“The word of God presents to us the coming of the Lord under several aspects. After His first coming as man here below, we have His coming from heaven as the Morning Star to receive His own to Himself. Then His coming when He will come out of heaven with His armies, to smite the nations, with the beast and the false prophet. Then His coming when He will be seen by His own on the mount of Olives and deliver them from the Assyrian. Finally, in our passage, His coming in glory with all the saints to establish the kingdom and lay the foundation of His government. This will be the moment when He will sit on the throne of His glory, and when all the nations will be assembled before Him to be rewarded or judged according to His retributive justice (Matthew 25:31-4631When 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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:31‑46)).”
From other scriptures we learn other facts as to this closing period, just before the millennial blessing is established on a peaceful and permanent basis. We find in Isaiah 63 and 64, the Lord's return from the terrible judgment which will take place in the land of Edom. This judgment is executed by Jehovah Himself upon the armies of the nations who are assembled against Jerusalem, and who find themselves in Edom on account of the movements of their armies. Edom itself is dealt with by Israel, as we shall see just now. This is the day of Jehovah's vengeance, the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. It is the day of vengeance on Jehovah's enemies, and the year of His redeemed the time of deliverance for His people.
Edom, as a nation, had been characterized by pride and bitter hatred against the people of God, and they rejoiced at the calamities which overtook Israel. But if God finds it necessary to chasten His people, He does so for their good; and it is always a wrong thing to rejoice over the evils which come upon God's people, even if they deserve chastening. Three nations are said to escape out of the hand of the desolating king of the North (Dan. 11:4141He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Daniel 11:41)), namely, Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. These nations were borderers on Israel's territory, and connected with them by distant ties of relationship; but they had a special malice against God's people, therefore God uses Israel to deal with them in judgment at the close. Thus we read, “they (Israel) shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them” (Isaiah 11:1414But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. (Isaiah 11:14)).
Again, Ezekiel says, “I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do to Edom according to mine anger and my fury: and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God” (25: 14). So also the prophet Obadiah brings before us the implacable hatred of Edom against Israel, and their rejoicing over God's chastisement of His erring people: but he shows us also God's deep displeasure against Edom on account of this animosity. Further, it is a remarkable fact that, while a remnant of the other nations will come in for blessing in a future day, Edom will not— “Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at the plagues thereof” (Jeremiah 49:1717Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. (Jeremiah 49:17)). Because of their perpetual hatred of God's people, He says, “When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee (Edom) desolate” (Ezek. 35:1414Thus saith the Lord God; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. (Ezekiel 35:14)). Let us take the moral of it to heart, for we may easily fall into the same kind of spirit as the Edomite. Jeremiah saw the failures and sins of God's people, but he wept over them; Daniel and other godly men confessed them as their own; but the spirit of the Edomite is that of bitter hatred against those who, however they may have failed, are nevertheless the people of God. This spirit is particularly displeasing to Him.
Scripture clearly shows that the future blessing which is in store for this earth, and which will be brought in under Christ as the true Messiah of Israel, will be preceded by a series of judgments, and will not be brought about by the preaching of the gospel, as some suppose. It is when God's judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:99With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:9)). The gospel of God's grace which is preached now, has quite another object, namely, to bring souls to Christ, and to gather out of the world a people for His name
It is important, too, that we should distinguish between the “day of the Lord,” so often spoken of in the prophets, and the “coming of the Lord,” for which we wait. The former is a day of darkness, gloominess, and judgment, when God will assert His rights over this world, so long under the dominion of Satan, its god and prince. The latter is the bright and blessed culmination of all the Christian's joys, the climax of his hope, and the cheer and sustainment to his faith as he passes through this Christ-rejecting world, waiting for God's Son from heaven.
