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Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la darniire image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: la symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent dtre filmAs A das taux da reduction diffirents. Lorsqua le document est trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un seul clich«, il est filrn^ A partir da i'angia sup6rieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut an bes, en prenant le nombre d'imagas n^cessaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrent la mAthode. 22X 1 2 3 4 5 6 University of Western Ontario LIBRARY LONDON - CANADA Class 33 155 ELEMENTS ' OF Dispensational Truth BY Vv^. A. PARLANE ',-> t " I speak of the things iouching the King."— Ps 45 I- COLLINGWOOD. CANADA 1894 / /i { / i''N ^.i r u/% A.'^ y^/^ <>// l^n^^/c- dtxfl V-^C^iT Ax^^' C^C ELEMENTS OF Dispensational Truth BY W. A. PARLANE < Q. UJ Ul e I speak of the things touc! ing the King."— P; s 45- I. XU COLLINGWOOD, CANADA 1894 r^isiie "I SPEAK OF THE THINGS . . . TOUCHING THE KiNG" Ps 45: I. (SUimnts of Bispunsational S^rut ij. PREFACE. Many believers who desire to learn the pur- pose of God in this and the succeeding age, as revealed in Scripture, have Ion- felt the want of an elementary treatise on Dispensational truth, and the writer has, at various times, been asked to prepare a short outline of the subject, suitable for enquirers. Hitherto, the task has been avoided in the belief that some one more competent would be induced to undertake it, but this not having been done, the pressure of friends has been yielded to, and the teaching of past years has been condens- ed in this book. The views herein set forth are by no means claimed to be original thoughts,— they are largely compiled from the researches of others, and only supplemented by those of the writer but he believes them to be the truths of God, capable of proof from the Word, and he casts them forth on the waters trusting that they may be used by our gracious Lord and Master for the glory of His Holy Name and the edification of His people. ; ERRATA. age II For Ps. 80 read Ps. 89 It if " and and II and " 12 " bcautifiill II beautiful " i6 " Rev. 17: 14-19 " Rev. 17: 14; 19: 16 < 1 M " I. Cor. i: 10 11 I. Cor. 2: 10 " 19 " Synonomous •1 Synonymous " " erroreous ■( erroneous " 20 " jfohn 12: 52 •i jfohn 11: 52 II II ' ' Isreal ■1 Israel '* " " yocl,3:3 II Joel, 3: 2 " 25 " 2 Peter 13: 3 II 2 Peter 3: 3 II 14 " Is. 9: II II Is. 11: II " 26 " Matt. 13: 37 tt Matt. 13: 40 11 II " Mark 13; 38 II Mark 13: 36 " 29 " Luke 14: 4 II Luke 14: 14 " 31 " I. Cor. 15: 24 •1 I. Cor. 15: 23, 24 " in same verse II in same verses M II " Phil. 3: 10 II Phil. y. II " 32 " I. Thess. 4: 17 II I. Thess. 4: 16 " 38 " I. Peter i: 7 II I. Peter i: 17 " 40 " Rev. 19: 21 II Rev. 19: 20 " 42 " Ta-Ovr^ II 7'« etfi/jj »l II " Accnrscd II ^ Cursed " 45 " I. Cor. 15: 21 II 1. Cor. 15: 51 " 51 " Gen. 15: 18, 23 (I Gen. 15: 18, 21 " 59 " shall have its counterpart" i/)(i// not have " 60 " Revelations II Revelation " 61 " Ts>£a II ysvsa " 72 " March 14 B.C. " March 14, 445 B.C. " 74 " Dan. 9; II ■ ' Dan. 7: II \' i I Jl T SUBJECTS. CHAPTER I. I The Chukch of God and the Kingdom of Heaven— AuE they the same? i CHAPTER H. Who is the King?. 9 CHAPTER HI. The Coming of the King j- CHAPTER IV. Resurrection „ 2o CHAPTER V. Judgment... 34 ' CHAPTER VI. The Restoration of the Jews •' 4/ CHAPTER VII. The Ten Virgins-Who are they? 57 Appendix 06 The ihmh of ^od and the Ijingdom of Heaven. Are they the Same? I CHAPTER I. N order that we may have a clear comprehension of dispensational truth, the first requisite is — a true conception of what the word of God mea'ns by the terms '.Church of God" and .'Kingdom of Heaven." On this point there is often great misunderstanding in the minds of many who profess and call themselves Christians; the popu- InH .^^ however, being that the Church of God f W lu^ ,^'"&d°"^ «f Heaven are the same, and that the terms are synonymous and interchange- able. To see if this view is correct we shall ' ^^W >^*° u'' '' ^y '^^ ^^'°^d °f God. and learn .%hat It teaches as to these two organizations. thJrf*~~y^^^''?,^^^ Scriptures say concerning ,the Church of God ? The word "church " "that fwhich IS called out,"means,asiswellLown,simpfy "an assembly," and is applied in the New tS ment not only to Christian but to other assemblies also, as in Acts 7: 38, where Stephen calls the 4Zfch^^''Z °^ [''^'^ ^" '^' wilderness, « L" ichurch and m Acts 19: 41, where the term is Sapplied to the idolatrous Iphesian mob, and in lassembly. The word is only used in the gospels ^two or three times, as in Ma^t. 16: 18, wliire as ibudt upon Christ it cannot be overcome by S^ Jand IS spoken of by our Lord as yet future S fcr^'.:' f" '"^'^ ^y churci^-'iiid'^i^^ aas m Matt. 18: ly, 20; but in the Epistles.'the .1 I i V ! THE CHURCH OF GOD word is constantly applied to Christian assemblies, whether in a house, as that of Nyniphas or Phile- mon, or in cities, as those of Galatia, etc. There is, however, one assembly spoken of in the word which our Lord Jesus Christ calls "My church," Matt. i6: i8, that assembly which the Apostle Paul calls "the church of God" which He hath purchased with His own blood," Acts 20: 28. Concerning this church we learn from Scripture, 1st, That it is the body of Christ. Eph. i: 23; Col. i: 18, 24. 2nd, That Christ is the Head of this body. Eph. i: 22; Col. i: 18. 3rd, That believers are the members. Rom. 12: 5; I Cor. 12: 12. 4th, That the members are a chosen people. Acts 15: 14; Rom. 8: 28; Eph. i: 4. 5th, That they are chosen for a purpose. Rom. 8: 29; Eph. i: 4; i Pet. i: 2; 2: 9. 6th, That they are a purchased people. John 10: 15; Acts 20: 28; Eph. 5: 25. 7th, That they are made members by the bap- tism of the Holy Ghost, i Cor. 12: 13. 8th, That they are a heavenly people. Phil. 3: 20; I Peter 2: 11; Heb. 12: 23; and therefore, 9th, That they are hated by the world. John 17: 14; 15: :8, 19; I John 3: 13. loth. That in this body there are no national distinctions, neither Jew nor Gentile, etc., i Cor. 12: 13; Gal. 3: 28; Col. 3: 10, 11; but up to the time of the death of our Lord, the Jews had their national religion, and therefore the church of God in this age did not commence until afterwards, that is to say, I ith. That the church of God as a distinct body began to be formed at Pentecost, Acts 1: 5; 2: 3; Uti)* issemblies, s or Phile- tc. There n the word y church," le Apostle 1 He hath :o: 28. 4 ,1 Scripture, Eph. i: 23; ■ ! this body. ■t rs. Rom. .5 en people. 1 ;e. Rom. ■;,5, )le. John y the bap- ,;■ ►le. Phil, therefore. '$ Id. John }, national c, I Cor. up to the had their ch of God fterwards. 1 s 1 AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. and consists of members baptized with the Holv Ghost, but the Holy Ghosf was not given until he Lord Jesus Christ was glorified, Tohn 7 ,q- I'^lZn" f '":.'' '/' "°^ commence ^in thiL'g'e .Ten of r;/" V ^"'T' dispensation, -holy ChriJ ^^' Pf^S^^^i. In this dispensation f cTr! r x^r 2 Cor" 6^ T''^' °^ '''^ «^^ ^^^ " Chrisl'' Enh' f^ ^^''''^^ °i ^°^ ^^ th^ Bride of ^hnst Eph. 5: 23 to 33; Rom. 7: 4; 2 Cor n- ^ uiTes pracr^h-^^ -'^'^^^'^^ -'--"^ ■oppo: takes place. This is prev ous to the ao- S^^rI^' Lord to manifest His Kingdom aTd ^u^\ ^- '9" 7; and, therefore, the church which commenced at Pentecost, is completed at His coming, the intervening period befng - the ZTf^'^%y^V °^ '^^ L°^d' Luke 4:%; or the "day of salvation," 2 Cor. 6: 2. ^ Briefly to sum up the subject, the Church of Christ'°Het "J ^'^%^'"'^" given by God to eternal l^ff 't '^' *° ''^°'^ ^'^^^^ has given thJZi \ i J°''" '7: 2; who are now scattered Christ' ohn fi-^ ''\^"* "^° ^^^^" ^^'^^ o ^ttrist, John 6: 37; that mystical body the b essed company of all faithful people, the elect of God, the nun her of whom we pray that He vil speeJlyaccomplish;thathabitationofGodthro^^^^^ he lEos ,ri"'^^' ^^"\'' "P°" '^' foundation ff hp?n^FK f- r""^ P'-ophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, Eph. 2- 20- ae-aim^t which the gates of hell (the power of Hadesfsha Z^'X^^i fo^ He, the Veat Head oPthe church hath the keys of Hades and of death, and there L'odV nS.''""°^ Z^'r^'^ the members ofX body, neither can Hades retain them. This is the testimony of the Scripture as to the church of God. Let us now proceed to see if the word repre 1 THE CHURCH OF GOD sents the Kingdom of Heaven as identical with the church, or as something entirely different from it. If we attach any significance to language, or any meaning to words, we shall be constrained to admit that the word of God carefully distinguishes between the two and never confuses one with the other. We have seen what it says concerning the Church of God, let us now observe its definition of the Kingdom of Heaven, and wherein the latter differs from the Church of God. The term " Kingdom of Heaven," or " King- dom of God," for they are synonymous expressions, is used in the New Testament in a two-fold sense. It is spoken of as "the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ," Rev. 1:9; in which we are at present, and also as "the Kingdom and glory" for which we wait, i Thess. 2: 12. In the former aspect it is the Kingdom in mystery (the mysteries of which it is given to the people of God to know. Matt. 13: 11); in the latter it is the Kingdom in manifestation, which will be set up in the age to come, when the King who is now in the far coun- try, returns. Moreover, when it is spoken of in connection with a parable as " the Kingdom of Heaven is like, etc." as in the parables of the tares, leaven, net, etc., it is the Kingdom as man has marred it; when without a parable it is the Kingdom according to the mind of God as to what it should be. Now the Kingdom in this age had a definite time of beginning, which our Lord Jesus Christ Himself points out. " The law and the prophets were until John, since that time the Kingdom of God is preached." Luke 16: 16. DiAthe Church commence at this time ? It did not, for when our Lord spoke to Peter it was yet in the future, "upon this rock / will build my church;" the building had not yet commenced, the church was not in existence, but the Kingdom AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. was, and had been going on for some time. Now we have already seen that the Church of God began to be formed at Pentecost, the Kingdom was preached long before and as our Lord said t^ I !h^ m"'^^'' ^^'^\ ^'^^y demanded of Him when It houldcome: <'the Kingdom of God is «,«o«^ C'thV'^h ''^\^'l ^T'^-^ ^""^ '' ^^^^ then present, but the church had not commenced, therefore they are not identical. thlt r'^ ^^^T"^- P'^^^ t^^y ^^ffe^ "ot only as to fosne '"th^^ begmnmg but as to the .^/.«f of the gospel they each proclaim. The gospel of the Kmgdom was to the Jews only, this our Lord o'each' {; ^fc'^i "'^" ''' ^^"t -t the twelve^ o preach the Kmgdom. "Go not into the way of the il Z\ TU ' '°' ^' 7: (conipare also Matt. "G« t. ,• J ;??;"'"''^'P," ^'"'^^ *° the church is, C/o ye into all the world and preach the Posbel to every creature. Mark 16: 15. The gospd of tl e "U;;. '° ''''''' °"^y' °^ the other'^o \e wlrld th Jii'^^^^i' J?7 ^^^^ ""^t °"^y as to the extent of the gospel but also as to its character. The gosne of the Kmgdom was the testimony to Israel of the comtng Ktngdom and of the advent of the King The gospel which the church proclaims tthe atonnig blood of a crucified Saviour. Differing inri°?K^^u '\*h" '^''"' a"d character of the^ gospel, the church and the Kingdom are distinct! Lastly, They are distinct also as to the poalkion they are to occupy in this age. As to the church n^e ^rl; t V- ' ^r 1° th^ Kingdom in this age, three portions of the seed sown are to be ^ ii in THE CHURCH OF GOD fruitless, it is to be infested with tares, leavened as to three parts of it with the false doctrine of the apostate woman, it is to have in it "things which offend and them that do iniquity," Matt. 13: 41: and thus far the powers of evil have been permitted to prevail against the Kingdom. Evil cannot prevail against the one, it has against the other, therefore they are not the same, in short they differ I St, As to the period of time at which each began,— the Kingdom when our Lord commenced His ministry, the church at Pentecost. 2nd, As to the extent of the gospel they heralded* the one to Israel only, the other to the world. 3rd, As to the character of the gospel; the one testifying to Israel of the King and the Kin-dom, the other witnessing to the world of salvation through the precious blood of a crucified Saviour. 4th, As to their position; the one placed above the power of hell, the other in this age permitted to be invaded by the hosts of evil. The Church of God is the body of Christ which He will present to Hiu.self "without spot or wrinkle." Eph. 5: 27. The Kingdom of Heaven, in this present evil age, is that organization in which the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ is professedly acknowledged, and all who avow alle- giance to the King and have been brought into His Kingdom by that outward rite which He has commanded, are now in the Kingdom of Heaven It is true they may be "tares," or "bad fish," or "things that offend," which will be cast out of the Kingdom at His coming, nevertheless, they are "in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." Do we find anything corresponding to this in the Old Testament dispensation? We do; under the Jewish economy we find existing AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN s, leavened doctrine of it "things y," Matt. have been iom. Evil igainst the e, in short ^hich each omnienced Y heralded; world. /; the one Kingdom, salvation d Saviour. ced above permitted rist which t spot or f Heaven, ization in I Christ is ivow alle- ught into h Ke has f Heaven. 1 fish," or out of the they are s Christ." lis in the ander the T !^^' P^, °"ts'^e Gentile world, ignorant of Jehovah, therefore in gross darkness, 2nd, Isra^jl nationally, a people enlightened by he knowledge of the true God, piofessedly ac knowledging the authority of Jehovah, into which nation men could enter by an outward rite per- tornied by men, viz., circumcision of the flesh: 3rd, The Israel of God, into which a man enter- ed by another circumcision, the circumcision of the heart Rom. 2: 28, 29; an act to be accom- plished not by man, but by God alone, Deut. 30: 6. In this dispensation we find an analogy to the above. (See diagram opposite title page.) ist. The outside heathen world, lying in dark- ness Ignorant of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Answer- ing to outside Gentile world.) (J^Im ^^'l ^*"F^,^'" °f Heaven, that which pro- fessedly acknowledges the authority of Christ as King, viz., Christendom, into which men mav ZZ'i!"