Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ
Table of Contents
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 1
What a sight is this! Jesus sat on the mount of Olives, three days only before He suffered the death of the cross. The disciples came to Him privately. What a privilege! Have we not the same privilege now, so near His return? Yes, wondrous privilege! Where two or three are gathered together to His name, there He is in the midst of them. How blessed to sit at His feet! Let us meditate on every word that comes from His precious lips. The Holy Ghost dwelling in us, abiding with us, we thus can understand the words of Jesus.
How solemn the denunciations of the previous chapter! As Jesus went out, and departed from the temple, He told them, " Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." They had rejected Him as Messiah, and as such shall not see Him henceforth, till they shall say, " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
Oh, Christendom, Christendom, is it not even so also with thee? Judgment was then at the doors of Jerusalem. Is not judgment at the door of Christendom? How desolate was Jerusalem's temple, when Jesus left it, and went up on high! How desolate will Christendom be when the body, the church, is taken to meet Him! The disciples were occupied with the buildings of the temple. And is it not so now? only, with the complete revelation of God in our hands, is it not more sad? But are we not too much occupied with buildings and ritual?
Jesus said, " Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall, not he thrown down." Let us listen. The disciples ask three questions, "Tell us when shall these things be?" The judgments denounced against Jerusalem. " And what? shall be the sign of thy coming? and of the end of the world [or age]?" " Jesus answered.'' Yes, we have the answer of Jesus to these three questions; but not in the order in which they are put, but as they will be fulfilled. First, the things, the judgments denounced. (Vers. 4-14.) Secondly, the time of the end. (Vers. 15-28.) Thirdly, the coming of the Son of man. (Vers. 29-31; chap. 25:31-46.) Chapter 24:31 to 25:31, form a parenthesis.
Let us remember, at that time, the church had only been announced as a future thing, " Upon this rock I will build My church." (Matt. 16:18.) The three questions have no reference to it. They are about the Jews, and Jerusalem; and the return of the Son of man, to set up His kingdom on earth. We must not confound this with His coming for His church, to take her to heavenly glory. The answer then of Jesus in verses 4-14, gives the general history of the Jews, from the rejection of Jesus to the time of the end; also, a particular description of the remnant, immediately previous to "the end." The beginning of sorrows. Behold, oh my soul, the Holy One of God, sitting on the mount of Olives. There lay the city before Him, with all its future history. There, the splendid temple about to be destroyed. There, the multitude about to gnash their teeth and cry, " Crucify him." There, the place of Calvary, where He is about in three days to bear His people's sins. What a solemnity this gives to the prophetic utterances οΐ the Lord!
During this period, until the time of the end, wars, famines, pestilences, sorrows, persecutions, and desolations. Many deceived by false prophets, and iniquity abounding, and this brings us to the time of the end. This is ushered in, however, by the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in all the world. We must mark, this is not the gospel of the grace of God, or of the glory, but the gospel of the kingdom. The coming reign of the Son of man. We find this shall be preached after the close of Christianity, and the redeemed church has gone to heaven.
You will notice, beloved reader, in our Lord's teaching, there is no thought of the world's conversion in these verses, which describe the state of things up to the time of "the end." Iniquity abounds to that very time. And only those who shall endure to "the end" shall be saved, and blessed on the earth, as Noah and those with him were brought through the flood.
Now we will notice the third question, but the second answer, " The end of the age." Yes, the Lord answers it thus, because He shows it is immediately after this time of the end that the Son of man cometh. It is helpful to see that when the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all nations, " Then shall the end come."
Now He calls attention to the prophet Daniel, and points to that which marks, with certainty, the commencement of the time of the end. This is all-important, and He says, a Whoso readeth, let him understand." Let us turn to Daniel, and read a few verses in dependence on the Holy Ghost. There is evidently a specific time appointed of God to the Jews, called the time of the end. " The time of the end," because it is yet for a time appointed. (Dan. 11:35.) This time is to be one " of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time," &c. (Chap. 12:1) Daniel was to shut up the words and seal the book, " even to the time of the end" (Ver. 4.) Then one asks, " How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" (Ver. 6.) Again, " Ο my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" (Ver. 9.) The words are closed up, and sealed, till the time of the end." Then the days of this time of the end are counted. " From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand, two hundred and ninety days." But to Daniel it is said, " Go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." (Ver. 13.)
Now if we would still further see the importance of understanding this reference of our Lord to Daniel, as to the time of the end, we must read carefully Dan. 9:24-27. We find seventy weeks determined upon Daniel's people the Jews, and their city. Those seventy weeks can only mean weeks of years, or 490 years. Their division is very remarkable—seven at the beginning, sixty-two, and one at the end. As Jesus sat and beheld the city, in three days, events of eternal moment in this prophecy were about to be fulfilled. Yes, in three days, the seven, and the sixty and two were about to be fulfilled. And they were fulfilled. There was Calvary where reconciliation for iniquity was made. There the sepulcher from whence He arose from the dead. Everlasting righteousness brought in. And as Messiah, He was cut off, and had nothing. Thus seven, and sixty-two, or sixty-nine of these weeks of years, or 483 years of this prophecy have run their course. The last week, or seven years, has not yet come. Not only was our blessed Lord cut off, and had nothing as Messiah, but the Romans came and destroyed the city. And then followed that sad parenthesis in their history of general desolations, and sufferings; exactly as described by the Lord in our chapter, Matt. 24:4-14. At the close of this unmeasured period, the prince of the people that destroyed Jerusalem is found making a covenant with them for the last one week, or seven years. (Dan. 5:27; 11) Now mark, it is in the midst of these seven years that he takes away the daily sacrifice, and sets up that Very abomination spoken of by our Lord. And from that very day, the days of the time of the end are measured. Thus nothing could be more distinctly marked in scripture than this time of the end.
How clear and how tender is the Lord's instruction to the remnant of Jews, who believe then! The setting up the abomination is the signal; the days of unparalleled tribulation begin. They are to flee to the mountains. So terrible, that unless those days spoken of in Daniel were shortened, no elect Jew, no flesh, should be saved. They are however shortened to 1260. (Rev. 13:6.)
We may listen then to the words of Jesus on Olivet (vers 15-28), as simply describing the time of the end, the last three years and a half of Daniel's vision, commencing with the setting up of the abomination of desolation.
Now He tells us what will take place immediately after the tribulation of those days. Yes, immediately after, The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then, ah listen to these words of Jesus! "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." Fellow Christian, washed in the blood of the Lamb, it is indeed most certain that before this coming of Christ in glory and to judgment, we shall have been caught up to meet Him, as it is written. (1 Thess. 4 Thess. 2:1-11.)
And it is also absolutely certain, "When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4.)
My reader, if still unsaved, here is the most astounding event described by the Lord Jesus. A sight in the heavens that shall make all the tribes of the earth mourn. Your very eyes before you die, just as you are in your sins, and in your body, even you may see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Ah then there will be no hiding from those eyes as a flame of fire. What will your companions avail you then? You have sacrificed your precious soul, it may be, to them, and the fashion of this world. Can they help you then? If you had all the riches and deceitful pleasures of this world, what would they be in the terrors of that day so near?
We beg, we entreat of you pause, ere it be too late. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, picture that moment, when suddenly, and unexpectedly, the Son of man appears in the sight of a guilty world. Infidelity will turn pale in that moment. And sleeping Christendom (still crying peace and safety!) Oh how sudden, how terrible the destruction! Now the Lord says, " Let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." But then, forever too late! too late! Yes;; these words which describe what will take place both during the time of the end, and immediately after it, are the words of Him who is the truth.
