the regulation of
legislation. But politics give Christ no place and
where Christ has no place His followers must have none. The Lord Jesus
has left us an example that we should follow His steps, but we search the
records of His earthly life in vain to discover any mention of Him taking any
part in the politics of
Post-millennialists
teach that the Gospel is yet to convert the world and that before Christ
returns to earth all men will know Him from the least unto the greatest.
A captivating concept surely, but upon what is it based? Certainly
not upon the declarations of the New Testament. We are commanded
to preach the Gospel to every creature, but nowhere is there a promise that the
time will come when every creature will believe the Gospel. The Lord Jesus
taught that “As the days of Noah were, so shall also
the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:
37). What were the conditions in Noah’s days? Did all men
then receive the messages of God’s servants? Nay verily: On another occasion
Christ said, “Likewise also as it was in the days of
Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they
builded; but the same day that Lot went out of
Post-millennialists teach that our Lord will not
return until the close of the Millennium and that
then there will be a general resurrection of the dead, followed by a general
judgment, at which every member of the human race will stand before the great
judge to have his eternal destiny decided. Such a conception is
anti-scriptural in every part of it. In the nineteenth
chapter of Revelation we see heaven
opened and the Lord Jesus coming forth seated on a white horse and with Him are
the “armies which are in heaven.”
Accompanied by His saints the King of kings and Lord of lords returns to
this earth as is evident from the next verse for there we
are told that He shall “smite the nations
and rule them with a rod of iron.” In Rev. 19 Christ is seen making a footstool of His
enemies preparatory to the inauguration of His reign of blessing, and in the
next chapter we read, “And I saw an angel come down
from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his
hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive
the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled” (Rev. 20: 1‑3). In the verses that
follow we are told that those who have part in the first resurrection shall
reign with Christ throughout the thousand years. Thus we learn that
Christ leaves heaven and returns to the earth before the
Millennium commences. The concept of a general resurrection
and a general judgment is equally unscriptural as we shall
show later.
2. An examination of Pre‑millennialism.
Pre-millennialists,
as their name indicates, are looking for their Redeemer to return before
the Millennium begins, looking for Him to introduce and usher in the
Millennium itself. To them a Millennium without Christ is
unthinkable. From their cradles they have been taught to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is
done in heaven,” and they cannot conceive of a Kingdom without a King.
The Millennium is the time when men’s desire for a Golden Age will be realized,
but that Golden Age cannot dawn until the Sun of righteousness arises with
healing in His wings. The Millennium is the time when the sword shall be
made into a ploughshare and the spear into a pruning-hook, when for a thousand
years there shall be no war, but earth-wide peace will only be made possible by
the return and personal presence of the Prince of Peace.
Pre-millennialists
believe that in the Millennium Christ will set up on the earth a visible,
material Kingdom, that He will .occupy the literal throne of David and reign
from
Pre-millennialists
believe that the Messianic reign and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus are yet future.
They believe that Christ Himself so taught. In the Parable of the
Nobleman, He declared, “A certain nobleman wert into a
far country to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return. And it came
to pass, that when He was returned, having received the kingdom,
then He commanded the servants to be called unto Him, to whom He had given
the money, that He might know how much every man had gained by trading”
(Luke 19: 12, 15). Here we learn that
Christ’s return and His reception of the “Kingdom”
are inseparably connected together. Not only do the Scriptures plainly
refute the assertion that Christ is now reigning but
existing conditions cannot be made to square with this belief. How absurd
it is to say that Christ is now reigning over the earth when His authority is
despised and rejected by the whole of the unbelieving world! No
Christ-rejecter can be termed a follower of the Lamb, and if he is not a “follower” then he is not subject to the will and rule
of the Lord Jesus, and if he is not subject to Christ, then in no sense is
Christ his “King.” Moreover, the
conditions which prevail upon earth today repudiate the idea that Christ is
even now reigning over it. The sceptre which the first man lost has never
been restored, the “Curse” has not yet been
removed, and Satan is still at large! But all things will be changed when
the Lord Jesus takes the government upon His shoulder and reigns in power and
righteousness.
Pre-millennialists
believe that it is God’s purpose in this Age to take out of the nations “a people for His name” (Acts
15: 14). To effect this the Gospel has
been given and the Holy Spirit has come down to this earth. As the Gospel
is preached, as many as are ordained to eternal life believe (Acts 13:48), for though “many
be called,” there are “but few chosen”
(Matt. 20: 16). God’s purpose in
this dispensation is an Elective one, and let it be said
with emphasis, God’s purpose has not failed, is not failing, will not fail – “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is
none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My
counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Is. 46: 9, 10). The Gospel is not a
failure, the Holy Spirit has not failed in His mission, it is theologians who
have failed - failed to understand the purpose of God and
to read aright His present programme.
3. POST-MILLENNIALISM REFUTED.
The
post-millennial position rests largely upon a mistranslation.
In Matt. 13: 39 we read “The harvest is the end of the world,” and again in Matt. 24: 3 ‑ “And
as He sat upon the
1. The condition of the world when our Lord
returns proves that His Second Advent cannot be post-millennial.
God’s
Word makes known the exact conditions which are to obtain here immediately
preceding the Redeemer’s Return. The Holy Spirit has given a
number of graphic portrayals of the world as it will exist when our Lord comes
back to it. One of these pictures is to be found in Isaiah 2 – “For the day of
the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon
every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the
cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of
Bashan. And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted
up. And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced
wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon
all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed
down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be
exalted in that day. And the idols He shall utterly abolish. And they
shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear
of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth
to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of
silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself
to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks,
for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Do these
verses picture a world ready to receive a returning Christ? No; they tell
us that in “the Day of the Lord” - that which
immediately follows the present “Day of Salvation”
- men will be “proud and lofty”, it intimates
that idolatry shall prevail universally; it tells us that instead of men coming
forward to welcome the Lord Jesus, they shall flee from Him in terror.
Another
passage which describes the conditions which are to prevail on earth at the
time of our Lord’s Return is found in 2 Thess. 1:
7-9 – “And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe.” Observe that here we are
expressly told that our Lord comes back again to take vengeance on them that
know not God and that obey not the Gospel.” It is utterly
impossible to make this statement harmonize with the concept of Christ
returning to a world which had previously been won to Him by the Gospel.
Again,
in 2 Pet. 3: 3, 4 we read, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last
days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where
is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of.”
Observe that the apostle is describing conditions that are to obtain in “the last days,” i. e., the last days of this present
dispensation. Here again we learn then, that instead of this Age closing
with the universal acceptation of the Gospel, instead of the last days
witnessing a world reconciled to God, instead of the Christian era closing with
earth-wide prayer for the Coming of the King, we are told that, “there shall come in the last days scoffers,” a class
of people who have no concern for God’s glory but who walk after their
own lusts; and further, we are told that these “scoffers” shall mock at those who are looking
for the appearing of our Saviour and that the “ignorance”
of these scoffers is due to a wilful and deliberate rejection of God’s revealed
truth.
Putting together the above pictures we learn that in
the days which precede Christ’s Second Advent the earth will be filled with
proud idolaters, with those that know not God and obey not the Gospel, and with
those who mock and scoff at the prospect of a speedily returning
Redeemer. Further; we learn that the actual return of Christ is
introduced not by Gospel successes but by Divine judgments. Thus
we say that the condition of the world when our Lord comes back to it proves
that His Second Advent occurs not at the close of an era of Millennial
blessedness, but at the end of a dispensation wherein God has dealt with
infinite long-sufferance with a race of rebels, and that at His coming He takes
“vengeance” on His enemies ere setting up His
Messianic Kingdom.
2. The Teaching of Matthew 13 proves that no era of Millennial blessing precedes Christ’s Second Advent.
In
Matt. 13 we have the record of seven
parables ‑ the number of completeness ‑ which our Lord uttered
consecutively. These parables are prophetic in their
significance and scope. They deal with conditions which are to obtain
here during the time of our Lord’s absence. They are concerned with the
visible profession of Christianity and they look forward to the
closing scenes of the present dispensation. As there is much in them upon
which we cannot now comment at length we shall content ourselves with singling
out only that which bears upon our present inquiry.
The
chapter opens with the well-known Parable of the Sower who went forth to
sow. It pictures the broad-cast sewing of the good Seed by the Saviour
Himself, and in His interpretation of the parable we learn that the “Seed” is the Word of God. The parable sets
before us the beginning of the Christian dispensation and makes known to us the
manner and extent of the reception of the Redeemer’s mission and message.
It gives us the ratio of the Gospel’s success and forewarns us that all men are
not going to receive God’s Word, that the majority
will not, that only a fractional minority will. It
shows us that the proclamation of the Word is to encounter Satanic
opposition, yea, that the world, the flesh, and the Devil, will combine in
their efforts to prevent it bringing forth fruit.
The
result of the sowing is plainly stated. Three castings out
of four were fruitless! Most of the seed fell upon barren ground.
The greater part of the field which, in our Lord’s interpretation, we learn is
“the world,” completely failed to bring forth
any increase. Some of the seed fell by the wayside and the fowls of the
air picked it up; some fell upon the rocks and the sun burnt it up; some fell
among thorns and it was choked. Only one-fourth of it fell upon “good ground” and even there the fruitage varied and
decreased in its yield from a hundred-fold to thirty-fold (see vs. 23). In His interpretation, the Lord
tells us that the different kinds of ground on which the Seed fell represents various classes of people who hear the Word.
Now
what light does the above parable throw upon our present inquiry? It
throws a clear light and in its light we discover the fallacy of the
post-millennial position. There is no hint whatever in this parable that
a time was to come when the whole of the field would be covered
with waving wheat, instead, the only possible inference which can be drawn from
it flatly repudiates such a conception. Who would dare to suggest that
the Divine Sower Himself, the “Lord of the harvest”
would be followed by other sowers who should prove more successful than the
results of our Lord’s own sowing were prophetic of the history of the entire
Christian dispensation. In no period of this Age
has the whole field ‑ the world ‑ been receptive to the Seed, in no
period have more than a fractional minority received the Word and brought forth
fruit unto perfection. In every generation, from the time when our Lord
walked the earth in the days of His flesh until now, the emissaries of Satan
and the cares and riches of the world have combined to choke and make unfruitful
the Word of God. From this parable then it is impossible to deduce any promise
of a world ultimately converted by the Gospel.
The
second of the parables found in Matt. 13 -
that of the Wheat and the Tares - brings out even more forcibly than the
previous one the fact that there can be no Millennium of earth-wide blessedness
before our Lord’s return. The Parable of the Tares
is also prophetic in its bearing. It makes known to us that which
succeeded our Lord’s own ministry. Immediately following the Divine Sower’s
scattering of the good Seed, an Enemy came and sowed evil seed in the same
field. The Enemy was “the Wicked One”
and it is to be particularly noted that he sowed neither thorns nor thistles
but “tares”‑ a bastard wheat
‑ which so closely resembles the genuine article that the one cannot be
distinguished from the other until the time of harvest. Here then is seen
the efforts of the Evil One to neutralize the gracious work of the Son of
God. The interpretation of this parable was supplied by the Lord Himself:
just as the wheat represents the “children of the
Kingdom,” so the tares symbolize the “children
of the Wicked One.” Let it be noted, however, that the “tares” do not represent wicked men as such, but “the ministers of Satan,” “false
apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Cor. 11: 13)
who were secretly introduced by the Enemy amongst God’s people just as the
tares were sown among the wheat.
Part
of this parable began to be fulfilled in the days when the New Testament was
written. In the false teachers who harassed
the early disciples we may see the mingling of the tares with the wheat.
The “children of the
Wicked One” were the Judaizers who entered in
among the churches of
Again
we ask, What light does this parable throw upon the
point now under discussion? And once more the answer is, much every
way. In our Lord’s declaration that the tares should grow together with
the wheat until the time of harvest, which He expressly declares is the end
of the age, we discover how preposterous, erroneous, and unscriptural is
the teaching that the Gospel will yet win the world to Christ. At the
time of harvest the world is still a mixed field, and this
fact cuts away all ground for supposing that before our Lord returns the tares
will be all rooted up or changed into wheat. Instead of the tares being
transformed into wheat before the Millennium is ushered in, we are told that at
the time of harvest the tares are bound into bunches and afterward cast into
the fire - a very different picture that from the children of the Wicked One
being reconciled to God! In the words “Let both
grow together till the harvest” two solemn facts are revealed - first,
Satan shall continue to hinder the success of the Gospel without interruption
till the end of the age; and second, the Christian profession once corrupted
shall continue thus to the close of the dispensation. And thus it has
proven. Finally, be it observed, that in the casting of the tares - the
children of the Wicked One - into the furnace of fire, we learn once more that
the Age closes not with the universal reception of the Gospel but with Divine
judgment upon the wicked!
The third parable of Matt.
13 - that of the Mustard-seed - differs from the former ones in that it
was not interpreted by our Lord. Post-millennialists have taken advantage
of this fact and have made it teach that which gives countenance to their own
pre-conceived theories. In this parable they see the promise of a world
conquered by the Gospel. Now, whatever this parable may or may not
signify; it certainly must not be made to contradict the
teaching of the two which have gone before it. As already stated, the
seven parables recorded in Matt. 13 form
part of one connected discourse by our Lord and are so many prophetic
representations of the development of the Christian profession during the time
of His absence. This third parable then cannot set forth the universal
diffusion of the Truth because the previous ones show that this is prevented
by the opposition of Satan, which opposition is to continue until the end of
the age. What then does this third parable teach?
The
position which this parable occupies in the series is one
of the keys to its interpretation. The first parable is concerned with
the beginning of this dispensation, the time when our Lord
was here upon the earth. The second deals, prophetically, with conditions
that obtained in the lifetime of the apostles, showing us the false teachers -
the children of the Wicked One - who crept in among God’s people in their
day. This third parable then looks forward to a later period and presents
a prophetic picture which saw its materialization in the fourth century of our
era. The growth of the little mustard-seed into a great tree represents
the development of the Christian profession from an insignificant commencement
into a system of imposing proportions. In the fourth century A. D.,
Christianity was popularized by Constantine who adopted it as the State
religion and compelled more than a million of his subjects to he baptized at
the point of the sword. The parable of the Tares shows us Christianity
corrupted by the insidious introduction of the children of the Wicked One among
the children of God: the parable of the mustard-seed forecasted the
growth and spread of a corrupted Christianity. This
assertion of ours may easily be verified by the details of the parable itself.
The
mustard-seed developed into a great tree - an abnormal thing in itself, nay, a monstrosity
- so the popularization of Christianity in the days of
Further
confirmation of our assertion above, that the great tree which issued from the
mustard-seed represents the abnormal growth of a corrupted Christianity is
furnished in Daniel 4 where we have recorded
a dream which came to the first head of the Gentile powers. In his dream
Nebuchadnezzar also saw a “great tree,” and in
the fate which it met with we learn the end which is appointed to the tree of
the parable. To quote – “I saw, and behold a tree
in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree
grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight
thereof to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for
all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the
heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of
it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher
and a holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew
down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves,
and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls
from his branches” (Dan. 4: 10-14).
To sum up our comments upon this parable. Instead of lending favour to the position of
post-millennialism, its teaching - viewed in the light of Daniel 4 - absolutely shatters the foundation of
that system. Instead of teaching that the professing Church shall conquer
the world, it shows that the world has conquered the professing Church.
The mustard-seed symbolizes the outward character of the Christian profession
at the beginning of this dispensation, when its devotees were few in number,
poor in this world’s goods, and despised by the great ones of the earth.
In the third century A. D., the professing Church was like unto a humble little
seed, unpretentious in appearance and insignificant in its dimensions.
But in the fourth century there was a dramatic change.
We
turn now to the fourth parable of Matt. 13 ‑
the parable of the Leaven, the leaven which a woman took and hid in
three measures of meal till the whole was leavened. This parable is one
of the foundation passages of post-millennialists. In it they see clear
proof that the Reign of Righteousness, the Golden Age, is to be brought about
by the efforts of the Church. The woman, we are told, symbolizes the
Church, the three measures of meal the human
race, and the leaven the Gospel, which, working silently but surely shall yet
permeate the whole of humanity and influence all
men Godward and heavenward. But the assumption that the leaven here
signifies the influence and power of the Gospel will not stand the test of the
Scriptures, for in the Word of God “leaven” is
uniformly employed as a figure of that which is evil. The Israelites in
What
then is the meaning of the, parable of the Leaven? We answer that just as
the former one brings before us the external development
of a corrupted Christianity, so this one shows us the internal
working of corruption within the Christian profession. The third
parable brings us historically, to the time of
To
say that this parable teaches that the Gospel is to win the whole world to
Christ is to put light for darkness and is to make error equal truth. If
the leaven represents the Gospel, the woman the church, and the meal the entire
human race, then we have to confess that our Lord erred in His judgment and
entirely over-stated the power of the Gospel to find a response in the hearts
of men, for after eighteen centuries of Gospel preaching we cannot point to a
single country where all its subjects make even a
profession of Christianity; nay, the world over, we cannot find a single city,
town, or hamlet where everyone of its inhabitants is a believer
in the Lord Jesus. No; this parable shows us the secret working of a putrefying
element which spreads nought but corruption, ‑ Can then the
Millennium be introduced by the universal diffusion of a corrupted
Christianity!
In
these four parables we discover the methods used by Satan
to hinder the work of true Christianity. At the
beginning he sought to oppose by catching away the Seed, which method was
pursued throughout the first century when the Devil endeavoured to exterminate
and annihilate the Word of God by means of the sword and the bonfire.
In the second parable we see him changing his tactics, aiming to destroy
Christianity by mingling his own children among the people of God. In the
third we see how by a master-stroke of the Enemy the Christian profession was paganized
and as the result the world was won over by dazzling the eyes of men with
a gorgeous ritual, with imposing architecture, and with the sanction and
approval of the Roman Emperors themselves. In the fourth we discover
how he succeeded in corrupting the doctrines and practices of
Christianity by introducing into its midst a foreign and putrefying element
which has resulted in the leavening of the entire mass.
We shall not tarry long with the last three parables
of this series. There is nothing at all in them, any more than in those
already considered, which confirms and establishes the post-millennial
teaching. A treasure buried in the field
(which is “the world”) can scarcely figure the
universal success of the Gospel. A “
3. Our Lord’s Olivet
discourse shows that there is no universal triumph of the Gospel before His
Second Advent.
The Olivet Discourse of our Lord is recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke
21. We cannot now attempt a detailed exposition of these highly
interesting and important chapters, but would simply single out from them a few
things which throw light upon our present inquiry. At the beginning of Matt. 24 we find that three of His disciples asked our
Lord, “Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy
coming, and of the end of the age?” (vs. 3). What then was the answer
which our Saviour returned to these questions? Did He reply saying that the Age
would end with the universal triumph of the Gospel? Did He tell them that
the Sign of His coming would be a converted world that would be eagerly
awaiting His return to it? If so, this clearly decides the issue once for
all, for there can be no appeal against the declarations of the One who was the
truth incarnate.
As we read the verses which record our Lord’s reply to
the questions of His disciples we find that instead of Him painting a picture
in bright and attractive colours, He portrayed a set of conditions which were
pathetic and tragic in their bearing and nature. Instead of intimating
that things on earth would improve during the time of His absence, He showed
that they would get worse and worse. Instead of promising an era of
peace and prosperity, He predicted a time of blood-shed and famine.
Instead of telling the disciples that truth would be universally diffused and
received, He forewarned them of the coming of false prophets who should
deceive many. Instead of' teaching that His followers would grow more
zealous and faithful to Him, He announced that because iniquity should abound the
love of many would “wax cold.”
Instead of saying that He should come back here to be received with an
open-armed welcome, He predicted that on His return “all
the tribes of the earth shall mourn.” It is true that He said, “This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all nations,” yet
a little further down in the same chapter He very plainly intimated that it
should meet with an almost universal rejection- “For as the days of Noah were, so shall
also the coming of the Son of Man be,” proves this.
It
is therefore well nigh impossible for us to imagine anything more directly
opposed to the post-millennial theory than what we find here in this address of
our Lords. It would appear from His utterances as if He, with
omniscient vision, foresaw the very teaching which is so common in our day and
that He designedly and deliberately anticipated and repudiated it.
In verses 29 and 30 of Matt. 24 we read, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall
from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then
shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the
tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” The “tribulation” here spoken of is
described in verses 21 and 22 of this same chapter – “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.”
How different this from the glowing pictures painted by the
post-millennialists! That the things here mentioned cannot possibly have
reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus is evident
from the fact that “immediately after the tribulation”
of those days the sun was not “darkened,” the moon did not “cease to give her light,” and the Son of Man was
not seen “coming in the clouds of heaven.”
No; these verses describe conditions which are to prevail at “the end of the Age.” Observe
particularly that it is said, “Immediately after
the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened” etc., and that “then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see
the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.” The conditions
then which are to immediately precede the Second Advent of Christ are not those
of Millennial blessedness but those of unparalleled
tribulation.
4. The present working of the Mystery of Iniquity
proves that there can be no Millennium before the Redeemer’s Return.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed,
the Son of Perdition” (2 Thess. 2: 3).
In the first Epistle to the Thessalonians the apostle makes mention of the
Second Coming of Christ in every chapter, and in the first chapter of the
second Epistle he recurs again to the same theme – “The
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ” (vss. 7, 8).
Then, at the opening of chapter two in the Second Epistle he further says, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in
mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,
as that the day of Christ is at hand.” Observe that here the
apostle speaks of “The Day of Christ” which is
different from “The Coming of
Christ.” The “day of Christ” signifies the Millennium and is used in
contrast with “Man’s day” (1 Cor. 4: 3,
margin) which denominates the dispensation in which we are now living.
Here then the apostle expressly states that “that day
(the Day of Christ) shall not come except there come a
falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition.”
The “Man of Sin” is the
Anti‑christ who at the
very close of this Age will oppose and exalt himself “above
all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2
Thess. 2: 4). In the seventh verse of this same chapter the
apostle tells us “For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only He who now letteth (hindereth) will let
(hinder), until He be taken out of the way.”
Notice that the “Mystery of Iniquity” was said
to “work” referring to the action
of the leaven which was corrupting the meal even in the
apostle’s own lifetime. That which has “hindered”
the full development of the Mystery of Iniquity - and which now prevents
the revelation of the Anti-christ is the presence on
earth of God the Holy Spirit. But He is to be “taken out of the way” ‑ removed from the earth
when the saints are raptured to heaven. Then will the Devil be allowed ‘free rein’ and the Son of Perdition will be publicly
manifested. In the days of Anti‑christ
God will send men strong delusion “that they should
believe a lie: that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness” (vs. 12).
The career of the Anti‑christ will be cut short
by the return of our Redeemer to the earth – “whom the
Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of His coming” (vs. 8).
The “Mystery of Iniquity” then, will be brought
to a conclusion only by the Return of Christ in judgment which is another proof
that there can be no Millennium before the Second Coming of Christ.
To
sum up the teaching of 2 Thess. 1: 6 - 2: 12.
The testimony of this passage is in perfect accord with the declarations of the
Lord Jesus in Matthew 24. Instead of
teaching that before Christ returns all men will be converted by the Gospel, it
distinctly affirms that the Day of Christ (the Millennium shall not come “except there come a falling away first”
- Greek “apostasy”). Instead of
teaching that this Age will close by witnessing a universal turning unto the
Truth, it explicitly states that it will terminate with God giving up
multitudes “that they should believe a lie.”
Instead of teaching that this Dispensation will end with Christ exalted in the
hearts of all, it declares that it will close with the manifestation and
exaltation of the Anti-christ and with the Lord
coming back in judgment to destroy the Wicked One and to take vengeance on
those that know not God and have scorned the Gospel of His Son.
4. PRE-MILLENNELLISM ESTABLISHED.
1. Christ does not “receive the Kingdom” until the time of His Second
Advent.
We
must quote once more a passage that has already engaged our attention in
another connection, namely, the Parable of the Nobleman. Before quoting
from it, however, we would first observe that this parable was uttered by our
Lord in order to correct a mistaken notion that was being entertained by
certain of His auditors. “And as they heard these
things, He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to
“He said therefore, A certain
nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself a Kingdom and to
return. And it came to pass, that when He was returned having
received the Kingdom, then He commanded these servants to be
called unto Him, to whom He had given the money, that He might know how much
every man had gained by trading” (Luke 19:
12, 15). Thus we see that our Lord’s receiving of the Kingdom and
His return synchronize. The Kingdom to which our Lord here referred was
the Messianic Kingdom which was the subject of numerous
Old Testament prophecies. It was the “Kingdom”
mentioned by Daniel in 7: 13, 14 of his prophecy – “And I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son
of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and
they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him
(compare “received” in the above parable) dominion, and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages,
should serve Him.” As the context here shows, the time
when the Son of Man is “given”
this Kingdom is immediately following the destruction of the Gentile powers
which from the Book of Revelation, we know will occur just prior to the
Millennium. If further proof be needed that Christ’s “receiving of the Kingdom” takes place before and
not after the Millennium it is furnished by 1 Cor.
15: 24 where we are told that at the close of the Millennium - which is
the time when He shall have “put down all rule and all
authority and power” ‑ He shall deliver “up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.”
If then Christ “delivers up” the Kingdom to the
Father at the close of the Millennium then the
conclusion is irresistible that He “receives”
the Kingdom at the beginning of the Millennium.
2. The “Times of Restitution” can be ushered in only by
the Second Advent of Christ.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord; And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. Whom
the heaven must receive until the Times of Restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began”
(Acts 3:19-21). The “Times of Restitution” here promised to
The
“Times of Restitution” is defined
in the very passage where this expression occurs, defined in the previous
words “the Times of Refreshing” which shall come
from “the presence of the Lord.” Note particularly
that these “Times of Restitution” cannot come
until Christ Himself comes back again. This is expressly affirmed in the
words “Whom the heaven must receive until.”
Observe it does not say “Whom the heaven must receive
or retain during the Times of Restitution,” still
less “until the end of the Times
of Restitution” - which it most certainly
would say were the teaching of post-millennialism true - but “until the Times of Restitution,” that is, until those
times arrive. When these “Times”
come then shall the Lord return, and when He returns then shall come “Times of Refreshment” for His people on earth.
Observe,
further, that we are told, these “Times of Restitution”
were spoken of by all God’s holy prophets. Of what “Times of Restitution” then did the
Old Testament prophets speak? We answer, of Millennial “Times,” when all the nations of the earth shall be
brought beneath the sway of Messiah’s sceptre. The Old Testament prophets
uniformly connect the Times of “Restitution”
with the Coming of Christ to the earth and they certainly knew of no Kingdom
being brought in by the efforts of the Church. The above declaration of
Peter then proves two things. First, that until the Times of Restitution
the Heaven must retain our Lord; second, that as soon as these “Times” arrive, Christ shall assuredly return.
Hence, there can be no Millennium until Christ comes back again to the earth,
but as soon as He does come back again the Millennium will be inaugurated.
3. The Restoration
of Israel is only made possible by the Second Advent of Christ.
Under
this head we shall seek to prove briefly three things - that
That
That
Israel’s restoration synchronizes with our Lord’s Return to the earth
may be seen from the following Scriptures:- “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we
have waited for Him; and He will save us: This is the Lord;
we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation”
(Isaiah 25: 9 and read on to the end of the
following chapter). See further the whole of Isaiah
60 which follows the opening verse – “Arise,
shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon
them.” In Acts
3 we learned that Peter declared to Israel that if they would “Repent and be converted” that God would “send Jesus Christ unto them” and that following Christ’s Return there
would be the “Times of Restitution,” even the
Times of Refreshing which should “come from the
presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19-21).
In Acts 15: 16 we read, “After this, I will return and will build again the
tabernacle of David which is fallen down.” And in Rom. 11: 25, 26 we are told, “Blindness in part is happened to
That Israel’s restoration results in great blessing to
the whole world may be seen from the following quotations – “And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the mist of many people as
a dew front the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men”
(Micah 5: 7). “
4. A groaning Creation can be delivered only by the
Second Advent of Christ.
The
difference in belief between post and pre-millennialists concerning this point
is as great as the difference between light and darkness. Post-millennialists
believe that Christ will not return until the end of time and that then He will
come to judge the human race. As to what is going to happen at the end of
time Scripture does not leave us in ignorance. Says the apostle Peter, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein
shall be burned up” (2 Pet. 3: 10).
Post-millennialists then look for the world (the Kosmos)
to be “burned up” and for “the heavens” to “pass away”
at the time of Christ’s Return; in other words, they look for the
destruction of the old creation as the consequent of the
Second Advent. But pre‑millennialists look for the
emancipation of all creation from its present bondage as one of
the glorious results of our Redeemer’s Return. They base this belief on
the teaching of Rom. 8: 18‑24, a
passage which has already been examined in an earlier chapter. Without
again entering upon a detailed exposition of the entire passage, let us seek to
summarize its contents.
“The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together
until now” (vs. 22). This is
the lot of all Nature to-day. The world groans beneath an accumulating
load of sin and wretchedness. Man groans: his soul groans, and so does
his body. Animals groan. The earth itself groans, sometimes like a
great giant in awful pain. How then can the world enjoy a thousand years
of rest and peace and blessedness whilst the whole creation is in
travail? The whole creation is here personified and represented as
sending up to heaven a loud and agonizing groan. And God in heaven hears
it: His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, nor is His arm shortened
that it cannot save. A day of liberation for the groaning creation
hastens on. It is announced in the very passage we are now
reviewing. The day when this groaning creation will be delivered is the
day when Christ returns to usher in the Millennium and when the saints shall be
revealed in glory with Him. The time of creation’s deliverance is here
said to be at “the manifestation of the sons of God”
(vs. 19 and compare ‑ Col. 3: 3). This manifestation of God’s sons is in
verse 23 denominated “The Adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body”
which has reference to the “first resurrection”
the “resurrection of the just.” A groaning
creation then is waiting for the Return of Christ and with Him the Saints
manifested in glory, for then, and not until then, will it be emancipated from
its present thraldom.
Here
then is the answer to our question ‑ What is the
time of the Redeemer's Return? He shall return before the
Millennium. He shall come back to usher in the Millennium and set up His
Messianic Kingdom, restore
The Immanency of the Redeemer’s Return
“For yet a little while,
and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
CHAPTER FIVE
[Pages
132-153]
In
the previous chapter we sought to do nothing more than prove that our Redeemer
would return before the Millennium, the date of His
return, either the approximate or the precise date, we did not touch upon.
Nowhere in the Bible is the actual time of the Second Advent made known,
instead, it is presented as an event which may occur at any hour;
or, in other words, the Fact of the Saviour’s appearing is invariably set forth
in the language of Imminency. When we say that the
Redeemer’s Return is an imminent event, we do not mean it will occur immediately,
but that He may come back in our own lifetime, that He
may come back this year; yet, we cannot say that He will
do so. The Fact of the Second Advent is certain because
expressly revealed in Holy Writ; the Date of the Second Advent is uncertain
because it has not been made known by God. Here then we have a truth
which is simple to grasp, yet one which is of fundamental importance and great
practical value. The majority of the errors and heresies which have
gathered around this subject are directly traceable to the ignoring of this
elementary consideration. For example: if the Lord’s people had given due
heed to the fact that Scripture presents the Second Coming of Christ as
something which may happen at any hour, then the
post-millennial teaching that our Lord will not come back again for more than a
thousand years, would never have obtained the hearing and acceptance which it
has received. Furthermore, if the wondrous truth that our Redeemer might
return today once took firm hold on our hearts, it would revolutionize
our lives and provide us with a spiritual dynamic which is incalculable in its
reach and incomparable in its value. Without expatiating any further upon
the general bearings of this aspect of our theme, let us now proceed to show
that‑
1. Our
Lord Himself spoke of His Return in the language of Imminency.*
[* The
pre-Tribulation rapture of watchful servants.]
In
the Olivet discourse where the Master replied to the inquiries of His disciples
concerning the Sign of His Coming and of the End of the Age, He said‑ “Watch therefore. for
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what
watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered
his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also
ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over
His household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant,
whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you,
That He shall make him ruler over all His goods. But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to
smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of
that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion
with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 24: 42‑5l.) This Scripture
refers primarily to our Lord’s Return to the earth, as is evident from the fact
that He here styles Himself “The Son of Man;”
yet like all prophecy it has at least a double bearing and therefore may
properly be applied to His secret Coming in the air.
An
analysis of the above passage reveals the following important truths.
First: the “hour” of our Lord’s Return is unknown
to His people. Second; because we know not the exact time of His
appearing, we must be in an attitude of constant expectation and
watchfulness. Third; the Lord will return unexpectedly, even
in such an hour as His own people “think not.”
Fourth; the faithful and wise servant is he who shall give meat in due season
to those of the Lord’s household during the time of Christ’s absence, and the
one who is found so occupied at the time of His appearing shall be
richly rewarded. Fifth; the one who shall say in his heart “My Lord delayeth
His coming” is an “evil servant,” and such
a one shall receive a portion of shame and suffering at our Lord’s Return.
