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REV. R. N. BURNS, B.A.

PRINTED BY REQUEST OF THE TORONTO METHOPIST
MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION.

'ki

INTBODCQTION BY

REV. E. A. STAFFORD, KA., LL-B.,

yMluT of MttroviAHan Chwch anA ^taiiitni (*f AMOtiaiion.

TORONTO: •

WILLIAM BRIGGS, 78-& 80 KING ST. EAST.

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S. F. HUE8TIS, Halifax, N.S.

1886.

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r^Fi^prr-'" T^'g,.' '

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TNTRODUQTION.

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-^■■.■<l

The subHtanco of this wotU wan first presented to the
Toronto Methodist Prcacherk' meeting, and on the
unailimoUH request of tliat bo(^y it is now given to tlio
public.

Those who hold that ChristWill speedily come in
the flesh to reign witl/His people for a thousand
years, have recently <li(^veloped pjreat activity in dis-
seminating those views. They are calculated to
paralyze earnest effort in pressing the great moral
conflicts of this age to a triumphant result, by
inspiring Christian people with a delusive hope that a
time will soon appear when the presence of Christ will
make victory an easy achievement. This hope is based
upon a mode of interpreting certain passages which, if
applied to all the contort, would make the Bible
ridiculous. This will appear in the perusal of these
pages.

The painful duty "^^po^^ig the teaching of good
men is nere undertalHpn the conviction that Christ's
name was never more powerfuLin the earth than it is
now, that after ages of darkness and error and conflict
we are approaching the glad day of victory, and that
the Church needs to go torw^lwd in ftill confidence in
the work of Christ under-^e dispensation of the
Spirit. It is a time, if ever,*io add eariiestness to our
endeavor, rather than content ourselves to let things
take their own way until a time when God shall take
hold of the world with a stronger hand.

The views presented here are commended as truth-
ful interpretations of the Word of God, and as
calculated to set kindly a guard against delusive
and fascinating errors. j^

E. A. STAFFORD, v

Pastor qf the MelropotUan Chturch, ToroiUo.

Sv.

PREFACE.

This unpretending Essay is the result of the reading
and musings of the Author, and is published at the
request of my brethren.

1 send it forth as a brief, but, I hope, helpful con-
tribution to the faithful study of this interesting

subject, which of late has been much discussed.

V.' ■ ■. .• *

^ R. N. BURNS.

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WHEN WILL CHRIST COME?

'if

reading
ed at the

pful con-
iteresting
sd.

[JRNS.

. J

THE SECOND ADVENT.

IT is of the utmost importance for every one who
desires to properly and beneficially study this
suhject to ask, What spirit prompts me and what
method of investigation shall I pursue ? It is com-
paratively easy for any one on either side of this ques-
tion to go to the Bible with a more or less clearly-
defined theory and select a number of pasfjjfiges that
seem to favor his preconceived opinions and, ignoring
other equally important passages, triumphantly declare
the proofs of his theory.

In no such spirit should we approach the Bible to ^
study this or any other question. Let us ". hew to the
line" of Biblical truth, and "let the chips" of prejudice
''fall where they may." We shall find the largest
benefit from a general study of all the Bible utterances ^
on this subject and from a careful consideration of
the Bible teachings on the dispensations and the
general purposes of God's tooral government of the
world.

No particular passage sta^t^s the whole truth oil any

. - ; ..*-.- ■,*'■-. ■...•■

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■ ■••'■■■ ■ 4' ,

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■r:i

WHEN WILL CHRrsT COME?

great subject, and each passage shauld be interpreted
m-the light of ev6ty otiter passage that has the
slightest bearing on the.^ubject. :
, . Any fairlminded student of the subject must
candidly admit that on either side 6f the question-
there "are difficulties. Dr. Kellogg, an eminent Pre-
millenniahst, candidly says. "We are shut up to a
choice of difficulties whichever side we take." br
Charles Hodg^, J strong Post-millennialist, after a
vigorous defence ;6f his views, modestly says: "All
this IS said with diffidence and submission. The inter-
pretation of unfulfi^ed prophecy, experience teaches,
IS exceedingly precarious. There is every reason t(>
believe that the predictions concerning the second adA
vent of Christ, and the events which are to attend
and follow it, will disappoint the expectations of
commentators, as the expectations of the Jews were
disappointed in the manner in which the prophecies
concerning the -first advent were accomplished."

It is certainly wise and proper that we should
preface all our study of this and similar questions
with an earnest prayer for the promised guidance of
the Holy Spirit to clarify and quicken our minds, as
well as to illuminate the word. But even after we
have sought and obtained the Spirit's directing and
enlightening influence, there are so many human
"infirmities" of mind, whicbin vain sometimes even
thp Sj;^rit tries to help, that they of ten- unconsciously
mar or warp our opinions. We must be very cautious,
therefore, how we advance any claim to special Divine
direction in the formation of any of our conclusions

H^/

«'* ' ■'..

interpreted
b has the

" , * ■
jeot must
e question-
irient Pre-
J up to a
ike.'' br.
it, after a-
ays: "All
rhe inter-
;e teaches^
reason t6
econi^ ad-
to attend
a.tions of
f^ews were
)rophecies
id/'

'"e should
questions
Idance of
minds, as
after we
jting and
T human
ooes even
nsciously
cautious,
il Divine V
iclusions

: THE SECOND ADVENT. 7

on this or any Biblical question. That, this word .
of caution is needed, is evidenced by the claims that r
have been put forward by some of the advocates of a
Pre-millennial Advent. I have not heard any advo-
cates of the other side put forward any such claims, or
I should cite them for condemnation as well as these
others. A very prominent teacher of Pre-milleriniar
views, one day in my hea||ig, said, ^' I have given up
reading treatises and books on ihis subject " (although
he hims6lf is a writer of bo(^ks and pamphlets on the
subject which, I suppose, he expects other people tp
read. Jf not, why write them ?)" I just open my
heart t6 the influences of the Holy Spirit, and in sym-
pathetic moods it flashes light on thid subject into my
mind, and in that way I have come to know the mind
of God in this matter." ;

Another earnest advocate, in preaching on the mil-
lennial adiVent of Christ, addressed the objectors in the
congregation thus : " Brethren, this is not a matter of
intellectual reaisoning and knowledge; If you do not
see itin^is light, all I jean say is, that, you are blind.
Pray to God to have your eyes opened, and wh^n you
see this grea;t truth, it will be lik^ a second conver-

• sioh."-' ■- -^ .;' ■ :■■--■; .-'•■■■■■.■■.; ■ ■ ^)fe;;:;..; : V' '-'''•. ■■■"

Another evangelistic worker, who visited this city,
gave a Bible reading on the work of the Spirit, j^fter
enumeriating and describing the various ofl&ces of the
Spirit, such as " witnessing," " sanetif jring," " sealing,"
" bringing all things to our remembrance," etc., he men-
tioned last, and apparently in his mind most important
of all, " He shall show you things tb come." Under the

. * ■

••v . ,^

'"*",'''^' '

WHEN WILli CHRIST COMB?,

nhings to come," of coui^e. he placed the Second

Sntr' u" '<'""•« ™P'--ion on my mind that the
Spmt could now, m some special way, reveal future
evejits to „,; for he did not sai^. as he ought to have
said, tha the Spirit could not show us L " thinis
to come," either by helping „,to .train out of the

otW™-r ^'^^'^S»f coming events which, to
other m,nds, are not clearly revealed in the Bible or
by .impa^^^^^ " special revelation cm-

cerningthem.

■.^m ">« least, such presuinptuons claims ungener-
S^^^^l!? •*"*'"' ""^' modest claS^^f

^ught and obtained the direction of the same Spirit '
Certainly «ueh conflicting claims must lead criticLne
woridhngs into confusion and doubt concerSng he

.egibmate^conclusion, would be most damaging to th^
orthodox jdea of the inspiration of the Scri^t^ef If
euch cl^ms be true, then Henry Ward BeecheJs

oi'llr'^'T """" ^"*'"'* tooUsS^re'
this ^f.'^'f ;» *-«• Re*o'"«on," which he delivered in
th^city a few yearsago. after vindicating prayer •
providence, et^. against some attacks By sceS

^S' sth '• ^""^ *° giy« Christianity some

Jjatel stohs as ever a ^enemo«s foe. attem^d to -

Among other things, he expressed it as iis idea

^^^

t '"\iv<^yfh%,:,i-T$., ^*\i'V'*

ihe Second
ad that the
veal future
ht to have
»y "things
put of the
3 which, to
e Bible, or
ation con-

s ungener-
claims of
also have
me Spirit.
Jriticizing
ming the
study of

sedJ» Jfcg ^^
ng to the
ures. If
Beecher-'s
s lecture
vered in
prayer, V
3cepti<jal
jnder of
tysome
pted to '

idea of

■I

-u^

THE SECOND ADVENT. , f

inspiration, that the Bible was merely the accumu-
lated result of, the thinkings of men in different ages.
God would stir men^s thoughts in the ordinary way"
for some time and, then at the close of a period of
time, some one would harvest the thoughts of the age,
and collect them into a book, and so on tiU our presei>t
Bible grew. One feels constrained to ask, Who did
the harveatiTig, and how i Why is the canoii of Scrip- .
ture now closed, and why does not the harvesting ftro-
cess go on w)w? v

If this work of distorting and adding to Scripture
goes on as it has done of late, givirtg us minutely-
drawn diagrams of the order of events, and highly
imaginative pictures of the increasing gloominess of the
world's outlook, the Judaic restoration and dynasty,
to feaFthly millennial reign of Chri'st and His sainte,
etc, we shall soon hsi.ve &n addendum to the canon of
Scripture, in the shape of a book on the Second A'dvent
and collateral subjectk I fear it will have to be^of
.the natture of a varied symposium, because of the in-
harmonious ideas of its differing advocates.

We ought to welcome light on this subject from all
proper sources, seeking especially the light that shines
from the Sacred Word when illumin(Bd by the promised
Spiritof God. . . ' ^

NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE SECOND
■ "'.ADYENT. .*■■ ;.■ ■•■. -y . ■■
By the second advent all seem to understa*id the
personal, bodily coming of Jesus Christ, which Will be
as real as His incarnation differing from it' in manner

}

"" «PW!.

•»

••:-

WHEU WILL CHRIST COMB ?

TLT^TT' J^f"^^' His glorified Lenaion.
■MIS 1 11.. In this aense we all beliew in Christ's
second «,vent. It seems necessary to em iasizeTw
pomt be«iuse sometimes Pre-millennariansLeak as if
we robbed^Christ of the glory of this Se Jd Coming
A noted English evangelist, when coL«cting a
mission m one of our- city chnrch^ pubLy replied
to thej!„t,cism,of agentlemafi madeupoL his ^vo-
c«y of the second advent. The gentlemZaS^ ^Z
you an evangelist, and have you taken tiL from that
work to write a book on such a specuIaL So"
Why^ you not preach the gospel to thefunsave* and
nc* to k on snch doubtful questions r i confess that
this criticism seems to me to have bee/justly made

when an evangelist, iH:^ess,dIyj^borin
,tion of the wicked, wiifcgSpyl„ o} five servilL
dur^ a ten days- minion in talking ^on the ::::^

The evangelist's reply to thH-i;rit(cism was- "I
must preafch a whoh Christ-not hall a Christ-not
merely a Christ that wa, humiliate^ in,,WnatLn '
audde^^^t. Christ that will..^^^

. I fail to seehow this answer met/the criticism. I
f^-Shi T?'""^' "'^ criticism fould be equally
foible against any man taking thf: other sldB? wh^
would give^such^ndue importancJin missidi^^

tbn But? '"^."°->;**''y cpniected withXal
tipn. ButI .^nnot see how this UngelistTwords
could be used as » justification of his^ersTsten^
advocacy of a Pre-niillennial advei ofiZsf

■ '■ : ^ '■ • '■ ■ -^~ - ■ ■ 'i. ! "' —.

.,\

■ ■:^;■^:'

/■ ' ■ ■ ..