^ T ''''^'''^'^ "*^ performed by man, i.e^ of ?he flesH") """'"'■ (^"^--'"^ '- circumcision 3rd. The Church of God, into which a man enters by another baptism, the act not of man but of God VIZ., the baptism of the Holy Ghost, heart ) ^^' -("^"^'^^""S to circumcision of the tlJ^h ^?^^ °^ *''^ Kingdom of Heaven (not of the church) were given to Peter, and he used the fS'to the'l^'^^A'"^ ''- °P^"'"^^ *he door of hi Vr M -^T^' ^^^^ ^- '4; and afterwards to lul ^^"tyes. Acts 10: 34; he was chosen to be ninf I ^'T '^'^ ^r^ "^^'^' ^"d «i"^e then, those of whom he was the representative, the elec of God, who possess the like precious faith, have fol owed m his steps, by proclaiming the same TtHf CHURCH OF GOD point out, n as concise a form as possible the dis motion between the Church and the K ngdom It does not profess to give an exhaustive treafnent" of the subject but merely to suggest a Hne "f ^lought which may aid those searching ?or tn.th S such"f ;L^'''^'"• *''^,! ^ ^^-^ confprehension d ffi.^fu- ^'f '"ction will remove most of the diftculties which many Christians have on he questions of baptism, the supremacy of Peter etc and w.l ft.rnish a key without which much of the teaching of the Bible is a locked mastery Scripture says nothing about a visible and in" visible church, (favourite and time-worn expres mTkelVJ^'r^''' '^y-"^ '^P^'^- difficulties t makes no arbitrary division of that kind, bu it does draw a m.rhed distinction between he Church of God and the Kingdom of Heaven n the present phase of the Kingdom, men maV bv an outward rite add members^to it,'onry the Lr^ Himself, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost can add to the Church of God; and that mystical lefifs'ch st^'V" ''" ^;"^'°"^ andpatiercfol & .ml ^°"^^ ^"^ ^^^ts for the coming i^to^'trK'.- h"^'"^ 7\' ^^"^^^"^ ^"d Patience" mo the Kingdom and glory." will taketoHimself t" ouThourthe" r' 'f'''' --shipped and adTr:d tnroughout the eternal ages as King of Kir^s and Lord of Lords by th.t church, of which Vu:^>^ condescension. He now -^^ - ■ '-• ' '^'^^ gm ca: not the King. -but the Head, and it.-' His body. s article, to possible, the le Kingdom, ^e treatment >t a line of ig for truth, iiprehension lost of the ave on the ' of Peter, 'hich much id m-,stery. >le and in- orn expres- Sculties) it ind, but it itween the eaven. In ;n may b}' y the Lord oly Ghost, t mystical )atience of le coming 1 patience" to Himself ind adored Kipgs and if. !!"in.ite iin'^c'i, — tiis body. CHAPTER H. is tht mtng? gHE reign of righteousness upo'ii the earth has down thTo tiAr rgl'^'tlnl''^ T'' ^'^°^ wolves, seei^ng mrgffL^^TeLTo'f ^^,:^^ hoped for it as a nrcci'Kii.-*., i *^"'^'^. ^'*"g» tney realiM,. fV . P^f^i^ility, we know t will be a of peace and righteousneL V ',' ^'"^ ''°"> hope of the rewkl, r!^ .il ■ "* '"^ ""^ ""e devout men nravpH fnr u . f i ^ °* ^^' ^^^^^ Messiah, .he'cS o Cod'whoTa's'?:'?" a°i[ J.'' r^^t' L^':^SoT''"^^«"^"^^"'■-"-- psatasr.heXe1.S s 'dv^l^rSrHt'^^ Lord, we find His character IsK?;,? Messed lost sight of, but on the contrary tesSto^'T by angels and men. The ani^l r",k • i ■ ''?'.'' sah,tation to the Virgin Mary sleaks of"ft '? "l'" '.■■ f^^X^ t'^'^h " -'-'BdloNhem; utt daimed the pospef of\e JciX,, M^n''"™: the d»c.ples expected i, during His Hfe!' ti^ H 'I'M ! i lO THE CHURCH OF GOD 20: 20; It had been their hope, Luke 24: 21: It was made the ground of accusation against Him, Luke 23: 2; in the time of His supreme agony one man, whose heart the Holy Ghost had touched, with the brightest instance of taith on record acknowledged Him as King Luke 23: 42; after His resurrection He spake to them of the thmgs pertaining the Kingdom of God, Acts i: 3; and the last enquiry of His discip es had reference to that Kingdom which Daniel had prophesied the God of heaven would set up, Dan. 2: 44; and 7: 13, 14, and tor which they had looked. Acts i: 6. But the Jews had blas- phemed against and rejected Him, they had committed that sin for which there was no for- giveness in that age or that which was to come >fX Matt. 12: ,^4; they said "they would not have this man to reign over them," Luke 19: 14; therefore the Kingdom m glory, a foretaste of which the disciples had on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matt. 17: I, was taken from them and given to ^ /1i;?f^i^V^';^3,until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, Luke 21: 24; Rom. ii: 25; Is. 6: 9, 11, and the Kingdom in mystery took its place! the King having gone into "the far country" irom whence m a little while He will return, reckon with His servants and those who hated Him. Luke 19: 11-27. We will proceed now to "speak of the things touching the King;" Who He is, what are His characteristics, where He is to reign, and Who are to reign with Him. First. WHO is THE KING AND WHAT ARE HIS CHARACTERISTICS? Far back in the ages the departing patriarch who was about togothe wayof all flesh, in blessing his sons made mention of the coming King "The D :i Luke 24: 21; isation against His supreme ; Holy Ghost t instance of [im as King, ion He spake the Kingdom inquiry of His ingdom which heaven would for which they ews had blas- m, they had e was no for- I was to come, : not have this : 14; therefore of which the ansfiguration, and given to )f the Gentiles \5\ Is. 6: 9, II, its place, the Duntry" trom 1, reckon with 1 Him, Luke of the things what are His ^n, and Who \ND WHAT )atriarch who 1 blessing his King. "The AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. II sceptre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh the Peacemaker) come an^ unto Him shaU the gathermg of the people be," Ger J ,0 p^ A^«^ ts to be a King of Peace U^n-^' A httle farther down the ^stream of 'time 'and we have the prophet who loved the w^L of unrighteousness foretelling "that a sceZTl u IZ T ,ry '^^' ^"^ °"* °f Jacob shal^He come that shall have dominion," Num. 24- 17 Vn r; f."f;' 1X^ ^^^'S of Power, Matt^."28:'i8!"i lor the^Khteafa^^ff ""l" ""1 '-'"^ '^'^™"» "'""-=h saw . '^'"K atar off and exdaimed "The LorH shtiT lesus Chri« Tt,J' ^ V referring to our Lord tell L that the Kinrrs.fhl''""^' ""^ J"^""'^'" righteousness Is 3a?, ter .t'e "#, signing in t'ooTrto-:it"i^-9|H^^^^^^^ ariah at the dosL of th. U, 1 '.'"■'' P^P*"" Z«h- .ha. the Kta^'rjetthi'Ie',!:^ r.""" ^«™^ ^^f^ ;^^aSts',?L&r:.SiJ° axe. xjiicriy summarized we learn. -^'-^"cs .' II, ll I ! I ! !i 12 THE CHURCH OF GOD The King The King The King The King The King The King The King The King Second. is to be a King of Peace. IS to be a King of Power. IS to be a King of righteousnes. IS given by the Lord. IS to come through David's hne. IS the Son of God. is God Himself. is Jehovah. WHERE WILL HE REIGN > U there is a King reigning there must of necessity be a throne, and the word of God tells us ofafn v where that throne is to be. Listen to the tes/f mony of the Psalmist. " Yet have I se^ mv Kml" upon my holy hill of Zion," VsZW 6 ^'L^I MnnlT/^'^'T '^^ ^"^y °^ '^^ whole earth L Mount Z.on, the city of the great King," Psalm' The testimony of the prophets is a similar testi mony, the prophet Isaiah repeats ove™ nd over S"!"^^ "i° f' ""P- '^^ throne o ^:^thet:^;^.^;-^^Ssin^^^^^ When we turn to the New Testament we find the same truth clearly enunciated. What was he prophetic annunciation to the Virgin Marv? 'He shall be great and shall be called fhe Son of he Highest and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, and He shallreiLn over the house of Jacob forever," Luke i: 32 cfn words?' ^^LT'^t "\'° t^" meaning of these words? She to whom they were addressed was a Jewish woman, with Jewish hopes and exp^cL tions; she doubtless like Simeon, Anna, aXher Isra°el"-^an7"'.'"r*'!J^ ^°^ "^^^ con'soladon o Israel and understood what was meant by the f 'i OD iace. 3wer. jhteousnes. I. )avid's line. E REIGN? Tiust of necessity tells us plainly 3ten to the testi- e I set my King 2: 6. "Beauti- whole earth is King," Psalm, s a similar testi- s over and over the throne of !3. and to this lets in passages -k. 37: 15 to 38; anient we find d. What was : Virgin Mary? tiled the Son of I give unto Him He shall reign Jkei:32. Can aning of these ddressed was a 5 and expecta- nna, and other consolation of meant by the AND THE KINGDOM OF HE A VEN. 13 angel s words. She knew where the throne of David had been,~in Jerusalem; she well knew where it was,-trampled under the ruthless heel of the Roman oppressor, and she knew, as did the disciples "that the former dominion shall come to the daughter of Zion," and -that the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem,'' and that the Messiah should redeem Israel. Once more; did the Apostles know where the King was Wul ^ Listen to the Apostle'sexposition of the i6th Psalm on the day of Pentecost?^ Address ng the Jews he shows that David s^ake not of him •'that ^oH^'h T' '"^ ^f "" ^^^^ D^-id Jvo sons may sit, ler on the left in Notice the re- he was mistaken on the contrary these positions, ' them for whom Jr said to Him, I followed Thee ; Matt. 19: 27, nd the apostles ' occupy in his that ye which tion. when the »e of His glory, es judging the tg; 2|. Could a promise be It in the New postles to have positions of dignity in the coming "regeneration," but that the saints of God are also to be honoured. In I Cor. 6: 1-3, in words of which no one can mistake the language, though they may distort its nieaning, the Apostle says, " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world ? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" In 2 Tim. 2: 12, he says further, "if we suffer we shall also reign with Him;" our Lord Himself says in Rev. 2: 26, and 3: 21, that to certain who "overcome," positions of rule and authority will be given ; in Rev. 5: 9, 10 we have the song of redemption and are told where the kings and priests are to reign, viz "on the earth," (so the oldest manuscripts, which read with the authorized version, comp. Dan. 7, 18, 22 27j) again in Rev. 20: 1-6, the beloved apostle afhrms of the blessed and holy dead who rise at the hrst resurrection that "they shall reign with Him a thousand years." It is noi forgotten that men can ingeniously spiritualize these scriptures and daringly pervert the plain sense of the words, but any unprejudiced mind will perceive at a glance that m the passages quoted we have these plain and unequivocal declarations, that there are places reserved for some of the privileged saints, that the apostles are to judge Israel, that the blessed and holy dead of the first resurrection live and reign with our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Kingdom, and that the testimony of the kings and priests in Rev. 5: 9, ic, is "we shall reign on the earth." ^ We have thus as briefly as possible shown from the word. Who the King is, where He is to reign and who will reign with Him; we have seen that the King is our Lord Jesus Christ, He Who made peace by the blood of His cross, and Who there- tore is the King of peace; to Whom all power heaven and earth is given, and Who therefor? in ii li ; ( ; i6 THE CHURCH OF GOD of<^'„H V,'^- .""" ''• "Who being n the fom,' of God, thought It not robbery to be eaual with fore r"H r^l^ir'" °' "° repu.a,iol!wh" e H^ XT "''" '"','.'' '''Shly exalted Him and ^iven Him a Name which is above every name that m Phil^T' °'J''".' ^""y k-ee^houTd bol ■• Eo d of Cds^p' " *'>° *^ K»8 °f kings and fes?;, ?n^d"UL'e Ss"rSe,rd"i"^" God hath prepared for them that Jove Hi nT hut God hath revealed them unto us by°His"spir "' imen: °- ^° "'"^ '^^ ^^^ ^W forever. 1 GOD ''*S fulfilled all right- the King of right- God the Father, to give His only e the King given the seed of David erefore a King of id to be the Son 4; of Whom the "God above all with the Father, f hosts, Zee. 13: sing in the form o be equal with iputation, where- i Him and given !ry name, that at e should bow." ng of kings and ; Who will be ^ill sit upon the m Mount Zion leemed by His inite grace and m." rd, neither have e things which t love Him. but t)y His Spirit." glory forever. CHAPTER HI. I ^ht (ifoming of the liing. ^LLwhoarecalled bythe Christian nameprofess lesus ri,ni!'''%T '1'" '','""^ ^^^"^"^ °f °"^ Lord Jesus Christ. The fact that He will come .gain is stated m the creeds of many churches, repeaU-d weekly by thousands of lips and we lavrbeen aught from clnldhood, in almost the first prate" we hsped, o pray that His Kingdom nughtVome , and to declare ,n that creed which .s common to Christendom, that we believe « He will cone agam to judge the quick and the dead.'^ To he '"ajor.ty this expressed belief in His return is inerely an assent of the mind to the doctrine an ifthey were asked "//or. He will couie," or '< c^/J- He will come," we should find that their ideas even .f they had given the subject a thought were thf M ^"^^V"^^fi"»^-- Yet there is no doctr ne [n our JnnT^' 'rM^''' ^' !^'" Second Advent o our Lord Jesus Christ. As one has said- "Are we afflicted? ,t is held out to us as a consolation are we apathetic in His service? it is used to stimulate us to more earnest work; a e we m patient under trials and discouragements ii spoken of to exhort us to patience;" t is the blessed hope held out to us, the hope o His return for Whom we long and wait, when triads sorrow and bereavements will cease, when th; social problems which now hopelessly distract men's man'lhic /^^fTK^''"^ sXtion,'when tTo rul^o man, which, whether monarchic or democratic i<= subservient to the god of this world, wd? come to THE CHURCH OF GOD an end and He whose right it is to reign will take to Himself His great power and put down all authority under His feet. As in the New Testament the second advent ZuT. J V "r •' °"^ "^ ^^"^ '"°st prominent truths, so was it distinctly taught and held tena- „ ti ^^.'r 7"'^"''"'".