The
Parable of the Ten Virgins intimates that the Lord Jesus desired His people to
maintain an attitude of constant readiness for the appearing of the
Bridegroom. At the beginning of the parable He pictures all of the “virgins” taking their lamps and going forth to “meet” Him. The interpretation of this part of
the parable is very simple. In the early days after our Lord’s departure
from the earth, His followers detached themselves from all worldly interests
and set their affections on Christ ‑ His return being
their one hope and great desire. But while the Bridegroom tarried the
expectation of His appearing disappeared, and spiritual sloth and sleep was the
inevitable consequence, and this condition prevailed until the midnight cry
arose ‑ “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out
to meet Him.” The effect of this cry is seen in the arousing of
both the wise and the foolish virgins. The need of preparation and
watchfulness is disclosed in the doom that overtook those who had no oil in
their vessels. The practical application of the whole parable was made by
the Lord Himself –“Watch therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man
cometh” (Matt. 25: 13).
At
the close of St. Mark’s account of the Olivet discourse he records at greater
length than does St. Matthew our Lord’s command to His disciples to watch
for His return – “Take ye heed, watch and pray; for
ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far
journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every
man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye
therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh,
at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest
coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto
all, Watch” (Mark 13: 33‑37).
A careful reading of these verses makes it apparent that the design of the
Master was to impress upon His disciples two things: first, that while it was
certain He would return, yet it was uncertain when He
would appear; second, that in view of the uncertainty of the exact hour of His
second coming the Lord’s followers must maintain an attitude of constant
watchfulness, looking for Him to return at any moment.
On
another occasion the Lord said to His disciples, “Let
your loins be girded about, and your lights burning: and ye yourselves like
unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return
from the wedding: that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him
immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say
unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and
will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch,
or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants”
(Luke 12: 35‑38). The comparison
is a very impressive one. The believer is exhorted to be like a faithful
servant, standing on the threshold with loins girded and his lamp lighted,
peering through the darkness for the first sight of his returning Master and
listening eagerly with attentive ear for the first sounds of His approaching
steps.
“For even thus shall it be in
the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon
the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it
away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. * * * I tell you in that
night there shall be two men in one bed: The one shall be taken, and the other
left. Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken and
the other left” (Luke 17: 30-35).
The force of this passage is in full harmony with the others already
considered. The Lord’s appearing is to be unannounced and
unexpected. It will occur while men are busy at their daily vocations,
and therefore it behoves us to be constantly on the qui vive. In
passing, we may observe how the last quoted Scripture brings out the marvellous
scientific accuracy of the Bible. We are told in verse 31 above, that it shall be “day” (in one part of the earth) at the time Christ is
“revealed,” while in verse 34 we learn it
will be “night” (in another part of the earth),
thus anticipating a comparatively recent discovery of science and demonstrating
that the Lord Jesus was perfectly cognizant of the rotundity and
rotation of the earth!
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of
this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For
as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and
pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things [the tribulation events] that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke
21: 34-36). Mark particularly, above, the words, “lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting (self‑indulgence) * * * and so
that day come upon you unawares.” Daily, nay hourly,
readiness is required of us. Language could not be more
explicit. Let those who speak so disparagingly of the “any moment theory” weigh the
words “at any time;” and remember they were
uttered by the Lord Himself. The precise Date of the Second Advent has
been designedly withheld from us in order that we should maintain
our attitude of watchfulness and that we remain on the
very tip-toe of expectation.*
[* The Second Advent of
Messiah Jesus takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation;
but the rapture of watchful saints “accounted
worthy” to escape, will take place “at any time”
before the Great Tribulation commences.]
Just
here we must take note of an objection that is brought against the position we
are now advocating, namely, In view of the fact that in the above quotations it
is clear that our Lord taught His disciples to look for His Return in
their own lifetime, how can we harmonize this with His teaching
in Matthew 13 where we found He foretold
that certain conditions must arise before the end of this age could
arrive? How can we square the presentation of the Redeemer’s
Return in the language of imminency with
the predictions that before He came back the little mustard-seed must grow into
a great tree and the whole of the three measures of meal be completely
leavened? At first sight this appears a real difficulty, but further
reflection will show it is more apparent than actual.
When
we examine the parables of Matthew 13 in the
presence of the above objection our first question must be, What
impression were these parables calculated to make upon the minds of the
apostles, or on Christians in apostolic days? That these parables contain
prophetic pictures which it has taken many centuries to fully develop
is evident to intelligent believers living now, but we insist that these
predictions were couched in such terms that there was nothing in their surface
and obvious signification which forbade the apostles and
their converts looking for the Redeemer to return in their own lifetime.
In other words, there was nothing direct in these parables
which argued the inevitable postponement of the
Second Advent until a long interval of time had lapsed after they were uttered
by the Lord Jesus. In our exposition of Matthew
13 (see the previous chapter) we showed how, very early in the apostolic
era, these parables began to receive their fulfilment, and, as we
would now point out, they were fulfilled to such an extent that
as a matter of fact they presented no necessary obstacles to the first century
saints who believed in the Imminent appearing of the Saviour.
The
first parable need not here detain us, for, the Sowing
of the Seed was done by Christ Himself while He was here in person on the
earth. Concerning the parable of the Tares it is sufficient to say that
within the lifetime of the apostles themselves long before the end of the first
century was reached, Satan had succeeded in covertly introducing his children
among the people of God. It is true the parable teaches that the wheat
and the tares were to grow together until the harvest and that the harvest
would not be until the end of the age, but there is nothing in the parable
which intimated that a protracted interval lay
between the sowing and the harvest, nay, there was nothing in it
which discouraged the belief that the crop might hasten rapidly and the harvest
occur in the lifetime of the apostles themselves. The third parable
foretold that the little mustard-seed was to become a great tree and, as we
saw, it was the growth of Christianity (previously corrupted) which was thus
symbolized. But let it be carefully noted that nothing at all was said in
the parable as to how great the “tree"
was to become. Furthermore, we know that even in the days of the apostles
Christianity had made marvellous progress and had spread through extensive
regions. At the time our Lord uttered the parable His followers were but
a mere handful and there is nothing to indicate that up to the hour of His
ascension His flock was anything more than a “little”
one. But contrast the conditions that we read of in the Book of
Acts. Mark the three thousand which were converted on the day of
Pentecost. Take note of such expressions as, “And
believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both
of men and women” (Acts 5: 14); “Then Philip went down to the city of
One
other Scripture needs to be noted in this connection ere we turn to our next
point. It has often been objected by post-millennialists that in view of
our Lord’s declaration “This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto
all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24: 14), that it was impossible
for the apostles to be expecting Christ to return in their own
lifetime. But this objection is disposed of by several
passages recorded in the New Testament itself. In Acts 19: 10 we read, “And this
continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt
in
Having
thus, we trust, satisfactorily, disposed of the most plausible and forcible
objection which can be brought against the pre-millennial and imminent Return
of our Lord, let us now consider‑
2. The Apostles
referred to the Redeemer’s Return in the language of Imminency.
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night
is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13: 11, 12). The “salvation,” to which the apostle here refers is
the completing and consummating of our salvation, when we shall, in spirit and
soul and body, be fully conformed to the image of God’s Son. The time
when this will be realized is the time of our Redeemer's Return, for, “when He shall appear we shall be like Him”
(1 John 3: 2). That time will be the
believer’s “day,” that “Perfect
day” unto which the path of the just “shineth more and more”
(Prov. 4: 18). The “night,” spoken of above, is the present period during
which the Light of the world is absent. Observe that the apostle, under
the Holy Spirit, regarded the night as “far spent,”
and the day as “at hand!”
“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly”
(Rom. 16: 20). The reference
here is to Gen. 3:15 where we have recorded
Jehovah’s promise to our first parents that the woman’s Seed should bruise the
head of the Serpent. As [considered
worthy] believers will, in the coming day, rule
and reign “with Christ” (see Rev. 3: 21; 19:14; 20:4) it is here said “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet.”
In the use of the word “shortly” we learn that
the apostle did not regard the fulfilment of this promise as something which
lay in the far distant future, but rather as that which was even then
impending.
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God
which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in everything ye are enriched by Him,
in all utterance, and in all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was
confirmed in you; So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:
4-7). From this passage we learn: first, that these Corinthian
saints were “waiting” for the Coming of the Lord
Jesus, which proves they were looking for Him to return in their
generation; second, that the apostle commended them
for their attitude, yea, “thanked God always on their
behalf;” third, that this expectation on the part of these Corinthian
believers was the very summum bonum of Christian experience,
inasmuch as it is said, they “came behind in no gift,”
and then as a climax it is added – “Waiting for the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the
Day approaching” (Heb. 10:
24, 25). The coming “Day”
with its glories [rewards] and blessedness was that which filled the apostle’s
vision. The promised “Day”
- the Day of Christ - which was to follow this dark night of sorrow when the
Bridegroom is absent, was the hope which stayed his heart.
He could “see,” by faith, that day was approaching,
and on the fact of its imminency
he bases an exhortation to those who are partakers of the heavenly calling
to conduct themselves in the present in a manner befitting those
who are the children of light. Again, in this same chapter the apostle
says, “For yet a little while, and He that shall come
will come, and will not tarry” (vs. 37.)
How clear it is from these words that the Holy Spirit desired the first century
believers to be “looking for that blessed hope and the
glorious appearing [“appearing of the glory,” R.V.] of the great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ”!
So
real was the hope of the Redeemer’s Return to the heart of the apostle Paul and
so imminent did this event appear to him that we find he included himself
among those who might not fall asleep but be among the living saints when
the Assembling Shout should be heard. Said he “Behold,
I show you a mystery; We shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in
the twinkling of un eye” (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52).
Again, “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence
also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall
change our (not “your”)
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His
glorious body” (Phil. 3: 19, 20).
Once more, “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 [not all the dead, but only those who have attained
unto the out resurrection – the “better” resurrection, (Phil. 3: 11; Heb. 11: 35. cf.
Rev. 20: 5)] -
in Christ shall rise first. Then we
(not “ye”) which
are alive and remain – [for they
missed the pre-tribulation rapture, and were kept alive until the end of
the Great Tribulation] - shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4: 16, 17). The enemies of the faith have seized
upon these very statements to show that the apostle Paul was in error, that he
wrote by unaided human wisdom, that he merely recorded in his Epistles his
own beliefs, and that in some of these he was clearly
mistaken. But such an objection is quite pointless to the saints who
believe that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God.” We hope to show further on in this chapter why the
Holy Spirit moved the apostles to write of the Second Advent of Christ as an
event which might take place in their own day.
The
apostle Paul was not alone in this regard: we find that the other apostles also
regarded the Return of our Lord as something which might occur at any
time. The apostle James wrote [to persecuted
Christians] - “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the
Lord draweth nigh.” (Jas.
5: 8). There is no ambiguity about this language: such a statement
not only argued the pre-millennial Coming of Christ,
inasmuch as His Coming could not be said to have “drawn
nigh” if a whole Millennium intervened, but it also announced the imminency of His return - something
which might be expected at any time. The apostle Peter declared,
“But the end of all things (all things connected
with this present regime) is at hand: be
ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer” (1
Pet. 4: 7). The apostle was expecting the speedy winding up of
this present economy and the introduction of a new order of things when his
Lord returned and took the government upon His shoulder. The apostle John
said, “Little children it is the last time:
and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many
antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2: 18). The “last
time”or
“last hour” (Creek hora) must be distinguished from “the last days” (2 Tim. 3:
1) and “the last day” (Creek hemera - John 6:39).
The “last days” refer to the closing decades of
this present dispensation. The “last day”
looks forward to the Millennium when the saints shall participate in the
“first
resurrection” - it is the last Day of God’s dispensational week,
foreshadowed by the Sabbath. The “last hour”
is connected with the Anti‑christ. It is
the “last hour” of Satan’s freedom for, excepting
the “little-season” referred to in Rev. 20, after this dispensation
Satan will be for ever banished from these scenes. This dispensation then
is Satan’s “last hour” as the “prince of this world” and it is during the closing
moments of this “last hour” that the Anti-christ shall be revealed. The force then of the
apostle’s statement was to the effect that though the personal Anti-christ had not appeared up to the time when he wrote his
epistle, yet, the saints must not conclude from this that the Second Coming of
Christ was necessarily a long way off. No; even then there
were many Anti-christs by which they were to know it
was the “last time.” Thus we see that the
testimony of the apostles was uniform and explicit. They were looking for
their Lord to return at any time. Such ought to be our attitude too.
“Let not my eyes with tears
be dim,
Let joy their upward glance illume;
Look up, and watch, and wait for Him-
Soon, soon the Lord will come.
Soon will that star-paved milky way,
Soon will that beauteous azure dome,
Glories, ne’er yet conceived display-
Soon, soon the Lord will come.
Changed in the twinkling of an eye,
Invested with immortal bloom,
I shall behold Him throned on high,
And sing, ‘The Lord is come!’
One beam from His all‑glorious face
These mortal garments will consume,
Each sinful blemish will efface-
Lord Jesus, quickly come!
What will it be with Thee to dwell,
Thyself my everlasting Home!
Oh, bliss‑Oh, joy ineffable!
Lord Jesus, quickly come!”
3. Why was the fact of our Lords Return presented
in the language of Imminency
and the exact date withheld?
At
first sight it may appear strange that our Lord has not made known to us the
precise date of His appearing. He has caused many details concerning the
Blessed Hope to be recorded in the Word. He has made known many things
which are to transpire at His second advent, and in view of the fact that so
much has been revealed it may strike us as peculiar that
the very point upon which human curiosity most desires enlightenment should
have been left undefined. We need hardly say that it was not
ignorance on our Lord’s part which caused Him to leave
the hour of His second coming un-determined, though some of His enemies have
dared to charge this against Him, basing their evil indictment upon Mark 13: 32‑“But of
that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father.” These words need occasion no
difficulty if we pay due attention to the particular Gospel in which they are
found, namely, Mark’s - the Gospel of the Servant of Jehovah. The purpose
of Marl’s Gospel is to present the Lord Jesus as the perfect Servant, the
obedient Servant, the Servant whose meat it was to do the will of Him that sent
Him, and, “the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth”
(John 15: 15). Mark 13: 32 does not call into
question our Lord’s omniscience but asserts that, as a Servant, He waited Another’s
will. A little reflection will reveal the perfect wisdom of our Lord
in concealing the exact date of His Return. One reason was that He
desired to keep His people on the very tiptoe of expectation, continually
looking for Him.
Again,
this question needs to be pondered in the light of the Unity of Christ’s
church. The tendency with all of us is to regard believers
as so many detached individuals, instead of viewing the saints as “one body” (1 Cor. 12:13) “members one
of another” (Rom. 12: 5). The
church is not an organization, it is a living
organism, a “body” of which Christ is the “head.” Hence, the Imminency of the Redeemer’s
return is to one member precisely what it is to all the members, and therefore
it is that first century believers were just as truly and
just as much interested in the appearing of the Saviour as are believers now
living in the twentieth century. The object of hope then is
the object of hope now, for the Body is one, and conversely, the object of hope
now must necessarily have been the object of hope then. Consequently, the
early Christians, by virtue of the Unity of the saints, were exhorted to walk
in the light and blessing of a hope which is common to the entire church.
The
Return of our Lord might not have been revealed at all, but in that case a most
powerful dynamic to godly living would have been withheld from the
church. The Imminency of the Redeemer’s second advent
was revealed as an incentive to watchfulness and
preparedness. If then the fact of our Lord’s return had not been
presented in the New Testament as something which might occur at any time, but,
instead, had been expressly postponed and fixed to happen in some particular
and distant century, then all believers who lived in the centuries preceding
that one would have been robbed of the comfort which is to be found in the
assurance that Christ may return at any hour and would have lost the
purifying effects which such a prospect is calculated to produce. As
it has been well remarked, “It is not that He desires
each succeeding generation to believe that He will certainly return in their
time, for He does not desire our faith and our practice to be founded on an
error, as, in that case, the faith and practice of all generations except the
last would be. But it is a necessary element of the doctrine concerning
the second coming of Christ, that it should be possible at any time, that no
generation should consider it improbable in theirs” (Archbishop
Trench).
Here
then is the simple but sufficient answer to our question. The second
coming of Christ is presented in the language of Imminency because of the
far-reaching effects it is designed to exert on those who lay hold of the
promise, “Surely I come quickly.” The
imminent return of the Redeemer is a practical hope.
It is the commanding motive of the New Testament. The
Holy Spirit has linked it with every precept and practice of Christian
character and conduct. As another has so well expressed it: “It arms admonitions, it points appeals, it strengthens
arguments, it enforces commands, it intensifies entreaties, it arouses courage,
it rebukes fear, it quickens affection, it kindles hope, it inflames zeal, it
separates from the world, it consecrates to God, it drys
tears, it conquers death” (Brookes). To amplify this
statement in detail‑
The
hope of our Lord’s second advent produces loyalty and faithfulness
to Christ, “Who then is that faithful
and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household,
to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that
servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Of a
truth, I say unto you, that He will make him ruler over all that He hath.
But and if that [same] servant say in his heart,
My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and
maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The Lord of that Servant will
come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and at an hour when he is not aware,
and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the
unbeliever!” (Luke 12: 42-46).
The moral purpose of this parable (see context of above quotation) is
apparent. While the steward maintained an attitude of watchfulness he was
faithful and sober, but when he said in his heart “my
Lord delayeth His coming” he began to beat
his fellow-servants and to eat and drink and be drunken.
Watching for the Lord then is an incentive to loyalty and fidelity,
while unwatchfulness results in worldliness of heart, carelessness of walk
and carnality of life.
The
Return of our Lord is presented as a motive to brotherly love‑“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may
stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thess. 3: 12, 13). In view of the fact that our
Lord may return at any hour, how awful are divisions between the Lord’s own
people. Soon shall each of us appear before the Bema, of Christ where
every wrong will be righted and every misunderstanding cleared up. The Lord is at hand, therefore let
us sink our petty differences, forgive one another even as God hath for
Christ’s sake forgiven us, and increase and abound in love one toward another.
The
perennial hope of Christ’s second advent is used as a call to a godly
walk – “For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation”– [i.e., ‘the salvation of your souls’ (1 Pet. 1: 9, N.I.V.. cf. Acts 2: 27, R.V.; Matt.
16: 18, 25b.] – “hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing [“and appearing
of the glory” R.V.] of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2: 11-13). How clear it is from these
words that the Blessed Hope is intended to cheek the spirit of self-pleasing
and self-seeking in the [regenerate] believer and to promote holiness in the daily
life. As says the apostle John, “He that hath
this hope” – [i.e., the hope of being “considered worthy” to
reign with Christ during His Millennium in “that age” (Luke 20: 35,
N.I.V.)] – “in Him purifieth
himself even as He is pure” (1
John 3:3).
The
return of our Lord is designed to comfort bereaved hearts [and persecuted disciples]‑“For I would
not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go before)
them which are asleep. 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 which are alive and
remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord
in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words” (1 Thess.
4: 13-18). Those to whom the apostle was writing were sorrowing over the
loss of loved ones. But observe, he does not
seek to solace by telling them that shortly they would die and join the departed
in heaven. No; he held up before them the prospect of a returning
Saviour who would bring back the sleeping [dead] saints with Him [after
their resurrection].
The
promise of the Redeemer’s return is calculated to develop the grace of patience
‑“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto
the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the
precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive
the early and the latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your
hearts: for the coming of the Lord” –[and therefore the time of resurrection or
translation]- “draweth
nigh” (Jas. 5:7, 8). These words were
addressed to saints who were poor in this world’s goods and who were groaning
beneath the oppression of unrighteous employers. How timely is this
word of exhortation to many a twentieth-century saint! How many of God’s
poor are now crying unto the Lord for deliverance from pecuniary
difficulties, from tyranny and injustice! These cries have reached
the ears of the Lord of hosts, and just as He intervened of old on behalf of
The
hope of our Lord’s return is the antedote for
worry – “Let your forebearance
be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. In nothing be
anxious” (Phil. 4: 5, 6,
R. V.). Brethren in Christ, why be so fearful about meeting next year’s
liabilities? Why be anxiously scheming and fretting about the
future? Why be worrying about the morrow? Tomorrow you may be in
heaven. Before tomorrow dawns the assembling Shout may be given. At
any hour thy Saviour may come. The Lord is at hand and His appearing will
mean the end of all your trials and troubles. Look not then at your
dangers and difficulties, but for your Redeemer, In
nothing be anxious.
The
prospect of a speedily returning Saviour is employed to stimulate sobriety
and vigilance – “Knowing the time, that now it
is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our” [future] “salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far
spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13: 11, 12). As we have shown in a
previous chapter the “salvation” here spoken of is that mentioned in Heb. 9: 28 (“unto them
that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation”)
which salvation is brought to us at Christ’s second advent.
Note, particularly, that this salvation is not presented as a distant
hope, to be realized at some remote period, but is set forth as that which is nigh
at hand.
Ere
closing this chapter one other question claims our attention‑
4. Why is it that our Lord has tarried till now?
Why
has not the Redeemer returned long ere this? At first sight perhaps this
inquiry might appear almost irreverent and some may feel inclined to remind us
that “secret things belong unto the Lord.”
In response we would say, It is not in any spirit of idle curiosity nor is it
to indulge an inquisitive speculation that we take up this question, but simply
because we believe that a humble examination of it will prove profitable to our
souls, inasmuch as the answer to our inquiry demonstrates the wisdom and grace
of Him with whom we have to do.
Of
old, the mother of Sisera cried concerning her son, “Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?” (Judges 5: 28). We might well
appropriate these words to our present inquiry. On the eve of His death,
the Lord Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also,”
but eighteen centuries have run their weary course since then and He has
not yet returned! Is not this deeply mysterious? A
world in which iniquity abounds more and more; an Israel without a home and
without a king; a church rent by divisions and, like Samson, shorn of its
power; a groaning creation and a war-stricken earth, all unite in crying with
the souls under the altar “How long, O Lord!”
(Rev. 6: 10).
Why
then such delay? Why has the millennial era of blessedness been thus
postponed? Why has not the Redeemer returned to enter into His
blood-bought inheritance long ere this? Stupendous questions surely. Questions which sometime or other exercise the hearts of all the
saints of God. Is it possible to discover a satisfactory
answer? A complete answer -
No; for now we “know in part.” But an answer - yes, an answer that will at least enable us
to see, even though it be through a glass darkly, something of
the meaning of our Lord’s delay. Why this
protracted interval since the time of His departure? Why has He not
returned long ere this? We answer -
First, because God would give man full opportunity to develop his schemes and thereby demonstrate
the worlds need of a competent Ruler.
Man
cannot complain that God has not allowed him full opportunity to experiment and
test his own plans. Man has been permitted to do his utmost in ruling and
regenerating the world. God, as it were, has put the reins of government
into his hands, and withdrawn for a season. Why? To
show whether man was sufficient for these things. To show whether or not man was capable of governing himself.
To show whether man was competent to grapple successfully with the powers of
evil which war upon his soul.
Throughout
the ages man’s efforts have been directed toward ruling and regenerating the
world. Man has been given full scope. With what
results? With the result that the incurable
hatred of the human heart to God and the utter depravity of human nature have
been fully displayed. How has man used the freedom, the
opportunities, the privileges, the talents with which his Maker has endowed
him? To what profit has he turned them? Have they been used with
the purpose of glorifying God or of deifying himself? To ask the question
is quite enough. Loud have been man’s boasts. Lofty have been his
claims. Pretentious his vauntings.
Such terms as improvement, advancement, enlightenment, evolution, civilization,
have been his favourite slogans. But the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God, and the folly of the world’s wisdom and the vanity of man’s claims
are now displayed before our eyes What has
‘civilization’ effected? With all our so-called enlightenment and
progress unto what have we attained? Let the records of our Law-courts
tell us. Let the columns of the daily newspapers make response. Let
the economic, political and moral conditions of the day make answer. Let
the world war with all its inhumanities, its barbarities, its fiendish
atrocities, give reply. And mark, it cannot be said that these things are
due to man’s ignorance and inexperience. Man is not just starting out to
make history. We are now living in the twentieth century
of the Christian era. Man then cannot complain that God has
not given him plenty of time to mature his plans. No; God has given
ample time, time enough to show that he is an utter failure, time enough to
demonstrate that he is totally incapable of governing himself, time enough to
prove that if relief comes at all it must come from outside of himself.
Here then is the first part of our answer.
Christ’s return has been delayed in order to provide opportunity for man’s
plans to fully develop. God waits till harvest-time. He
has been waiting for the harvest time of man’s schemes and efforts. He
has been waiting patiently with sickle in hand, and as soon as the crops of
human industry have fully matured, the word will go forth “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee
to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Rev. 14: 15).
Why has not our Lord returned long ere this? - We
answer –
Second, in order that God
might fully display His long-sufferance.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day
is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but
is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3: 8, 9). All through these nineteen
centuries the Lord has been saying, “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give
you rest.” Ever since the Saviour left the earth, God has been
dealing with the world in mercy instead of visiting it with judgment.
God’s patience toward our wicked race has been truly marvellous.
Wonderful it is that the vials of His wrath have not been emptied upon
the nations long ere this. What long-sufferance Jehovah hath shown in
bearing with such rebels these twenty centuries! Why is it that the Day
of Salvation has lasted until it now exceeds in length every dispensation that
has preceded it? Why is it that the door of mercy still stands open wide
and God is yet beseeching sinners to be reconciled to Himself?
Why is it that Christ has not long, long ago returned in flaming fire to take
vengeance on them that know not God and obey not His Gospel? Why is it that He is not even now seated upon the Throne of His
Glory and saying to His enemies, “Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”?
Why? Ah! why? Because the Lord God is longsuffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish. Suppose that Christ had
returned five, ten, twenty, fifty years ago, then, in such case, how many
who read these lines rejoicing that they have been accepted in the Beloved,
would have perished in their sins! Join, then, with the writer in
returning thanks for the marvellous long-sufferance of our gracious God.
Why
has not the Lord returned long ere this? We answer-
Third, in order that God might fully test the faith of
His own people.
This
has ever been His way. Why those years of waiting before Abraham received
Isaac? Why that protracted bondage in
The Signs Of The Redeemer’s
Return
“And when these things
begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21: 28).
CHAPTER SIX
[Pages
154-200]
As we have shown in the last chapter,
the apostles and their converts looked for Christ to return in their own
lifetime. They did not affirm that He would but they believed that He might.
But eighteen centuries have passed since then and yet He has not
come. The question therefore arises, What
evidence is there that the second advent of our Lord is now nigh
at hand - that is, nigh as judged even by human measurement
of time? May there not be another eighteen centuries which must yet run their
weary course before the Sun of righteousness arises with healing in His
wings? Have we any means for ascertaining the approximate period when our
Lord may be expected to appear? Have we any good ground for believing
that another long interval will not yet elapse before the Saviour comes back
again?
In
connection with other great events which God has brought about in human
affairs, fair warning has been given to announce their approach.
The Flood-judgment, the length of sojourn and the deliverance of the children
of
God
does not desire His people to remain in ignorance concerning the period when
His Son shall return. Just as of old, He said concerning the
impending destruction of Sodom “Shall I hide from
Abraham that thing which I do?” so has God graciously
taken the Church into His counsels and revealed to us a “part of His ways” at least. We do not know the
day or the hour, we are unable to determine the precise year when the Redeemer
shall return, but we do know that His coming is now near at hand. We know
it from the testimony of God’s living oracles. He has not left us in
darkness, but has placed in our hands the more sure
Word of Prophecy “whereunto we do well that we take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark
place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts.”
The prophets of Old Testament times are commended because that they “searched what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when He testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet. 1: 11); surely, then, a similar “searching” is commendable in us.
As
we study the Old Testament Scriptures we discover that a number of “Signs” were given to herald the first advent of
Christ. There were conditions to be realized and certain events which
would come to pass, and as these conditions were met and as these events
occurred those who “looked for redemption in
As
we have said, the Old Testament Scriptures foretold certain things concerning
the Lord when He should appear: fore-announced Signs were to characterize the
times of His advent. But the Jews failed to discern these Signs and the
Saviour reproached them for their failure. Said He, “When it is evening, ye say, It will
be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and
lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye
not discern the Signs of the Times?” (Matt. 16: 2, 3). The reason why the
Pharisees and Sadducees were blind to the significance of the things which were
then transpiring before their eyes, was that they were ignorant of the
contents of that Book in which these Signs were recorded. This is
clear from the words of our Lord on many occasions – “Ye
do err, not knowing the Scriptures” (Matt. 22: 29). The reason why they were
ignorant of the contents and real meaning of the Scriptures was because they
had substituted their own “tradition” for the
Word of God (Mark 7: 13). And history
has repeated itself! We are living in a day when the vast majority of
people are unable to “discern the Signs of the Times,”
when our religious leaders “err, not knowing the
Scriptures” because they are following their own “tradition” rather than the Word of God. The Lord
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees because they
could “discern the face of the sky” but would
not take the necessary pains to “discern the Signs of
the Times.” Then let us beware lest we fall
through the same example of unbelief. Let us approach the Scriptures
reverently and prayerfully, seeking to discover our position on the calendar of
prophecy and thus be prepared for the solemn yet blessed events now so
near at hand.
While
it is true that the great majority of the Jews who lived during the days of our
Lord’s first advent failed to discern the Signs of the Times and in
consequence did not profit by the announcements of their prophets,
nevertheless, there were a few who were “waiting for the Consolation of
Israel” (Luke 2: 25) And so it is now. By the grace of God, there is a remnant today who are reading the Signs of the Times in
the light cast by the prophetic Word. At some of these Signs we shall now
look. And
1. The Recovery and Revival of the Blessed Hope itself.
In Daniel 12: 4, 9, 10
we read – “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and
seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and
fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” While this
prophecy has primary reference to Daniel’s people, the Jews, and so far as they
are concerned will receive its accomplishment in the “godly remnant” of the Tribulation period, yet, like
all prophecy, this also has a double fulfilment and therefore has a secondary
application to the
As
is well known, the book of Daniel is largely composed of prophecies, prophecies
which refer frequently to the closing day of the Times of the
Gentiles. The Scripture now before us makes known seven facts, namely -
first, that the contents of Daniel’s prophecies were to be “shut up” and “sealed;”
second, that the book of Daniel should not remain a “sealed” book for ever;
third, that at “the Time of the End”
it should be unsealed, for it was to be “shut up”
only “to” and “till”
the Time of the End; fourth, that at the Time of the End there should be a “running to and fro,” in other words, there should be a
revival of interest in the prophetic word, an earnest inquiry and seeking for
light; fifth, that as the result of this revival of interest in and study of
the prophetic word “knowledge shall be increased;”
sixth, as the consequence of this “increase” of
“knowledge” many would be “purified, and made white, and tried;” seventh, that
notwithstanding this, the wicked would “do wickedly”
and none of them would “understand,” thus are we
told in this last item that the understanding of the Word of God
is a matter of spiritual discernment and not a question of Intellectual acumen:
if it were the latter then the wicked might understand as readily as the
righteous (compare Matt 13: 10-15).
Let us briefly consider these seven points and note how remarkably they are
verified in present day conditions.
Daniel
was informed that the things he had seen and the communications which he had
heard were not to be turned to use for the present. All was to be as a
sealed book until a distant day, in fact would be “shut
up” until the Time of the End. How accurately and literally this
part of our prediction has been fulfilled may best be seen by reviewing the
writings of theologians and commentators who lived prior to the last
century. For the most part the prophecies of Daniel have been utterly
neglected until recently, and where attempts were made to open up its contents
the wildest theories were indulged and the most absurd interpretations were
adopted. There was no spiritual understanding. The book was “shut up!” But the book of Daniel was not to be
shut up for ever. God had some wise purpose in making these disclosures
to His prophet, He had some good reason in making
known to Daniel the trend and end of the various world empires.
At
the Time of the End the contents of the book of Daniel were to be opened
and unsealed, for many would “run to and fro”
and knowledge would be “increased.” How
plainly has this mark of the end been manifesting itself during the past
century! Though the masses still turn from prophecy as from a sealed
book, yet what a stir and study has it awakened in many earnest minds! “Many” have turned to the word of prophecy (witness the
great number of books now written on the subject) and given their most sedulous
attention to the understanding of its contents. Particularly has this
been the case with the book of Daniel itself. Large numbers of God’s
people have been moved to inquire concerning the things recorded therein and
have spared no pains or cost to obtain a knowledge of them, and under the
blessing of God and the guidance of His Spirit light upon this book is steadily
increasing and its mysterious hieroglyphics are becoming clearer and plainer as
the fulfilment of its predictions draws nearer. Expositors of this
important book may differ in details but in the main they are agreed and their
leading conclusions are the same.
The
result of this earnest and widespread study of prophecy is seen in the
increased devotion and consecration of God’s people – “many
shall be purified and made white.” Side by side with increasing light
on prophecy has come a deepened sense of responsibility toward the lost.
It is a striking fact that the remarkable growth in Foreign Missions of last
century synchronized with the widespread turning to the prophetic Word.
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century the heathen were, with rare
exceptions, utterly neglected, so also was it with the book of Daniel. On
the other hand, in strict accord with Daniel’s prophecy, side by side with the
increase of prophetic light and its purifying effects on the people of God, we
find the “wicked doing wickedly” and that none
of them “understand” - i. e., that the wicked
are in utter ignorance of the terrible times (referred to in Daniel) which lie
just ahead of them.
One
of the most marked and blessed results of the widespread inquiry and
enlightenment upon the subject of prophecy has been the recovery and revival of
the Blessed Hope. We believe it is to this that Daniel’s prophecy (in
its present-day application) refers when it says “but
the wise shall understand.” The “wise”
are those who are governed by God’s Word and whose thoughts are formed by the
teaching of Holy Writ, for “The entrance of Thy words
giveth light” (Ps. 119: 130).
