The Kingdom of Christ by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 27, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 13.

The Kingdom of Christ.

By Editor

(Concluded.)

AS THE judgment of the saints takes place before their resurrection, and they are raised to receive the reward determined in their respective cases, so with the wicked. In Rev. 20 we learn that they who have part in the first resurrection sit upon thrones of judgment for a thousand years. And in the same scripture we learn that "the rest of the dead"—in distinction from the blessed and holy—"lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Thus the assessing judgment—to use the idea presented by many authors—will occupy the one thousand years of Rev. 20, and at the end of that period the wicked will be raised to receive their reward—the second death in the lake of fire.

When we consider the exceeding great multitude of the lost who have lived since the time of Cain, and that every case has to be examined, it does not appear strange that one thousand years are set apart to the work. The saints are represented as kings and priests unto God; but they are not actually kings until thrones are given them, which will not be done until after the second advent. In Rev. 5:8-10 the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders present vials of incense before the throne in Heaven, which are said to be "the prayers of the saints." Whatever may be the chronology of this part of the chapter—whether the song is by anticipation or sung when the first part is fulfilled—it is true that there is a past and a future in the song. They were redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, which indicates the fullness of the gospel work as then accomplished, and they were made kings and priests unto God, and they "shall reign on the earth." It seems evident that they were made kings and priests before they reign on the earth. And such we find is the order presented in other scriptures. The only priestly work of the saints is done while they are on thrones of judgment, which is altogether during or within the thousand years.

One important end which will be gained by this examination of the cases of all the wicked by the record of their lives, is the complete vindication of the Government and providence of God. To all of the human race, while they only "know in part," many of the ways of God are dark and mysterious. In the words of the poet:— "That vice should triumph, virtue vice obey, This raised some doubts of Providence's sway."

And this is the case with the righteous, while the wicked have openly murmured and denied both the justice and goodness of God. It was said by the Saviour that even a cup of water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not lose its reward. And who so fitting to plead such an act in behalf of a lost one as the person to whom the kindness was shown?

Paul says: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every one have praise of God." 1 Cor. 4:5. On the last sentence of this text Barnes remarks:—

"The word here rendered praise (epainos) denotes in this place reward, or that which is due to him; the just sentence which ought to be pronounced on his character. It does not mean, as our translation would imply, that every man will then receive the divine approbation—which will not be true; but that every man shall receive what is due to his character, whether good or evil. So Bloomfield and Bretschneider explain it."

And this is doubtless the true interpretation of the passage. Greenfield says of the word: "By impl. reward, retribution, recompense. 1 Cor. 4:5." This bringing to light the hidden things of darkness, and making manifest the counsels of the hearts, means that they shall be revealed or made manifest to the saints by their examination of "those things which were written in the books." Rev. 20:12. As there are to be degrees of punishment, it is evident from the scriptures noticed, that the determination of the measure of punishment is the work of the saints, where every mitigating circumstance will be presented and considered. This is the sense in which they will be priests in that judgment.

The objection raised against this view, that this does not conform to the idea of the work of priests according to the Levitical law, cannot lie against it, because we may not draw a parallel between the service of the priests under the law and that of the saints in the Judgment. We must decide by the definition of the word, and the facts of the New Testament. The word priest does not necessarily imply a mediator in the sense of one who offers sacrifices. Robinson and Greenfield define it, "One who performs the sacred rites." These rites may pertain to offering sacrifices or to mediation, or they may not. If the saints have the work of determining the degree of guilt, and of fixing the amount of punishment, their office is properly that of a priest. And it must be evident to every one that our ideas of the work of priests, if gathered from that of the Jewish priests, must be greatly modified when we come to consider the office of the saints, as the priesthood of the saints is on thrones of judgment, which was not the case with the Jewish priests. We may not reason from one to the other, but must let each class stand in its own place, according to the work ascribed to it in the Scriptures.

But it is not alone the righteous who need to have the mysteries of God's providence opened to them. As we remarked, the wicked have lived and died complaining of the ways of God. The Judgment will be made the means of bringing them to confess their error, and to realize that they alone were responsible for their own ruin. The Lord will "convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 15. Myriads have died, glorying in their wickedness—in the success of their selfish plans—unconvinced of the ungodliness of their actions. But they will all be convinced; they will all be brought to see the enormity of their crimes against the Most High God, and to confess the justness of his judgments. As is said by the prophet: "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return. That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed." Isa. 45:23, 24.

The one thousand years of Rev. 20 are but the beginning of the reign of God's dear Son after he resigns his position as a priest on his Father's throne. The angel said that of his kingdom, on the throne of his father David, "there shall be no end." Of the stone, which represented the kingdom of God, it is said in Dan. 2:35 that it "became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." In Dan. 7:27 it is said that "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." All the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the whole earth, are to be destroyed. Jer. 25:26-33. The kingdoms of this world are given to Christ, and by him will be broken with a rod of iron, and dashed in pieces as a potter's vessel. Ps. 2. They are not to be transformed or merged into the kingdom of Christ, but he destroys them and his kingdom takes their place. It fills the whole earth.

And this makes plain Matt. 25:34. "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." When God made the world he said it was "very good." There was every tree which was pleasant to the sight, and good for food. No thorns, no thistles marred the face of the fair creation. No evil was found therein. And to man was given "dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth." Gen. 1:26. This was "the first dominion, the kingdom [which] shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Micah 4:8. And this will be the fulfillment of the promise that "the meek shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5. The psalmist adds a condition which the beatitude of the Saviour only implies: "The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11. And this is proof that the reign of the saints over the whole earth—under the whole heaven—is not in this present state. "In the world ye shall have tribulation." John 16:33. The wheat and the tares will grow together until the harvest, which is the end of the world, or of this age. Matt. 13:36-42. The "little horn" will practice and prosper and prevail until judgment is given to the saints of the Most High. Dan. 7:21, 22. "That man of sin," the wicked one, will exalt himself until he is destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. 2 Thess. 2:1-8. These, and many other scriptures to the same intent which might be quoted, prove conclusively that in this world—in this present state—the wicked will enjoy their triumph; and the saints must remain in expectation of their triumph; still be "heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him." Jas. 2:5. Not in this, but in the world to come, will the saints reign. Well has the poet said:— "There is a land, a better land than this; There's my home, there's my home."

There is not the shade of a contradiction between the two statements, that the saints shall have tribulation in this world, and, the meek shall inherit the earth. If the earth were always to be in its present state and condition, where the wicked prosper and the righteous are oppressed, then it would not be possible that the meek should inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace. But the earth is not always to remain under the curse. The thorn and the thistle shall not always mar the face of the dominion which was given to man at first, and which man shall eventually inherit forever. God's original purpose will be accomplished; his counsel shall stand. The work of the Captain of our salvation was not ended when he died upon the cross; when his soul was made an offering for sin. Isa. 53:10. His work will not yet be finished when he has cleansed the sanctuary by the sprinkling of his blood upon the mercy-seat. The Atonement has in view the fullness of the glory of redemption. It is necessary to understand what is included in the work of redemption, in order to understand what the blood of Christ has purchased for us; what his Atonement accomplishes for man; and what are the riches of the glory of his kingdom. To this subject we must further give our attention.