HERE it may be well to pause for a moment and notice the order in which the important events of this, period occur. We have seen the saints caught up to meet the Lord according to His own promise in John 14 They pass into heaven, and, all things being ready, the marriage of the Lamb takes place according to the vision of St. John. (Rev. 19) " The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." He presents her to Himself a glorious church, holy and without blemish. What a day that will be! What a day even for heaven, so long accustomed to glory. But this will be a new glory, the bridal glory of the Lamb! As the bride ranks with her Bridegroom, and the wife with her husband, so will the church rank with Christ on that day of wondrous, transcendent glory!
The marriage scene and the marriage supper being over, the blessed Lord, or the last Adam, with His beloved Eve, the glorified saints, and the angelic hosts prepare for His appearing in glory, and to take possession of the earth. But during the interval between the " coming" and the " appearing," God's love has been active in gathering out His own, and the earth has been ripening for judgment. When the true church has left the scene of testimony, and the merely nominal part has been rejected forever, the Spirit of God begins to work in the Jewish remnant; and they, as the missionaries of the new testimony, preach "the everlasting gospel to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." The judgment of the living nations in Matt. 25 discriminates as to the results of this mission. And Rev. 7 shows us the saved multitudes of both Jews and Gentiles by means of "the everlasting gospel," as preached by the Jewish " brethren" of the blessed Lord. But while the love of God is thus active, and the power of the Spirit thus manifested, Satan is exerting all his power, and bringing up all his forces, to corrupt the whole earth, and dispute its possession with the Lord's Anointed. But the hour of their judgment is come.
" And I saw heaven opened," says the apostle, " and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." (Rev. 19) The Lord is coming; He is on His Way. Heaven is open; but He comes not alone; the armies of heaven follow Him. He comes to take vengeance on them that know not God, and them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. " He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." Apostate Christendom, and the Jews who have returned to their own land in unbelief, and formed an alliance with Antichrist, will be the special objects of judgment, but a remnant of Israel shall be saved. The heavenlies cleared of Satan and his angels; the earth cleared of its wicked kings; the beast and the false prophet cast into the lake of fire, and Satan bound in the bottomless pit; the whole scene being thus cleared by judgment, and victory complete, the blessed Lord takes the kingdom. " The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. 11:1515And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15).) The spared remnant of Israel and their offspring, and the remnant of Gentiles which survive the awful judgments, with their posterity, will form the population of the earth during the millennium, while the church reigns with Christ her Head and Bridegroom in heavenly glory. " Blessed and holy is he that bath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death bath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." Rev. 20:4-64And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed 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. (Revelation 20:4‑6).