What is it that the “wise” understand?
They “understand” the meaning of the days in
which they are living. They “understand”
that the last days of the age are upon us. They “understand”
that we have now reached “the Time of the End.”
They “understand” that “the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
Parallel
with the prophecy of Daniel is the teaching of Christ in the parable of the
Bridegroom and the virgins. This parable sets forth the several attitudes of
the Lords people, in different periods of this Dispensation, with reference to
their expectation of the Redeemer’s Return and was uttered in response to the
disciples questions (recorded at the beginning of the previous chapter) “What shall he the sign of Thy coming and the end of the age?”
At the beginning of the Christian era all His followers were waiting for the Lord’s
appearing. Then followed a mixed condition - part were wise
and part were foolish. Then, while the Bridegroom tarried, `they all “slumbered and slept.” The Blessed
Hope was lost and the church lapsed into a condition of spiritual apathy.
But this sleep was to be broken. It was foretold that at the midnight
hour a cry should be made – “Behold, the Bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet Him:” (Matt.
25: 6). This was a prophetic announcement that just before our
Lord returned, a loud and distinct testimony concerning His coming would be
sounded upon the dull ear of Christendom. This Cry is now going forth.
Everywhere the servants of God are proclaiming the news that the Lord is at
hand. All over the world the cry is being raised, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.”
Never since the days of the apostles has there been so much yearning and
longing, preaching and teaching, watching and praying, upon the subject of
Christ’s second coming as there is now.
The
parable of the Bridegroom and the virgins corresponds very closely with the
prophecy of Daniel 12. The midnight
Cry the recovery of the Blessed Hope - matches the unsealing of the prophetic
word and the “increase” of “knowledge.” The arising of the virgins agrees
with the “running to and fro.” The “trimming” of their lamps -
preparation for the Lord’s appearing - tallies with the man being “purified.” The two classes ‑ the
wise and the foolish virgins - corresponds exactly with the two classes
mentioned by Daniel - the “wise”
and the “wicked,” for just as it is said that “none of the wicked shall understand,” so the foolish
virgins shall declare “our lamps are gone out” ‑
they will be in the dark!
One
other Scripture which confirms us in saying that one of the Signs which heralds
the Return of Christ is the midnight Cry, is to be found in 2 Pet. 3: 3, 4 – “Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts and saying, Where is the promise of His
coming? for since the, fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
Observe that it is in “the 1ast days” (of
this Age) that there should arise a class who shall scoff at the promise of
Christ’s return, which is further intimation that at the Time of the End there
would be a renewed and special testimony to the Blessed Hope.
To return to Daniel’s prophecy. “But thou, O Daniel,
shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall
run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Dan. 12: 4). These words must not be limited
to an application which confines it to the increase of light on the prophetic
word, but should be taken in their widest signification. We believe they
have reference to the recent and phenomenal increase both in Travel and
Knowledge. The words “run to and fro”
would seem to point to modern methods of transportation. How this mark of the
end time is being manifested today is well known to all. “Railways cover the earth and steamers track the sea like a
mighty spider’s web” (Blackstone). Automobiles have become
commoner than horses, and appearances indicate that within a few years at most
aeroplanes will be used as a regular means of travel. Observe that our
text says, “Many shall run to and fro.”
Restlessness now seems to be common to human nature. The rising
generation is obsessed with this spirit of running to and fro. Witness
the enormous growth of immigration. Study railroad statistics and mark
the rapid increase in the number of passengers carried,
now numbering hundreds of millions annually. How accurately these words “many shall run to and fro” describe present-day
conditions! Everything is in a turmoil.
Everybody is on the run, and hence it is that the Day of Rest has become a
thing of the past.
“And knowledge shall be increased.” What advances
have been made in the educational realm! Facilities
which hitherto were available to only a privileged class are now open to the
children of the artisan and common labourer. Illiteracy will soon be a
thing of the past. By the multiplication of schools, colleges and
universities “knowledge” has been marvellously
increased. Another agency, for increasing knowledge is the press. “The public press, with its ceaseless stream of news and
information, covers the earth with its ever increasing circulation, like
falling leaves from some mighty tree of knowledge. And of the making of
many books, there is truly no end.” (Blackstone).
Witness
the remarkable increase of scientific knowledge. Contrast our present-day
knowledge of astronomy, archaeology, zoology, physiology, psychology, with what
was known about them even one hundred years ago. How wonderfully man has
harnessed to his service the forces of Nature! Things never dreamed of by
our grandparents are now actualities, and many of them mere commonplaces.
What discoveries have been made! What inventions have been perfected!
What triumphs have been achieved on land and sea, in the air and under the
waters! How the discovery and utilization of electricity has
revolutionized every department of our life! Truly, scientific knowledge has
been increased.
But
perhaps the prediction of our text refers more particularly to the increase of
spiritual knowledge. During the last century hundreds of millions of
Bibles and Testaments have been circulated by our Bible Societies. The Word of
God has now been translated into more than four hundred languages and
distributed all over the earth. By means of thousands of missionaries
labouring upon the foreign field, spiritual knowledge has been marvellously
increased. So at home. Bible training
schools, Bible conferences, and Bible classes, are multiplying annually.
Wherever we look and wherever we go we find that knowledge is being increased.
And all of the things to which we have referred have appeared during the last
century! Surely we have indeed reached the Time of the End.
Our
Lord’s parable of the growth of the seed is in striking accord with the
prediction of Daniel that at the Time of the End knowledge should be
increased – “And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as
if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, and rise night and
day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade,
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the
fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because
the harvest is come” (Mark 4: 26-29).
Like all of our Lord’s utterances, there is more in these words than meets the
eye at first glance. In this parable we have five things. First, the sowing of the seed. Second,
a period of sleep following the seed sowing. Third, the growth of the seed. Fourth, the order of
growth described - first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in
the ear. Fifth, the harvest.
The
above parable corresponds very closely with the first three found in Matthew 13. Like them it is prophetic in its
scope. As dispensational application is simple yet
remarkable. The sowing of the seed here is the same as the
sowing of the seed in Matthew 13 and relates
to the gracious mission of the Lord and His apostles at the beginning of this
dispensation. The seed was the Word of God (Luke
8: 11). The period of “sleep”
(Compare Matt. 13: 25; 25: 25) was the
spiritual lethargy of the third and fourth centuries which merged into the
‘Dark Ages,’ and corresponded with the order of nature. The natural seed
sown into the ground becomes corrupt and dies, or almost dies; and so it was
with the Divine seed. The epistles of the New Testament furnish evidence
of how quickly and how sadly the purity of the Word became corrupted with the
grossest errors and adulterations. But yet it lived. And more, it “grew.” The language used in the parable
describing the order of growth corresponds exactly with
its prophetic fulfilment. There was first the “blade,”
which in nature continues in a feeble state of vitality for a long time.
So it was with the Divine “seed” all through the
‘Dark Ages.’ “Then
the ear;” does not this point prophetically, to the Reformation period
when copies of the Scriptures were multiplied a hundredfold and given once more
to the masses in their own tongue. “After that
the full corn in the ear.” How remarkable as the harvest
approaches, the original seed now reappears, though greatly multiplied in
quantity. And this is exactly what we are witnessing today.
Many long lost truths, truths which have been buried beneath the soil of human
tradition, have been given back to the people of God. And, as to
multiplication in quantity, contrast the millions of copies of the Scriptures
now in circulation with the limited number in use in the first century when
printing was unknown. Yes the Seed has “grown”
though man “knoweth not how.” But note the
next words: “But when the fruit is brought forth,
immediately he putteth in the sickle because the
harvest is come.” How unspeakably solemn! What follows “the full corn in the ear?” “Immediately,” we are told, “he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come.”
Compare with this Matt. 13: 39 – “the harvest is the end of the age.” And
compare further Rev. 14: 15 – “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for
the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!”
Thus by putting side by side our Lord’s teaching in the above parable with the
prophecy of Daniel we find that the “full corn in the
ear” corresponds with “increase of knowledge”
and “immediately he putteth in the sickle because
the harvest is come” (“the harvest is the end of
the age” Matt. 13: 39)
agrees with the “Time of the End.”
To
review and sum up: From Daniel 12 we learn
that at the Time of the End knowledge shall be increased; from Matthew 25 we learn there would be a recovery of
the Blessed Hope and a proclamation concerning the imminent Return of
the Bridegroom; from 2 Peter 3 we also learn
that in the “1ast days” there is to be a renewed
and special testimony borne respecting the second coming of Christ; and in Mark 4 we learn that the Divine seed (the Word)
was to grow until it brought forth the “full corn in
the ear” and that this increase of fruitage occurred “immediately” before the harvest. How wonderful
and how perfect is the harmony of Scripture! The fact
that these things are now spread before our eyes declares in language loud and
clear to all who have ears to hear that the Time of the End has been reached,
that the Bridegroom is now at hand, that the “last days”
are already entered upon, and that the Harvest-symbol of Divine judgment - is
impending and to be expected “immediately.”
2. The Apostasy which prepares the way for the
Anti-Christ.
The
question has often been raised and is still hotly disputed as to whether the
world is getting better or worse. Are conditions in general more propitious or
more iniquitous? From one viewpoint conditions are improving, from
another they are deteriorating. Good and evil are now both of them
rapidly coming to a head. This is exactly what our Lord foretold in the
parable of the Tares – “Let both grow together until
the harvest” (Matt. 13: 30). Both
the wheat and the tares are growing. Hence it is
that present-day conditions are so conflicting. Godliness and lawlessness, good
and evil are, side by side, each advancing, the conflict between them ever
increasing in severity. And hence it is that side by side with the increase
of spiritual light and prophetic knowledge, we are now witnessing also a
wide-spread departure from the Truth [“the Faith”]. As the light increases the
shadows deepen. It is written, “The
path of the just shineth more and more
unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:
18); but, it is written again, “Evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3: 13).
Of
old, the question was asked, “Watchman what of the
night!” and the answer from the lonely watcher upon his lofty tower was
“The morning cometh, and also the night” (Is. 21: 11, 12). Here again we meet with a
seemingly conflicting testimony. Yet, the conditions which prevailed in
Isaiah’s day are precisely the same which characterize ours. “The morning cometh,”
the morning of the Perfect Day. As we have shown above, the
intimations of the approaching Morn are unmistakeable. The increasing
light vouchsafed by God upon His Word together with the recovery of the Blessed
Hope, herald the approach of the Morning Star, which shall precede by a few
years the arising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings. “And also the night.”
The Night which shall draw down the curtain upon “man’s day.” The Night
of the world’s judgment, when “the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
darkness the people” (Is. 60: 2).
The Night of the Great Tribulation when “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light” (Matt. 24: 29). The Night when the Power of Darkness shall be given full sway for a
little season because men loved darkness rather than light. That Night which shall so soon come upon Christendom because it has
turned away from God’s Word which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our
path. And the intimations of the approaching Night are as marked
and as plain as are the heralds of the coming Day. Consider one of them.
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2: 3). The “day” mentioned here is “the Day of the Lord”
(see Isa. 2) which follows
the present day of man. The Day of the Lord succeeds the Day of
Salvation, now so nearly ended, and its character and course is fully described
in the last book of the Bible. The “man of sin, the son
of perdition” referred to in our text will come before us for consideration
in a later chapter, sufficient now to say, that he makes his appearance some
time after the Rapture of the [watchful members
of the] Church and that he continues in his
terrible course of open defiance of God until the Lord Jesus returns in power
to the earth when He shall destroy this Wicked One by the brightness of His
coming. The “falling away” (apostasy - Creek) is
one of the things which shall be the harbinger of the Day of the Lord and
prepare the way for the revelation of the Anti-christ.
The fact that the “falling away” has
already commenced, yea, has even now advanced, a terrible distance, is proof
that the appearing of the Man of Sin is nigh at hand, and therefore that
the “last days” of this dispensation are upon
us.
The
“falling away” which 2
Thess. 2: 3 predicts has reference to departure from the Word of God,
and apostasy from the faith once delivered unto the saints. Specifically,
it refers to repudiation of the Truth by those who are its professed
friends. The fulfilment of this solemn prophecy has now been going on for
upwards of half a century, and sad to say, the circle in which it is receiving
its accomplishment is ever growing wider and wider. More than forty years ago
the late C. H. Spurgeon protested faithfully and fearlessly against the
“Downgrade movement” of his day, and owing to
the doctrinal looseness and theological unsoundness of many of its leading
spirits withdrew from the English Baptist Union. The “Downgrade” has gone on apace since then. The
majority of our Seminaries in which our preachers receive their theological
training, are hot-beds of rationalism, scepticism, and infidelity. The
deadliest foes of the Faith are now to be found inside of
the professing Church and not outside as hitherto. The “vain philosophies” and Scripture‑denying heresies
of such agnostics as Darwin and Huxley are now openly espoused and
enthusiastically proclaimed from many of our leading pulpits.
The
“falling away” has had an awful exemplification
in the “Higher Criticism” movement, a movement
which originated with atheists but has operated within the
professing church. The “Higher Critics”
are men who deny the supernatural element in the Scriptures, who undermine
their authority and belittle their value. They are rationalists whose
minds are blinded by the god of this world, whose they are and whom they
serve. No censure of them can possibly be too severe. The inspired
apostle referred to them when he said, “But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction”
(2 Pet. 2: 1). The words that follow
this terrific indictment, reveal the sad havoc wrought
by these apostates, and tells us of the doom which awaits them – “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of
whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness
shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a
long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (vs. 2, 3).
The
“falling away” is evidenced on every hand.
Not only are many of our Seminaries cesspools of spiritual corruption, not only
are hundreds of our pulpits now filled by traitors to the cause they profess to
champion, Dot only is every cardinal doctrine of the faith attacked and denied
by the very ones paid to defend them, but the evil effects of such teaching
from our religious leaders have influenced multitudes of souls committed to
their care. The man in the pew, following the lead of his teachers, has
lost faith in the Bible as a Divine revelation, and in consequence, no longer
submits to its authority. Hence it is that there is such a “falling away” in the number of genuine conversions ‑
we say “genuine” conversions because there are
multitudes of those who come forward to shake some popular preacher by the
hand, multitudes of card-signers, “trail-hitters”
etc., etc. Hence it is that there has been such a sad and such a
wide-spread “falling away” from the old time
family worship. Hence it is that we now witness such a lamentable “falling away” from the mid-week prayer-meeting.
Hence it is that there is such an awful “falling away”
from the observance of the Holy Sabbath. Hence it is that there is such a
fearful “falling away” from the moral standards
of former days. Hence it is that there is now such an ever-growing “falling away” from Sunday School
attendance all over the land. Yes, the “falling away” has commenced and
is already far advanced.
The
“falling away” is also to be seen in the many
false systems of recent development. We may cite illustrations the “New Theology” formulated and popularized by R. J.
Campbell; “Christian Science” (so called) with
its repudiation of sin and the vicarious Sacrifice of Christ; “Russellism,” with its
horrible blasphemies upon the person of our Lord and its erroneous and
soul-destroying heresy of the ‘second chance;’ “Spiritualism”
with its intercourse with demons who impersonate the dead. Formerly
three-fourths of the votaries of these anti-Christian systems were outwardly
attached to the Truth, inasmuch as they were members of evangelical
denominations. The same “falling away” may
be seen in the rapid decay of Protestantism and the silent but sure growth of
Roman Catholicism.
The
“falling away” which characterises our day was
referred to by the apostle when he said, “For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables” (2 Tim. 4: 3, 4).
That time has arrived! Church-goers today will not endure “sound doctrine.” Those who preach the total
depravity of man, who insist upon the imperative necessity
of the new birth, who set forth the inflexible righteousness and holiness of
God, and who warn against the Eternal and conscious torment awaiting every
rejecter of Christ, find it almost impossible to obtain a hearing. Such
preachers are regarded as puritanical pessimists, and are not wanted. In
these degenerate times, the masses demand that which will soothe them in their
sins and amuse them while they journey down the
3. The Laodicean state of
Christendom.
In
Revelation two and three we have seven Epistles addressed to the seven churches
in
The
first of these Epistles is addressed to the church at
In
the Epistle to the third church ‑ Pergamos (Rev. 2: 12-17) ‑ we find the progress in
evil is still more marked. The prophetic application of this Epistle carries us
on to the days of
In the fourth Epistle ‑ to Thyatira (Rev. 2: 18‑29) we have disclosed a yet
fouler condition of ecclesiastical corruption and are carried forward to the
rise of Roman Catholicism, which is here termed “Jezebel”
– “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess,
to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and eat things
sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication;
and she repented not” (vss. 20, 21).
That “space” began at the Reformation period
and has lasted till now, but the Papacy is still unchanged.
In the fifth Epistle addressed to the church in
In
the sixth Epistle addressed to the church in Philadelphiia
(3: 7-13) we are brought down to the last
century. Three things are to be noted here. First,
We
turn now to consider at a little more length the seventh Epistle, addressed to
the church of the Laodiceans (Rev. 3: 14-22). This Epistle portrays the last
state of the professing church on earth, a state
characterized by high pretentions and self‑sufficiency, but so utterly
nauseous to Christ that He declares “I know thy
works that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or
hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of My mouth” (vs.
15, 16).
The
word
Another
characteristic of
Now
observe particularly that this “Laodicean”
Epistle is the final one of the series. It sets
before us the last state of the professing church on earth.
In keeping with this note the time-mark
here. The Lord speaks of “supping”
(vs. 20). It is eventime.
It is the closing meal of the day! The end is at hand. The church
is feasting inside and the Saviour is standing outside. Such was what was
predicted eighteen centuries ago, and such is what we now witness in
Christendom today. Christ is now outside the professing church undesired,
unheard, unknown. And, we repeat, this Epistle is the final one of the
series, there is no eighth which follow it. The Laodicean condition is the last phase of apostate
Christendom. Nought remains but its spueing
out. The very next thing we read of in Revelation after the Laodicean
Epistle is – “After this I looked, and, behold, a
door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was
as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither”
etc. (4: 1) which clearly symbolizes the
catching up of the [repentant,
faithful and obedient] saints. But we
turn now to consider‑
4. The Prophecy of the Perilous Times.
This
prophecy is found in 2 Tim. 3 and is another
delineation of the professing church in the last days. It is particularly
to be noted that the verses we are about to consider, describe not mankind in
general but Christendom in particular. Note now the several lines in this
picture. Lengthy comment is needless.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy.” “Men
shall be lovers of their own selves” ‑ two things, closely
connected, are referred to: selfishness and egotism. Self-lovers!
Was there ever a time when there was so much self-seeking and self-pleasing,
and so little self-sacrifice by professing Christians? “Covetous” – money-lovers. What fortunes
are now amassed by those who claim to be not their own but bought with a
price! Our average church-member is as greedy and grasping as the
worldling. “Boasters” ‑ intellectual
boasting ‑ laying claim to the possession of a wisdom and scholarship
unknown to our forefathers; ecclesiastical boasting, evidenced
in denominational pride; and what is most obnoxious of all, spiritual
boasting – the profession of superior piety, the advertising of a “victorious life,” “baptism
of the Spirit,” “sinless perfection,”
etc. “Proud” – proud of their culture,
liberality and broadmindedness. How different from the One who said, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me:
for I am meek and lowly in heart.” “Blasphemers” – Christian Scientists
(?), Russellites, Higher Critics, etc. “Disobedient to parents.”
When was this deplorable sign of insubordination so
rife as it is today? Instead of parents ruling their children, children
now rule their parents, and, of course, the parents are to blame. This
failure to exercise parental authority, this rebellion in the voting which will
brook no restraint, is the certain forerunner of the downfall of the State, fostering
as it does, the spirit of lawlessness. “Unthankful”
‑ temporal blessings received as a matter of course without any
recognition of their Giver. God’s providential mercies
unappreciated. Returning of thanks at mealtime, almost
entirely a thing of the past. “Unholy”
which has reference to the utter absence of separation from the world: the disappcarance of the Nazarite
spirit.
Behold
further characteristics of the Perilous Times – “Without
natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors,
heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3: 4). It is needless to
enlarge upon each separate item, but mark the first and the last of those
enumerated here. “Without
natural affection.” How terribly this is exemplified today
in the enormous increase of divorces, in the abandonment of their infant
offspring by unnatural mothers, and in the neglect of the poor, the sick, the aged! “Lovers of
pleasure more than lovers of God.” See our church-members on
the Lord’s day, preferring a ride in their
automobiles to the assembling of themselves together with the people of
God. Mark them on prayer-meeting nights at the picture-shows instead of
at the throne of grace. And witness the musical programmes, the
entertainments, the ice-cream suppers, etc., etc., held in our church-houses.
“But,” it may be asked, “have not these things
always been true of men in general?” Perhaps so,
more or less, though never to the same extent as now. But
these verses do not describe general conditions,‑
they depict Christendom as it exists in the “last days.” This is clear from the next verse –
“Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (vs. 5). There is music but it is of the
siren kind, not the singing, and making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
There is eloquence but it is the wisdom which man’s words teacheth, and not
that which speaks for God and wins souls. There is fervour but it is the
heat of carnal excitement born of novelty and sensationalism, and not that
which cometh down from above. There is zeal, but it is without
knowledge. There is a demand for righteousness, but it is civic and
social righteousness and not the righteousness of God. There is love but
it is a sickly sentimentality and not that which is the fulfilling of the
law. There is gospel-preaching, but it is “another gospel” and not the gospel of the grace of God. – [i.e., One without mention of
a “Reward” – the “Reward
of the Inheritance” (Col. 3:
23); or a “Crown” – a “Crown” which we must “hold on
to” ( Rev. 3: 10, N.I.V.); or a “Prize” – “to get” (1 Cor. 9: 24), or “Resurrection” – a resurrection
to “attain” (Phil. 3: 11) at the time of the “resurrection [Out] from the
dead”; or an “Inheritance” – one which
First-born sons of God can lose, (Heb. 12: 17).] There is much religion, but it is lacking in
life. There are notorious evangelistic campaigns, but they are devoid of
spirituality. There is much ritualistic performance but it is a form of
godliness without its power.
“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead
captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers
lusts” (vs. 6). We believe the
reference is to Mormonism, yet the principle is of still wider application. How
striking it is that we should read of “silly women” in this inspired list of
last days-characteristics! How remarkably this is fulfilled in modern
Feminism! Observe the words “led away with divers lusts,” which might be freely rendered “ambitious desires.” This craving for publicity,
this deplorable masculinity, this denial of man’s headship, this
usurping of authority, is one of the most striking Signs of the Times.
We refer, not only to the modern Suffragette movement which makes every
self-respecting woman blush for shame at the immodesty of her sisters, but also
the attitude and position taken by so many “silly women”
in the churches. How sad it is to see the plain command of Cod – “Let your women keep silence in the
churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak” (1 Cor. 14: 34) - now so generally
disregarded. Today there are not a few who unblushingly denounce the
inspired apostle as “an old bachelor with narrow ideas”
(Ironside).
Now
mark that what we have been considering above is a part of a Divinely
drawn picture describing the Perilous Times of the 1ast days. How clear
it is that the Perilous Times are now upon us, Times that are “perilous” to the souls of God’s people, “perilous” to the spread of the Gospel, “perilous” to the whole of Christendom. How
evident it is to those who have eyes to see that we have already entered into
the “last days.” And how dark are the
immediate prospects for the world!
Take
note of one other item in this striking prophecy – “But
evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving,
and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3: 13).
Surely moral conditions cannot get much worse than they are now.
Immorality has come in like a flood which is ever swelling and widening in its
course. “Uncleanness is rampant. There is art
army of over thirty thousand painted prostitutes in
5. The Overturning which is visible on every hand.
“I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no
more, until He come whose right it is” (Ezek.
21: 27). In close accord with this prophecy through Ezekiel is the word
recorded in Haggai 2: 6, 7 – “For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet
once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and
the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake all nations,
and the Desire of all nations shall come.” Note carefully the
coupling of these two things together ‑ the coming of
the Desire of all nations (the Lord Jesus), and the shaking of
all nations. Surely this is just what we see going on before our eyes
today! Verily, God is now “shaking” and “overturning” everything that is on earth. What
has been the watchword and catchword that has rung in our ears during
the last decade? Reform! Reform! Reform! Governments must be
reformed. Churches must be reformed. Creeds must he reformed.
The Bible must be reformed, and conformed to “modem
thought.” Schools must be reformed. Everything must be reformed.
The marriage-laws and divorce-laws must be reformed and deformed. What
does all this indicate? Nothing is any longer right.
This
demand for reform is not merely local, it is not
confined to some coterie of enthusiasts. It is worldwide. It is
enveloping the earth. It has swept over
6. The present Distress of Nations.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and
the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them with fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming to pass on the earth: for the powers of heaven
shall be shaken” (Luke 21: 25, 26).
As we have already remarked more than once, prophecy invariably has a double
fulfilment at least, and so we believe it is with the one just
quoted. Directly, it has reference to conditions that will prevail during
the Great Tribulation which immediately precedes the return of the Lord to
the earth itself, but there is much to be said in favour of giving this
prediction a present-day application. It agrees exactly with the
conditions which now exist. Mark five of the characteristics here
enumerated:‑
First,
“Distress of nations.” How
well these words describe the well-nigh universal groaning and anguish of
mankind! “Distress” is now no longer
confined to any one people but is international and earth-wide in its
reach. The “distress” and suffering caused
by the exorbitant cost of living when it is becoming more and more difficult to
secure even the bare necessaries of life. The “distress” occasioned by increasing taxation and the
accumulation of national debts which must prove intolerable burdens for future
generations to bear. The “distress” caused
by shortage of fuel and food-stuffs so that one half of the world is living
upon short rations. The “distress”
of bereavement which is now in millions of homes which mourn the loss of
loved ones slain in battle.
Second, “with perplexity.” Statesmen unable to discover any way out of present
difficulties. Men of Solomonic astuteness at their wits’ end, fearful of what
they see approaching and powerless to hinder and prevent it. Problems between capital and labour becoming more acute and insoluable [insolvable]. Situations arising which the wisest
of our statesmen, despite all our boasted enlightenment and progress, are
unable to cope with successfully. “Perplexity” by reason of political corruption,
economic agitations, and revolutionary troubles.
Third, “the sea and the
waves roaring.”
In Scripture, the sea is used to
figure the peoples of the earth which, away from God, know no rest. Like
the sea, the masses today are in a seething turmoil. Everywhere there is
fermentation and dissatisfaction. When were human politics so confused,
so contradictory, so threatening as they are now? When was law so utterly
impotent to restrain the violent passions of men? Every day brings new
indications of disquietude and convulsion. Every government on
earth is being shaken to its very foundations. Mark the political changes
which almost weekly take place in the great world powers. The time for
listless indifference is gone. No longer may we quietly fold our hands
and take our ease. There is among the nations a spirit of
restlessness, insubordination, anarchy; a consuming desire to overthrow every
established system which is too deeply rooted, too furious, too general, to be
withstood. It is something more than a passing tumult or the frenzy
of an hour. Every day it is gathering strength and ere long it will burst
every bound that legislation can devise. The waves of human passion are
rising higher and higher, and threaten to swamp the landmarks of the ancients
and take possession of the whole earth.
Fourth, “Men’s hearts
failing them with fear, and for looking for those things which are coming on
the earth.”
We live in a day of unprecedented
agitation and unparalleled tribulation. Conditions on earth have now
reached such a pass that no human skill can steer clear of the mighty maelstrom
which is rapidly drawing all nations within its awful whirl. Human
society is becoming panic-stricken. Heart failure both physically and
morally is seizing thousands of victims. Little wonder that suicides are
increasing at such an alarming rate. Men’s hearts are “failing them.” And well they may.
Confidence between man and man has disappeared. Friendships have become barren
formalities, little more than selfish conveniences. Human compassion
is no more. Conscience is dead, and men are giving up in
hopeless despair as they discern still worse evils presaged by present-day conditions.
Feverish eyes are moving to and fro in dread expectation of the approaching
total collapse of civilization.
Fifth,
“the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
In Scripture the powers of nature are frequently used symbolically. “Mountains” figure “Kingdoms”
(Dan. 2: 35; Jer. 51: 25); “waters” represent “peoples”
(Rev. 17: 11); and the sun, moon, and stars,
typify human governments (Rev. 12:1).
In the Great Tribulation the physical “powers of heaven”
will be literally “shaken,” but we take
it that the present-day application of our text is to be regarded symbolically,
having reference to human governments. And when were the political
heavens so “shaken” as they are today? Note the development of the “Young Turk” Party in
What
is the message voiced by these universal conditions? What do they
say to the children of God? The answer to these questions is found in the
same passage where these things are described – “And
when these things begin to come to pass, then look
up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth
nigh” (Luke 21: 28).
Let us next consider‑
7 The conflict between Capital and Labour.
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are
corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall he a witness against you, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for
the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have
reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by
fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have
reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton; ye have
nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and
killed the just; and He doth not resist you. Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for
the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he
receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your
hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against
another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the
door” (James 5:1-9).
Observe
that the above passage makes express reference to “the
last days” (vs. 3). It tells us
that in these “last days” there shall be
a class of “rich men” (vs.
1). It speaks of them having “heaped treasure together”
(vs. 3). It declares that their riches have
been acquired by “fraud” (vs. 4). It makes mention of them having “condemned and killed the just” (vs. 6). It intimates that their rapacity and
dishonesty will evoke and provoke a loud “cry” (vs. 4) from their victims. It denounces them
for having lived in pleasure on the earth, and been “wanton”
(vs. 5). It pictures the sorrows and
anguish brought upon the labouring classes whose cries have entered into the
ears of the Lord of hosts (vs. 4). It
announces the terrible judgments of heaven which shall yet descend upon them
for their crimes, and predicts that they shall “weep
and howl for the miseries that shall come upon them” (vs. 1).
What human wisdom could have delineated so faithfully
the present conflict between capital and labour! What mortal mind could
have foretold, almost two thousand years beforehand, the amazing and heart-rendering situation that is now before our eyes.
Who but men “moved by the Holy Spirit” could
have foreseen the recent rise of multi-millionaires, the accumulation and
concentration of three-fourths of the wealth of the world in the hands of
scarcely one hundred men, the hoarded riches of the capitalist and monopolist,
the extravagant and voluptuous living of the wealthy, the suffering which should
be brought upon the labourer by the rapacity of his merciless employer!
How remarkable is this prophecy in view of our twentieth century trusts and
syndicates which corner the markets, hoard up raw materials, and rob the masses
by fixing extortionate prices! And what is the significance of these
things? They are another proof that the end of the age is reached.
They are further intimation that the “last days”
are upon us. The cries of the distressed poor have reached heaven and the
Divine judge is just about to come to the deliverance of His people and deal in
vengeance with those who have robbed them. The Lord’s people are not to resist and fight: the command is “Grudge not
one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned.” [Regenerate] Believers
are here urged to stablish their hearts and be patient, for “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” We
turn now to consider:-
8. The Rejuvenation and Restoration of
The
Jew has been termed the mystery and miracle of history. Terrible have been
the privations and persecutions which he has suffered and yet has he survived
them all. For two thousand years
In
other chapters we have called attention to some of the numerous prophecies in
both the Old and New Testaments which announce the revival of Israel, their
return to Palestine, and their restoration of God’s favour, and ere pointing
out the manner in which some of these predictions are beginning to receive
their fulfilment, we would quote just one other. In Matt. 24: 32, 33 we have a part of our Lord’s
answer to the disciples’ questions – “What shall be the
sign of Thy coining and of the end of the age?” Here our Lord
says, “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that He (margin) is near, even at the doors.” The fig-tree
symbolizes the nation of
That
the Fig-tree has begun to put forth leaves is evident to all who are acquainted
with the leading events of the day. God is once more placing the Jew
before the eyes of men as those by whom He has blessed the world in the past
and through whom He has purposed to bless it in the future. In a most
noticeable manner the Jew is today commanding the attention of both the church
and the world. Until the last fifty years the Jew had no place on our
missionary program, but now we behold “Missions to the
Jews” springing up in many lands. Others besides Christians are
interested: the future of
Perhaps
the most significant and portentous episode in
9. The Limitations of Earth’s great Week.
We
are well aware that in broaching this point we shall probably evoke the criticism
of honoured brethren and be charged with “setting a
date” for the Return of our Lord. Nevertheless, we feel
constrained to set down our honest convictions, only asking our readers to
examine in the light of Holy Writ what we now advance tentatively and not
dogmatically.
In
ancient times it was commonly held by Jewish rabbis before our Lord’s first advent, and by many of the most eminent of the church
fathers afterwards, that the Creation week of Genesis one defined the limits of
earth’s history. Before we proceed with our argument we shall
first quote from three who lived in the second and third centuries, not that we
appeal to them as authorities, but simply to show that the view
was commonly held in the century which immediately followed the apostles
and before the Blessed Hope was lost.
In
the thirteenth chapter of the apocryphal Epistle of Barnabas,
written about 150 A. D., we read – “God made in six
days the works of His hands, and He finished them the seventh day, and He
rested the seventh day and sanctified it. Consider, my children, what
this signifies: He finished them in six days. The meaning of it is this: that
in six thousand years the Lord will bring all things to an end. For with
Him one day is a thousand years, as Himself testifieth.
