The Saints' Inheritance by John Norton Loughborough

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 8, 1882

The Saints' Inheritance.

By John Norton Loughborough

BY ELD. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

THE EARTH PROMISED TO THE MEEK.

"BLESSED are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5: 5. A meek man is one who is "mild of temper; not easily provoked; given to forbearance under injuries."¹ Such an one was Moses. "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth."² Still we read of him that he once "spake unadvisedly with his lips." Christ was a perfect pattern of meekness. He "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."³ "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth."⁴ A meek man is one who is like Christ. The blessing promised such is: "They shall inherit the earth." This word "shall" shows that the language relates to the future, and, therefore, we at once conclude the promise refers to a future inheritance.

The mode of speech used by our Saviour, when speaking of this inheritance of the earth, is not peculiar to the New Testament; the same is also fully declared in the Old. In Ps. 37, it is three times stated that the Lord's people "shall inherit the earth," and three times that "they shall inherit the land." We understand that these texts present a future inheritance; not an inheritance of the blessings of this life, but of the joys of the earth made new. Some suppose Matt. 5: 5 is fulfilled in this present life. But where is the person who has received an inheritance here simply because he has lived Christ-like? Is not the decree still upon all men, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread"? Are the righteous more favored with this world's goods than the wicked? Or does God still make the "sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the just and on the unjust"?

It is true David could say,—"I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread," yet when speaking of abundant prosperity in this world, he treats of it as the lot of the wicked, instead of the saints. He says, "I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish." Ps. 73: 3-7. Again, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." "Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. . . . For evil-doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth."

David considered the lot of the wicked in this world such that the righteous would be in danger of desiring it, and fretting about it. He also contrasts the inheritance which the righteous are to receive, with the final overthrow of the wicked, which is also proof that the inheritance of which he speaks is still future, and not simply in this life.

The principal reason assigned why the testimony in Matt. 5: 5 must apply in this life has been that when Christ comes to redeem his people, the earth will be destroyed, and man no longer possess it. Assuming such to be the case, of course all texts speaking of a reward or punishment on this earth would necessarily have their application before the time of such destruction. By reasoning in accordance with such premises, the Universalist has made capital of such texts as Prov. 11: 31: "The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner." Claiming that this text could not have its application after this life, they have reasoned that whatever recompense is received by the righteous or wicked here, must be for their good or evil deeds performed here. And if the wicked have met the recompense of their evil deeds here, in another life they will have an equal chance with the righteous. But, by comparing with this, two other proverbs of the wise man, we will discover that this claim of future salvation is without foundation. "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."⁶ In speaking of the righteous, after they are planted in their inheritance, he says: "The righteous shall never be removed; but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth."⁷ Instead, then, of Prov. 11: 31 proving that all are recompensed in this life, we see it points to the final cutting off of the wicked. When the wicked are cut off the meek "inherit the earth, and dwell therein forever."

If it be true that the earth is to be burnt up at the second advent, and no more exist, then, of course, all texts speaking of an inheritance on the earth must be fulfilled before such conflagration shall take place.

There is one text which is sometimes quoted to prove that the earth will cease to exist at the coming of Christ. It is found in the words of Peter: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up."⁸ This text does not inform us that the earth is to be burned up; neither could such a conclusion be drawn from it, after properly analyzing the language. It will be seen that to make sense, the word "also" must refer to what has been previously said; and instead of reading it—"The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up," by placing the commas after the words "heat," and "also," it would read, "The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also," showing that the earth is to be melted only, the same as "the elements." Hence we perceive that it is the works which are in the earth, and not the earth itself, which are to be burned up in the day of the Lord. The works in the earth which are to be burned up we understand are the "works of the devil," which John says, "Christ has been manifested that he might destroy." See 1 John 3: 8. These works are sin and sinners. The conclusion that the earth is to be melted instead of burned up, is confirmed by the statement of verse 11: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" This is the only scripture which can be supposed to intimate that the earth itself is to be entirely burned up. This text we see, makes no such statement. That Peter did not design to teach the utter destruction of the heavens and earth, is evident from the words he immediately adds, "Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Edward Robinson, D. D., says that the word rendered new, in 2 Pet. 3: 13; Isa 65: 17, and 66: 22, means renewed, or made new, hence, better, superior, more splendid. So the corresponding word of the Old Testament means, as a verb, to make new, or renew, repair, restore, as in 1 Sam. 11: 14; Job 10: 17; Isa. 61: 4; Ps. 103: 5; 2 Chron. 15: 8; 24: 4; whence are derived the words rendered new, i. e., renewed, as in new moon, new heart, new creature, etc.

Solomon tells us, "The earth abideth forever," and David says, "Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed."

Reason would lead us to object to the idea that this earth is to be blotted out from the universe at the close of the probationary state. It will be freely admitted that, since the earliest history of this earth, sin, rebellion, anarchy, and confusion, have distressed its borders; the mass of the inhabitants have lived in rebellion against the law of God. We can expect nothing better in this probationary state; for St. Paul informs us that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." If there is no future state for this earth after sin and sinners are rooted out of it, it appears to us that its very existence would be a blot in the creation of God. That we are not alone in this conviction the following quotations will show.

The Dublin Christian Herald says: "If the earth was to be destroyed, and man never to have the sovereignty of it, Satan would have a victory to boast of forever; neither would that promise be fulfilled, that Jesus should destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3: 8. Frightful, indeed, is the breach which Satan has made in this fair field of God's creation. . . . It is essential for Christ's glory that the earth should be delivered out of the hand of the enemy."

Thomas Dick, L. L. D., says:— "To suppose, as some have done, that the whole fabric of creation will be shattered to pieces, that the stars will literally fall from their orbs, and the material universe be blotted out of existence, is a sentiment so absurd and extravagant, and so contrary to the general tenor of the Scripture and the character of God, that it is astonishing that it should ever have been entertained by any man calling himself a divine, or a Christian preacher."

John Cumming, D. D., of London, says:— "When he (Christ) comes, this earth shall be re-cast, restored, re-constituted, re-beautified, and set in more than its first and pristine glory. . . . Only exhaust from the earth the poison, sin—let the footfall of Him who made it be echoed from its hills and valleys once more, at dewy dawn and at even tide, and this earth of ours will be instantly transformed into an orb, the like of which is not amid all the orbs of the universe besides."