Sin's Awful Pay Day by Tyler E. Bowen

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 13, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 15.

Sin's Awful Pay Day

By Tyler E. Bowen

When the Millennium Ends—Armageddon Will Then Be Renewed—The Lake of Fire and the Reward of the Wicked

By Tyler E. Bowen

At the end of the millennium come the closing scenes of “the day of the Lord” period. During these ten centuries, there will be no sin going on among men. Earth's untold millions of ungodly people will be locked in the silence of death. Like a person in sound sleep, they will know nothing of passing time, or of events going on in heaven, where the saints will be with Jesus their Lord.

Armageddon Renewed

Photo by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.
THE SUPER-DREADNOUGHT QUEEN ELIZABETH — Photo by Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. THE SUPER-DREADNOUGHT QUEEN ELIZABETH

The time will then come for Armageddon to be renewed. In the midst of its conflict, a thousand years before, the Son of God has appeared in glory and silenced the struggling millions of earth. All those not numbered among the saved, from Cain on down through the ages, will now hear the voice of the Son of God, and once more live. They will come forth to receive their final reward, according to the deeds done in the body.

Adam's Family See Each Other

Jesus died for every man. Hence He has the right to make every man alive. “Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28, 29.

In the purpose of God, the time will come, at the end of the millennium, for all who have done evil to hear the voice of the Son of God. They will come up as they went down, mortal. Unlike the redeemed, they will not be clothed with immortality. They will come forth from their graves to receive their pay. “The wages of sin is death.” Their wages are now to be paid.

Both Rewarded in the Earth

“O Jehovah, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be put to shame. They that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters.” Jer. 17:13. Having been written in heaven's records as belonging to the earth, not heaven, it is appropriate that they receive their recompense in the earth; and so it is written, “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!” Prov. 11:31. The righteous do not receive their recompense in the earth, however, until after the wicked receive theirs.

The psalmist David had a very clear conception of all this, for he wrote: “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, 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. Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” “For evildoers 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; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for He seeth that his day is coming.” “The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” Ps. 37:1-3, 9-13, 20, 34.

Each Beholds the Other's Reward

When the earth is on fire, the redeemed of the Lord shall see it: for they too will be there, only they will be within the city of God. All within will be untouched by the flame, as Noah and his family, within the ark, were untouched by the waters of the Flood.

On the other hand, the wicked will behold the reward of the righteous. They will “see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom,” in the city of God. They will see that God is faithful to His word. They will see the nations of the saved within the golden city. “He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God [Jesus speaking of His Father], and Mine own new name.” “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Rev. 3:12; 2:11.

Earth's Capital Comes Down from Heaven

The time comes for all this to be literally fulfilled. At the end of earth's one thousand years of silence, the city of God will descend with the redeemed in it—overcomers. The city will be surrounded by the resurrected millions of commandment breakers. They will face their Judge to receive their punishment. They will find that it is not eternal life, as they have so often been taught. Instead, they are to be deprived of eternal life with Christ in glory, and to perish in the fires prepared for the devil and his angels. As sure as God's word is true, so surely there will come a rain of fire in which rebellious souls shall perish. This will be literally hell fire—not a place of eternal burning, for then the wicked would never perish; but sufficiently long to destroy sin and sinners, and the effects of sin in this earth.

“The Day of the Lord”

Here the last of the thrilling series of events taking place during “the day of the Lord” is fulfilled. With the destruction of Satan, his angels, and all his followers, the root, or cause, of all the trouble in the earth will be wiped out, and the “day,” time,

or period, of God's righteous anger, be overpast, and this grand old earth shall then enter upon the purpose of its Maker when the morning stars sang together at the day of its birth. Sin's cruel reign will then be over forever and forever. O, the rapture of that blessed day! No more sorrow, no more death, no more crying! Heaven on earth; for earth is once more heaven!

The Son of God will then create a new heaven and a new earth, wherein the redeemed of the Lord shall find an eternal home. This shall be their “recompense in the earth.” And the saints shall behold this new creation, spoken into existence by the Son of God—their glorious King.

Who Does Not Want to Be There?

With such a prospect before us, who can afford to miss the reward of eternal life in the kingdom of God? How the glories of this present world pale into insignificance at the glorious prospect of such a home just before us! That is not to be a mythical abode. It is gloriously real—a real Saviour, a real city, a real home. To gain it, means the giving up of all now for Christ, being willing to enter into fellowship with Him through suffering, ready to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. By giving up our all for Christ, we can claim Christ's all, all that He has. And having Him, we possess all things; for when God gave His Son for sinful men, He poured out all heaven in that one Gift—with Him giving us all things.

Summary and Conclusion

At the beginning of “the day of the Lord,” we have learned Jesus receives His kingdom in heaven. During that day, He comes to get His subjects, at which time no one is left alive on earth, all who are not Christ's subjects, sleeping on a thousand years. The day closes with the lake of fire for incorrigible sinners, which is the second, everlasting death, or eternal destruction from the presence of the Lord.

But, dear reader, this period, this “day of the Lord,” has not as yet begun. There is still opportunity for every lost sinner to turn to Christ and obtain life. He tarries as our Mediator a little season yet. If you are not sure that His life atones for you, O, delay not, until your sins are covered by His perfect life! You have not a moment to lose. Go to Jesus, and tell Him you are a sinner. Ask Him to blot out your transgressions like a thick cloud. He will do it, and in exchange for your restless tossings to and fro, give you His peace and joy, such as this world can neither give nor take away.

Be sure you are keeping all the commandments—including the fourth. Unless this is done before Jesus takes His kingdom, it will be no use to try; for then it will be forever too late. Each must bear his own sins then. “The Holy Ghost saith, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace [now, to-day], that we may obtain mercy [which cannot be obtained when “the day of the Lord” begins], and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 3:7, 8; 4:14-16.