THE SBCOND ADVENT.

AH evangdical ministers preach a complete Christ,
incarnated, crucified, ascended, enthroned, glorified
now, and finally when He comes as the monarch and
judge of all men. The main difference between us is
concerning the time of His coming ' But before con-
sidering the question of time, it will be well to pursue
a little further our study of the )»W5ifritre ari(Z purpose
of His coming, r^

The words that are used to describe Christ's coming
with their root meanings^ are Trapovsza, parousia-^
presence ; eiri<paveia, epiphaneia-^appearance or mapi-
f estation ; and aTroKaivfig, apokalupsis— uncoveriug or
revelation. There is presumptive evidence in the ro6t
meanings and uses of these words that the coming will
be chiefly a glorious manifestation of Christ in the
sight of all men, vindicating and explaining His
teinporary humiliation, and exalting Him as a re-
warder of those that are His, and arebuker of those
who rejected Him, »

»w, some Ghiliasts seem to surround the coming

_ Ghrist with so many human accessories, and speak
so much about the earthly honor and privileges of His
saints that they rob Christ of the.central glory and
pervert- the n«.ture and purpose of the coming
from that which the simple meaning of Scripture

teaiches us. /

What are the main Scriptural characteristics of His
coming? He is to come---in tiie clouds, (Matt. 24 :
30-26: 64); in glory, (Ma^t. 16: 27; 25: 31); as He
ascended, (Acts 1 : 9, 11) i with > shout, etc., (1 Thess.
4 : 16) ; with angels, (Matt. 16 : 27 ; 25 : 31 ; Mark 8.:

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WHEN WILL OHBIST COME ?

?'40" fSJ^'r^'l^f ' "*"• 2*: **; Luke

diSr'' " tT;"™ "'^ """ ^"'"p'"™' p'^yo'*' of His

com ng? They are: to complete the salvation of His

4. 1; Jude 15; ^v. 20: 11-13); to reign, (I«, 24: 1
K' ?rl' 1*; K«v. 11: 15); to destroy death a
Cor. 15: 23, 26; Rev. 20: 14). Surely it is p,2Me

It T"t'^'-"' ^'■""P '""^^ <^Haracteristics and P

poses together in describing o,^e «„im^ „£ Christ and

,n^ separate them into tw. distinct classes4he"e

. d^enbing a ^nd coming, in which only sairitedri

interested and the other a tkira com^^^h m^
■p^bcuarly concerns the wicfed and 4kls the c"a !

^t-^.«s and purposes. not fulfilled in the sS

IS THE ADVENT PB&OR POST JIILLENNIAL ?

♦^,^l''.^"f"^ "*" "" inclined to repeat the follies of
tt.eM.ler.tesJ„ filing definite dates for the Jmlg

nro^W r *'! •*" •'a3a«ling their reputations!
prophefcal exegetes by stating that it will take plac^
at the end of the 2.000 years of the Christian DisC*
aahon wh,ch will be of the .same duration al'^^he
Jewish Dispensation. Yet these same men who fr^m ^^
<*e^advanced age. can have no reasonable hojS
Lving see the close of this century are constLt^ i

. THE SECOND ADVENT.

".'■■■■•■>'. •

telling us that we are not to look for death, but to
diiily watch for Chriat's coming.

I remember conversing with a very earnest Chiliast
in the afternoon of a certain day, about the signp of
Christ's coming. He gave it as his opinion that many
signs, such as wars and rumors of wargf, would have to
be more completely fulfilled before Christ would come
Yet, contrary to this reasoning, so deeply seated ii^ his
heart was the idea of the suddenness' of Chifist's
coming that, on that same evening, while standing in-
side the door of niy3onse, just before going out, he
was telling me about a recent dreanr he had, in which
Christ, came in great glory and suddenness to the
earth. While {he was talking, a sudden and violent
explosion of a giin outside so startled him that, with
open mouth and staring eyes, he rushed to the door
saying, "Is that Him?" and doubtless expected to
see the heavens all ablaze with the radidnt glbry of
■ Christ's coming; Why cultivate such foolish and
morbid ^expectations ? V '

We hear a good deal said about the "imminence"
of the coining. T?he ^word is used so as to imply
not only the "nearness" of Christ's advent, but also
the uncertainty of it. Now, we must not forget that
this uncertainty on our j>art is only relative and
caused by our own imperfect knowledge The timie of
His coming is absolutely certain to God. He knows
exactly when it will be, but has chosen wisely to pre-
serve it as a secret from humanity and even angels.

We of ten hear it stated as an argument for this con-
stant expectancy, that the apostles and.earl3" C h ri stians

*'■

j< WHEN WILL CHRIST COMB?

were looking for Christ's return during their life-time
at any hour. I have no doubt that there were some
among the early Christians, as there are some now, who
formed this idea from some words of Christ and the
apostles which were liable* to a double interpretation
.^not carefully examined and compared with the rest
0?. the Scriptures.

.Supposing some of the early Christians did expect

toht us their mistake, what lesson are we to learn

gom this example ? Are we to commit the same

blunder or are_ we not the rather to take warning from

I their folly and guard against cultivating such false

i expectations ? ■ •

_ In his second epistle to the Thessalonians.in the 2nd
chap.. Paul hastens to correct the misinterpretation of
some words in his first epistle from which some had
wrong y supposed that the coming of Christ might
take pl««e at any moment. It is certain that Paul, at

least.d.d^texpecttbe coming of Christ to be "im-
minent. He knew by special revelation that he should
bejaken to Borne (Acts 23 : 11), and expected after
that to visit Spain (Rom. 15 : 24-26). Evidence will
be furnished later on that Paul, Peter, and John all
expected death and not the coming of Christ X

As__a,n inseparable objection to this idea of '" immin-
ence, taken from the position of the Chifiasts them-
selves, I will quote these wbnls of Dr Laimr of
Dundas: ..Chiliasts di«eras to the inteipreS o
2Th^ diap. 2. It is, however; generaltyfldhjr them
that the destruction of J- the ilim o f S in C syi^ron.

. :^i

:ip

-C:

'P^aM

THK SECOND ADVENT.

0118 with the 'coming.' He is to he 'destroyed hy
the epiphany of the presence.' The ' Lawless One '
inust therefore be revealed before the epiphany. But
this revelation of the man of sin Is to be after the
apostasy ; and he is to sit in the temple of Qod. This
is generally regarded as teaching the rebuilding of the
temple in Jerusalem, and this must take place before
the man of sin can sit there. How, then, can the
'brightness of the coming' take place to-rfcty, before
the temple has been rebuilt, or the man of sin has
taken his seat there-? It matters n^t how rapidly
events may hasten on, it is certain that to-day the
temple is not rebuilt, the man of sin is not sitting .
there; and if his destruction is to be synchronous with
the coming, there can be no coming to-day. It is a
marvel how any Chiliast can say, ' Christ may come
this hour,' and in the next breath tell you, * He will-
then destroy the man of sin in the temple at Jerusalem,/"
while he knows there is at this hour neither temple
nor man of sin. Whait can 'imminence' mean if the
coming must be delayed till the temple is rebuilt and
' the man of sin revealed ? How can an honest Chiliast
be 'watching' for what, he says, cannot take place
until the man of sin is sitting in the temple? By,
'imminence' cannot be meant 'liable to happen at
any moment.' The above view of 2 Thess. 2, is not
that which approves iiself to roe, but, on their own

showing, Chiliasts who hoW that view cannot honestly
be watching hourly f or i||pL

_^.ord."
I propose to show that the second advent of Christ
will b e connected irith, i . e . , preceded or fo l lowed by,

■<Z7^f

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' ^H J-

WHEN WILL CHKI8T COMB ?

the followinpr events: the resurrection of the dead,
the final judgment, and the end of the world.

There are passages in the Bible connecting the
advent with all these events, and I claim that it is
more reasonable, if possible, to harmonize these
passages and describe the advent as occuring at such a
time when it stands related to all these events, than to
invent two or three comings so as to explain, in a
strained way, all these passages.

AT THE Ig^RRECTION/
The Scriptures teaches that the advent wrif be con-
temporaneous with the resurrection. This, of course,
raises the question, When wUl the resurrection take
place ? We are met here by the claim of the Pre-
millenniaKst, that there will be two resurrections-^one
of the just, the other of the unjust-^separated by the
miilenniam, and that the second advent will take place
at the first. I am aware that this is the vital point •
of the w^role. theory. If it can be shown from Scrip-
ture that thtreare not two such resUi|^ctions separated
by at least a thousand years, there will be left very few
reasons for the Pre-millennial advent of Christ.

It will onlyVbe necessary to refer to a single passage
of Scriptjii'e p^ving that the resurrection and advent
are simultaneoi^s, and then endeavor to jJrove that no -
period of a ^housand years Or more separates the
resurrection of the good from that of the wicked.

yhe well-known passage in Corinthians will serve
the purpose : « For arin Adam all die, so in Christ shall
all be made a lj ve , But every man in his own order;

■\.

.K - -J- IK F ■ ,» ■<-#,-» », r.

AT THE HE8UKKECT10N.

Christ the first fruits ; afterward they that art Christ's
at His comingr 1 Cor. 16: 22. 23. It remains now
for us to show from Scripture and reason that the
resurrection of good and bad will not be widely
separated, but will be synchronous, or at least succes-
sive events.

The general teaching of the Bible does not suggest
the theory of two resurrections, a long period apart.
Dan. 12; 2: " Many of them that sleep in. the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and
some to shame and everlasting contempt." It is un-
* reasonable to advocate the adoption of the Rabbinical
gloss on this passage: " Many from out of the sleepers,
in the dust shall awake ; these (i.e., those who awake
shall be) to everlasting life, and those (who do not
awake shall be) to everlasting contempt."

This would really imply no resurrection for the latter
class. John 5 : 28, 29 : "The hour is coming in the
which oiUhat are in the graves shall hear His voice
and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil
unto the resurrection of damnation."

Our Saviour here places the resurrection of the
righteous and the wicked a^</te same hour. ' It is not
a fair explanation of this passage to say, as some Pre-
millennialists have said, that as the gospel hour, to
which Christ refers in the 25th verse, has lasted for
over l,80a years, that the judgment hour will likely
last for 1,000 years. It seems strange for them to
call the millennium, that wonderful period of peace and

1-4

."i • .

-^^" •' .

'■-:% . '. -"■ . . '-^■'. ' f

1 ^%

' ' • '

!•

WHEN WILL CIIULST COME ? .

'^■'t,

happinoM, a Judgment hour. When Christ aayij " the

hour is cominj( and now i.s," Flo (loe« not nfccoHnarily

include the whole of the gospel dispensation in "the

hour," but refers to the time when it was ushore^ iL;

It is unreasonable to lengthen out the second "Wbur,"

and place « long period of time between the renurrec-

_ tion of two cfaa^es thus closely connected. Even if

this "hour" were lengthened out. there would be nd^ *

warrant for putting the prolonged time as an interval

between two resurrections which are spoken of as two

successive events. M^fi: 16: "There shall bearesur-

rection of the dead, bflfh^ of the just and the unjust "

—the resurrection of two classes at once, not two

separate resurrections.

