p. 67 | The Saints’ Inheritance by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 12, 1874

The Saints’ Inheritance.

By John Norton Loughborough

A REST THAT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

We shall show under this head that the apostle Paul did not reason with the Jews as though the promises made to them respecting the possession of the land had all been verified, but would have them understand that the rest was yet to come for the people of God.

He says, “While it is said, To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Again: “Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time as it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus (Joshua, margin) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

The reasoning of Paul certainly shows that the taking of Israel after the flesh into the land of Canaan was not the fulfillment of the promise God had made to Abraham.

While some contend that the promise to Abraham was fulfilled when the children of Israel sojourned in the land of Canaan, we contend that they had only a temporal possession of the land, which was typical of the final possession of the earth. When they corrupted themselves with their idols, and sinned against the Lord, their enemies prevailed against them, overran the land, and dispossessed them of their cities. Temporal judgments were thus brought upon them. All this, we understand, was to show them the necessity of obeying God if they would have his favor. If any would really be Abraham’s children, according to Christ’s rule, they must “do the works of Abraham.”

While the yearly services of the sanctuary were kept up and strictly carried out, Israel would have a yearly purging of rebels. Every one who, in the day of atonement, would afflict his soul, would find mercy; but those who would not do it, must die. It is strange to us how individuals with these facts before their minds, can claim that there are any peculiar national blessings yet to be given to the Jews after the flesh.

But we are digressing. This possession of the land of Canaan by the natural descendants of Abraham, we understand, as we before claimed, was a type of the possession promised to God’s people. Therefore we can see a propriety in purging the profane from among the children of Israel, that they might be kept a holy seed, and thus their possession of the land really typify that future inheritance which none but righteous ones can enjoy.

When we come to the time of the reign of King Zedekiah, who reigned as king over Israel, they had so corrupted themselves by disobeying the Lord’s commandment, that the scepter was taken from them, and passed into the hands of the wicked kings of earth. The testimony of the Lord to Zedekiah, just before he was carried captive to Babylon reads thus: “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is, and I will give it Him.”

When the kingdom of Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians, and Israel became tributary unto them, the scepter was overturned once.

Again, when the Medes and Persians were conquered by Alexander and the Grecian kingdom established, the Lord’s word was fulfilled, and “it” (the scepter, etc.) was overturned the second time.

And when 31 years B. C., the celebrated battle of Actium brought Rome to her position of “mistress of the world,” the scepter was overturned the third time. So far as the prediction made by Zedekiah was concerned, he whose right it was—Christ—might come at any time, and take possession of the kingdom.

The Jewish people, at the time of Christ’s first advent, “instantly serving God day and night, did hope to come§§ to the fulfillment of those promises which God had made respecting the land. They certainly must have looked upon the saints’ rest as yet future.

J. N. Loughborough.