The Saints' Inheritance by John Norton Loughborough

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 11, 1875

The Saints' Inheritance.

By John Norton Loughborough

ISAIAH describes the saints' inheritance in chap. 35 : 1-7 : "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." On the great deserts, the weary traveler now plods his way, scorched with the burning rays of the sun, finding no cooling shade beneath which to rest his aching limbs, but, faint with thirst, he lays himself down to die. No merry songsters beguile his sufferings, and as his voice grows husky and still, nothing meets his vision but a vast plain of burning sand : not one beautiful flower to change the sad monotony of the desert; and in the distance, the driving simoon threatens to bury him in columns of sand. How changed the scene when the restitution work shall have been accomplished. The desert shall blossom as the rose. Yes, and it shall rejoice even with joy and singing. When it is clothed with green foliage and decked with blossoms abundant, the merry songsters will chirp from bough to bough, and warble forth their songs of praise to the Most High.

Verse 2. "It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon [the forest of Lebanon is described as the most beautiful in appearance of any in the eastern world] shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon." The valley of Sharon was anciently decorated with the most beautiful flowers of every description. In view of this glorious clothing which is to be given to the desert, the prophet says (verses 3, 4), "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you."

Who would not feel strengthened with a hope of such a glorious inheritance as this, constantly before him? These promises have been given, not only that we might know what is coming, but to impart strength to us who are heirs of promise. Reader, are you a believer in these glorious promises? We would say to you, when your heart gets fearful amid the trials and conflicts of the way, look at these hope-inspiring records respecting the future, and be strong : for in Jesus' name we are able to go up and possess the goodly land. Thus Paul could say, "Our light affliction." "While we look not at the things which are seen [the affliction], but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4 : 17, 18.

Isaiah continues in verses 5, 6, "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." As an aid to an understanding of the rejoicing of those who in that glorious state have been made free from all their infirmities, our mind turns to a case of healing that was performed in the days of the apostles, as recorded in Acts 3. A man who had been lame from his birth, was daily laid at the beautiful gate of the temple, to ask alms, saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, and asked an alms. He expected no relief from his infirmity, but asked a little pittance to enable him to protract his miserable existence here. When Peter said to him, "Look on us," his expectation was raised that they would give him a portion of money; but when Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none," his hopes in that direction was blasted, and how unexpectedly must the next sentence have fallen on his ears: "Such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength." What a thrill of joy must have filled his heart at this unexpected healing of his infirmities. He "entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." If this temporary relief would cause the poor cripple to leap for joy, what must be the feelings of those in the resurrection morn, who all their lives have been bowed down with lameness and infirmities of the flesh, when they find not only their feet and ankle-bones made straight, but their whole being glowing with the vigor and energy of eternal youth! "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart." Agile as the deer bounding through the forest, they shout forth their praises to the Most High.

Isaiah speaks again of this glorious state (chap. 51 : 3), "For the Lord shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord." In the garden of the Lord, planted eastward

in Eden, there was every tree that was pleasant to the sight, and good for food. In the restitution, this will be the condition of the whole earth. As is stated in Isa. 55 : 13, "Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree." Thorns are a part of the curse that was put upon the earth. Gen. 3 : 18. But these are to be removed. In that glorious state God's people can "dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods."

We now examine John's testimony in Revelation, chaps. 21, 22, concerning the new-earth state. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away." We have already shown that the new heavens and new earth are brought in by the melting of the elements of the present heavens and earth, and the burning up of the works in the earth.

"And I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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 will be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Not only will these not exist, but, as we have already seen, the opposite will exist : life, joy, rejoicing, and eternal pleasures. What a contrast with the present state of affliction, weeping and death. No raging epidemic there, sweeping its thousands into an untimely grave, and in a moment filling joyous hearts with the keenest anguish; no miasma or destructive thunderbolts: no funeral knell; no pall; no bier; no death-dirge will there be sung; no graveyards ever meet our sight, and sadden our hearts; the grave digger's spade will find no labor there; no aching limbs and weary head; but immortality and the tree of life will forever accomplish the work of freeing the saints from all liabilities to pain or suffering. Yes, "the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." Isa. 33 : 24.

"Death will be banished, his scepter be gone."

Says John Wesley : "We may more easily conceive the change which will be wrought in the lower heaven, in the region of the air. It will be no more torn by hurricanes, or agitated by furious storms, or destructive tempests. Pernicious or terrifying meteors will have no place therein. We shall have no more occasion to say, 'There like a trumpet, loud and strong, Thy thunder shakes our coast; While the red lightnings wave along, The banners of the host!' "No! all will then be light, and serene; a lively picture of eternal day. And what will the general produce of the earth be? Not thorns, briars and thistles; not any useless or fetid weed; not any poisonous, hurtful or unpleasant plant; but every one that can be conducive, in any wise, either to our use or pleasure!"

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. (Concluded next number.)