Destruction of the Wicked.
SOME teach that the messages of the angels of Rev. xiv do not belong to this dispensation; but are to be given in the future age, after the second coming of Christ. We will not attempt to point out the many glaring inconsistencies of such a view; but will merely show that those who do not obey the gospel, will be destroyed at the period of the Second Advent. The seven last plagues will doubtless destroy a large portion of an unbelieving world; but the destruction of the wicked will be completed at the second coming of Christ. This is perfectly clear from the testimony of the Apostle. "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."—2 Thess. ii, 8. What is here called, "that Wicked," or "the mystery of iniquity" mentioned in verse 7, is generally believed to be Papacy. If this application be correct, and most certainly it is correct, then Papists will be destroyed at Christ's second coming. But it will not be supposed that they alone will be singled out from the mass of ungodly men, as the only fit vessels of destruction. The brightness of Christ's coming will evidently destroy all the ungodly. Here we would remark that the coming of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him, will be awfully grand. Look at the effect of one angel on the Roman guard who watched the sepulchre where our divine Lord was laid. He came down from heaven to roll the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and at his presence "the keepers did shake, and became as dead men." Matt. xxviii, 2-4. Said Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Matt. xxvi, 53. Well, all heaven is soon to be emptied of all these angels. "The Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him." Matt. xxvi, 31. "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels." Matt. xvi, 27. O, what a scene that will be! The King of kings coming in the glory of the Eternal God! And attended by legions of beings of such an order, and so holy, as to be able to stand in the presence of the great and terrible Jehovah! When the whole heavens shall blaze with the glory of Christ and his attendants, and the whole earth tremble at his presence, then the man of sin will be consumed by the spirit of his mouth, and destroyed by the brightness [bright shining, Macknight] of his coming. But it may be argued that only the "man of sin," or Papists, is to be destroyed at Christ's coming, and that the heathen, those that know not God, will remain alive to enjoy the blessing of these angels' messages, in the age to come. Well, let Paul speak again. "And to you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus 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 of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints."—2 Thess. i, 7-10. Here is positive testimony that those that know not God, which embraces all the heathen, will "be punished with everlasting destruction," when the Lord comes to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe. But the Apostle has not only shown that Papists and the heathen that know not God, will be destroyed at the coming of Christ, but to guard us against the idea that there will be any, of any class of unbelieving and disobedient men that will not then be destroyed, he adds, as quoted above, "and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, we ask, after the "man of sin," or Papists, those "that know not God," or the heathen, and all that "obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," shall be destroyed, who will there be left to hear the messages of the angels of Rev. xiv, in the future age? The Prophet saw the same utter destruction of the wicked. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." Isa. xxiv, 1. "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word." Verse 3. If the wicked are not to be destroyed at Christ's coming, but are to inhabit the earth, and enjoy the blessings of the messages of these angels in the future age, when is it that "the Lord maketh the earth empty," and "waste," and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof? We are told that Jerusalem is to be re-built, and men are to be turned to the worship of God by the proclamation of these messages in the future age.—Will those who hold this view, show us when the earth is to be "utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled," and when the "inhabitants thereof" are to be "scattered abroad?" The language of the Prophet is of the most positive character. He not only states that the earth is to be made "empty," and "waste," but, lest we should get the idea that there might be one sinner left in it, he says, "and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof."