p. 1 | OUR FAITH AND HOPE; by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 7, 1869

OUR FAITH AND HOPE;

By James White

Or, Reasons Why We Believe as We Do.

NUMBER THREE—THE MILLENNIUM.

BY ELDER JAMES WHITE.

Last week we entered upon an examination of those texts usually quoted to prove that the world will be converted, and enjoy a period of peace and universal holiness in this mortal state, to show that they do not prove what they are said to prove, and then brought forward those portions of sacred Scripture which prove that no such state of things can exist prior to the second coming of Christ and the Judgment. This week we propose to conclude the subject.

9. Isa. lxv, 17–25: “For behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. “And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” See also chap. xi, 6–9.

This prophecy is said to be a description of the condition of man during the temporal millennium. We, however, regard it as a prophetic description of the state of things after the restitution of the earth and man to their primeval glory. Then man was upright, and the earth and all that God had created upon it, as viewed by the Creator, were seen to be “very good.” Gen. i, 31.

The Scriptures do not teach the annihilation of all things by the fires of the great day, and a creation of all new things for the future state. But they do distinctly teach the restitution of all things. Thus saith the great Restorer, “Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. i, 5. Isaiah and the Revelation both speak of the new heavens and the new earth. But it is not merely of the influence of the gospel on the hearts of men that they speak. No; they both describe the tangible glories of the restitution.

One of two positions relative to the words of the prophet quoted above will be taken. He either gives a figurative description of a very happy condition of things in this mortal state, or he is portraying the literal glories of the restitution after the second advent and the resurrection of the just. To the figurative view we find serious objections:

(1) Our temporal millennium friends have, in their figurative new heavens and earth, figurative houses, figurative vineyards, of which they figuratively eat the figurative fruit thereof, and are obliged to suffer from figurative wolves, and figurative lions, figuratively feeding with figurative lambs and figurative bullocks, to say nothing of the presence of figurative serpents. But it is said that the gospel is to convert all these wolves and lions and serpents. Then we reply, that during the entire period of the millennium there will be nothing but lambs and doves, and the prophecy has no reference to the temporal millennium. It must apply to some other period.

(2) The apostle has so clearly identified the three worlds, namely, the one before the flood, the one that now is, and the new earth which is to come, as to entirely preclude the figurative view. He says: “For this they [religious scoffers] willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Pet. iii, 5–7, 13.

The world that perished by the flood is the same as that which now is, and is reserved unto fire. This is to be changed by fire, and then will appear the new heavens and the new earth, according to the promise of God.

It is a remarkable fact that the promise of God, referred to by the apostle, is found only in the sixty-fifth chapter of Isaiah. Thus the apostle links the three worlds together. Are the first two worlds literal? so is the third. Is the new earth, mentioned by Isaiah, figurative? so are all three worlds figurative. To say that all three are literal, is to testify to the plain truth of God. To hold that they are all figurative, is to suppose that,

In the days of figurative Noah, the figurative heavens and earth, being overflowed by figurative water, perished figuratively. But the figurative heavens and earth which are now, are reserved unto figurative fire, against the figurative day of figurative Judgment and figurative perdition of figurative ungodly men. Nevertheless we, according to his figurative promise, look figuratively for figurative new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth figurative righteousness.

True, the sacred writers use figures and parables. But we feel bound by sacred obligations to believe that God in his word means just what he says, unless the connections show good reasons why a figure or parable is introduced. If God does not mean what he says in his word, who will tell us what he does mean? In that case the Bible ceases to be a revelation, and God should give us another book to teach what this one means. But the Bible is the very book in which he has plainly spoken, and revealed his truth to us.

With this view of the sacred Scriptures we see spread out before us the living realities of the new earth, in all their grandeur and glory, as when Adam was lord of Eden. Before the transgression, all was purity and peace, even among the beasts which God had created. And who can say that these, with natures such as the Creator first gave them, will not be in place in the earth restored from the fall, as well as in the earth before the fall?

But when the figurative interpretation of the Scriptures is adopted, the new heavens and the new earth of Isaiah and the Revelation, may be made to be almost anything fancy may suggest. Such liberties taken with the word of God, have led the skeptic to say that the Bible was like a fiddle, on which any tune can be played at pleasure.