^^' ^'"'"e plainly set forth in their creeds and confessions of faith; it was reserved for an apostate church in which "grievous wolves exercised their destructive officef to call he meretricious glitter of a worldly organization, the reign of Christ upon the earth, and thus to banish from the minds of men the idea of His persona return At the present time with in- creased knowledge, and intellectual study of the word men dare not deny that this doctrine is clearly revealed in the New Testament, but thev endeavour in various ways to explain away or give any other meaning than the literal to those passages which speak of His coming. For in- stance, a certain class of writers say, that the coming of Christ means the destruction of Teru! salem by the Romans, and that when Titus des- royed the city the second advent of the Lord took place, A moment's reflection will show the absurdity of this idea. There are two startling and unmistakable events which we learn from the word are inseparably connected with the coming of Christ First,-the dead saints are to be raised and Second,-the hving saints are to be translated, neither of which events happened when Jerusalem was destroyed, consequently the advent of the Lord Jesus did not take place Ven moreover the Apostle John wrote the Apocalypse and his third Epistle after the destruction^of Jerusalem, and in them the coming of the Lord IS spoken of as yet future. A second class of interpreters, however, contend that when the Scripture speaks of the coming of Christ, it is only GOD it is to reign will ;r and put down all :he second advent be most prominent ht and held tena- ig plainly set forth s of faith ; it was n which "grievous tive office, to call Idly organization, sarth, and thus to the idea of His 2nt time with in- tual study of the t this doctrine is lament, but they explain away, or e literal to those coming. For in- ;rs say, that the struction of Jeru- : when Titus des- vent of the Lord ion will show the are two startling h we learn from nected with the ead saints are to ing saints are to events happened :onsequently the take place then; i the Apocalypse 2 destruction of iiing of the Lord second class of that when the Christ, it is only AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 19 f .P'^u"^^ ^'^P'^^'^sion used to describe the death of the Christian ; in short, that death is the coming ot Christ for the believer. Now the New Testa ment calls the death of the Christian "sleep," and never in any instance confoimds it with the coming ot Christ or speaks of it as the coming of Christ tor us. Death is a curse, the dread penalty of sin, men .'nd^l ^t'"^"^ experience appointed unto men, and though ignorant men and women may sing sentimental nonsense about "the lovelv an pearance of death." a curse it remains,-the stin^g sleen "ZZf- ^°' '^' ^f'^^'^"' ^^^° '« ^^''^ to not all H,!.'"';?^'*^/'"'' ^ "'"-^^ ^^°"^ ^hich not all the love of friends, or the hallowed asso- hur^uV^ ''i^'^'"" '"" ^^^'^ the repulsive and humiliating character. The Bible speaks of the , coming of our Lord as tlie '^blessed hope- for wh ch vve look and wait, the coming of Him "wS I having not seen we love," Wht deigns to call^ I ft^ck, and Who is the Friend that SickSl^c is^ It light and darkness, friendship and enmity are synonomous terms, then may it be said th J fht --;ng of Christ and deatl/are the ame elent 1 but the word of God never makes such an ^^J eous statement ; this distortion of language is the perverted interpretation of the natura^l man who tneories. Once more, it is said, (and this is the popular belief of professing ch'ristendon ), "i ^ true our Lord Jesus Christ is coming aga n but many events have to occur first. The wo Id has in bv T:"'"'^- ''^"' '''I -'"-"-- 1" uihered in by the c vihzing influence of the gospel" Now the Scripture nowhere says, that the oosdH !" '^''^ present arre is going to con'vert t e%vorld the purpose of God, in tins age, so far as vve can mtelhgently comprehend it f?om His wo d Ts, not 'I I 1 1 20 THE CHURCH OF GOD tne conversion of the world, hut only " to take t of the Gent. e. a people for His Name" Acts ofGoluh ? '''^''"' '"^^^^''^^ *" °"^ the children of God tha were scattered abroad." John 12- ^2 1 rue ,t Ks that " the ^^ospel of the Kingdom shall" ness Matt. 24: 14; equally true is 'it "ihit VL knowled,^eof the Lord shall cover th. ; r h as he waters cover the sea," hut this ^^ofiX'^He shall smite the earth with the word of His mouth and with the hreath of His hps shall He sla^ he as^^nlidtiJnSt^Sl^^Li^^ and they shall not hurt nor destro^ ' all M Jhof; mountain. Is. ii: g; in that day when the kC i^ reigning in righteousness, Is. „: 4, and H s people Isreal restored to their own fend? Is. r 11-14. J.Here can he no hli^.fui era of ri-hteous ness, until He the King, the Lord our r ghteou ' ness reigns; no rule of peace until the Phnce of peace governs ; no millenium of hlessedness unt" He the Fountain of all blessing comes ofYhYwfrd'^^r'''^ °^ ''^"'^ mis-interpretations SLc c ' "' """^ proceed to see what it does say concerning the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We read that • ^ si;^^ro.s:eti;^T:: ^ 1:^1:':^^^ Zec\7-t T^f "^'^ '°'"^*° the earth, Job 19: 25; z,ec. 14. 4 Joel 3; 3, 12; the latter two nasLJl giving us the locality. passages ^ GOD but only "to take r His Name," Acts n one the children oad," John 12: 52. :he Kingdom shall It only " for a wit- le is it, "that the :over tho earth as this "o/i^r" •< He vord of His mouth ■ shall He slay the cssed age "when • lamb," Is. 11: 6; roy in all My holy when the King is 11: 4, and His own land. Is. u: era ofrighteous- rd our righteous- itil the Prmce of blessedness until comes. is-interpretations d to see what it d coming of our at; This is His ab- 22: 20, and it is men in white earth, Job 19: 25; er two passages ?, Is. g: 6, 7; Jer. ; 2: 30. 1 and judge with rim. i: 12; Rev. AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 21 II e passages adduced m proof of the stateinenf wuch precedes this, that "He will come a K m"" remams to he said except to emphasize what w-i^ or"; M ^°'''''' "'^-"''-'^ ^''^' ^^-^^^l of (id 1 Id foretold even to nnnnte details, the fir^ adven nxion o.etels, just as minutely His second ad vent, His taking to Himself His great power .ml reigning as King of kings an-- Fiffli u u J^^iftC^e. Acts 4 iQ. Fifth. He will come/.. His people, jthr?i4; 3; 22 THE CHURCH OF GOD I Cor. 15: 23; I Ihess. 4: ,5, 17. These latter verses, which a.uphfy th. truth contained in the vvo hrst passa-es cited, are stated by St. Paul to ri.rtr'^^L^'°'\'"^''"' ^" ''•'" ''y "»r Lord Jesus tVJt''Z\ T- ' r\ '•""^. '"'^ ^""^ distinctly told that ' the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are al.ye &c." and these events take place when «.lhe Lord Himself shall descend fro.u lieaven with a shout." This word "shout" is a peculiar word, it was a military term almost equ.valen to our Enf,dish word of command, "at- tention, the word which calls soldiers to their arms. "As civilians have nothing to do with, and pay no respect to the orders which officers gi^e to their men, so the world has nothing to do with and hears not, the 'shout,' by which the Lord' Jesus gathers together His own." As tiie dead clustered round Lazarus, heard not the voice of Christ, which was responded to only by him to whoni It was addressed, so the spidtually dead wU hear not the "shout" of the Lord Jesus when He comes for His people, they only will respond o it who before have heard His W and lived. As those men travelling with Paul on the Damascene road, "saw indeed the light," but "heard not the voice of Him that spake " Acts 22: 9; so the world though they may be s artled and amazed at the taking away J the church will hear not that Voice to which they have always been deaf. Again, the word "to ZTi. ^ 7th verse ,s also a peculiar word and is used only three times in the New Tes tament, namely, in Matt. 25: 1-6, where the virgins go out "to meet the bridegroom " and re- turn with him to his own house; in Acts 28: ic where the brethren from Rome came out as far as the Appii Forum, to meet Paul, and return with # I r GOD }, 17. These latter li contained in tlie ated l)y St. Paul to 1))' our Lord Jesus to you by the word i are distinctly told rise first, then we ! events take place hall descend from ■yord "shout" is a itary term almost I of command, "at- s soldiers to their iinf;todowith,and lich officers give to 3thing to do with, y which the Lord /n." As tile dead J not the voice of to only by him to le spiritually dead r the Lord Jesus, )le, they only will ; heard His voice veiling with Paul indeed the light," film that spake," igh they may be king away of the ice to which they n, the word "to 3 a peculiar word n the New Tes- 1-6, where the legroom" and re- se; in Acts 28: 15, came out as far as I, and return with AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 2J ^ him to the city; and lastly in this passage where the saints ot Ciod are caught up "to meet" the Lord Jesus and return with Him to execute judgment. 'I'hese stati:ments ;igree with what was said by the "two men in white apparel" Acts i: ii; that He "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go;" the world did not see Him depart and does not expect Him ; His church did see Him go and does expect Him Phil. 3: 20; T.tus 2: 13; Heb. 9: 28. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ has, so far as we can glean from Scnptu.e, two stages in it, and has been aptly compared with the cominF GOD officials of the court wn the long avenue iscending from liis 11 his robe of white ng one yet more of a vesture dipped in ;ir liead wliile they, the liall of judgment one coming of the ;es in it. His people i Thess. 14: 15; Zee. r.y. 5; as He is to come St have been gath- manifest that they they first have been some time anterior in. s it is apparent that 1 Jesus Christ, is a 1 come again to the riimself His great oceed now to see ts it to be, as men made such progress for His reception, en He appears and I by His personal 1 that blessed age 3cede His coming, the millenium ? is post millennial ? !. Let us turn once > its teaching. It to watch for His : 10. It is evident AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 2S that .f we are told to watch for the occurrence of one of two incidents, which are yet future, we must of necessity watch for the first. Now in the bcnpture we learn of two events which have yet to alee place, viz, the coming of Christ and the 111 lenial age; we are never told to watch for the H ,?'!"* T'"'%?°"'*^"^'y^-"^'°^^«^1 to watch for Him, therefore His coming must be the first of the tvvo, and the millenium the second, His advent therefore is pre-millenial. Second. His coming is preceded by the earth growing worse, Luke, 17: 26; and 18: 8; 2 Tim .^^;iV ^ f' '^" 3' J"'^'' '^' ''"'J therefore is pre- niillennial. •=> pic nol^'nf ;."'" """"i-"^ "^'^ ''^'^'"y Antichrist, (see note D) the man of sin, 2 Thess. 2: 2, H the wil Hi Ivmgof Daniel, and therefore is pre-mi itnia " for It IS clear that if the world has grovvn wor e ^n^is being nded by Antichrist, there can be no rdgnof righteousness existing when our Lord Jesus re- turns. As Archbishop Whately well said, "the h" wil fin 1 7/"" "" ^^"' J^""^ ^'"--^ -•-" He will find the man of sin. Antichrist, ruhng is an unanswerable proof that there can be no millenium of blessedness before the return of the mnliS"' ^"' ''''' "'^ ^-"'"^ '"-^ ^- P- Fourth. His coming is synchronous with the restoration of Israel, which takes place as Scrip ure plainly shows at the commencement of the millennial age. Is. 9: n; Micah 4: i, (in the last .days Micah z: 3); Zee. 14: 4. co'mp;;e with z"! -' .J ' ^^- ^' ^4: 9; and IS therefore pre-millennial. iMfth. His coming is accompanied by the i resurrection of the dead saints, i Cor. i(- 2, 1 1 Thess. 4: 15 16, and by the translation of the i hvmg saints, i Cor. 15: 52; Phil. 3: 21; i Jolin 3: 2. '.'! Mini ! 1 i ll 26 THE CHURCH OF GOD Now we an- expressly told that the first resurrec- tion ol th(; blessed and holy dead precedes the housand years, and as the resurrection and trans- ation of the sauUs are simultaneous with, and >ro,,ght about l,y His appearing. His advent must be pre-millennial. Sixth. Hiscomingcausesthe binding of Satan, Kev. 20: 1; and as the binding of the evil one is belore the thousand years, the coming of Christ must be pre-millennial. • Seventh. His coming is accompanied by the separation of the tares and wheat, Math, iv -17- Joel 3: 13; and therefore is pre-millenial. . Eighth. Hiscoming is unexpected. Matt 24- 27 44; Mark 13: 38; Rev., 16: 15. If it wa's to follow the millennial age we would know at what time to expect it, but it will be unexpected, and therefore pre-millennial. Suflicient evidence has been adduced toconvir,-e any unbiassed mind that our Lord Jesus Christ wi come again, that His coming will be pre- millennia, and that it is set before the Church of Ciod as the blessed hope for which we long and wait, but of the day and time of that coming knoweth no man. It may be at morn when the dew is glistening in the early sunrise that the faithful going forth to their daily toil shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; it may be at noon that the Christian merchant occupied with his daily avocations will be startled by the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; it may tie at even, when, in the cool of the day watching the sinking of the summer sun, we shall see Its golden rays pale before the dazzling splen- dour of the Sun of Righteousness, or, it may be at midnight, that we shall be awakened out of our first sleep by that "shout" which calls together OF GOD li.'it tlie first resurrec- :)ly dead precedes the t'siirrection and trans iinltaneous with, and pearing, His advent (the binding of Satan, ng of the evil one is he coming of Christ accompanied hy tin- wheat, Math. 13: 37; re-millenial. expected. Matt., 24: 16: 15. If it was to would know at what 1 be unexpected, and > adduced to convince r Lord Jesus Christ :oming will be pre- >efore the Church of , • which we long and I ime of that coming ; at morn when the „ ly sunrise that the 1 daily toil shall be ti the air; it may be merchant occupied be startled by the e trump of God; it lie cool of the day, immer sun, we shall the dazzling splen- sness, or, it may be e awakened out of which calls together AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 27 His elect, but He will come, and "unto us it is given to watch for the coming of His feet who is the glory of the blessed heaven." VVe who call ourselves by the Christian name, profess to be followers of Christ; how does the thought of His appearing affect us ? Do we look upon It as an event to be dreaded or as one of holy expectant desire? Rest assured that if it is to you an object of fear and not of hope, you have neither part or lot in the matter, and are still in the 'gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity." We who know Christ, long to see the curse re- moved from tins groaning creation, we long to see sin suffering and death cease, we long to see our old companions in distress together with whom we rod he pilgrim way, we long to bid farewell to these bodies of humiliation, and to be changed into our bodies of glory, we long for "The triumph the joy and the rest, rhe freedom from care and the home of the blest But oh, most o all things, we long for His face Resplendent with glory, with love and with grace." l"Amen, even so come Lord Jesus." I 1 1 !i 11! ! ! CHAPTICR IV, lli'sumction. rjMONG other proofs that the coming of our J Lord IS pre-iiulleniul, it was stated in our last Chapter, that the resurrection of the saints of God took place at the co.nniencenient of the n.illeniu.n, and as this resurrection was effected by His coming therefore H.s coming; must he pre-milleniah J tTe nl "'7^ .'