1 Cor. 15: 23, 24: "Every man in his own ord^r (or

class) ; Christ the first fruits ; afterward they that are

|v Christ's at His coming. Then cometh the end when He

I shall have delivered (or, Revised Version, ^shall delJver')

up the^kingdom to God^ even the FaJfJ U^ik^e n He

shall have put down %1 rule and a^uHpy an<

powfer," Now the common-sense inteiPiHtioaof this

^ passage is, that there is a succession of events described

^■'- ■ ,. ■■,„:..->■„...• . .

f ^^^^^^^'^ '^ ^ ^^^^ P^ace at the coming, and

followed by the end. Christ is to come,

Irthly kingdom, but to deliver up

^ihlB^nMiatoriar kingdom to the Father, when all

tKings have been put under His feet He is reigning

now, and "must reign (verse 25) till He hath put all

enemies under His feet," which is an undoubted refer-

^uce to the prophetic promise to the Messiah in Psalm

..^.*-

sl^-'

■ \ '

hi says, " the
»t nbccHNarily
atiou in "ihe
< iiHhoroiii 11
Bcond "Wbur,"

the rapurrec-
3d. Even if
would be nd^
IS an intervdJ
cen of as two
all boaresur-

the unjust"
ice, not two

»wn order (or

hey that are

end when He

hall delJver')
fen He ^
y andfiP^
of this

nts described

AT THE UESUUHECmON,

tion

coming, and
i is to come,
lO deliver up
r, when all
B is reigning
rath put all
lubted refer-

ah in Psalm

■#"■•■

.%d

rThiH prophncy is applied by Foter in Acts t !
„„, _„ being fulHIlcd in the goHpel disponsaiion.
,|io last enemy that Hhal'l be destroyed is doath,"-*^ .
Vj^rso 26. In Rev. 20 : la, 14, we learn that this takes
{flace at the resurrection. When this subjection has
all been accomplished by Christ, "then shall the ^on
al^o Himscllt Ikj subject unto Him that put all thiliga
under Him, that God may be all in all," which is but
an amplificatibn of what is described tn the 24th verie
as ihe delivering up of the kingdom to the Father.

This line of reasoning clearly proves that the resur-
rection of the dead in Christ will take place at "the
end," as well as "at the coming." The Pre-millennialist
says that the righteous will be raised at the beginning
of the millennium and the ' wicked at the end. Paul ^
says that the righteous will rise at the end, i.e., at the f
last day. Paul ia supported in this position by the
explicit and reiterated statement of Jesus, in John 6 : |
,^0: "Thiols the jw|ll of Him that sent Me, that every *
one which seeth the Son And belie veth pn Him may |
have evedasfcing life ; and I will raise him up at the
last day " This last statement is repeated in verses
-■;44 and 54.' r> ;- ;♦ ■.■^.■..

. V It must iK)t be forgotten that in this passage, 1 Gor.
15 : 23, as w#ll as in 1 Thess, 4: 13-18, the resurrec-
tion of the wicked, as a class, is not mentipned or under
consideration in the line of argument pursued by the

• apostle, ; : - .;/ , •- -- .-— ^^. .-■, - ■ ;---,-^ j ---^.-.- ^..^-: ;,....--- :-—,-:, ^r....^: =:.

It 19 wrong to conclude from this that it is separated
from that of the righteous by a long period. There

<«■

are great differences of nature and destiny in the

-..i:-.-.

'•P'j^t.j!'^ ■*»■

S w <

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME ?

Tesurrection of the two classes, and it is quite natural
for the apostle, at certain times, especially when com-
forting sorrowing Christians, t<5 speak only of the
glories of the resurrected righteous.

In 1 Thess. 4: 16-18, as- we all know^ Paul is not
contrasting the resurrection of the just with that of
the unjust, but is simply clearing up the puzzled ideas
of the Thessalonian Christians, and showing them that
the righteous who are alive will not prevent or go
before the "dead inChrist." ,

The only passage which, on a first superficial reading,
seems to favor the idea of two bodily, resurrections,
separated by a thousand years, is Rev. 20.

This chapter has been well called toth the birth-
place and the Qibraltar of this two-resurrection idea,
and, through it, of the Pre-millennial theory^ *>

So if this Gibraltar be attacked and silenced, there
will be little or no defence for the theory.

We must not forget that this passage is taken from
the Book of Revelation— that symbolic book which
ought to be interpreted by the plain teachings of other
portions of God's Word. We should not, in a foolish
inversion of the process, inteirpret the ciear by the
obscure. There are two modfes of interpreting this and
similar portions. of Scripture— the literal and the
liguVktive; OT spiritual,^ Which of these shall we
adopt?

Pre-millennialists pretend to adopt th| M^erai inter-
pretation, though in reality they do not apply it con-
sistently to the whole chapter and the context.

Even if we do take the literal interpretation, I can-

f ^ *• >< ?

AT THK RE^UBRECTION.

not see that it is clearly stated that there will be twd^
separate resurrections. What passage iiii' this chapter
or the context describes the second advent? In the \
previous chapter a great battle is described, in which ]
Clhrist and His followers completely vanquish the ;
beadt and his followers, but this does not necessarily
describe the second advent.
I Mimy^Pre-millenmalists claim that this is the second .

^'advent. - ■■ \ ■■■','•'-. ':'■'/-' '^ .^' V

Dr. Lord says that the horse on which He rides "is
simply to symbolize the descent of Ghrist to the earth
as a king, and to show that His advent is visible." He
also says^f The armiejs in hqaven that follow Him are
of the same corporeSd nature as'He^ manifestly, from
their being seated on horses, and are shown to be raised
^nd glorified aaints."

Such writers seem to regard the battle as a physical
" conflict and the slaughter as literal, but they do not
show us just how they fit on their literal interpretation
to the expressions in verse 21: "The remnant were
slain with the sword of Him that sa,t upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of Mia vfiouth : And all the
fowls were filled with their fiesh."

If, as Dr., Lord and others claim, these followers of
Christ were rai«ec2 Christians, where is the need for
another resurrection before the millennium ?

No intelligent Pre-millennialist now claims that the
"angel" in chapter 20: 1 is Christ, for throughout the
Apocalypse Christ is constantly distinguished from the
. angels.;. .-'^ ','"..■'■■• "/■ ■']"'■'■'[■

■If

.■.HI.

WHEN WILL CHBIST COME ?

By the way, who thinks that this angel had a literal
"key" and a liteiil iron "chain" to bind Satan with?

Even construed literally, Rev. 20: 4 does not deigfltibe
the resurrection p'f all the dead in Christ. It speaks
only of martyrs, already referred to in Rev. 6 : 9-11.
It does not eveii speak of the resurrection of these, for
it only refers toiiheir "fiiouZs." There is nothing said
about this taking place on th& earth either in feSl
fourth or sixth verses. v'^

Moses Stuart says in commenting on this passage,
" as to the notion of a descent to the earth oi ChVist
and the martyrs and their visible reign "here, there is
not a word in the text, nor even an implication, at
least I can find none." '. ^ '

The figurative or spiritual interpretation of this
passage is the most reasonable one to adopt. The first-
two or three verses of the chapter suggest to us the
absurdity of a literal and the reasonableness of a
figurative interpretation. What,/then, is the spiritual
meaning of this chapter and the context ? At the close
of chapter nineteen a great brittle is described, not
physical, but a great contest between the forces of
good and evil, of light and darkness, Resulting in the .
discomfiture of the evil cause. Then follows, in chapter
20:1-3, the binding or restraining of Satan and his
agencies of evil that good may specially prosper.
Then the martyr spirit pervades the Church. That
this reviving of tiie martyr spirit is a reasonable
interpretation is shown by the frequency with*which
any revival of God's cailse is spoken of in Scripture as
a resurrection. Isaiah siaid, "Thy dead men shall live,

AT THE RESURHECTION.

together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake
and sing, ye that dwell in dust ; for thy dew is as the
dew of herbs and the earth s^all cast out the dead."
Isa. 26:19^ InHo9ea6:3 we find the same figure,
and in Ezekiel 3T: 10-14 the same imagery is used in
the vision of the valley of dry bones. We find fre^
quently throughout the Scriptures that when any
individuals or a body of men abandon a life of sin
and turn to God they are said to live again. Rom.
6:4, 8, 13. Paul, in Rom. 11 j 15, speaking of the
conversion of the Jews and the accompanying
spread of the Gospel, says : " If the casting away of
them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the
receiving of them be but life from the dead.'l We often
find when^a man or race of men exhibit the same
spirit that was manifested by a previous man or race
of men, the latter are said to live over again in the
lives of the former. For instance, it was prophesied
tliat Elijah should appear before the coming of Christ,
and this prediction was fulfilled in the life and work
of John the Baptist, who came " in the spirit and power

of Elijah." 1

In Rev. 11 : 7-12 the death and resurrection of two
' witnesses is described in language similar to that Used
in Rev. 20 : 4-6, and yet no Pre-millenriial commenta-
tor or writer thinks of interpreting it in a literal way.
In order to understand the resurrection referred to
in ver. 6, we should place beside it Christ's words in
Johii 5 : 25, 28, I9, « Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME ?

■•^i-

•I'

il
■1

■■>

.-t-

'■ i

shall live." This is not a future, bodily resurrection,
but a temporal, spiritpal resurrection of dead souls to
real lif§. In verses 28 and 29 He describes the future
bodily resurrection at the end of the world. We place
John 5 : 26 parallel With Rev. 20:4-6, arid John 6 :28,
29 parallel with Re^, .20 : 1145. When we take Jofin
6 : 25, 28, 29 along ^ith Rev. 20 : 4-6, we find that the
two paiJssages eftheirj explicitly or iipapUcitly refer to a
first and second de^th and a ^rst and second resurrec-
tion. The first d^ath is literd arid bodily and the
second death is spiritual or moral. Thie first resurrec-
tion is figurative or spiritual and the seCbnd resurrec-
ti6n is literiaJ and bodily., ''".■

Now, when in 'Rev. 20:6 "the sepond death" is
undoubtedly figurative or moral, if seems most
reasonable to expect that , the " first resurrection^
referred to in the same verse should be figurative or
spiritual j especially when such an interpretation is in
harmbny.with the use of the same expression in other
passages and with the general teaching of the Scrip-
tures,^. ■■■ ' •, ■*-:■;■ ■'■ ■'/.■■...^■' . :■■. ■

The most intelligent interpretation of this passage
is that furnished by Dr. David Brown, which may be
summarized as follows: The vision reveals a period
in the history of the „Ghurch when the martyrs for
Jesus, whom pagi^nism and the papacy put to death,
shall liv0 in the rising up of a race of men who will
exhibit the devotion to Christ which was exhibited by
them. They shall not only live, but reign ; judgment
shall be given unto them in the destruction of all
the enemies of the Church. No human power shall be

AT THE RESURRECTION.

in existence that will exercise* the persecuting spirit
which the enemies of the martyrs possessed. The
great anti-Christian powers shall have been destroyed ;
the remnant of the opponents of Christ shall have
been slain for a season ; the devil shall have been shut
up so that he cannot deceive the nations ; though the
sinful heart of man will remain, it will not be tempted
to open and high-handed opposition to Christ, which
Satan now encourages; vital religion will be preva-
lent ; a type of ° it will be exhibited which we have
never seen ; the Church in its spirituality will be the
ruling power of the earth; " the kingdom and domi-
nion and the greatness of the kii]lgdom under the
whole heavens shall be given to the people of the
saints of the Most High." Dan. 7 : 27.

Then the "rest of the dead" lived not again till the
close of the millennium. The "rest of the dead" cor-
responds with "the remnant " in Rev. 19 : 21. The
same word in thfe Greek, oi-^iim, is used in both pas-
sages, and the Revised Version has translated it " the
rest," in 19:21.

in this great battle, which cannot be entirely physi-
cal, but must be largely spiritual^ the forces of evil are
worsted. The beast, which is , Satau and the false
propliet, ar^ "cast alive into the lake of fire that
bnrneth with brimstone."

His cause is.defeated and his followers are practi-
cally killed. By what agency ? " With the sword of
Him that sat upon ijhe horse^ even the sword which
came forth out of rijs mouth." (v. 21.) What does
this represent ? R jer back to v. 12, and we find

4 ■ .

