To Be Eternally the Home of the Redeemed — When Do They Get It?—First Depopulated and Desolated for a Millennium — Triumphant on Thrones of Judgment
By ARTHUR G. DANIELLS
THIS is the second of three articles by Elder Daniells on the general subject of what the future of our earth is to be. Last week he presented some of the Bible promises that tell of this earth's being redeemed from the curse of sin and made the eternal abode of the saved in Christ.This week his article leaves us with the earth in ruins and desolation at the second coming of Christ. Next week he will present the scriptures that tell of the thousand years this earth will lie desolate, what the redeemed will do in that time, and what will take place after the thousand years are past.
It was shown last week that our earth is to be restored to its Eden beauty and become the home of the saints. The promises of God on this point were very dear to Abraham. Paul says he "embraced them." According to these promises, Abraham knew that the time would come when Satan, sin, and sinners would be banished from the earth. He knew that the earth would be molded over, that its face would be renewed, and that it would then appear in all the beauty and loveliness that it possessed at the close of creation. And more, he knew it would then be his home, and not only his, but the home of all the saved, from righteous Abel to those who shall be living when Jesus comes.
HEIRS OF THE EARTH MADE NEW
It is not at all strange that Abraham, with all this before him, "embraced" the promises. The only wonder is that we, to whom these promises apply as well as to Abraham, can be so indifferent to them. That the promises to Abraham respecting the earth are equally applicable to all the followers of Christ, is clearly stated in Gal. 3: 29: "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Whoever is a true follower of Christ is a child of Abraham, and an heir of the earth in its renewed state.
We now turn our attention to the time and manner of the fulfilment of these promises. When and how will they be carried into effect? It is certain that they will not be fulfilled until after the close of probation. We showed, in a previous article, that all who will be saved are to receive their reward at the same time. To confirm this we quote the following: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22: 11. This certainly marks the close of Christ's mediatorial work. It marks the point where the destiny of the human race is sealed.
The next event to take place is stated thus: "And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Thus we see that the reward of the saints is not bestowed until the coming of Christ, which immediately succeeds the close of the gospel work. As the inheritance of this earth by the saints is a part of the reward to be bestowed by the Saviour, the fulfilment of these promises can not take place until after the close of probation and the second advent.
All this will appear still more evident as we notice the events that occur in connection with the return of Christ to this earth.
RESURRECTED AND IMMORTALIZED
At His coming, the righteous dead are called from their graves and made immortal. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." 1 Thess. 4: 16. At the same time, the people of God who are alive are changed to immortality. "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. 15: 51, 52.
OUR EARTH IS TO BE RESTORED TO ITS EDEN BEAUTY.
Then will be fulfilled the promises of Christ to His disciples, that they should at some future time go with Him to heaven, the dwelling-place of the Father. In John 13: 36 we read: "Simon Peter said unto Him, Lord, whither goest Thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow Me now; but thou shalt follow Me466afterwards." Jesus here plainly promises that at some time His followers shall accompany Him to the place where He was then to go.
In Heb. 8: 1 Paul tells us Jesus went to the Father. In John 14: 1-3 the Saviour not only confirms this, but declares that He will come again and receive His people to Himself and take them to those mansions above.
TRIUMPHANT ON THE SEA OF GLASS
For further proof that the saints are to go to heaven, we refer to the statements of the apostle John in Rev. 15: 2: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." This company, after they are redeemed, are to "stand on the sea of glass." When it is remembered that the sea of glass is immediately before the throne of God in heaven (Rev. 4: 1-6), none can deny that at the second coming of Christ all who have overcome, and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, will be taken to heaven.
WOULD LEAVE THE DEVIL IN POSSESSION
This would leave the devil and his followers in possession of this earth, if no other event took place in connection with the return of Christ. But by reference to other portions of Scripture, we find that Christ's coming has a terrible effect on the wicked. In Rev. 6: 15-17 they are said to be filled with terror at the presence of Christ, and they call for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them, and hide them "from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Speaking of this event and this class, Paul says: "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." 2 Thess. 1: 7, 8. Thus we see that at the second advent the wicked are destroyed.457# THE EARTH MADE EMPTY AND WASTE
Of the extent and severity of God's judgments on the earth at this time, we have ample testimony. The prophet Isaiah says: "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof." "The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word." "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." Isa. 24: 1, 3, 5, 6. This testimony shows that at the presence of the Lord the earth will be "utterly emptied." How? — The wicked will be destroyed and the righteous translated.
Jeremiah also speaks very plainly on this point: "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." Jer. 4: 23-27.
According to this, the coming of Christ depopulates the earth. He says: "I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled." "The whole land shall be desolate." "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." It seems the destruction will be so thorough that the earth will appear very much as it did at the first day of creation, before God gave it form and light and beauty.
BOUND IN THE BOTTOMLESS PIT
It is thus that Satan is cast into the "bottomless pit" and bound for one thousand years. If the reader will turn to the nineteenth chapter of Revelation, and read from the sixteenth verse, he will see that the coming of Christ as "King of kings and Lord of lords" is brought to view. We have already seen that at this time He takes all His saints to heaven and destroys all the wicked nations. The destruction of the wicked is graphically portrayed in the closing verses of this chapter. The subject is continued in the next chapter, the first verses of which speak of the binding of Satan. In the fourth verse the saints are brought to view in heaven, sitting with Christ on thrones of judgment. This is in fulfilment of His promise recorded in Matt. 19: 28. The binding of Satan, then, appears to be accomplished by removing from his presence and power every human being. The purpose for which he is bound is that he should "deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled."
"O man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand," are the assuring words of Christ in reference to His trusting people. It is comforting to know that we are in His hand, that He has hold upon us. We are not saved by the feeble hold we have on God, but by the mighty grip of His eternal hand upon us.