Therefore, children, in six days - that is in six thousand years - Shall
all things be accomplished. And what is that He saith,
And He rested the seventh day? He meaneth this:
that when His Son shall come, and abolish the season of the wicked one, and
judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun, moon and stars, then
He shall gloriously rest in that seventh day. * * * Behold, He will then truly sanctify it with blessed rest,
when we (having received the righteous promise, when iniquity shall be no more,
all things being renewed by the Lord) shall be able to sanctify it, being
ourselves first made holy.”
Next
we quote from the writings of the distinguished Irenaeus
who was a disciple of Polycarp, who, in turn, was a discipie of John the apostle. It
has been said that “for learning, stedfastness
and zeal, he was amongst the most renowned of the early fathers.”
Consider then his testimony – “In whatever number of
days the world was created, in the same number of thousands of years it
will come to its consummation. God, on the sixth day,
finished the works which He made; and God rested on the seventh day from all
His works. This is a history of the past and a prophecy of the future;
for a day with the Lord is as a thousand years.” Similarly, Cyprian,
bishop of
It
may be objected to the above quotations that they are merely the opinions and
speculations of fallible men, and that their views find no warrant in the Word
of God. It is true that they were the beliefs of eminent saints,
beliefs which were shared by many of God’s people in ancient times, and it is
also true that this appeal to antiquity is no proof of the authenticity of the
view we now advocate; but to say that it is has no warrant in
God’s Word is more than we are prepared to admit, yea, as we shall seek
to show there is not a little in the Scriptures which seems to
countenance and confirm it.
First,
we would appeal to the Septenary system of the sacred
calendar of
Second;
God is a God of order. In Scripture, in creation and in history, we find
innumerable evidences that God works according to a mathematical plan.
Numerical design is stamped upon all His handiwork. This fact is so
freely recognized that we need not pause to illustrate. What we would now
ask is, Is it likely that in His great dispensational
plan He has departed from His general rule? We cannot believe it. But we
are not left to bare conjecture. That part of God’s age plan which is
already before us gives plain intimation that He who knows the end from the
beginning and has “framed the ages” (Heb. 1: 2 - Greek) has appointed symmetrical lines
to the main divisions and the limits of the world’s history. From Adam to
Abraham there were two thousand years. From Abraham to the Divine
incarnation there was another two thousand years. May there not be
another two thousand years then between the first and the second advents?* We firmly believe
there will be. God’s ways in the past foreshadow His dealings in the
future, for He changeth not. That the proportions of the present
dispensation will correspond with the preceding two great divisions of the
world’s time we shall seek to demonstrate in our next argument.
[* Note the words: “after two days,”
that is, after two thousand years – the time when
Messiah returns, may not be immediately after 2,000 years
expire! See Hosea 6: 2. cf.
Matt. 26: 2 – Deliverance after
the Great Tribulation.]
Third;
we would here call attention to a statement made in connection with the
resurrection of Lazarus. In John11: 6, 7
we learn that “When He had heard therefore that he
(Lazarus) was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He
was. Then after that saith He to His
disciples, Let us go into
If
further proof be required to show that our Lord will be absent from the earth “two days” (two thousand years) we have another typical
hint in John 4: 43, 45 – “Now after two days He departed thence,
and went into
[* Note. Those disciples today who are ‘dull of hearing,’ who reject the intermediate state of
the dead ‘in the heart of the earth’ (Matt. 12: 40); who reject the teaching of a
resurrection of Reward, (Luke 14: 14; Phil. 3: 11;
Rev. 20: 4-6; Like 20: 35; Heb. 11: 35, etc.); who cannot see or
understand the significance of the ‘two fishes’ – creatures who live underneath
our earth’s surface - (See, Matt. 16: 18;
Luke 16: 23, 26, 31 cf. Acts 2: 34; Heb. 11: 39, 40; Rev. 6: 9-11,
etc.), cannot understand the miracle (sign) of Messiah’s feeding of the
multitudes, which was given to point forward (from the time of
Messiah’s death) two thousand years, to His Second Advent - a
time (yet future) when the “best” that is,
the ‘good
and faithful’ servants
will be rewarded.]
Fourth;
in 2 Pet. 3: 8 we read, “But, beloved, be
not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
Two things here are to be particularly noted. First, the immediate
context of these words directly connects them with the second advent of
Christ! In verses 3 and
4 the apostle tells us that in the last days
“scoffers” should ask, “Where is the promise of
His coming?” to which they add, “For
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation.” The force of this is obvious: men will point
to the world around and declare that everything is stable and prosperous,
refusing to see any indications of the approaching doom of Christendom.
In reply, the apostle declares, “For this they
willingly are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens which were of old, and the
earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then
was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth,
which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” Having silenced
the objection of the “scoffers,” the apostle now
addresses himself to the saints, saying, “But, beloved,
be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as a day. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Thus we see that these words are directly connected with the subject of our
Lord’s return. In the second place, observe the words, “But, beloved, be not
ignorant of this one thing.” The “be not ignorant” is in apposition to the “this they (the “scoffers”)
willingly are ignorant of” (vs. 5). The “this
one thing” calls attention to the importance of
what he was about to say. God forbid that His people today should be “willingly ignorant of” what He has been pleased to make known to
us. If, then, Scripture distinctly tells us that “one
day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”,
are we not fully justified in concluding that the six days’ work of Genesis [ch.] one foreshadowed six thousand years of human toil and labor, and that the seventh day, the Sabbath, which God “Blessed” and “sanctified”
and on which He “rested*
from all His work” typified that dispensation of
blessing which shall follow the six thousand years of human effort, a
dispensation over which the Prince of Peace shall preside, and a dispensation
which will last exactly “a thousand years”!
[* This is the “rest” which is referred to in Num.
14: 21, 23, 30; Psa. 95: 11; Heb. 4: 1, 8-10. cf. 1 Cor. 10: 1-12; etc. It is not
eternal “rest” in “a new
heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21: 1);
it is “rest” during the time when this
cursed creation will find rest, (Rom. 8:
19-25).
“The Calvanistic view essentially
says the warnings (throughout the Book of Hebrews) are addressed to ‘spurious’ believers who are really not
believers at all. … This view
stems from the system of theology known as Calvinism. … The heart of this view - (relative to the
perseverance of the saints) - says perseverance is the great test of reality. If
one is ‘really’ saved (justified [by faith] and possessing everlasting life), his
works will prove his conversion. Hence, good works do not save, but without
good works, one is not [eternally] saved. This view inherently
denies assurance of [eternal] salvation. The proof of regeneration is
always in the future. No one can ever know if they are in possession of
everlasting life according to this view.” (Scott Crawford.) ]
Fifth;
as we have pointed out in an earlier chapter, the Transfiguration upon the holy
mount was a seventh day scene. Matthew says, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James. and John
his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was
transfigured before them” (Matt. 17: 1, 2).
Luke, says, “And it came to pass about an eight* days after these sayings He took
Peter and John and James, and went tip into a mountain to pray. And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and
His raiment was white and glistering” (Luke 9: 28, 29).
Why these time-marks? The “transfiguration”
was a spectacular setting forth of the leading features and characteristics of
the millennial kingdom, and the fact that the Gospels
present this as a seventh day scene certainly seems to add
weight to the conclusion that the Millennium will follow six thousand years
(six days) of human toil and labour, and thus be the anti-typical fulfilment of
the seventh day of Gen. 2: 3.
[* The number ‘eight’ signifies ‘Resurrection’
or a ‘New Beginning’; our Lord was resurrected
on the eight day: and while “’flesh and
blood’ cannot ‘inherit the kingdom,’
‘flesh and
bones’ - (in a resurrected, immortal and glorified body,
like that of our Lord’s) - most certainly can! ]
Sixth;
the Millennium is distinctly termed “a Sabbath‑keeping”-
Heb. 4: 9.
Seventh;
whatever may be thought of what we have advanced above, personally, we know of
nothing whatever in Scripture, which contradicts it.
It is true that Acts 1: 7 is often
appealed to but it is clear from 1 Thess. 5: 1-7
that it will not bear the construction that is frequently placed upon it.
We may be considered “fanciful,” but if
so, we are fanciful in company with a goodly and godly number – “Luther entertained it.
Melancthon wrote it on the fly-leaf of
his Bible, as a matter not to be disputed. Thousands of divines since his
time have received it as part of their faith. And when we come to place
together certain statements of the Scriptures, there seems to me
to be a weight of testimony in its favour sufficient to warrant us in
regarding it as sacred truth. Look at these sentences.‑
‘In six days the Lord made
heaven and earth.’
‘On the seventh day He rested
and was refreshed.’
‘One day is with the Lord as a
thousand years.’
‘There remaineth therefore
a keeping of Sabbath to the people of God’”
(Quoted from “The Last Times” by J. A. Seiss).
What
then is the practical value of this computation? This,
that it furnishes us with another proof that the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh. No doubt there is Divine design about the present confusion
in human chronology. It is impossible for us to ascertain with certainty
the precise year of grace in which we are now living. But it is almost
certain, as certain as any human calculation can be, that the year 5900 A. M.
was passed considerably more than a decade ago, and therefore less than a
century is now required to complete the sixth millennium. The end of the
sixth day is nigh at hand, and as we know that the Tribulation period which
follows the Rapture will last at least seven years and probably much longer,
then the descent of Christ into the air to catch up His saints to Himself is
that much nearer still. Let it be distinctly understood that the period
of “two days” when our Lord is absent, has to do
with His absence from the earth and that His coming back
to the earth at the close of the 6000 years to usher in the Millennium
follows some years after the first stage of His second
advent, so that in no sense are we “fixing a date”
for the coming of Christ for His saints ‑ the date of that event
is absolutely “hidden in God.” Yet, as we
say, we know that the approximate time for this must be
very near, because at the close of the present century
(and how far this century has progressed we cannot say for
certain) the Millennium itself will begin, and before that arrives there is the
Tribulation period which may last forty or even seventy years. Consider
now‑
10. The Analogy between the two Advents of Christ.
That
there will be a close analogy between the first and second Advents of our Lord
is intimated by two Scriptures which contain a similar expression. In Gal 4: 4 we read, “When
the fullness of time was come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” This,
of course, has reference to the first advent. In Eph.
1: 10 we are told “that in the
dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together
in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;
even in Him.” This has reference to that which shall immediately
follow the second advent. The Millennium will be
“the Dispensation of the fullness of times”
inasmuch as it will be the final one of earth’s Ages. The “gathering together in one all things in Christ, both which
are in heaven, and which are on earth” points to the uniting of heaven’s
and earth’s interests under His blessed reign. Then will be fulfilled that word
of John 1: 51 – “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man,” for then will perfect
communication be established between heaven and earth, or rather, earth and
heaven. In order to understand the force of this expression “fullness of times” let us ponder the words “fullness of time” (Gal. 4:
4) in the light of the conditions which prevailed at the Divine
incarnation.
The
coming of Christ to this earth was not some sudden, isolated, unexpected
event. The advent of our blessed Lord, and with it the dawn of
Christianity, marked a climax and a consummation. The world was prepared
through long processes for the coming of the one and the preaching of the
other. From Paradise to
The
century immediately preceding our Lord’s advent was probably the most
remarkable in all history. Every thing was in a state of transition.
Old things were passing away and there seemed little prospect that they
would give birth to a better and brighter future. The fruit of the
ancient order was rotting upon the tree without yielding the seeds of a new
order. And yet there were strange rumours of coining relief afloat, and
singular hopes stirred the hearts of men that some Great One was to appear and
renovate the world. But to particularize‑
The world had reached its climacteric of sin.
History
has given a faithful record of the terrible moral conditions which obtained
among men in the century which immediately preceded our Lord’s appearing.
At
over the
flow of blood that followed. At this period children were the property of
the State, to be disposed of as was deemed best for the public interests.
Weak and sickly infants were looked upon as a useless encumbrance and
generally suffered an early and cruel death. The aged and infirm were
often banished to an island of the
Conditions
in
We
say then, the world had reached its climacteric of sin. Often-times a disease
cannot be treated until it ‘comes to a head.’
In view of the above conditions surely the world was ready for the
appearing of the Great Physician, and surely we can now discover a deeper
meaning in the words “When the fullness of time was come,
God sent forth His Son.”
The world had reached its consummation of Want.
It
had been predicted of old that the Messiah should be “the
Desire of all nations,” and to this end there must be a complete
exposure of the failure of all human plans of deliverance. This time had
fully come when Christ was born. Never before had the abject misery and
need of men been so apparent and so extensive. Philosophy had lost
its power to satisfy men, and the old religions were dead.
The
Greeks and Romans, stood at the head of the nations at
the time our Lord appeared on the earth, and the religious state of these people
in that age is too well known to require any lengthy description from us.
Without exception all were idolaters. The fundamental truth of the Unity
of God was held by the Jews alone. Among the heathen, Polytheism and Pantheism
were the popular concepts. Innumerable deities were worshipped and
to these deities were attributed the most abominable characteristics.
Pagan worshippers represented their gods as guilty of drunkenness,
thefts, quarrels, and incest. Mercury was a thief. Bacchus a
drunkard; Venus was a harlot; and Saturn murdered his own children. The
worship of their devotees entirely correspond with the
characters their gods bore. Human sacrifices were frequently offered upon
their altars.
Among
the Romans, infidelity and atheism were rampant. The altars were forsaken
and the temples were deserted. The general scepticism of his countrymen
seems to have been voiced by the bitter words of Pilate – “What is truth?”
Judaism
was also fully ripe for the accomplishment of ancient prophecy. Sadduceeism had leavened the ruling classes and afflicted
the whole nation with rationalism. Phariseeism,
which represented the ideas and ideals of the popular party, was too often only
formal and hypocritical, and at best was cold and hard “binding heavy burdens” and laying on men’s shoulders a load which
they refused to touch with their fingers (Matt. 23:
4). The Jewish people were under the government of
History
repeats itself. As it was in connection with the first advent so it is
concerning the second, just as there was a definite and unmistakable movement
in all history preparing the way for the Dispensation of Grace, so is there a
similar one going on now making ready the world for the Millennium. Just
as the world’s urgent need was fully demonstrated
before the Saviour appeared among men, so shall it also be ere He come back as the Prince of Peace to take the government upon
His shoulder. And to those who have “understanding
of the times,” to those whose eyes are not blinded by the glare of a
false and foolish optimism, it is evident that the “fullness of times” is
rapidly drawing nigh, yea, that it is already almost upon us.
History
is repeating itself. Conditions in the world today more
closely resemble those which obtained just before the first coming of Christ,
than have those of any other generation since then. Today the same luxury
and licentiousness; the same scepticism and credulity; the same coldness and
formality among those who profess to be God’s people; the same lack of natural
affection toward children and disrespect for the aged; the same military spirit
and lust for blood, followed now by the enslaving of the conquered -
deportation of the Belgians The need or
the world for a competent and righteous Ruler was never as apparent as now.
The “Dispensation of the fullness of times”
must be at hand. As all History prepared the world for our Lord’s
first advent, so it is now “making straight His way”
for His second coming, when He shall be seen not in a manger but on a throne
of Glory; not as the victim, but as the Victor.
But
we must restrain our pen and conclude in few words. We have examined many
Scriptures, we have listened to the evidence of numerous witnesses, we have
compared sundry and independent lines of prophecy, and we have found that they harmonize
in their testimony, that they are mutually corroborative, that
each sustains the truthfulness of the others, that singly and unitedly they
affirm with voice loud and clear “the Coming of the
Lord draweth nigh!” Never before did the
The Beneficiaries 0f The Redeemer’s Return
or
THE SCOPE OF THE RAPTURE
“The coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1
Thess. 3: 13).
CHAPTER SEVEN
[Pages
201-224 *See
additional notes at the end of the chapter for an alternative interpretation on
these very important issues]
We
come now to a phase of our subject which has given rise to much
controversy. Sad it is that the “Blessed Hope”
should have been an occasion for contention. But, just as men have
divided into different camps over every fundamental doctrine of Scripture, so
have sides been taken in regard to various points which bear upon our Lord’s
Return. Alas! “What is man?” Surely
“an enemy hath done this.” One of the
points upon which Bible teachers and students are divided is that of the scope
of the Rapture. Some have taught that at our Lord’s descent into
the air all of His saints will be caught up to meet Him; while others insist
that only a small part of the Church will be removed from the earth at that
time - that part which is obedient, faithful, spiritual. Thus, translation to heaven at the second coming of Christ
is made a matter of merit and reward.*
What
saith the Scriptures? Do they teach a partial or a
total rapture of the Church which is Christ’s body? Do they declare that all
believers will be removed from earth at the time our Lord
descends from His Father’s throne, or, that only a few of them will?
Clearly, they cannot teach both, and surely a matter of such moment is not left
indeterminable. We cannot believe that a question of such importance is
left an open one. Yet, we are not unmindful of the fact that the
advocates of each position referred to above, appeal to the Word in support of
their views. But just here we would ask, Are the
Scriptures pressed into service really relevant to the point at issue, and will
actually bear the interpretation which is given them?
What saith the Scriptures? and
particularly, What is the explicit teaching of the Church Epistles?
If we are seeking to find the inspired answer to the question, Will the
whole Church or only a part of it, escape the judgments of the
Great Tribulation, then, surely, it is to the Church Epistles we
must turn for information. We are not here arguing that there are no
Scriptures which treat of the first stage of Christ’s
second coming outside of the Church Epistles, for
doubtless there are - for example John 14: 1-3
- yet, we repeat, If the question before us concerns the Church,
then the testimony of the Church Epistles must decide the
dispute. If this much be granted - and personally
we do not see why it should not - then the range of our inquiry is narrowed
down and the issue is simplified. It is highly significant that almost
all of the passages which are in dispute (as to interpretation) between the
advocates of the conflicting schools are outside of the
Church Epistles: in other words, the verses which are made the occasion for
controversy are found, for the most part, in the Gospels, in Hebrews, or in the
Apocalypse.
To
one who is a beginner in the study of Dispensational truth and is unacquainted
with human writings upon the second coming of Christ, the teaching of the
Church Epistles on this subject appears to be simple and harmonious.
Those passages which deal at greatest length with the return of our Lord and
the taking of His people to be with Himself, seem to
set forth no limitations in regard to the number of the
saints which shall be translated. Such expressions as, “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thes. 4: 16, 17); “They
that are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor.
15:23); and “We shall all be changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor.
15:51); certainly appear to teach the rapture of the entire Church,* and, ought not we be very slow to accept any
conflicting line of teaching which would compel us to abandon
the obvious meaning of these verses, and instead, have to give them
a strained interpretation so as to harmonize them with something
which is foreign to their plain signification? Yea,
is it not evident that any system of teaching which would compel us to do this carries
with it its own condemnation?
What
then saith the Scriptures and what is the testimony of the Church
Epistles? The present writer believes there can be only one answer to
this question, namely, that every member of Christ’s body will be raptured
at the time our great Head comes to conduct His blood-bought people to His
Father’s House.* We believe this, not
only because a number of Scriptures expressly affirm it, but also because some
of the great basic principles which underlie both the Gospel, and what is known
as “Church truth,” demand this conclusion and
repudiate the other alternative.* We
would now humbly submit to the prayerful and careful attention of our readers
some of the grounds for our belief in a total
rather than in a partial rapture of the Church which in faithfulness to our
apprehension of God’s Truth on this subject, we must denominate the
partial-rapture theory.
1. Because GRACE is that which characterizes all
God’s dealing with His own during this dispensation
and grace, eliminates all distinction of personal merits.
The
advocates of the partial-rapture theory declare that only those who are
intelligently and eagerly looking for the Lord will be caught up at His
return. They affirm that none save those who are walking worthily
and who are faithful to the end will be taken to be with the Lord when
He descends info the air, and that only such, will, subsequently, “reign” with
Him during the millennial era. They teach that all un-spiritual
believers will be left behind on earth to stiffer the judgments of the Great
Tribulation.* As a consequence,
not a few of the Lord’s people have been harassed and distressed, fearful lest
they should be among the number who are rejected by the Lord at His
coming. We are told that none but those who attain some high
standard of spirituality will be raptured, but when we ask for a
precise definition of this standard none can enlighten us; when we inquire, How
faithful and how worthy we must be in order to be among the select company who
shall be taken to the Father’s House, none can give us a satisfactory
reply. Hence, instead of the Return of our Lord being a blessed
hope it becomes a source of bewilderment and anxiety.
It
appears to the writer that there is one Scripture which simply and
satisfactorily disposes of every objection which can be brought against the
affirmation that the entire Body of Christ will be raptured
at the appearing of our great Head. We refer to 2 Thess. 2:16 – “Now our
Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and
hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace.”
Here we learn that the “Hope” which has been
given to God’s people in this Age, like every other blessing we enjoy, is “a good hope through grace,” hence,
all questions of worthiness, merit, desert, are forever ruled out.* Let us settle it once for all that the Dispensation
in which we are living is a unique one, that it is
fundamentally different from all that have preceded it and from that which is
to follow it ‑ the Millennium. This is the Dispensation of Grace,
and grace obliterates all distinctions, grace eliminates all questions of
merits; grace makes every blessing a Divine and free gift.* But, the human heart is essentially legalistic.
Man wishes to have a hand in his own salvation and desires to contribute something
to the price of his redemption. When, by grace, the Holy Spirit has
taught a soul that the Finished Work of Christ is the sole ground
of our justification before God, when he has learnt from the Scripture of
Truth that the Blood of the Cross cannot be plussed
by anything from the creature, then it is that the Enemy comes to that heart
and seeks to disturb its peace and rob it of the liberty wherewith it has been
made free, by insisting that faith in Christ merely puts us in a salvable
condition, that believing the Gospel simply places us on an extended probation,
and that only if we obey God’s commands and walk worthily before Him shall we
be taken to Heaven at the close of our earthly pilgrimage. This is Law
mingled with Grace; thus is the precious Blood supplemented by human
works. Instead of realizing that good works flow from a heart that is filled with gratitude to God and which are
constrained by the love of Christ, the believer is led to believe that good
works must be performed by him as a condition of his eternal salvation.
But, even when the believer has been delivered from this error, the legalistic
tendency of the human heart still seeks an outlet, and in, our day it is
manifested in reference to the Blessed Hope of the believer. The saints
are now taught that their Rapture and Glorification are not through grace - but
will be the result of personal effort and attainment. Thus does the
leaven of legalism work to the robbing of God of His glory and the believer of
his peace.
Again
we say, let us settle it once for all that we are living in the Dispensation of
Grace (John 1:17; Eph. 3:2) and that every
blessing we enjoy is a gift of Divine clemency. We
are justified by grace (Rom. 3:24). We
are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8). The
Holy Scriptures are termed “The Word of His Grace”
(Acts 20:32). The Third Person of the
Holy Trinity is denominated “The Spirit of Grace”
(Heb. 10: 29). God is seated upon a
Throne of Grace (Heb, 4:16). And, the Good
Hope which is given us is “through grace” (2 Thess. 2: 16). It is all of Grace from
first to last. It is all of Grace from beginning to end. It was
grace that predestined us before the world began (2
Tim. 1: 9), and it will be grace that makes us like Christ at
consummation of our salvation. Thank God for such a “Blessed
Hope.”
2. Because the Rapture is the CONSUMMATION OF OUR
SALVATION and therefore, being an integral and essential part of our salvation
it cannot, in anywise, be determined by our personal worthiness.
Our
salvation will not be complete until the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament “salvation” is threefold in
its scope ‑ past, present, and future; and it is threefold in its
character ‑ from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and from the
presence of sin. Every believer has been saved from
the penalty of sin. The penalty of sin is “death”
(separation from God)*, and we are [shall be] delivered
from it because our Substitute died for us on the Cross – “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree”
(1 Pet. 2: 24). But while every
believer has been completely and eternally saved from the penalty of sin ‑
from the wrath to come ‑ while it is true that there is no sin ON
us (all our iniquities were “laid” on Christ ‑
Is. 53:6), yet, sin is still IN
us. The evil nature remains even in the one who has been born
again. Yet, notwithstanding this, Christ also indwells each of His own
people and from Him may be drawn grace and strength and thus, day by day, we are
being saved from the power of sin. But we shall yet
be saved from the very presence of sin – “For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby
He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Phil. 3: 20, 21). At our Lord’s return we
shall be completely emancipated from the dominion and pollution of sin.
It was this the apostle Paul had before him when he
wrote – “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly”
completely, i.e. in each part of our threefold being – “and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto (at) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5: 23).
[*
NOTE. God is everywhere,
even in the place of the dead - in the underworld of ‘Sheol’ [Gk. ‘Hades’]
(Psa. 139: 8). Furthermore, if ‘Rapture is the
consummation of our salvation’ (irrespective of the ungodly behaviour
and disobedience of multitudes the Lord’s redeemed people), then ‘Rapture’ must be of a higher privilege than
resurrection! But the Scripture shows us that the rapture before
the Great Tribulation is a Reward for faithfulness, perseverance, and fidelity,
(Luke 21: 34-36; Rev. 3: 10).
Furthermore,
the author has not emphasised the character and Godly
behaviour of the saints at Thessalonica: “We boast about your perseverance and faith in all
the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is
evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering” (1 Thess. 1: 5): the whole of the chapter’s
promises are conditional upon God’s grace and their perseverance:
“With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our
God may count you worthy of his calling” … “We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may
be glorified in you, and in him, according to the grace
of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (verses
11 and 12). The “blessed hope” is a “hope”
and not a certainty - Demas has forsaken me having loved this present
world (age)!]
We
have thus shown that our [future] salvation will not be consummated until the
Return of our blessed Saviour, that not until then shall we be completely “conformed” to the image of God’s Son (Rom. 8: 29). It is not until Christ’s second advent that the purpose of our predestination will be
fully realized, for it is not until then we shall be “glorified” (Rom. 8:30).
If then [eternal]
salvation is by grace and if Christ is our Saviour ‑ our
Saviour from the presence of sin as well as from its penalty and power ‑
then our own works (our obedience, faithfulness, service etc.) are not
the determining factor, nor even a contributing factor.* Salvation is not
partly of grace and partly of works; if it were we should have
ground for “boasting” and Christ would be
robbed of at least a part of His glory. Once we see that the time of our
Lord’s Return is the time when our salvation is consummated and
once we see that salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works,
then it will be clear that it cannot, in anywise,
be determined by our personal worthiness.
[* If the author is referring
to eternal salvation, then we agree with all said in this
paragraph: but Scripture speaks of more than one type of salvation.
In Peter’s first epistle we read of the “salvation of
your souls,” which is the “goal”
of our faith, (1 Pet. 1: 9): is “this salvation”
(verse 10) the same as the “salvation we share” (Jude 3)? Then, the author has made no
mention of the salvation of the “spirit,” “on the day
of the Lord” (1 Cor. 5: 5)!
What does this ‘salvation’ refer to? We
believe the answer is found in Num. 14: 24:
“But because my servant Caleb has a
different spirit and follows me whole-heartedly,
I will bring him into the land…”
And the “land” of Canaan, according to the
apostle Paul, is typical of the future millennial “
The
author has not disclosed these important distinctions which the Scriptures makes relative to the word “salvation”.]
3. Because to make our Rapture dependent upon
anything in us
is to attack the Finished Work of Christ.
We
do not charge the advocates of the partial rapture theory with intentionally
doing this, nay we are fully satisfied that most if not all of them would
shrink back in horror from wittingly committing such a sin. Yet, we do
say that this is the logical and actual outcome of their teaching. A long
drawn-out argument is not needed to prove this after what we have said above
under the first two heads. If the Rapture is the consummation of
the application of our salvation then anything which makes that
salvation, or any part thereof, dependent upon anything in or from us,
necessarily attacks the Finished Work of Christ upon which alone our [eternal] salvation
rests.
As
we have already said, the Rapture is the time
when Christ returns to conduct His blood-bought people to the Father’s House (John 14: 1-3). What then is it that
gives title and fitness for the Father’s House?
Surely there can be only one answer to this question. Surely none but
those who are ignorant of the character and contents of the Gospel of God would
declare that our wretched works are needed to supplement the
Cross-Work of Christ. But, blessed be God, the point we are now
considering is not left to be determined by logical deductions, but is the
express subject of Divine revelation. In Col.
1:12 we are exhorted to give thanks unto the Father “which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light.”*
The “inheritance of the saints in light”
is not a matter of attainment as certain teachers are
today affirming, but is all occasion of thanksgiving to God, because it is due
solely to His grace. Observe carefully the tense of the verb here: it is
not we are “being made meet,” still less that
we are making ourselves meet, but “which HATH made US
meet.” Again we ask, What is it that gives us title to the
inheritance of the saints in light? And we reply, Nought but the precious
blood and infinite merits of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. What
was it that qualified the “Prodigal” for a place
at the Father’s table? Did he have to submit to a lengthy probation after
he returned home and before he was permitted to feast
with the Father? No; the “best robe” ‑
which speaks of the robe of [imputed] righteousness (Isa.
61:10) which is the portion of every believer ‑
was all that was needed.* Was not the “Repentant”
Thief made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light the same hour in
which he believed? Unquestionably, for our Lord assured him, “Today shalt thou be with
Me in
[
NOTE. If ‘Rapture’
translates living saints into the presence of God in heaven, and
‘Resurrection’ translates dead
saints (from that region of the underworld which Christ called, “Paradise” Luke 23: 43),
to the same location, then John 14:
1-3 refers to Resurrection and not ‘Rapture,’
for all of the apostles actually died: there is no mention
of them being rapt alive into heaven!
If
the expression “the inheritance of the saints in
light,” refers to the time during the millennial
reign of Christ, “when the Lord binds up the bruises of
his people and heals the wounds of the afflicted” (Isa 30: 26) it is a personal
attainment which Paul sought to attain unto: “I
want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow,
TO ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION (out) FROM THE DEAD” (Phil 3:
10, 11, Lit. Gk.)
The preposition ‘out’ makes this resurrection
one of REWARD, for all who attain unto it.]
4. Because the Rapture of a part of the Church
only, would leave the remainder of it still upon the earth and that would
prevent the manifestation of the Man of Sin.
The
picture that is presented in 2 Thess. 2 is
an exceedingly, solemn one. There we learn that the mystery of iniquity
which was at work even in the days of the apostle Paul and which has been
hindered from coming to complete fruition will yet head up in the appearing of
the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition. The coming of this Devil-Man will
be “after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish.” Then it will be that the Devil is allowed “free rein.” Then it is that, through the Anti-christ, Satan will deceive the whole world. There
will be many on earth at that time who in former days had listened unmoved to
the preaching of the Gospel and had treated with scorn, or indifference its
gracious offers. Hence “because they loved not
the truth, that they might be saved * God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe
a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
We
have said above that 2 Thess. 2 pictures a
time when the Devil will be allowed “free rein.”
This will be the season when all his diabolical scheming will attain its full
development in the manifestation of the Son of Perdition. Today it is
otherwise. In this Dispensation, Satan is held in cheek, and his plans
are not permitted to fully materialize. Today it is impossible
for the Man of Sin to appear on the stage of this world as the above
passage clearly intimates. Says the apostle, “Remember
ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now
ye know that which restraineth, to
the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness
doth already work: only there is one that restraineth
now until He be taken out of the way.” (2 Thess. 2: 5‑7, R.V.).
The
“mystery of lawlessness” (in contrast to “the mystery of godliness,” i. e. “God manifest in the flesh” (1
Tim. 3:16) will terminate in the Satanic parody of
the Divine incarnation ‑ the bringing forth by Satan of the Man of Sin,
the Son of Perdition. This Man of Sin will be revealed “in his own season.” That “season” has not yet arrived. The reference is to
the Great Tribulation period. There are two entities which are now
preventing the appearing of the Anti‑christ.
They are referred to in 2 Thess. 2 as “that which restraineth” and
there is “One that restraineth
now until He be taken out of the way.” The former is the Church
which is the body of Christ; the latter is the Holy Spirit Himself. The
Church which is indwelt and energized by the Holy Spirit is now hindering and
preventing the full development of the Mystery of Lawlessness and the
consequent appearing of the Lawless One. Not until the whole of the
Church and the Holy Spirit leave this
earth (“until He be
taken out of the way”) can the Man of Sin appear.
Here
then is a simple but conclusive argument which all should be able to
grasp. Passing by the question of – How would it be possible for the Holy
Spirit to be “taken out of the way” while many
of those whom He indwells are left behind on the earth ‑ we would point
out the obvious fact that no part of the Church can be left behind on earth at
the Return of Christ into the air, or, otherwise, there would still be a
hindrance to the consummating of the Mystery of
Lawlessness. Christ declared that His disciples were “the salt of the earth.” They are God’s
preservative. They are His instrument of preventing everything on earth
going to utter decay and rottenness. But in the Tribulation period
everything on earth will have gone to utter corruption as
is clear from the words of our Lord – “For wheresoever the
carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Matt. 24: 28) ‑ a prophetic utterance which
will receive its fulfilment at the very season of which we are now
treating. We are told that in the days which immediately preceded the
Flood “All flesh had corrupted his
way upon the earth” (Gen. 6:12) and
our Lord declared, “But as the days of Noah were,
so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37) i.e. ‑ His coming back to the
earth: the conditions which He will find prevailing here at that time.
We
repeat, at the Rapture and during the Tribulation period everything
on earth will be morally and spiritually rotten. Even God’s judgments
at that time will have no other effect than to cause earth’s-dwellers to “Baspheme God” (Rev. 16:11
etc.) Hence, is it not evident that the whole of the salt
(except that which has “lost its savour,”
i.e., formal professors) must have first been removed: that the church and the
Holy Spirit which now make impossible this total
corruption must first be “taken out of the way”!