WHEN WILL CHftlST COME?

that the name of the powerful horseman is "The
Word of God," and in v. 11, "The Faithful and True."
What more appropriate symbolic language could be
used to deiBciribe the mighty power of the Word to
; destroy evil than the words of v. 2l-? *

He, himself, is "the Word of God." Something
proceeding out of His mouth naturally suggests ^* the
Word." What more expressive emblenx could be used
to describe its power? A sword. "For the word of
God is living and active, and sharper than any tWo-
edged sWord, and piercing even to the dividing of soul
•a,nd spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to
discern the thoughts and intents of the heart." Re-
vised Version, Heb. 4 : 12. \

Good pld John Bunyan fittingly^ and Scripturally
represents Christian using as his chief weapon in his-
battles on the way and with Apollyon his trusty two-
edged sword, by which he. symbolizes the word of
God. This natural interpretation harmonizes with
other prophecies Oif the power of the Gospel written
and preached. These followers of Satan, the oi hupoo
"the rest of the de&.d/* will be raised up or revived at
the close of the millennium, to fight under their old
leader who is to be restrained during the millenniumj
and then let loose for the great final struggle between,
good and evil, before the advent and judgment which
will result in the eternal subjugation of all eyil forces.

After Satan and his forces have been loosed in
the brief outbreak of ungodliness, then the Whole
vision, at least so far as this chapter goes, closes with
the gene r al resu rr ection of the ," dead, small and

At THB RESURBECtXON.

gr^at," followed by the opening of the books in the
general judgment of all mankind, ^,

But some ?re-millennialist may ask, Why do you
use the figurative intei-ptetatioii in verses 4-6. and use
the literal intei-pretation in verses 11-15, where you
understand John to describe the literal bodUy resur-
rection? We might retort. Why do you usd the
figurative interpretation in verses 1-3 (where no one
supposes a literal key, or chain, or pit is meant), and
then use the literaa interpretation in verses 4-6 ? But
suppose we enlarge the question to show the principle
involved. Why do we change from the use of the
figurative interpretation in one/ part of the Bible to
the use of the literal interpretsition in another part?
The change ought to be made ^f the exegetical condi-
tions are fulfilled, when the two passages are side by
side as companion verses, just as truly as when they
'.are separated as widely as Genesis and Revelation.
If thfe language used in the passage, the context sur^
rounding it, and the harmony of Scripture require that
a change be made from one method of interpretation
to another, then in the interests of Scriptural truth it
ought to be made, even though in two companion
versesj or even in .two clauses of the same verse. It is
not a question of .location in chapter and verse, but of
getting a clear and consistent interpretation of the
Scriptures. The division into chapters and verses is a
pittrely human ipvention. / ' ^^

' ■ We adopt thfe figurative interpretation of the word
,^ "resurrection," etc., in verses 4-6, because 8.11 the sur-
rounding words are figuratively used, a nd t h ere is n ot

-h'^-

.■ I

.■i-.f;<T;;-

WHEN WILL CHflJST qOME ?

a single . reference in the three verses to anything
literal, i.e., bodily or earthly. Besides, this interpreta-
tion, as we have shown, fully harmonizes with the^
context and the yest of Scripture. We adopt the
literal interpretation in verses 11-16, because the lan-
guage used requires it. There is distinct mention of
*' graves," " earth," " sea." Besides, this description of
the general resurrection harmonizes with other ac-
counts of it, as we have shown. The language in
verses 4-6 does not assert a. bodily resurrection. The
terms used in verses 11-15 do assert a univereal
resurrection. In the first passage nothing is said
about graves surrendering d6ad bodies; only the souls
of the beheaded are described as living and reigning
with Christ. In verses 11-16 Johii does not say that
the " rest of the dead " rose. It would be natural to
expect John to use some expression like "the rest of
the dead " in verses 11-15, if the just were to be raised
at one tj^k and the wicked at a later time. But he/
uses expHsions without limitation, "the dead, small
and great," "the sea gave tip the dead which were
in it," "death ancf hell (or hades) delivered up thdr
dead," "they were judged every man," Surely it wo^ld
be very incongruous here, in this latter part of 'tie
"chapter, to mention the Book of Life, as being. usefd in
the Judgment to determine who are the good, if ihose
whose names are written in it had already a thou$and
years before been raised up, judged, and separated
f rom/the wicked. ,,

As a concluding objection to the idea of two separate
resurrections, we would ask. When are the righteous

*4te*%*S='

AT THE JUDGMENT.

dead, Who die during the millennium, to b6 raised upl
Sureiy, not along with the wicked. We shall have to .
supple another special resurrection for them, with
anodier millennial period, separating them from the
wicked, and so we might go on in an infinite series.

Jut some Pre-millennialist may say, no one will die
di^ring the millenrtiuin— all will be immortal, then all
/have to say is, that such a millennium does not belong
Jto the earthly state, but is a fragment stolen from
^he eternal dispensation of heaven. Some Pre-millen-
nialists claim that, though there will be no deaths,
there will be births-^children constantly being born.
Now if this goes on for 1,000 years, or 365,000 years
as some suppose, with no deaths, this little world will
soon become overflowingly populated. But |to meet
this difficulty, the ever fertile imaginations of Pre-
millennialists have advanced Bickersteth's theory in
"yesterday, to-day and forever," that there will be
periodical translations of whole generations to other

planets^ ; ' «■

To What strange fancies will the exigencies of an
unscriptural theory drive its advocates !

AT THE JUDGMENT.

We must here protest against the confusing and
unwarranted use of this word "judgment" by Pre-
millennialists in four separate ways.

They speak of the spiritual "judgment" in this life
which is passed Upon all men, but in which the be-
liever in Christ does not come into condemnation, but
is justified. This is perhaps a p a rdonable use of t h e

.',

■ii

.■\-

WHEN WILL CHRIST COMB 7

word in a figurative or spiritual way> just as the word
, resurrection sotnetimes moans conversion.

they say a second "judgment" will take place at
death, but that cannot properly be called a judgment ;
for all men at death enter a disembodied slap, wheria
they enjoy or suffer the natural consequenqteS^ll^^f their
lives and characters on earth. Then they "^ay there
will be a third "judgment" of the righteous only air
Christ's second advent preceding the millejmium. '\
This will be only a kind- of adjudication upon the ^
claims of the righteous for rpwaisij^uring the millen-
nium^ and probably in the final hB^yen^ Then they
say there will be a fourth "judgment" by Christ and
the saints at the close of the millennium and after the
resurrection of the wicked. ,' . *

Now, these last two judgments, which we claim
ought to be combined in one general judgment of good
and bad, are closely connected with the theory of two
resurrections. If we have succeeded in pro\nng that
they are not two separate resurrections, then these /
two descriptions of a judgment ought not to be parted/
but drawn together in one great event occurring after
Christ's coming and the general resurrection, and
vious to the end of the world. '« ,-

The following passages connect the coming of (3hrist
and the general judgment : Matt. 16 : 27, " For <jhe Son
of man shall co'tifie in the glory of His Father, with
His angels, and then He shall reward ev&ry man
according to his works ;" Luke 12 : 8, 9 : " 4:lso I say
unto you, whosoever shall confess Me before men, Him'
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels oil*

■; 'TfiT"' ,\

AT THE JUDGMENT.

list as the word

God: but he that denieth Me before men shall be
denied before the angels of God." The confessing and
denying*by Christ are to take place at the same time.
See also Mark 8 : 38. Luke 9 : 20. Matt. 10 : 82. 33.

When Christ comes to judge the world we are told
that " every eye shall see Him." Matt. 24 : 27 : '' For
as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth
even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son
of man be." Rev. 1:6: "Behold He com^H'with
clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also
that pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall
^hy^ail because of Him."

^ ^' This certainly teaches us that the whole human race,
dead of living, will see Christ when He comes. But
Pre-millennialists say all will not see Him— that those
that pierced Him, along with all the wicked dead,
'shall slumber on in their graves a thousand years after
He comes before they shall be awakened to see Him.
It is plainly taught in Scripture that when Christ,
comes as Judge He will come to judge all men at
the same ^ime. "Before Him shall be .gathered all
nations." Matt. 25 : 32. " Because He has appointed a
day " (not two days) "in the which He will ji^dge the
world in righteousitess." Acts l7 : 31. "The Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge tfie quick and the dead at His
appearing, and H^a kingdom." 2 Tim. 4 : 1 ; also Acts
10 : 42. " Who will render to every man according to
his dfeeds." Rom. 2 : 6 (read on through verses 7-11
a^d 4e will see that the judgment of the two classes
will be simultaneous). "And as it is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment," Heb,

.(■ f

.- t

ill'

WUEN WILL CHRIST COME 7

9 : 27, implying that the judgment will bo as universal
as death. "And I saw the dead, mmtli and great, stand
before Qod ; and the books were opened." Rev. 20 : 12.
There seems to be an impression in some minds that
the followers of Christ will not bo judged in the sight
of the world. The main purpose of the judgment is a
vindication of God and the good in the sight of the
universe. Most certainly all our lives will be scrutin-
ized and our reward allotted to us in the presence of
the wicked and the assembled universe. "Therefore
judge nothing before the time until the Lord come,
who both will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness and will make manifest the qopnsels of the
hearts; and then shall every man have praise c^ God."
1 Cor. 4i : 5. " ^^^^ we must all appear before the judg-
ment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath
done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5 : 10. "But
why dost thou" judge thy brother? for we shall all
stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
Rom. 14:10-12. "For the time is come that judg-
ment must begin at the house of Ood; and if it first
begin at us, what shall the end be of them that c^ey
not the Gospel of God ?" 1 l»eter 4 :17. Read the 24th
and 25th chapters of Matthew, and weVill tind that
one of the plainest and most prominent characteristics
of the general judgment will be the separation of the
good and bad. According to the Pre-millennialist,
this separation will take place a thousand years before

the real judgment.

AT THE JUDGMENT.

At the close of the 24th chap., after frequent refer-
ences to His coniinj?, ChriHt exhorts us to be like faith-
ful servants, working; while the Master is absent, and
thus properly waiting for His return. He warns us
against acting like the " evil 8enmnt" who abuses his
fellow-servants and squanders the master's time and
means, and who is cut off at the master's coming and^
sent to the place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth,"
which generally refers to the suffering of hell.

In the 25th chap., by a variety of parqbles, as well
as by plainer teachings, Christ shows that the first
separation of the good^and bad will take place at His
coming and the general judgment. In the parable of
the ten virgins, 1-13, the entering in of the good and
the shutting out ojE the foolish or bad takes place at
His coming.

In the parable of the talents, 14-30, the Master
returns not so much to resume his possessions or king-
dom as to reckon with His servants, parcel out His
kingdom in rewarding the faithful, and also tq punish
the unprofitable servant. Then, in 31-46, Christ passes
from parabolic utterances to plain didactic statements
about His coming and the judgment.^

" When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and
all dTe holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the
throne of His glory : and before Him shaU be gathered
all nations- And He slmW separate them one from
' another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats: and He shall set the sheep 6n His right hand.b^t
the goats on the left." — Tben. follows a description of

.- t

.'t

■ ■ I

.^^-

."■ ■■ • - -

■ ,-
■ . ■■

■

." >■

.■•

■

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME?

the judgment and rewarding of the righteous, followed
by the judgment and condemnation of the wicked, and
the whole chapter closes, with those terrible words
which describe the eternal separation of the tw^jJRSses
thus judged in the presence of each other : " And these
shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the
righteous into life eternal."

This order in the judgment and separation, of first
banishing the wicked from the presence of God and
all the good, And then admitting the righteous to the
full glories of heaven to "shine forth, as the sun in the
kingdom of their Father," is the order described in all
parts of the Scripture. By a figurative interpretation
of Rev. 20. 21,22, the same order is described.

In 2 Thess. 1 : 6-10, Paul arranges the events in the

same order.

" Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recom-
pense (1) tribulation to them that trouble you, and (2)
to you who are troubled rest with us ; when the Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty
angels in flaming fire (1), taking vengeance on them
that know not God and that obey not the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of His power ; when He shall come
(2) to be glorified with His sainta and admired in all
them that believe// etc.

In the parable of the wheat and tares, in Matt. 13 :
24-^30 and 36-43, Christ teaches the same order. The
impatient servants wish to weed out the tares at once ;
but the Master (Christ) sa y s>" Let both g r ow together

'•H

AT THE JUDOMENT.

until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will
say to the reapers, gather j^rs^ the tares, and bind them
in bundles to burn them ; but gather the wheat into
My bam."