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 2
The Lord Jesus now foretells the condition of Christendom during His absence, and at His coming. The kingdom on earth, during the time (he King is in heaven. As to the Jews, He had shown, first, the unmeasured period of their scattering and persecution. Then, what would mark the time of the end—the setting up the abomination of desolation; the last half-week, or three years and a half of Daniel's prophetic period, the time of unparalleled tribulation; immediately after which the Son of man shall come again. And then, before describing the judgment of the living nations at His coming, He now, in these verses, describes the state of Christendom.
The order and divisions of this scripture are very striking. First, the similitude of the days of Noah; secondly, the parable of the ten virgins; and thirdly, the traveler into a far country. In all three there is striking contrast with the former part of the prophecy as to the Jews, whilst the three parts are in harmony with the addresses to Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea, in Rev. 2; 3, as to Christendom.
In the illustration of Noah, there is eating and drinking; in the ten virgins, slumbering and sleeping; and in the last, luke-warmness and slothfulness.
Let us remember these are the words of Him who cannot be deceived—whose eyes are as a flame of fire. He says, " As the days of Noe were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be." To them it was not a time of tribulation, but of utter carelessness and unbelief. They were eating and drinking, &c., " and knew not, until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Then the most solemn warnings: " Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
Is it not most sad that the whole force and meaning of these plain words of our Lord should be entirely set aside, by misquoting them, as though they referred to death? Take the death of the unsaved, as described by our Lord in Luke 16: " He died, and was buried, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment." Is that the coming of the Son of man? Then take the death, or falling asleep of the believer: it is to " be absent from the body, present with the Lord"! No, if our readers will carefully examine these words of our Lord, they will not find one thought of death in them. Blessed Lord, thou couldst not have given more solemn, or plainer, warnings of that sudden destruction, so near; but men will not believe Thee! If our readers will turn to 1 Thess. 5:1-10, they will find the same delusion foretold: " For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh," &c. And see that destruction fully described in 2 Thess. 1:7-10.
Now, with the plainest possible teaching in the word of God, both from the lips of Jesus, and the inspired apostles, is it not a fact that, at this moment, the cry of peace and safety, a good time coming, is the delusion of Christendom, exactly as thus foretold? Is not our Lord's teaching rejected, just as was Noah's preaching? Saying in the heart, "My Lord delayeth his coming," was the beginning of declension, and of smiting the fellow-servants. The Lord gives this as the mark of the evil servant, whose portion shall be with the hypocrites. It is exceedingly solemn that thus, not only in our day, the world rejects the warnings of the Lord, just as they did the warnings of Noah; but also many, who profess to be the very servants of Christ, are saying in their hearts, " My Lord delayeth his coining." What a question for the reader: Are you waiting for the Lord; or saying in your heart, 44 My Lord delayeth his coining?"
The apostle Peter says, " Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" Thus the very long-suffering of God is used for unbelief. And the children of God are warned to " beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness." (2 Pet. 3) What is this error of the wicked? Is it not saying, " Where is the promise of his coming?"
Let us now listen to the Lord in the parable of the ten virgins. What a correct description of the history of Christendom. No one who reads the epistles can question but that, in the beginning, the whole professing body of Christians " went forth" to meet Christ. It was the hope and expectation of the church. But now, as to the coming of the Lord, during the dark history of so many centuries, did not the church return, in spirit and ways, to the world? and "while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." Yes, all, wise and foolish, the saved and unsaved. All? all slumbered and slept. Fathers, schoolmen, commentators, all, all slumbered and slept. Does not this account for the dreamy writings and confused ideas of the commentators, when they attempt to speak of the Lord's coming?
Dispensational truth, the true order of events, yea, the distinction between the church and the world, and the church and the hopes of Israel, all lost in dreamy confusion. Yes, "all slumbered and slept."
And what has taken place in these last few years? " And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." The whole church of God is being awoke; Christ, " the Morning Star," is being revealed, and about to come, and call His bride away. Can anyone deny that there is a stir among both the wise and foolish—such as have the Holy Ghost, and such as have only the lamp of profession? And is it not found that there is as great need now to go out of the camp of a worldly Christendom to meet the Bridegroom, as there was in the beginning to go outside the camp of Judaism to meet the heavenly Bridegroom? And surely this is equally true as to the world at enmity with God.
Does not this word come home to your heart and mine, " Go ye out to meet him?" The Lord apply it, with divine power, to our souls! Many own that their lamps are gone out. They dare not say they have salvation. See them hurrying off to them that sell!—ever buying, never getting. As God's free gift in grace they will not have it. Well, hurry on, be in earnest—try, buy. But mark, the Bridegroom is coming, and the door will be shut—yes, shut forever. If not salvation now, then never. "I know you not" is the everlasting sentence. Oh, be not deceived by them that sell! If you do not believe God in the gift of His Son, then do, we beg, be in earnest—there is no time to lose; go and see if those who sell can give you oil in your vessel. Give your pence, and give your penance, give all they ask, only be quite sure that you get salvation.
Oh, what words—" While they went to buy, the bridegroom came!" &c. Oh, deluded souls! can folly be more foolish than to refuse the gift of God? Yes, the moment is at hand, they that are saved shall go in, and they that are not shall be shut out. Should it come whilst you read this, where will you be—shut in, or shut out?
Must not a man be asleep to dream of the world's conversion, when the Lord shows in this parable that one half the virgins are foolish—not converted, are not saved, but shut out, having merely the lamp of profession? Oh, no, do not be thus deceived with the error of the wicked! Every scripture wrested to prove such a thought will be found to apply to quite another thing—the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth after His return.
We will not, at this time, notice further the third parable—" A man traveling into a far country,'י but would earnestly press the plain teachings and warnings of our Lord, in the scriptures above, spoken three days before the foundation of all our hopes, the death of Christ; yet they fully and correctly describe the very scenes before our eyes in this day. " Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh."
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 3
After our blessed Lord had foretold the condition and history of the Jews, up to the time of the end (24:4-14), and that which most distinctly marks the time of the end (v. 15), and then the tribulation, that characterizes the time of the end (vers. 16-27), immediately before His coming, in the clouds with power and great glory (ver. 30); He then describes the intervening period—the moral features of Christendom—a period, or dispensation, utterly unknown, even by the disciples who heard Him. And though little understood even now, through the modern mistakes of such teachers as expect the conversion of the world by the preaching of the gospel, yet the more we meditate on this great discourse of the Lord Jesus, the more exact we find the description of Christendom. And especially its present closing scenes.
What a solemn assurance this is, that the close of this dispensation wall be like the days of Noah! The very professed servants, too, saying in their hearts: " My Lord delayeth his coming." Is it not even so? Then chapter 25:1-13, tells us that the whole professing church went back into the world, from which they came out at the beginning. And now the awakening cry goes forth, " Behold, the bridegroom! go ye out to meet him." Can anyone deny that all this is being fulfilled before our very eyes?
We will now meditate on those words of Jesus, chapter xxv. 14-30. Do these words, this parable of the traveler into a far country for a long time, describe what has taken place during the absence of our Lord, from the day He was taken up, to the day He will come again? We shall find they do, and especially again in these closing clays.
Mark, this parable is concerning His servants. It presents the true and the false principles of service, and their results in time and for eternity.
In another scripture, the Lord announces the principle, " For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (Luke 12:48.) So here unto one He gave a large sum, five talents. Then he that had received the five talents, went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. The largeness of the gift produced corresponding obedience or service. So with the other servant who had received two talents.
