We have remarked that, when the fall of the Jewish nation was complete, God transferred the right of government to the Gentiles; but with this difference, that this right was separated from the calling and the promise of God. In the Jews the two things were united, namely, the calling of God, and government upon the earth, which became distinct things from the moment that Israel was put aside. In Noah and Abraham we had them distinct; government in the one, calling in the other.
With the Jews these principles were united; but Israel failed, and ceased thenceforward to be capable of manifesting the principle of the government of God, because God in Israel acted in righteousness; and unrighteous Israel could no longer be the depository of the power of God. God, then, quitted His terrestrial throne in Israel. Notwithstanding this, as to the earthly calling, Israel continued to be the called people; “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” As to government, God transports it where He will; and it went to the Gentiles. There are, indeed, the called from among the nations (namely, the church); but it is for the heavens they are called. The calling of God for the earth is never transferred to the nations; it remains with the Jews. If I want an earthly religion, I ought to be a Jew. From the instant that the church loses sight of its heavenly calling, humanly speaking, it loses all.
What has happened to the nations by their having had government given over to them? They have become “beasts:” so the four great monarchies are called. Once the government is transferred to the Gentiles, they become the oppressors of the people of God: first, the Babylonians; secondly, the Medes and Persians; thirdly, the Greeks; then, the Romans. The fourth monarchy consummated its crime at the same instant that the Jews consummated theirs, in being accessory, in the, person of Pontius Pilate, to the will of a rebellious nation, by killing Him Who was at once the Son of God and King of Israel. Gentile power is in a fallen state, even as the called people, the Jews, are. Judgment is written upon power and calling, as in man's hand.
In the meanwhile, what happens? First, the salvation of the believer. The iniquity of Jacob, the crime of the nations, the judgment of the world, and that of the Jews—all this becomes salvation to the church. It was all accomplished in the death of Jesus. Secondly, all that has passed since that stupendous event has no other object than the gathering together of the children of God. The Jews, the called people, have become rebellious, and are driven away from the presence of God; the nations are become equally rebellious; but government abides there, though in a state of ruin indeed; but the patience of God is always there, also waiting until the end. Then what takes place?
The church goes to join the Lord in the heavenly places.
Let us now suppose that, in the time decreed by God, all the church is assembled; what will happen? It will go immediately to meet the Lord, and the marriage of the Lamb will take place. Salvation will be consummated in the seat of glory itself—in the heavenly places. Where will the nations be? The government of the fourth monarchy will be still in existence, but under the influence and direction of. its last head; and the Jews will unite themselves to him, in a state of rebellion, to make war with the Lamb. Why all this? and why has not the gospel hindered such a state of things? Because Satan, unto this hour, has not been driven out of the heavenly places, and, by consequence, all that God has done here for man has been spoiled—whether government of the Gentiles, or the actual relationship of the Jews with God. All has been deteriorated by the presence of Satan, ever there exercising his baneful influence.
But God now, at the close, when the church is gathered and called up on high, takes things into His own hand. What will He do? Dispossess Satan and drive him from power. It is what Jesus will do when the church shall be manifestly united to Him, and He begins to act in restoring everything to its proper order.
Dear friends, as soon as the church shall be received to Christ, there will follow the battle in heaven, in order that the seat of government may be purged of those fertile sources, and of those active agents, of the ills of humanity and of all creation. The result of such a combat is easily foreseen: Satan will be expelled from heaven, without being yet bound; but he will be cast down to earth, “having great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time.” Thenceforward power will be established in heaven according to the intention of God. But on the earth it will be quite otherwise: for when Satan is driven away from heaven, he will excite the whole earth; and will raise up in particular the apostate part of it, which has revolted against the power of Christ coming from heaven. It is said, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the seal......”
Behold, then, the created heavens occupied by Christ and His church; and Satan in great wrath upon the earth, having but a short time. Under the conduct of Antichrist, the fourth monarchy will become the sphere upon which the activity of Satan will then be displayed, who will unite the Jews with the apostate empire against heaven. I do not enter upon the scriptural proofs here—they have been already spoken of; I merely sum up the facts in the order of their accomplishment. It need scarcely be said that the result of all this will be the judgment and destruction of the beast and Antichrist, the heads of evil among the Gentiles and among the Jews, the secular and spiritual heads of mischief and rebellion on the earth. Jesus Christ will destroy, in the last head of the Beast, the power of Satan in that government, which, we have seen, was confided to the Gentiles. This wicked one, having joined himself to the Jews, and having placed himself at Jerusalem, as the center of earth's government and religion, will be destroyed by the coming of the Lord of lords and King of kings; and Christ will anew occupy this chief seat of government, which will become the place of the throne of God on the earth. But although the Lord is come to the earth, and the power of Satan in apostate Rome is destroyed and the government established in the hands of the Righteous One, the earth will not be reduced under His scepter. The remnant of the Jews is delivered, and Antichrist destroyed; but the world, not yet acknowledging the rights of Christ, will desire to possess His heritage; and the Savior must clear the land in order that its inhabitants may enjoy the blessings of His reign without interruption or hindrance, and that joy and glory may be established in this world, so long subjected to the enemy.