In the explanation of the parable given by Christ
himself, about which there should be no doubt, we
find the same order described. He says, " The field is
the world," the good seed "the children of the king'
dom ; but the tares are the children of the wicked
one." "The harvest is the end of the world; the
reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are
gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the
end of the world. The Son of man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend and them whicli do iniquity;
and shall cast them into a furnace of fire ; there shall
be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of

their Father." V

Then, in interpreting the parable of the net con-
taining good and bad fish, in verses 47-50, Christ again
says, as if He would specially emphasize the order,
"So shall it be at the end of the world : the angels
shall come forth and sever the wicked from among
the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Now Pre-millennialists obey in a peculiar way the
Master's f orbiddance of the removal of the tares, but
they forget altogether the Master's positive injunction r
**Let both grow together vLniil the harvesty" yrhiGh we
ar^ told aiterward is,'* the end of the world.'l .. ■

- ' / •■'.

V ' "^ii'fc?*" '

I .

WHEN WILL CHRIST COMBi

t > ■■,

They think it is perfectly right to reverse the process
of separation before, the end of the world, and when
Christ will come to pluck out the wheat or his chil-
dren from among the tares. Then d little later on, just at
the opening of the millennium, they say He will come
back to thq partially harvested field— the world— with
the garnered grain of His saints, and complete the
separation before^he proper time by destroying from
off the face of the earth the Jiving tares of wicked-
. ness that may chance to be growing there. This is
a most strange perversion of the parabolic and plain
' teaching of Christ and the apostles, and a decided
' inversion of the order described in other parts of
Scripture.

We therefore conclude that it is most reasonable to
believe that the judgment is a majestic and universally
interesting event which comes in quick succession
after the second advent and the general resurrection
from the dead.

' AT THE END OF THE WORLD.

. In Joel 2 ; 28-30, we find a prophecy of the great
and terrible day of the Lord, which Peter sAys in Acts
2 : 17, was partially fulfilled in the Pentecostal bap-

■ tism. .•'■... -■,)..■■ '.:

In Heb. 2 : 10-12 we" have another reference to the
destruction' of this present earth, and the ^construction
of a glorified heavens and earth. Now let lis read '.
over cariiully the first 14 verses of 2 Peter, 3. Peter
is speaking of the signs of Christ's coming, and refers
to scoffers ridiculing the slowness of Hia

coming; .

» ' f

AT THE END OP THE WORLD.

« *

'' And sayinpf where is the promise of His coming, for
since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they
were from the beginning of the creation." ".

Then he proceeds to contrast the coming of Ghrist

and the destruction, ot* rather rec^jnstrufctioh, of. the

earth iBfith the coming of the floodi and the consequent

destructi<)n of human life and all things on the face of

'the earth, -^^^^-^-.^^-^^.--..i^.^^------^.-.-^^^^^^ ■ ..

He comforts half-impatient believers' hearts with
the words: "The Lord is not slaok concerning Hig
promise as «some men count slacknesa, bufrl is longr
suffering to usward, not willing that any 'should
perish, but that all should comfe to iiepentance. But
the day of the Loid will come -as a thief in the iiight ;
in the whif:h ihQ heavehs shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elemfents shall- m^ltVwith fervent heat,
the earth alsa.an(^' the "work's thieSrein. shalUbe burned
up. Seeing, th^fl, that' atl these things shall be dis-
solved, what t](^anner of persons ought ^ye to be in all
r holy conversation and godliness, looking for and
hasting untd (" hastening " in the margin, or R. T.,
" earnestly desiring ") the coming of the day of God
wher6in the heavens being onjire shall be dissolved
and the elements ihall melt^TOh fervent heat? Nfever-
theless we, a^(^rding to His promise, look for a new
heavens and a new ^arth wherein dwelleth righteous-
ness. ,' Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such
tbiugs,>be diligent that ye may be found of bim in
peace withouc spot and blan>eless." Here we have a
description of Ghrist's coming connected with the end
of the world, its conflagration and purificatiod, result-

' > I

■ ,y«te};y^'^jpfAf

• ii>>-

WHEN WILL CHRIST GOME ?

' ing iii "a new heavens and & new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness." l^

That Christ's coming will not take place till this
reconstruction of the heavens and e.ar,th is clearly
proven by Acts 3 : 21, " Whoni the heavens mu^t receive
uw^iZ the times of restitution of all things which God
hath spoken by^ the" mouth of all His holy prophets
sinceihe world began." This "restitution of all things "
can only completely a,nd clearly refer to the recon-
struction of this earth at the end. ■■■^''■

■ ;^f the preceding line of reasoning has been followed
thoughtfully, I think it wilL be clearly seen that if
there be only one advent of Christ yet to come, it is
more reasonable to infer that it will take place at such
a time when all ihe passages used to describe it may
be combined and harmonized in the description «fthirf.

One advent.

■ ■ . • ;'■■■■.■■' ■^- .- ■ ■ ■ - . •<•

J will now state the two main objections which L '
hold against the Pre-millennial theory of Christ's
advent. j^ '

1- "1 object to it because of its unspirittial nature.
i do not now refer to its effect on the life o^ anyone
holding these views. For I admit that some qf the
modem advocates of this theory ar^ among the most
earnest and spiritually-minded men j have known. I
am not willing to admit that this IS wholly caused by
tiieir peculiar views on this pointy I feel like explain-
ing their zeal as Henry W^Beechfer did Spiirgeon's
earnestness. When Mr. Beecher was lecturing before
a glass of Jroung men at YaJe he undertook to deboun^
as he someti m es does,. ulty a -C a lvinistic vi e ws, and

■ *

AN UNSP^RITUAL THEORY.

irth wherein

declared that tlie restricted ideas of salvation coAt
nected with them must freeze the zeal and hinder the
missionary efforts of those who hold such views. A
student asked him how he would explain the burning
^al of such a man as Spurgeon. Mr. Beecher replied
that, as the camel was a^ery useful animal in spite of
its unsightly hump, so Spurgeon was earnest in spite

•'of his Calvinism. So I say these earnest Pre-millen-
nialists are earnest in spite of their most unspiritual
theory. I , admit that there is something about the
theory that in some moods appeals to our emotional
or sentimental natures. Sometimes, when we are a
little lazy or discouraged, we l6ng f or death, or Christ's

/coming to «nd this perpetual struggle between flesh

^and $pirit, and usher in the res^and purity of heaven.
So, also, wlien we become weary in gospel work and ^
'disheartened by its slow progress, at home or abroad,
we take to dreaming and longing for some golden age
in the near or distant future, brought about— not by
human agencies-^but by some supernatural and over-^
powering' manifestation of Christ. Now, any aucK'
] foolish longing cannot fail, in the end, to cause a less
vigorous use ot present Tneafiaiqr the vroM's con-
version; T know the advocates of this theory are
coiSstantly telling us that if we will only allow the

. id|a to take possession 6f our mincjLs, that Christ may
C^me at any moment, it will make us more holy in
life and stimulate us to greater activity. I am aware
4at Christ prayed, "Sanctify- them through^ Thy
4;ruth," and I caa see ho\ir such a prayer could be
Uriswcr c d. But I fail to see how n .n y„ person could be

-?#w .-:

- 1

U. :..

■■\:

jW) WHEN WItL CHRIST COME? *

. '■/! 'i - ■ t' . ,. ■ ' ' • ,'■ ' ■. ' ,

rendered nolier by making himself believe what may
be an unfcruth— for this fanpiful expectati6n that'
Christ may come at any moment, is at} least an uncer-
tainty, and may prove to be a false expectation. " Pre-
milleflnialists are constantly asserting that the apos-
tles taught the early Christians, and alsb" us, to con-
. stant<ly be looking for the coming of Christ, and that
/ we are nowhere commanded to look for death. Let
us deal with this first statement. Dr. J.' H. Brookes,
in ,his "Maranatha," has charged Post-millennarians
. with dishonoring God's Spirit, by Asserting that *'the
holy men of old who spake as they were moved by
* the Holy Ghost; Wei*e mistaken when they taught the
piBopIe toJook for His coming." \, *

Now, I jihink this charge more properly lies against

Pre-millennialists. About two millenniums have passed

since the inspired writings were penned, and about

1,800 years ago Jesus said from heavefi, " Surely I

come quickly." But He has not come yet. Neither

His words nor the Words of the apostles could have

ineiemt absolutely that Christ was to come at any time

during th(^ir lifetime. Therefore, it seems to me that

'.J 'Pre-millennialists imply thatthese inspired men were

' sadly mistaken, and tacitly \mpute a mistake to the

Holy Spirit which inspired them. V Ratioi|afists and .

_ infidels have been only too glad to suppose that the

apostles expected and taught the glorious advent of

Christ during their day, and with Jthis weapon have

* tried to undermine the orthodox doctrine of inspira-

' tion. Bistop F. D. Huntingdon's proposition will

h e lp U8 tp obtain, a clear idea of the apostles' ' teach-

<* '

K .-;;f"t«-.;r*

AN UNSPIRKTUAL THEORT^.

ihtf on this-poinU He says : ''The purpose o£ revela-
tion.in t^is matter-was to create in Christians, not
a belief that Christ would ' come at any particular «
hour in history,|iiH a belief that He is always at •
harid, and that all Christians should at all times and
in all places be ready, a^ men that stand with their
lamps trimmed and burning to meet Him personally.
The date of the event was np part of the DiVine
communication on that point, the writers were kjft 4o
their human faculties,^nd if they misapprehended^ it
was only the plainer evidence that they were but
men. Itw4s of importance that the ChurcK should
always ^e fegarding the Lord and Head as nigh,; but
not to hav^the chronology settled. • •

/ Christ did not teach His followers to watch hourly;
for His coming, bf course He said, (Mark 1^ j 37),
"What I saijr untoiyou. I say unto, all. Watch. , m
Xuke 21*: 24, 25, 27, He taught that certain events
would take place before He came, so tihe disciples
should not be foolishly looking for Him at any

hour. . ' ,

. - If is exceedingly foolish to teU a man ta be con-
stantly watching for an event that is not lilcely to ;

occur before his death. . .

Br Laing makes the following statements on thi3
point •« Nowhere in the Bible are we told to ;u;a«<!fe
iov the eoming of our Lord. On an exhaustive exajm-^
nation^ of the passages bearing on this poifli it yril be -
found that (1) when the coming or Appearitig IS spoken

of as an object of hdpe> the veirb used is invariably 1^
- wa AV not to 'watch . ' T h e verb -watch' is never

Klkl?^^!"'' .•'

^ '^# ' z.^ .

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME?

used as a transiiivo verb having an object, except
wherQ it is the English rendering of Greek verbs mean-
ing to 'keep guard' (Luke 2: 8), or to 'observe
carefully/ (Matt. 27 : 36, 54 ; Mark 3 : 2 ; Luke 1:7;
14: 1; 20 : 20; Acts 9 : 24). Three other Greek
verbs are translated 'watch,' viz.: ypeyopetv, aypvirveiv,
ve^wv. The first of these means * to keep awake;'
to be waking as opposed to sleeping, to be active
and alive to duty. . The second means to 'keep
awake,' 'to be on the alert.' Both of these verbs
are intransitive, neither of them ever has an object^
nor can they mean 'watch for.' The third word,
veit^eiv, means 'to be - abstemious, sober,' and being
neuter cannot have an object or mean ' watch for.'

'Where, then, can a solitary text be found in support of
theChiliast's ' watching for the Lord.' (2) Eight Greek
words are rendered by the English word ' wait.' One
of them is invariably used when ' the hope,' ' the
appearing,' * the coming,' ' the Lord Himself,* " are
spoken ol (Roni. 8 • 19 ; 23:25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal.
5 : 5 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 10; Phil. 3 : 20; Titus 2 : 13 ; Jas.
5: 7.) But to 'wait for,' is not to ' watch for;' it

'means to exercise patience in Well-doing, until the
person or event expected comes."

