J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 7, 1910

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

By John Norton Loughborough

The Two Thrones—No. 5

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

Those who advocate the theory that Christ will reign on earth a thousand years, of course deny that the earth will be desolate and uninhabited after his appearance. They also deny that the saints will go to heaven. In so doing, however, they deny a plainly stated Scriptural doctrine. That the earth will thus be desolated is made plain by the following scriptures: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form and void [Dr. Adam Clarke says of this expression, “The Hebrew words are tohu-va-bohu, the same as used in Gen. 1:2, when speaking of the formless state of the earth, before it was brought into form”]; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful

place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.” Jer. 4:23-26.

Again: “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” Isa. 24:1-6. Observe that the text does not say, Few men left on the earth. Those left from that mighty destruction are those who will at that time be reigning with Christ in the New Jerusalem on high.

In the description of the last days, given by Jeremiah, we read: “The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation [once more when he shall speak, and shake the heavens and the earth, as spoken of by Paul, in Heb. 12:26-28]; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind [universal war] shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.” Jer. 25:30-33.

There never has been a battle when there was no one to lament the dead. In past battles, men have often buried the dead of their enemies to avoid pestilence. But when, at Christ’s coming, the saints are taken up to heaven, and all the wicked dwelling upon the earth are destroyed by the brightness of his coming, there will be none left to lament, gather, or bury. So also when Christ comes, and cuts off the ruling powers, the remnant,—not the remnant of God’s people, but the remnant of the wicked,—will be slain with the sword of him that sitteth upon the horse. Rev. 19:21.

That the saints will go to heaven when Christ appears is also a plain Scripture doctrine. Of his second coming the apostle says: “The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. The future-probation advocate says, “Yes, they are caught up to meet him in the air, but they immediately come down again to reign with him on the earth.” This is their assumption, but it is without proof. That the saints are to go to heaven is made clear by many scriptures. In his view of heavenly things, John said, “Before the throne there was a sea of glass.” Rev. 4:6. And after the deliverance of God’s people from their persecutors, he said of them: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Rev. 15:2, 3. When they sing their song of triumph, they stand on “the sea of glass,” which is “before the throne” in heaven.

Our Saviour said to Peter, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” John 13:36. That these words refer to Peter’s following Jesus to heaven is clear; for in the preceding verse he had said to all the disciples, “As I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye can not come; so now I say to you.” Verse 33. He had said to the Jews, “I go unto Him that sent me. . . . Where I am, thither ye can not come.” John 7:33, 34. This language addressed to Peter was, then, a promise that the time would come when he should go to the Father. In his talk to all the disciples he said, “As I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye can not come; so now I say to you.” John 13:33. This statement filled their hearts with sorrow. He was to go away from them to his Father, and they could not go. But he immediately gave them a promise to cheer them in their grief. “Let not your heart be troubled,” he said; “ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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 14:1-3.

Then, the saints are to go with Christ to heaven at his coming, to reign with him in judgment for a thousand years, and as the earth is to be desolated of the wicked inhabitants at Christ’s coming, there is no foundation for the theory of a thousand years’ probation for sinners in a kingdom on earth.

Lodi, Cal.