The Millennial Desolations — The Eternal City Comes Down — The Wicked Resurrected and Satan Loosed — Fire Destroys Sinners and Melts the Curse from the Earth — The New Heaven and the New Earth and Eternity of Bliss
THIS is the third and concluding article of Elder Daniells on the subject of the eternal future of this earth as the final home of the redeemed through Christ. In his former articles, he has presented the Bible promises that this earth, as well as all repentant sinners, will be reclaimed from the curse produced by evil. The Scriptures are as definite about the redemption of this earth for the future home of the saved as they are about the salvation of man himself. At the second coming of Christ, all sinners alive then will die because of the brightness of His great glory, and the earth will remain desolate, with no one here save Satan and his angels, for a thousand years. During that thousand-year period, the saints are with Christ on thrones of judgment, investigating the records of the lives of the wicked.The article this week continues the story, showing the redeemed in their eternal home amid the indescribable splendors of their rich reward.
FROM the scriptures examined in our last article, we found that when the Son of God shall come to this earth the second time, He will call the righteous from their graves (1 Thess. 4: 16), change the righteous who are living (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52), and take them all to the mansions above (John 14: 1-3). Moreover He will destroy all the wicked from off the earth. 2 Thess. 1: 7-9.
This will depopulate the earth, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Jer. 4: 23-25: "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." This leaves none but Satan and his evil angels on the earth; and this is the binding of Satan, as brought to view in Rev. 20: 1-3.
We wish now to show that this marks the beginning of the millennium — the beginning of Christ's millennial reign. We are aware that this is not in harmony with the popular doctrine of the millennium; but we think it is according to the Scriptures, and that is sufficient.
WORLD NOT ALL TO BE CONVERTED
THE WILDERNESS AND THE SOLITARY PLACE SHALL BE GLAD FOR THEM; AND THE DESERT SHALL REJOICE, AND BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE.
We do not see how it is possible to harmonize with the Scriptures the general idea of the millennium — that is, that the whole world will accept the gospel, and live in a sinless state for one thousand years, at the end of which Christ will come to the earth.
Paul declares: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3: 12, 13.
In the parable of the wheat and the tares, it is plainly said that men will continue in their wickedness until the end of the world. Matt. 13: 37-42.
Of the moral condition of the world in the last days, the apostle Paul says further, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." Perilous times? What makes the times perilous in the last days? The world's conversion? — No, but just the opposite, the absence of Bible religion; for Paul speaks of the people as "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
It is not because we desire such to be the condition of the world, that we take this position. We could wish it might be otherwise. It is a sad picture. It too nearly resembles the past history of the race to be pleasant; but it is a fact declared by all inspired writers. We can not ignore these plain Scriptural statements, and teach the opposite. That would be holding "the truth in unrighteousness." The Bible plainly teaches that in the last days sin and iniquity will flourish; that the world will be as it was in the days of Noah. Therefore the popular idea of the world's conversion is but a dream by which many are deceived.
FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE MILLENNIUM
So far as a millennium — that is, a period of one thousand years — is concerned, the Bible says very little about it. There is but one chapter in which anything definite is stated, and that is Revelation 20. In a short article, we can not do more than to notice briefly the different facts stated in this chapter: 1. A heavenly being comes down from heaven and binds Satan for one thousand years. Verses 1-3. 2. At the same time, the beginning of the thousand years, the resurrection of the "blessed and holy" takes place. "This is the first resurrection," and occurs at the second coming of Christ in judgment. Verse 4. This must be the time of which Paul speaks in one of his letters to the Corinthians: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor. 6: 2, 3.482
TO JUDGE ANGELS
The saints are to judge the world and angels. We presume none will claim that the holy angels will be judged by men. It must be fallen, evil angels. And that portion of the world to be judged by the saints must be those who are rejected by Christ. Thus, during the thousand years, or millennium, the saints are in heaven, reviewing the life records of the lost, in order that it may be understood just why God can not save them. It is thus the redeemed will be able to say, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus."
During this millennium, Satan is wandering from place to place over this dark, broken earth. At the presence of the Lord, the wicked were slain, the mountains and the islands moved from their places, and awful darkness covered everything. In this dark, confused abyss, called the bottomless pit, Satan is confined. Here he has nothing to do but meditate upon his past career of sin, and await with terrible dread the future.
THE WICKED RAISED — SATAN LOOSED
When the thousand years are ended, the wicked are raised to life. Rev. 20: 5. This again populates the earth. Because of this John says, "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." Verse 7. This is the loosing "a little season," spoken of in verse 3. The wicked are brought to life by the voice of the Son of God.
HOLY CITY DESCENDS
It is at this time, doubtless, that He descends from heaven with the "holy city, New Jerusalem," and the saints of God. Rev. 21: 2. "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." Zech. 14: 4.
Now will be fulfilled the words of Christ in Luke 13: 28: "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."
At this sight, Satan and his host prepare for the last great conflict. They vainly hope they can wrench off the pearly gates and batter down the jasper walls of the holy city. Everything is in readiness, when a terrible scene is presented before them. Jesus appears, and solemnly pronounces their eternal doom. "And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."
This dreadful scene is the last act in Satan's sinful career. This is the time when God's people "dwell with the devouring fire" and "with everlasting burnings." This is the day of the Lord, "that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4: 1. This is the end of the millennium. It is then that "the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3: 10.
But will this be the end of our earth? When thus melted, will it be annihilated, and cease to be? We can answer this with an emphatic No. The apostle Peter immediately states, "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Verse 13.
"According to His promise." This promise is found all through the Old Testament. It was made to Abraham, and confirmed to his posterity. It was repeated to David; and Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." But the earth must first be changed and "renewed," as stated by the psalmist.
The same fire that comes down from God out of heaven and devours the wicked and melts the earth, destroys "the works of the devil." It renovates the entire earth by burning out the dross; and when the blight and mildew of sin are thus removed, our earth will again appear as it did before sin entered.
Isaiah assures us that the Lord "will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord." Isa. 51: 3. Even our barren, sandy deserts will then be as beautiful and inviting as the Garden of Eden was when our first parents were placed in it.
GLORIES AND JOYS INDESCRIBABLE
It is not possible for man fully to set forth the glories of the new earth, and the joys that will eternally fill the hearts of the redeemed. Our efforts would but darken the picture. We can do no better than to transcribe the description of God's ancient seers to whom the future was especially revealed:
"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." Isa. 35: 1. In view of this, the Lord says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees." Verse 3. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Verses 5, 6.
GOD HIMSELF SHALL BE WITH THEM
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21: 3, 4.
"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isa. 65: 21, 22.
Dear reader, are you living so that you can hope for an inheritance in our earth when it shall be thus renewed? "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