^'''l ^J^cnend resurrection would ul^lT' T^ ""'>: ^^" resiirrection of the saints, t y. be ohservecl that this statement conflicts with he popular idea that there is to be what is usually termed -'tlie last day," when a genera resurrection ot the good and bad is supposed to occur simultaneously, both classes standing be '.re he grc-at white throne and being judged according to terwo,l'' '^'^ '•-urrections ot the righteous and wicked are separated from rfon °/^'' P '' '°"8- interval of time, the resurrec- on of he former taking place in the morning of the uullenial uge, and that of the latter in the evening of the millenium, at the close of the thou- sand years. As may naturally be expected, this truth is but dim y shadowed forth in the Old Testament, but IS clearly and definitely taught in the Nevv, yet we get glimpses of it in occasional passages even in the former. For instance in Psalm r ^ we read, ''therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 29 IV. ion. t tlie coining of our was stiitetl in our last of the saints of God L'nt of the niilleniuni, cctedby His coining, l>e pre-niilleniai. It resurrection wouhl rection of tlie saints. : statement conflicts 3re is to he what is y," when a general bad is supposed to sses standing be'jre ig judged according i close examination s "popular idea" is lere being a general )', the resurrections are separated from ^ time, the resurrec- in the morning of f the latter in the e close of the thou- d, this truth is but Id Testament, but It in the New, yet inal passages even in Psalm i: 5, we shall not stand in le congregation of |he righteous." Dr. Seiss translates the word 'stand, —"rise,"— which renders the j)assage still more striking, as showing that the judgment and congregation of the righteous are distinct from that of the wicked. In Psalm 49: 14, speaking of the wicked the Psalmist says, "death shall feed on them and the upright shall ha vedominion over them tnthctonmi^r;'- the "morning,' according to some rabbis, referring to the resurrection morn; while the wicked remain in their graves, the righteous nse ,n the morning. In Daniel 12: 2, (see Note h) the angel tells the prophet that at the time jvhen his people, i.e., the Jews, are delivered, niany of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shal awake, these to everlasting life, those to everlasting shame and contempt;" this is tho rendering of the passage by Dr. Tregelles; Dr. feeiss, and other Hebraists; "these"-the risen ones-therighteous~"those"-the remaining ones -ihe wicked--not lising at the same time, but at different periods. When we turn to the New lestament we hnd the distinction between the two resurrections very clearly drawn. In Luke 14: 4, our blessed Lord speaks of the resurrection o the JUS as a special one, and of the recompense wh ch will then be given for certain work; in Luke 20: 35, in answer to the Sadducees who asked H rn the subtle question as to the wife of the seven brethren, He again speaks of this resurrec- tion as the resurrection /ro;;/ the dead, mark-not €(. i''i^''''u'~^"^•^'''""• P^'-J'-'^Ps it maybede- O^ianded what ,s the difference between "o the idead and "from the dead;" much every w y t."hTtL' H ' "'?"'' °^ Commons, that some da^; ,^hen the House is in session, all the advocates of '■£hlt ^'JT^'''^7'^^'^'^^ ^''°'" the Assembly, fthat would be a departure /ran, the legislative -Jbody, but ,f the whole House left the hail together! -f 30 THE CHURCH OF GOD that would be a departure of the body; so <'^he resurrection /.om the dead," is a resurrection of a part as distinct from the whole, and of this res ir sTallZr 'T^ ^T' ""'''''' ^'^^y' ^ certain ct"s shall be found worthy to obtain it, and this class He says are "the children of God." So then there IS to be a resurrection which only some are found "worthy to obtain," and those who rise at this special resurrection, which is here called "the resurrectionAc,,,. the dead," are "the children of erod. It IS evident from this that those who arr unworthy to rise at this resurrection must rise a th. l^^v"'"' ?c' '^'' ^' '^^^^ '^^ presently, i the teaching of Scripture. ^ In John 5: 29, our Lord tells us that there shall be two resurrections, one of which He calls "the resurrection of life," and the other "the resu/: nn?r^"^!T"*'" (.^'^^ words judgment, con- demnation and damnation in this chapter being, as IS well known, the same word, which the Revised here that these two resurrections are spoken of as fnrP .L^ ^^ '?u'^ '^T "•^°"'^'" «"d that there- all foll7 ""T/ ^^ synchronous. This does not at all follow. If we turn to the 25th verse we shall period of^n-'r;^ "''^ ''y.""^ L°^^ t° ^^'^ the period of spiritual resurrection, "the hour is com- Lndklr^-'"' this hour had then commenced and is yet going on, for over 1800 years has that period of time which is there called an "hour/' lasted, and it is not yet ended. The hour of sp ritual resurrection then is a period, an age the "bn "'"'•'"'' ^^^^' t^ "^'^^ '^^y °f salvation'' H.r' I T '" ''^'^J' physical resurrection tak^s place IS also a period, an age lasting over a thou- sand years at least, marked at its commencement -the morning-by the resurrection of the righteous or the resurrection of life, and at its close-the OF GOD of the body; so "the ' is a resurrection of a ole, and of this resiir- st says a certain class tain it, and this class > of God." So then which only some are ind those who rise at ich is here called "the are "the children of lis that those who are rrection must rise at hall see presently, is lis us that there shall which He calls "the le other "the resur- A'ords judgment, con- n this chapter being, rd, which the Revised I It may be objected ions are spoken of as »ur," and that there- is. This does not at : 25th verse we shall tur Lord to mark the n, "the hour is com- ad then commenced 1800 years has that e called an "hour," ided. The hour of 5 a period, an age, le day of salvation;" al resurrection takes lasting over a thon- t its commencement :tion of the righteous id at its close — the AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 31 itvening— by the resurrection of the wicked or the fesurrection of judgment. I Once more in John 6: 39, 40, 44, 54, our Lord speaks of His people under four different aspects, yiz^as those given to Him ; as those who believe tn Him ; as those drawn by the Father to Him ; as those who eat His rlesh and drink His blood; and each time He repeats the promise, "I will raise him up at the last day," a promise which has no significance, and no force if it simply means that they are going to rise at a general resurrec- tion, but which really is a special promise to them Ot their rising at that specific resurrection which He has termed "the resurrection of the just," the Ij^^.V^rection //-om the dead," the "resurrection of Jite. When we come to the teaching of the Apostles we find them proclaiming the same truth, they preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead." Acts 4: 2. In I Cor. 15, which particularly deals with the resurrection of the believer, in verse 24 we get the order of the resurrection, "But every man in his own order ('band or regiment') Christ the ifirst truits, afterwards (or 'then') they that are ^rf l^^ , comirg, afterward (or 'then,' vide M.y.) the end." We have here three events men- tioned together m the same verse (as the resur- irection of "life" and "judgment" in John 5: 29;) but separated by long intervals of time. Be- tween the first two of these events, "Christ the first fruits, and "they that are Christ's at His coming, over 1800 years have intervened, and the second event in order has not yet arrived; .between the second, "they that are Christ's at His coming," and the third,— "the end"— .|We learn from other Scriptures there will be |a housand years. In Phil. 3: 10, in a remark- ai)!e passage, the force of which the author- i ! i 32 THE CHURCH OF GOD • »^ed version fails to give, but which the Revised Testamen ,! ""1 "^^^'^ere else in the New wk\r1 L ?*-' ',"''"« "-'''I Iwre about the (h^, m' ;'""= ""=>■ •"'"■■ "'="1'" part nor lot ,' |-S:i^ps:rnst^Sei^^ e,r meaning, but on the contrary of en giv'es us e^Tv^erertlir'^l",^^"^^"' "^^'^ = for Snce and their interpretation in verse 20- a^^iin in ttfntlroret'.'t"^ '^^^ a syn.boTand°',n^" e " and if v^ers;s^7 *'^ '^y"'''"'' Now in Rev 20- ? c^'h^' '^-^ ^"^^^^^J^tion. the AnosflTn e M- '^' ^•' •^'''''■^ '^ vouchsafed to and thev s!. "'" !u''°"' "^"^' I ^-w thrones, ana tliey sat upon them, and indffment was fZTyl'T^ '^^'"\' ""^ I «^^^ tJ'e Uls of then esus and f" ."'^^"'^^ ^"^ ^^^ testin^Ly S worsh'inoed Lh T'^ "^ ^°^' ^"^ ^^^'^^ as worshipped not the beast, ne ther his im;,frf. Dead and upon their hand ; and thev \\J,\ rest I7f::'\ 1','' '=''"=' ^ "'°"""d y-°- The sho,?i h» r-'u"J."°V'"'" "'« ">o,,sand years Should be finished." (vide R.V.) This is the s y™t ' i^""';?;'' ^^"' ^''5' ""^ *e 'Scr'ptu e !=ay It IS? ^^This is the first resurrection.'' A OF GOD t which the Revised otto the full meaning, surrection, and coins ■here else in the New leaning. The literal is, "if by any means surrection; that one I Thess. 4: 17, we lead in Christ shall :iid here about the iither part nor lot in Ve will now look at ese great events are iaid, and with truth, 'inbols;-— granted,— : of something, and e us in doubt as to itrary often gives us used ; for instance us in Rev. i: 12, 16, i^erse 20; again in 10I, and in verse 9, r 17: 4, the symbol, the interpretation, i is vouchsafed to 'And I saw thrones, •nd judgment was the souls of them the testimony of Grod, and such as 2ither his image, upon their fore- and they lived isand years. The le thousand years •V.) This is the oes the Scripture resurrection." A AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 3i thousand years of time intervene, and at the close another awe-mspiring scene is exhibited to the gaze of the beloved Apostle. '' And I saw a great white throne and Him that «at on It from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there was found no place .mn/T- r^'V f^'"' ^^'^ ^^^^' ^he great and the «mall standing before the throne ; and books were opened; and another book was opened which is t e book of life ; and the dead were judged out of the thmgs which were written in the books accord- ing to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them ; and thev Sdlfh Ti?' T'" ^"•^'■ding to their works', fir. ■• w ?^ ^^t' ^^'^ ^^^t '"to the lake of nre. What does the word of God say in connec- tion with this awful vision ? This is the second death even the lake of fire. Rev. 20: 14 (viSe K. V.) In this deeply solemn chapter the Apostle thrvti '° "' 'i^ ^^t'°"^' *^^"' the explanation of of na t o?th. ^''I ^' 'f^\' "^ ^f *he Resurrection calls '< ?L A^^'^^ f f ^^'^'^ ^^^° ^'^ '^'^^^^ l^e £ terms "h/"."^ ^°^>'' ^"^ *'^^'^ resurrection he terms the first resurrection," carefully writing at the same time that •• the rest of the dead lived fh^n:^ the thousand years were finished," and then after telling us the thousand years are ex fhe do' e 0?'^ w'"^ 'V^''' events'which mark Jhe close of that age, he gives us the vision of works" anT.v"'r^J".1^^^ " ^-^^ing to thdr .rn short i-bi ^'.^^ '^"' ''^^^ second death." ■'^n short this chapter gives us the details of the 4wo resurrections of which our Lord and His 'Apostles have spoken, the one being that which TettttlT' Christ called "the resurrection of :,",i"', ' ^^^,^^;",^'^^n ; " the other beinj; our Lord called the ; " the Apostle Paul ust ; " and :oncerninf( is, "this is vhe second of Scripture as to the iltaneous resurrection at which there is to ording to works, but I ;" those who having iving faith shall hav( id by the Holy Spirit It, and rising at the ! satisfied when the} d those who, at the rise at that resurrec- y will be judged ac- rid this brings us to lich we will proceed ter. CHAPTER V. Ifubgin^nt. I nonn^- r 1 ^ "''^'P'-'' ^'" ^'^^^ ^^*=" t''«^ the popu.ar ulea concerning the resurrection is an erroneous one, and we will now proceed to show froui Me Scripture that the common view oh ^J"f ':*^t day, IS equally at fault, that instead Of then- i,emg o.ly one judg.uent spoken on the 'X daro'fTi'''"' :-^^^^' N"^^ F,)--andtl t ^tlie day of judgment" is not a day in the usual accepta ,on of the term, but a period of time As which has 1- ;^^f^"'"^%t'^^'rel>y this present age! Wliich has lasted now for more than i8oo years so the day "appointed" for judgment is also a period of time which is marked at various epochs da ses b1^^ ^''''"'.^. J^'^^'"-nts of differen p" offered HeT\ "'"^^ ^^ "'^ one'oK| li^^'^y^ t'le members of the body are free from Ifudgment on account of their sins /til If blotted out," and will be remeni "red 'no nL'Jv i"#nd om Lord says of His people, ''uTev shTnol' ome mto judgment," Jolln ?: ^4/"or hf iL 36 THE CHURCH OF GOD R V r Wh^n " T "°i Jl^W- J°'^" 3: 18, (Vide bers died • kn f 1 '""^ °V'^" '^^^^ ^'^^ '^'^ '»^n^ beW . I ' ?'• ''■ '°' '^'^ w«rdsof this passage be ng, '. I l.ave been crucified," not I am) 2 Cor. CO Jd in the Person of our adorable Substitute and now there ks no judgment for the Christian as to his salvation. The Lord lesus Christ ^m. secured the believers title to eS l^e b^ Hi into judgment as to that, but their title to heaven IS one thing, their position in heaven is another n..t n '^"' ^"T. P^^^l^ased for them at an nestunablr price which it was not in their power to pay but which the Great Shepherd of the shren Himself gave ; the latter will depend on the work which they may do for the Master in this world For instance, St. Paul and the dying thief oTthe cross have the same title to the heavenly inhedt ance namely the precious blood of Christ, but the/.o..