Now, if the early Christians were not taught by thie
apostles to hourly expect Christ, we' are not, to so
expect Him. Pre-millennialists sometimes offer as an
objection to a Post-millennial advent of Christ, that in-
stead of the time of the advent being uncertain, we
could then determine when it would take place, fay

V V<>

•f,'* * ' ",'1' ',

AN UNS^IRITUAI, THEQBT.

. «0U9ting forward one thousand y^ars from the be-
. giriiiing o! the inillenliiurm , •

"^■■\ This objection does not h^ld good, for though men
will likely know when the tttillennium is in progress,
• no one will likely know just Vheii it yvill commence.
We often hear it stated that we are nowhere told
to expect death, but that we ar^ ;to constantly watch _
for the advent.. ^ Now; this is an* Unwarranted and an
unwise substitution of an uncertah[i event for a cer-
tain one, and is quite contrary to Scripture.

Paul certainly expected to die. 2 Tim. 7:6 : " For
I am now ready to be offered up, and the time of my
departure is at hand." 2 Gor. 5 : 8: " We are con-
fiient, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the
body and to be present with the Lord."

After His resurrection Christ prophesied the death
of Peter. John. 21 r 19 : " This spake he, signifying by
. what death he^ould glori% God f and Peter himself
referred to this afterward iM his Epistles, stating that
' he expected deaih. 2' P4 1 : 14: "Knowing that
shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our
Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me." John, who above
all others had some realson to hope that he would
escip^eath, with cautious wisdom takes special pains
to correct a false impression made by some words of
Christ about him. John^ 21 : 23 : " Then went this say-
ing abroad among the brethren, that that disciple
should not die ; yet Jesus said not unto him, he shall
not die, but if I will that he tarry till Income,

■ what is- that to thee ?f "^^;-' '>/'/-■ ' V:'--' \ ,_I'^'
In Phil. 1 : 2, Paul speaks of dying as gain. Many,

;.)... ^.^,

-f- ■■-

,,'^J

WHEN WILL CHRIST COMB ?

pas8age$ may be cited in which the certainty of death
is used as a powerful incentive to unreserved consecra-
tion and ceaseless activity in Qod's service.

The unspiritual nature of this theory is more fully
revealed in the ijature of the kingdom which it says
Christ is coming to set up. Pre-millennialists generally
describe a kingdom of a temporal and physical kind—
a kingdom with a magnificent throne and court in or
over Jerusalem, with material honors and equipments.

Now, I thii^Jc we are safe in saying that Christ's
ideas of a kingdom were and are, as revealed in His
word, diametrically opposed to this. When Christ
came in His Incarnation, the Jews, filled with the
most exaggerated and coarsely material ideas of His
kingdom, were flatly disappointed. So it seems to me
it will- be when Christ comes the second time. Many
of those who are weaving out such a fanciful picture
of a material kingdom dpring the millennium will be
as greatly disappointed as "were the Jews. Christ
declares emphatically in John 18: 36, "My kingdom
is not of this wdrld . . . but now is my kingdom not
from hence." Irt the following verse He declares Him-
self to^e a King^Vbut not in the empty human sense,
for He is a King pf truth. ; .

Undoubtedly Chnst here asserts his claim to a king-
dom which He was then inaugurating. He established
it then, and by the power of the lOross and resurrec-
tion it has been growing till nqw it numbers more
subjects than ever Ack|i6wledge<i allegiance to any
sovereign.

in setting up and ext^ding this kingdom, Christ

.•v.

V .

lan sense,

AN UNRPIUITITAL TnEORY.

refused any purely physical honor or aid, hidding a
rash Peter put up his too hasty sword. When He
started in His publiclife, and was about to sot up this
kingdom He flatly refused the tempting offer by Satan
of " the kingdoms of the world and the gloty of them,"
and after a life of unselfish devotion to humanity, and ^^
His mission for its good. He fought His way back to"-
another nmuntain where, clothed .with a grander
povve»— a power in heaven as well as on earth,— tie
conmnssioned His disciples to go forth and buildup
that spiritual kingdom which he had set up and won
till it should comprehend all nations of men. Now, if
He so flatly resisted Satan's tempting bribe of an
earthly kingdom, He is not very likely to be in-
duced, even by some of His deluded followers, to ^
come and set up 8^ch a kingdom as He plainly refused
to take, but He is more likely to say to them, as He
said to the real Satan, and to th^ Satanic thought in
Peter, " Get thee behind, me Satan V for thou mindest
not the things of God, but the things of men.": (R.V.)
In this passage Christ emphatically declares that
^ His kingdom is not of this world. It is not of this
' world in its origin, for thete was. nothing in the drift
of the times then or before to develop it. It is not of
this world in its purposes, for its main purpose is not,,
as in earthly kingdoms, to obtain material power
and material glory, but to prepare the way for the
Ujiivers&l triumph of the Prince of Peace. It is not
^ of this world in ifcs (i/iarac^cr, for it is inward and
spiritual, as di s t^uished from an outward and
temporal kingdom; It is a kingdom of truth, and is

•5-

J:^^^

rr.-

■••PT

~-*»r.

/;■

WHEN WILL CHRIST COMK ?

founded in the conncionce, in the intellect, in the
heart. Paul properly defines it, when ho nayn : " The
kingdom of Ood is not meat or drink (physical things), *
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.".

At one time during His lifetime, when the people
desired to force upon Him a kingship, Christ
avoided such an unwise step by departing to the
solitude of the mountain.s. See John 6: 15.
Wo have no reason to suppose that the feelings
of Christ have undergone any radical chapge
since then. And so if these enthusiastic Pre-mill0n*
nialists persist in trying to bring Christ down from
His exalted seat aird mission at God's right hand, to
reign over a local and temporal kingdom h^re, most
likely He will, in a bodily way, absent Himself— i.e.,
ethorealize or spiritualize Himself, in order that He
may teach them the true idea of the kingdom. We
are told that "the kingdom of God is within us," not
in our physical surroundings. Now, if this be the
true nature of the kingdom, when will it be estab-
lished, and how long will it last? Johix the Baptis|),
as Christ's herald, proclaimed the kingdom of heaven
at hand. When under that mockery of an examina^
tion by Pilate, Christ Himself stated that He was a
King then. In Matt. 28 : 18, after His resurrection,
we read of Him speaking and using His functions aa
-a Ki^ — •* all power is given unto me in heaven and"^
in earih." Then He commissioned. His disciples to go
forth and subdue the world unto Himself Ac cor d-

ing to Daniel's prophecy this kingdom was to be set

f;4

-JH-^ 1_

AN UNSPIHITUAL THBORY.

up at Chrjsf H Incarnation. Dan, 2 : 44 : " An(l in the
days of these kin^s shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom which slmll never be dostroyetl ; and it shall
stand forever/' Dan. 7: 13, 14. 18, 27: "I huw in
the night visions; and behold one like the Son of man
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the
Ancient of days, ind they brought Him near before
Him. And there was given Him (not will be given)
dominion and glory, and a kingdom that all j)eople,
Tiations, and languages should serve Him ; His domin-
ion is an everlasting ddminidn, which shall not pass
away, and His kingdom that which shall not .be
destroyed. But the saints of the Most High shall take
the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even
for ever and ever. And the kingdom and the domin-
ion, and the greatness of the lAngdom under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the people of saints of the
Most High, whose kingdom is aii everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve Him,andobey Him." Now, .
if we have any doubts as to when thi/s Davidic kingdom
of Christ was set up, they should be entirely dis-
pelled when we listen to the plain, ringing words of
Peter, which he uttered when speaking under the
fresh and powerful Inspiration of the Pentecostal out-
pouring of the S|;irit. Acts 2: 29. 36: "Men and
brethren, let me ffeely speak unto you of the patriarch
David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepul-
chre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an_
oath to btm, that of the fruit of his loins, according to
the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne ;

-X-J ^ r— . ^ _ ^ ^ —^ 1^ . ^ , . ^

■»

'SnP

^' ± I

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME V

he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of
Christ, that His soul was not left in hell (or hades),
neither His flesh did see corruption. This J^esus hath
God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Xhere-
fore being by the right hand of God exalted, and
having received of the Father the promise of the Holy
Ghost, He has shed forth this, which ye now see and
hear. For David is ndt ascended ihto the heavens :
but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
Thou on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy
footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly, that God Aa^A made that same Jesus, whom
ye have crucified, both iord and Christ,"

It sounds like the official proclamation of Christ's
coronation or exaltation by a specially Commissioned
\ messenger from heaven's court. We have studied this
passage in all its bearings, and cannot see how it can
have any other meaning than that the long-predicted
exaltation of Christ to the throne of David was an
accomplished fact when Peter was speaking. This
destroys utterly the Pre-millennialist's idea of Christ's
kingdom. Paul expresses the sapae idea in Phil. 2:9-
11 : " Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him
and given Him a name which is abovfe every name ;
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of
things in heaven and things in earth and things under
the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.''
The same idea is brought out in Eph. 1 : 20-23. From
His exalted seat in glory Christ sends back the same
message in Rev. 3 ;21 ; "To him that overcometh will

'^-

*■"

AN UN8PIRITUAL THEORYf

'/:

I grant to sit with Me in My throne, evfen | as I also
overcame and am sgt down with My Fathpr in His
throne." It appears from these and othei^ similar
passages that Jesus is reigning now, &nd that He is
subjugating the world unto Himself through His dis-
ciples and the propagation of the Gospel. The ques-
tion rises, if ow long is He to reign in the present
capacity ? The prophetic promise in Psalm llOt 1 says :
" Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine ene-
mies Thy footstool." In Acts 2:34 and Heb. 1 : 13
this promise is applied to Christ's present rejgn. In
iCor. 15:25 we read: "For He muat reign till He
hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy
that shall be destroyed is death." In Rev. 20 : 14 we )
learn that this is to take place at the general resurrec-
tion and judgment: "When all things are subdued
unto Him," "then cometh the end when He shall"
(Revised Version) "deliver up the kingdom to God
even the Father." In v. 23 we find all this connected
with, i.e., following, the sec»nd coming of Christ.

If Christ be tiow reigning over a kingdom which
by right of redemption includes the whole earth, and
which Qod's word promises shall Continue until all
opposing forces shall be subjugated and it shall be-
come actually coextensive with the world, how foolish
to be talking' of a kingdom of a physical or eferthly ^
nature which Christ is going to come and set up in
the uncertain fqture ! Do we honor Christ, our true ,
spiritual King, by such unspiritual and grossly ma-
terial ideas of a coming kingdom ? Do we not greatly

\^';

^. ■

' *! 'i IJkMitftt™.

■•;-yf.

'■•-■■M'

IvT*

WHEN WILL CHRIST COME ? '

dishonor Him by coniradicting all His teachings as to
the nature of His kingdom, and by desiring Him to
vacate the lofty throne of His growing spiritual do-
minion over the whole earth and all ransomed spirits
and take an insignificant material throne, surrounded
by an earthly court rivalling the petty pageantries of
earth'f3( sovereigns? How foolish to think that we
would be honoring Queen Victoria if we should ask
her to ^acate her present throne, on which she sits,
the beloved of millions, as Queen of Great Britain and
Empress of India, to leave the headquarters of her
present empire and accept ^he wonderful and majestic
honor of sitting on a little throne We might set up in
this city of Toronto, where she might reign as Queen
of Ontario, one stnall province in her former vast Em-
pire ! ^ Just as foolish and dishonoring would it be for
• UJr to ask Christ to leave His present exalted throne at
God's right hand and consent to sit in Jerusalem or
any other city , of this earth on the most beautiful and
cosily throiie that could be devised and suirrounded
by a magnificent retinue to administer the affairs of a
temporal kingdom. It would be a poor and unsatis-
factory honor, too, for His saints to bring them back
to this uiitransformed earth, eveh if it wjere to reign
with .Christ. /To say the least, such a proceeding
ihanif^tly revenues the order of rewards and compan-
ionship -with Christ between death and the final
heaven. . Paul says of death that it is "to depart and.
be with Christ, which is far better." The Pre-millen-
nialist, if he admit that a man will die at all, and he
is forced to do sb, transforms this language into ; " tcT

i^^

AN UNSPIRITUAL THEORY.

depart and be in the disembodied state a, while, and
then to come back again to this earth."

