TRUE GOSPEL FAITH by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 24, 1857

TRUE GOSPEL FAITH.

By Editor

The following article is taken from a tract entitled The Bible Doctrine, or True Gospel Faith. It was written and published by Joseph Marsh in 1849. Though the writer has since turned a complete religious summerset on some important points, and we now see him wandering amid the vagaries of the age to come, yet the article shows where he stood before he left the "true gospel faith." J. W.

GATHERING OF THE JEWS.

We believe that "all Israel will be saved," or gathered to the promised land of rest, after the first resurrection, and personal advent of Christ: if in this we are correct, consequently the doctrine of the gathering of the carnal Jews to Palestine, before or after the advent, is a fable; for there is but one more gathering to that land promised in the Bible. We shall offer no proof on this last declaration because no one, we presume, will dispute its correctness. But on the first we present the following direct testimony:

"And so shall all Israel be saved." Rom. xi, 26. That Paul speaks of literal Israel, the descendants of Abraham, is evident from the preceding verse, in which they are distinguished from the Gentiles thus, "Blindness in part is happened to Israel until the times of the Gentiles be come in." If he meant literal Gentiles, he must also have meant literal Israel. We believe he meant what the terms literally signify. Then the testimony of Paul is, that all Israel, not a part, but all, will be saved.

The next point in order, to settle, is, Who are Israel? All the children of God, of every nation, is the ready answer of many. But where is your proof of this position? We know not of any in the Bible, or do not now recollect of the existence of such evidence in that book. But, we do remember certain texts, which are considered by many as conclusive evidence in this case. We will give the strongest one. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for we are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal. iii, 28. Does this text destroy all national distinction between Jew and Greek? Many think it does. But does it destroy all organic or physical distinction between the "male" and "female"? It does, in the same sense in which it destroys the distinction between "Jews" and "Greeks." In what sense then is the distinction destroyed? or according to the text, how are they all one in Christ Jesus? They are one in heirship, in their right to the inheritance promised to Christ, the true Seed, and Heir of all things; for, "If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs, according to the promise." verse 29. Then all who are Christ's are one, in heirship: the Jew has no better right than the Greek; the freeman no better claim than the bondman; and the right of the male is no better than the right of the female: all who are in Christ, are his, are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. This is the doctrine of the glorious one-ness, or of equal rights, which this and other similar texts teach. But they no where, to our recollection, destroy the national distinction between Jews and Greeks, or the natural distinction between males and females.

Another class hold that all, good and bad, of the natural descendants of Abraham constitute the Israel of whom Paul speaks. But this cannot be admitted, from the fact that Paul plainly says, "They are not all Israel which are of Israel. Neither, because they are the seed [the natural descendants] of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called." Rom. ix, 6, 7. Isaac and Ishmael were both children of Abraham, yet Ishmael, in the purpose or economy of grace, is not counted a child of Abraham, "but in Isaac shall thy seed be called." So, in reference to all the descendants of Abraham through Isaac, though they nominally are Israel, or Jews, yet in God's gracious designs or promises, they are not recognized as such any more than all who are nominally christians will be acknowledged such by Christ at his coming. They are not all christians, that are of, or belong to, Christendom, neither are all Israel who are of, or belong to, the Jewish nation.

Then who are Israel? Let Paul answer. "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of God." Rom. iii, 28, 29. This testimony shows conclusively who are Jews, or the true Israel. Outward forms and distinctions, exclusively, did not constitute the descendants of Abraham Jews, Israel, or children of Abraham, according to the gracious promises made to him. To become such, they must not only fulfil the letter, but "the righteousness of the law," verse 26. So Paul reasoned, and so all the promises and threatenings run, through the Old and New Testaments. We will name a few.

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." Isa. iii, 10, 11. This is spoken of the Jewish nation, and by consulting the 65th chapter, it will be seen that the same distinction between the "righteous" and the "wicked" is observed to the close of the book.

Amos ix, 8-10. "Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us."

"All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword." Such fearful threatenings as these, forever cut off from the promises of God, the sinners of Israel. Well might Paul say, "They are not all Israel, that are of Israel."