^.o« of the Apostle and that of the r^ale factor will be very different ; the latter, savSi at he last hour, never had worked for Chr st, and so 1 as no rewanl but the former, at the clos^ of his fe could look back with joy on his days spent fo ton nfT. ' '"^ ^5"^d look forward to the expecta' sLTas lo^thirvt : '^'' ''' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^P^^^ ro po.^m^/^^^ ^^ c/z/e/^r/^^s as This is clearly set forth in 2 Cor. c- 10 where it ,s written that "we (the saints whom' he IS addressing) shall all stand beforrtle judgment seat of Christ;" the word "judgmen trTbunafo^f n ""'l ^'vf ''''\ "^^^^ ^^-°- bftth tribunal of Christ; the word and the idea are not the same as m Rev. 20: 11. The Apostle has OF GOD :ed,"John3: 18, (vide e body died the nieni- wordsof tliis passage d," not I am) 2 Cor. v'mg done to us all it adorable Substitute, t for the Christian as d Jesus Christ has ) eternal life by His ill never be brought their title to heaven n heaven is another, sed for them at an s not in their power lepherd of the sheep depend on the work faster in this world. 2 dying thief on the le heavenly inherit- )lood of Christ, but i that of the male- he latter, saved at '1 for Christ, and so , at the close of his n his days spent for ird to the expecta- what the Scriptures CHRISTIANS AS in 2 Cor. 5: 10, (the saints whom stand before the 3 word "judgment lite throne but the d the idea are not The Apostle has AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN i7 \S A.T^^ 'V ''^' preceding verses of this chap- of tlus ta .ernac e ,s dissolved sve have a building tH.^"rn ■•' V'f' ^" ^'^"^' f°'' deliverance fro u this groanmg body, and that "we are willing to Lord •' wh ^T ''" ^"'|y ''^"'' '-"--"t -it'"'tl : ther It h^'" °'' ^^^\ny.,kc it our aiu,, that, whe- ther at home (I.e., with Him) or absent (i.e . here into AinT"' •?. v' ''^ r" ^^^^""^ (-"'p'"') these hl.^ ""; ''u ('•"^•' ^''"' ''^^""ts who know t cse thmgs) must all l,e made manifest before ••iSr' 1 t ''If "^ ^^"•^'' ^^^•" '^''^^t word man test literally meaning, bein^r as it w^m turned inside out, all the 'main ^Hngs of oir niot.ves for work, etc., laid bare, lo tlmt it sh "ll be seen whether we worked fron love Chds for he approbation of men, or for desire ofiu' up any organization, etc. This judgment in fact things which will sland he fi.P-or'-rT'.''"- thf tvr™'" '^'' -wch .villi;, 1° „ru?v' ':,!;' jPu.lt upon the foimdatcon will he saved • his iosT .^uiin^on'' L'-^f/r-sftir wt"=h^.i:^!s3? shame." The "rewani " LL .° , P"^ *° ' '•• ■"" account of the works pro- !!! i; I I 38 THE CHURCH OF GOD duced by the faith. Heaven is not, as some people suppose, a dead level where everybody is equal in rank, (socialism and the rule of the mob are of the earth earthy) but there exist, as we learn from the word, gradations in position; perhaps even to a greater extent than on earth. God is a God of order, and He has sought to teach man this by the family relationship, in which there must be the head, the husband and father; then each member in their subservient positions, and one of the chief signs of the perilous times of the last days, in which we now are, is seen in the reversal of this; the child rebelling against the parent, the woman seeking to usurp the place of man, the upheaval of the employed against th(^ i employer, in short the revolt against authority which is characteristic of the boasted civilization of the 19th century. In heaven star will differ from star in glory, they who have laboured for Christ will receive their reward, " He is not un- righteous to forget their work and labour of love," Heb. 6: 10; they shall receive of the Lord "the reward of the inheritance," Col. 3: 23, 24; they shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just, Luke 14: 14; and this reward will be propor- tioned according to their work, Eph. 6: 8; i Peter i: 7; Rev. 22: 12. It may be further mentioned to siiow that the passages before quoted refer to a judgment as to position, that we are in our glori- fied bodies when this takes place. Col. 3: 4; Phil. 3: 21; for it is at His appearing, and we have then the redemption of our bodies. Now His appearirig to us is not an object of fear, for we rejoice in hope of it, I Pet. i: 7, 13; i P^t, 4: 13; Titus 2: 13; I Thess. 4: 18; it is our hope, our joy, that for which we look, and the thought of which gives us comfort, none of which it could be to us if we were to stand before Him to be judged as to our P GOD 5 not, as some people verybody is equal in ; of the mob are of exist, as we learn 1 position ; perhaps on earth. God is a ought to teach man lip, in which there id and father; then vient positions, and perilous times of the are, is seen in the ^belling against the usurp the place of nployed against the It against authority boasted civilization aven star will differ o have laboured for ird, " He is not un- and labour of love," e of the Lord "the Col. 3: 23, 24; they ; resurrection of the ward will be propor- k, Eph. 6: 8; i Peter le further mentioned fore quoted refer to a we are in our glori- lace. Col. 3: 4; Phil. tig, and we have then Now His appearint,^ ar, for we rejoice in 'et. 4: 13; Titus 2: 13; pe, our joy, that for ght of which gives us could be to us if we be judged as to our AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 39 "salvation according to our works, for " by the works of the law can no flesh be justified," and therefore the Psalmist prays "enter not into judgment with Thy servant O Lord, for in Thy sight can no man living be justified." Ps. 143: 2. ' But there are two other judgments mentioned in the Word, namely, that of the sheep and the goats as recorded in Matt. 25: 31-46, and that of the great white throne as related in Rev. 20: 1 1-15. These two are generally supposed to refer to the same event, but a careful examination of Scripture will show that they differ as to the time at which they occur, as to the locality in which they are held, as to the persons who are judged, and as to the character of the judgment. 1st. They are distinct as to time. In Matt. 25: 31, we read, "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory — then shall He sit on the throne " of His glory." What time in the world's history is here denoted by that word ^Hhen?" We get ,. the key to this in the preceding chapter of Mat- thew's gospel. In the 21st verse our Lord gives us a fixed point of time; there is to be "great ■ tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world to tiiis time, no nor ever shall be." ' This is the great tribulation spoken of by Jeremiah 30: 7; by Daniel 12: 2; by Zechariah 14: 2-5; and in Rev. 6: 11, and it is always connected with the ■ deliverance of- Israel, which is accomplished by :* the personal return of the Lord. In the 29th verse our Lord tells us " immediately after the tribulation" certain portents are to follow, and "then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven"— "and then" they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power , and great glory ! Where is the Church of God ^ at this time? The Apostle says, Col. 3: 4 — "when :lii ! l! I ! IIIIHI 40 THE CHURCH OF GOD Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory," and so far as we can understand the Scriptures, the passages quoted from the 24th. Matt, refer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with His people to deliver Israel and gather together His elect from amongst them, Matt. 24: 31. (This statement will be proved in a following chapter on the Ten Virgins, and therefore will not be gone into here.) Briefly, Matt. 24: 29-31 is the return of the Bridegroom with His bride the Church, to deliver Israel and avenge them of their adversaries, and therefore takes place at the commencement of the millennial age, v/hich is ushered in by the advent of the King of Israel; then shall He sit upon the "throne of His glory," and this is synchronous with Rev. 19: II, where we have the coming of Him Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which is fol- lowed by the destruction of Antichrist, Rev. 19: 21, the binding of Satan, Rev. 20: i, the thousand years and, at the end of the thousand years, the judgment of the great white throne; the judgment of the rest of the dead, "who lived not until the thousand years were finished," a judgment at which men are judged according to their works, that awful judgment which is called "the resur- rection of judgment." We Matt. King, of the of the rated years. see then that as to time, the judgment of 25: 31 takes place at the coming of the i.e., before the millenium, and the judgment great white throne. Rev. 20: 11; at the close millenium; and that, therefore, being sepa- by an interval of more than a thousand they cannot be the same. 2nd. They are distinct not only as to time, but also as to locality. The judgment of Matt. 25, takes place in Judea. " He shall sit upon the )F GOD ippear, then shall ye y," and so far as we , the passages quoted ) the coming of our ople to deliver Israel from amongst them, It will be proved in Ten Virgins, and into here.) Briefly, of the Bridegroom 3 deliver Israel and aries, and therefore ent of the millennial r the advent of the sit upon the "throne chronous with Rev. ning of Him Who is Lords, which is fol- Antichrist, Rev. 19: .20: I, the thousand thousand years, the irone; the judgment lived not until the d," a judgment at ding to their works, 3 called "the resur- le, the judgment of the coming of the n, and the judgment '. 20: 11; at the close erefore, being sepa- e than a thousand e. )t only as to time, judgment of Matt. [e shall sit upon the AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 41 throne of His glory." If we turn to Joel 3: i, 2, 12, we shall see where that is to be, "in that time when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations and will bring thetn down into the valley of Jehosha- phat 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." Joel 3: I, 2. "Let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about." Joel 3: 12. So also testifies Zechariah, speaking of the same time, "And His feet shall stand in that day un .' *he Mount of Olives,',' Zech. 14: 4; "that day. a vve compare the preceding verses and cha; . 12 and 13, being at the time of Israel's great tribulation and dehverance, and the prophet proceeds to speak of the physical changes which shall take place in the land at the coming of the Loid with His saints. That land which was the scene of His humiliation is to be that of His glory, that Mount on which He often walked with weary steps in the day of His rejection will again be pressed by His blessed feet in the day of His exaltation, when the second time the true Joseph shall be made known unto His brethren, and they shall look on " Him Whom they have pierced," and shall see in the Lord Jesus Whom they crucified, the Messiah, the King of Israel "great David's greater Son." ' The locality of the judgment of the 25th Matt, is in Judea, that of the judgment of Rev. 20: 11," is not revealed to us further than that it is not upon the earth, for we read, "And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from Whose :5face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them," Rev. 20: 11. 3rd. They are distinct as to the persons judged. ji* 42 THE CHURCH OF GOD In Matt. 25: 32, we are told, "Before Him shall be gathered all nations." Mow the word trans- lated all nations, "7'«£red in the val'ey of Jehoshaphat "all nations" are dealt with by the King of Israel as they have dealt with the Jew, Joel 3: 1-3, 12, and the bre- thren are, "My people and My heritage, Israel." The very answer made by the righteous show that the sheep spoken of here are not those who have had the full light of the gospel; what intelli- gent Christian would say, "Lord, when saw we Thee an hungered," etc.; we have been taught and know that in visiting the sick ones of Christ's flock, or in feeding His hungry people, it is looked upon as done unto Himself, and that even "the cup of cold water" given for His sake shall be recompensed to the giver; it is manifest then that the "righteous" here are not the believers who have lived under gospel privileges such as we enjoy, they are the living Gentile nations who, in the interval between the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ /or His saints and with His saints, have either succoured or persecuted the Jews during I ^'? 44 THE CHURCH OF GOD the tyranny of the Antichrist, and who are dealt with according to the principles laid down in Matt. lo; (comp. verses 5, 6, 23, 34 to 42). What is done to the servants either proves the faith of the doer to Christ, the Lord and Master, or the reverse. Let us now examine the character of the judg- ment of the great white throne, Rev. 20: 12. Here there is no passing of a sentence at once, but a regular assize r.i which the dead are judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.^" Now there is a standard in the Word by which men are tried, viz., the law of God, Matt. 19: 17; Luke 10: 26; and we are told what extent of obedience the law requires, — a perfect obedience, James 2: 10; he that offends in one point is guilty of all and no less, and he that offends in thousands of points is guilty of all and no more; there is no difference as to the fact of guilt between the moralists and the evil doers, though there are differences of degree as to their sins; they are all guilty, and therefore all lost, for "by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified," Gal. 2: 16; Rom. 3: 20. Judged by the records of their lives, tested by the standard of the law of God, men are lo t- but it might be pleaded by some that they haa, vvhen in life, taken Ciirist as their Saviour, if so their names would be in the book of life, and we read, "another book was opened which is the book of life," this being, so far as we can understand Scripture, to show that they had rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. This solemn and awful assize is that which our Lord calls in John 5: 29, "the resurrec- tion of judgment," it is the judgment "according to their works," of those who did not rise at the blessed and holy first resurrection. We see then the distinction between the char- ' GOD , and who are dealt pies laid down in !, 34 to 42). What proves the faith of and Master, or the racter of the judg- one, Rev. 20: 12. L sentence at once, he dead are judged ere written in the s^" Now there is hich men are tried, 9: 17; Luke 10: 26; obedience the law !, James 2: 10; he uilty of all and no usands of points is sre is no difference i the moralists and are differences of are all guilty, and works of the law . 