It would be impossible to estimate the real service 'which the Brethren have rendered to the church at large by giving such prominence in their teaching to the Lord's second coming. It has been a central doctrine in all their teaching from the first-always, of course, in connection with accomplished redemption, with Christ on the Father's throne, and with the Holy Ghost sent down, consequent upon Christ sitting there as man. If this truth be overlooked or deliberately rejected, only a very small portion of the word of God can be properly understood. The first resurrection, for example, and the millennial reign of Christ with His glorified saints, with other collateral truths, must be entirely lost sight of. The thought, before the days of Brethren, that the coming of Christ was at the close, not at the commencement, of the millennium was almost universal. The idea was, and still is, to a great extent, that the world, or Gentiles, will be converted by means of societies and missionaries; after that, " all Israel shall be saved." Then intervenes a spiritual millennium before the Lord comes. Hence the cry has been, especially on the Exeter Hall platform, " Give us more men, more money,' and we will carry the gospel into all lands, and kings shall become the nursing fathers and queens the nursing mothers of the church." But in all this the purpose of God concerning the church is overlooked, which is an outcalling from Jews and Gentiles. We cannot be too zealous as to the spread of the truth, the commission being, "Preach the gospel to every creature." But each conversion is an addition to the church, which will be translated to heaven before the millennium.
The doctrine of a spiritual reign is generally held by the opponents of Brethren; but numbers, even amongst the ranks of such, have, of late years, been led to see its great inconsistency, though they may not have fully received the truth. If as commentators say, Christ will not come till after a thousand years of blessedness on the earth; what has the believer to look for now? Necessarily for death as the end of his course, and for the fulfillment of the predicted events, while his body lies slumbering in the grave during earth's great jubilee. What a prospect for the true spouse, the beloved bride of the heavenly Bridegroom I True, the souls of believers would be with Christ, but their bodies would be in the silent grave, while all earth was rejoicing under His so-called spiritual scepter. The feeblest believer, the least instructed child among Brethren, would, we verily believe, reject this theory as utterly opposed to all scripture. In place of looking for death and a thousand intervening years before his Lord comes, he is looking for Him as the sustaining, consoling, comforting hope of his daily life- The true effect of conversion-unless the convert is blinded by false teaching-is to wait for his Savior from heaven.
When the Lord comes, as we have seen over and over again, the church meets Him in the air. She is ushered into heavenly bridal joys, and into the endless blessedness of the Father's house. Then will follow-when judgment shall have cleared the scene-the peaceful glories of the kingdom. All that psalmists have sung, and prophets predicted of the blessedness of the earth during that joyous period shall be fully accomplished. Satan and his hosts, the evil angels banished from the heavens and the abodes of men, Christ reigning, and His risen saints associated with Him on the throne of His heavenly and earthly glory, must essentially distinguish the millennial period from all preceding dispensations. Then shall come creation's day of boundless, exultation and universal gladness in the Lord's presence, so constantly spoken of in the Old Testament. " The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." Psa. 97; 98
Beautiful beyond all description are the holy strains of triumphant joy which flow from the lips of Old Testament seers in anticipation of this day of gladness. All nature is called upon to swell the chorus of universal joy. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. The mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk and honey. The wild beasts of the field-shorn of their ferocity-shall become gentle and harmless as the lamb, and warfare and strife shall cease from amongst the children of men. Thus will God reverse the history of man; He will heal his sorrow, relieve his misery; crown him with health, peace, and plenty, and spread joy throughout the restored creation, according to His estimate of the cross of His beloved Son. In that day it will be seen and acknowledged that the cross of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of the widespread scene of millennial glory and blessing. Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20); Isa. 11; Psa. 72
" Kings shall fall down before Him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
Outstretched His wide dominion,
O'er liver, sea, and shore;
Far as the eagle's pinion,
Or dove's light wing can soar."