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The Lost Dominion; Will It be Restored?

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 6, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 33.

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The Lost Dominion; Will It be Restored?

By E. HILLIARD

E. HILLIARD
“THE Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10.
Our heavenly Father did not create this world to become the abode of his enemies. He formed it to be inhabited, but not by sinful men. “Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” Isa. 45:18. If, however, the earth is to remain in the possession of fallen, sinful beings during their brief period of existence, and then pass to their sinful posterity, and if this is to continue indefinitely, then surely the creation of our world will result in no good.
It is true that most of the earth is today in the possession of men who have no faith in God or in his inspired Word. Such men, during the working out of the plan of redemption, may hold deeds of their farms and property; but the time is soon coming when the rightful Owner will vindicate his rights. It was not God’s plan that sinful beings should be in possession of the earth, and his plan is to be carried out. He says, through the psalmist David, “Evil-doers shall be cut off. . . . For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Ps. 37:9, 10.
By means of the plan of redemption, wicked men can be made righteous. Repentance, confession of sin, and faith in Christ will transform the character, and of a sinner make a saint. Such will be among the number that our Creator designed should inhabit the earth. It is written, “Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth;” “the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever;” and Christ, in his Sermon on the Mount, said, “Blessed are the meek: for they will shall inherit the earth.” Ps. 37:9, 29; Matt. 5:5. It is through God’s great plan of redemption, stretching across the ages, that a people are to be gathered out from among the wicked, and made righteous. Such will eventually come into possession of the earth.
The Creator designed that this world should be an eternally peopled paradise. It was not his purpose that it should be inhabited by a wicked, sickly race, but by happy, sinless beings. It was not God’s will that any of his creatures should suffer in body or mind. He created no faces to be stained with tears, no world to be drenched in blood. He is not the author of sorrow and death. If Adam had been obedient, he would have maintained his primeval happiness,—a legacy which would have been transmitted to his posterity. From his disobedience the world is reaping its harvest of sorrow, misery, and death. The only remedy for sorrowing souls and broken hearts is found in Christ, the second Adam. “If by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:17.
Adam through obedience to Satan became his servant (Rom. 6:16), and all his property, the first dominion, was placed in the hands of the archrebel. The usurper took possession of the earth. He is declared in Scripture to be the “god of this world,” “the prince of the power of the air,” “the prince of this world.” 2 Cor. 4:3, 4; Eph. 2:2; John 12:30, 31; 14:30. His policy of rulership is to sadden, discourage, and destroy his subjects. Nothing pleases him better than to see men, steeped in crime and blood, end their existence in sin, whether in single combat or by thousands on the battle field. It is his studied plan to stir up strife in the family, in the community, in the church, and among the nations. But his cruel work is to have an end. The curse is to be done away. He and his followers are to be destroyed, and the first dominion is to return to Christ, the Tower of the flock. Micah 4:8.
Christ, the lineal descendant of Abraham, was the only One of his seed who could pass through the grave, then turn upon its brink and call forth all the sleeping dead. He received this life-giving power from his Father. John 5:26-29. After his resurrection from the dead he exclaimed, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matt. 28:18. It is the voice of Christ, the Archangel, that is to raise the dead—those who sleep in Jesus and those who rest in sinners’ graves. The righteous dead are brought forth to inherit the world promised to Abraham. The wicked come forth to receive their punishment, and then perish forever.
It is after the resurrection of the dead that God fulfils his promise to the faithful patriarch. The prophet Ezekiel makes this very clear: “O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.” Eze. 37:12-14.
After this great event takes place, are the resurrected saints to be placed in the land as it is today? Are they to live under the curse, amid toil and hardship?—No, never. The promise to Abraham and to all his children through faith in Christ (Gal. 3:7, 29), includes something better than a repetition of former trials and sinful experiences. The earth is to undergo a change. Prior to this change the wicked will be destroyed by the fire that purifies the earth. Mal. 4:1; Rev. 20:7-10; 21:8. Then He who created all things will once more exercise his creative power in renewing the surface of the earth. Says the psalmist, “Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.” Ps. 104:29, 30. The Lord through Isaiah has promised a restoration: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth.” Peter looked for it: “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth;” and John said, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” Isa. 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:1.
When the earth is cleansed by fire and rebeautified by all things’ being made new (Rev. 21:5), then will be fulfilled the promise to Abraham. He and all the meek will inherit the new earth. Then the resurrected Adam will reenter Eden, and resume his work of dressing the garden. Then the saints will people the new dominion, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, erect houses and inhabit them, and on the Sabbath gather for seasons of worship. Isa. 65:17, 21, 22; 66:22, 23.
These seasons of worship will doubtless be in the city, the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the restored dominion. At these gatherings no plea will be heard for the unconverted to accept the Saviour. Millions of voices of the redeemed will be heard ascribing praise to Him who, in agony of soul, paid the price of their redemption on Calvary’scross. There will not be a silent voice. “Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever.” Rev. 5:13.
The throne of God and the Lamb is in the city, which will cover the Mount of Olives, and also Mount Calvary, on which Christ was crucified. It seems that where Satan, through evil men, placed the cross, will stand the throne of universal dominion. What a victory over sin and the powers of darkness! On the very spot where the rabble clamored for Christ’s blood, will be heard every Sabbath day the voices of the redeemed, ascribing glory, in songs of triumph, to the Lamb that was slain on Calvary’s mountain. Isa. 66:22, 23; Zech. 14:4. Happy throng of celestial singers, clothed in the ineffable light of God’s glory!
This beautiful city, the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of the restored dominion, with its gold-paved streets, its walls of jasper, its gates of pearl, its river of life arched over by the tree of life, is to be the final abode of all who are obedient to the mandates of heaven.
St. Paul, Minn.