2: 16; Rom. 3: 20. lives, tested by the 2n are lo 1* but it they haa, when in ir, if so their names we read, "another ! book of Hfe," this srstand Scripture, d the Lord Jesus ful assize is that 29, "the resurrec- ?ment "according id not rise at the on. between the char- AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 45 acter of the judgment of Matt. 25, and that-of Rev. 20, in the former there is at once a separation made and the passing of a sentence, without any preparatory trial, of living nations who have fol- lowed a certain course of action towards the bre- thren of the King; in the latter there is a judicial trial in which those tried have their lives examined and tested by appointed stardards. It may be profitable briefly to recapitulate the difference between the judgments in Matt. 25 and Rev. 20. In Matt. 25, yudgment is In Rev. 20 As to time— At commencement of At close of mil- millenium. lenium. „ locality— In Judea. Not revealed, persons— Living nations The dead character— Passing of Sentence Judicial trial. The attempt has been made as briefly as pos- sible, to show the distinction between thejudg- nients as recorded in the Word, and so far from thelir being, as is commonly supposed, only one judgment, we have seen there are four, viz., the judgment of sin at the cross, the judgment of the believer at the coming of Christ for His people, the judgment of the living Gentile nations at the coming of Christ with His people, and the judgment of the wicked dead at the end of the millennial » age. It may be observed, also, that Scripture ^^?gives us glimpses of other judgments upon which, ' however, we willnot at present dwell. It is true the appointment to men is death and judgment, Heb. 9: 27; but we shall not all die, for "we shall not all sleep," i Cor. 15: 21; some being trans- lated at the coming of the Lord, and we shall not all come into judgment, for the promise of the Lord IS, that His people "shall not come into judgment, ' John 5: 24; they are "the children of ^the resurrection," whose judginent He, in His is- I ! iltl lllil ii 46 THE CHURCH OF GOD infinite love has borne, and whos title to eternal Me He has purchased for them by the sacrifice of Himself. They look not for death and judgment but for Him Whom their souls love, and for the glory which will be revealed when He appears- they wait now for tiie redemption of the body,'' at the blessed and holy first resurrection, when the bodies of the -.aints shall arise, and when from the quiet country churchyards, where loving hands have laid the Christian's body to rest, in sure and certain hope; from the great cities' crowded cemeteries, where the saints of God lie in nameless graves; from the bosom of the restless ocean, where the people of Christ have gone down in the pathless waters, there shall come forth a great multitude which no man can number, of all nations and peoples and kindreds and tongues, \vho, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ,' shall follow through the eternal ages. Him, Whose blessed footsteps they attempted, but at an infinite distance, to follow on earth. P GOD ho£ title to eternal 11 by the sacrifice of eath and judgment, s love, and for the when He appears; iption of the body," resurrection, when 1 arise, and when, yards, where loving n's body to rest, in 1 the great cities' le saints of God lie osoni of the restless ist have gone down shall come forth a can number, of all Ireds and tongues, us blood of Christ, ages. Him, Whose id, but at an infinite CHAPTER VI. ®lj£ Hfstoration of tijc letos. '*^HEKE are three prominent truths clearly defined and set forth in the Word of God, and very often, in the Old Testament, we find them closely linked together, namely, the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Restoration ot Israel, and the Millennial Age, or period of universal blessedness; the two latter events being broMght m by the former. If we turn to the New lestament we shall observe the same truths again grouped. In Acts 15: 13-18, at the first Christian council, we hear the Apostle James declarmg the counsel of God. He first shows what the purpose ot God IS in this present age, viz.— not to convert the world, as men erroneously suppose,— but "to take out of the Gentiles a people for His name;" becond, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ,— 'after this I will return;" Third, the restoration o^ Israel,—"! will build again the tabernacle of David which IS fallen down; I will build again the rums thereof, and I will set it up," and finally the conversion of the world,-"that the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gen- tiles upon whom -My Name is called, saith the Lord ; and the Apostle closes his address with ^ the statement that "Known unto God are all His * works from the foundation of the world;" in effect I we learn that God works on a plan, that things hr%"?.^u *°,^^°lve themselves by chance or blind fate, but that the future, as well as the past, of this world has been ordered and arranged by Divme wisdom, and will be brought to pass by 48 THE CHURCH OF GOD Divine power. So far as can be gleaned from the study of the Bible, the purpose of God in this a^^, has been, first, to take individuals out of the Jewish nation; second, to take individuals out of the Gentiles; then, in the succeeding age, He will bring m Israel as a nation, and then the Gentiles nationally. Vain man thinks he can reverse this order, that he can convert the world by civiliza- tion, by education, by science, by so-called pro- gress, and that when he has reformed the world and made it, as he thinks, ready for the reception of the Lord Jesus Christ, that then He will appear; a fond delusion, which, we have already seen, the Word of God scatters to the winds. The Lord Jesus created, the Lord Jesus redeemed, the Lord Jesus alone can renovate this earth and bring in universal righteousness, and this in His own way and m His own time. It was His good pleasure in the past ages to bring blessedness to the nations through Israel, and in the coming age the Jews are again to be instruments to gather in the fulness of the Gentiles. Now this idea is specially repug- nant to the worldly Christianity of the 19th cen- tury and to the energetic Anglo Saxon race who think that the destiny of the world lies in their hands. "What, they say, is not the Church going to convert the world, and are not we, the dominant race, going to be the instruments? Is not our commercial enterprise the handmaid of the gospel, and do not our explorers prepare the way for the missionary?" Discussion of these questions would be fruitless, for each disputant regards them from his own standpoint, let us, therefore, turn once again to the infallible guide, and ask "what saith the Scripture?" Does it verify the statements we have made concerning the Jew, or does it contra- dict them? When we consult its pages we find that it clearly foretold the woes that should befall ggl ^i^fe i* GOD n be gleaned from pose of God in this li vidua! s out of the : individuals out of edifig age, He will 1 then the Gentiles le can reverse this B world by civiliza- ;, by so-called pro- reformed the world ly for the reception len He will appear; e already seen, the winds. The Lord sdeemed, the Lord ;arth and bring in lis in His own way His good pleasure Iness to the nations ning age the Jews ather in the fulness is specially repug- ty of the 19th cen- 3 Saxon race who vorld lies in their the Church going t we, the dominant ents? Is not our naid of the gospel, e the way for the se questions would •egards them from srefore, turn once d ask "what saith the statements we or does it contra- its pages we find that should befall AND THE KING DO Af OF HEAVEN. 49 the nation, viz., that "their cities should be wasted and be without inhabitant, the houserJIfho?,* tTat ?h ' ^\' ^T.'.'^ ""^^^^ deV^Jate!" Ts ^.uT.' that hey should be a scattered and down-trodden peop e, and no mtelligent man denies that fS ffied'r /.^^V"^ ^° ^^^'^ clispers'il'have \, en Is the Word'of r%'"^^\^^ *'^^>' ^^'-^^ ^-°'-" thougte^^ ':;zat'ro;xiT7^^ fetainfn^ S"''""'^ '" ^^'^^ ^^ ^ d^stLc 'race fc the world. Tl,4 "atio' r/'°™'^ '''"<= I f! I| I 50 THE CHURCH OF GOD is to be removed and it is again to enjoy the favour of God. Now the promises as to tin restoiation of the nation are so many, so full and so clear that men who scoff at the return of the nation to their own ianil and yet profess to believe- the Word of God, cannot deny tliey exist, but they seek to deprive them of their meaning. Tho old way of interpreting the prophetic writings concerning the Jews (as doubtl( s many recollect and perhaps still practice) was as followb: when- ever the words Jerusalem, Zion, Israel, etc., were found in connection with denunciations and woe, they were applied literally to the Jewish people, but if these words were connected with promises of future glory and triumph they were interpreted spiritually, and were said to mean the Church; for instance. Is. i: 8-10, was applied to Israel, but Isaiah i: 25-27, to the Church; again, in Is. 2: 1-4, Judah and Jerusalem were said to mean the Church, but in Is. 3: the same words were said to mean the nation ; in short, the blessings promised to Israel were appropriated, while they were left with the curses. If oneasked for Scriptural authority to justify this arbitrary treatment of language, none could be given, the only reply was,— it was the customary interpretation of com- mentators. Is it any wonder that the inexperienced Christian is bewildered, that the infidel scoffs and says that the Bible may be made to say anything, and that through "spiritualizing" the word you may divest it of its warnings and rob it of its promises. It has been well said by the judicious Hooker, "that where the literal construction will stand, the farthest from the letterisgenerally the worst," and bearing in mind this true principle of inter- pretation, let us now proceed to see what the Word of God says as to the restoration of the Jews. For the sake of brevity the promises con- -4j )F GOD again to enjoy the promises as to tin so many, so full and at tlie return of the yet profess to believe eny they exist, but tluir meaning. The ; prophetic writings ttle-<^.d to Abra- theia;;<^;;e^^ii;ts^^r:;?,;:i^l:-tT^^ never yet possessed.) Once ^- o ' M air 8^ showmgtheeverJastintrcharactPi -J iL)^ ^' ' and again re-iterated tt JacollG,: '^^^ ^ hirfw::^^;:,trl,^^'^a^l-dn.sof specified tin,e, Is. 6: g-^SI Rom.'n'^^t '" ' rs: :6; Amos ^.^T" x^fR:,';:?;-,/-^-^. Acts 6i'i-4; (Th\'£7nrt^Jrtr ^'^" ^'^ ^^^^-^^' '- first d luse of tl P^ t. , " P?''"^-^ ^'P *« the filled as our Lo i sai'f ;" V^^ '^^^'"^^ ^^-«" ^"1- nth, when nrclosei H '^^>;"'^^^^^^^^ >^^za- , .niencefl when He heg^H rm'^'T''' '"^^^ ^°"'- iPn, it isthedayo gV^ce Ir h"T^'''r'^^^^ '^hen it ends He wiM tc h s *" '^^^ of salvation; ^return," ^.d ^re^tli:: 'fth'JT^'V^-- -^i^' ^*nd the restoration of Isr.el ■''ti"^^"^^'' #vcnts in Is. 61: 1-4, Ts ex4tiv thl ^''^"^ °^ #^ts 15: 13.18 > IS exactly the same as in J , du^ tne day uf vengeance which 52 THE CHURCH OF GOD follows; the comforting of the mourners in Zion the rebuilding of the old wastes, the desolations of many generations, and the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David; the ministry of the stranger and the alien, and the gathering of the residue of men seeking after the Lord. These predictions harmonize beautifully together; as St. James says, "to this agree (literally "symphonize''— -one grand symphony) the words of the prophets." 6th. That they shall be set again in their own land and rule over them whose captives Lhey were, Is. 14: 1-3; Zee. 8: 22,23. That these prophecies do not refer to the return from the Babylonian captivity is evident from Neh. 9: 36, where it is said that, so far from ruling, "Behold we are servants this day, and for the land that Thou gavest unto our fathers we are servants in it." 7th. That this restoration is to be a second restoration, Is. 11: 11; Jer. 23: 7. 8th. That it is to be a restoration of both nations, Jer. 33: 23, 26; Ezek. 37: 15. gth. That these nations will have a King to reign over them. Ezek. 37: 22, 24. loth. That this King is to be our Lord Jesus Christ, Jer. 23: 5; Jer. 30: 3-9; Jer. 33: 15; Is. 9: 6; Luke i: 32, 33; Acts 2: 30. nth. That they are tohave judges, Matt. 19: 28. 1 2th. That their restoration is to be accom- panied by the judgment of the living Gentile nations who are to be dealt with as they have dealt with Israel, Joel 3: i, 2, 12; Matt. 25: 31-46. 13th. That it is to be at the end of the age, i.e., when the harvest is ripe, Joel 3: 13; Matt. 13: 39. 14th. That it is to be followed by millennial blessedness, Is. 2: i;— 11: 16; Rom. 11: 12. F GOD AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 53 le mourners in Zion stes, the desolations le rebuilding of the istry of the stranger ing of the residue of These predictions r; as St. James says, ■>honize'' — one grand prophets." ;t again in their own e captives ihey were, 'hat these prophecies rom the Babylonian ;h. 9: 36, where it is ig, "Behold we are and that Thou gavest ^rvants in it." m is to be a second 3:7- restoration of both ^- 37: 15- will have a King to 22, 24. to be our Lord Jesus 3-9; Jer- 33: 15; Is. : 30- /e judges, Matt, ig: 28. Ltion is to be accom- )f the living Gentile It with as they have 2, 12; Matt. 25: 32-46. the end of the age, i.e., ,el 3: 13; Matt. 13: 39. "ollowed by millennial 5; Rom. 11: 12. .4 15th. That after it occurs the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, Is. 11: 9; Zee. 14: 9, 20. * i6th. That it is to take place when they look .' upon Him Whom they have pierced, Zee. 12: 10; — 13: 6; compare Zee. 8: 2-4; with Zee. 10: 6. In the above summary the effort has been made to put in as concise a form as possible the testimony of Scripture as to the restoration of Israel. That the Scriptures do unequivocally state that such a restoration v/ill take place, there can be, nor is there any dispute; the point about which there is any divergence of opinion is, whether the words mean what tliey say. We who believe in a literal restoration say they do, and further we contend that as the woes denounced upon Judah and Jeru- salem have been literally fulfilled it is but reason- able to suppose that the blessings pronounced upon Judah and Jerusalem will have a literal fulfilment also, and that those who say these words "Judah and Jerusalem" mean the literal country and city when a curse is connected with them, and a spir- itual organization when a blessing is conjoined with them, should give us the Scriptural authority for their interpretation This it is impossible for them to do. As a matter of fact the words -••Judea, Judah, Israel and Jerusalem" occur nearly 500 times in the New Testament, and they are always used literally, except in a few cases, and ^,in these instances where they are not so used, a ;^uahfying word is attached to denote that the :«,|iteral place is not meant, as for instance, «'the r,^ew Jerusalem," to show the literal city is not .