5. Because for the believer there is “no judgment”* and all
upon earth during the Tribulation period are unquestionably the subjects of
God’s judgments.
One
of the most blessed, most remarkable and most far-reaching utterances which
fell from our Lord’s lips while He tabernacled among men is that
recorded in John 5: 24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath eternal life,
and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death
into life.” Nothing could be simpler than this. The one who
has received Christ as his or her Saviour is for ever beyond the reach of
Divine “judgment.” We quote this verse
from the Gospels because the same assurance is given to us
in the Church Epistles. There, also, we read, “There
is therefore now no judgment to them which are in Christ
Jesus” (Rom. 8: 1).
[* That is, ‘forever beyond the reach of Divine judgment,’
relative to eternal life as the context clearly shows; but to
teach that regenerate believers will not be judged on their
works “after” receiving the “free gift” (Rom. 6: 23),
is to teach deadly error with dire consequences. See Heb. 10: 26, 27. cf. Gal. 6: 7, 8 and translate the Greek word aionian, as ‘age-lasting’ instead of ‘eternal’
as found in most English versions. See also Titus
3: 7: “… we might become heirs having the hope of eternal [i.e., age-lasting] life.”
The context indicates the correct translation in each instance where the Greek
adjective is used throughout the Scriptures.]
In
the above verses an unequivocal assertion is made which requires no great
learning to understand. Every believer has been justified by God Himself,
justified eternally, justified “from all things”
(Acts 13: 39). The result of this
decision in the High Court of Heaven for those who have been pronounced
righteous is that there is for them “no judgment.”
Hence it ought to be clear that no believing sinner who has been
“accepted in the Beloved” can possibly be
left on earth during the Great Tribulation,*
for at that time God’s sore “judgments will
be on earth.” That then will be the
time when God’s judgments are let loose needs no arguing ‑ the last book
in the Bible makes that abundantly clear. The “seven
golden vials” in which are stored up the concentrated and long
suppressed “wrath of God” (Rev. 15) will then be poured forth upon the world
which crucified the Lord of Glory. To teach then, that any of the members
of Christ’s body will be left behind on earth to suffer these judgments is to
repudiate the express testimony of our Lord to the contrary, is to undermine
the glorious doctrine of Justification, and is to make God’s children the
subjects of His “wrath” instead of the objects
of His love and grace.
6. Because nothing can separate believers front the
Love of Christ.
To
those that believe perhaps the most precious and amazing truth in all God’s
Word is Christ’s Love for His own. Unlike human
love, His love is lavished upon the unlovely and unworthy. Unlike
human love, His love knows no change. Unlike human love, nothing can
separate us from His love – “Who
(or “what”) shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is
written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
Him that loved us” (Rom.
8: 35-37).
The
time when our Lord’s Love will be fully exhibited and publicly displayed
(before all Heaven’s inhabitants) is that time when He shall rise up from the
Father’s Throne where He is now seated. Then it will be that He shall
descend from heaven with a “shout.” What
will occasion this “shout”? What is it
that He is descending for? Is it that He may return to the earth and take
its government upon His shoulder? Is it that He may be coronated the King of kings? Is it that He may
vanquish His blatant enemies? Is it that He may bind that old Serpent the
Devil? No; important as these may be, there is something else which must
take the precedence; there is something else which lies much nearer to His
blessed heart. He descends to receive to Himself His blood-bought
people. Why? Because He loves them. He
comes for that Church which He loved and for which He gave Himself in order
that He might present it (not a part of 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: 27). Ah! this
will be the time when “He shall see of the travail of
His soul and be satisfied,” and think you He would be “satisfied” by seeing an incomplete Church?
To teach then that a part of the Church will be left behind when our Lord comes
back again to receive His people unto Himself is to declare that something
(unfaithfulness or unworthiness) will separate some of the
saints from their Redeemer’s Love and this Rom.
8:35 is repudiated. Moreover, it is to deny the comforting declaration
of John 13: 1 – “Having
loved His own which were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
Therefore, we say, Because nothing shall or can, separate
any believer from the Love of Christ, not one shall be left behind when He
returns to take unto Himself His blood-washed people. As it was declared
of
7. Because the inevitable tendency of the
theory is to get believers occupied with themselves
instead of with Christ.
We
shall not now attempt to argue at length what is a matter of common
observation. One of the favourite devices of the Enemy is to get the
believer occupied with something or other than Christ who is “Our Hope.” let us say it with emphasis, Satan cares
not what that “something” may be, providing it
shuts out our blessed Lord. This is his favourite device for the
sinner. While ever the sinner is taken up with his own works of
righteousness, the Finished Work of Christ is excluded from his vision.
So it is with the believer. We are bidden to “Seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”
(Col. 3: 1). But to hinder him from
doing this. Satan is ever seeking to get the believer concerned with
something else. With some it is “the mammon of
unrighteousness,” with others it is “the care of
this world.” With some it is politics and civic affairs; with
others it is Temperance reform work and Social-uplift activities. With
some it is an intellectual study of doctrine or prophecy divorced
from heart-occupation with Christ; with others it is their own experiences and
attainments.
The
life-task of the believer - blessed privilege - was defined by the Lord Himself
in that word to Martha, “But one thing is needful”
(Luke 10: 42) – i.e., to sit at His feet and
find our, delight in Him. 0 that we might come to the place where we can
say actually and experimentally, “Thou 0 Christ art
all I want, more than all in Thee I find.” But, as we have said,
this is exactly what Satan seeks to prevent, and one of his “wiles” for preventing it (so it appears to the writer)
is the partial‑rapture theory which today is unsettling so many of the
Lord’s dear people. Teach that participation in the Rapture is a reward
for faithfulness, and at once, the eyes are turned from Christ to
self. Necessarily so; for immediately, I shall be occupied with my
faithfulness, my obedience, my diligence, my service, the
effect of which will be the drawing of invidious distinctions and the
cultivating of an I‑am‑holier‑than‑thou spirit.
But teach that the Rapture is “a good hope through
grace” and I shall be occupied with my returning
Lord. The Holy Spirit is here to glorify Christ and not to magnify
personal attainments, and whether or not a line or system of teaching proceeds
from Him may be judged by its logical and actual tendency to glorify
Christ by getting His people occupied with their Lord.
8. Because the partial-rapture theory introduces a
situation that is full of Confusion.
The
leading advocates of the partial-rapture theory teach that all believers who
fail to come up to the standard necessary for participation in the Rapture will
not only be left behind on earth to suffer the judgments of the Great
Tribulation but that such will have no part or place in the Millennial Kingdom,
and therefore that they will not be raised from the dead until after
the thousand years.* Now apart from
the fact that there is no Scripture which teaches a
resurrection of saints at the close of
the Millennium, we affirm that such a theory as the above involves confusion of
the worst kind. We are told that certain saints (many of them) because of
their unfaithfulness or failure to “look” for
their returning Saviour will not be raptured at the time our Lord descends to
the air, in fact will not be “glorified” until
the close of the thousand years. Unquestionably there have been many
saints all through this Dispensation who failed to measure up to the standard
fixed by partial-raptureists and yet, dying hundreds
of years ago, they have during all the intervening centuries been “present with the Lord” (2
Cor. 5: 8). What absurdity is it then which teaches that
these saints who have been with the Lord all these centuries, will
nevertheless, be separated from Him during the Millennium!
Again, During the Tribulation period there will be on earth a
Jewish remnant who will cry unto God in the language of the
Imprecatory Psalms. These Jews, harassed by the Anti-christ
and persecuted by his followers, will cry – “Consume them in wrath, consume
them that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth
in Jacob unto the ends of the earth” (Ps. 59: 13). They will exclaim: ‑
“Keep not Thou silence, 0 God: hold not Thy peace, and
be not still, 0 God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that
hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy
people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and
let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of
9. Because the Church Epistles plainly teach that ALL believers
will be raptured at the time of our Lord’s Return.
In Rom. 8:30 we
read, “Whom He justified, them He also glorified.”
Glorification is co-extensive with justification. This is admitted
by all: the point at issue is ‑ Will all he glorified at the same
time? We answer, assuredly they will. Do we not read “We shall all be changed in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye” 1 Cor. 15: 51, 52)?
We shall all be at the same moment, for the passage
continues “At the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we (all living believers) shall be changed.”
In 1 Cor. 15: 22, 23
we read, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.”
Note particularly the wonis, “They that are Christ’s at His coming.”
How simple! how all-inclusive! how blessed! It is not “They
that are, faithful or worthy.” It is not “they
that have attained some high standard of moral excellence.” It is
not “they that have been unusually diligent and
successful in service.” But “They that are
Christ’s.” That is all. It is simply a
question of belonging to Christ, being one of His people. In 2 Cor. 5: 10 we are told “For we must all appear before the
judgment-seat, of Christ; that every one may receive the
things (done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it he good or
bad.” That un-faithful believers are not excluded
from this appearing before the Bema of Christ is clear from 1 Cor. 3 – “Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work
of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by
fire” (1 Cor.
3: 13‑15).
There will, be some in that day who will “suffer loss,” nevertheless, they
will be present at the Bema with their fellow-believers and
furthermore, they will he “saved.” How
remarkable it is that these comprehensive assurances are found in the Corinthian
Epistles - addressed to a church whose moral condition was the worst
of all the churches addressed by the apostle Paul, as if to anticipate this
modern heresy of limiting the Rapture to spiritual believers!
In 1 Thess. 4:16 we
read, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the arch‑angel, and with the trump of
God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever he with the Lord.”
The dead “in Christ.” Here again it
is simply a question of being “in Christ.”
There is no third position: it is out of Christ, or in Christ. In God’s
sight every person that is now on the earth is either in Adam or in
Christ. All who were “in Christ” when they
died shall be raised from the dead at the time of His return. This is
sure, and it is equally sure that every believer who is
alive on the earth at that blest day shall be caught up together with all the
resurrected saints to meet our Lord in the air and be forever with Him.
In 2
Tess. 1: 7,
10 we read, “And
to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with His mighty angels when He shall
come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe.” Observe once more the universality
of such a promise, and note, too, its simplicity and how it
turns back to first principles. Our Lord is to be admired in all them
that believe. All is traced
back to simple faith. It is not at all a
question of worthiness or attainments. The same simple heart trust in
Christ which delivered us from the wrath to come, shall most certainly secure
for every saint a participation in the Rapture and a place
in the Millennial Kingdom, for this last quoted passage carries us forward to
the Millennium itself.
10. Because there is not a single Scripture in the
Church Epistles which, rightly interpreted,
teaches a partial rapture.*
How
could there be? Scripture cannot contradict itself. If the Patiline Epistles explicitly teach and expressly affirm
that “all shall be changed in a moment,” that “they that are Christ’s” at His
coming shall be raised from the dead, that “we must all appear before the
judgment‑seat of Christ and that when our Lord returns to the earth to be
glorified in His saints He shall be “admired in
all them that believe” then these same Church Epistles
can not teach that a part of the Church only shall be
taken to be with the Lord, that merely a favoured selection from among His
people shall be conducted by Him to the Father’s House, and that the remainder
shall be left behind on the earth to suffer the judgments of the Great
Tribulation or be left in their graves until the close of the Millennium.
Even though there should be certain passages which seem to
teach or imply a partial rapture we know that it cannot be so, and that it is we
who fail to expound these passages in harmony with
those which positively teach a total rapture of the Church.
It
is a fundamental principle of Scriptural interpretation that whenever God’s
Word speaks plainly and emphatically on any subject that obscure
passages which treat of the same theme must be explained
in accord with those passages about which there is no dubiety. For
example, when we hear our Lord saying “My sheep shall
never perish” etc. then we know that in such passages as those of Hebrews 6 and 10,
which treat of the irrecoverable doom of apostates, the apostle must have had
before him professors and not persons who had been born
again. In like manner when we find a passage which appears to bear upon
the Rapture and which is in anywise ambiguous then we must not make it teach
that which would conflict with other passages which deal with the Blessed Hope
and which are plain and positive.
“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and
the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by
any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3: 10, 11). These words, “If by any means I might attain unto the out-resurrection from
among the dead” (Greek) are understood by partial-raptureists
[resurrectionists] to refer to a select resurrection from among the
dead at the time of our Lord’s Return, and hence, they conclude that as the
resurrection here referred to is spoken of as a matter of attainment, then,
only a select company of believers will participate therein. But let us
ask the question, Does the apostle here refer to a physical resurrection?
In the New Testament the terms “death” and “resurrection” have a fourfold scope, viz: ‑ physical death and
resurrection, spiritual death and resurrection,
judicial death and resurrection, and experimental death
and resurrection. We need not submit proof texts for the first, but we
will do so with reference to the last three.
In
John 5: 24-26 we read, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, He that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall
live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so
hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.”
Now the words “death” and “1ife” in this passage can only refer to spiritual
death, spiritual life, and spiritual resurrection
– “Passed from death unto life.” By
nature we are spiritually dead – “dead in trespasses
and sins” (Eph. 2: 1), but by the new
birth we pass from death unto life. Regeneration is therefore a spiritual
resurrection.*
[* This theory appears to be
based upon the apostle addressing the unregenerate; but in Phil. 3: 11 he is writing to the regenerate!
Furthermore, he includes himself in what he calls in Titus
3: 13 a ‘Blessed hope’! knowing that the select resurrection is the door which will
enable dead saints “considered worthy of taking part in that age” – the kingdom age – “and in the resurrection [out]
from the dead” (Luke
20: 35). That this resurrection is a literal resurrection, and a reward for ones obedience to the
precepts of Christ is clearly shown, by an examination of the various
contexts. See also the Paul’s attitude to his martyr’s death in Acts 21: 13, 14]
Further.
In Rom. 6: 2 we read, “How shall we that died to sin (Greek),
live any longer therein!” and in Col. 3: 1 “If then ye
be risen with Christ seek those things which are above.”
These two verses refer to the believer’s judicial death and
resurrection. This side of the truth is little known or understood, but
we cannot now dwell upon it at any length. One word sums it all up ‑
identification. On the Cross there was a double
identification ‑ all believers understand the first side of it, but
few are clear upon the second. In the reckoning of God and in the eye of
the Law Christ was identified with us as lost sinners. He
took our place and bore our sins. He endured the full penalty of the
broken law in our stead. But further, (and it is deeply important that we
should apprehend this) in the reckoning of God and in the eve of the Law all
believers were identified with Christ. Hence, every believer can
say “I was crucified (Creek) with Christ” (Gal. 2: 20).
In the sight of God I died on the Cross because Christ hung there as
my substitute and what a substitute does or suffers is imputed
to the account of the one on whose behalf he is acting.
Hence, we repeat, in God’s sight, when Christ died I died, “died to sin,” died to the law, died to the world, died
to everything that had to do with my old standing in Adam.
But
further still. Death did not retain Christ. He rose again, and in
the reckoning of God I rose too, for all believers were identified
(reckoned one with) with Christ in His resurrection, so
that it is written, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for
His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins
(spiritually, and therefore, judicially), hath
quickened (made alive) us, together with
Christ” (Eph. 2: 4, 8).
It is not our individual spiritual quickening (the new birth) that is here in
view, but our judicial identification with Christ – “together
with Christ.” The next verse goes farther
still and informs us that, in the reckoning of God, all believers were
identified with Christ in His ascension – “And hath raised us up together” (Christ
and His people), and made us sit together in the
Heavenlies (Creek) in
Christ Jesus.” Observe that this is “in Christ Jesus” which refers to our position
before God (compare “in Christ Jesus”
Rom. 8: 1) and is not at all a question of
experience or attainment.* We
are now prepared to consider the fourth aspect of “death”
and “resurrection.”
Every
believer in Christ has “died to sin,” died
judicially not experimentally, died in the sight of God because he was “crucified with Christ.” Here
then is where faith comes in. God says I am “dead to sin”(
Returning
now to Philippians 3. Here Paul is
speaking of “resurrection” but, as we have seen,
the New Testament treats of four different orders of resurrection,
to which of them then is the apostle here referring? Is he here
speaking of physical resurrection, spiritual resurrection, judicial
resurrection, or experimental resurrection? The context must decide.
A close reading of the entire passage will make it evident that it is
experimental resurrection which the apostle had before him. The
whole passage refers to his practical experience and is a
biographical amplification of Romans 6: 11.
Beginning at the seventh verse he says – “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for
Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things (how evident it is that the apostle is here
recounting a practical experience!), and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be
found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by
faith.. That I may know Him (the Greek word here is “ginosko” and means know intimately), and the power of His
resurrection” (verses 3 to 10). The apostle yearned to live as one who
had been raised from the dead. He longed to walk in “newness of life.” He desired that he should no
longer “serve sin.” “And the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made comformable unto His death.”
The apostle longed to tread the same path his Lord had trod, to be baptized
with the baptism He had been baptized with, and to drink of the cup which He
drank (Mark 10: 38, 39). [why?].
“If by any means I might attain unto the
out-resurrection [out]
from among the dead” (Phil. 3: 11), that is, if, by any means I might experience
the full and blessed effects of complying completely
with the terms of Rom. 6: 11 - reckon
myself indeed to have died unto sin and be alive unto God. The apostle longed
to apprehend or lay hold of that for which he had been apprehended,
namely, to be “conformed to the image of God’s Son.”
What he desired above every thing else for himself, was that he might realize
practically in his daily life, that which was true of him judicially
in regard to his standing before God. But had
the apostle fully achieved his ambition? Had he arrived at the place
where he was now beyond the reach of the lusts of the “old
man”? Did he never yield to temptation? Was he delivered
from the very presence of sin? Nay, verily. The language of the
next verse is very emphatic‑“Not as though I had already attained [i.e., to the
select resurrection ‘out from the dead’], either were already perfect”-[i.e., through
resurrection. See Heb. 11: 35, 40.] (vs. 12).
Here is proof positive that in the previous verse the apostle was not
writing about a future resurrection of the body, for if
participation in the first resurrection (or of an eclectic resurrection at the
return of Christ) is the reward for a life of exceptional spirituality, the
apostle here acknowledges that he himself did not measure up to the required
standard - and if he did not, who has? No, this passage proves
too much for the partial-raptureist, for in
making the resurrection of believers a matter of spiritual attainment he excludes
the Apostle Paul himself! It should be evident that the
apostle is here referring to an experimental resurrection,
something which had to do with his practical everyday life. Someone once
said to an Irish brother, “Pat, you are dead to
sin: Your old man was crucified with Christ.” “Yes,” was the reply “but,
I’m frequently troubled with my ghost.” Says
the apostle, “I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind (his
successes and his failures; his attainments and his sins), and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 1
press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of
the high calling (or “vocation”) of God in Christ” (vss.
13, 14). A further word on this last verse.
Note
the apostle speaks of “the prize of the high calling”
which is quite distinct from the “high-calling”
itself. The “High-calling of God in Christ Jesus”
is the judicial position which is occupied by every believer. It
is to this the apostle referred when he said, “I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of
the vocation (the “high‑calling”)
wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4: 1), and for those who do “walk worthy” there is a “prize.”
Did the apostle succeed in winning it? We certainly believe so. 2 Tim. 4 is the SEQUEL to Phil. 3! Listen to the beloved apostle as he
has arrived at the close of his earthly pilgrimage‑“I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good
fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness (the “prize” he so earnestly coveted), which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:
6-8). May grace be given both reader and writer to fight the good
fight of faith, to finish our course with joy, and to contend earnestly for the
faith once for all delivered unto the saints.
-------
[* NOTE. For a quick and easy reference to teachings
which the author has vehemently objected to above, look in ‘Selective
Quotations.’ See numbers - 3, 4,
5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 24, 28, 31, 34, 40, 57, 60, 61, 66, 67, 78, 101,
115, 127, 129, 136, 147, 167, 168, 173, and 200
“ …We recognize the increasing and terrific intensity of the
great spiritual warfare in which the Church is engaged, and we call upon
born-again Christians everywhere to judge [for] themselves and to lay aside all manifestations of a
worldly spirit, which hinders their testimony and cripples their effectiveness. In the realization that the times call for the utmost
in consecration and surrender, we call upon God’s people for a complete and
absolute abandonment of self and resources to the service of our crucified,
living, and soon-coming Lord. We further call upon God’s people, in
repentance, confession, and humility, and pray and work for a mighty revival,
that multitudes may yet be saved before the Lord comes. …”]
The Churchward Results of
The Redeemer’s Return
“I shall be satisfied,
when I awake with Thy likeness” (Psalm
17:15).
CHAPTER EIGHT
What
will take place when our Lord comes back again to receive His blood-bought
people unto Himself? What will be His portion and what will be their
portion in that happy day? What will be the results of
Christ’s second advent insofar as they affect the Church? We say “the Church,” though it would be more accurate to speak
of the saints, for Old Testament believers equally
with New Testament believers, will share in the wondrous blessings and
glories of that glad occasion. How then will the Redeemer’s return affect
the redeemed? We leave for consideration in our next chapter the
question of the worldward results
of Christ’s second advent. For the present, we
confine ourselves to the results, Churchward, of the
Saviour’s appearing. What will these be? What will be the order of
events? Surely these questions are of entrancing interest and profound
importance. And, blessed be God, they are not left unanswered. It
is true that the Holy Scriptures were not written to gratify an idle curiosity,
and that many questions which engage our minds are passed over in silence;
nevertheless, upon everything that concerns our vital interests sufficient has
been revealed to satisfy every trusting heart.
Were
we to attempt an exhaustive reply to the questions asked
above, we should be carried far beyond the limits of a comparatively brief chapter. All we shall now essay will be to present to
our readers an outline which sets forth the most prominent features of this
phase of our subject as they are unfolded in the Word of God. Seven items
will engage our attention, namely: ‑ The descent from Heaven of the Lord
Himself, The Resurrection of the sleeping saints, the Translation of living
believers, the Transformation of every saint into the image of our glorified
Saviour, the Examination and Rewarding of our works, the Presentation of the
Church by Christ unto Himself, and the Manifestation of the Church with Christ
in glory. May the One who has been given to take of the things of Christ
and shew them unto us, illumine our understandings and draw out our hearts in
adoring worship.
The
one Scripture which sets forth more fully than any other the order of events
which shall occur at the Redeemer’s return for His saints, is found in 1 Thess. 4. In the course of these pages we
have had occasion to refer to this passage a number of times in various
connections, but we would ask our readers to bear with us while we quote it
once more. “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 which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4: 16, 17). In this passage three things claim
special notice: first, the descent of the Lord Himself; second, the
resurrection of the sleeping saints; third, the translation to heaven of those
believers which shall be alive on the earth at that time. Before we
enlarge upon these, we would first call attention to the close relation the
above passage bears to our Lord’s words as recorded in the opening verses of John 14 - “Let not your
heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house
are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,. I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1‑3). There is a four-fold
correspondence between these two passages: the Saviour said, “I will come again;” the apostle wrote, “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven.” The
Saviour avowed, “I will receive you unto Myself;” the apostle declared that the saints shall
be “caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.”
The Saviour promised, “Where I am, there ye may be also;”
the apostle assures us, “So shall we ever be with the
Lord.” The Saviour prefaced His gracious promises by saying, “Let not your heart be troubled;” the apostle concludes
by saying “Wherefore comfort one another with these
words.” To borrow the language of T. B. Baines, “There can surely be no questions that these passages,
running so closely parallel relate to the same event.” How
wonderful is the verbal agreement of Holy Writ! How the comparison of one
passage with another, brings out the unmistakable unity of
the Scriptures! And how this demonstrates the fact that behind all the
human amanuenses there was One superintending and
controlling Mind! Verily our faith rests upon an impregnable rock! But to return to 1 Thess. 4.
Let us view
1. The Lord’s descent from Heaven.
“The Lord Himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout.” The Lord Himself
- who had compassion on the multitude, shed tears at the graveside
of Lazarus, and wept over Jerusalem; who healed the sick, cleansed the leper,
and restored the dead to life; who stilled the angry waves, cast out demons,
and emancipated the captives of Satan; who was despised and rejected of men,
condemned to a malefactor’s death, and was crucified on the accursed tree; who
rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven, and took His place at the
right hand of the Majesty on high; who has been given the Name which is above
every name, at which Name every knee shall yet bow, “of
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.” Yes, “this same Jesus”
shall descend from heaven with a shout.
Forty
days after our Crucified Saviour had risen from the tomb, He ascended into
Heaven “far above all principality, and power, and
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but
also in that which is to come,” and took His seat upon the Father’s
Throne. There He has remained throughout this dispensation waiting,
patiently waiting for the promised harvest. As He declared, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12: 24). The Lord Jesus was the “Corn of Wheat” that died, and the Church which is His
body is the “much fruit” that will be the
immediate issue out of that death; we say the “immediate issue,” for in the
Millennium many others shall then also enter into the salvation which was
purchased upon the cross.
For
nineteen long centuries has the Christ of God waited for the fruit of His
travail. As the apostle James says, “Behold, the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and
hath long patience for it” (Jas. 5: 7). Long indeed has the Lord of the
harvest waited. Thus, too, we read of “The kingdom and patience of Jesus
Christ” (Rev. 1: 9). Slowly but
surely has the Church which is His body been growing, growing “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:
13). And now the time of waiting is over. The last member
has been added to the Body; the last living stone has been fitted into that
“The Lord Himself shall descend.”
Unspeakably precious is this word to the hearts of His own.
Christ is coming in person to effect
the object which He has in view. The joy of welcoming His blood-bought
people must be exclusively His own. Angels cannot be commissioned to
perform it, as will be the case when He gathers His scattered people
2. The Resurrection of the sleeping saints.
“And the dead in Christ shall rise first.” This
is the second blessed event which shall occur at the Redeemer’s return - the
sleeping saints will be awakened and raised. This brings us to a branch
of our subject upon which there is much ignorance and confusion in Christendom
generally. The idea which popularly obtains is that of a general resurrection
at the end of time. So deeply rooted is this belief and so widely is it
held that to declare there will be two resurrections - one of saints and
another of sinners, the two being separated by a thousand years - is to
he regarded as a setter forth of strange ideas and extravagant fancies.
Nevertheless, the teaching of Scripture upon this point is exceedingly plain
and explicit. Probably many of those who will read these pages are
already clear upon this distinction, but for the sake of those who are not we
must briefly outline the teaching of God’s Word upon this subject, first
quoting, however, from one whose writings have been justly esteemed by
Christians of every shade of thought.
John
Bunyan who was certainly a close
student of the Divine Oracles wrote, “Now when the
saints that sleep shall be raised thus incorruptible, powerful, glorious and
spiritual; and also those that then shall he found alive, made like them; then
forthwith, before the unjust are raised, the saints shall appear before
the judgment-seat of the Lord Jesus Christ, there to give an account to their
Lord the judge of all things they have done; and to receive a reward for their
good according to their labour. They shall rise, I say, before the
wicked, they being themselves the proper ‘children
of the resurrection,’ that is, those that must
have all the glory of it, both as to pre-eminency, and sweetness; and,
therefore, they are said, when they rise, to rise from the dead; that is, in
their rising, they leave the reprobate world behind them. And it must be
so, because also the saints will have done their account, and be set upon the
throne with Christ as kings and priests with Him to judge the world, when the
wicked world are raised.”
But
without citing human testimony any further, let us turn to the teaching of
Christ and the inspired writings of His apostles. On one occasion the
Lord said, “But when thou makest
a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be
blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection
of the just” (Luke 14: 13, 14).
Now if there is to be but one resurrection - a general resurrection of all the
dead - then why did our Lord make the above distinction and qualification of “the resurrection of the just”
Again,
in Luke 20: 34, 35 we read, “The children of
this world marry, and are given in marriage. But they which shall
be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given
in marriage.” What can be the meaning of such words as “they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain
that world, and the resurrection from the dead” if all the dead
alike are sure of participating in an indiscriminate resurrection.
Worthiness to obtain the resurrection from the dead certainly implies there
will be some who are not esteemed worthy, and hence will not be partakers of
the resurrection here mentioned; therefore, the conclusion is irresistible
that there must be two distinct resurrections. That there
will be is further seen from the language of John 5: 28, 29‑ “Marvel
not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which, all that are in the graves
shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good,
unto the resurrection of life: and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.” Here the two resurrections are sharply
distinguished both as to name and participants, and as we shall see, there is
to be a long interval of time between them.
The
testimony of the apostolic Epistles is in strict harmony with the teaching of
our Lord recorded in the four Gospels. In 1
Cor. 15: 21‑23 we read, “For since by man
came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” It is important
to notice that the resurrection of the wicked is not contemplated in this
chapter at all, but is strictly limited to the resurrection of Christ and His
saints. The words “all be
made alive” are qualified by the clause which immediately precedes
them. It has reference solely to those who are “in
Christ.” Christ Himself is the “firstfruits” (the reference is to the type of Lev. 23:10) and the harvest that is garnered at
His return are “they that are Christ’s.”
Again, we are told that the people of God in Old Testament times who refused to
accept deliverance from death at the hands of their persecutors, did so that “they might obtain a better resurrection”
(Heb. 11: 35) which expression is quite
meaningless if there is but one general resurrection in which saints and
sinners shall alike participate.
One
other Scripture yet remains to be considered, namely Rev.
20: 4‑6 “And I saw thrones, and they sat
upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again
until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
Here we learn not only that the resurrection of the saints is quite distinct
from that of the wicked, but we are also expressly told that an interval of a
thousand years lies between the two. It were meaningless to speak of the
resurrection of the “Blessed and Holy,” as the “first resurrection” if there is no second resurrection of
the wicked to follow. The righteous shall all be raised before
the Millennium begins, but the lost shall not be raised until its close.
Thus we see that the uniform teaching of the New Testament respecting the
resurrection of sleeping believers is in perfect accord with our Thessalonian
Scripture – “The dead in Christ shall
rise first.” None but the “dead in Christ”
will come forth from their graves in response to the assembling shout of our
descending Lord at the time of His second advent. But now consider,
3. The Translation of living believers.
“Then we which are alive and remain (on the earth) shall be caught up together with them (the resurrected
ones) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and
so shall we ever be with the Lord.” In connection with this
statement we would call attention to another Scripture which at first sight
appears to have no bearing upon it at all. We refer to the words of our
Lord recorded in John 12: 23 – “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Me.” We hesitate to set forth our own understanding of this
passage because it differs widely from the generally received interpretation of
it. It is from no desire to pander to the modern and miserable craving for
novel expositions of Scripture that we advance our own
view, but simply because necessity is laid upon us. “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me” ‑ the word “men”
inserted in italics has no equivalent in the original, and hence we must
understand the “all” to refer to all
believers. The question we would now raise is, What
does the “drawing unto” Christ here have
reference to? Personally, we do not think it has any reference to salvation,
for where coming to Christ for salvation is in view it is the “Father” who is said to do the “drawing.” This may be verified by a reference to John 6: 44, where we read, “No man can come to Me, except
the Father which hath sent Me draw him.” Therefore
we submit that our Lord’s words here point to the catching up of the
saints at the time of His return, that it is then He will “draw” them all “unto Himself.” The words I * *
will draw all unto Me” correspond very
closely with that other word of His which has reference to this same event‑
“I * * will receive you
unto Myself” (John 14: 3).
We would further suggest that the reason why this “drawing
of all believers unto Himself at the time of His return is linked with
His lifting up” is to show us that this consummating blessing,
like every other we enjoy, is based upon His cross‑work for us.
Finally; it is highly significant, and seems to corroborate our interpretation,
that in the verse immediately preceding the one now under consideration, our
Lord said, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall
the prince of this world be cast out.” It was then - “now” - at the Cross, that the
Divine sentence was passed but it will not be until the
Rapture that it will receive its execution. It is
immediately following the “catching up” of the
saints, their “drawing” to Christ, that God’s “judgment” will fall upon “this
world,” as it is then also that its “prince”
– “Satan” ‑ will be “cast out” of his present domains (see Rev. 12: 7‑9). Who are the ones that
shall be “drawn” unto Christ at that day?
The answer is found in our Thessalonian Scripture – “Then
we which are alive and remain shall he caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” We have
already contemplated the resurrection of the sleeping saints,
let us now say a few words concerning those believers who shall be alive on
earth at that time.
It
is often said, “There are many things in this life
which are uncertain, but one thing is sure: we must all
die; we must all pay nature’s debt.” Nothing is more common than
to hear such affirmations as these which set death before
the believer as his inevitable prospect. Such assertions are regarded as
axiomatic. Frequently they are repeated from the pulpit. But not so
do the Scriptures teach. The Word of God distinctly teaches, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye” (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52). So
that instead of it being certain that all will die, it is
absolutely certain that all believers will not die. A
whole generation of Christians, namely, those that are alive upon the earth
when our Lord descends from Heaven, will be “changed in
a moment,” and without passing through death at all, shall be caught up
together with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air.
The
prospect which God’s Word sets before every believer is the imminent return of
Christ. Not a dread anticipation of death, but “looking
for the Saviour” is to be our daily occupation. Translation to Heaven
and not the grave is our goal. That is why it is termed “that blessed hope,” and that is
why we are said to be “begotten again unto a living
hope” ‑ a living hope in a dying scene. This hope was active
in the hearts of the first-century saints. The Thessalonians had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
and to wait for His Son from heaven.” They
were waiting for Christ not death. Observe that in our text the apostle
includes himself among the number of those who might be alive on the earth at
the time of Christ’s second advent “then we (not “ye”) which are alive and
remain shall be caught up;” and again, “We shall not all sleep.”
