The Saints' Inheritance.
By J. N. Loughborough
SPECIAL PROMISES RESPECTING THE EARTH.
We have evidence which is conclusive to our mind that there is a future inheritance of this earth. This evidence we will present in the form of a logical argument. The first premise of this argument is: God has made certain infallible promises respecting this earth. Second premise: These promises have not yet been accomplished, and, according to the description the Bible gives of the last days, they cannot meet their accomplishment this side of the second advent of Christ. After sustaining these premises, we shall draw the following logical conclusion: Therefore, there is a future for this earth beyond the second advent, when the saints of God shall possess it, and when these promises shall be fulfilled. The first promise of this character we will notice is Num. 14:21: "But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." There can be no doubt as to the certainty of the fulfillment of this promise; for the Lord has pledged his own life for its accomplishment. The history of the past presents no testimony that the earth has ever thus been filled with the Lord's glory. But in every age since this prediction, violence, anarchy, and sin, have reigned predominant. It seems in the days of Habakkuk, prophetic seers were still pointed to that glorious time as yet future. We read: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."* To avoid the conclusion that this refers to a perfect state, when "the people shall be all righteous," some have suggested that "there are islands in the sea which are not covered by the waters, so there may be people, even in this glorious time, that are still rebellious." But to show that this is not the prophet's meaning, we would refer you again to the first promise. "All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." And Jeremiah, speaking of the glorious time in the future for God's people (chap. 31:34), says: "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." We claim concerning these promises that they will not be fulfilled this side the second advent of Christ. It has been commonly claimed, however, that the world is to be converted, and a thousand years of peace and quietness be enjoyed by God's people on earth prior to Christ's coming again, and that during that thousand years these promises are to be fulfilled. The testimony of Christ, as also that of Paul, is clearly against the view of the world's conversion. We read concerning the tares of the field: "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." Now mark Christ's explanation of this parable: "He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As, therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."† From this we see that both righteous and wicked are to be together on earth until the end of the world. So the world will not be converted prior to the second advent. Paul says: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away."‡ It seems from the foregoing language that a very degenerate mass of nominal professors are to exist in the very time when it is claimed that the world will enjoy a millennium. There can be no days later than the last, so the "last days" must include the very last day; therefore, the above is a description of the state of a class just before the end of probation. In verse 8, Paul says of them, "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." It cannot be that "All the earth" is filled with the glory of the Lord while such a class are still upon it. Again, Paul says: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." The doctrines of devils will be taught by seducing spirits, and many will give heed to them. This we understand is already being accomplished in the teaching and progress of modern spiritualism. This state of things, just described, which we see rapidly drawing on, does not look like a triumph of the gospel in the last days, or a binding of Satan prior to Christ's second advent. But, says Dr. Priest and others, "Christ is coming spiritually, Satan is to be bound, and a thousand years of millennium be enjoyed by God's people on the earth prior to Christ's coming to judgment." The word of God tells of no spiritual second coming of Christ. His testimony to his disciples, when giving them their commission to preach the gospel, was, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the word."§ He promises, in this testimony, that his spirit shall abide with them, even as we read concerning the Comforter which he promised to send: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."¶ So it would be folly to talk of a spiritual advent of Christ before the end of the world, unless it could first be shown that the above promises had failed, and his Spirit had left the world. His coming will be real. When he had given to the disciples their commission to preach the gospel, he ascended up before them literally and bodily into heaven. See Acts 1:10, 11: "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Jesus' coming is to be as literal and visible as his ascension into heaven. There is, then, no ground to claim that the promise that "the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord," can be fulfilled this side the literal coming of our Lord from Heaven. On the promises we have thus far noticed respecting the earth, we have sustained our two premises, and now respecting them draw the logical conclusion: Therefore, there must be a future state for this earth beyond the second advent, when the "glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea." Do any still further urge the idea of a millennium prior to Christ's coming? we would say, If you locate a millennium this side his coming, it will be strongly infected with the papacy. We read of the "little horn" (papacy), Dan. 7:21, 22: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." Again, Paul, speaking of this power, calls it "that man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped."** He says of him, "Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." So we clearly see that the papal power is to exist, even down to the point when Christ "shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel." If the papacy, as here represented, continues till the coming of Christ and makes war on God's saints, there cannot be a state of millennial glory till after his coming. The doctrine of the world's conversion and a temporal millennium is of very modern date. The first who proclaimed it to any extent was Daniel Whitby, who died A. D. 1726. Previous to his time the universal sentiment was that the final inheritance of the earth would be the fulfillment of the promises respecting the earth. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
(Continued.)