^ntended, or "the heavenly Jerusalem," "Terusa- «^"^ ^'"^^ ^^ above," to show the earthly city is '^«»^ot referred to; and the very fact of this being lone proves that when such distinctive terms are ! 54 THE CHURCH OF GOD not applied the words are to be understood literally, and that when Isaiah said he saw a vision respect- 'ing "Judah and Jerusalem," or spoke of Mount Zion and the land of Judah, etc., he referred to the actual localities, and was not speaking in a "spiritual" way of the Gentile Church. It is often asked why Christians should be so interested in the Jews and their restoration. The answer is an easy one; it is because tiieir restora- tion is bound up with the return of our Lord, and we know that when Israel begins to show signs of returning to their own land, the coming of Him for Whom we wait draws nigh. It has been truly said that the Jew is the clock of the age, and that if you notice what position the Jewish race are occupying in the world, an idea can be formed where we are in the stream of time. If we see the fig tree (the emblem of Israel) "putting forth leaves," we know that summer is near, in other words, if that race is showing signs of vitality the coming of Him Who will usher in His people's eternal summer, is nigh at hand, and so with eager expectation, as "the wearied night watcher looks toward the eastern sky for the first streaks of early dawn which herald the sunrise, so the Christian waiting for the appearing of Him Whom his soul loves, studies with earnest interest the movements of that people whose restoration is almost synchronous with His appearing." Does the "fig tree" at present shuvv any signs of putting lorth leaves? Let the wonderful events of the last few years answer. But a few years ago Jerusalem, dirty, squalid, and with none of tlie appliances of modern civilization, had but a few hundred Jews in it, now they are numbered by thousands, civilization has entered within its walls, the electric light illumes its streets, the railway whistle awakens its echoes, and the new k GOD iiiderstood literally, iw a vision respect- ir spoke of Mount :tc., he referred to not speaking in a Church. tians should be so r restoration. The ause their restora- ■n of our Lord, and ns to show signs of the coming of Him . It has been truly )f the age, and that le Jewish race are dea can be formed of time. If we see ael) "putting forth er is near, in other signs of vitality the her in His people's land, and so with aried night watcher for the first streaks the sunrise, so the iring of Him Whom iarnest interest the hose restoration is appearing." Does any signs of putting erful events of the : a few years ago i with none of the ion, had but a few y are numbered by entered within its nes its streets, the :hoes, and the new ; 1 ^ • AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 1 1 ^town which has sprung up outside the walls bids fair shortly to eclipse in size (even if it has not already done so) the old city. As to the Jews themselves, whether in war, politics, finance, or in that power which largely influences public opinion, tiie press, they hold a prom ent place, while in science, philosophy, o: the gentler walks of life, as music and art, tliey keep equal pace with the Gentile nations, in all these things un- consciously preparing for the hour of their future glory when the veil winch is now upon their hearts shall be removed at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then will be ful^Ued the sublime pro- phecy of Isaiah, "The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt be also a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be called Forsaken, neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate ; but thou shall be called Hephzi-bah (i.e., my delight is in her) and thy land Beulah (i.e., married) for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin so shall thy sons marry thee, and as tha bride- groom rejoiceth over the bride so shall thy God rejoice over thee." Is. 62: 5. It is not to be for- gotten, however, that before that time of blessing arrives, there intervenes the period of time when the Jewish nation which refused to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah, will welcome the "Lawless one," who comes in his own name, and will pass through that awful scene -i suffering, "the great tribulation," that time of Jacob's trouble out of which he is to be delivered, ,for in the hour of their sore anguish they will utter Ihat bitter cry, "Oh that Thou wouldst rend the 56 THE CHURCH OF GOD he.vrens, that Thou wouldst come down," and the heavens will open and the Messiah descend, and in the person of that Messiah they shall see the u n r^,"^ ^^^"^^ Whom they crucified, "and thev shall look on Him 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 is in bitterness for his first-born; "then the day of vengeance of our God and the year of His redeemed shall come;" then that "Wicked" shall come to his end - '.,m the Lord shall con- sume with the spirit of Uh mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming," and then restored Israel shall hear the Lord say, "It is ^^^^T}^:^ t""^ ^^^y "^^^" ^^y- "The Lord is my God, Zech. 13: 9. (See note G, appendix.) GOD ne down," and the siah descend, and hey shall see the ucified, "and they lave pierced, and ane mourneth for )itterness for Him first-born; "then 3 and the year of ti that "Wicked" le Lord shall con- 1 and shall destroy ming," and then Lord say, "It is y, "The Lord is te G, appendix.) CHAPTER VH. &^\^S'^^^^ %l^^ o^ the hst two which our .'gives in awe inspiring words a vIvY J !^ . -of the Iac:f riawe ^ ^- ^"'^"^,^ wid description Gentile church answer. "T "°*^J"S^ °^ ^ : As Jews they asked our Blesms as a woman in travail, and all faces are .^urned mto paleness? Alas! for that day is great ;*> that none is like it, it is even the time of Jacob's ,|rouble; but he shall be saved out of it,"— and if -.Jre read the third and eighth verses, we shall see |hat this time is just at the restoration of Israel. i when strangers shall no more serve themselves 01 him. _ In Daniel 12: i, we are told, "there shall be a lime ot trouble such as never was since there was % nation even to that time, and at that time Thy |>eople (i.e., the Jews) shall be delivered." -i ^",^^?ha",^l\ H- 1-5, we have narrated to us I e de ails of the horrors of that time, and that .fe distress of Israel is ended, and the deliverance -Jt the people effected by the coming of the Lord .««ay 'th His saints. 6o THE CHURCH OF GOD identical with hatTf Matt /."T ""'f!' ^^^^'^ which are said to occur .".^^ '?,'-^°V^^ ^^'^"ts tnbulaiion;" then i„ Rev r /Tlf"'^^-^, "/'^^ ^/"' of 12,000 out of each tribe in Is ae^^Ih '^'' '"^^'"^^ with the deliverance of Tacoh T ^^^^onizin-^ people," Dan. 12: i and thi ;-^ * ^°' 7' ^^ "Tli? 2ec. 14: 1-5.) and w; see also in r"" °^J^^"«alen ninltitude Vhich no n'an Jo^, J^"" ^-^ ?' "^ great nations, and kindreds and n? i """^^^r, of all of whom the Aposte is ;id^^?f;,-"d tongues,' tr/uh,ff?jo%^r tr.^t:h^.^-^^ ^-^ ^^ "Jerusalem," and to thk? r ^''>' People," added the .ordsofo^ tld1nZTt\^' '^^'^ W.1 pass through it, ^i^^rw?^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ day^^sh^^l^J^^uf he ^I^U^tf^ ^^ ,C appear the sign of the Son of M -^l^ ^^"" '^^^^^ fen shall allihe tribL of the eanl/ mo'^'^"' ^"^' Jews pre-eminently bein^";Lf "lourn,' (the see Zech. 12: 9, 10) S^ni I'lf ' °^ *^^ ^and,' man coming i?' h^ elouds /f f '^' '"" '^^ ^on ^1 and great |lory." ^ °^ '^^^^^^ with power Now, where is the ChnmU t appears in glory? Let the An .i"^^'"" °''' Lord Christ, Who is^uM fe shaT. '""'^"^' "^''^" ye also appear with Hmin"L?^cT '^^" S^^^' advent of Matt. 24: 20 ,0 illl' ? ^' ^•4- This Zechariah 14- c th^^' ^ •' '^ *^^^ spoken of by His saints wten' He dehvers^Isf V^^ r^°^^ -^t'> carefully what followf ''And H ^^'i ,f "' "^ "°^^ angels with a great so;lnd^ttm^^,rnd^h^; OF GOD behave at the opening iguage used is almost M- 29, 30) the events immediately after the I, tolJows the seahn<:,r Israel, (harmonizing '' Jer. 30: 7, of "Til J rescue of Jerusalen,, in Kev. 7: 9, "a great 3uJd number, of all opJes, and tongues," d, "these are the'v ')S^eat tribulation r s a terrible time of °b. -thy people," testimony we have 'n Matt. 24: 29, 30. eiore, is connected i beside that nation 'Vili specially suffer. bulation of those ^^—And then ^h^W lari m heaven, and arth mourn,'- (the tribes of the land,'- hall see the Son of leaven with power when our Lord tie answer, "when ippear, then shall K, Col. 3: 4. This Jat spoken of by f the Lord with ael. Let us note B shall send His umpet, and they A^D THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Ss?^;:rL^^-,^-iect fVom the fo. 6r ur ►reflection will sho fe the Church, but a moment's Men He come7in g^ry His'rh' T-'^^' ^^"^ Him; it is the "elect" of T.m ? "'''^' '^ ^^ith to here, and this a con^ -^ ""'^'^ ""'^ ^^^^rred tament Scriptur ^w ll?how' r f'^'' ^^^ T- Iprophet Isaiah says ' fter , !' • '^^? ^° ^^''^^ the Nth and 27th c^%l%S"'oVt"r |he says, in the last verses of tll°fj''u ^^'^ "^^y^' hall begatheredonebTone ve,1^^^^^ "^'^ [And It shall come to pass in .1^^^" of Israel. heat tnunpet shall be bfoZ an hL^'^. *,^^^ ^'^^ Iwhicli were ready to peririn T 1 T '?^" ^^^^^ and the outcasts^in ?he land if P "^ o^ Assyria, [worship the Lord in t\lhr^\ °^ ^^ypt and shall hand igain in Is. 6^ o'-lTr^^M-.-alem.- ia seed out of Jacob,ind oufnf T J'," ''""^ ^°r«h of My mountains; and J"!°P"^f^f" ^"^^^^'tor and My servants 'shalfdwdl £ e' " V "^^"^ ^*' fcs we can read Scripture aright . i^"^' '° ^^^ fScnpture interpret another w?h V "^ T^^ ^"^ {passages quoted from e oTon^^^^^ '''?* ^^^^^e here is to be an unexamDl.?!?^^' /^^^^' that Israel, which is caUed "t 1?^ """ °^ ''"""^^^ ^r that immediately af er the T . 5'^ * t"hulation," return in glory ^withH^s^r^ J^^^s Christ will will gather together His I 7'^^ ^"^ ^'^at He '"ent vvith this He SL-^^ ' ''^^'^^- I" «gree- tree" (emblen of Israel Zl^T ^''^" ^^^^ "4 P«-8o:8) shows si^ns of 't- J^""- 24; Joel i: 7. -^h at hand ^ndfhL his '/^'^'^^^^.'^-"t^a/e "race," "revea" franli!. i^ . generation" {l g Nhallnotpassti' ah fh ^ ""*'°"'" ^hil. 2 a,) lefTerf f],L ., ''^ ^^J these things be fulfilled,"- '"^ I hff^^t, that tliese"';;ents"^""^''''^"^^"^^'''---'n [and connected with Isr^l "n'!,?"^.?^'^ J^'^^^^' Now, at a certain ! LI ! fji THE CHURCH OF GOD point in their iiistory, the Kingdom of Heaven shill "be Hkened unto ten virgins which went forth, etc.," V . ^ . - 1— and from what Ikis been alreadj' haid we can clearly see what period of time is indicated by the word "tiien."— First, there is to l)e "the great tribulation," then tlic' the return of our Lord and the gatliering togetln i of His elect,— "then,"— (It that time when He- returns after the tribulation, "shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, etc." 3. What company of persons do the ten virgins represent? Evidently not the Church of Got!, for as we have read, "When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glo.y," Col. 3: 4; and the proplu t Zech. 14: 5, says, "The Lord my God shall come and all the saints with Him," ("Him not "Thee" being said to be the correct reading. 1 If the saints are with Him when He comes i rescue Jerusalem from the nations besieging it, and to deliver the Jewish elect, it is manifest that they must h.i /e been taken up to be with Him at a period 01 timo prior to this. But there is another point of view fror which we can see that the t( n virgins are not t' Church of God. The Church of d rr joicing shall they be brought, they shall en in the King's palace," Ps. 45: 14, 16. Till is ) confusion here as to tii< Queen and the virgins being the <; nie, they are distinct persons; no one would ever think, at the present day, of confounding the bndesmaitls ^1 CyOD ingdom of Heaven •irgins which went ind from what h;is rly see what perioil 3rd "tiien." — First, mlation," tl)en the : gathering logethci at time when Ht 'shah the Kingdom virgins, etc." IS do the ten virgins e Church of God, ;;hrist, Who is our I ye also appear (.; and the prophc t rd my (jud shall h Him," («'Him le correct reading, i rhen He comes i itions besieging it, it is manifest that to be with Him at 3ut there is another m see that the t( n }od. The Church In that glori( ^ eaks "of the thin;,. s "upon Thy right 3ld of Ophir," P.. unto 'he King in rgiiis, her compa- )rought unto The II they be brought, s palace," Ps, 45: n liere as to the he ' me, they are ever think, at the the bridesmaids AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 63 with the bride. In this Psalm there is the King, the Queen, and the virgins, her companions, and in Matt. 23: i-ii, we have the Bridegroom, the bride and the virgins. To understand this parable aright we must be conversant with ti)e old Jewish customs of marriage, and those persons acquainted iwith these say, that the marriage festivities com- menced at the house of the bricK 's father, that they lasted, at the marriage of a maid, seven'days, ^(typical of the missing "seven" of Daniel 9: 27,) land Miat the concluding feast was held at the ^house of the bridegroom, to which, nccompauied Wy the bnde, he returned at the close of the seventh 'iay, when his friends went out to meet him with orches, and escorted him home; the term marriage K ng applied to a/l the festivities, both fo the ip- ng and closing feast; (and in connection •iti. /us It IS noticeable that the word "marriage" n the .arable is in the plural number, showing hat P'u one single act of marriage, but that really larnage testr ities are meant). This parai is based on the assumption that lit ts the bnde^, on, returning with /he bride, and rthc writer has had the privilege of seeing that two .