We now come to the close of the present period of the joyful sound. Fellow Christians, when will it close, and how will it close to you? And how will it close to the professing, but rejecting world around?
Are these questions answered in the scriptures? They are. Shall we all, as to this body, have to die first? No. The apostle says, as to that, " Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." This present period of gospel sound will close then in a moment. (1 Cor. 15) " 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 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." (1 Thess. 4:15-17.)
For all believers this is how, and when, this present jubilee of joyful sound to every creature shall come to a sudden close. Then shall the true church of God he presented glorious to Christ. Yes, our Lord 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.) Oh, what joy to thee, what joy to us, will be the moment of the close of this jubilee of grace. Dwell on it, oh my soul.
But how shall it close with the rejecters of this jubilee glad sound? " 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." (1 Thess. 5:3.) " 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.” &c. (2 Thess. 1:7-9.)
It is still the acceptable year, but the clay of vengeance must come. And oh, how sudden, how unexpected! Even as sudden as the flood in the days of Noah, and the fire that fell on Sodom in the days of Lot. In that day of vengeance so near, there shall be tribulation such as never was, and never shall be again. " And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." " Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth, shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." (Matt. 24; Rev. 1. 7.)
Thus shall close this day of grace to the rejecters of the joyful sound. He shall come, and before Him shall the nations be gathered, to the judgment of the living. One of three things must occur to every one of us. Be caught up to meet the Lord, our Lord; be alive on earth as a rejecter of His grace and mercy, to meet Him when He comes to judge the quick; or die, and if unsaved, be raised to be judged before the great white throne at the judgment of the dead, only to be cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented day and night forever.
Is there no hope then hereafter to such as have heard and rejected the joyful sound of forgiveness? None; " 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 that believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:10-12 Thess, ii. 10-12.) What a solemn moment this is.
We have dwelt chiefly on the joyful sound, the glad tidings of God to every creature, during this, "present period of grace to the Gentiles. The Lord Jesus came to His own nation, but they received Him not. Through unbelief they have been set aside. " Because of unbelief they were broken off." The judicial blindness of Israel is not to continue forever. This is fully explained in Rom. 11 Every prophecy concerning God's ancient people must yet be fulfilled. The clay shall come when, as it is written, all Israel shall be saved. Having forfeited all claim to the covenant through ages of unbelief, God will take them up in mercy—objects of mercy, as He has had mercy on us Gentiles. Oh, the riches of His grace.
We will now briefly look at this subject, as it regards Israel. We must remember Old Testament Scriptures are applied to us in anticipation, yet they refer primarily to Israel. What is Isa. 53 but the discovery of Israel, when God shall awake and restore the captive daughter of Zion? As they look at the wounds in His hands, they discover that He was wounded for their transgressions. They will see in Him, and in His death on the cross, the fulfillment of all their offerings for atonement. What a manifestation of God this will be to them, as it also is to every soul, now brought to God. Thus, on the ground of the atonement, the jubilee will have its fulfillment to them, though crushed and oppressed as they have been, and will be still more, during the three years and a half of their tribulation, such as never was and never shall be again. The day of atonement shall then be understood, the year of their release will have come; the loud sound of liberty will echo through the world for them. The scriptures also abound with evidence that the clay of vengeance shall be on their enemies in the year of their jubilee.
In our chapter, Isa. 61, there is then, first, the proclamation of jubilee to them, to Israel; then the day of vengeance; and then to the end of the chapter, their millennial blessing on earth. Every word also in chapter lx., is about this great future blessing on Israel, also chapter 62. To Jerusalem God says, " Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." In chapter 63. we see the day of vengeance on their enemies' but the day of salvation to them. " For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." Again, what a description of this day of vengeance is in the last chapter of Isaiah, in close connection with the blessing of Israel.
In Eze. 38; 39, the chief oppression of Israel is by the Russian empire, and the nations confederate with it; they come as a cloud to cover the land. Their terrible overthrow is described, and the months it will take to bury them in the day of the vengeance of God. " Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel/' &c. We have a full account of how God will bless them when He thus has mercy upon them, in Eze. 36:2338. This can only mean Israel, as it says.
There is the same testimony in Joel. When God brings again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, He will gather all nations, and judge them for their treatment of His heritage Israel. He will then be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
" Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." Then follows the grand jubilee of Israel. " Sing, Ο daughter of Zion; shout, Ο Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, Ο daughter of Jerusalem." (Zeph. 3:8-20.) Yea, this is greatly the theme of the Psalm and all the prophets, and will surely come to pass. If we understand this, then the judgment of the living nations for their treatment of Israel will be quite clear in Matt. 25
How remarkable that the future jubilee of Israel is so little understood. Yet Isa. 61, and indeed all the prophets, distinctly foretell both the deliverance of those captives, the opening of their prison doors, and their restoration to their own land.
He who made atonement for sins, is the anointed One, whether to announce the heavenly joyful sound now to us, or the earthly glad tidings to Israel in the day of Jacob's restoration to his land.
At present Israel is cut off through unbelief. And through their unbelief we Gentiles are having in anticipation a more blessed jubilee than they will have. God is now taking out the heavenly bride of the Lamb. This may close at any moment, by the church being caught up to meet the Lord.
Then will follow the day of vengeance on all who have heard and rejected the joyful sound.
For a short period the Jews will pass through the great tribulation. Then comes the day of vengeance on their enemies and persecutors. At the same time they are restored to their own land, to enjoy their millennium of rest. Then shall be fulfilled that word of the Lord, " 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." (Read Isa. 11)
What an interval of infinite grace to us, since the day that Jesus presented Himself as the fulfillment of the jubilee! And still the long suffering of God lingers, not willing that any should perish. But the end will come; the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord. The day of vengeance will come. Ah reader, in that coming moment you must, if still alive here, either be taken, changed in a moment, and be with and like the Lord; or you will be left to the day of vengeance as a rejecter of the love of God in the gift of His Son. Will you continue to despise His atoning death? Will you still reject the glad loud sound of liberty?
May God open your ear to hear the joyful sound before it is forever too late. The atoning work is done; God proclaims to you through Jesus the forgiveness of sins. Blessed proclamation! God declares all who believe are justified from all things. Believing, you are free; and knowing the joyful sound, your happy privilege is to walk in the light of His countenance. And how soon to see His face!
C S.
'Tis but a little while,
And Christ shall come again,
Who died that we might live; who lives,
And we with Him shall reign.
Thou hast, Ο Lord, prepared
My soul for that glad day;
Hast wash'd me in Thy precious blood,
And clear'd my sins away.