This fact, that the kingdom will be preceded by judgment, explains what is a difficulty to some people, that is, what are sometimes called the “imprecatory psalms.” Owing to not understanding the difference between the Christian and the Jewish dispensations, and applying to the one what belongs to the other, some are led into confusion and error. We (Christians) do not look for judgment in the world; on the contrary, our place is rather to suffer, if called on to do so; and to be earnest in seeking the conversion of souls, out of the world. When the Lord comes, we leave the world to go to be with Him in heaven. But when it is a question of the government of the world, God must act in righteousness and put down evil. Israel will, therefore, rightly look for His judgment on their enemies, because they cannot have their rest and blessing on earth until the wicked are put down.
Another remarkable event connected with the appearing of the Lord in glory- will be the RETURN OF THE TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL. The last notice of them in scripture is given us in that instructive chapter, 2 Kings 17, where the history of God's patience and forbearance on the one hand, and their sins and follies on the other, is brought before us. It was their sins and idolatry which were the cause of all the calamities which came upon them, as the word “therefore,” which sums it all up in verse 18, plainly shows— “Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight.” So also we find in 1 Chronicles 5:2626And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day. (1 Chronicles 5:26), “The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath-pilneser, king of Assyria, and he carried them away... and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan,” etc. Remark it was God who stirred up the spirit of these kings; and thus they were deported to Assyria. This is one of the places mentioned in Zecheriah 10:10, from which they will be brought back in a future day.
These ten tribes, therefore, were not in the land (with rare exceptions) at the time when Christ was crucified, and for this reason they are not directly guilty of having put Him to death. They do not pass through the conflicts of the three and a half years which we have been considering, but are brought back just at the close. We get some light on this subject in Ezek. 20, where God says He will gather them out of the countries where they are scattered, with a mighty hand, and will bring them into the wilderness of the peoples, and will plead with them face to face. There they will be purged from the rebels who are amongst them, separating a remnant, and God will accept them and require offerings at their hands. From Isaiah 49:18-2318Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. 19For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. 21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? 22Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:18‑23), we learn that the Jews (i.e., the two tribes) will again recognize Israel (the ten tribes), saying, “Who hath begotten me these... these, where had they been?” God will put it into the heart of the nations in that day to bring back these lost ones to their land, in order that they may be made ready to receive their Messiah—at least the godly ones amongst them (compare Jeremiah 16:1515But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. (Jeremiah 16:15); Ezek. 11:16-2116Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 11:16‑21); Micah 3:88But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. (Micah 3:8); Isaiah 49:21). Infidels and skeptics may say—How can this be, seeing that they have disappeared amongst the other nations? But we know that God has His eye upon them, and in His time the great trumpet will be blown, and they will be once more restored to their land.
We have now arrived, in our brief study, as far as THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN IN POWER AND 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 the nations” (Matthew 25:31, 3231When 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: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: (Matthew 25:31‑32)). Scripture shows that all judgment is committed to the Son of man (John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)); but it is important that we should clearly understand that those who appear before this judgment throne are not people who have died, but living nations on earth at that time. Christ will deal with those nations according to the way they treated those ministers or servants whom He sent out during the period of trial and persecution just preceding; and whom He calls here, “these my brethren.” Those who received them, in so doing, received Him and will pass into the blessing of the millennial kingdom. Those who rejected them, rejected Him, and will depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Such is the sentence of the King who sits on His throne.
Judgment is, indeed, His “strange work,” for He delights in mercy; but all rebellion and opposition must be put down before Christ reigns in righteousness and peace. When He comes in glory, His appearing will be sudden and vivid as lightning, and He will gather together His elect (i.e., the elect of Israel) from all parts. It will be a solemn day for the world, but a blessed time for His oppressed and persecuted people. The Lord Himself confessed before the high priest, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
Let us here give a brief resume of the events of this closing period just before the millennial reign begins. We have the testimony borne in Revelation 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7), “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.” Chapter 19 of the same book, where we find heaven opened for the last time in scripture, gives us Christ coming in warrior-judgment, with all the majesty and glory which belongs to Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. His eyes are as a flaming fire—piercing and penetrating He is the royal Victor, crowned with many crowns, and having a name which no one knows but Himself. Truly man as well as God, His person is inscrutable, no one could sound the deep mystery of His being; but, revealed in judgment, His name is declared to be the “WORD OF GOD.” A sharp sword proceeds out of His mouth, and He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God Almighty.
