THE HOPE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.
By G. V. Kilgore
“And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isa. 35:10. Isaiah was blessed of the Lord by being permitted to have a view of the redeemed in their glorified state. Glorious promises to the righteous are recorded by him. He also writes of fearful scenes to be witnessed by them before they enter their everlasting possession. The apostle Peter says that the holy prophets spoke of the restitution of all things. And so they did. Micah declared that the first dominion should come to the stronghold, or Saviour, of the daughter of Zion. The first dominion was this earth in its Eden beauty. That was lost by transgression; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He declares that he will make all things new. Therefore this earth will be restored to its primeval glory. Isaiah tells us that the “wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” This whole earth will be made “a desolate wilderness” by the great army of the Lord at the second coming of Christ. Joel 2. And thus it will remain for a thousand years; after this, the city of God, the camp of the saints, will descend with all the shining hosts and the King of Glory. The wicked will then be raised to receive the devouring fire, which will leave the earth free from sin and sinners. Rev. 20:9. Ps. 37. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matt. 13:43. This earth that was “a desolate wilderness,” a “solitary place,” shall be glad for them; for they (the righteous) have been away from it for a thousand years. Then they will receive their “everlasting possession;” and from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, they will all assemble to worship their King. Yes, “the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.” And because there shall be no death there, nor any pain, “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Grand promise! Glorious reward! Zion, the city of our solemnities, is that “strong city” of which the saints will sing in that day when they wait with anxious eyes to behold their King. Trials and sore afflictions will have separated them from the world. All their joy will be to think of the future. During the plagues they will be protected by the angels of God, Ps. 91; yet their hearts will meditate terrors, Isa. 33:18; for the angels will be unseen by them. They can only hear them saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” Isa. 30:21. Then mortal men on earth will be holy; for the decree will have passed: “He that is holy, let him be holy still.” Probation will be over; for the unmingled wrath of God will be falling on the ungodly. These scenes will not last long; for the Lord then says, “Behold, I come quickly.” Rev. 22:11, 12. Isaiah says, they that give the proclamation of coming salvation to the end of the world shall be called “the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.” Chap. 62:11, 12. Following this is a description of One whose garments are sprinkled with blood, One who is mighty to save. And he declares, “The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.” This is the time during which the plagues will fall. Rev. 18:8. To illustrate how God’s people will be protected, he mentions the loving kindness of the Lord to ancient Israel: “The angel of his presence saved them.” How good the Lord is! How wise the plan! Mortal eyes cannot endure the shining brilliancy of the heavenly angels. But at this time they will be guarded on every side by hearing a “word behind” them. Isa. 30:21. Many scorn the idea of a special work of preparation for the last generation. Perhaps they do not consider that all the living who are saved will have to become holy in order to be called holy by Him who “is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.” But they tell us, “The Lord will have to forgive our sins just as he has always forgiven sins.” The good of past ages are saved because they sincerely repented, and because Christ pledges his blood to the Father that if they had lived till the perfect day they would have become blameless. See 1 Thess. 5:4, 23. Therefore, brethren, let us not “sleep as do others,” but let us “watch and be sober.” We must become righteous, and we must do it by true repentance and careful watching with fervent prayer. We can then be numbered with that waiting “holy people.” And when the afflictions are all over, our eyes will behold the King in his beauty. We can look up with joy and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us.” Soon the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God will shake the earth. The heavens will tremble at the sound. The dead will hear and live. Then the waiting remnant will unite with the good of all past times, and ascend with shouts of victory to worlds on high. Oh, the rejoicing! It is said that tears will then be wiped from off all faces, but it almost seems that tears would be shed for joy as saints clasp glad hands in the kingdom. What a meeting! G. V. KILGORE. Nebraska City, Jan. 24, 1876.