Correspondence

 •  8 min. read  •  grade level: 6
42. “C. Τ.” We are quite at a loss to conceive how the wickedness of the world at the close of the millennium, as described in Rev. 20:7-97And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And 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. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7‑9), should be used by any to throw a doubt on other scriptures which so distinctly announce either the coming of the Lord to take His saints, as John 14:1-31Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In 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. 3And 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) Thess. 4:15-17, &c.; or the saints afterward coming with Him in judgment to set up His kingdom on earth, as 2 Thess. 1:7-107And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑10); Col. 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4); Jude 14, 1514And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 14‑15); Dan. 2:44; 7:13, 1444And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)
13I 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. 14And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13‑14); Zech. 14:55And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. (Zechariah 14:5); and many other scriptures. All shall doubtless be fulfilled but in God’s own order. Rev. 20:7-97And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And 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. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7‑9) is a sad close of the history of man. But what has been his history from the beginning? In paradise, did he not distrust God, and believe the lie of Satan? And when the Son of God was here, did not even His own nation reject Him? And now when the Holy Ghost is on earth, is He not also rejected? Has not Satan found a dwelling-place in the very professing church of God? And in Rev. 20 we learn that even at the close of the thousand years reign of Christ, the moment the last test is applied to man, when Satan is again let loose, immediately the nations apostatize from God. Oh, the infinite grace of God to save any of us. To Him be all praise!
It is exceedingly gracious of our God and Father, after the confusion of so many centuries, to restore the long lost truth of the church: “There is one body.” (Eph. 3:44Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (Ephesians 3:4).) Now, wherever a few saints have been through mercy led to see this, and to own all believers as members of that one body; and also, not merely because they are saved, but, as owning that unity, are gathered to the Lord Jesus around His table; if they see, and own this unity, they must see, and own the Lord’s table as the place where every subject child of God should be found. It is the Lord’s will. We can only know what is wrong by learning what is right.
43. “J. L. P.,” Malta. In presenting the Gospel, we shall assuredly go wrong if we depart from the exact truth of scripture. God is wiser than we are. Theology is not the word of God. We are to declare what is written—to “preach the word.” It is a snare to try to turn scripture to fit in with a creed; instead of drawing our thoughts from what God has revealed. We should stand for the divine authority of scripture. We know from the Acts that the early christians went forth “preaching the word.” So long as our thoughts are cast in the mold of divine truth, by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, we shall be kept from expressions, which, though something like scripture, are not according to it. In these days, we need to watch lest we take up the Lord’s word with mere natural effort, instead of in heartfelt dependence on the Holy Ghost; and to dread lest we traffic in favorite doctrines, instead of setting forth the infallible testimonies of holy scripture. It is a blessed fact that” God commendeth his love toward us [saints], in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” but it is very different from going up to an ungodly man, and saying, “God loves you.” It is, however, blessedly true that “Christ died for all.”
44. “V. J.,” London. The passover must not be confounded with the Lord’s supper. In some respects, there is a striking similarity, hence we read, “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” In other particulars, they are different. After they had been set up, both were observed as commemorative; though the passover was the remembrance of the children of Israel having been sheltered in Egypt from the destroying angel by the blood of the lamb; while in the Lord’s supper we remember Him, and show His death, who shed His blood for many for the remission of sins. Typically the passover was connected with holiness, for they were to put all leaven (type of evil) out of their houses, and afterward, day by day, feed on pure or unleavened bread. The Lord’s supper, too, must be observed with holiness, “Old leaven” must have no place there. It must be kept “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor. 5:6-86Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:6‑8).) Both, too, are feasts. The passover is called in scripture one of “the feasts of Jehovah,” to be observed by the children of Israel; which we know was done not only in Egypt, but also in the wilderness, and in the land. The Lord’s supper is especially the time of thanksgiving and praise; as not only do we feed on Christ as the One who was sacrificed for us, but we give thanks and bless— “the cup of blessing which we bless.” We praise for eternal redemption, for title to eternal glory. Hence, referring to the Lord’s supper, we are instructed as to how we should “keep the feast.”
Our Lord, whom it became to fulfill all righteousness, kept the passover, and, immediately after that, established His own supper. (See Luke 12:11-2011And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 13And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:11‑20).) Here He Himself gave thanks, and referred to the eternal efficacy of His own blood as giving “remission of sins.” It is the place of highest privilege on earth, and should be associated with practical holiness. A wicked person must not be there. Therefore, when the saints at Corinth had a person taking the supper of the Lord with them, who was guilty of sin, the apostle refers to the typical instruction of the passover and says, “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” (1 Cor. 5:8, 138Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)
13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Corinthians 5:13).)
45. “J. W.” What God says must be true. He says, “All that believe are justified from all things.” (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39).) I do believe God’s testimony concerning His Son, therefore I must be justified from all things. The Lord Jesus says, “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 5:2424Verily, 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).) I do hear His word. I do believe God the Father that sent Him. Therefore I must have everlasting life. He says so.
If you paid a poor neighbor’s debts, and showed him the receipt; and if you declared unto him, those debts could never be reckoned to him again, you would think it strange, if he said, “Ah, that is all very nice, but nobody can ever know in this world whether you speak truth.” You would say, “What, after I have done this, do you mean to say J. W. is a liar?” For this is just as men treat God. After He has given His Son to die for our sins, after He proclaims to us forgiveness of all sins through Him, after He has raised up Christ from the dead, who made propitiation for our sins—the everlasting receipt, to all who believe—after God assures all believers that they have redemption through the blood of Jesus, even the forgiveness of sins; shall we say after this, “Ah, it is all very fine, no doubt God says so; but nobody in this world knows whether He speaks truth or not?” This is really so. “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” (1 John 5:10-1310He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:10‑13).) Now were not all these things written that we may know “that we have eternal life?”
The seed must first be sown in the field before the fruit. Cultivate a briar as we will, it is a briar still, there must be the new nature of the rose engrafted. So man must be born wholly anew. A new nature will bring forth its own fruity and to us the fruit is the only proof of the new nature. There must be Christ, or all is briar and thorn. Christ first, Christ last, “Christ is all.” And where Christ is all, then “Christ in all.” Christ our righteousness before God is all. Christ in us, by His Spirit, is all power for righteousness before men. It is the blessed privilege of every Christian to say Col. 1:12-1412Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:12‑14). How few know this! How few believe it!
46. “W. Η. R.,” Buntingford. The four and twenty elders represent, not only the church, but the redeemed: all that arc Christ’s at His coming. Thus the type of the four and twenty courses of priesthood, is fulfilled. It is intelligent worship, that specially marks them as redeemed. The church ceases to be seen on earth at the end of Revelation 3; and the elders cease to be seen in heaven, when the marriage of the Lamb takes place.
1 Cor. 15:2323But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15:23), does not speak of the children of either believers, or unbelievers; but of the resurrection of those that are Christ’s, at His coming. We judge it is wise not to go beyond what is revealed in the word of God.