^t the old versions, the Syriac and the Persic fhave the word "bride" inserted in the first verse, and read "who went forth to me( t the bridefrroom .word "bnde," and .0 does the Douay Bible. , ^?;?^ translation says, "they went forth to Meet the husband and the wife;" Cranmer's, "the bridegroom and the bride," while De Sacy's French Testament hns "l'epou.x et I'epouse." In short, tlie parable sets forth the return of the Lord Jesus Srw:^"?'° K^'^? ^''' '^'•''^' the Church, to ie wed.hng but His return with her from the [wedding. This it has been att- mpted to prove I "rom the Old Testament Scriptu let ■5 see ii 64 THE CHURCH OF GOD the New Testament will endorse this interpreta- tion. If the reader will take his Bible and com- pare carefully Matthew 24: from the 42nd verse to the end of the chapter, with Luke 12: 37 to 46, he will find that they are substantially (almost literally) the same discourse. They both speak of the coming of the Lord, of what the attitude of His waiting servants should be, and of the reward or punishment of the faithful and unfaith- ful. Now, if we can find the time at which the events spoken of in Luke's gospel take place, then we will know at what time those recorded at the end of the 24th Matthew occur, for being the same they must be synchronous. Now we have the time when *Jie these occu^nces happen, given to us in Luke 1 2: 35, 36, " Let your loins be girded about and y our lights l)urning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when He will return /ro/« the wedding." It is at the return of the Lord from the wedding, not His coming to the wedding that the end of Matthew 24 refers; ''then," at that time shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto "ten virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom," and as the versions quoted say, "the bride." We get a beautiful type of this m Ruth 4: 2, where we have Boaz, whose name means "in whom is strength," (a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is mighty to save), and Ruth, whose name signifies "the satisfied one," the Gentile bride, (a type of the Church satisfied,- having "awaked in His likeness") standing in the gate of the city when the redemption of the in- heritance takes place and the ten men of the elders (type of Israel) are brought in as witnesses. Wonderful book, as it must of necessity be, being the word of Him Whose Name is "Wonder- ful," and of Whose marvellous works it testifies. We have endeavoured to show that the ten AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 65 virgins are not as is commonly supposed— "thp five wise, the Church, and the fiveTdish pro' essors only,"-but that the parable refers to tl^e Jewish nation at the time of the return of or Lord wtth His Church. The commencement of the missing -'week" (the seven years) of Danie the 'cWirorrn/' 'T i"^4 ^'>e rapture ol marriage ^rn ^f "'f beginning of the marriage-«ippEr; tlie close of the "week" (i e the seven years) seethe return of the Bridegroom' with His bride when the elect remnait of tl^ Jewish race (who groaning under the oppress on of Antichrist have been longing and wa ting for He' ^p'p^'rs^ thf L^'^r ^ ^" h Mess" r^^hen "fL^f '• r ' Jesus of Nazareth Whom "they have pierced, and shall mourn for Hini a^ one mourneth for His only son," that Messiah Who coming with His saints shall destroy wSh he manifestation of His appearing "that W^^^^^ eff hT Tr °r' '^'" '^^'T' '^^-'' take to HTm- selt His great power and reien on Mmmf 7ir.» ihy sun shall no more go down; neither shal hy moon withdraw itself,' for the Lord shall be /I ! r 'V-: APPENDIX. As every circumcised Jew was in Israel nation- ally, though not by that act of Israel spiritually, so every person baptized with w?ter in Christian baptism, is brought into the Kingdom, though not necessarily by that act of the Kingdom, for he may be one of the "bad fish" in the net, a "tare," or one of "the things which offend>" "and do iniquity," which the Lord will cast out of His Kingdom at His coming, — vide Matt. 13. This distinction between the Church and the Kingdom explains also the parables of the unforgiving servant and that of the unprofitable servant in the parable of the talents, for men may be ser- vants in the "Kingdom" and yet not members of the mystical body of Christ, the Church of God; it is one thing to be a "servant" in the Kingdom, and quite another to be a "child" in the family of God. The question as to the "Keys" being given to the Apostle Peter, and thereby his supremacy, over the rest of the Apostles denoted, has been a fruitful topic of discussion between Protestant and Roman controversialists, and it is painful to see the straits into which the former, when igno- rant of the distinction between the Church and the Kingdom, are driven. They will agree with the premise of the Romanist that the Church and the Kingdom are the same, but when logically AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 67 he proceeds to argue that, being identical, if the Apostle has the keys of one he must have of both, they demur to his conclusion, and try and explain away the meaning of the passage; they contend that "the words don't mean what they say," "that they must be understood spiritually," etc. On the contrary, the words are clear and distinct, and if the Romanist and the generally accepted Protestant contention is correct, there is an end of the matter, the former is right and the position of the latter untenable. As we have seen how- ever, liie premise of the Romanist is false, and therefore the conclusion is false also. In connec- tion with this subject, it is interesting to notice that in the gospel of Matthew, until we reach the i6th chapter, there is no mention of atonement but after the Church is spoken of for the first time, the Evangelist says, in the 21st verse, ''From ihts time forth, began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day." The literal translation of 2 Sam. 7: 14, as given by some Hebraists, is as follows,— "I will be his father, and he shaU be my son. In suffering for iniquity will I chasten Him with the rod of men and with the stripes due to the children of men." The early Church, almost without exception believed that the Antichrist was to be a person not a system, the latter idea being of comparatively ate date, and applied by those who suffered at the hands of Rome, tn the Roman system, or the 68 THE CHURCH OF GOD Papacy. Irenoeus, Justin Martyr and others of the lathers held, however, that there would be a personal Antichrist, an individual who would be used by Satan in the same way that the serpent was. Ihe characteristics ofthe Antichrist, as re- corded in Scripture, are— he denies the Father and the Son, "he is Hhe' Antichrist that denied, etc " I John 2: 22, see Revised Version; he denies the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, "and this is that spirit of ;//^.' Antichrist," i John 4: 3, see .^.^''''^A y^'-""- '^^^'^ *^ "//'^" deceiler and "the Antichrist,— see Revised Version— 2 John 7; these blasphemies the Church of Rome does not commit. Again, he is to be revealed just before the Second Advent; the Church of Rome has been in existence over iSoo years and the papacyover 1300; he sets himself up also before all that IS cal ed God, Dan. u: 36; 2 Thess. 2: 4; the Church of Rome, on the contrary, multiplies objects of worship; he first carries the harlot Key. 17: 3; and then destroys her. Rev. 17- 16- and therefore cannot himself be the harlot He is moreover described in Scripture as The man of sin, 2 Thess 2: 8. The man ofthe earth, Ps. 10: 18. The little horn, Dan. 7: 8-11. The wilful king. Dan. 11: 36, 37, 45 Coming to his end when the Jews are delivered Lord Jesus Christ, Dan. 7: n, 25, 26; Dan. 9: 27; 2 Thess. 2: 8; Is. 25: 4, 5; Rev. ig: ig, 20. It may also be noted, to show the belief of the early Christians as to the Antichrist being a person, that the manuscript lately discovered by Bryennios, " The teaching of the 12 Apostles,'' thought to be written about A.D. 120, also holds that Antichrist, whom it calls "the world de- AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 69 ceiver." is a person wlio "shall do signs and wonders and th. eartl, shall be .nven Into 1^. hands, and he shall connnit iniquitTes wh ch ".av: never yet been done since the beginning," etc ftatt (B, The writer is inclined to think from a consider- at.on of Dan. 12: 2, and other Scriptures, thit the resurrection of the Jewisii saints is at a difler ent ime from that of the Church, the latter being at the beginning and the former at the end of the missing week" of Daniel. It is extremelv probable that the expression in i Cor ic 2/ "Every man in liis own 'band' or 'regiment"' may have a far more extended meaning than we have hitlierto supposed. Besides the four judgments discussed in this tZV Tm^^''^ '''^ judgment of Israel in the parable of the ten virgins, and of Christendom in the parable of the talents ("the servants of the iv.ngdom") both of which eVents, so far as we can judge, taking place at the coming of our Lord Jesus Chnst with His saints, and are almost sjnchronous with the judgment of the living Gentile nations, Matt. 25. ^ Tliose who wish to study this most interesting subject further will find it more extensively treat ed in 1 rotter's "Plain Papers," a work to which the writer ,s indebted, and from which he has ^o THE CHURCH OF GOD of the most difficuirsubiec iV' '°t^^^^ In Daniel 9: 2, we r!ad thf. H ^'°^^?'^' ''"^>'- understood by hZhookn^f^'^^'y^'^^^^^''^S that 70 years wouH be ./n'^rPf^P^"^ Jeremiah Jations of Jerusalem ..tr?"^'"^ ^" ^^^ ^eso- God to seek by p "er aid '^? 'r' ""'"^ '^^ ^ord Lord would i^se^His tceP£^''J^^°" "^'^^^ the sanctuary that was desolate -rnH^^ "P°" '^^^ his prayer the an^el gXS '" response to with a message, afd to g 've hirskilf' '? ""^f^' standmr. The meQcnrr^ "^"^ skill and under- ty ^sevJns^ (not weekTarTd? ^°"°"^-- "^-en- People (i.e., the TewsTin . ''^^^''"nned upon thy Jerusalem) 'tot is^L?;i7°" '^-^ ^°^^' ^'*y ('-^-^ an end of%ins, and to S'''''°" ^"^ ^^^ '"^ iniquity, and to^frfng in e Za'sr ''°"'["^^'°" ^°^ and to seal up the v sion I ? "^ "ghteousness, anoint the Most Hdl " Kn P''"?''"^^' ^"^ *« understand, that from the .oinrfn t'''/T^ ^"^ mandment to resfnrl "^/°^nf forth of the com- Messiah the P So' ,h,lf be"^^ ^'^"^^'^"^ ""^o threescore and two sevens'' '.7'". ''r^"^' ^"^^ score and two 'sevens' 8^ ^ ^"1 ^^^^' ^^''^^- and then the aS nro. Messiah be cut off," that shall com;)"^:L'^'SV'/^^" °[ "^ P"nce the sanctuary, "1-andth.M, ^T'^'l ^^^ ^^^v and Ewald and others) shalco^fi^n^.^'^^^^^^to^^^ so or.e ^sroeur and in h1 ^^^^^^^ covenant for shall caus; the sacrifice Jmf th °V^- "^^^^"" ^- and for the overspreading o 1 '""°" ^« ^^^«-. 'nake it desolate^veu ?„. , r""''''°" ^'' '^'" and that determined sh-airVe^^c^^'u^t' D nd the preced- 1«" in Daniel, to add a few onfessedly one oplietic study, rophet having 3het Jeremiah d in the deso- into the Lord ion "that the ne upon the n response to snt to Danie] ' and under- vvs: "Seven- sd upon thy oJy city (i.e., and to make cihation for rhteousness, ecy, and to refore, and of the com- salem unto 'evens' and iter three- >e cut off," ' "a prince le city and olator," so venant for seven" he 1 to cease, '" he shall immation, upon the ^J!ZI!11!'''''''^^^^ OF HEAVEN 72 THE CHURCH OF GOD are to be accomplished nthpR.^ ? ^^ ^^ ^^"^ but that there nhn".f^u^°"'.^"^^P^'^'ty, "determined inon thv n^ ^T^''\ P""°^ °f ^ime city, viz., Svemy sevens * '"/ "P^^^^^^ ^^^^ for it was of years the ?' 7°^ ^^^•''' ^°"btless, point of timffs fixed .T'"^^ consisted, --and a sevens " nr ^^ ^^^'ch these ''seventy polHt'c^f time'Ts'! if we can dLc'er L t n "'. 1'^^''";-'^ was issued, we can finH ^. . u^^ '"^^ ^'^ ^^'ct world's his[oTy 's covered 1^1'' ^"'"^ "^ ^^^ i.e., 40 and H,o fj, ^ *"^ ^^^^^n sevens— «., 49, and the threescore and two sevens i^ 434.— together, 48^ vear^? Da^J^i "^^^"^-e-, turn to Nehemiah I TL^ ^' ^- ''^' ^^ ^^^ time when thp lo ^ ^' "^^ ^^all find the and bmld the citv """'"."^ '"""/ ^°^*'^ to restore that it was i; the mo^h M''" ^'^"^ *^^^^^ ^^''^^^ interval contains exacl°v,,,si%"'"=''''''°"). '^e 69 prophetic years of 2, da'^s eacrih"; I Tf years of Oahriciv « i ^ ^acn, the first 6q fulfil ed-' Now 'tflT'-^ •''^^"/ °"^ 7 to be years we cann^ finH ^"^'""'^^^ ^^ this ''seven" has not yet occurred 'h°"' '^'"? ^'^ ^° ^"°^' it that marfits close h'-"^'" ^^ '^"^'"^ ^"^""^^ AND THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 73 an. 9: 24-27. umber given 'nJy 70 years in captivity, od of time )n thy holy ', doubtless, ed, -and a e "seventy lence; this f the com- sm." — Now ch an edict •iod of the n sevens — evens, i.e., 25- If we II find the to restore 5se verses ch, in the bis is the ed to run, siah. Dr. fist, says, A.D. 32, xion) the T 7 times 2 first 69 ! 7 to be "seven" know, it ig events ed, when ce them, le seven hey end. e., "the prince that shall come," will confirm the covenant with manv for onp "cf^vor. " j • , ^"y^"a"t the seven! ("haTof X."'se::„','."3'o''U™t)' he' -••umnX""^ sacrifice and obU.io^ Jc Sse'" sum^afon of the last seven (.h°t is a Lr<^- of the m,ss,ng seven years) and as his destr ctTnn IS contemporaneous with "tl,e tima nf .^^ S ■■"hi " pT;.?V™^';' '"' »■'' 'heliivlr^re"^ i, 7 hlr^ • ,P="'«' '2:2, and these events occur heeforr'thi'' TT". °' '>' milennial age t^?.T ll . ""' °f ''"= miss ng seven years touches the dawn of the n,illenium, and iL S I'^-e seven years More that glorious era conS." ces. the end of the 481 vears was nt tl,. fixion of our Blessed T orl^h! 1- ■" ?"'='■ missing seven yeart \^Lt:yST^^l t. in God takmg out of the Gentile race a peoDle fh. ^f'^'V^"^ *^"' '"^^^^^1 forms what is 3d the church age, the day of salvation, or u he Kmgdom and patience of Tesus CI h5 " t- u w,l close, when^.he last of tfre^Lt is" o.,; "fn" people. ^'"* °' ""^ ''"'■'' ■!""' <=''■•!=' f"r H^^ THE CHURCH OF GOD Briefly, the events of the "missing week" are InH ;°r a''°" ?^- '^^ ^°^^"^"t between the Tev^ ILLTa ?"^f ^^°"*^^^' °^ ^260 days, or L time' 74 are — ; Jews week; 'deso- :ution viz., time, lated, tion:" one" with Vide Zee. -. m