Obedient service then flows from the riches of the grace of Christ, all through this gospel dispensation, and at its end; and this kind of obedience alone receives the reward and welcome, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." If this be so, then the first question is not how much are you doing for God; but, evidently, the all-important question is, how much have you received? Now dear reader, how much? Do you know the gift of God? Do you know that whilst we were yet sinners, " Christ died for us?" What grace, what righteousness! " The gift of God is eternal life" but have you received it? Forgiveness of sins is preached to you through Jesus the sent One, the gift of God. But have you received forgiveness of sins? He who is sanctified unto obedience, is assured that he has been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. (1 Pet. 1:2, 18-19.)
There is immense importance in this principle. The spring, the source, the power of all obedience acceptable to God is what the believer has first received. Can you then say you believe the testimony of God to the death and resurrection of Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins?" Have you redemption, have you forgiveness of sins? Remember, it is this very grace of God, that to all men hath appeared. " Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-13.) Yes, God first in His grace. Servants of God, on the true principle of obedience, can say, that God hath made Christ Jesus unto them, " wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30.) Have you received this great sum of divine grace? Is Christ Jesus your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? And more, not only did God so love as to give His beloved Son, but also, " Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father." (Gal. 4:6.) May not the question be asked again, " Have you received the Holy Ghost?" If He dwells not in us, there can be no true, holy obedience well-pleasing to God. He that received five talents went and traded. Think of these five things. 1, Christ our wisdom: 2, Righteousness, 3, Sanctification; 4, Redemption, and 5, the Spirit of His Son dwelling in us. Look them over one by one, are they yours? Are you a son? Blessed relationship! Yes, God has separated the believer to true obedience—no longer to seek our own will, but to delight to do His will, according to the measure of the grace of Christ given to each.
"You may not enter fully into the whole of these five talents. They are yours if a believer, but you may not possess them in the sense of enjoyment, so to speak, so as to trade with them. We only use these to illustrate. But two there must be, both known and enjoyed, in order to obedient service. You must have redemption through the blood of Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Only mark, the principle is the same. Receiving, then obeying. The more we know and believe the grace of God, the more will be the fruits abounding. Now have there not been those all through this dispensation, who have first received the grace of God, and then brought forth fruits of righteousness in devoted obedience to God? But also, has there not been among the servants of Christ another class?
Let us, then, now examine the false principles of this other class, described by our Lord. Words spoken as we know so long ago, yet how descriptive of the principle of service greatly revived in our own day! Here it is not the ripening wickedness of the last days, like the days of Noah; but principles of the wicked servant of the absent Lord. He receives one talent. It may be his educational knowledge of the scriptures of truth. He takes the place of knowledge. He says, " I knew thee." Is there not such a class in our day, who take this place?
Now what is such an one's thought of God? In the parable he says, " I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid, and went, and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine." Thus this third class of servants, says, he knows God; but is really in utter darkness as to the true character of grace. He is still on the ground and principle of law. On that principle God had tried man for fifteen centuries, seeking fruit and finding none. And this pretentious servant does not know the difference between Judaism and Christianity. The gospel is the exact contrast of the law in this very particular. It is "Behold a sower went forth to sow" It is the implantation of a new life, a nature wholly new; and fruit reaped where the new seed has been sown. But this knowing servant knows it not. God to him is a hard master, reaping where He has not sown. And he is afraid of God; " I was afraid." God, he says, justly expects righteousness from me; and I find sins, I am afraid of God. He surely expects me to keep the law in every point; I do not. A soul on this ground if conscience is alive at all, must be afraid of God. And how terrible, if such an one is a professed servant of God, a teacher of Christianity, and does not know it! What must he do to deaden conscience? Bury it, dig in the earth and bury it. True heavenly Christianity must be buried in earthly, worldly, national Judaism, and carnal forms of Ritualism.
God rich in mercy; God not imputing sins -God forgiving iniquities; God righteous in justifying from all things, by the death and resurrection of Christ. Yes, God in righteousness, commending His love to us whilst sinners; all this is utterly unknown. No, he says, "I know thee a hard master/' I am afraid. In the gospel God is seen by the atoning death of Christ, now beseeching sinners to be reconciled to Him. This servant knows it not. He thinks Christ died to reconcile God to us; reconcile the hard master to us. He will not believe the joy that God has in receiving the lost, in kissing the prodigal, in clothing him, and feasting with him. No, he says, I cannot believe God. I am afraid of Him. He will not believe that any man can thus know with certainty that God has for Christ's sake forgiven his sins. So hard a master is God to him, that he thinks that even Paul, or Peter, or John, must wait until the day of judgment, at some remote period, before he can know with certainty that his sins are forgiven.
If you would see the proof, how deeply rooted is this unbelief in this servant, read his prayers, repeated through long years. We have had prayers of this servant in our hands that read like the cry of a slave for mercy beneath the lash of a tyrant. The very emblem of the cross in which God revealed His righteousness and love, is used to move the heart of God, as though He were as this servant thinks, a hard master, instead of the God of love. So-called sacrifices that can never take away sins, are continually offered in the sacrament, or mass. And being afraid of God, prayers are offered to, and the intercessions implored of, saints, apostles, angels, and the mother of our Lord. Such is the service of the wicked servant. He goes and digs in the earth, seeks to improve man, or grovels in worldly pleasures—never finding, but always rejecting the grace of our God. What a mistake!
" Thou gatherest where thou hast not sown." Hence the misery and disappointment in seeking righteousness in the flesh, where there is nothing but sin.
And all this so distinctly foretold. Did He not look right on to this very day? To-day we have the two principles of service at work; the true and the false. The one receiving the salvation of God, and sealed by the Spirit, bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and waiting to enter the joy of the Lord at His coming. The other seeking by works of righteousness to find some good in the flesh, but ever disappointed, sinking in earth's nationalities, digging and burying in the earth. And the end so near, when the Lord shall at His return "Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Thus so far this remarkable prophetic discourse has had, and will have, its fulfillment. These are the words of the Lord Jesus, and they cannot fail.
Have you received the grace of God? then obedience is pleasing to God. " I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
" After a long time, the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them." Yes, all this goes on even to the reckoning day, the coming of Christ. Some servants are described as false teachers, making professional merchandise of the saints of God. A whole chapter is devoted to their description and judgment. (2 Pet. 2) If these things are surely foretold by the Lord Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit, as marking the whole period of Christianity, even its teachers, and that right up to His coming again is it not then high time to awake out of sleep? and Christ shall give you light. Surely there could not be a more practical subject than the coming of the Lord, and the judgment of the servants. The servants' reckoning day. Do you take that place? We do not ask what is the character of your service, but do you take the place of a servant? then do not forget that at the reckoning day one of two things is before you -" Outer darkness"; or, " Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Such is the sure teaching of our Lord; and this closes His description of Christendom, up to its very end. We shall find, He then returns to Israel's future history, and the judgment of the living
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 4
We now listen to the words of the Lord Jesus, as He sits and describes the judgment of the quick. " 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; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats."
It is important to remember we have all been greatly mistaken in supposing that our Lord was describing, by this parable, a general resurrection. There is not one word about the resurrection here. It is strange how the judgment of the living nations, called the judgment of the quick, has been forgotten. It is the very solemn ground on which God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. " 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 17:31.) With all the certainty, then, of His resurrection, let us approach this subject. As surely as He has ascended into heaven, so surely He shall come again. (Acts 1:11.) " 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."