The first stroke of His judgment falls upon the head of the revived Roman Empire (the first beast of Revelation 13) and on the false prophet or Antichrist (the second beast of Revelation 13) who was linked with him. These two leaders of Satanic power and craft, being taken in the act of open rebellion and war against Christ, are cast alive into the lake of fire, without further judgment; the remnant, that is, their followers and those who compose their armies, are slain. The judgment of Gog we have already spoken of (see Ezek. 39; Isaiah 30:31-3331For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. 32And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. 33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:31‑33); Dan. 11:4545And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:45), etc.); and in Joel 3 we have God's judgment of the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat, where He sits to “judge all the nations round about.”
Here let us pause for a moment. It is always a solemn and humbling thing to contemplate God's actings in judgment. Solemn, because who can withstand the Almighty when He arises in vengeance and in judgment? Humbling, when we think what depths of wickedness and folly man is capable of; and we ourselves should be the same but for His infinite grace!
In view of what we have sought to bring before the reader from the prophetic word, we may here venture a few general remarks as to the present position of matters in Europe.
We have seen that there are two main groups of powers referred to, (1) the revived Roman Empire with its ten subordinate kingdoms in the West, closely leagued with the Antichrist in Jerusalem; (2) the Assyrian confederation, or Gog and his allies, in the East and North.
We cannot well see how Germany, which has been of recent years much the strongest military power in the world, can ultimately maintain her position, seeing that she does not come within the field of the prophetic scriptures in any definite way. Is it likely that such a power would not be the subject of special notice, if it existed as such at the close of the dispensation?
The Austrian empire, which is a kind of conglomeration of smaller nations, will probably break up. Russia will doubtless gain an ascendency over what is now the Turkish empire, as well as over Greece and Macedonia. England, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, etc., will form a part of the confederation of European powers under the Roman beast.
But all that is now taking place is in the hand of One who, though He moves behind the scenes, moves all the scenes which He is behind. Man's will, and even Satan's power, can but subserve the accomplishment of His purposes.
THE MILLENNIUM.—-The various acts of judgment to which we have referred, prepare the way for the millennium by the putting down of evil and what is opposed to God. But before we enter upon our subject, let us briefly consider the state of the people of God in that day, preparatory to Christ's reign.
We have already seen that there will be a faithful remnant of Israel, as well as a company of Gentiles, who will identify themselves with them, preserved and kept by God's power, and who will be looking for the Messiah, in spite of all the machinations of their enemies. Though Israel should “abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim” (Hosea 3:44For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: (Hosea 3:4)), yet, afterward they will return and seek the LORD, and David (type of Christ) their king. What a remarkable testimony this is to what has actually taken place, and what will yet take place! They will say, “Come, let us return unto the LORD; for he hath broken, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us; and the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight” (Hosea 6: 1, 2). The “third day” is the day when God intervenes in power.
We find a figurative representation of this future restoration of the nation in Ezekiel, in the vision of the “valley of dry bones” (chap. 37.). God brings life and blessing to His once torn and scattered people. And it is worthy of note also that, when Hezekiah, after his deliverance from the Assyrian, was sick unto death, and prayed to the Lord for his recovery, the prophet was sent to him with the message; “Behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up into the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 20:55Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (2 Kings 20:5)). He is here, no doubt, a type of Israel, delivered through God's marvelous interposition; raised up to life again, so to speak, and going up to worship in His house “on the third day.”
But the prophetic testimony which speaks of that blessed day for Israel, and for this earth, when they shall be restored to their own land is so abundant, that it would be quite beyond our space to refer to it in detail. One thing which is very striking about it is that these promises of future blessing are often abruptly brought in, just after speaking of the chastisement God had to bring upon them for their sins. Frequently they are introduced with the words “I will,” do so and so. This shows us that the blessing of the people is on the ground of pure grace and sovereign mercy; it is also a touching evidence of God's willingness to forgive, yea, His delight to bless, wherever there is real repentance and self-judgment.
