We would remind our readers that the covenant God made with Abraham, was on the principle of promise. Fulfillment depending wholly on the faithfulness of God. (See Gen. 12:2, 3; 13:14, 17; 15:5; 17:5, 82And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:2‑3)
14And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: (Genesis 13:14)
17Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. (Genesis 13:17)
5And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (Genesis 15:5)
5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. (Genesis 17:5)
8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:8).) And further, when Isaac had been offered up, and received in figure from the dead, then was the promise confirmed by an oath. " By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:16-1816And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:16‑18).) So that whether it be the salvation of the individual believer now, as one of the spiritual children of Abraham, or the future kingdom of Israel in all its earthly glory; in both cases, all depends on the faithfulness of God, who has confirmed the promise by the resurrection of His Son from among the dead.
Let us then take up this subject with the firm conviction that " God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the Son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" It is all-important to bear this in mind; otherwise we might falsely conclude, because Israel has rejected their Messiah, that they, as a nation, are finally cut off.
We thus speak especially of Israel, the natural seed of Abraham, because the scripture always connects the kingdom on earth with that nation. " 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." (Deut. 32:88When 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. (Deuteronomy 32:8).) This scripture, written 3340 years ago. is the only true solution of the Eastern question. It is God's question! The present long apostasy, and scattering of that people, was distinctly foretold in scripture.
Daniel was informed, that when Messiah should have made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness He should be cut off. and, instead of then taking the kingdom, He should have nothing; and before the last seven years of the prophecy, there is an unmeasured time of desolations. All this exactly as it has taken place. "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice." (Hos. 3:44For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: (Hosea 3:4).) Has not this been the case since their Messiah was crucified? Thus their present condition, as well as their future national glory, is the most exact fulfillment of the word of God. Since it is the word of God, how can it be otherwise? All this is explained in Romans 11. At present an election out of them is saved, and " blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Vers. 25, 26.)
They would not believe the mercy of God to the Gentiles; and now having forfeited all claim to the promise of God through unbelief, they will themselves at last as a nation, be saved in pure mercy.
The wondrous depths of mercy however do not set aside the governmental dealings of God, with that nation, and with the world. Indeed it is a notable fact, that the kingdom is invariably introduced by judgment.
Thus when the Roman Empire shall have been restored in its last ten-kingdom form (Rev. 17:8, 128The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8)
12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Revelation 17:12)), we read, "And 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 forever." (Dan. 2:4444And 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).) Is it not quite clear that this is in contrast with the present period of the grace of God? Indeed those ten kings have received no kingdom as yet: and when they do, they will be broken in pieces, and destroyed, by the setting up of the kingdom of God. Is it not the same in the Psalms? When God shall set His Son as king upon His holy hill of Zion, He says, " Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Is this for conversion, or judgment? "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2) Yes, we should have to set the word of God entirely aside, to entertain such an erroneous thought, as the world's conversion by the preaching of the gospel; and yet men will continue to persist in such error. It would fill a volume to point out, and dwell on all the passages in the Psalms, and the prophets, that describe the judgments introducing the kingdom. We will only look at a few. Take that beautiful scripture describing the millennial kingdom. (Isa. 11) What introduces the kingdom when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea? Is it conversion, or judgment? Conversion! nay, " 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," &c. This judgment which introduces the millennium is explained to the young converts at Thessalonica, to take place with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thess. 2:88And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (2 Thessalonians 2:8).) And it is further made known to us we shall take part in this judgment. " And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." Not, now mark, for conversion, " 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, 2726And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And 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. (Revelation 2:26‑27).) Further, when He comes to execute this very judgment, " The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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." (Rev. 19:14, 1514And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And 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. (Revelation 19:14‑15).) Mark, this is after the church has been taken up to heaven, yea, after the marriage of the Lamb. Yet clearly, this judgment of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God precedes the millennium of chapter 10.
It is at this very time, as it is written: " 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. For then will I turn to the people a pure language." (Zeph. 3:88Therefore 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. (Zephaniah 3:8).) And then the Lord, the king of Israel takes His glorious place in Zion.
From these, and many other scriptures, is it not evident that the thought of the world's conversion by the gospel is absolutely a delusion? A day of fierce wrath of Almighty God is fast approaching this deceived world. " 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." (1 Thessalonians y. 3.) Oh, think of these last days in which we live: what is God doing? And what is man doing? Has not God by His Holy Spirit been arousing the sleeping church? Are not real Christians now awakening to the heavenly calling, and hopes of the church of God, and that the Lord Jesus is coming to take His loved bride to Himself? And then the period of judgment on the wicked living nations; and what is man doing? We are told there is a wide-spread combination, to use their own words, to stamp out all this! Yes, to stamp out and resist to the utmost the truth of God: and the present action of the Holy Ghost. Is it not written, " 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 believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:10-1210And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12).) Yes, men may think it a light thing to despise and scoff, saying, "Where is the promise of hi& coming?" but the scripture regards this as a serious mistake, and therefore says, " beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." (2 Pet. 3:4, 174And 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. (2 Peter 3:4)
17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (2 Peter 3:17).)
Look where we will in the word of God, the Psalms, the prophets, the Gospels, the Epistles all testify of this time of apostasy and wickedness fast approaching, such as it was in the days of Noah and of Lot. The professing church in the last days is described in similar terms to those used to depict the dreadful iniquity of the heathen world. (Compare Rom. 1 with 2 Tim. 3) And are not all these features coming fast to the surface? Oh God our Father, awake thy whole church to the solemn facts that the translation of thy saints, and the judgment of the living wicked are close at hand! Did Jehovah Jesus come in person to suffer and to die for us? Did He rise from the dead in person to be our righteousness? Did He ascend in person to heaven? In person He will come to judge and to reign. " 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 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," (Dan. 7:1313I 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. (Daniel 7:13).)
Who is this person in human form who receives the glory, and dominion, and kingdom of the whole earth? Is it not " 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 1:1111Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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).) " 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 3:2020And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: (Acts 3:20).) "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." (Rev. 1:77Behold, 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. (Revelation 1:7).) Yes, even so, surely all judgment is committed to the person of the Son. " Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31).) This judgment of the nations is described by the Lord Jesus at His coming, immediately after the great tribulation. " 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." " 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." &c. (Matt. 24:30; 25:3130And 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. (Matthew 24:30)
31When 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: (Matthew 25:31).) Yes, by the resurrection of Jesus from among the dead, are we assured that He will thus come to judge the living inhabitants of this earth. It is quite true that this is not the judgment of the dead; for before that judgment, we are told the saved will have 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." (Rev. 20:55But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:5).)
Thus is the fact established in scripture that the personal coming of Christ in judgment on the living nations shall precede the kingdom of God on earth.
Poor sleeping world! Many who bear the name of Christ help on thy unbelief! Judgment is at hand. A little while and the great winepress of the wrath of God will be trodden. Soon men will quail before the brightness of that face they have so long despised and rejected. " Every eye shall see him." There will be no escape. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. 25:4646And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46).) The irrevocable sentence is thus made known to us. Can He who is the Truth deceive? What a moment! " Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." To-morrow is judgment.
nations.