Now mark, His coming in judgment will be immediately after the tribulation of Israel: the time of the end. This connects His coming, in a striking manner, with the purposes of God as to Israel. For that tribulation, such as never was, is ushered in by the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the holy place: marking unmistakably the last three years and a half of Daniel's prophetic period. (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15.) Then, immediately after this short period of dreadful sufferings for re-gathered Israel—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." (Matt. 24:30.) " And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria," &c. " And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isa. 11:11, 12.)
The Lord will not forget His elect people. " He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Thus we see how this judgment is connected with Israel. " When the Son of man shall come in his glory." In order to rightly understand this illustration of the sheep and the goats, we must look at an eastern picture.
A modern traveler thus describes a morning scene he witnessed amid the hills of Bashan. "The shepherds led their flocks forth from the gates of the city. Thousands of sheep and goats were there, grouped in dense confused masses; each shepherd took a different path, and uttering as he advanced a shrill peculiar call. The sheep heard them. At first the masses swayed and moved as if shaken by some internal convulsion; then points struck out in the direction taken by the shepherds; these became longer and longer until the confused masses were resolved into long, living streams, flowing after their leaders."
What a picture then does our Lord give by this illustration of the coming judgment. See the swaying of the masses of the gathered nations. " Before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." Then shall come the fulfillment of those words, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." This mark, is not for conversion, but for judgment. " Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron." (See Psalm 2:8.) The prophets also most distinctly foretell this judgment of the living nations, as that which precedes the kingdom of God on earth.
That glorious kingdom is thus introduced; "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 kingdom of God. (Zeph. 3:8-20.)
Joel shows the time when this will take place, "That time when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.י י Thus the chapter describes the gathered multitudes. And "there" the Lord says, "will I sit to judge all the heathen round about." (Joel 3) This judgment of the assembled nations is entirely for the Lord's people Israel. Is it not exactly so in our chapter, Matt. 25?
During those three years and a half of tribulation the deep hatred of the nations is shown against God and the Lamb by the cruel persecution of His ancient people, and this led on by Satan, as the dragon. Those terrible days are described in Rev. 13:5. But there are, that help the woman who brought forth the man-child. That is this same Israel, from which nation the Lord was born.
Is it not blessed to learn a little more of Jehovah Jesus in this judgment scene? See the vast multitudes of the nations gathered before him. Not one act of kindness shown to his brethren, the tribes of Israel, will be forgotten. As in Joel, the nations are judged here, entirely in reference to their conduct towards His brethren, the Jews. What a surprise to those who hear the blessed words of the King: " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!" And surely, not less terrible will be those words: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'י Judgment is committed to the Son of God, Son of man. Men may mock now, and deny Him now, but then the judgment is final, and everlasting. There is no appeal; no superior courts. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.יי The serpent may whisper, " Yea, hath God said everlasting? He does not mean it. Sin is nothing; its punishment will not be everlasting; believe me, do not believe God, trust me;
God is too kind to punish you everlastingly." Beloved reader, will you thus as Eve, in the garden, believe Satan, rather than God, speaking in the Son? The moment she began to reason with Satan, the poison of sin had entered. The moment we begin to reason the question whether we may believe God. or trust the devil's lie, that moment we are infidels at heart. Thousands are thus ensnared by Satan. Could the Lord have possibly used plainer words? He uses the same word?" everlasting fire," " everlasting punishment," "everlasting life," or as the translators have put it "life eternal.יי Now, is it wiser to reason with Satan, like Eve, or say with Jesus when tempted by the devil, " It is written "? Yes, this is the question: the lie of Satan, or the truth of God.
Yes, ponder this solemn fact, that whether it b$ here the judgment of the quick; or the judgment of the dead in Rev. 20, the sentence is final, and the punishment everlasting.
But it may be asked, If this parable, or illustration of the sheep and the goats, brings before us the gathered nations on earth, in the presence of the restored Israel, the brethren of the king, where then, in this scene, is the church of God? And if a Christian, where will the reader be? We can only answer these questions very briefly now: but we beg the reader to search, and see if these things are so. We will go to that supreme moment, the appearing of Christ. That moment when the affrighted tribes of the earth first see Him coming in great glory.
First fact: " When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3:4.) What a fact: what a sight: the church of God with Him! Is this your hope?
Second fact: "But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him." (1 John 3:2.) Oh, wonders of redeeming grace. Like Him! The same glory, purity, incorruptibility.
Third fact: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment." (See Jude 14.) When He comes to judgment, we come with Him.
Fourth fact: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." (Rev. 20:4.)
In the prophets, and in Matthew, we see the Lord sitting on the throne of His glory. In Revelation we see the redeemed sitting on thrones In judgment also. Surely this is very wonderful. In that great judgment, we shall be with Him, like Him, shall come with Him, shall sit on judgment-thrones in judgment. It may be asked, How is it that we shall be with Him, and come with Him when He appears?
Fifth fact: "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. 4:16.) This fifth fact comes thus first in order; and explains all the rest. Yes, this revelation to Paul explains how it is that " at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ" He comes "with all his saints." He first comes to fetch them, as He promised, " 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) We must not confound this with His appearing in glory; and sitting on the throne of His glory, to judge the nations. These are totally different events in scripture: so distinct, that in one, He comes to receive us; in the other, we come with Him to judge the world. And all this so near! Are you, beloved reader, ready to meet Him? We beg you, leave not this an unsettled question. Wondrous as is the grace that gives us such a place in this world's judgment, yet we have something far better. At this we may look at a future time.
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 6
When Jesus was risen from the dead, He showed Himself alive to His disciples, "being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." One question is recorded which they asked of Him, saying, " Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" The answer of the Lord has been greatly overlooked. "And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." (Acts 1:1-7.)
Jesus had also said, " But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." These words of our Lord, sufficiently expose the folly and rashness of all who attempt to fix the time and season when God will set up His kingdom on earth. Yet would it not be a great mistake to suppose, on this account, that it would be wrong to fully declare the fact of that coming kingdom? The apostle could say two things: "I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God;" " And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more." (Acts 20:24. 25)
But it may be asked, Are there not positive and definite prophetic dates in scripture? Are not the days of the great tribulation exactly numbered, starting from the very day that the abomination that maketh desolate is set up? (See Dan. 12:11.) And does not the Lord Jesus distinctly refer to this, and confirm it, declaring that those days shall be shortened? And does He not also declare that, immediately on the close of those days of the tribulation, He will come in the clouds of heaven? (Matt. 24:29.) Nothing can be clearer in the word of God. The very number of the days of tribulation are given, from the setting up the abomination of desolation to the coming of the Lord to set up the kingdom on earth.
Nay, we may go much further than this, and with equal certainty. We have an exact period of Israel's history revealed to the prophet Daniel—a period of seventy weeks; and, in this case, what has been fulfilled proves these weeks to be weeks of years, or 490 years. This period starts with the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem; which took place in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, and extends unto the blessed period of anointing the Most Holy. A clear, definite period is measured unto the Messiah—seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks, that is, 483 years. This was actually fulfilled. The great reconciliation was made by His death, and everlasting righteousness brought in by His resurrection. But then, exactly as foretold, He, as Messiah, was cut off; utterly rejected by Israel; and for the present has nothing on earth. " 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." If we now read carefully Dan. 9:26, 27, we notice an unmeasured period. The people of the prince, &c. (that is jus! what took place), the Romans, came and destroyed the city and the sanctuary. The people were scattered among all nations (Luke 21); and desolations are determined on during this unknown period. Then, in verse 27, comes the last week, or seven years; in the midst of which very week, the abomination of desolation is set up. The half of this week, or seven years, is repeatedly referred to, as three years and a half, or forty-two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days. (Compare Rev. 11:3; 12:6, 14; 13:5.) These must be literal days, months, and years, as they are part of the last week of seven years, the last part of the 490 years, a day for a year. (Dan. 9:27.)