The work of repentance and contrition on account of their terrible guilt in crucifying their own Messiah, produced by the Spirit of God acting in the hearts of the godly remnant of Israel in that day, will be very deep and real. We have a very striking picture of this in Zechariah 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14). It is not, there, a question of outside enemies or circumstances, but one between the soul and Christ Himself. What bitter sorrow they will feel as they “look on him whom they have pierced,” and realize, as they have never yet done, what they have been guilty of. Every family mourns apart, and their wives apart; such is their individual contrition; and, by a strong figure of speech, even the land is said to mourn.
The title “millennium” means simply the thousand years, and is quite correct, so far as it goes; because, as we learn from Revelation 20 Christ's reign over the earth will last for that space of time. It will be a reign of righteousness and peace; “A king shall reign in righteousness,” “and the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (Isaiah 32). Being a reign of righteousness, wherever evil shows itself during the millennium, it will be dealt with in righteous judgment at once. The glorified saints will be associated with Christ in His reign. The seat and center of government will be Jerusalem, which “shall be safely inhabited.” To it those who are left of the nations shall go up year by year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. The temple will be built on mount Zion, not on mount Moriah as of old.
Many of the psalms give us notes of praise and triumph which will be sung in that day to celebrate the Lord whose mercy towards His people endureth forever, and whose praises will be found connected with Zion, the place of God's own choice and of His triumphant grace toward Israel.
But it would carry us much beyond the scope of this paper to look at more than two or three passages. In Psalm 68 we find: “A mount of God is mount Bashan, a many-peaked mountain is mount Bashan. Why do ye look with envy, ye many-peaked mountains, upon the mount that God hath desired for his abode? (Zion), yea, Jehovah will dwell there forever.” And Psalm 145 looks on to that millennial day when Christ Himself will lead the praises of His people in the midst of the assembly of Israel. So also Isaiah 11 gives us a beautiful description of that time when the “Branch out of the root of Jesse” shall judge the poor in righteousness and maintain the right of the meek with equity, and under whose beneficient sway blessing and peace shall fill the land. Chapter 12 contains the song that shall be sung in that day, when Jah, Jehovah (the existing One objectively, as well as the One who is in special relationship with His people) will be the strength and salvation of His delivered people. It closes with the words: “Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.” Such is the exulting praise which shall go up to Him in that day from His redeemed people, for His rich and abounding mercy. Then “the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
There will be a manifest, visible display of the glory of God in the heavens, just as the pillar and the cloud marked His presence in the tabernacle of old. Thus we read in Isaiah 4:55And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. (Isaiah 4:5): “And Jehovah will create, over every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud of smoke by day, and the shining of a flame of fire by night, for over all the glory shall be a canopy.” So, too, we find in Revelation 21, that “the holy city, Jerusalem” (as it should read) comes down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God and her shining was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
It does not derive its light from the sun and then give it out to the earth; but, in a fuller way than the pillar of fire and the cloud, the glory of God enlightens it, and the light thereof is the Lamb In this holy city, Jerusalem above, there is no temple; God's presence there is manifested, not shut in; but in Jerusalem below, the temple will be rebuilt, as we see by the account given at the close of Ezekiel. Though the Lord will open the millennial reign in person, yet He will not, we believe, reign exactly on the earth during that time, but over the earth, in connection with it. We would gather from Ezek. 46-48, that there will be a representative, or vicegerent (as we would say) who will represent Him, in the center of God's government at Jerusalem, and who is there called “the prince.”
Satan, long practiced in deceiving men and tempting them to sin and rebellion, and who is undying in his hatred against Christ, will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit or abyss. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad and shall blossom as the rose. The effect of the curse will be to a certain extent, removed; and it seems probable that death will not be, unless for positive acts of disobedience and sin against God— “the youth shall die an hundred years old, and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 65:2020There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. (Isaiah 65:20)). [F. G. B.]
(Continued from Vol. X. page 378)
(To be continued)