The beloved apostle was not looking for ‘the king of
terrors’ but for “the King of Glory.”
Lord, 'tis for Thee, for THY coming we wait;
The sky not the grave is our goal:
The rapture, not death, we gladly await,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, 0 my soul.
A
striking illustration and type of the removal to heaven of those believers
which shall be on the earth at the time of our Lord’s return is found in the
rapture of Enoch, “By faith Enoch was translated
that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him” (Heb. 11: 5). Here
was a man of like passions with us, who was raptured to Heaven without seeing
death. Such is the blessed prospect which Scripture sets before the
Christian as his present hope. We repeat, that
all believers on earth at the time of our Lord’s descent into the air, shall
altogether escape the gloomy portals of the tomb and be translated to Heaven to
meet the Lord and be for ever with Him. This will be the fulfilment of
our Lord’s promise “I will come again and receive you
unto Myself.” Observe that our Lord does
not say, “I will come again and take you
unto Myself.” but “I will come again and receive
you unto Myself.” The though, suggested by
this distinction is exceedingly precious. “Taking”
is an action confined to myself. I may enter an empty room and take a
book from the table. But receiving is an action that brings in another.
If I “receive” a book the necessary
inference is that someone handed it to me. Exactly so will it be at the
Rapture. The saints of God are not left alone in this cold wilderness-world.
The “other Comforter, even the Spirit of truth” has come to take up His abode
in the Church, and it is from Him that the Lord Jesus will “receive” it. (For this beautiful thought
I am indebted to George Hucklesby’s book “Surely I
come quickly.”) And observe further that our Lord did not say to
Heaven, “or to the Father’s House,” but “unto Myself.” The
person of Christ is to be the Object before the eye and
heart. Thus it was with the martyr Stephen – “Lord
Jesus receive my spirit.” Thus it was with
the apostle Paul – “To depart and be with Christ
which is far better;” and again, “absent
from the body, present with the Lord.” The heart
occupied With Him.
“To meet the Lord in the
air.”
Why should the Church meet the Lord “in the air,” rather than on the earth? We would
suggest a twofold reason. First, Because the
Church is heavenly not earthly. It is heavenly in its origin
(1 Cor. 15: 48). It is
heavenly in its calling (Heb. 3: 1).
It is heavenly in its citizenship (Phil.
3: 20). It is heavenly in its blessings (Eph. 1: 3). It is heavenly in its destiny
(1 Pet. 1: 4). Therefore
will the Church meet its Head in the “air” ‑
the atmospheric heavens. But second; I believe this joyous meeting
between the Lord and His blood-bought people is to be
in the air, rather than in the Heaven of heavens, for the purpose of privacy.
The eyes of the world shall not gaze upon that holy scene, nor will even
the angels (so far as Scripture indicates) witness
that first moment when the Redeemer shall meet the redeemed.
“And so shall we ever be with the Lord,” which, as we
have seen, corresponds with His own blessed promise, “That
Where I am there ye may be also.”
Wondrous privilege! Marvellous prospect! Truly, such love “passeth knowledge.” The place which is due to
the Son is the same place which shall be accorded the sons.
We are made “joint‑heirs with Christ.”
His inheritance and blessedness shall be shared with His redeemed. He
shall come Himself to conduct us to His place! But are we, shall we be, fit,
to dwell in such a realm? The answer to this question leads us
to consider,
4. The Transformation of each believer into the
Image of our glorified Saviour.
In
the beginning, man was made in the image and likeness of God, but sin came in
and as the consequence that image has been defaced and that likeness
marred. Has then the purpose of Jehovah been thwarted? Not so: “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever”
(Ps. 33: 11). Therefore it is
written, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did
predestinate to he conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8: 29). The time when
this purpose and promise of God will be realized is at the Return of His
Son. It is then that God’s elect will be completely “conformed to the image of His Son.” It is then
that they shall “be changed, in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” It is then that “this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall put on immortality.” But to particularize.
In
Rom. 7: 24 the question is asked, “0 wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Part of the answer to this interrogation is recorded in Rom. 8: 11 –“But if the Spirit of Him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that
dwelleth in you.” This Scripture has been the occasion of
considerable controversy of late and some wild fancies have been indulged
concerning it, yet its meaning is quite simple. The “quickening of our mortal bodies” does not refer to
resurrection, nor to “healing,” but to
that “change” which shall take place in the
physical being, of those believers on earth at the Redeemer’s return.
Here, as everywhere, the apostle has the “blessed hope”
before his heart and he would interpose nothing between (not even death and
resurrection) the present moment and the realization of that hope. The “quickening of our mortal bodies,” the “changing” of them in a moment, is declared in Phil. 3: 20, 21 – “For our
citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change
our body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body,
according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto
Himself.” These present corruptible bodies of ours shall be transformed
into bodies like unto that glorious body now worn by our Lord. That is,
like His body as it appeared on the mount of transfiguration ‑ dazzling
in its splendour; like auto His body as it appeared unto Saul as he journeyed
to
Physical
transformation is not all that awaits the believer. At our Lord’s return
there will be a mental, moral and spiritual transformation too. In 1 John 3: 2 we are told, “Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as
He is.” The emphasis here is often thrown upon the wrong
words. Some read this verse as though it had reference to present ignorance
of our future condition, the clause “it doth
not yet
appear what we shall be,” being understood to signify “We don’t really know now what we shall yet be.”
But this is a mistake, for we do “know”
as this very verse informs us – “we know
that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him.” The
emphatic words are “It doth not yet appear
what we shall be.” What we are really going to be like awaits
its manifestation till our Lord’s appearing. Let us
illustrate. I hold in my hand a small seed: it is unlovely in appearance
and gives no promise at all of what it will ultimately become. It doth
not yet appear what it shall be. But I plant that
seed in the ground, and a few weeks later it has become a strong plant, and one
morning I wake and find it covered with the most beautiful flowers. Now
the potentialities of that little seed are fully manifested. So it is
with the believer. He looks at his own heart and wonders if after all he
is a child of God. His body is just the same as the bodies of unbelievers, and
viewed by the eye of sense he seems to be no different from them in
anywise. No; because his real “life is hid
with Christ in God” (Col. 3: 3) ‑
it doth not yet appear what he shall be, nevertheless he
knows (by faith) that when Christ shall appear, he shall be like Him, for he
shall see Him as He is. “We shall be like Him.”
Who dare limit this exceeding great and precious promise? “Like Him” physically, for our vile body shall then be
“fashioned like unto His glorious body.” “Like Him” mentally! Today we are very unlike Him
mentally, our minds now are often harassed with evil thoughts, they are clouded
and darkened by the effects of the Fall, and are subject to many limitations;
but when Christ appears that which is “perfect”
shall come and then, no longer shall we see through a glass darkly and know in
part, but we shall know as we are known. We shall be “like Him” morally and spiritually. Sin will be
erased from our beings; every trace and effect of the Fall
shall be eradicated from our persons. Then will God’s predestinating
purpose be fully realized. Then shall we be completely “conformed to the image of His Son.” Blessed
transformation! Glorious prospect! We shall be like Him.
“High in the Father’s house
above
My mansion is prepared,
There is the home, the rest I love,
And there my bright reward.
With Him I love, in spotless white,
In glory I shall shine;
His blissful presence my delight,
His love and glory mine.
All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away;
And I shall dwell with God’s Beloved
Through God’s eternal day.”
5. The Examination and Rewarding of the believer’s
works.
“Behold, I come quickly, and My
reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22: 12). If it is true that the general
teaching of Christendom upon the subject of the Resurrection is unscriptural,
the popular conception of future judgment is still more erroneous. It is
generally believed that at the end of time saints and sinners shall all stand
before the judgment-bar of God; that they will be divided into two great classes
- “The sheep and the goats;” that those whose
names are found written in the book of life will pass into Heaven, and that the
wicked will he consigned to the Lake of Fire. For this conception
(excepting the last clause) there is not a single verse of Scripture when
rightly interpreted. So far as believers are concerned the Sin question
has been closed for ever, for their sins were all judged at the Cross where
their Substitute died ‑the just for the unjust. Consequently, all
who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ are for ever beyond the Curse
of the Law. This is clear from our Lord’s own words ‑ “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come
into condemnation,” or as the Revised Version more
correctly renders it, “shall not come into judgment”
(John 5: 24). How erroneous then
the prevailing conception; and how absurd! Shall the apostle Paul who has
already been in Heaven for more than eighteen hundred years, yet have to appear
before the judgment-bar of God, in order to ascertain whether he shall spend
eternity in Heaven or in the
But
are we not told in 2 Cor. 5: 10 “We must all appear before the judgment‑seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body; according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad”? Yes, we are. Let us then
examine this Scripture. First, it is to be remarked that the Greek word
which is here translated “judgment‑seat”
is “Bema.” At the time the New Testament
was written the Bema was not a judicial bench upon which a judge sat, passing
sentence upon criminals (an entirely different word was used for it), but was
the throne from which the judge distributed prizes to the victors
in the games. Such will he the Bema of Christ.
In
the second place, the purpose of the appearing of believers “before the Bema of Christ” is not to test their title
and fitness for Heaven, but in order that their works may be examined and their
service rewarded. A Scripture which throws much light
upon this is to he found in 1 Cor. 3:11-15,
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Now if any
man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day will declare it:
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work
of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he bath built thereon,
he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”
Here we learn that the foundation of the believer’s salvation is Jesus Christ
Himself and that his subsequent works and service are likened to a building
which he erects upon this foundation. The different kinds of works which
the believer performs - good and bad - are regarded as two classes of materials
which he employs in the building he is erecting. In the day of Christ’s
appearing his building is to be tested by fire, which means that his works will
be examined and the motives which produced them carefully scrutinized.
Those works which will endure the searching process will be rewarded, those
which are worthless will perish, and in the latter instance, the individual,
though saved, will “suffer loss.”
When
the Lord returns, every servant will be called upon to give an account of his
stewardship. Notice will be taken of how our talents were employed and
how our time was redeemed. The whole life of the believer will be
examined in detail in the light of the Throne and his deeds measured by the
Divine standard. Words spoken now and actions performed in this world, will then be weighed in the Balances of the
Sanctuary. Things will then be seen in their true colours and labelled at
their real worth by the impartial hand of the Omniscient Christ.
The
difference between the two classes of materials mentioned in the above
Scripture points to a most solemn truth. “Gold,
silver, precious stones” are of intrinsic value, whereas “wood, hay, stubble” are a natural growth.
In Scripture “gold” symbolizes the Divine
nature, “silver” Divine redemption, and “precious stones” the Divine glory. Those works
of the believer which have issued from the Divine nature within us, are based
upon Christ’s redemption, and have been performed for God’s glory, will receive
a reward; but those which were wrought by those who felt they must do
something, those performed in the energy of the flesh, those done merely for
self-aggrandisement will all be burned up. What a conflagration there
will be in that day! What surprises there will be at the Bema of Christ!
An hundred-dollar subscription, given to get a name, will be ashes in
that day; while a dime given to help the poor for the Lords sake
will receive an imperishable reward.
“Deeds of merit as we thought
them
He will show us were but sin:
Little acts we had forgotten
He will tell us were for Him.”
No
work done out of love for Christ will lose its reward.
“For God is not unrighteous to
forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in
that ye have ministered to the saints” (Heb.
6: 10). All that endures the test of that day will be publicly,
abundantly and eternally rewarded. There, before His Father and in the
presence of the holy angels, our gracious Redeemer will delight to say to the
rewarded one, “Well done, good and faithful servant;
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt.
25: 23). The subject of rewards is a
wide one and we can only deal briefly with it here. Four crowns are
mentioned in the New Testament: the Incorruptible crown (1 Cor. 9: 25), which is the reward for faithful
service; the crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4: 8),
which is given to those who love Christ’s appearing; the crown of Glory (1 Pet. 5: 4), which is reserved for faithful
pastors who have tended the flock; and the crown of Life (Rev. 2: 10), which is a special reward reserved
for martyrs [and overcomers]. Each crown is conditional, conditional
upon faithfulness to an absent Christ. But to return now to 2 Cor. 5: 10.
The
prospect of our manifestation before the Bema of Christ is both joyous and
solemn. It is “joyous” because it is then
that everything will come out into the light and all misunderstandings will be
cleared up; because everything which will not endure the Divine test will be “burned up;” and because every work which was done with
an eye single to God’s glory will receive commendation from our blessed Lord
Himself, It is “solemn” because then it will be
seen how much of our work was nothing but “wood, hay,
and stubble;” because we shall then discover how sadly we had failed to
“redeem the time;” and because we shall “ suffer loss.” Ah! my
brethren it behoves us to live in the light of that day now so near at hand.
Let our chief ambition be that all we say and do shall meet with the
approval of our Lord at the Bema. Yes, the contemplation of the Bema is
solemn and searching. He who has lived in selfish ease and carnal
gratification will be the loser throughout all eternity. But he who has “denied himself” out of love for and gratitude to the
Saviour, shall yet hear His “Well done” and
enter into His joy.
6. The Presentation of the Church by Christ to
Himself.
When
every saint of God shall have been made like Christ, made “like Him” physically, mentally, morally and spiritually,
and after each individual’s life and works have been examined before the Bema,
then is the Church publicly presented and Eph. 5:
25-27 is fulfilled‑ “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.” The word “present” here means to set alongside of. Christ
is yet going to set the Church alongside of Himself.
The Church [of the firstborn] will share His glory and reign with Him throughout
the Millennium. As saith the Scriptures‑ “To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me
in My throne” (Rev. 3: 21).
The Church will then have been fitted for this exalted position, for
observe that Christ presents the Church to Himself “a
glorious Church.” In that day none of the defiling “spots” of sin shall be found in the Church, and not a
“wrinkle”, the mark of age and corruption -
shall mar its beauty, but with youth eternally renewed the Church shall then
perfectly reflect the glory of Christ. Then shall He be able to say, “Thou art all fair, My love; there is
no spot in thee” (Song of
Solomon 4: 7).
Another
Scripture which tells of the presentation of the Church is to be found in Jude 24 – “Now unto Him
that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” We believe the reference
here to the “exceeding joy” is that of Christ
Himself. This was the joy - that was set before Him when He endured the
Cross and despised the shame (Heb. 12: 2).
Closely
connected with the public Presentation of the Church is,
7. The Manifestation of the Church with
Christ.
The
last time the world saw the Lord Jesus He was alone - alone
in death. But when He returns to this earth He will not be alone.
His saints will accompany Him. He is the “Firstborn
among many [not every] brethren” (Rom. 8: 29), and when He appears again they will
be with Him. “He that goeth
forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing His sheaves with Him”
(Ps. 126: 6). Yes, that blessed
One who humbled Himself to become the Sower shall return with “His sheaves” – “Behold, the
Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints” (Jude
1: 14).
“The Spirit Himself beareth Witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint‑heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that
we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall he revealed in us” (Rom.
8:16-18). Observe that “the glory”
here mentioned is to be revealed, and revealed in us;
and further, that it is a glory which we shall share with Christ “glorified together.” When will this
glory be “revealed in us” together with Christ?
The answer is at the time of His return to this earth, for “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall
ye also appear with Him in glory” (Col.
3: 4) – “in glory” for before this, our
present bodies will have been “fashioned like unto His
glorious body.” It is in connection with this appearing of Christ
with His saints in glory that we read, “For the earnest
expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the
sons of God” (Rom. 8: 19).
In that day the sons of God - whose life is now “hid with Christ in God” - will be manifested,
manifested with Christ in glory. Then will our Lord’s prayer be fully
answered – “Neither pray I for these alone, but for
them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be
one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in
Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the
glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that
they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17: 20‑22).
“Soon shall come that
glorious day
When, seated on Thy throne,
Thou shalt to wondering world’s display
That Thou with us art One.”
These are the Results of the Redeemer’s Return as they affect the Church - results in part for the, half hath not been told. The Lord Himself descends from Heaven with a shout, awakening the sleeping saints and translating them together with living believers, to meet Him in the air. Then, all are conformed to the image of God’s Son and made “like Him.” Next, the saints appear before the Bema that their works may he examined and their service rewarded. Finally, as Christ prepares to return to the earth, He sets the Church, now glorious within and without, alongside of Himself, and as He appears before the eyes of the world the Church appears with Him, to be the object of never-ending wonderment and admiration as it is seen what great things the Lord hath wrought for those who were by nature children of wrath and deserving of nought but eternal condemnation. In view of such a prospect must we not long for God to hasten the glad day of our Lord’s return, and are we not compelled to cry “Even so, Come Lord Jesus”!
The Worldward Results of The Redeemer’s Return.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those
dams should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's
sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt.
24:21, 22).
CHAPTER NINE
In the last
chapter we considered seven of the Churchward Results of the Redeemer’s
Return. We saw that the One who left His disciples almost nineteen centuries
ago, is coming back again, that the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; that this Shout will be
heard by all the saints whether alive on the earth or asleep in their graves,
and that at the time He gives this Shout our Lord will exert a miraculous “drawing” power which shall “catch
up” His people unto Himself so that they meet Him in the air, after
which they come before the Bema in order that their works may be examined and
their service rewarded; subsequently, after an interval of seven years or more,
the Lord returns to the earth accompanied
by His people in glory. It is concerning
the Interval
which follows the Rapture and some of the things which shall occur
during this period of time which are now to engage our attention. What is to take place on earth after the
Church has been removed from
it? What are the conditions that will
obtain in this world during the interval which divides the two stages in the second advent of Christ? What is the course of events which shall
culminate in the Return of the Redeemer to the
What will occur on earth after the saints have been
removed? In seeking to summarize the
predictions which bear upon this time, we shall confine ourselves again to
seven of the most prominent items, namely, the Consternation of the world at the
removal of the Church, the Hopeless condition of those left behind, God’s
dealings with the earth in judgment, the character and career of the
Antichrist, the situation of the Jews during this period, the Battle of
Armageddon, and the Return of Christ to the earth itself. Before we study these seriatim, a further
word or two is necessary to prepare the reader for what follows.
The length of time which separates between the secret coming
of Christ to the air for the purpose
of catching up His people and His subsequent and public return to the earth itself is not clearly defined in
Scripture. It is certain, however, that this interval
will last at least seven years and if, as the writer believes and an increasing
number of prophetic students
conclude, a goodly proportion of the Jews are to return to Palestine, if their
Temple in Jerusalem is to be re-built, if Babylon is to be restored until it
becomes again the metropolis of the world, then it will last much longer,
possibly seventy years in all. For the
sake of convenience we shall refer to this interval as the Tribulation period, though to be strictly accurate the “great Tribulation” is but three and a half years in
length, the final three and a half years before the Lord Jesus returns to the
earth.
Anyone who has given himself at all seriously to the study of
Prophecy will immediately recognize the difficulty of seeking to arrange in
chronological order the things which are shortly coming to pass. Concerning the exact sequence of details we
cannot be absolutely dogmatic, but so far as the general outline is in question
that is plain. With these explanatory
remarks let us now turn directly to the subject before us. And,
1. The World’s
Consternation at the sudden and secret Removal of the Church.
One can better imagine than describe
the awe-inspiring effect upon the world which will be occasioned by the secret
removal of the Church. We say “secret removal” for we know of nothing in Scripture
which intimates that our Lord’s Shout shall be heard by any save His own
people, and judging from the analogies furnished by the cases of the
translation of Enoch. and Elijah nothing will be known of the Church’s rapture
until after it has occurred. That the
world will not witness the
catching up of believers to meet their Saviour in the air seems to be further
borne out by the fact that their translation and transformation will be so
swiftly accomplished that it is all said to occur “in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”
We take it then that the removal of the Church will be both sudden and
secret.
Some day in the near future, how near
none can say, but probably in the lifetime of the present generation, the
world will awaken to find that a most startling phenomenon has occurred. A large number of their fellow-men and women
will have mysteriously disappeared, leaving no traces behind them!
In many a home there will be more than one vacant chair. In many an office and store there will be
vacant stools. From every walk of life there
will be taken those who “Chose rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season: esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
the world: for they had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:25, 26).
Possibly some seats in the Senate and some thrones will be vacant, for
God’s children are “scattered abroad” (John 11: 52) in many spheres and callings. The phenomenon of the missing ones will be no local one, but earthwide in its
range.
It is highly probable that from every village, town, and city, in
this land, there shall be taken those who are caught up to meet the Lord in the
air. Imagine then the amazement, the
consternation, the commiseration of those that are left behind! Imagine the panic which shall seize their
hearts. If they search, their search
will be in vain. No trace of the missing
ones will be forth-coming. Imagine again
the dismay and the awe, as the news is received from other lands that this same
mysterious phenomenon has occurred there too!
Will it take the left-behind ones very long to find
a solution to the mystery? Will it be
very difficult for them to find an explanation which will account for the
disappearance of God’s people from the earth?
We believe not. The imminent coming of Christ has been so
widely proclaimed both by voice and pen that there are now comparatively few
people who are in complete ignorance upon this subject. Today the wise of this world may sneer and
scoff at the truth that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, but then, when it
is too late to profit from the witness that is, now being borne, it shall be
seen that those who were looking for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ were no mere visionaries
and fanatics, but sober men and women whose faith was founded upon the unerring
Word of God. 0 what anguish will fill
those who gave no heed to the faithful warning of their godly friends! And here we would pause a moment and ask,
Reader, How is it with you? Suppose that
Christ should come today - and He may - in which class would you be
found? Would you be among the “wise” virgins who
are ready
for the Bridegroom’s appearing,
or would you be numbered among the “foolish”
virgins who had made no adequate preparation for this great event? Pass not this question lightly by. It is now the most momentous question which
can possibly engage your attention. You say, you hope you would be among these
that are ready. But you cannot afford to
be uncertain upon this matter, the issues are far too serious and solemn. Stop right here we beseech you and honestly
examine yourself and see whether you be in the faith. Do you know within your heart that you are un-prepared, that all your efforts have been
directed toward the securing for yourself a comfortable position in this world?
Then, let us ask, “What shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Do
you say, I have already faced that question and I know not how to make the necessary preparation.
Are you constrained to ask, “What must I do to
be saved?” Then the answer, God’s
own answer, is ready to hand – “Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
Appropriate the provision which Divine grace has made for lost sinners. Flee to Christ while there is yet time. Turn away from self with all its resolutions
and failures, its doings and its sins and cast yourself on the Lord Jesus. Heed that pressing word, “Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold now is the day of salvaltion.”
Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring
forth. Tomorrow may be too
late. Before tomorrow the Lord may have come,
and then the door of mercy will be closed against you. And this leads us to
consider,
2. The Hopeless
condition of the left-behind ones.
What will happen when Christendom awakens to the solemn fact
that the real Church, the
Parallel with this solemn declaration in the Old Testament
Scriptures we find our Lord Himself testified, “Strive
to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and
shall not be able when once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut
to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door,
saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know
ye not whence ye are” (Luke 13: 24, 25).
These
words contain an amplification of His utterance concerning the “foolish virgins.”
“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying,
Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not” (Matt. 25: 11, 12). Whoever the “great multitude” of Rev. 7
may be, it is certain that none in Christendom who have rejected the Gospel
during the present dispensation will
be among that number. 2 Thess. 2: 10-12 is equally explicit. The Anti-christ shall come “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they ALL might be damned who
believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Let it then be distinctly understood that, there will be no “second chance” for present-day Christ rejectors left
behind on the earth after the removal of the Church, for when the Church goes the
Holy Spirit, too, is taken away.
Knocking and crying then will be useless. The door
has been closed. The Day of Salvation is
over. An angry God shall then mock those
who have mocked Him. As it was with
3.
God’s dealings with the earth during the Tribulation period.
The interval of time which separates the removal of the Church
from the earth to the return of Christ to it is variously designated in the
Word of God. It is spoken of as “the day of Vengeance” (Is.
61: 2). It is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer.
30: 7). It is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world”
(Rev. 3: 10). It is denominated “the
great day of the Lord” (Zeph. 1:14). It is termed “the
great tribulation” (Matt. 24: 21). It is the time of God’s “controversy with the nations” (Jer. 25: 31). In Dan. 12:1 it is described as “a
time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same
time.” Our Lord referred to this
same period when He said, “For in those days shall be
affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created unto this time, neither shall
be. And except that the Lord had shortened
those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom He
hath chosen, He hath shortened the days” (Mark
13: 19, 20). As one reads these
unspeakably solemn Scriptures the question naturally occurs to our minds, Why
will this
period be visited with sorer
afflictions than any season which has preceded it since the commencement of
human history? The answer is, Because
this will be the time when the thrice holy God avenges the Death of His blessed
Son. God has a “controversy
with the nations,” observe “the nations”
not “nation” for the Gentiles, equally with the
Jews, shared in the awful crime of the Crucifixion. It is written in Rom.
12: 19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay, saith the Lord.” And, as
in everything, so here, the Holy One sets us a perfect example “Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He
suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth
righteously” (1 Pet. 2: 23). Yes, He committed Himself unto Him that
judgeth righteously, and now the time will have come when His cause shall be
espoused and when the righteous judge shall exact full satisfaction for that
awful crime perpetrated nineteen centuries ago.
On the Cross, the Smitten One cried, “Pour out Thine
indignation upon them, and let Thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their
tents. For they persecute Him whom Thou
hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of Thy wounded” (Ps. 69: 24‑26).
Then will be the time when God answers that prayer.
Yes, my reader, you are living in a world which is stained
with the blood of God’s own Son, and which in the sight of Heaven now lies
beneath the guilt of that terrible crime, a crime which each new generation
since then has perpetuated by “Crucifying to themselves
the Son of God afresh and putting Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6: 6). Long have God’s judgments been withheld. Long has His grace been displayed. But soon shall this dispensation of grace
close, and then shall the Lord God make answer to His Son’s cry and “pour out His indignation” upon the world which
murdered the Lord of Glory. This “Pouring out of
God’s indignation” is described in numerous passages. We read in Zeph.
1:14-18, “The great day of the Lord is near, it
is near, and hasteth greatly, even the
voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day
of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds
and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,
and against the high towers. And I will
bring distress upon men, because they have sinned against the Lord. and their
blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be
able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall
be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy
riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Again we read, “Behold,
the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it
shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not
return, until He have done it, and
until He have performed the intents of His heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it” (Jer. 30: 23, 24).
And once more we are told, “For, behold, the day
cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do
wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Mal. 4: 1).
No less than thirteen chapters - 6
to 19 - in the last book of the Bible
are devoted to a description of the terrible judgments which God will pour upon
the earth during the tribulation period.
We cannot now review all of these chapters, but will confine ourselves
to a brief examination of a portion of the sixth. “And there went out
another horse that was red. and power was given to him that sat thereon to
take peace from the earth, and
that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword”
(Rev. 6: 4).
The symbolism here is easily interpreted. The “red horse” denotes the blood-shed and
slaughter. Peace is taken “from, the earth” not merely from one country, or even
from a whole continent, but from the earth itself. The fulfilment of this is yet future. But coming
events cast their shadows before them, and the length of the shadows which are
even now cast across the earth, shows how near we have approached to the dread
reality itself. Today, the saints of God
are “the salt of the earth,” preserving the
human race from going to utter corruption, and the Holy Spirit who is now here
exerts a restraining influence upon the powers of evil. But in the day contemplated by Rev. 6 the Holy Spirit will have gone, the Church
will have been removed, and then will the wildest passions of men be let loose
and a time of mutual slaughter and universal carnage shall ensue.
“And I beheld, and lo a black horse;
and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four
living creatures say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of
barley for a penny” (Rev. 6: 5, 6). The “black horse”
symbolizes lamentation and mourning: the “balances”
that which will be employed for carefully weighing out the cereals: the “penny” is a day’s wage (see Matt.
20: 2). Added to the horrors of
universal war, depicted by the previous “seal”
judgment, there will be an unparalleled scarcity of food, and the very
necessaries of life will be sold at famine prices. For centuries God has
blessed the earth with abundant crops, but His mercies have been received
without thanksgiving. But in that day there
shall be a general scarcity of food and multitudes will die of starvation.
“And I looked, and behold a pale
horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hades followed with
him. And power was given unto them over
the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with
death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev.
6: 8). As it was in connection
with His plagues upon
“And I beheld when he opened the sixth
seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as
sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell
upon the earth, even as a fig tree
casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it
is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places” (Rev. 6: 12-14). In addition to the horrors of war, famine, and wild beasts, there will
follow the most fearful convulsions of Nature.
First, there is a “great earthquake,” an
earthquake unparalleled in the history of man, and beside which the destruction
of
A similar picture
of the Divine judgments which will be inflicted at this time is furnished by
the prophet Isaiah, “Behold the day of the Lord cometh,
cruel both with wrath and fierce
anger, to lay the land desolate. And He shall utterly destroy the sinners out
of it. For the stars of heaven and the
constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in
his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for
their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will
lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the
golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will
shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of
the Lord of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger” (Is. 13: 9-13).
These words are to be taken at their face value and understood literally.
What shall be the effect of all this? Let us return to Revelation
6 and read the Holy Spirits own description of the consternation of
mankind at that time. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every
free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And
they said to the rocks and the mountains, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him
that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath is come, and
who shall be able to stand?”
(Rev. 6: 15-17). A prayer-meeting is convened - one unrivalled
for size and earnestness, and one to which
all classes and conditions of men assemble.
Kings and rulers will be present.
Hitherto they were more often found at Race-meetings than
Prayer-meetings. All classes of men will
be there. Many an opportunity for prayer
had they missed in the past. Many the
time they had lain down at night upon a prayer-less bed. They had regarded prayer as a profitless
occupation, as so much time wasted, as an exercise fit only for women and
children. But now they fall prostrate on
their faces. When prayer would have
availed, they scorned it; now that it is useless they go at it with a will. Such is the depravity and folly of human
nature. But note the object
of their prayers! They pray not
to the living God, but to the inanimate rocks and mountains. They cannot pray to the Lord God for they
never learned how to address Him, and now it will be too late to learn for the
Holy Spirit, who is the inspirer
of all real prayer, has been “taken out of the way.” They pray not to the Rock, but to the
rocks. They had made material things
their gods, and so to these they now address their petitions. Note, too, the burden of their prayers! They ask to be hidden from the face of God and
and from the wrath of the Lamb. When they had opportunity, they refused to
acknowledge His Love, they slighted the overtures of His Mercy, so now they
have to endure His Wrath. To see God’s
face is the deepest longing of His people: to be “hid
from His face” will be the one desire of those left behind for judgment.
Above, we have reviewed only down to the end of the sixth “Seal” judgment.
There is a seventh which is itself divided into the seven “Trumpet” judgments, the seventh of which is again
divided, divided into the seven “Vial”
judgments. Little does the world dream of
what is coming upon it. The
present war with all its horrors gives but a faint conception of what will
shortly come to pass on this earth. Not
only will peace be entirely removed from the earth, not only will all Nature be
convulsed by the outpouring of God’s wrath, but the Bottomless Pit will be
opened and out of it shall issue two hundred millions of supernatural locusts,
having tails like scorpions and stings in their tails, and for five months they will “torment”
those who have not been destroyed by the previous plagues. The torment inflicted by these infernal
creatures will be so unendurable, that we are told “And
in those days shall men seek death.”
But mark the still more awful sequel‑“And shall
not find it: and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them” (Rev. 9: 6). At a later stage, earth’s inhabitants will be
“scorched with great heat” and so terrible will
be their suffering and so incurable is the wickedness of their hearts as it
will then be manifested, that we read, “and they gnawed
their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (Rev. 16: 9-11).
Such will be a part of the “indignation”
which God will yet pour out upon this guilty world as His response to that cry
made by His beloved Son as He hung upon the Cross. But we must turn now and consider another
prominent feature of the Tribulation period, namely,
4. The revelation and career of the Anti-christ.
Who is the Anti-christ?
Varied and wild have been the answers returned to this question. In pre-christian times there were many who
regarded Antiochus Epiphanes as the
one whom Daniel and the other prophets described. At the beginning of this dispensation Nero was looked upon as the predicted
Man of Sin. After the Reformation the Papacy was selected as the fulfiller of
the prophecies given through the
Who is the Anti-christ?
Having shown who cannot have been the Anti-christ, let us now consider
the positive answer to our question. In
the first place, he will be a man, a
real man, just as truly man as the Son of God was the Son of Man. The
Anti-christ is termed “The Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2: 3).
In the second place, he will be a Jew, if he were not he would be unable
to make good his claims to be the real Christ; if he were not a Jew he could
not deceive the Jews. That he will
be a Jew, seems clear from Dan. 11: 37.
In the third place, he will be the
Super-man, he will be a supernatural character, he will be the
Son of the Devil. It is clear from Rev.
20: 10 that there is an Evil Trinity, as there is the Holy Trinity. The Anti-christ will be the second person of
the Evil Trinity as the Lord Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy
Trinity. As Jesus Christ was the
God-Man, so the Anti-christ will be the Devil-Man.