Let us now return a little. If all these dates are clear, and exactly what they are stated to be, how is it that it is not given to us to know the times and the seasons? or that we cannot possibly know the date, or time, when God will set up His kingdom on earth? This is a very important question, and can only be answered by a distinct knowledge of the once hidden purpose of God, to gather out the church—the body—to be the bride of Christ. And further, as the church of God is distinct from the kingdom of God, it is evident this distinction must be recognized, in order rightly to understand the scriptures of truth.
Now, whilst all dates have reference to the time of the kingdom, no dates give the least clue to the length of the time of the church of God on earth. The true attitude of the believer, all through this period, is to be waiting for the Lord from heaven. The first epistle written, or one of the first, proves this. (1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:15-18; 5:23.) It is not given to us to know the date of this blessed event. The Father knows when the last soul shall be gathered out of the world to form the completed bride of Christ.
All this was kept hid, but now revealed. (See Eph. 3) Wondrous as this may be to some, the church has no place whatever in the Old Testament prophets. Their theme is the sufferings of Christ, and the kingdom to be set up on this earth in glory and power. It is evident, then, that this unmeasured period of grace must run its course, and the church of God taken up to be forever with the Lord, before the prophetic stream of times and seasons can again flow on. All this must be well considered, or we shall be sure to confound the earthly hopes and promises to Israel, with the heavenly hope and glory of the church.
There is, however, another point of great importance before we proceed to Israel's future literal! glory. It is this: the difference between the covenant of works, and the promise of God; and the fact that the New Testament regards all that are of faith as the seed of Abraham. " If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." And in this sense scripture speaks of Abraham: "As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations." (Rom. 3:13-17; Gal. 3) The great difference between these two principles is this: In the covenant made at Sinai, there were two parties engaged in that covenant, with Moses as a mediator. Man supposed himself capable of keeping the law, engaged in covenant to do so. Then, the blessing connected with such a covenant depended on the faithfulness of both parties. One party, Israel, after the fullest trial, utterly failed. Now, the principle of promise is in direct contrast with this; that is, whilst the covenant of the law depended on the faithfulness of two parties, the promise depended solely on the faithfulness of One, and that One, God. This is an all-important question: On which principle did God bless Abraham? On which principle does He now deal with every believer? on which principle will He deal with Israel in their future days of glory?
It is written, " The promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed." (Rom. 4:11-17.) These two principles are seen in Galatians to be in direct contrast. The one was given, and confirmed to Abraham and his seed, which is Christ, four hundred and thirty years before the other. And it is plain that where all depended on the faithfulness of God, nothing could possibly disannul it, that it should make the promise of none effect. The law was added, until Christ, for transgressions, that so the infinite mercy of God might be shown to all concluded under sin.
The faith of Abraham laid hold of this great principle of promise; and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. This is purely of faith; that is, all depended on God, not on Abraham. On the other hand, 1500 years' experience of man, under the covenant of works, has proved that no man can stand on the ground of his own faithfulness; for all have sinned. Therefore it is evident that " all that are of the works of the law are under the curse."
The new covenant, then, is really the original promise to Abraham, confirmed in Christ: "So that they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." But does the reader apprehend what an immense principle this is? Read the absolute promise, wholly and unconditionally, of God (Gen. 12:1-3); then see how this was confirmed when Abraham had offered up his son, and received him, in figure, from the dead. (Chap, 22) Then God confirmed the promise with an oath. And all this applied to us who now believe. (See Heb. 6:13-20.) The difference, then, is this: On the principle of law, or the covenant of works, the blessing depends on the faithfulness of both parties, as when a master covenants with a servant. On the other, the principle of promise, God engages absolutely my everlasting salvation, and all depends on His faithfulness. It was actually "to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, that He confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation," &c. Think of those two things: The promise of God; and the oath of God. Oh, reader, let this be settled in your soul before you go on to God's faithfulness to Israel. Does your faith rest solely on the faithfulness of God? Does your eternal salvation depend absolutely on the promise and oath of God, in which it is impossible for Him to lie? Nay, more, has not God given His beloved Son to die for our offenses? Has He not raised Him from among the dead, for our justification? Is it not absolutely true that, believing God, we are justified by faith, and have peace with God? Do not be deceived, if your salvation depends on your own faithfulness, in the least degree, you have let slip the great principle of the promise of God. We might as well try to mingle light and darkness, as to mingle the principle of promise and law. The one was until the other, to Israel. But we are now children of God, heirs according to promise.
There is another point of equal importance, both to the Christian now, and to Israel in days to come. If the administration of the covenant of works be thus set aside, through the utter break-down of man; and if the inheritance—heavenly to us, earthly to Israel—is absolutely of promise, and depends on the immutability of God, what about practical righteousness, and a holy life? Here, again, we find the same distinct contrast. Under the covenant, man engaged to do what he had no power to perform. (Exod. 19:8; Rom. 7:18.) Under law, man says, " We will do it." On the principle of promise, God says, " I will." " This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them." (Heb. 10:16.) Two things are absolutely necessary before there can be a holy walk. Man must be born again wholly anew, and the Spirit of God must dwell in him. But both these things are of faith, of promise, of God. " Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" How simple, yet how blessed: God gives a nature that delights to do His will, and power—even the Holy Ghost dwelling in us- to do that which is holy, and therefore pleasing, in His sight. The indwelling of the Spirit will be shown by the fruit of the Spirit: " Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." These preliminary thoughts will help us in considering the principles of the coming kingdom of God.
Whether, then, we look at the promise of God to Abraham, as to his spiritual seed, or as it regards his literal descendants, let us note well, that fulfillment depends entirely on the faithfulness of God. This will not, however, set aside His governmental dealings, either with the nation of Israel, or with the individual saint.
Is not this surpassing grace? that we Gentiles, who, as to nature, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, should now be brought nigh by the blood of Christ; yea, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Oh, the riches of His grace! to thus take us up, and make our eternal salvation to depend on His own faithfulness.
It costs us little to preach the doctrines of grace, but to walk as dead and risen with Christ is another thing.
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 7
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, 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. 22:16-18.) 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. 32:8.) 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. 3:4.) 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, 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. 2:44.) 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. 2:8.) 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, 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, 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. 3:8.) 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. 2:10-12.) 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, 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. 7:13.)
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 1:11.) " 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 3:20.) "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. 1:7.) 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 17:31.) 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; 25:31.) 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. 20:5.)
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. 25:46.) 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.
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 8
Having considered the period of Israel's passing through her time of "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be," and the coming of the Lord Jesus in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory, we will now look at those scriptures which describe the vast change that will take place on earth, and especially with regard to Israel, the chosen of Jehovah.
His "feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives," "and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Jerusalem immediately becomes the center of God's operations in the earth, the metropolis of all its worshipping peoples. "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth." (Zech. 14) Then shall the feast of the new moon be fulfilled. Just as the moon is hid for a time in darkness, so has Israel been hid in gross darkness, having refused the Light of the world. But then shall God say to her, " Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isa. 60) It is now twenty-three centuries since the Spirit of God uttered this prophecy. Can we deny the truth of one part being fulfilled before our eyes? Not only at this moment does darkness cover the earth, but gross darkness the people—that is, Israel: but, oh, how soon the other part shall be fulfilled, the burst on Israel of heaven's glorious light, the coming of Jehovah Jesus, Messiah! The light of His glory in Jerusalem shall command all nations that are left on earth. " Kings to the brightness of thy rising."