Having examined the principal texts quoted to prove the conversion of the world, and a period of universal peace and holiness in this mortal state, and seen that they do not mean what they are said to mean, we will now call attention to some of the many direct proofs that no such state of things can exist prior to the second advent.

1. The prevalence of the little horn. “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” Dan. vii, 21, 22. “But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever.” Verse 18. Here it will be seen that the little horn makes war with the saints until they take the kingdom, and when they once obtain the kingdom, they hold it forever, even for ever and ever. Where, then, is there room for that period of peace and triumph of the church called the temporal millennium?

2. The apostasy. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by

word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” 2 Thess. ii, 1–8.

Paul is speaking of the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is guarding the church at Thessalonica against deception in being led to expect the coming of the Lord too soon. He states to them what must first come before the coming of the Lord. Is it the temporal millennium? the triumphs of the world’s conversion? No; it is the sad apostasy, the falling away, and the manifestation of the man of sin, that will continue his blasphemy until, and be destroyed by, the coming of the Son of Man. Where, then, is room for one thousand years before the coming of the Lord, during which time all men will love and serve God?

3. The wicked continue with the righteous, as illustrated by the parable of the wheat and tares, until the end of the Christian age.

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matt. xiii, 24–30.

The friends of the modern doctrine of the world’s conversion find this parable directly in their way, and they have wearied themselves in laboring to explain it away. But as our divine Lord, by special request, gave an explanation of it, modesty suggests that we accept his explanation, and there let the matter rest.

“Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which 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. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Verses 36–43.

We simply repeat, “The field is the world,” “The good seed are the children of the kingdom.” “The tares are the children of the wicked one.” “Let both grow together until the harvest.” “The harvest is the end of the world.” Why, then, talk of the world’s conversion?

4. The last days are described as perilous. If the glories of the millennium are to be manifested before the second advent, and the judgment of the great day, they will most certainly be realized in the last days. Read Paul’s description: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Tim. iii, 1–5. Are these the results of a converted world, amid the glories of the millennium?

5. The last days, or the days of the coming of the Son of Man, were to be like the days of Lot and of Noah. “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke xvii, 26–31.

Then the wickedness of the wicked was such that God could bear with them no longer. And when their measure of iniquity was full, he visited them in wrath. There is a wonderful similarity between the days of Noah and Lot and ours. Then men were given up to the love of the things of this life, as they are at the present time. Then they were abandoned to lust and crime, fully illustrating the terrible records of our times. As God manifested his wrath then in fire and in flood, so now the vials of his wrath, unmingled with mercy, only wait for the interposing arm of mercy to be removed, when they will be poured out upon the ungodly.

6. Destruction, not conversion, awaits the world at the very time when men cherish the delusive hope of a good time coming. “When they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them.” 1 Thess. v, 2. At the very time when the Lord, by the prophet Joel, is saying, “Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong,” chap. iii, 9, 10, they are fulfilling the prophecy of Micah, which says, “And many nations [not the Lord] shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, . . . and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.” Chap. iv, 2, 3.

7. The way to destruction is broad, and many go in it; and the way to life is narrow, and but few find it. Matt. vii, 13, 14. This is true in every age till the close of human probation. Persecution and tribulation have ever been the sad portion of the true church, and Paul declares of all the future from his day to the end, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. iii, 12.

8. It is said of the blood-washed and saved of “all nations, and kindreds, and people and tongues,” “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. vii, 14, 15.

Dear reader, the double object of Satan in leading men to the false hope of the world’s conversion is to get their minds upon that when they should be looking for the second advent of Christ; and also to lead them to conclude that the body of popular professors who hold this doctrine are accepted of God to do the work of converting the world. Thus those who hold this false doctrine are in a terrible deception, thinking they are accepted of God, while they hold the standard of piety far below the Bible standard. Be not deceived. But few were saved in the days of Lot and Noah. “When the Son of Man cometh shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke xviii, 8. But few, comparatively, will be saved when the Lord comes. “Strive [agonize] to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke xiii, 24. Those who only seek will assuredly fail. Those who strive will succeed. And who are these who only seek? Are they skeptics and worldly generally? No; these do not seek.

It is a painful fact that the many who seek, are professors of religion. And probably no class go so far in making up the many who simply seek, but fail, as those who cherish the delusive hope of the world’s conversion.