Ghrist, in those sweet words of comfort to His
disciples preparatory to their separation, said : '-And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto Myself, that where I am ye may be
also." What sad reversals the Pre-millennial theory
mak^ in these words. It says, " ^J^d if ye are pre- •
pa4^ttMMa>lace for Me, I will come again and stay with
yoi^Hnl, that where you are I may be also."

WnaTkii emjjty honor it would be to the departed
saints to bring them back from their happy Paradisal
abode with Christ to this world, still imperfect and
unglorified, merely to enjoy the vexatious emoluments
of some office in a temporal kingdom I Think of ask-
ing Paul to come back again to this earthly state, who
had a desire "to depart and be with Christ, which was
far betterf" who thought that "to die 'is gain!" Surely
such a descent u^on the earth, instead of being an
exalted honor, would be, as Dr. Pope observes, "- A
second and profounder fall of man."

The unspiritual nature of this theory is seen again
in the "Judaizing" teachings that are associated
with it. We hear a great deal said about the restora-
•tion pf the Jews- at Christ's Pre-millennial coming, the
setting/ up of a Davidic kingdom with Christ seated on
a throne of temporal power, t^e restoration of the
Judaic dispensation with its temple and sacrifices. The
restoration of the Jews is too large a subject to dis^ss
in the compass of this pamphlet. While I would not
feel inclined to say that there will be no bodily and

■.^.

.,' V.

;->;

fi >

*••

,62:|f

^^'

WHEN^ILL CHRIST ^COME?

_ iral restoration of. the Jews, yet I feel compelled
to say,Tft£tep studying Paul's t^chings concerning the
Jews, that the restoration iiSmore of a §piritu^ than a:
|empo(%l one. • WhaUs the true idea of, a Jev, accord-
ing to Paul ? Rom. €: 28,6^ : "For he is not a Jew -

whois'oueott<tmrrf%; hut heis a Jew, iirhich is one
iniuardly" . -* -

Rom.:9:fP8 teaches the same distinction; ; Gal, 3r
7,9.29: ^Knowtherefore thattthey whi6h feeo/';/^*^^,
t^ie samti are son^of Abraham. , So then they which
be^of faith are blessed .with^ the faithful Abrahanlj/
/^ ifVfarfi Christ's then are ije Abraham's seed, heirs/^^
accqrdi^^ , ' v y.

^ If anjjUne will carefully istudy Rom. llth chap. ■ and
Jqontiect it with these definitions of what a Jew is, he.
can scarcely fail to get the idea of a spiritual restora-^
tipn of the Jews. v - '

- As to the Dayidic kingdom being set up at Christ's
coming, I think' it has been dearly shown from Acts
2: 29-36, and other pkssagel; that. this kingdom has
already been set up, and, that a temporal kingdom
would be repulsive to Christ's expressed purposes and
desires. As to the foolish 'fiction of a restoration of
tha temple services, with its ancient ritual and multi-
tude of bloody* sacrifices, the whole ideals unscriptural,
Unreasonable, and absurdly childish^

It is great folly to limit the headquarters of Christ's
earthly^ kingdom to the geographical boundaries o^
Palestine, and it is a very narrow idea of the worship
ol the coming age that its highest form will be in
tUtj temple service at Jerusalem, .Jesus Christ' con-

.J' i

■■ f

■1-'

AK UNSPIBITUAL THB^ORi^. - \ ,. 58

:-.--■■■■■.; ■' . •■ ■• ■ . ; ■ .■. ■ ;^ '■ :#/. '

iradicted thiq idea whei^ on earth, as He did that
of a temporal kingdom. When talking to the Samari- -
tan woman, ^esaid— John 4.: 21-23-^" Woman, believe •
me th^ hour cometh when ye shall neither in this ,
mountain, nor y^t at ilerusalem, worship thoh If'ather.
But the hour isometh, and nmu is, when the,true wojr-^ •
shippers shall Worship the Father in spirit and in;.^
:,truth:fqrihe Father seeketh such to worship Him." ,
■ jThese " Jud^zinfr "teachers seem to hav^devf loped
the strange fancy that because God chose a people tb
pi^eserve certain revealed truths for a time ahd^uphold
a' symbolic service„that He^^is tied d^mn^ to thein for
all. time" !to° come, and that 4ihfeir temple services >re
thehiiftiesi and best the world c^ ever have. ;N<^,
if we read Scripture and '«|icred hiftory aright, We/
lejjirn that. there was -a^^adu|tt ^rbgrj^ss-in tlie revela- '
tlon of God's niature and jiirposes during the' different
dispensations. ' ^n the cmjidhodd stages of -the world's
jeligious knowledge .tod. lite we, find. Gods revfealing
Hiinsell. and .His plans by tjr^^s and symbols'^ because
bothih^ more spiritual could then bfe clearly coinpre- •
hendfid[« We' are now - living in a ' dispensation, in
whicn w6 are reaping the -benefit of the teachings pf
past ages, and have risen to the great height of enjoy-
ing the clearer light of. a spiritual reKgioii iind com-'
munion with God.' Each, dispensation matks a higher
point in the rising tide' of man's " knpwledge of God^' '
and if w« ai;e to believe the prophecies of Eciripture
' concerning this present dispensatioif, we arelliving in
^ an age when this rising tide j will swell and spread
till it r each the millennial high tide when "the e arth^

■•''■., ^ -v.

•V.

JSk

«fi»'

N »

<*" ,

WHE^f WILt CHRl&T COMB ?

:.. ''r

shall be filled with ihe ino^fledge of the gloiy of the

Lord as the^waters cover the sea." Hab. 2 : 14, /

A. Is it lik^y that we shall go back from this spiritual

dispensation t^one of types and symbolic sacrifice^^?

^ .It would.be justi>s reasonable to expect the full grown

man who has mastered' the higher mathematics and is

revelling ip the study of Ast^iiomy to go back to the

; kindergarten blocks of his childhood.

II. My second great objection to this theory is, that
it dishonors the Gospel Dispensation and disparages
the agency of the Holy Spirit in the wprldf conver-

. I^e-i|iillennialists explicity teach that ihe ineans at
ptesent used for the conversion of the world are totally
^i^*!*?^^^**^^' and thkt Christ will have to come in some •
tiiajestip manifestatton of His power before the wbrld
wi|l be subdued untjp Him. But they are not satisfied
with Hmiting the poWer of the agencies" lised in this
dfspensation to briAg the world to the feet of oui^
Recieemer King, for they vilify this dispensation, and
pamt the blackest pictures of its present and future
condition. ^ *,

# Dr. Kellogg says: "What has the Nei;^^ Testameiit
to say as to the dominant character of the present age
reaching on till the Second Ad veht ? Absoliitely no-
thing but evil] It is condenined throughout. Any

■^ exception to this mode bf representatibn is not to be

.found in the New Testament" What astrai^e and
unwarranted as^rtion to make ! If the writer means

> ^ apply it to the Gospel dispenS^ion and its agencies
for t h e moral subjugation of the w o r ld, then t^ere is

' y

THIE ObSPIEL DISHONORED.

5«

><y

no truth in it, and abundant proof could be obtained
from Scripture to establish ej^actly the opposite idea.
If the writer mefcns te apply it to the inherent wicked-
ness of^the world surrounding the Church, which is
as yet unsubdued by it, then, of course, it is true, and

no one will,disf)ute it. «;

^ Pre-millennialists assert that it is nowhere declared
in the pible that the object of the preaching of the
Gospel under this disjbensation of the Spirit is the
conversion of the World.

When the risen Saviour isent^forth His disciples to
preach the Gospel, He gave them these two copsola-
tions : that aUpqweryv&a given to H^m both in heaven
andon earth, and that He would 1|^ with them in their
gospel work to ike end of theworldj.

Lislten to His inspiring worcls as He commissioned
them, Matt. 2S^18-20,RV.: '' All autfiotUy h&ih been •
given ipto toe in heayen and on earth. Go y§ there-
foremd make disciples pf'aW Ticrfiori*, baptizing ihem
into the nam^ of <^e Father,-a»d of thcf Soii, and of
the ^y Ghost: teaching them to. observe aUihmga
whateoever I comma.nded you; .arid Ip I am.with yo^
oZway even unto the' end' of the worid^' Heife the

• Chuitih and its commission is based on Ihe four fundar
mentalsW' aMati.eAori<^,""aK ndtiom*["^ll thirty''
BXiA " aU time^' <alway). Who dare limit kay one of

.'tibiBse-?'- .,■ ■ ■ .■■■^;'-',^ ■■«:- ^v^ '^i "-■" '"■■'■'''■'(•■,■.
There is not the faintest suggestion he^ lihat- a
bodily return of Jesus with fire and'swor^, superseding
His spiritual presence, will be necessary for the accom-

. VI

plishment of the great plan unfolded in this comimssiun,

WHEN WILL CHRIST COMfc ?

I know that « we have this treasure in earthen vessels
that the excellency of the power may be of God ant
not of us" (2 Cor. 4 : 7), and the human agencies may
at times seem weak and insufficient. But if Chrfst has
all power' in heaven and on earth, and is always with
the preachers of the Gospel, and if the Spirit has been
poured out to energize the Word and .its- mission, and^
to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and
judgment, then why will Christian njen doubtingly
talk of the failure of the present Divinely appointed
agencies? It is very unwise and disrespectful to dis-
parage the Gospel age and the Holy Spirit, in order to
exalt Christ to an empty earthly honor for which'He
must cate very little. V •

yPre^miUenniaUsts claim that the parables of our
liord and other passages teach that the state of the
;Church dpiyn to the second advent is - to be a- mixed
one, and even gd so far as , to state that they teach us
,the Chdrch and world will grow wdTse and worse from
the present time till the advent. The parables of the
wheat tod tares; of the good and bad fish, certainly do
teach ns that the Church will be in a mixed state to
the 6nd. ''■\-.;- ,. /^ v-- :■■.;.■ -^- ■■.■ . .; ■.■■.■ -■.-■- ■ .,

But what warraiit is there for the other supposition?
^aflrel's prophecy tells us of the "stone cut out of the
iountain," representing Clu^ist's kingdom, which is to
grow aiid grow till it .fills the whole eai;th. the
mustard seed grows to a tree, and then grows on
Untilii^fiUs the eart^i. According to Prfe-millennialistii
It will grow more and more stunted till Christ's coming

-i*f~;:-

-, -4

rkt oospEL msBOHORCD.

»7

The leaven put in the three measures of meal works .
and spreads till it permeates the whole lump.

Some-vfould have us believe that instead of the
Church leavening the world more and more, the worW, ,
or the principle ®f evil, will corrupt the Church , both

, growing worse and worse till CKrist comes.

"^ Christ says, *'the UngS<ym of heaven" not the king*-

dom of the evil .one. "is like Unto leaven which a

woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it

was ait Ifiavened." Pre-tmUlennialists try to invert the

/working of the iMvennn the mwil and improvf|Apon

r Christ's teachingJ **

Iif^ntras* ^ith this glooAy cdndition of things
before the advent, theSe theorists delight to portray-
glowing pictures of the glorious condition of the earth
during their miHennium. /

• * ' )yheit is this gre^t physical a^nd spiritual change to
be brougi^t aboilt ? They teach; if I understand them
rightly; that the earth's regeneration by fire will com-
mence at the second coming, continue through the
millennium, and be completed at the end of it. , ' ,

The query arises, How will people in |a bodily exist*
ence live during, nay even enjby, this- ifhysical trans-

. formation of the ^earth' wh^jch both Scripture' tod
Geology assure us will be by tfce agency of fire f >

There is abundant' evidence that we are living in
the last dispensation of God's dealings with man on
earth and that Christ's sacrifice and the outpouring ol

. the Spirit in the preached goSJ)ei constitute God^ la^t
ftnd grea test e£fert to save the world. Paul says that

•.H

-J

JW \ WHEN- WILL CBBIBT OOlUt

John Bays, " It is the last time " (or. age). 1 John, 2i 18.
# There is every encouragement in the prophecies of the
universal knowledjfe of God, in the power andadapta-
', bijity of the preached word, and in the multiplying of
human agencies, to hope for millennial glory under the
present dispensation. The marvellous growth of the
Church, and the great success of missions during the
lust fifty years, give abundant promise of that hope
being fulfilled. Surely with the aid of railroads, steam-
ships, printing presses, telegraph wires, scientific and
literary discoveries, increased wealth, etc., a fully con-
secrated Church, imbued with the spirit of the Master's
commission to preach the gospel to every creature,
will accomplish results astonishingly greater *than the
slow-paced progress of the past. j

When this has been accomplished; and a spiritual
millennium has been enjoyed, then cometh the end
Matt. 24 : 14 : "And this gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto
all nations ; and then shall the en4,come."