Oh, reader, awake from thy dreamy sleep, lift up thine eyes to survey this coming glory on earth! Look at this marvelous scene at Jerusalem! Watch the ingathering of the long-lost and scattered sons of Abraham. They fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows. "The ships of Tar-shish first, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee." See the sons of strangers delighting to build up its walls. Read the whole chapter in faith: every word must be fulfilled; it is God that hath spoken. As surely as Zion hath been hated, and her sons scattered amongst all nations; so surely does God say, " I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations." We have already seen that the Lord Jesus makes it most certain that these words cannot be applied to the church, because, all through the period of Christianity, this very same Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles. (Luke 21:24-27.) When the Lord has made it so plain, is it not sad to misapply scripture, which speaks of Jerusalem's future glory, as though it meant the church?
How exceedingly important is a right understanding of the dispensations of God. Mark the Lord Jesus, infinite in wisdom; see Him enter the synagogue of Nazareth. He turns over and unrolls the prophet Isaiah. Why does He stop in the middle of the second verse, and close the book? So far He reads, and so far He could say, a This scripture is fulfilled in your ears." If we examine Isa. 61, we find three distinct periods in it -the period of grace, of vengeance, and of millennial blessing. The Lord reads those words which refer to the first, and closes the book. The second, the period of tribulation such as never was, has not yet come, and therefore that which follows it cannot have come. Hence the cities and towns of Palestine are yet in ruins. But when the days of the kingdom are come, then " they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." How deeply interesting are these words of God, when we believe He really means to do as He says!
Do not mistake one fact—that all these prophecies refer to Zion and Jerusalem in the days of the kingdom. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory," &c. (Isa. 62) These words cannot possibly refer to the church, for in it there are neither Jews nor Gentiles, but all are one in Christ Jesus. But in the days of the kingdom, in all the prophets, we find the Jews, or Israel, and the Gentiles. Thus, then, there will only be two things on earth, while now, in the days of the church, there are three things -the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God. (1 Cor. 10:32.) During these days of the gathering of the church, Israel as a nation is cut off, and Palestine a desolation; but in the days of the kingdom of God on earth, they shall say, "This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, and desolate, and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited." (Eze. 36:35.)
Oh, how few who read these inspired scriptures believe them! How few of Palestine^ tourists believe that that waste land is soon to be restored- nay, more than restored, to be like the garden of Eden. Yet such is surely the case. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.....They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. 11)
How many say, "Thy kingdom come," who have never searched these scriptures to see what that kingdom will be when it comes. The happy peaceful scenes of paradise will then be more than restored.
This brings us to a point that Nicodemus ought to have known as a ruler of the Jews. Let us bear in mind that the words of the Lord Jesus to him refer not distinctively to the church, but to the kingdom. He says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And again, He says, " Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' And, further, He tells him how this must be by the sovereign act of the Spirit. These are truths of the greatest importance, whether to the individual believer now, or as regards the coming kingdom of God on earth, of which our Lord spake. Jesus said to him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" As these things were so distinctly foretold in scripture, as characterizing the coming kingdom, he ought to have known them. One word more, before we turn to those important prophecies. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Yes, this was equally needed, whether for believers now, or the kingdom of God to come. The adorable Jesus must be lifted up on the cross. What a moment that is when this is first made known to a sinner! And what a day that will be when Israel discovers that He was wounded for their transgressions, and bruised for their iniquities!
We will now turn to some of the prophecies that describe the restoration and blessing of Israel. (Eze. 36:22-36.) Mark, their restoration is entirely of God. "The wind bloweth where it listeth." God says, " I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.....from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh.... And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them, and ye shall dwell in the land," &c.
Nicodemus, therefore, ought to have known these things. Thus the restoration of all things, in heaven and on earth, as spoken of in the prophets, is entirely of God. God will gather Israel out of all nations, for His great name's sake. But all who enter the kingdom must be born again, wholly anew, entirely of God. He will sprinkle clean water upon them. That is, He will cleanse them from all their filthiness, and make them a holy people. God will give them a new heart. He will put the Holy Spirit in them. God will cause them to walk in His statutes. Thus they will not only be brought into the kingdom of God on earth, but be made capable of enjoying God. All is in direct contrast with the covenant of the law given at Sinai. (Read Jer, 31:31-34.)
What delight it gives to the heart to contemplate all this, as the result of the faithfulness of God! The covenant engagement is entirely on God's part in every particular. He says, " Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them.....I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart.....And I will make an everlasting covenant with them..... I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good." (Jer. 32:37-43.) And mark, there is no thought of the church blest in the heavens here. It is evidently the kingdom come on earth, (Jer. 33:7-17.)
In keeping with all this, immediately after the judgment on the nations, the Lord says, " For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.".... " Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, Ο Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, Ο daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.....The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing." (Zeph. 3:9-20.)
Thus we know that when the Lord shall restore Israel, and set up His kingdom on earth, He will cleanse them from all iniquity—He will give them a new heart. They must be born wholly anew; they must be fitted for the presence of the King, the Lord of Hosts. He shall dwell in their midst, rejoicing over them with joy. Still, we must remember the distinction between the church and the kingdom on earth. Both of God. One shall be the display of the glory of God in the heavens, the other the display of His glory on earth.
Oh, view the once desolate mountains of Palestine, now restored to the freshness and beauty of Eden. See her re-built cities filled with holy, happy inhabitants. Hearken to the bursts of praise. High Hallelujahs sound from every vale and every hill. See those happy nations, joyfully they come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts.
Oh, bright contrast to this world's surging scenes of sorrow and of sin! All then is peace: God rests in His love. No tempting adversary -Satan is put into the abyss—the nations learn war no more—Messiah reigns—all iniquity immediately judged. Oh, blessed Father, then shall thy kingdom have come, and thy will be done on earth as in heaven!
How strange that the scriptures, so full of these wondrous promises, should be so neglected, or denied. But bright as is the glory of the kingdom on earth, brighter far the church's glory above -" descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." (Rev. 21) Well may the beloved inspired John say, " It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Could there be anything, or any glory, beyond this? May the Spirit of God awaken the whole church to the blessed hope of our Lord's return!
The value of the work of Christ can never be altered, diminished or increased.
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 9, Judgment
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent; 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 17:30, 31.)
Repentance and forgiveness now, or judgment hereafter, such is the unalterable sentence of the word of God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Yes, God must be faithful to the claims of the atoning value of the death of the Lord Jesus. It is not He may, but in righteousness He will—yea, to be righteous He must forgive us our sins. Is Jesus your Savior, or will He be your Judge? "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." The word of God is most distinct on the question of judgment, as the lot of man, as such. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."
There is only one ground of exemption, and when we think of the everlasting issues, is it not of the utmost moment to ascertain what that ground of exemption from judgment is? Is it not on the sole ground that the Lord Jesus hath once "appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself? And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation." (Heb. 9:26-28.) This is in perfect harmony with the blessed statement of the Lord Jesus: "Verily, 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 [or judgment], but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24.)