Paul settles this question beyond successful contradiction. "But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon EVERY SOUL OF MAN, that doeth EVIL, of the JEW first, and also of the GENTILE. But glory, honor and peace to EVERY MAN that worketh GOOD, to the JEW first and also to the GENTILE: for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law: for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the DOERS of the law shall be justified." Rom. iii, 8-13. And then, in verse 28th, Paul adds, "He is not a Jew which is one outwardly."

By comparing the testimony of Paul and Isaiah, this question may be put to rest; for they tell us that "all Israel" are those who "turn from transgression in Jacob." Paul says (Rom. xi, 26,) "S. all Israel shall be saved: as it is written." It is "written" in Isaiah lix, 20, which says, "And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord." Further testimony on this point, we deem unnecessary; what we have given, most conclusively proves that none are recognized, in the gracious promises of God, as belonging to Israel, but those who are

"righteous," that "worketh good," "are doers of the law," and "that keep the righteousness of the law." This is the "all Israel," that "shall be saved," or gathered to their own land, in the resurrection morn, at the coming of Christ. In proof of this declaration, we give the following testimony:

"Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live; and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD."—Ez k. xxxvii, 11-14.

This scripture is an exposition of the vision of dry bones, found in the same chapter, and therefore must be literally understood; for it would be absurd to talk of an exposition of an exposition. Then "all Israel," those who are Jews inwardly, or really, not nominally, "the whole house of Israel," will be saved or gathered "into the land of Israel," after they are brought out of their graves, which will not be until the "Redeemer comes to Zion," or the appearing of Christ. This is the only gathering to the land of Israel, that is now promised to Israel, or the Jews. Hence the doctrine which teaches any other gathering in the future, is a fable; consequently, our faith, in this specification, is according to "the true grace of God," or the truth. Therefore we should not doubt, but be strong in the position we occupy in this respect.

DESTRUCTION OF THE LIVING WICKED.

The destruction of the living wicked will be another important event that will take place in immediate connection with the advent of Christ.

After the saints are all caught away, above the atmosphere, and are safely standing on "the sea of glass," or hid in the secret of the Lord's tabernacle, then will his indignation fall upon the ungodly.

Oh, what a wretched world this will then be! Not a saint in it! More abandoned than the antediluvian world, or the cities of the plain, before their destruction! Then, Noah, and Lot, were there; but now, none but the wicked, wholly given over to wickedness. And, sad to contemplate, not a few of this abandoned throng are composed of professed ministers and members of the church of God! They have cried Peace and safety, until the day of their destruction has come upon them; when they, with the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, on this quaking earth, and under these burning heavens, are filled with hopeless lamentation and bitter wailing! Oh God! will this be the doom of all who know thee not, and obey not the gospel! Thy word tells us it will, only more dreadful: for it threatens destruction to all such!

"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 (this world) all things that offend, and them that do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father." (Matt. xiii, 40-43.)

This "furnace of fire," into which "all them which do iniquity" will be cast, when the Son of man shall come. (Mal. iv, 1, 3) describes.

"For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of host, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. **** And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the souls of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

That this day "that shall burn as an oven," is the day of the Lord's coming, is clear from the following testimony:

"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, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day." (2 Thess. i, 7-10.)

"But the heavens and earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ** But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat: the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." (2 Pet. iii, 7, 10, 12.)

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth (that he may judge his people.) Gather my saints together unto me." (Psa. 3-5.)

Testimony like this might be multiplied to a much greater extent, but this is sufficient to show that a fearful doom awaits all the wicked, at the appearing of the Son of man, when the saints are gathered unto the Lord, or caught up to meet him in the clouds. Not one will escape the devouring fire of that day—all must fall beneath its consuming power.

Oh, sinner; unbelieving, opposing, scoffing minister; cold-hearted professor; deceive not yourself with the vain hope of escaping the fearful terrors of that day, nor flatter yourself that probation will continue, after the Lord shall come in judgment, and the saints are gone up to meet and be with him. But remember, that now, under the dispensation of grace, is the only time the Bible offers you to prepare to escape these judgments. Oh, improve the precious moments as they fly, in securing an interest in the saving power of Christ, that you may be his in the day of his coming.