But perhaps my reader will ask, if Jesus does not teach that the world would be converted by the preaching of the gospel? Does He plainly say the contrary? Let us turn now and carefully examine the Gospel of Luke, and there we shall get a decided answer to the above question. (Luke 12:35-48). In these verses there are two classes of servants. I would observe, a man may be a servant and not a son, as Balaam, and many others. Those servants are greatly blessed who are found watching When the Son of Man cometh. But the evil servant who said in his heart, MY LORD delayeth His coming – and especially that servant who knew his Lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” O! is not this a highly favored land? Does any nation know the will of God better than we do? Surely, then, as it was with Judea, so will it be with this land. The heaviest judgments of God’s wrath will be poured out on this now highly favored land. Her doom will be infinitely worse than the dark lands of paganism, where the will of the Lord has not been known. Surely, then, this warning is not a light matter; and who knows how near?
But if you now turn to Luke 17:24-37, the Lord says here most decidedly, that He must be rejected. And this rejection goes right on to the coming of the Son of Man. A rejection which He likens to the days of Noah and of Lot, “Even thus SHALL it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Yea, so far from the world being converted, He says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Luke 19:11-27. In these verses the parable of the nobleman going into a far country is repeated, with the plain prophecy that the great mass of the citizens hate Him, and say right out, that they will not have Him to reign over them. And instead of these being converted, at the return of Christ, they are slain before Him.
Luke 21. This chapter is in many respects parallel with Matthew 24: and Mark 13. We must bear in mind that the listeners to this discourse expected that the long-expected kingdom of God on earth should immediately appear. Instead of which, the Lord makes known a period of great suffering and persecution. What a contrast to all their thoughts. Instead of reigning over the nations, they should be hated of all men for His name’s sake. Then, in the 20th verse, a subject is named that is omitted in both Matthew and Mark: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” “Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Strange as this might appear; so utterly opposed to the hopes of the nation, yet we know it actually came to pass. The Roman armies did compass Jerusalem, and the Jewish disciples did flee to the mountains. A Jew might have said, O, it is impossible; God has promised that this city shall be the metropolis of the whole earth (Isa. 2:1-4). Now what was the cause of the Jews’ darkness and mistake? They knew not the doctrine of the cross, man’s need of the death of Christ and a new resurrection – existence in Him. And I often think it is the same now. Men do not understand the cross. They think, just as the Jew thought, Judaism would become the kingdom. So men now utterly mistake the gospel by thinking Christianity is destined to improve humanity. If this were the case, there would be no need for the coming of Christ. But the cross is death to humanity. The cross says humanity cannot be improved. Death to it. The resurrection unfolds God’s only principle of blessing, the new creation. Truly every promise of God shall be fulfilled, when the time of the kingdom comes on earth. In like manner some will say, It is impossible that these great destructions should take place, because God hath said, “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9). This shall certainly be the case in the days of the kingdom. But before those days come, let us closely observe these words of Jesus. The days of vengeance came on Judea; there was great distress in the land, and wrath upon that people. This prophecy, from verse 20 to 24, may be said to be condensed history – prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes. They (the Jews) fell by the sword; they were led away captive into all nations. Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles. For 1800 years this prophecy has been, and still is fulfilled. Though at the time Jesus uttered these words, His own disciples neither understood nor believed what He said, for we find them afterward asking Him, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” But does the Lord say how long Jerusalem is thus to be trodden down? Yes, distinctly: He says, “Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” And what then? Will the world be converted then? The Lord says no such thing. But then takes place, as in Matthew and Mark, the great tribulation, “Distress of nations with perplexity.” “Men’s hearts failing them for fear.” “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
(Continued from page 55).
(To be continued).