THE COMING MILLENNIUM by Allen Moon

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 11, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 43.

THE COMING MILLENNIUM

By Allen Moon

What Events Immediately Precede It?

The Reign of Peace and Righteousness

By ALLEN MOON

“MILLENNIUM” comes from two Latin words,—milli, one thousand; and annum, year. The word “millennium” is not found in the Bible, but mention is made of a special period of one thousand years in which Satan will be bound. Without a careful comparison of scripture with scripture, well-meaning people conclude that the binding of Satan, the instigator to sin, means a reign of righteousness and peace for men in the flesh for a period of one thousand years.

And further, it is taught that this period precedes the second coming of Christ to raise the righteous dead and to immortalize the living righteous. The word of God must determine the truth or falsity of these claims. Human theory is of no value in determining that which the mind of God only has conceived.

The state of the world until the second coming of Christ, is clearly outlined in the word of God. The inspired apostle wrote: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3: 12, 13. There will be those who will live godly in the world up to the very time of His coming, but all such shall suffer persecution; and logically, these suffer persecution at the hands of evil men and seducers, who wax worse and worse until the very end.

This accords with the Saviour’s interpretation of His own parable of the wheat and the tares. At the request of His disciples for an interpretation,

“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. . . . 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. . . . Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matt. 13: 37-43.

This scripture does not in itself reveal the connection between the harvest at the end of the world, and the reaping by the angels, and the second coming of Christ; but taken in connection with another statement of the Saviour’s, it is made plain. In speaking of the events of the last days, He said:

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt. 24: 30, 31.

How clear the connection here shown between the second coming and the harvest, or gathering time, in which the angels take part! Note, the elect are gathered from the four winds of heaven, but the tribes of earth mourn, showing that His second coming does not occur at the time of a universal reign of peace and righteousness, or there would be none to “mourn” because of His coming.

Let us pursue the study a little further, and see how this event affects the two classes referred to. The apostle, in writing of it, comforts God’s people by saying:

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. 4: 16-18.

The harvest of the righteous then results in their being gathered up, both those who had not died and the resurrected ones, to meet the Lord in the air. There is not a statement in the word of God that can be taken as authority for the belief that the Son of God will set His foot on the earth at His second coming. Therefore it is evident that He, with the saints, will not spend a thousand years in this sin-cursed world.

But what about the wicked who “mourn” at the sight of His coming? In another word picture of this event, we have the answer clear and distinct, as follows:

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. . . . And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. . . . And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God.” Rev. 14: 14-19.

And still another view of the same event is set forth in the following language:

“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. . . . And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. . . . and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. . . . And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” Rev. 19: 13-18.

The Lord would not leave men in doubt regarding so important an event as His second coming, and existing conditions just prior to that event. When He was about to depart from earth, He said to His disciples:

“But as the days of Noah were, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24: 37-39.

The Saviour’s words make it clear that there is no place for a reign of peace on earth before He comes again. The reign of peace is after His coming. In a study next week, we will endeavor to locate the millennium and the principal events connected with it.