Now, if all men are not saved before Christ's coming,
whether it be before or after the millennium, no man
can be saved after His coming. In Heb. 10: 12, 13,
we r«ad concerning our great High Priest or Mediator
that "^He, when He^^ad offered one sacrifice for sins
forever, sat down on\^ right hand of God ; from
henceforth expecting tillHis enemies be made the foot-
stool of His feet." Surely thi^ can only mean that He
will sit on that mediatorial thrbne as our High Priest
till all His enemies are subdued, a nd w hen He vacates

THE OOSPBL OIBHONOBKD.

that throne it will be to take the judgment throne,
after which no man can be saved.
iThis same truth is strongly emphasized in Heb.
9 : 28. (R. v.) "Christ also, haying been once offered
to bear the sins o£ many, ahall appear a second timet .
apart from sin, to them tfiat wait for Him unto aal-
vation" i.e., He will come without any redeeming rela-
tion to the sin which He will find on the earth, and
for the ci^mplete salyation of those whom He has
saved from sin. If/then, there can be no salvation
from sin after Ch/ist comes, the world will have to
stay morally as He finds it till it is judged. Some
Pre-millennialists tell us of some peculiar methods of
salvation during the i»illennium. One well-known
evangelist, wh;le 'conducting a mission in this city,
tortured out^of the parable of the ten virgins some 9!
the strangest teaching it has ever been my ^ivilege to

hea.r.."' ■;■■■_.,. -./'^ _:':*^1 ;.;':/:;■.:.• ;■■ '■ ■' A- ■.'.•'.■ .? ■ '^''a' ■''
His expositi<5i, briefly described, la as follows :— The
parable is prophetic, and treats of the Second Coming.
The virgins represent theChri&tianChurcfi. The sleeping
represents the slumber of the Church on the question
of the coming. The cry represents the present spread
of this cloctrine. The trimming and the shining of lamps
represents the giving of testimony on this subject just
as he was doing on that occasion. The coming of the
Bridegroom, of course, represents the advent which he
disti^ctly stated would be at the close of the present
century. Then came the crowning feat of fanciful

t<^!$lL..

60#

WHIK ^hlt OHRWT com 1

.*»•

AHk for some of their oil, " Go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves." This, he isaid, taught us.
that at the close of this dispensation, and after Christ's
coming, there would come^a dispensation when men
would have to buy salvation, and they that do and en-
dure unto the end only will be savei Thus he tried
to crowd in some kindf^of a salvati^ during the ma-
terial millennium. Stfange that this ingenious inter-
preter did not notiorthd last words of this parable,
where the main les^n it teaches is most likely to be
found : " And they ^that were ready went in with Him
to the marriage feast : and the door was shut. After-
ward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us. But He answered, and said, Verily I say
unto you I know you not." They may knock as long
and loudly as they please with their purchased salva-
tiotti but the liord does not know them, and they will,
forever, have to stay outside the eternally closed door
where " there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
The Pre-millennialist's way of making goodness uni-
versal during the millennium is a peculiar one. He
believes that Chrigt will come suddenly and invisibly
for His; saints— that they will be caught up in the air
to meet Him with the resurrected righteous. During
this rapture the tribulation will be in progress on the
earth, although one wonders what it will be a tribula-
tion of if the righteous are all away from the earth.
Then Christ and His saints will visibly and gloriously
descend upon the earth, and all who are not overaweud ^
by His m a iesty into

It-

m a jesty into abj e ct submission will be sum-
manly destroyed. It is a very simple and speedy way

■■■.■• ' ■ ■• '--^

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THE QGSPWL mBHOWDMD.

•1

to make the whole eaith good, but I must confess thp
process savors a littU ol the cruel and tyrannous work

fthe Inquisition. '
Let us now, in cloi
and sec which iH the

The following suint'
hail been carefully pre

compare the two theories
>onab)e. ^

e Pre-millennial thifery
with a special view to
avpid any misrepresentation, and at Ihe same time to
combine in pae statement some n6t very harm<^iqiis

details. k ' ■ '

Though Christ is now exalted on His Father's throne
He has not yet received the kingdom promised Him.
It is not God's intention to convert the world by
means of the Qospel and Hdy Spirit before Christ's
advent." ■' ■ -■ ■■■,:*■ ■^- : *■ y ' '' j

God will merely gather out of the world an elect
people to reign with Him during the millennium. The
world will grow worse and worse vi^ffl ^^^ present
dispensation. Its subjection to Jesus ^ill only be
%ought about by the mighty displ^^s of His wrath and
by His majestic appearance in ftaming fire, taking ven-
geance oh His adversaries. When the set time has
arrived, He will come in the heavens and call forth the
bodies of the righteous dead and change those of the
righteous living, and both classes will be caught up in
the air to meet Him. They will be judged by Him
and will remain ;w^h Him for a season, suspended in
mid air,' while the tribulation is in terrible progress on
tli earth. Then He and His saints will descend upon

,_ earth in flaming majesty, and Antichrist, *' a real per-
m in human form," will be destroyed, as he occupies

-I

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.lAft«V

• WHEN WILL CHRIST COME t

■\'

the restored temple of the restored Jews, The Jews
will then submit to Christ, Satan will be bound, Jeru-
salexri will be rebuilt in royal magnificence, and will be
th^ capital of the World and Christ's enrthly empire.

The millennial kingdom Will commence. Its posts
of honor will>be manned by the twelve a.postles and
the Jews. The ^emple will be fully restored with
ritualistic services, including the offering of sacrifices,
and the nations will go up to worship in it.

This era will last for 1.000 years, or, as some suggest,
365,000 years. *

It will be at' period of perfect peace and righteoiis-
n|8ss on the earth. Those born will be. converted at
once. . There will be no sickness and death. (Some
say men will die, but will live longfer like the antedilu-
vians). The earth will be transformed and glori^ed

There will be, however, in the midst of all this good-
ness a lurking spirit of /rebellion, which, at the close,
will bre^k out under the leadership of the unloosed
Satan. , /

After this struggle, kn^wnas the battle of Gog
and Magog, will come the resurrection, judgment and
banishment of the wickedAdead. Then the earthly
kingdom which Christ set up at the beginning of the
miUennium will be perfected and continued on this
renovated earth fore veiHind eVer.

I am sure we cannot . fail to notice the four multiples
of each great closing eyent whibh is furnished by this
theory/ According to it there will be four judgments:
* (1) One during life, which is spirituj^l, and at the
tribunal of conscience and the law ; ^

(2) One at death, When the soul's destiny, at least
during the interme<4.iate^te, is determined ;
■ (3) One- at. ChHst's second advent, when the right-
eous pnly will be judged and rewarded ; *

(4) One at the end of" the world, when the wicked
only will be judged oj^d doomed.

;.' *• be

-4

THE 008PEL DISHONORED.

In ha^ony with its teachings, there must be fow

resurrections: . ./ ^ , • >

(1) One in this life, which IS spmtual and synony-

. mous with conversion ; « ^, . \ u . . • ux '

(2) One at the second coming of Ghnst^f the right- »

eous dead only ; . . ,

(3) One sometime after the millennium tor the right- ^^

eous who may die during that period ; ■: ■ -

(4) One at the end of the world of the Wicked dead

^According to this theory there will. ac^^^

. advents of Christ, — _ ,;

(1) One in His Incarnation; ^ . ^ _ .

; -^ (2) One/or His saints before the tribulation and at

■ fi: the rapture; « ., / a «<. 4^v.o

m (3) bne with His saints after the rapture and at the
f Vbednning of the temporal millennium to Teign ;

(4) Oi^ after the millennium Wi^ His saints to

. ittdge the wicked. - Vi^T .<*("'

This certainly is one of the advantages of thistheory,

that it gives us a wholesale supply of judgments,

resurrections and advents. . *

. As opposed to„ this com^li<5ated theory (many ex-

' travaffant views have not been included in the foregoing
resuift^Vw^ hq,ve the simple and more spiritual view ot

the Post-millennialists. Christ is now exalted on the
. throne of mediatorial power, and will . reign thusr ti
the world will potentially be subdued. The world wiU
grow nay.is groyoingMtter and better, as the mighty
leavening power of the* Church spreads through the
* preached gospel. Both Jew and Gentile will be con-
ver^, but in Christ's spiritual kingdom there will be
no t^poral exaltation and preference of persons or

^' A spiritual miltennium will pervade the earth— a
' millennium which wUl consist of the complete success

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P% ^m-t^'^H^^ •«■>«-'

WHEN WII^L CHRIST COME?

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of the Church of Qod on earth and all its enterprises
now in operation. :. ^

The converted Jews will, of course, perform their part
in this great work of the universal propagation of the
Gospel, for no pet sons will be better adapted for the
work, scattered as they have been aniong every nation
under heaven and knowing the languages and customs
of all, people. The purest and most powerful form of
Christianity the world has ever seen Will spread over
the earth ; the great mass of mankind will enjoy the
benefits of Christian education ; universal peace and
prosperity will prevail over the .earth ; seme yill re-
fuse to submit to Christ and persist in their rebellion, so
that Christ will find some unbelief and opposition when
He comes to raise the dead aird judge the world. After
the judgment of all mankind is completed, then
Chris^. wjlir deliver up the mediatorial kin^i^ to the
Father, and all shall eliter upon the eternarmspensa-
tion, when the righteous will enjoy the bliss of heaven,
and the wicked will sUfier th(B misery of hell.

Bringing these two theories to the double touchstone
of "the law a,nd testimony .and illuminated reason,
I think, with due consideration of the reasons ad-
vanced in support of the latter one, we shall feel
Constrained to a(^pt it as the most Scriptural, most
simple and most r8M5r6nable. We express our belief and
hope concerning Christ's coming in the well-known
language of the Apostles' Creed : "rThe third day He
rose again from the dead ; He ascended into heaven, and
sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty ;
from thence He shall come to judge the qui^k and the:
dead-" or, in the solemn words with which many a
dead body has been laid to rest : " Looking for the
general resurrection, in the last day and the life of the
world to come, through ouir Lord Jesus Christ; at
whose second (xyming in glorious majesty to judge the
woii'ld, the earth arid the sea shall give up their deadr*

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PRE-MILLENNIAUSM

WIlOll Wlinf'lirlst-Coiliol An Kaaay oil the Second Advent_
of Cluist l'o»t-atul.not Pre-miUennial. By llev. iC
. N. Bill us, B A. With 1 ntrothtctibn hy the Key. E. A,
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Soeoilfl <'<Miiiii;; of CliriHt.. Considered in its relation to the

»■ . ■ ' . * . ■ ■ •

illemiiuijit the Resurrection and the Ju(1gnient. By

S. M. Meriill, lyD .:^..:

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The Iff tllciiliiAl It*-ii;ii. The Reign qjP Heaven«upon Earth.

• By Rev, A. Bi'own . . , .,.....,. . ^ ,

■ ,■ -' ■ '^-i ■■.;,: ■-■ . -.^ ; ' ';■

rr(>-iuiir<>HtiHilisiii ill its Relation toRevelutioiis \x* I-IO.-

A piper jread before the Ministerial Association on the'
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