Thus those who hear the word of the Lord Jesus, and believe God that sent Him, shall not come into judgment. He was offered to bear their sins; God sent Him for this very purpose. The offerings of the law could never put sins away. "In those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year." (Heb. 10) But when the blood of bulls and of goats could not possibly take away sins, then the Lord Jesus came, for the very purpose of putting away sin, by the offering of Himself once. And "after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God." "For by one offering he hath perfected forever [that is, in perpetuity] them that are sanctified." The Holy Ghost is a witness of all this. Now mark, this ground of exemption from judgment for sins is wholly of God; the will of God is the very source of it. "Lo, I come to do thy will, Ο God." The One that has accomplished this will is the Eternal Son. The One that bears witness is the Holy Ghost. What a ground this is for the soul to rest upon! Instead of judgment, God says, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Yes, thus as death and judgment are the common lot of man, so "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Instead of judgment, then, "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Have you heard the word of Jesus? Do you believe God who sent Him? That it was the will of God that the Son should come into this world for the purpose of bearing the sins of many—that is, of all who believe Him- and therefore of putting away your sins, if you do believe God, by the one sacrifice of Himself? Does your soul rest on the fact that He has offered Himself thus once? and that what the blood of bulls and goats could not do, He has done once forever? What! your sins put away forever? so put away to the glory of God, that He has sat down on the right hand of God? Oh, to think that God cannot in righteousness remember one of our sins and iniquities against us! Justified from all things, so that He says, "and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Can He, then, who died for our sins, and was raised for our justification, after all come again to judge us for those very sins? No, He comes without sin, that is, without a question of sin as against us; it is "unto salvation."
The righteousness of God makes this impossible. He who died for our sins, who finished the work that the Father gave Him to do, claims not only our everlasting justification, but He says, " Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me." He who thus speaks could say, " Ο righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me"
Who shall judge the believer for his sins? God is their Justifier. His righteousness is revealed in justifying them, by the redemption they have freely through Christ Jesus, even through His blood. Shall Jesus judge them, who is coming to judge the world in righteousness? Why, He came the first time for the very purpose of glorifying God in taking our sins away; and He has done it. He is set down forever. We are perfected forever; our sins and iniquities to be remembered no more.
Judicially there is nothing to judge now—"There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 8:1.) All has been judged, sins, and sin, in and by that one sacrifice for sin. Now, even amongst men, if a man's liabilities have been met by another, discharged, and the receipt given, no righteous judge could bring such a person into court again. Can God, then, be unrighteous, and bring the justified believer in Christ into judgment? Impossible. So that if we look at that terrible day of wrath and fiery indignation, when the Lord Jesus shall come to judge the world, that is, the living nations of this earth; when all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory; we know that, before this awful day of wrath and everlasting punishment on the despisers of the mercy of God, all believers will have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air. They will appear with Him when He comes to judge, and, as His joint-heirs, they will be seated with Him to judge the world. (Col. 3:4; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14.) Nothing is more clearly taught in holy scripture than this, that instead of the saints being raised to stand in a general judgment at the coming of Christ, they will come with Him to judge the world. (Rev. 19:14; 20:4.) Not only will the Lord be on His throne, but John says, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them." a Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
And the redeemed church, the Lamb's wife, having reigned with Christ in the glory of God a thousand years; then takes place the judgment of the wicked dead. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened," &c. (Rev. 20:11) Yes, it is appointed unto men (not all men) once to die, and after death the judgment. These are they, the rest of the dead, that lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:5.) Oh, how terrible to be raised to stand before the great white throne! There is no deliverance then; no more sacrifice for sins; no escape. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Whilst most assuredly believers, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and for a millennium reigning in glory with Christ, can never stand, after all this, before that terrible throne; yet "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Oh, reader, how do you stand with God? Do not dream of deliverance then, if you reject the salvation of God now. Salvation is perfect, it is a great salvation now. Judgment on the rejecters will be great and terrible then.
Have you, then, believed God in sending His beloved Son? and that that Holy One has been made a sacrifice for your sins? Have you repented, that is, have you, and do you, judge yourself your sins, and sin in the presence of such righteousness and divine love? Do you believe the righteousness of God in justifying you from all sins by the atoning death of Jesus? Do you believe God raised Him from the dead for your justification, and to be your everlasting righteousness? Then rest in the absolute certainty of those precious words of Jesus. You hear His word; you believe God that sent Him; then believe what He says, "hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment." Oh, how sweet to say from the heart," Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Rev. 1:5.)
No, instead of the believer looking for judgment, he looks for the Lord Jesus the second time, without sin unto salvation. Thus even now, can we sing with joyful hearts, " Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness: and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:12.) Some of our readers may ask. If all believers who have passed from death to life are thus accepted in Christ, all their sins forgiven, and justified from all things; now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: shall not be brought into judgment for sins put away by the blood of Jesus; then what is the meaning of that scripture, " For we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ?" And again, "So everyone of us shall give account of himself to God." (Rom. 14, read 10-13.) And also again, "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear [or be manifested] before the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad " (2 Cor. 5:9-11.) Now clearly this cannot mean that we shall be judged for our sins, and dealt with according to our sins done in the body, as, in that case, not one could be saved. And besides, this would contradict the scriptures we have been considering, which is impossible. God cannot contradict Himself.
If we carefully read the context of these scriptures, we find it is not a question of our sins, or of our being accepted in Christ; that is all settled for the believer for eternity. His redemption is eternal. In Rom. 14:12 it is a question of not judging our brethren in matters of eating, observing days, &c. The blessed Lord will make no mistake when we all stand before His Beemah seat of reward. In the latter case, in 2 Cor. 5, it is we should earnestly labor, not to be accepted in Him—that we are now through grace—but to be acceptable to Him. We shall receive, or be rewarded, according to that we have done, whether it be good or bad. As in another scripture, " For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.....If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Bead the whole of 1 Cor. 3 Thus our bodies being the temples of the Holy Ghost, we may assuredly both know and do the things that are good and acceptable to Christ, and according to His judgment receive the reward. But if we build badly, do the things that are bad in His sight, however highly these things may be spoken of amongst men, we shall suffer loss as to reward, yet be saved so as by fire. The contrast between Abraham and Lot may illustrate this; the one walking with God a pilgrim and stranger, the other dwelling in Sodom—saved from judgment so as by fire.
What a deeply important subject this is! How many believers, like Lot, are earnestly laboring to reform Sodom! Let us sit down in solemn meditation with the word of God before us, not questioning our acceptance in Christ, if believers. Surely this would be unbelief. But let us ask, what are we doing that is pleasing to Him who bought us with His precious blood—what will meet with His approval and reward when we meet Him as Savior in the air? Oh, that we may test everything by this, Is it pleasing to our Lord? To labor for this as the apostle labored. We are persuaded this would have the effect of leading us to abandon very much that is done in the body, as the mere religious fashion of the day; because we know it will not pass for good in that day so near at hand. Neither will that which is pleasing in His sight lose its reward. But let us not commit the fatal mistake of confounding this with judgment of our sins, but "wait for his Son from heaven.... which delivered us from the wrath to come."
Plain Papers on the Second Coming of Christ: Part 10, What It Is to Him
“He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied." (Isa. 53:11)
We have dwelt a little on what the coming of Christ will be to us who believe; and what it will be to a rejecting world when He comes in judgment. We will now look a little at what it will be to Him. He has been bruised for us, yes "bruised for our iniquities." "The Lord hath laid on. him the iniquity of us all." Yes, His soul has been made an offering for sin. He bare the sins of many. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." " Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it: that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27.) And all this, not only the love of Christ, precious as that is, but " Having made known unto us the mystery of his will" (the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) cc according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself." We can thus hear the Son in the counsels of eternity saying, "Lo I come to do thy will." Thus Jesus saith to the Jews, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
Now from these most comforting scriptures, do we not see how deeply interested the Lord Jesus Christ must be in that blessed event, when the first part of the eternal purpose of God the Father shall be accomplished? the presentation of the church glorious, without spot or wrinkle.
