p. 98 | The Saints' Inheritance by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 14, 1875

The Saints' Inheritance.

By John Norton Loughborough

THE THOUSAND YEARS.

WE proved in our last article that the saints are to go to Heaven with Christ at the commencement of the thousand years of Rev. 20, and that this "reign" cannot be on the earth, but is, as the text states it, a "Reign with Christ." The promises of the Bible in relation to the earth are of a three-fold character. Some of them have already been fulfilled, and some relate to the future possession of the earth by Christ and the redeemed, immortal saints. Many of them are conditional; for the conditions are distinctly expressed, and, as the people failed to fulfil the conditions on their part, of course, the promise being conditional, becomes null and void. Of promises that have reference to national blessings, I see not how they could be otherwise than conditional. To claim that God will bless a nation irrespective of its character, is contrary to all his past dealings with his people. Although there may be instances where promises of national blessings are given, and no condition expressed, yet such condition is always to be understood. The Lord says (Jer. 18:7-10), "At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."

There is no principle recognized in the word of God by which pardon can be obtained after the second advent of Christ. It cannot be effected by the mediation of Christ; for that ends when he lays aside his priestly garments and takes his position as a King. When Christ ceases his mediation, he that is unrighteous must be so still. Mercy then no longer pleads. The offering of Christ will then be of no avail, for he has forever cut the wicked off from having any interest in his blood; they must remain filthy still. If they offer beasts, the blood of beasts cannot take away sins. Because there is no principle recognized for salvation except the intercession of Jesus, we can see no chance for salvation after that intercession ends; so there can be no probation after his second advent. It is argued that, as the earth is the territory of the kingdom, if the kingdom is established at the coming of Christ, it must be that the thousand years' reign is on the earth. Now I shall not disagree with the first position, that the earth is to become finally the kingdom; for "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," are to be given to the saints of the Most High. It is the new earth, however, that is to be the inheritance of the saints. As regards the kingdom being established at the coming of Christ, we understand his kingdom does commence when he puts on his kingly robes. The government, or kingdom, we understand, is fully organized in the city above; and when sinners are destroyed out of the earth, and the earth made new, the dominion and greatness of that kingdom will be under the whole heavens.

If the reign of the thousand years is in Heaven, and the kingdom is not established on the earth till after that period, what is the condition of the earth during the thousand years? Whatever condition it is placed in at the commencement of that period, must be its condition to the close, unless we have evidence to the contrary. We read in Isa. 24: 1, "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." Verse 3. "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled; for the Lord hath spoken this word." Verses 5, 6. "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the

inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."

It does not say there are a few men left on the earth, but the testimony is that the "Lord maketh the earth EMPTY." "The land shall be utterly emptied," &c. Then these few men left are not on the earth. We suppose those who are left are the saints, who, we have already shown, will go to Heaven with Jesus after his second advent.

Jeremiah describes (Jer. 4: 23-27) the state of things after the earth is turned upside down: "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void: and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end." The Lord will not make a full end, for the good reason that the earth is to be restored, and then it will be given to man as his inheritance. The quotation above shows as desolate a condition of the earth as when God first spoke it into existence. This desolation is in the day of the Lord, and as there is no proof that there is a man on earth again till the end of the thousand years, our position is that it is utterly emptied during that period.

We read in Zeph. 1: 2, 3, "I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord." By reading verse 7, we learn when this is to be. "Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests." In Rev. 19: 17, we read of the sacrifice and guests to which the prophet refers.

In Isa. 13: 9, we read, "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, TO LAY THE LAND DESOLATE: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." The day of the Lord will desolate the land: so there are no mortal nations for the saints to reign over. The wicked dead have no resurrection till the end of the thousand years; and as the reign of the saints is with Christ, the earth must be desolate during the thousand years.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. (Continued.)