There are at least three Scriptures which prove the super-human character of the Anti-christ. The first is found in Gen. 3:15. In this verse
there is a double “enmity” spoken of: God says, “I
will put enmity between thee and the woman,” that is between Satan and
The second Scripture which proves that the Anti-christ will be
super-human, the offspring of Satan, is found in John
8: 44 – “Ye are of your father the Devil, and
the lusts of your father ye will do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,
he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it.” In the Greek there is the definite article
before “lie”‑the lie. “The
Lie.” There is but one other passage in the New Testament where “The Lie” is mentioned and that is in 2 Thess. 2:11
where again the definite article is found in the Greek, and here the
reference to the Anti-christ is
unmistakable. A threefold reason may be
suggested as to why the Anti-christ
should be termed “The Lie.” First, because his
fraudulent claim to be the real Christ will be the greatest falsehood palmed
upon humanity. Second, because he is the direct antithesis of the real Christ
who is “The Truth” (John
14: 6). Third, because he is the
Son of Satan who is the arch-Liar. But
to return to John 8: 44 – “When he (the Devil) speaketh (concerning) The Lie, he speaketh of his own.” His “own”
what? His “own”
Son - the remainder of the verse makes this very plain “for he (the Devil) is a Liar and
the father of it” i.e.,
of “The Lie.”
The Lie then is Satan’s “Son”! The third Scripture which proves that the
Anti-christ will be super-human is even still plainer. In 2 Thess. 2: 3 he is expressly said to be “The Son of Perdition.”
Who is the Anti-christ?
He will be a man, a Jew, a supernatural being, the “Seed” of the Serpent, the Son of Perdition. Where
is he today? It is possible that even now he may be on the
earth, though personally we hardly think this is likely. But if he is not yet born then the
unequivocal answer is, He is in the Abyss or Bottomless Pit (Rev. 11: 7).
This Scripture contains the first reference to “the
Beast” in the Revelation. The
question naturally arises, How did he get there? and when was he sent
there? In answering this question we are
well aware that we shall call down upon us the criticism and censure of
brethren that we honour and love, yet, notwithstanding, we must again be true
to our convictions and faithful in presenting what we believe to be the
teaching of Holy Scripture on this solemn and mysterious subject. When was the “Beast”
consigned to the Bottomless Pit? We
answer, when Judas Iseariot
died! The Anti-christ will be Judas
Iscariot re-incarnated. The
proof for this startling assertion (we may say, a by no means novel one, though
our study of this point has been conducted independently) will now be humbly
submitted to the critical attention of our readers.
Who was Judas Iscariot? He was the one by whom the Lord of Glory was
betrayed. He was a “man” (Matt 26: 24).
But was he more than a man? Let Scripture make answer. In John 6: 70
we read, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you
is a Devil?” It
is hardly necessary to say that in the Greek there are two different words for
“Devil” and “demon.” There are many demons but only one Devil.
Further, in no other passage is tile word “Devil”
applied to anyone but to Satan himself.
Now here in John 6: 70 our Lord says
of Judas that he is “ho diabolos” not “daimonizomai”: the definite article is
employed ‑ one of you is “the Devil.” Judas then was the Devil incarnate, just as
the Lord Jesus was God incarnate. Christ
Himself said so, and we dare
not doubt His word. Again, in John 17: 12 He said, “Those that Thou gavest Me I
have kept, and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition.” Here
then is the answer of Scripture itself.
Who was Judas Iscariot? He was the Devil incarnate; he was the Son of
Perdition.
Now let us see how Scripture connects
the Anti-christ with Judas and shows that they are one and the same
person. In the first place, as we have
already pointed out, the first reference to “the Beast”
(the Anti-christ) in the Revelation is 11: 7, where we read of “the
Beast that ascendeth out of the Bottomless Pit.” We asked, How and when did he go there? And we answered, at the death of Judas. Have we any Scripture which supports this
assertion? We believe so. Mark the language used in Acts 1: 25, “That he may take part of this
ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” Of no one else in all the
Bible is it said that at death he went “to his own
place.” Put these two Scriptures
together ‑Judas went “to his own place,” the
Beast ascends out of the
Abyss. Again, in Rev. 17: 8 we read,
“the Beast that thou sawest was and is not; and shall ascend
out of the Bottomless Pit, and go into perdition.” This verse is generally understood to refer
to the revived
It is further to be noted that the Anti‑christ is twice termed
“Death and Hades” (Is. 28:18; Rev. 6:8) as
if to intimate he came from Hades the
place which receives the souls of the dead.
Who is the Anti‑christ?
We have dwelt upon his mysterious person, and we would now call
attention to a number of passages in Scriptures (which the reader will do well
to look up and prayerfully study) in which he is variously denominated and
described. He is the “bloody and deceitful man” of Ps.
5: 6. He is “the man of the earth” of Ps. 10: 18.
He is the “Head over many countries” of Ps. 110: 7.
He is the “little horn” of Dan. 7: 20-27; 8: 9-12. He is “the prince
that shall come” of Dan. 9: 27. He is
the “vile person” of Dan.
11: 21. He is the “proud man” of Hab. 2: 5. He is the rider on the four horses in Rev. 6. He
is the “fallen star” of Rev.
9: 1. He is “the Beast” of Rev. 13: 1-8.
He is the “Lawless One” of 2 Thess. 2: 8, 9.
As can
be well imagined the Scriptures draw a sharp contrast between Christ and the
pseudo Christ. It is remarkable how complete
the antithesis is. We give a twelve-fold
contrast between their various designations. The one is called the Christ (Matt. 16:16), the other ‑the Anti‑christ (1 John 4:3).
The one is called “the Man of Sorrows” (Is. 53:3, the other “the
Man of Sin” (2 Thess. 2: 3). The one is called “the
Son of God” (John 1: 34), the other “the Son of Perdition” (2
Thess. 2: 3). The numerical value
(the gematria) of the name Jesus is 888, the number of the Anti‑christ’s name
is 666 (Rev. 13:18). The one is called the “Seed of the woman” (Gen.
3:15), the other the “Seed of the Serpent”
(Gen. 3: 15). The one is called “the
Lamb” (Is. 53:7), the other “the Beast” (Rev. 11: 7). Christ is called “the
Holy One” (Mark 1: 24), the Anti‑christ
is termed “the Wicked One” (2 Thess. 2: 8).
The one is called “the Truth” (John 14: 6), the other “the
Lie” (John 8: 44). The one is called
“the Prince of Peace” (Is.
9: 6), the other “the Profane Prince” (Ezek. 21: 25). The one is called “the Glorious Branch” (Is.
4: 2), the other “the Abominable Branch”
(Is. 14: 19). The one is called “the
Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), the
other “the Idol Shepherd” (Zech. 11: 17).
The one is called “the Mighty Angel” (Rev. 10:1), the other “the
Angel of the Bottomless Pit” (Rev. 9: 11).
Not only do the Scriptures point a
complete contrast between Christ and the Anti‑christ in their several names and
titles but the same is true in regard to their, respective characters and
careers. Christ came down from heaven (John 3:13), but the Anti‑christ comes up out of
the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 11:7). Christ came
in Another’s name (John 5: 43), but the Anti‑christ
will come in his own name (John 5: 43). Christ came to do the Father’s will (John 6: 38), but the Anti‑christ will do his own
will (Dan. 11: 36). Christ wrought in the power of the Holy Spirit
(Luke 4: 14), but the Anti‑christ: will be
energized by Satan (Rev. 13: 4). Christ
submitted Himself to God (John 5: 30), but
the Anti‑christ will defy God (2 Thess. 2: 4).
Christ “humbled” Himself (Phil. 2: 8), but the Anti‑christ will “exalt” himself (Dan. 11:
36). Christ honoured the God of
His fathers (Luke 4: 16), but the Anti‑christ
will refuse to do so (Dan. 11: 37). Christ cleansed the
The remarkable career of the Anti‑christ
is sketched in a number of different Scriptures, some of which we shall now
briefly consider. In Daniel 7 the prophet is given a vision of the four
great world-empires ‑ Babylonish, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman - which are
symbolized by as many “beasts.” The fourth beast is described in verse 7 “After this I saw
in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and
strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in
pieces (referring to the conquests under the Caesars), and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was
diverse from all the beasts that were before it (entirely different in
its form of government); and it had ten horns.” In verse 24
these “ten horns” are said to be “ten kings that shall arise” which corresponds with Rev. 17: 12 where the
In Daniel 8 the “little horn” is mentioned again. Many regard this “little
horn” as symbolizing a different personage from the one brought before
us in the previous chapter, and this, because here he is said to arise out of
the third kingdom (Greece), whereas in chapter 7
he is seen coming up out of the fourth (the Roman Empire). But this we regard as a mistake. To us, this method of interpretation appears
very much like the reasoning of the Jews who of old denied that their Messiah
could come out of
To quote now from Daniel 8:
“And out of one of them came forth a little horn which
waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the
pleasant land (Palestine). And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast
down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them
(probably a symbolical reference to his deposing of certain rulers,
corresponding with the plucking up of the “three kings”
in the previous chapter). Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and
by him the daily sacrifice was taken away (which action clearly
identifies him with the Anti‑christ), and the place of
his sanctuary was cast down. And a host
was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it
cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised and prospered” (vss. 9-12).
Here again the Anti‑christ is seen subduing governmental powers and
enlarging his own kingdom. Here again we
see him inflated with egotism – “magnifying himself,”
which is a characteristic mark of all the prophecies which describe the Anti‑christ,
a mark by which we are enabled to identify him. And here again we see him
opposing the Jews, and destroying that which bears witness to God – “taking away the daily sacrifice.”
In Dan. 11: 36-45 we have
another prophetic picture of the character and career of the Anti‑christ. We do not quote the whole of this passage but
merely the first two and last verses of it.
“And the king shall do according to his will;
and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself (the last two words
showing that he is the same character as
symbolized by the “little horn” ‑ compare 8: 11) above every god, and shall speak marvelous
things against the God of gods (cf. 7: 25),
and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished:
for that that is determined shall be done.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of men,
nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his
palace between the seas in the
glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.” Here we are told the Anti‑christ will be a “king.” He will
be king of the Jews and king over the restored
In 2 Thess. 2 we also read,
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
(the day of Christ ‑ the Millennium) shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the
Son of Perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God.” “For
the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth (restraineth)
will let (restrain), until
He (the Holy Spirit) be taken out of the
way. And then shall that Wicked One be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of His coming (to the earth itself) even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe the Lie: that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness”
(vss. 3, 4, 7-12). Incredible as it may seem, Satan will be
permitted to travesty the miracle of
One other Scripture must suffice. In Rev. 13
we read, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw
a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his
horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of
a lion: and the Dragon (the Devil) gave him
(the Anti‑christ) his power, and his seat, and great
authority. And I saw one of his heads as
it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after
the Beast. And they worshipped the Dragon which gave
power unto the Beast: and they worshipped the Beast, saying, Who is like unto the Beast?
who is able to make war with him? And
there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and
power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against
God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in
heaven. And it was given unto him to
make war with the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all
kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And
all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in
the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (vss. 1-8).
The last quoted Scripture is a case in
point where it is difficult to distinguish between the kingdom and its king, the empire and its
emperor. The “beast”
which is here seen rising out of the “sea”
symbolizes the revival and restoration of the old
We do not now attempt a full interpretation of the symbolical
description of the Anti‑christ contained in what is said above of the first
Beast, a hint here and there is all we shall essay. The Anti‑christ will combine in his
personality the characteristics of the leopard (beauty and subtlety) of the
bear (strength and cruelty), and of the lion (boldness and ferocity). He will be vested with full power and
authority from Satan as the Lord Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He will compel the admiration of the whole
world and will be universally worshipped. He will be a warrior of international
renown and none will be able to resist his terrible power. But his career will be cut short: after his
rise to full power only forty‑two months, or three and a half years, will be
allowed him by God.
Putting together the various
Scriptures at which we have little more than glanced, we learn that the Anti‑christ
will be a supernatural being ‑ the Son of Perdition; that he will be revealed
subsequent to the departure of the Holy Spirit from the earth (which occurs at
the Rapture of the saints); that he will be the greatest soul‑destroyer that
has ever trod this earth. He will be the
Super‑Man for whom the world is already looking. He will personify all the godless culture of
the last days, and will be endowed with a supernatural wisdom. He will be the consummation of vileness – “the Wicked One;” he will be the personification of
evil – “the Man of Sin;” he will be the
incarnation of the Devil – “the Son of Perdition.” He will pose as the Christ of God and will
substantiate his claims by performing wonderful miracles. He will be welcomed and cordially received by
all Christendom. He will utterly deceive
the majority of the Jews who will hail him as their long‑expected Messiah. He will rule over a restored
5. The Situation of the Jews during this Period.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy
Writ make it very clear that
It has also been pointed out that considerable numbers of the
Jews have recently turned their faces Zionward and returned to the land of
their fathers, but before the revelation and rise of the Anti‑christ to
temporal power, many others will also have returned to
A small minority of the Jews (typified by the three “Hebrew children” in the days of Nebuchadnezzar), a
godly remnant, will refuse to receive the Beast and worship his image and, in
consequence, will be subjected to fierce persecution. This pious “remnant”
forms the subject of numerous Old Testament prophecies. We single out but one – “In that day (the Tribulation period) shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou
hast transgressed against Me: for then I will take away out of the midst of
thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because
of My holy mountain. I will also leave
in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the
name of the Lord. The remnant of
It is during the Tribulation period that Elijah the prophet
returns to the earth and Mal. 4: 5, 6 is
fulfilled – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (i.e., before the final three and a half years); and he shall turn
the heart of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to
their fathers.” Doubtless Elijah
is one of the “two witnesses” of Rev. 11 who testify for God twelve hundred and
sixty days in
6. The
The
The
But to go back a little. Unknown to himself, it is the Lord, who shall
cause the Anti‑christ to assemble his forces in
7. The Return of Christ
to the earth itself.
If to-day the presence of the Lord on earth is urgently
needed, how much greater will be this need at the close of the Tribulation
period! The Anti‑christ in full power,
openly blaspheming and blatantly defying God!
All the world worshipping this Son of Perdition and branded with his
mark on their foreheads or in their hands as token of their allegiance to
him! The godly remnant of the Jews in
the very last extremity and crying, “Keep not Thou
silence, 0 God: hold not Thy peace, and be not still 0 God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee
have lifted up the head. They have taken
crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones
(the remnant in the “secret place” of Ps. 91: 1; the “prepared
place” of Rev. 12: 6). They have said, Come,
and let us cut them off from being a
nation; that the name of
A full length picture of our returning Lord is found in Rev. 19, a picture awful in its solemnity and
fearful in its vividness. Let us sit
down before it and study it in detail. “And I saw
Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war” (Rev. 19: 11).
Every word here calls for close attention.
Our Lord comes seated upon a “white
horse.”
The Greek word intimates a‑war‑horse or “charger.” Note
its colour. In Scripture, colours are used emblematically. Here, “white”
is the fitting emblem of the Rider’s spotless purity and unsullied holiness.
Everything in the passage we are now examining is in marked contrast to our Lord’s first Advent. Then He was seen, meek and lowly, seated upon
the back of an ass. But now He is coming
back to the earth for a different work from that which He performed when He was
here before. He returns now for the
purpose of subduing wickedness, to destroy evildoers, to overthrow Anti‑christ
and to remove Satan from these scenes. Hence, in keeping with His mission, He
appears seated upon a white war‑charger!
“Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, 0 most Mighty,
with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in
Thy majesty ride prosperously,
because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach
thee terrible things. Thine arrows are
sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: the
scepter of Thy Kingdom is a right sceptre” (Ps.
45: 3‑6).
He comes as the “Faithful
and True.”
This is in vivid contrast from the abounding unfaithfulness of
men. He comes now faithful to His
promises and true to His threatenings.
To‑day, men may single out those parts of His teachings which accord
with their own sentiments, and reject and deny His solemn threatenings of
judgment against the unbelieving; but, in that day, it shall be seen that He is
Faithful and True to every word He uttered, whether of promise or of
threatening.
He comes back again as “Judge.”
Here we have another striking contrast. When he was here before, wicked men dared to
arraign Him. He was brought before the
judgment‑bar of Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod.
But now the tables shall be turned.
He Himself shall be the judge.
God hath “appointed a day in the which He will
judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:
31). And now the appointed “Day” (the Millennium) has dawned; the ordained Man is
at hand. Observe it is said, “In righteousness He doth judge” (Rev. 19: 11).
This also points a contrast. He was judged un-righteously. No charge could be preferred against
Him. He was guiltless; even His judge
had to acknowledge “I find no fault in Him;” and
yet he sentenced Him to death! How un-righteous! But in marked contrast, our Lord shall judge
“in righteousness:” nought but justice shall He
dispense.
He comes to make war!
Ah! once our blessed Lord ministered to the needy, fed the
hungering multitude, healed the sick, gave peace to the burdened
conscience. Beforetime, He invited the
heavy-laden to come to Him for rest. But
here all is changed. Now He comes seated
upon a war-charger, and with the express purpose of making war. At the Red Sea, where Jehovah destroyed
Pharaoh, and his hosts,
“And His eyes were a flame of fire,
and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew,
but He Himself. And He was clothed in a
vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God” (Rev. 19: 12, 13).
He comes with flashing and flaming eyes.
When He was upon earth before, those eyes had ofttimes shone
with tenderness, as when the children were attracted to Him; had glowed with
compassion, as when a single look upon guilty Peter melted his heart and caused
him to go out and weep bitterly; yea, they had been filled with tears, as when
He stood by the graveside of Lazarus and when He wept over the Jerusalem which
had rejected Him. But here they flash
and flame like fire. Now shall they be
seen as the eyes of One who is thoroughly aroused with holy indignation. But not only do those flaming eyes express
His anger, they also show forth His omniscience. Those
flaming eyes shall pierce through every veil of hypocrisy and scorch into the
very souls of His enemies. They will act
as a veritable searchlight, penetrating to the thoughts and intents of the
heart.
He comes with head decked with many
crowns.
This, again, is in vivid contrast to the days of old. Once that holy brow was covered with sweat of
agony so intense that it was as it were great drops of blood. Once that head was crowned with thorns ‑ the
symbol of the Curse. But here it shall
be crowned with glory and honour. He
comes forth now, not as the lowly Sufferer, but as the victorious Conqueror
vested with complete authority. “Many crowns” observe, for in that day He shall be King
not only of the Jews, but King of the Gentiles as well ‑ King of kings. All the world shall then be compelled to bow
before Him and submit to His universal sovereignty.
He comes with a Name Known to none
save Himself.
In Scripture names express nature ‑ what a person or thing
is. So here. Christ has a name which no creature can
fathom. That is to say, His Person is incomprehensible;
there are mysterious depths in Him which no finite mind can grasp.
He comes with a vesture dipped in
blood.
At first sight this seems to suggest a comparison rather than
a contrast, but the verses which follow show that it is another of those sharp
antitheses with which this passage abounds.
Once His raiment had been crimsoned by the flowing of His own blood, but
now, alas! it is from the blood of others.
He was lifted up that men might shed His blood, but now He
descends that He might shed their blood.
He comes, denominated the Word of God.
We are told this so that there may be no possibility of
mistaking Him. This title serves to
identify Him, and connects the two Advents.
He is here designated by His Eternal and Divine name. “In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1: 1). He is no longer called by His name “Jesus” which means “Saviour,”
but is termed “the Word of God” which points to
the dignity, majesty, and glory of His Person.
The use of this Divine title in the present connection is deeply
significant. When He was here before He
came in weakness and shame: it was His Humanity that was most prominent; but when He comes back again to this
earth, He shall return in irresistible power and great glory, and His Diety will be most conspicuous.
“And out of His mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a
name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev.
19: 15,16).
He comes to smite the nations with a Sword that goeth out of
His mouth.
Here again we have another contrast. When He was here before, He spoke words of
blessing to cheer: He came not to judge the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. But now all is
changed. The “Sword”
which proceedeth out of His mouth is the Word of God (Heb.
4: 12). Throughout the centuries
of this Dispensation He has sent forth His Word that it may slay sin in men,
but in the days of His humiliation His mouth was opened to bless men, now it
shall be opened to curse and slay them.
It is the fulfilment of Isaiah 11: 4
– “And He shall smite the earth with the rod of His
mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.” It marks the ease with which He performs His
purposes: He speaks, and it is done; He gives the command, and it is
accomplished. Something of this was
pre-intimated on the occasion of His arrest in the Garden (John 18). When the soldiers came to take Him, He said,
“Whom seek ye?” and they replied, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and we read, “Jesus said unto them. I am” * * and as soon as He had said unto them I am, they went backward
and fell to the ground”! If so
mild an utterance prostrated His enemies then, what will it be when He girds
Himself for judgment!
He comes to rule the nations with a
Rod of Iron.
How different this is to the popular conception of the “Gentle Jesus”!
Human sentimentality has pictured our blessed Lord as being so tender
that He will never find in His heart to punish sin and slay the workers of
iniquity. For the most part, the world
today hears from the pulpit only a one-sided presentation of the character of
God - that side which is most agreeable to man in his fallen condition. But God is not only Love, He is Light; not
only is He Merciful; He is Holy and Righteous.
Because He is Holy He cannot ignore sin, yea, “He
can by no means clear the guilty.”
The claims of His Throne must be maintained, even though a thousand
worlds be destroyed. Long has God dealt
with our race in wondrous grace and infinite patience, and evilly have men
repaid Him. But when Christ returns to
the earth, the Dispensation of grace will have ended and He comes back, no
longer inviting voluntary allegiance, but to compel obedience. The
insignia of the returning Lord shall be the Iron Rod. Iron was the symbol and emblem of the
He comes to tread the Winepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
This is the fulfilment of the prophetic word of Isaiah - “Who is this that cometh from
He comes followed by “armies.”
“And the armies which were in Heaven
followed Him upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 9: 14).
The “armies” that follow the Divine
Warrior will be made up by both the Old Testament and New Testament
saints. Those armies are not “angels” as some teach, though these “armies” will certainly be accompanied by angels as we
learn from 2 Thess. 1: 7. That the “armies”
are not angels appears from Jude 14, where those who accompany the Captain of
their salvation are denominated “saints” a term
which is never applied to angels; and also from Rev.
17: 14, where those that are “with Him”
are styled “called and chosen and faithful” -
language which is applicable to none save the children of God. The saints who are one with Christ, then made
“like Him,” will fully share His feelings and
participate in His victory, though He alone will do the fighting.
He comes to overthrow the Anti‑christ and his legions.
The issue of this battle, the
“And I saw the Beast, and the kings of
the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat
on the horse, and against His army. And
the Beast was taken., and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles
before him, and with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
Beast, and them that worshipped his image.
Those both were cast alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with
their flesh” (Rev. 19: 19‑21). Comment is needless. The Anti‑christ and the False Prophet are
both cast into the
The Consummation of The Redeemer’s Return or The Millennial
Reign
“And the Lord
shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord,
and His name one” (Zech.
14:9).
CHAPTER TEN
It should now be evident to every
unprejudiced reader that there are two distinct stages in the Second Coming of
Christ: His coming in the air, and His coming to the earth; His coming for the saints, and His coming with
the saints. The first great purpose
before Him in connection with His return is to receive His people unto
Himself. Just as of old God translated
Enoch to Heaven before He sent the Deluge upon the ungodly, so will the Church
be removed from this earth before the vials of His wrath are poured out upon
it. The second great purpose before the
Lord Jesus will be to return to the earth itself, there to set up His Kingdom
and reign in righteousness, and it is the nature, the scope, the blessedness,
and the duration of this Kingdom-reign which is now to engage our attention.
In popular parlance the era of the Messiah’s reign is referred
to as the “Millennium” which is a compound word
signifying a thousand years. From the
remotest antiquity men have longed for and talked of a Golden Age, of an age in
which righteousness and peace should prevail, and oppression and war should
cease. Poets have sung of it,
politicians have dreamed about it, and inspired prophets have described
it. This era of blessedness is variously
denominated in the Scriptures. It is
termed “the Regeneration” (Matt. 19: 28); the “Last
Day” (John 6: 40); the “Times of Refreshing” (Acts
3: 19); the “Times of Restitution” (Acts 3: 21); the “Kingdom”
(1 Cor. 15:24); the “Day of Christ” (Phil. 1: 6); the
“Dispensation of the Fullness of Times” (Eph. 1: 10).
There are more
Scriptures which treat of the Millennium or Kingdom-age than perhaps any other one
subject in the Bible. The difficulty is to classify them
all. For purpose of simplification we
shall now consider the Millennium under seven heads, namely, the Millennium in
relation to Satan, to Christ, to the Church, to
1. The Millennium in relation to
Satan.
In our last chapter we saw that Christ descends from Heaven to
find an organized effort to prevent Him coming back to the earth. Under the leadership of Anti-Christ, the
kings of the earth with their armies assemble together at Armageddon with the
express purpose of making war upon the Lamb (Rev.
17: 14). It is in connection with
this impious revolt that we read, “He that sitteth in
the heavens shall laugh” (Ps. 2: 4),
laugh at their folly and madness, “The Lord shall have
them in derision.” As well might
a worm seek to resist the tread of an elephant as the creature hope to succeed
against the Almighty. As well attempt to
roll back the ocean as aim to frustrate the counsels of the Most High. “For the Lord of
hosts hath purposed and who shall dis-annual it? and His hand is stretched out,
and who shall turn it back?” (Is. 14: 27). A short work will our Lord make of the proud
rebels‑ “And the Beast was taken, and with him the
False Prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them
that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone”
(Rev. 19: 19). This accounts for two of the persons in the
Trinity of Evil. But one other still
remains to be dealt with. Before the
Messiah’s Kingdom can be set up, the great Usurper must first be cast out.
There can be no thousand years of righteousness and peace on
earth while the great Enemy of God and man is at large. Post-millenarians, who expect the Kingdom to
be brought in by the preaching of the Gospel and the activities of the Church,
and Peace-idealists’ and Social-reformers who look for a Golden Age to be
brought about by legislation and civilization, all leave out of their schemes
and considerations one dominating factor, namely, the Devil. Behind
all anti-christian systems, back of all the inveterate opposition to the
Gospel, beneath all the evil and wickedness which stalks rampant through the
earth, is that old Serpent, the Devil.
And nothing finite can remove him.
Nothing human can disturb him.
None on earth can bind him. Man
is incompetent to cope with his mighty adversary. Legislation cannot reach him, and the Church
is powerless to rid the world of his awful presence. The only One who is mightier than he, is God
- the Almighty, and there can be no
Millennium, no era of righteousness and peace, no Golden Age, until the Son of
God Himself returns in person and removes and imprisons the Arch-Foe.
The removal of Satan from this earth
is described in Rev. 20: 1-3, “And I saw an angel (We believe this “angel” to be the Lord Jesus Himself - the uncreated
Angel of the Covenant (Mal. 3: 1). If it should be asked, Why term Him an angel?
the answer is, To connect Him with
At last the “roaring lion” (1 Peter 5: 8) will have been overcome, overcome by the Lion of the tribe, of
2. The Millennium in
relation to Christ.
It has been divinely ordained that our Lord should fill three
great offices ‑ the Prophetic, the Priestly, and ‑ the Kingly. As Prophet, He acts as God’s Spokesman:
revealing God’s mind, communicating God’s will, unveiling God’s heart. As Priest, He acts as Mediator between God
and men, and by means of His atoning sacrifice He reconciles believers to Cod,
represents His peoples’ interests before God, interceding for them and pleading
their cause. As King, He will reign over
men, enforcing God’s laws, and upholding on earth the claims of His
Throne. It is of Christ as King we shall
now speak.
Toward the close of David’s reign, the word of the Lord came
to Nathan, bidding him go to the king and, among other things, tell him, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy
fathers, I will set up thy Seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy
bowels, and I will establish His kingdom.
He shall build an house for My name and I will establish the throne of
His Kingdom for ever” (2 Sam, 7: 12, 13). At a later date, in one of the great
Messianic prophecies, it was announced concerning our Lord that “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne
of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with
judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever” (Is. 9: 6,7).
Hence it is that the very first verse of the New Testament reads, “The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the
Son of David, (thus linking Him with
Just before our Lord was born, an angel appeared unto Mary and
said, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto
Him the
throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the House of
Jacob for ever: and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1: 30-33).
Sometime during our Lords infancy
certain wise men, who were led by a star, came to
It was announced then, in Old Testament prophecy, and
confirmed by the angel to Mary, that our Lord should occupy the throne of
David. In order to the fulfilment of
this, our Lord, according to the flesh, sprang from one who was a lineal descendant
of David, and therefore, He was born “King of the Jews.” But as we have seen,
When Adam was created God said, “Let us
make man in our image, and let them have dominion.” At
the beginning, earth’s sceptre was committed into the hands of man (see Ps. 8: 4-8).
But right on the scene of his creation came one who disputed Adam’s
right to earth’s sovereignty, and who succeeded in wresting the sceptre from
his hands. Satan brought to bear upon
him a diabolical temptation: Adam succumbed, and falling, he forfeited his
dominion over the earth. As the
consequence, Satan became “The Prince of this world,”
and as such approached our Lord in the temptation, when he took Him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and “sheweth Him all the
kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these
things will I give Thee, if
Thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt.
4: 8, 9). But on the Cross, the
Lord Jesus re-gained the sceptre which Adam lost; and here is the key to Rev. 5.
In the fifth chapter of the Apocalypse a remarkable scene is
brought before us. The beloved apostle
sees a book‑“written within and on the back side,
sealed with seven seals”‑ in the right hand of Him that sat on the
Throne. Then he hears an angel saying, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals
thereof?” Next we are told, “And no man in
heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book,
neither to look thereon. And I wept
much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look thereon.” Many have been the
conjectures concerning this mysterious “book,”
but by comparing Scripture with Scripture we think there can be no doubt as to
what is here in view. In Jer. 32: 6-15 we read of a field being bought, and
the receipt (the “evidence”)
of the purchase is termed a “book,” and this
book was “sealed.” It is to a similar transaction that Rev. 5 refers.
The book seen by the apostle contains the title deeds to this earth. These title deeds which Adam lost have been recovered by Christ. They have been recovered by “purchase,” and the price paid was the precious blood
of the Lamb. In Matt.
13: 44 we read of a Man who “goeth and selleth
all that He bath, and buyeth that field” and in verse
38 of the same chapter we are told “The field is
the world.” Hence it is that the
apostle was told, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the
Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (Rev. 5: 5). What is seen in vision in Rev. 5 becomes actual fact when the Lord Jesus
returns to the earth. It will be at that
time the “purchased possession” ‑ the earth ‑ is
“redeemed” (Eph. 1:
14). Hence, when he comes back,
His first act will be to eject Satan from it, establish His Kingdom upon it, and exercise “dominion”
over it.
Another Scripture which throws light upon the Millennium in
relation to Christ is 1 Peter 1: 13. Here the second coming of our Lord (to the
earth) is termed, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” This is in contrast to the first advent. When He was here before, His Divine glory was
veiled and much of His power and majesty were concealed. But when He comes back again His Divine glory
shall be fully manifested. Instead of
appearing as the gentle Lamb, He will come as the Lion of the Tribe of
Judah. Instead of standing before human
tribunals to be judged of men, He will summon all nations before Him and sit in
judgment upon them. Instead of appearing
in humiliation, weakness, and shame, He will be revealed in regal power and
majesty. Instead of coming to be the
Victim, He will return as the Victor, to sit upon the Throne of His Glory. So, then, the Millennium is the time when our
Lord enters into the exercise of His Kingly office, when He will reign in power and
exercise dominion over all the earth, and when His personal Glory shall be
fully manifested. We turn now to
consider,
3. The Millennium in relation to the Church.
As we have seen in previous chapters, it is at the first stage of Christ’s second coming that
the Church is removed from the earth. At
the Redeemer’s descent from Heaven, the Church, like Enoch and Elijah, is
miraculously caught up, caught up to meet the Lord in the air and evermore
shall it be with its glorious Head. Therefore, when the Saviour returns to the
earth, the Church will accompany Him. This
is clear from Col. 3: 4 and Jude 14, so often quoted in these pages.
Exactly what part the Church will play during the Millennium
it is not easy to say. Few details are
revealed. A moment’s reflection will
show why this is the case. It is in the Old
Testament that the Millennium receives the fullest consideration, whereas the
Church is the subject of New Testament revelation.
Moreover, we must remember that the Millennium is the time when God’s
Kingdom is revealed on earth, whereas the Church is a Heavenly creation, and has a heavenly
citizenship and destiny (Phil. 3: 20; 1 Pet. 1: 4). Nevertheless, one or two things are
sure. The Church will be with
Christ throughout the
Millennium, and not only so, the saints will reign with Him.‑ “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and has redeemed us
to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on (or
“over”) the earth
(Rev. 5: 9, 10). And again we read, “Bessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death has no power, but they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:
6). Who can picture the blessed
accomplishment of this promise! For two
thousand years the saints have (more or less) lived as strangers and pilgrims
on the earth. Many of them have been
maligned, ostracized, persecuted and martyred.
They went forth unto Christ “without the camp,
bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13: 13). But now shall they be richly rewarded. They suffered “with
Him” and now shall they be also “glorified
together” (Rom. 8: 17). And then will it be fully manifested that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8: 18).
In the Parable of the Pounds we have a Scripture which sets forth
one aspect of the reward which shall be enjoyed by the faithful in
that day. “And
He (Christ) said unto him, Well, thou good
servant: because thou hast been faithful
in a very little, have thou
authority over ten cities” (Luke 19: 17).
This Scripture seems to intimate that during the Millennium the [faithful] saints will occupy a prominent part in the
government of the world. Yea, it is
written, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge
the world?” (1 Cor. 6: 2). Ah! how different things will then be. The
first shall be last, and the last first.
Positions shall be completely reversed. Today the children of God (that
is, those who really walk as such)
are despised and hated by the world.
This is the promise of our Lord: “And he that
overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall
rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken
to shivers: even as I received of My Father” (Rev.
2: 26, 27). Yes, Christ’s position,
Christ’s power, Christ’s prerogatives, shall be shared by His people [i.e., the
overcomers from amongst them], for He and they
are one.
Again, it is during the Millennium that the Unity
of the Church ‑in
contradistinction to the innumerable sects in Christendom which now divide
believers ‑ will be fully manifested, and our Lord’s prayer of John 17: 22, 23 fulfilled‑ “And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they
may be one, even as We are One: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may
be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou has sent Me, and hast loved
them, as Thou hast loved Me.” Not
until the “Day of Christ” will the world “know” these things, for then it is that we shall all
have come “in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”
(Eph. 4: 13). Yes, and then it is, also that Christ shall
come “to be glorified in His saints and admired in
all them that believe” (2 Thess. 1: 10). In that day, the Church will be an object of
beauty, wonderment, and admiration to all the world. It will then be fully seen what great things
the Lord hath done for His Church, in giving it a higher place - a place nearer
to Himself than that which even the holy angels will occupy. We turn now to consider,
4. The Millennium in
relation to
“And it came to pass, that, when the
sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that
passed between those pieces. In that
same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I
given this land” (Gen. 15: 17, 18). Here the two great periods of
A remarkable statement is found in Deut.
32: 8 which antedates the actual history of the Jews. “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance,
when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according
to the number of the children of Israel.” Israel is here seen to be
present before the mind of God six hundred years before they had any national
standing in the earth, and two hundred years before the birth of their father
Abraham. Yet, even at that remote
period, God assigned to the descendants of the then scattered sons of Adam,
their position in the earth according to the number of that people which was
not then born. Here, then, we learn
God’s purpose concerning
the chosen nation -
In Gen.
13:14, 15, we read “And the Lord said unto
Abram, after that
Now, it is evident that the nation of
The restoration of
In Zech. 12: 9, 10 we art,
told, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications: and
they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him,
as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Here is the starting-point of
With
the restored and re-united twelve tribes God will make a new covenant‑ “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according
to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by
the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake,
although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the
Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
and will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall teach no more every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all
know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for
I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more”(Jer. 31: 31‑34; cf. 32:
37-40’s; Is. 59: 20, 21).
Early in the Millennium Jerusalem will be rebuilt: “Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity
of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling-places; and the city shall be
builded upon her own little hill, and the palace shall remain after the manner
thereof” (Jer. 30:18, cf. 31: 38‑40).
Furthermore, the Temple itself will be re-built, built under the
immediate supervision of the Lord Himself – “Thus
speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His
place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord: Even He shall build the
Temple of the Lord: and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon
His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace
shall be between them both and they that are far off shall come and build in
the Temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent Me
unto you.” (Zech. 6: 12‑15). This
During the Millennium the land of Palestine will be
apportioned equally among the
Twelve Tribes - see Ezek. 47 and 48 - and upon thrones shall sit the twelve
apostles judging the twelve tribes of Israel – “And Jesus
said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed Me; in The
Regeneration ( i.e., the Millennium) when the
Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt.
19: 28). Apparently, it was to
this Isaiah referred when he wrote‑ “Behold, a King
shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment”
(Is. 32: 1).
Many are the passages which describe
We turn now to consider,
5. The Millennium in
relation to the World.
The Millennium will be the time, when, instead of Satan being
the world’s “Prince,” the Christ of God shall be
its King. The form of His government will
be theocratic not democratic –“And the Lord shall be King over
all the earth” (Zech. 14: 9).
The scope or range of His government will be world-wide. All nations will be subject to His rule, and
the uttermost parts of the earth shall be possessed by Him. “He shall have
dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow
before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall
bring present: the kings of
Perhaps at this point it would be well
if we endeavoured to meet a difficulty which many inquirers experience in
connection with the Millennium. It may
be stated thus. If the saints are all
caught up to meet the Lord at His descent into the air., and the wicked are all
destroyed during the Tribulation period, who will be left to inhabit the earth
during the Kingdom age? The answer is
simple. It is a mistake to suppose that all who are left behind at the Rapture will
be subsequently destroyed by God’s judgments.
It is true that “the slain of the Lord will be
many,” yet the earth will not be entirely depopulated. This is evident from Matt.
25: 31. It is also true that “all” who now believe not the truth will “perish” during the Day of God’s vengeance‑2 Thess. 2, yet many of the children of these
unbelievers will be spared. Not all of
those who will be gathered together for the battle of that great day of God
Almighty will be slain, as is clear from Is. 66:19,
where we read of “those that escape.” The slaughter at Armageddon will be
inconceivably dreadful, for from that battlefield will flow a river
of blood two hundred miles in
length and several feet in depth, yet we know from Zech.
14:16 that a “remnant” will be spared‑“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the
nations which came against
Jerusalem, shall even go up from
year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts.” Finally; there will be a Jewish remnant
miraculously preserved by God (Rev. 12) and
these together with their resurrected brethren who were slain by the Anti‑christ
(Rev. 20: 4) will form the nucleus from
which will spring the Millennial Israel.
The seat of Christ’s government
will be Jerusalem, the royal city, “And many people
shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His
paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem” (Is. 2: 3).
The character of Messiah’s government is brought before us in Is. 11: 3‑5, “And He shall
not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His
ears: but with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity
for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His
mouth, and with the breath of His
lips shall He slay the wicked. And
righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of
His reins.” During the Kingdom
age - in contradistinction to the present dispensation of Grace wherein God
endures with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction -
wickedness shall be promptly dealt with
and evil doers will meet with swift judgment: “Whoso privily slandereth his
neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will
not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon
the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with Me: he that walketh in a
perfect way, he shall serve Me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within
My house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in My sight. I will early
destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked-doers from
the city of the Lord” (Ps. 101: 5‑8).
We turn now to some of the results of
Christ’s government. During the
Millennium our Lord will rule as “The Prince of Peace.” For the first time since the flood, the earth
will be completely delivered from the horrors of war. Then it will be seen that “He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth” (Ps. 46: 9). The Kingdom age will be a time of universal
peace – “And they shall beat their swords into
ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Is. 2: 4).
During the Millennium there shall also be universal
blessing. An exceedingly sublime picture
of the conditions that will then obtain is to be found in Is. 35: 5-10, “Then the
eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be
unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap
as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters
break out, and streams in the desert.
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs
of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with
reeds and rushes. And an highway shall
be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness: the unclean
shall not pass over it; but it shall
be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous
beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to
At the beginning of the Millennium there shall be a universal worship of Christ‑“And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all
the nations which came against
What a glorious time the Millennium will be for our poor
sin-cursed earth! Universal
righteousness, universal peace, universal blessing, and universal worship! Surely we have reason to pray “Thy kingdom come.”
And now,
6. The Millennium in
relation to Creation.
The blessings which will be brought to the world upon the
establishment of the Messianic Kingdom will not be confined to the human family
but will be extended to all creation. As
we have shown in earlier chapters, the Curse which was pronounced by God upon
the ground in the day of Adam’s fall, and which resulted in a creation that has
groaned and travailed ever since, is yet to be revoked. Creation is not to remain in bondage for
ever. God has set a hope before it, a
hope, which like ours, centres in the personal return of Christ. “For the earnest
expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not
of its own will, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope; that the
creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the
liberty of the glory of the children of God” (Rom.
8: 19‑21, R. V.). A passage
closely connected with the one just quoted is found in the ninety-sixth Psalm‑“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the
sea roar, and the fullness thereof. Let
the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the
wood rejoice. Before the Lord: for He
cometh, for He cometh to
judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people
with His truth” (Psa. 96: 11‑13). These verses picture the joy of all Nature
consequent upon the advent of its Creator to the earth.
One striking effect of Creation’s deliverance from its present
bondage is described in Is. 30: 26 – “Moreover the light of the moon shall be (in the
Millennium) as the light of the sun, and the light of
the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days; in the day that the
Lord bindeth up the breach of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.” An illustration of the Curse being removed
from the “ground” is found in Is. 35: 1.
When the Times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord then
shall “the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.”
This is further amplified in Isaiah 41: 17‑20‑
“When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none,
and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of
Israel will not forsake them. I will
open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will
make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the
myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they
may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the
Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.”
Not the least of the beneficent changes introduced during the
Millennium will be the restoration of the animal kingdom to its Edenic state.
The present ferocity of the wild beast is abnormal and due to the fall
of man. It is very clear from Genesis 2 that, originally, man had full dominion
over all the animal kingdom, but this was forfeited when he rebelled against
his Maker. In the kingdom age - the
Times of the Restitution of all things spoken of by the prophets - the fierce
nature of the beasts will be subdued, for in that day, “The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young
lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw as the
ox. And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice,
den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in
all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea” (Is. 11: 6‑9).
By comparing Scripture with Scripture it would appear that,
during the Millennium, there will be no earthquakes, no tornadoes, no storms at
sea, but all Nature will be at rest and share in the general blessing which the
personal presence of Christ shall bring.
And yet, there will be droughts and plagues upon the rebellious and
disobedient (see Zech. 14: 18, 19), which
leads us to consider,
7. The Millennium in
relation to Sin.
In spite of the fact that Satan will have been removed from
the earth, and that Christ reigns in person over it, yet conditions here will
not be perfect even in the Millennium.
Unregenerate human nature will remain unchanged. Sin will still be present, though much of its
outward manifestation will be restrained.
Discontent and wickedness will not be eradicated from the hearts of men,
but will be kept beneath the surface by means of the Iron Rod. Multitudes will yield to Christ nothing but a feigned obedience (Ps. 18: 44, margin). This “feigned obedience” will be the product
of power not grace; it will be the fruit of fear not love. In Psalm 72,
which gives a graphic picture of millennial conditions, we read, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and
His enemies shall lick the dust” (vs. 9).
Again, we are told in Psalm 110: 2
that the Lord shall rule in the midst of “enemies.” In Psalm 149,
wherein the children of Zion are bidden to “be joyful
in their King,” we are told that His saints shall “execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the
people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all His
saints. Praise ye the Lord” (vss. 7‑9).
In Micah 5, where we have another
description of the judgments which the remnant of Jacob will execute upon the
Gentiles, we are told, “And the remnant of Jacob shall
be in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a
young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth
down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine
adversaries, and all thine enemies
shall be cut off” (vss. 8‑10). These verses do not conflict with those
Scriptures which speak of great blessings, spiritual as well as temporal,
coming upon the Gentiles during the Millennium, but warn us that the Kingdom
age is not the Perfect State, and that while most if not all will worship
outwardly, yet at heart many are still the enemies of the Lord.
At the close of the Millennium Satan will be temporarily
released from his prison in order to test humanity: “And
when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand
of the sea. And they went upon
the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the
beloved city” (Rev. 20: 7‑9). Thus will be fully and finally demonstrated
the incurable evil of the human heart.
Even a thousand years of millennial blessedness, with Satan away from
the earth, will not effect any change in man.
Let Satan be loosed and allowed to go forth once more and deceive the
nations, and it shall be seen that
the carnal mind is still enmity against God, and prefers a Murderer to the Lord
Jesus. Nothing avails short of a new
creation. Miracles, a beneficent environment,
temporal blessings ‑ nothing without, can alter fallen and depraved human
nature. “Except
a man be born of water (the Word) and of the
Spirit he cannot enter the
The final revolt of man under the leadership of the Devil will
meet with swift judgment‑“And fire came down from God
out of heaven and devoured them” (Rev. 20: 9). What follows is told us in a few words. Satan himself is cast into the
“And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the
Following
the great white Throne judgment and the casting of the lost into the Lake of
Fire, Christ will deliver up the, kingdom to God, even the Father, “when He shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and
power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. And when all things shall be subdued unto
Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things
under Him, that God may be all in all” (1
Cor. 15: 24, 25, 28; and see further Rev.
21: 1‑5).
Conclusion
As we take up our pen to write these closing paragraphs, we do
so conscious that we have merely skimmed, here and there, the surface of a vast
ocean of truth. Though upwards of five
hundred Scriptures have been referred to in these pages yet, hundreds more
could have been cited in support of the positions which we have advanced. An exhaustive classification and examination
of all the passages which are connected, directly or indirectly, with the
subject of the Redeemer’s Return, would necessitate many volumes rather than
one. Our opponents greatly err who suppose that pre-millennialism rests upon
a few doubtful and obscure passages.
The texts upon which we rely are neither few nor ambiguous, and their
testimony is neither scanty nor uncertain.
No other doctrine of Scripture can produce a larger, more distinct and more
vigorous testimony in its favour. The
Coming and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ is a theme which pervades the Bible
from Genesis to Revelation. It is the
central burden of prophecy. It is the
grand solution to the mystery of Divine Providence. It is the one great hope of the Church, of
Israel, and of creation.
The personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ to set up His
Kingdom on the earth and reign over it in power and glory is no novelty of a
feverish age, no hasty conjecture caught up at random without consideration and
unsupported by reliable evidence. It is
no fable of romance, but sober, Scriptural reality, though far beyond what
fancy ever painted. It is no creation of
a disordered mind, but the Golden Milestone of Scripture to which all lines of
prophecy are rapidly converging. It is
no pet theory of certain religious fanatics, but the approaching Climax of all
history. It is no mere dream of
idealists, but the promised consummation and glorious issue of all the
confusion and change, the sin and sorrow, the disease and death which have desolated the earth for six thousand
years. It is the divinely ordained
Remedy for those deep and manifold evils under which humanity now groans and
which men are so earnestly, yet vainly, seeking to cure.
Had we followed the inclinations of our own heart, we should
have devoted a chapter to the history of Millenarianism. We might have quoted from the early Church “fathers” and shown that during the first three
centuries of the Christian era it prevailed universally, its only opponents
being the Gnostics. We might have
referred to the writings of the Reformers, and shown how they one and all
looked for the imminent coming of Christ.
We might have inserted citations from modern authors whose piety and scholarship
are unquestioned. But we had no desire to buttress our position by human
authority even of the most ancient and honourable kind. Let not our faith stand in the wisdom of men,
but in the power of God. Unless our
thesis can be unequivocally maintained from Holy Scripture, it were vain to
call in human witnesses however numerous or however venerable.
The
saddest thing of all in connection with our
subject is that Christian theologians have divided into opposite
camps. And yet it need not surprise us
that the Second Coming of Christ is a controverted doctrine‑what doctrine of
Scripture is not? Nevertheless, it is
the bounden duty of every lover of the Lord’s appearing to pray earnestly that
it may please God to lead out a greater number of His children into the light,
and that there may be a more harmonious and united testimony borne to this most
important of all truths. We fervently
trust that one result of our humble labours will he that many who read these pages will go forth crying “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him.” That the
masses will give neither heed nor credit to the alarm is only to be expected. When Lot warned his sons‑in‑law of the
impending doom of Sodom “he seemed as one
that mocked” (Gen. 19: 14).
When
Brethren, the end of the Age is upon us. All over the world, reflecting minds are
discerning the fact that we are on the very eve of another of those
far-reaching crises which make the history of our race. Their sense of justice tells them that the
unbridled lust, the increasing oppression, the unparalleled bloodshed, have
defied Heaven long enough and that the judge of all the earth must soon rise in
His wrath to make “a short work” (Rom. 9: 28) of it all. Those who look out on present conditions are
forced to conclude that the consummation of this dispensation is at hand. But it is only they who give diligent heed to
the study of the prophetic Word that have “understanding
of the times” (1 Chron. 12: 32). Let the believer ask, Watchman what of the
night? and the infallible answer is, “The night cometh”! And it never appeared so nigh. Everywhere the shadows are gathering,
gathering deeper and broader, lengthening out and falling with ominous gloom
all over the earth. The world’s night is at hand.
The sands
in the hour glass of this Day of Salvation have almost run out. The signs of the Times demonstrate it. “But,” it may be asked, “Have
not other ages, as well as the present, been crowded with signs of distress?”
Undoubtedly. We read, “The thing that hath been, it is
that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and
there is no new thing under the sun. Is
there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time” (Ecc. 1: 9, 10)!
Many of the Signs which now appear in the sky have been visible to
former generations, yet, today, they shine out more clearly and more
prominently than ever before. “But,” it may be objected, “Have
there not always been pessimists who interpreted gloomily the events of their
day? Have not others, again and again,
written in similar strain, only to be shamed and discredited?” Be it
so. But were they not wise men who took the earliest alarm,
even though their fears were not immediately realized! They read evil in the Signs of their Times
and gave utterance to their convictions so that their fellow-men might be
aroused; and surely that was not folly.
They unduly magnified the evil, and erred in their calculations, yet it
cannot be denied that their warning was beneficial in its results even though it was premature. But
today, the Signs are so plain they cannot be misread, though the foolish may
close their eyes and refuse to examine them.
What these Signs are we have shown at length in chapter six and if the
evidence there furnished has not convinced the reader that the Lord is at hand,
then there is little hope that any
further arguments drawn from Scripture will do so. Notwithstanding, we digress for a moment in
order to call attention to one other Sign entirely different from those
previously mentioned. In Nahum 2: 3, 4 we
read, “The chariots shall be with flaming torches in
the day of His preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken. The
chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against
another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like
the lightnings.” What an accurate description of the
conditions which now prevail in every city and along every public high-way
throughout the land! The enormous
increase in the number of automobiles, so that such a congestion of street
traffic is produced it may literally be said “They
justle one against another in the broad ways;” their glaring head-lights
at night time when they appear as “flaming torches;”
and their high rate of speed so that they “run like the
lightnings,” are here accurately depicted. What is to be particularly noted is that this
phenomenon is peculiar to this present generation, and that we are expressly told it is to be a
characteristic of “The Day of His Preparation.”
“But,”
it may be asked again, “Why is it that so few of our
religious leaders and teachers are heralding the approach of Christ?” The answer is, Because many of them are blind
themselves‑“blind leaders of the blind.” As the
Word declares, they are “ever learning and
never able to come to the knowledge of the
truth” (2 Tim. 3: 7).
It is greatly to be feared that the
majority of our preachers are following the traditions of the elders rather
than studying the Scriptures for themselves. Their prophetical views were formed under Seminary interpretations of
eschatology and the Seminaries, in turn, are committed to some system of theology, a system formulated in
most cases by men who lived centuries ago.
While the Church is deeply indebted, under God, to such men as Luther and Calvin, Wesley and Whitefield, yet, it must be borne in
mind that they lived in an age when
Prophecy was almost entirely neglected.
It was not until last century that the Holy Spirit stirred up the people
of God to the deep importance of studying prophetic and dispensational truth:
Previous to the nineteenth century all teaching which had reference to the
Second Coming of Christ was, with very rare exceptions, merely traditional, that is to say, it was nothing more
than what had been handed down from one generation to another, it was merely
the reciting of the dreams of others who had gone before. We say “the dreams,”
for after the Hope of the Redeemer’s Return was lost - while the Bridegroom
tarried‑all the virgins slumbered and slept, and while they slept they
dreamed, and wild and weird
were their dreams. They dreamt that the
Church was to conquer the Devil and that the Gospel would win the world to
Christ. This dream captivated the minds
of theologians of every shade of religious belief. Each succeeding generation recounted this
dream in still more glowing language, until the climax was reached some four
years ago. How much we heard of
religious progress, of the march of civilization. and of the “good time” that was coming! The horrible arts of war were to be nothing
more than humbling memories of the
past. The labours of our politicians and
the activities of the Church would soon produce an era wherein the universal
rights of mankind were freely recognized, when tyranny and injustice would be
overthrown, and when culture and virtue would reign supreme. Christian and secular philanthropists
congratulated each other in view of the Golden Age which their joint efforts
were hastening on. But the happenings of
the last three years have rudely dissipated this dream. The dreadful War has shown that much which
went under the name of civilization was nothing but veneered barbarism. The battle fields of Europe bear witness to
the fact that the optimistic and jubilant spirit which possessed our church
leaders a few years ago was nothing more than Laodicean self-complacency,
saying “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing,” when in reality Christendom was “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”
(Rev. 3: 17). The blood-soaked earth of today exposes the
utter vanity of the delusive hope cherished by the post-millenarians and gives
fulfilment to God’s Word which declares “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them”
(1 Thess. 5: 3).
Unless men had been strangely blinded, the analogy of the past
ought to have corrected the blind optimism of which we have just spoken. Every previous dispensation has ended in
human failure and Divine judgment!
The Edenic dispensation saw the fall of man and his expulsion from the
garden of Eden. At the close of the
Noahic dispensation “God looked upon the earth, and,
behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the
earth. And God said unto Noah, The end
of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through
them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Gen. 6: 12, 13).
The Patriarchal dispensation, when the sword of the magistrate was
committed into the hands of man, witnessed the revolt and overthrow of the
Unspeakably sad have been, and still are, the pernicious
effects of the post-millennial teaching.
Instead of listening to the voice of Divine truth many of the profest
followers of the Lamb have heeded the siren voices of the earth which have
drawn them into entangling alliances with the world, deceiving them as to their
prospects here and persuading them to substitute carnal policy for spiritual
energy and time-serving expediencies for self-denying faith. 0 that the children of God would hold,
themselves aloof from the world’s plans of social amelioration and political
aggrandisement, and take up their cross and follow their despised and rejected
Lord, remembering that “the friendship of the world is
enmity with God” (Jas. 4: 4). Christ has not left His Church here to “make the world a better world for the natural man to live
in, nor to make the natural man a better man to live in the world” (Haldeman). No; Christ has left His Church here to preach
a Gospel which shall result in the formation of a new man, a “perfect man” made meet to live in the world to
come. So far as this world [age]
is concerned, nothing awaits it but Divine judgment. Men may busy themselves with their own plans and
think to evolve a lasting good and peace out of the present confusion and
strife, but their hope of setting the world right is built upon the sand.
Yet, as we have seen, there will shortly be manifested a pseudo Prince
of Peace who will inaugurate a false millennium and thus deceive the whole world. This Imposter will gain the confidence of and
obtain dominion over all Christendom.
Nor should this strike us as incredible or impossible. History records
how in a few short years a young lieutenant rose out of comparative obscurity
and had
“But ye, brethren, are
not in darkness, that that
day should overtake you as a thief” (1
Thess. 5: 4). No; the things
which are hidden from the wise and prudent are revealed to babes in
Christ. As the humble believer marks with what readiness educated people accept
the most absurd crudities offered to them in the name of religion; as he
observes on every side, thrones and republics creaking and crumbling; as he
gazes upon immorality which has come in like a flood that is ever swelling and
widening in its course; as he beholds the increasing numbers of those who have
a form of godliness but deny its
power; as he looks in vain for any deep sense of sin, for courageous faith, for an unworldly walk, in the majority of
those who bear the name of Christ; as he takes knowledge of the despised
Jew coming into remembrance, and the nations of the earth taking more and more
notice of this strange people; as he hears men of the world, who pay no heed to
the Word of God, acknowledging that present conditions cannot continue much
longer, and predicting that a momentous crisis is at hand; and, as he is
painfully conscious that there is much to show that the Holy Spirit has already
begun to retire from the
earth,‑ he lifts up his head, knowing that his redemption is nigh at hand, yea,
that the Redeemer Himself is at the door.
At the door! What a
prospect! To look at the present
frailty, suffering, and groaning of our vile bodies, and then to anticipate the
moment when they shall be fashioned like unto Christ’s glorious body; to read
the histories and biographies of the apostles, of the early Christian martyrs,
of the spiritual giants of the Reformation, of the choicest saints of the ages,
and then to anticipate the time when we shall meet them, converse with them,
and gather together around our blessed Lord; to anticipate that glad hour when
everlasting joy shall be upon our heads and when sorrow and sighing shall flee
away; when the joy of meeting shall be spoiled by no fear of separation, and
the beauty of holiness shall be defiled by no stain of sin - this is a hope
which may well endure all trials and stay the heart in these days of tragedy
and anguish. Amidst the increasing
darkness and gathering storms of these last days, we do but stand bewildered
and dejected. But, with the blessed
promise “Surely, I come quickly” ringing in our
ears, love responds, “Come out of Thy royal chambers,
0 Prince of all the kings of the earth; put on the robes of Thy imperial
majesty; reach forth Thy hand and grasp the sceptre of universal sovereignty,
for the voice of Thy Church calls for Thee, and all creation sighs to be
renewed.”
The dawn of day is breaking,
Behold! it streaks the sky,
And hearts for Him are waking,
Who soon shall fill each eye;
Soon! Soon! in brightness beaming,
“The day-star”
shall appear,
With glory round Him streaming,
His joyful shout we’ll hear.
Our eyes are looking onward,
To see the One we love;
Our feet are pressing forward,
To tread those courts above;
Our hearts do leap with pleasure,
As nearer comes the day
When love, beyond all measure,
Shall beckon us away.
There
“face to face,” beholding
The One who came to die,
His glory all unfolding
Before each raptured eye,
With nothing there to hinder
The hearts deep full employ,
But all to call forth wonder,
And ceaseless bursts of joy.
There on His bosom resting,
No more a time of testing –
No more to meet our foes;
But there, in brightest glory,
To gaze upon His face,
And ever tell the story –
“The glory of His grace.”
APPENDIX
There has been considerable difference of opinion
among Bible students as to which of the two “beasts”
of Revelation 13 is the Anti‑christ. On the one side are those who regard the first beast as the revived Roman empire with
the Anti‑christ as its head, and the second beast as the False Prophet ‑ the third person in the Trinity of
Evil. On the other side are those who
view the first beast as the revived Roman empire with a man (a Gentile)
energized by Satan as its political head, and the second beast, the Anti‑christ
(a Jew) as its ecclesiastical or religious head, thus making the Anti‑christ
and the False Prophet one and the same person. The advocates of these two views
are about equally divided. Eminent names
might be cited on either side. We shall
not here quote from the writings of others, but will give as concisely as
possible our own reasons for identifying the Anti‑christ with the first “beast” of Rev. 13. We write now for the student, not the popular
reader.
In the first place, to
regard the Anti‑christ as limited to the religious realm and divorced from the political seems to us to leave out entirely an essential
and fundamental element of his character and career. The Anti‑christ will claim to be the true
Christ, the Christ of God. Hence, it
would seem that he will present himself to the Jews as their long-expected
Messiah - the One foretold by the Old Testament prophets - and that to apostate
Christendom, given over by God to believe the Lie, he will pose as the returned Christ.
Therefore, must we not predicate as an inevitable corollary that the pseudo Christ, will
usher in a false millennium and rule over a mock messianic kingdom? That this conclusion is fully borne out by
Scripture we shall show in, a moment.
Why was it, (from the human
side) that, when our Lord tabernacled among men, the Jews rejected Him as their
Messiah? Was it not because He failed to
fulfil their expectations that He would take the government upon His shoulder
and wield the royal scepter as soon as He presented Himself to them? Was it not because they looked for Him to
restore the kingdom to
In the second place, if the Anti‑christ is to be a perfect
counterfeit of the true
Christ, if he is to ape the millennial Christ as set forth in Old Testament prophecy ‑ for, of course, he
will not ape the “suffering” Christ of the first
advent ‑ then it necessarily follows that he will fill the role of king, yea, that he will reign as a King of
kings, as Satan’s parody of the Son of Man seated upon “the throne of His glory.”
That the Anti‑christ will also be at the head of the religious world, that he will demand and receive
Divine honors is equally true. just as in the Millennium the Lord Jesus will “be a priest upon His throne” (Zech. 6:
13) so, we believe, the Anti‑christ will combine in his person the headships of both the
political and religious realms. And just
as the Son of Man will be the Head of the fifth world-empire (Dan. 2: 44) so, we believe, the Man of Sin will be
the Head of the revived fourth world-empire (Dan.
2: 40).
In the third place, to make the Anti‑christ and “the False Prophet” one and the same person is to
involve us in a difficulty for which there seems to be no solution. In Rev. 19: 20
we read “And the Beast was taken, and with him the
False Prophet that wrought miracles before him * *. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with
brimstone.” Now if the “False
Prophet” is the Anti‑christ, then who is “the Beast”
that is cast with him into the lake of fire?
The Beast here can not be the Roman empire, for no member of the human
race (as such) is cast into the Lake of Fire until after the Millennium (see Rev. 20). That “the Beast”
is a separate entity, another individual than the “False
Prophet” is also clear from Rev. 20: 10‑“And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the
In the fourth place, what is predicated of the first “Beast”
in Rev. 13 comports much better with what is
elsewhere revealed concerning the Anti‑christ, than what is here said of the
second “Beast.”
In proof of our assertion we submit the following:
Points
of resemblance between the first Beast of Rev. 13
and the Man of Sin of 2 Thess.
2‑
1. The first Beast receives
his power, seat, and great authority from the Dragon, Rev.
13: 2. Compare 2 Thess. 2: 9‑
“Him, whose coming is after
the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders.”
2. “All
the world” wonders after the first Beast, Rev.
13: 3. Compare 2 Thess. 2: 11, 12 – “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might
be damned” etc.
3. The first Beast is “worshipped”
Rev. 13: 4. Compare 2 Thess.
2: 4‑“he as God sitteth in the
4. The first Beast has a
mouth “speaking great things” Rev. 13: 5.
Compare 2 Thess. 2: 4 – “who * * exalteth himself above
all that is called God.”
5. The first Beast makes war
upon the saints Rev. 13: 7. Compare 2 Thess.
2: 4 – “Who opposeth all that is called God,” that is, he will seek to
exterminate and obliterate everything on earth which bears God’s name.
From these five points of analogy it seems clear
that the first Beast of Rev. 13 and the Man
of Sin of 2 Thess. 2 are one and the same
person.
In the fifth place, that the second “Beast” is not “the Man of Sin” appears from the
fact that the second Beast causeth the earth to worship the first Beast (Rev.
13: 12), whereas the Man of Sin “exalteth himself”
(2 Thess.
2: 4), and compare Dan. 11: 36 “And he exalteth himself.”
Again; it has been generally recognized by prophetic
students that our Lord referred to the Anti‑christ when He said, “I am come in My Father’s name; and ye receiveMe not: if
another shall ,come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:
43). If the one here mentioned as
coming “in his own name” is the Anti‑christ then
it is certain that the second Beast of Rev. 13 cannot be the
Anti‑Christ for he does not come “in his own name.”
On the contrary, the second Beast comes in the name of the first Beast
as is clear from Rev. 13: 12‑15. Just as the Holy Spirit ‑ the third Person in the Holy Trinity ‑ speaks “not of Himself” (John 16:
13) but is here to glorify Christ, so the second Beast - the third person in the Evil Trinity - seeks to
glorify the first Beast, the Anti‑christ.
If it should be objected that the second Beast is
represented as working miracles (Rev. 13: 13, 14) and that as the Man of Sin is
also said to come “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2: 9) therefore the
second Beast must be the Anti‑christ, the answer is, This by no mearts
follows. The power to work miracles is common
to each person in the Trinity
of Evil. Just as God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each perform miracles, so does the Dragon, the
Beast, and the False Prophet. Three
things are said in connection with the second Beast which correspond closely
with the work of the Holy Spirit. First, “he maketh fire come down from heaven” (Rev. 13: 13), compare Acts
2: 14. Second, “he had power to give life unto the image of the Beast” (Rev.
13: 15), compare John 3: 6‑“born of the Spirit.”
Third, “he causeth all both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads” (Rev. 13: 16), compare Eph.
4: 30‑ “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby
ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption.”
Finally; the second Beast is clearly subordinate
to the first Beast. But would
the Jews receive as their Messiah and King one who was himself the vassal of a
Roman? Was not this the very reason why
the Jews of old rejected the Lord
Jesus, i.e., Because He was subject to Ceasar and because He refused to deliver the Jews from the Romans!
In the sixth place, as we have seen, in Dan. 11: 36 the Antichrist is termed “the king” and if a king he must possess a kingdom, and
can there be any doubt as to the identity of this kingdom? Will not Anti‑christ’s kingdom be the very
one which Satan offered in vain to Christ? namely, “all
the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” (Matt. 4: 8).
That the kingdom of the Anti‑christ will be much wider than Palestine
appears from Dan. 11: 40‑42 – “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push
at him (the Anti‑christ): and the king of the
north shall come against him (the Anti‑christ) like
a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he
(the Anti‑christ) shall enter into the countries, and
shall overflow and pass over. He (the
Anti‑christ) shall enter also into the glorious land,
and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his
(the Anti‑christ’s) hand, even Edom, and Moab), and the
chief of the children of Ammon (compare other Old Testament prophecies
concerning these three powers). He (the Anti‑christ) shall
stretch forth his hand upon the countries: and the
In the seventh place, it is generally agreed among
those students of prophecy who belong to the Futurist school that the rider
upon the four horses of Rev. 6 is the Anti‑christ. If this be the case then we have further
proof that the Anti‑christ and the Head of the revived
Finally, we wish to call attention to the employment
of the definite article in connection with the two “Beasts”
of Rev. 13.
Wherever we read of the Beast, it is the Anti‑christ who is in view. In 13: 1
we read, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw
a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his
horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” - this is
the empire itself with its seven mountains and ten kings (see 17: 9, 12).
But from 13: 2‑8 it is always “the Beast,” the Head
of the empire, the Anti‑christ. So in 19: 20 and 20: 10. The Anti‑christ is termed The Beast in
contradistinction to Jesus Christ who is denominated “The
Lamb.”
END