Your ShelfYour Projects

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

9%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 23, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 25.

Read the full edition

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

By John Norton Loughborough

The Two Thrones—No. 3

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

HAVING called attention to the throne of the Father, the reign of Christ upon that throne, and the termination of that fierce reign of grace, we will now note what is meant by Christ's own throne. In the announcement made to Mary respecting the birth of Jesus, we read: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1: 32, 33. Surely this kingdom can not be the one that he delivers up to his Father; for that rule comes to an end, as was shown in our last article.
Respecting Christ's kingdom and reign upon his own throne, we read in the Psalms: “Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.” “His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.” Ps. 89: 27-29, 36, 37.
As to the time when he takes his own kingdom, we read in Matt. 25: 31-34, 41: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. . . . Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Surely there is no intimation in this scripture that when Christ takes his kingdom, there is to be a greater ingathering of sinners to his fold than ever before. The language speaks of “all nations;” and they are grouped in two classes, here represented by sheep and goats. Is there some other class to find special favor who are neither sheep nor goats—neither righteous nor wicked?
In the book of Revelation we have presented to us another view of Christ's second coming, in these words: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Rev. 19: 11-16. As expressed in Ps. 2: 8, 9: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.” This scene surely gives no intimation of a continuance of Christ's priesthood after his coming.
In the symbolic view given to the prophet Daniel respecting the setting up of Christ's kingdom, the stone smote the image upon the feet. Then the image was broken to pieces, and became as the chaff of the summer's threshing-floor, and no place was found for it. The material of that image, representing the governments of earth, is composed of the people. They are not converted into stone, but swept away like chaff in the wind. This is explained to the prophet to represent the setting up of the kingdom of Christ. It does not say, as a world's-conversion minister professed to quote it for his theory, “The stone smote the image, and rolled, and rolled until the whole image was converted into stone.”
Concerning the situation when Christ, having finished his priesthood, shall finally appear, we read: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22: 11, 12. This language shows that just before Christ's actual appearance, the mandate goes forth in heaven that there is no more opportunity for securing pardon. Christ will then have closed his reign as a priest upon his Father's throne. Of that time we read, in Luke 13: 25, 27: “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: . . . depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”
The kingdom of Christ is first organized in the New Jerusalem. He has gone to prepare a place for his people, and, as expressed to his disciples, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:3. In old Jerusalem there was a temple where a service was performed, shadowing forth Christ's priestly work in the heavenly city; but, in contrast with that, when the New Jerusalem kingdom is established, we are plainly told, “And I saw no temple therein.” Rev. 21:22. No work as priest will be carried on by Christ in that city; for his mediatorial work ceases when he resigns his priestly position on his Father's throne.
Lodi, Cal.