A QUESTION ANSWERED by J. H. W.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 29, 1860

A QUESTION ANSWERED.

By J. H. W.

[An idea has obtained with some that the smiting of the Image of Dan. ii could not take place till after the 1000 years of Rev. xx, as the gold, silver, brass and iron are to be broken in pieces together, which in their mind would involve a general resurrection of all the wicked nations which composed those different divisions of the image. It is in reply to a question touching this point that the following remarks are made.—Ed.]

Bro. C.: Permit me to notice your question in this manner, as it may thereby aid others who may have come to the same conclusion with you. An answer to part of your difficulty may be found in Review No. 23, Vol. xi, of date April 22, 1858, in an article headed "Smiting of the Image."

A comparison of Dan. ii and vii, must settle this point. The identity of the dream of chap. ii, and the vision of chap. vii, will not be denied by any. What is stated of one will apply to the other. The gold is the same as the lion; the silver the same as the bear; the brass the same as the leopard; and the iron the same as the dreadful and terrible beast. The toes of the image are, of course, the same as the horns of the beast. Chap. vii, after speaking of the destruction of the fourth beast, says: "As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and time." This means that their lives were prolonged after their dominion was taken away; for, according to chap. ii, 35, they are broken in pieces together, and of course the life of one is not prolonged beyond the life of the other. Will the fourth beast be destroyed at the coming of Christ? I think all must allow that it will; but the others will be destroyed at the same time. The difficulty on this question must arise from not considering the fact that the lives of those powers continue beyond the period of their dominion; but as this is the declaration of the scripture, a resurrection of the nations is not necessary to fulfill the prophecy.

You appear to think that Nebuchadnezzar must be raised from the dead, to be destroyed with the other parts of the image, as he is called the head of gold. But he was the head of gold only as the representative of the empire. The statement of chap. vii, 12 would not apply to him as an individual; for the second part of the image was not developed till "Darius the Median took the kingdom," some time after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. You will perceive that the opposite view would make it necessary for his life to be prolonged after the dominion passed to the Medes and Persians. The scripture shows, not a resurrection from the dead for the destruction, but a prolongation of life till the destruction.

An argument equally conclusive may be drawn from Revelation, and 2 Thess. ii, but the foregoing I deem sufficient.

I do not think that the events referred to in the parable of Luke xix, 11-27, take place after the 1000 years of Rev. xx. Surely Christ, represented by the nobleman, receives the kingdom before his second advent, to which the "return" evidently refers, as his servants are rewarded at his return. But they will be rewarded "at the resurrection of the just."

The way to arrive at the truth, is to compare the various parts of Scripture. Where there is harmony there is truth. May the Spirit of the Lord guide us into it, and sanctify us by it.

J. H. W.