II. But it is time to turn to another part of this subject. If the church is taken away at the coming of the Lord Jesus, what bearing will this coming have upon the world at large, that is, upon Jews and Gentiles? We have seen that towards the church (viz., believers now) its aspect is nothing but blessing. It will be the end of their suffering state, and the beginning of their glorified one. But what will it be to the world? This brings us to a division of the subject.
There have been three great displays, or systems, set under God in the world, which have all failed: viz., the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God, (as to the testimony committed to it); and a short history of their failure, and of God's future intentions toward them, is needful. When God pronounced “Lo-Ammi” (not-My-people) on the Jews, He delivered power into the hands of the Gentiles, in the person of Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, and it has continued ever since. When the Jews and Gentiles (the fourth monarchy, or Roman empire, at that moment appearing in universal dominion) agreed in rejecting the Messiah, God brought in the church, a heavenly people, not to take to itself earthly dominion, but down here to be a witness to Christ as set at the right hand of God. Now the scripture represents all these as failing, Jews, Gentiles, and Christendom as such.
With regard to the Jews (at present Lo-Ammi, or, not-My-people) it is necessary to see that their failure arose from their disobedience to a law, which they had promised to observe. But they will be restored to the land of Canaan, owing to the free mercy of God, on account of His promises to Abraham, notwithstanding their failure, for which they have been and will yet have to be punished. In Gen. 13:15 we find the land of Canaan given to Abraham and to his seed forever; and in Gen. 15:13, 14 the prophetic announcement of the captivity in Egypt, and of the recovery thence, and the gift of the land is again made to his seed by an unconditional covenant of God. See also Gen. 17:7, 8. We know that the former part of this took place; that is, the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, and brought to Mount Sinai where the law was given. God's dealings with them up to that point had been simply in grace. Then it was (Ex. 19:8) that they put themselves, of their own will, under the law. “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” But they failed under this law, as the sin of the golden calf, Ex. 32 witnessed.
This, however, did not touch the promises to Abraham. The intercession of Moses (ver. 13) is grounded on these promises, and on the oath of God; and it was owing to these that they came into the land at all. So in all God's after dealings with them. Though He chastised them whilst in the land, owing to their broken engagements, and at length cast them out, yet the promises made to Abraham still remain certain to them. See Lev. 26; Mic. 7:20.
There are two great principles connected with their final restoration, which seem to distinguish it from all previous dealings, however gracious, with them. First, they will be planted in the land, under the new covenant (Jer. 32:37-40). Secondly, they will have the presence of the Messiah (Ezek. 34:23, 24; 37:21-28; Jer. 33:14-26). When Messiah first came, they rejected Him; but even that, while it filled up the measure of their guilt, did not touch the promises given without condition. Many of those in Isaiah, that in 2 Sam. 7, and those in Amos 9:11- 15, remain still unaccomplished.
With regard to the Gentile power, it was not only to end in sin, but in open rebellion against God; but in this the professing Christian world was to have a large and leading share. It had, as was before stated, its origin in Nebuchadnezzar; it was afterward continued in the Persian, Grecian, and Roman monarchies. The latter was in existence at the time of Christ, and, instigated by the Jews, used the power originally given by God in putting to death His own Son (Acts 4:25-27). This power will continue until “the stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall break in pieces and consume these kingdoms” in their last form, viz., under the ten kings who give their power to the beast (Dan. 2:40-44; Rev. 17:11-14).
And here I must stop to remark upon a great error which prevails, viz., that the “little stone” was the setting up of Christ's kingdom at the day of Pentecost, and that it has been growing into a great mountain ever since; or, in other words, that the preaching of the gospel in the present dispensation is that which is to convert the world. Now let it be observed, that the stone does not begin to grow until it has broken in pieces the great image. After this, it becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth. It is not a diffusive principle winch insinuates itself into the system of the image, and changes its moral character and condition; but its operation is destructive of the whole system of the image, which becomes as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor, before the stone begins to grow into a mountain. The scripture does not speak of the universal prevalence of Christianity while the image subsists; it says that the stone must destroy the whole being of their empires, by the distraction of the last, then to become itself the center of a new system. The “little stone” is really typical of Christ coming to judgment, and His kingdom will be established after this; when indeed “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9).
But again, in Rev. 16 we are told that three unclean spirits are to go forth, as the spirits of demons, working miracles, “unto the kings [of the earth, and] of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Is this the gospel bringing the whole world under subjection to Christ? Whatever interpretation of this passage we may give as to details, it is manifestly the wide extended exercise of Satan's corrupting and malignant influence, gathering together the powers of this world in the last times, to conflict with, and consequent judgment by, Almighty God (Zeph. 3:8, 9).
But what of the professing church? Scripture is not silent here; the end is failure and rain, as everything has been that has ever been entrusted to man. First, there is a positive revelation in Matt. 13 of tares in the field, where the Son of man had sown. This was not common heathenism, nor unconverted sinners, as men; but evil entering into the place where good was sown. The question was asked whether they were to be rooted up; and the answer was, No. It is not the work of the present dispensation to root out, but to sow. We may preach the gospel, but the evil must go on where the good seed was sown, till the harvest of judgment. But secondly, the days of the Son of man (Luke 17) are likened to the days of Noah and Lot. “Even thus,” is the portentous conclusion, “shall it be when the Son of man is revealed.” Again, so far from blessed days coming, scripture reveals that “in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim. 3:1). And then follows, almost word for word, the same character of the professing church as is given of the heathen, as under the sentence of a reprobate mind (comp. 2 Tim. 3:2-5 with Rom. 1:28-32). Yes, the revealed end of the professing church is that of iniquity, like the heathen. At the same time a form of godliness, something (it may be) very beautiful to attract the eye, but rottenness and dead men's bones within.
Again, the mark of the close of the church is revealed in 1 John 2:18, “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.” This was the characteristic of the last time, not in-coming and out-flowing blessing, but antichrists who sprang from the church, precursors of the antichrist whom Christ is to destroy, and not of general blessing before the judgment. Again, in 2 Thess. 2 we have evil traced through its course, from the apostles' time to Christ's appearing, leaving no room for intervening universal blessing. “The mystery of iniquity doth already work (says Paul): only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way; and then shall that wicked [one] be revealed whom the Lord Jesus shall consume,” &c. It had began in the apostles' time, and would go on until Christ came. But in Jude the declension and falling away is still more palpable. He gave (ver. 1) “all diligence to write onto them of the common salvation;” that is, it was his wish to have enlarged on this common blessing. But he was hindered, and was obliged to exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. So far from there being an extension of good, he found the time already come to contend against evil: evil men having crept in unawares, ungodly men, “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, they specially denied the Lordship of Christ, first morally and then in open rebellion. Here is the character of Antichrist. He denies the Father, and the Son, he denies that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22), and he denies Jesus Christ come in the flesh (1 John 4:3 John 7). But did Jude contemplate a bettering of such a state? No. His words are, “Enoch prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all,” &c. (ver. 14, 15). These very men that had crept in forced him to say that these are the men that have been already prophesied about. He refers them in ver. 11 into three classes, a kind of triple character of the apostacy, showing also the progress which the evil in man makes. 1st, Cain: natural evil, hatred. 2nd, Balaam: ecclesiastical corruption, preaching for reward. 3rd, Core: independence against God, standing up against His supremacy, denying Christ in His lordship and priesthood. And in this open rebellion, or gainsaying, they perish.
The judgment being thus shown, the inquiry may be made, How and through what agency is the earth, and especially the land of the Jews, hereafter to be blessed according to what has been previously insisted upon? The reply is, that the judgment is not absolute; and though it will fall very heavily upon Jerusalem (Zech. 13:8, 9), and indeed upon all the nations (Isa. 66:16; Jer. 25:31), yet “a remnant shall return” (Isa. 1:9; 10:21, 22; 66:18, 19). The Jewish remnant who escape the great trouble of the latter day (Jer. 30:7) will be the seed or nucleus of the future nation; and their city, Jerusalem, the metropolis of the world.
“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem; and it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house......shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Loup from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:2). When her light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon her, Gentiles shall come to her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising (Isa. 60:1-3); or, as it is expressed in another passage, “Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” (Isa. 27:6). After the judgment (greater or less in extent, according to greater or less light (Lake 12: 47, 48) on the living, we have abundant testimony from scripture of the Gentiles being brought tinder the gracious yet truthful sway of the Lord Jesus, the center of His actings being Jerusalem. See, among other passages, Psa. 72; Zeph. 3:8, 9; Zech. 8:20-23; Rom. 11.
This is not the same as the blessing of the church; it is in the heavenly places that we are blessed. Having anticipated the day when Israel “shall look on Him Whom they pierced” (Zech. 12:10), we have our portion even now in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3): much more then at the time when He is manifested. Nor need we be downcast by the evil around. Having oil in our lamps, the grace of the Spirit in our hearts, let the night be as dark as it may, the believer will be able to say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Having redemption through His precious blood, and being quickened by the Spirit, let your affections be so sanctified as to desire nothing else. Let us separate ourselves from everything that He will judge at His coming, and so shall we not be ashamed.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.