Temporal Millennium by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 19, 1885

Temporal Millennium.

By Editor

THE doctrine of a temporal millennium, or of the world's conversion, is not taught in the word of God. We learn this, (1) from the explicit declarations of Scripture; and (2) from the great chains of prophecy, or prophetic outlines of this world's history. Many writers and speakers quote largely from the prophets to prove the doctrine; but their views do not harmonize with the direct declarations of the word of God. Hence, their expositions are wrong. The scriptures quoted are fully accepted; they are all right; but the construction put upon them is another thing. One plain declaration of Scripture is sufficient to overthrow a whole theory, and to demolish volumes of human reasoning, if they conflict with it.

An eminent theological scholar professed to make the doctrine of the world's conversion one of necessity, as based on the attributes of Deity. Thus: The majority of mankind has been wicked in the past, and if the present dispensation should close soon, or if the majority of future generations should also be wicked, the ultimate number of the wicked would greatly overbalance the number of the righteous, and so the majority of mankind would be lost. But to say that the majority will be lost is to say that God's plan of salvation is deficient in power or benevolence; for infinite power could save the majority; and infinite benevolence would save it. Hence, God's attributes are a sufficient guarantee that the majority will be saved. For, we can only judge the attributes of Deity by their manifestation; and if he should fail to save the greater number, malevolence, and not benevolence, would predominate in his character.

We scarcely know how to characterize this argument in correct terms, as it involves the character and government of God in the most serious consequences. For,

1. If it proves anything, it proves universal salvation. For if the benevolence of God must be measured by the proportion of the saved, and the lost, there could be none lost, as his benevolence is infinite, and he has no malevolence to claim its share.

2. To say that if a majority is lost, it is proof of a deficiency in the divine plan, is to say that the number saved must be according to the number embraced in the plan; and therefore the plan could not embrace all.

3. It directly denies the free agency of man, making it necessary for God to save a majority, without regard to their choice or willingness to be saved. Or,

4. It makes the character or nature of the plan of salvation contingent on man's acceptance of it. That is, it is benevolent if a majority accepts it; if not, it is malevolent. And then, if man is free to choose, he has it in his choice to make God benevolent or malevolent, and so make the attribute of the Creator to depend on the action of the creature!

5. It denies the infinity of God's benevolence by making it a question of degrees. For, according to that argument, if the majority is saved, his benevolence would predominate; but if the majority is lost, his malevolence would predominate. And, of course, if the number of the saved and of the lost were about equal, it would be impossible to determine the character of God!

And the argument actually charges the worst of these conclusions on the divine government; for the Scriptures plainly say that the number of the saved will be to that of the lost as the few to the many. But the benevolence of God, and the love of his Son, are determined, not by the number that will come, but by a provision of free salvation for all, so that whosoever will may come, and have eternal life. The Saviour said, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." So the failure to be saved is in their wills, not in the divine plan. If men will not accept the offer, it does not show any want of love in Him by whom the offer is made; it shows only their folly and hardness of heart.

This subject may be conclusively settled by an examination of a few points of the testimony plainly set forth in the Scriptures. We shall quote only such as are unmistakable in their import.

1. The way to life is narrow, and few find it; but the way to destruction is broad, and many walk in it. Matt. 7:13, 14. There is not an intimation in the Bible that the way to life will ever become so wide that all will walk therein, and the way to destruction so narrow that few or none will find it. See also Luke 13:23-27.

2. The redeemed shall come out of great tribulation. Rev. 7:9-15. The Saviour said to his disciples, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." John 16:33. Paul said, "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22. The Scriptures nowhere present another company, who enter into the kingdom of God through ease and worldly prosperity.

3. The Saviour did not promise his ministers that all should believe their word. He did not lead them to expect that they should meet with the favor of the world, more than he had met with it. But he said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own." And, "The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; and if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." John 15:19, 20. And again, when the Jews reviled him, he said to his followers, "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household." Matt. 10:25. Who dares to rise above his Lord and say he shall be exempt from persecution? Who desires to be free from the sufferings of his Master? The Scriptures say that the Captain of our salvation was made "perfect through sufferings;" that he was partaker of our infirmities; that "in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest." Heb. 2:10-17. But they also teach, in the clearest manner, a necessity that we should suffer affliction or tribulation with him in the gospel. To this, his followers are appointed. 1 Thess. 3:3. It is consequent upon a godly life. 2 Tim. 3:12. It is the way to the kingdom. Acts 14:22. It stands connected with blessings in this life, and in the life to come. Mark 10:29, 30. It is necessary to try or prove our faith. 1 Pet. 1:7. It works patience. Rom. 5:3. It yields "the peaceable fruit of righteousness." Heb. 12:11. It works "for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4:17. It is the realization of Christ's sympathy for his members. Heb. 4:15. It is the measure of Christ's affliction filled up for the church. Col. 1:24. It is the fellowship of his sufferings in which we are made conformable to his death. Phil. 3:10. And it is the partaking of his sufferings. 2 Pet. 4:13. And it will all be counted as his own in the day of his coming. Matt. 25:40, 45. According to the commonly received view of the millennium, not one of the above gospel truths will apply to that state. That age will need another gospel. It is a dangerous doctrine, calculated to destroy the piety of the believer by turning his heart toward a state of ease; a state free from trials, from endurance, from persecutions, from chastisement, from temptation, and from all that pertains to Christian watchfulness and forbearance. The influence of such a belief is already apparent in the worldly-mindedness, slothfulness, and self-exaltation of the body of professors of the present day, by which they are acting out the cry of "peace and safety," for the last days. 1 Thess. 5:1-3.

4. The gospel was not expected to convert the world, but to call out of the world a people to glorify God. "Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." John 15:19. "God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." Acts 15:14. The saints of God are redeemed "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Rev. 5:9.

5. The Saviour taught that wickedness would prevail on the earth till his coming, or to the end of the world. In Matt. 13:24-30, is the parable of the tares of the field, which is explained in verses 37-41, wherein it is shown that the tares, the children of the wicked one; and the wheat, the children of the kingdom; will grow together till the harvest, which is the end of the world; and the reapers, the angels of God, will make the separation at the coming of Christ. See Matt. 24:30, 31. And the same subject is presented in Joel 3:9-16, where the nations of the earth are called to prepare for the battle of the great day; verse 13 says, "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great." Compare Rev. 14:14-20.

6. The last days will be days of peril. This could not be so if the church was to have her triumph in this world, or if the world was to be finally converted. When speaking of his coming and of the end of the world, the Saviour said, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:12-14. In this chapter we notice: (1) Before the end comes, iniquity will abound. (2) Endurance will be necessary even unto the end, which could not be the case were the world converted. (3) The gospel will not convert all nations, but is for a witness unto all nations. And this it is, wherever it is preached, whether people believe its testimony or not. (4) In verse 24 is predicted that, before that day, false christs and false prophets shall arise, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. (5) In verses 42-50, it is shown that even some of the servants of God will become slothful and wicked, and not be prepared for the coming of Christ, but finally have their portion with the hypocrites.