In order, however, to enter into this joy of the Lord, the reader must be quite sure that he has come to Christ, as we see here, because given to Him of the Father. If so, He must, and will, take good care that you shall in no wise be cast out. Does He not say so? and is not that enough? Is it possible after the cross, for either His love to cease, or for Him to fail to do the Father's will? And that will is that you should not be lost, but that He should raise you up at the last day. Of that resurrection we will speak shortly. How gracious of the Lord to tell us all this, that the foundation of the blessed hope might be so sure! Do you think Christ has any uncertainty about a single soul given unto Him, whose sins He bare in His own body on the cross? Whether we think of those who have fallen asleep in Him, or those who are now alive on earth in the midst of this scene of temptation and conflict, is He afraid that He will fail to raise all in the glory given to Him? Are you a believer? Then, if you could be lost, of course He would foil to do the Father's will. Is not this impossible? Do you say, My sins come to my remembrance, and I almost sink in despair? Our sins; was He not nailed to the cross to bear them? Oh, see that holy, sinless One nailed there; and there doing the will of God in bearing our sins. Is not our Sin-bearer now crowned with glory? Yes, that same Jesus who was bruised for our iniquities, delivered for our offenses, is now at the right hand of the majesty on. high, having purged our sins; God having raised Him from the dead for our justification. He did not fail in that vast undertaking. He could say, " I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." There can be no question of this, for God has raised Him from the dead and received Him to glory. Then to believers there can be no uncertainty. Believing God, that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, we are thus accounted righteous before God. Never can there be a question of this in the heart of Christ. Well does He know that we are accepted in Him, One with Himself.
"What joy this must be to the heart of Christ, knowing the righteousness of His God and Father in justifying us from all things, through His own divinely perfect work! And not only this, blessed as it is, but "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied." Though we are justified from all things, accounted righteous, even as He is righteous, yet for the present we have to mourn over and deplore a sinful nature, yea, to abhor ourselves often too in bitter confession. Flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; conflict too with wicked spirits in the heavenlies. And with all, in a world of tribulation, ever proving His tender care and intercession, and never failing to restore our souls.
Now pause, and think of the intense interest He has in that wondrous event so near at hand, when He shall come to receive us to Himself, and when all the present sorrow and conflict shall forever cease. How this thought sustained His heart, even beneath the very shadow of the cross! Let us hear how He speaks of it to us, and how He speaks to the Father. All was divinely certain to Him. He would have us share the same certainty. He says, u Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In 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. 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 14:1-3.) Yes, fellow believer, there is no doubt about it, He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. Did He die for your sins on the cross? Then He will come and receive you unto Himself, and shall be satisfied. Oh, if one whose sins He bore on the cross could be lost, would He be satisfied? Never, never, never. He was just about to enter that scene of travail of soul for us. Shortly lie entered Gethsemane. Oh, see Him sweating, as it were, great drops of blood! But if the prospect was so terrible, what was the deep untold reality on the cross? He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. Though we are left in this world a little while, He would have us enjoy this blessed certainty with Himself. He could not be satisfied unless all the Father gave to Him were brought to glory.
Do you hear Him thus speaking to you? "I will come again and receive you unto myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." You do not think He can break His promise? No, lie must see you there, fruit of the travail of His soul. "It is the Father's will that hath sent me, that of all which lie hath given me I should lose nothing." Sweet resting-place of the heart that knows Him; Jesus' love fulfilling the Father's will in coming Himself, to receive us, fruit of the travail of His soul.
Now let us hear the breathing of His love to the Father. (John 17) Is it possible for words to express deeper longings of heart for those whom the Father hath given to Him? "I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine." "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one as we are one." "Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory." What must that coming moment then be, when these longings of the heart of Christ shall be fulfilled: when He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied? Waiting now in patience until the last soul given to Him of the Father passes from death unto life; yet oh, the joy to Him when He comes as it is written, to receive us to meet Him in the air.
Ah! this was the joy that was set before Him, as He crossed the brook Cedron, as He went into dark Gethsemane, and on to the cross. Be assured He will not fail to receive you at His coming. There is no uncertainty as to this, for "We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Did you ever notice what a change will take place in heaven when the desire of the Lord's heart is thus granted, and He sees the travail of His soul so far answered, when we are caught up to be forever with Him? When the redeemed take their seats, clothed in white raiment, and crowned with gold, as seen under the figure of the four and twenty elders; then behold the Lamb as it had been slain takes His place in the midst of the throne. (Rev. 4; 5) The angelic myriads give place to the redeemed to occupy the inner circle. Yes, the thousands of thousands stand round about the throne and the crowned elders. What a change this is in heaven! Oh, the surpassingness of this grace! Think of this redeemed multitude of thieves, harlots, drunkards, and sinners of deepest dye, washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed and crowned. Is not this the first time we hear of singing in heaven? Oh, to join that mighty roll of swelling song, that new song of further redemption-glories still to come. And hark! the thousands of thousands of angels around, saying with a loud noise, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Rev. 5:12.) And will He see you there? And will He be satisfied then, but not till then, for the travail His soul endured for you? Now, what a scene this will be for that same Jesus, who bare our sins amid the darkness and the forsaking of God, in judgment on our iniquities on the cross! But oh, how much to follow; and this is the burthen of the new song. Yes, He is worthy of the sealed number of Israel; the number also that no man can number of the vast multitude that shall be saved through millennial days; vast numbers to be saved and washed in the blood of the Lamb after the church has been completed, and forever with the Lord, And all those, too, who shall be slain for the testimony of Jesus during the times of tribulation from the taking of the church to His coming in judgment to reign. (Rev. 6-19) Not one of these shall be lost; "They 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." Nothing can prevent this blessed event taking place. Even from those scenes of unparalleled wickedness, He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.
And now a word as to the great millennial exhibition, when the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ shall show His workmanship,, u Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife," " and he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone, most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." This reminds us of a visit to a large gold, and silver, and precious stone establishment on the Continent. The workshops were similar to those where common metals are worked: the melting in the furnace, the rolling, the stamping, and all the various branches. Though these precious metals and stones were of great value, yet they appeared to get rough handling in some parts of the operations. One thing was however striking, the great care, that, of all committed to the workmen, nothing should be lost. And you would not have thought that the value the proprietor set upon one little stone was three hundred pounds. Well, after a time came the exhibition, when every article in our friend's case was pronounced a perfect gem. You would not have thought if you had seen some of these, as they had been dipped in aquafortis, and other operations which we need not describe, what a pleasure it would be at last to the owner to see them in all their polish and perfection!
What will it be when our blessed Lord shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied! We might look at some of His precious stones now. Few think of the value He sets on that clear soul toiling there at her washing, that one in the cellar, another in the attic, that one passing through sore temptation. And oh, what care, that of all the Father had given to Him, nothing should be lost! Oh, blessed Lord, haste the day of thy great exhibition, when every redeemed saint shall be a perfect gem to thy eternal praise! Let also the new heaven and the new earth appear, then shalt Thou see of the travail of Thy soul, and shall be satisfied. Even so Lord Jesus.—Amen.