The first thing, then, which the Lord next does will be to purify His land (the land which belongs to the Jews) of the Tyrians, the Philistines, the Sidonians; of Edom, and Moab, and Ammon—of all the wicked, in short, from the Nile to the Euphrates. It will be done by the power of Christ in favor of His people re-established by His goodness. The people are put into security in the land, and then will those of them who remain till that time among the nations be gathered together. When the people are living thus in peace, another enemy will come up, namely, Gog; but he will come only for his destruction.
It would seem that in those times—probably at the commencement of this period—besides the personal manifestation of Christ in judgment, there will be a discovery much more calm, much more intimate, of the Lord Jesus to the Jews. This is what will take place when He will descend on the Mount of Olives, where “his feet shall stand,” according to the expression of Zech. 14:3, 43Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:3‑4). It is always the same. Jesus; but He will reveal Himself peaceably, and show Himself, not as the Christ from heaven, but as the Messiah of the Jews.
Blessing to the Gentiles will be the consequence of the restoration of the Jews, and of the presence of the Lord. The church will have been blessed; the apostasy of the fourth monarchy will no longer have existence; the lawless one will be cat off, as well as the unbelieving Jews; in fine, the land of Israel will be at peace.
Afterward there will be the world to come, prepared and introduced by these judgments and by the presence of the Lord, Who will take the place of lawlessness and the lawless one. Those who shall have seen the glory manifested in Jerusalem will go and announce its arrival to the other nations. These will submit themselves to Christ; they will confess the Jews to be the people blessed of their Anointed, will bring the rest of them back into their land, and will themselves become the theater of glory, which, with Jerusalem as its center, will extend itself in blessing wherever there is man to enjoy its effects. The witness of the glory being spread everywhere, the hearts of men, fall of goodwill, submit themselves to the counsels and glory of God in response to this testimony. All the promises of God being accomplished, and the throne of God being established at Jerusalem, this throne will become to the whole earth the source of happiness. The re-establishment of the people of God will be to the world “as life from the dead.”
One thing is to be added, namely, that at this time Satan will be bound, and in consequence the blessing will be without interruption until “he is loosed for a short season.” Instead of the adversary in the heavenly places; instead of his government, the seat of which is now in the air; instead of that confusion and misery which he produces, as much as is allowed him to do; Christ and His church will be there, the source and instrument of blessing ever new. Government in the heavenly places will be the security, and not the hindrance, or the compulsory instrument, of the goodness of God. The glorified church-witness for all, even by its state, of the extent of the love of the Father, Who has fulfilled all His promises, and has been better to our weak hearts than even their hopes—will fill the heavenly places with its joy; and in its service will constitute the happiness of the world, towards which it will be the instrument of the grace which it shall be richly. enjoying. Behold the heavenly Jerusalem, witness in glory of the grace which has placed her so high! In the midst of her shall flow the river of water of life, where grows the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the Gentiles; for even in the glory shall be preserved to her this sweet character of grace. Meanwhile, upon the earth, is the earthly Jerusalem, the center of the government, and of the reign of the righteousness of Jehovah her God; indeed in a state of desolation she had been of His justice. She will be the place of His throne, the center of the exercise of that justice described in such language as “The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish.” For in that state of terrestrial glory—though indeed placed there by the grace of the now covenant—this city will still preserve its normal character, that she may be witness of the character of Jehovah as the church is of that of the Father. God also will realize the fall force of that name— “The Most High God, Possessor of the heavens and the earth;” and Christ will fulfill, in all their fullness, all the functions of High Priest, after the order of Melchizedec, who, after the victory gained over the enemies of God's people, blessed their God on the part of the people, and the people on the part of God (Gen. 14:1818And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. (Genesis 14:18), &c.).
Dear friends, you will understand that there is an infinity of details into which I have not entered; for example, the circumstances of the Jew who will be persecuted during the troublous times in Judea, of which we have some instruction in the word. This general sketch will engage you to read the word of God for yourselves on the whole subject. For myself, I attach more importance to the larger features of prophecy; and for this reason, that there is to be found in them, on the one hand, the distinction of dispensations, which become, by the consideration of these truths, very clear; and on the other, the character of God, which is in this manner fully unveiled.
However this may be, there is nothing to hinder your study of prophecy, even in its minute details. If indeed we attempt the examination of the works of man in this way, an abundance of imperfection is found; but it is the contrary in the works of God. The more we enter into their least or most minute details, the more does perfection appear.
May God perfect in you, and in all His children, true separation from the world. This ought to be, before God, the fruit of the expectation of the church, at the discovery of these—its heavenly—blessings in store, and of the terrible judgments which await all that which still binds man to this lower world. For the judgment will come upon all these earthly things! May God also perfect the desires of my heart, and the witness of the Holy Spirit!
(Concluded from p. 32.)