Avenging of the Elect

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 16, 1862

Avenging of the Elect.

(Continued.) A WORK DELAYED, YET SPECIALLY DONE. We now observe that the coming of the Son of man to vindicate his elect, and redeem them from their great adversary, has been the confident expectation and prayer of the saints in all ages and in all nations. And it was not understood by the primitive believers to be a merely temporal alleviation, as the usual interpretations of this and similar passages must necessarily imply, in respect to their primary intention. It is certain that the coming of the Son of man, referred to in these passages, is, 1. A coming for the general and complete vindication of the elect. 2. A coming which they have long looked for, and desired. 3. A coming which, through divine forbearance, is long delayed. 4. A coming which is regarded as specifically promised, when all the treasured-up and importunate supplications of the elect will be fully answered, and all their patient longings and hopes completely satisfied. Now, all these conditions plainly meet in that personal advent of the Lord Jesus, at the close of the present dispensation, when he shall come forth from the holy of holies, having finished his appropriate work there, to judge the world in righteousness, as it is appointed. There is no inconsistency in attributing to him the work of judging and punishing then; for then he will come without a sin-offering for that very purpose. Then will come the "times"—not all at once the "restitution"—but then will come "the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began," "whom the heavens must receive until" those "times" shall come. We observe again, that coming of the Son of man will be both to vindicate his chosen, and take vengeance upon their enemies. Both departments of this work of final judgment are set forth by Paul in 2 Thess. i: "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you: 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 (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." Vs. 6-10. And our Lord, in his great prophecy, as it is found in Matt. xxiv, thus represents this interposition in behalf of his elect: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Vs. 30, 31. We are now ready to consider more particularly the apparent contradiction in respect to the time and manner of vindicating the elect, as it is represented in the parable under notice. It is not uncommon in the Scriptures to represent the day of judgment as being long deferred, through the longsuffering of God, that men may have opportunities for repentance. Thus 2 Pet. iii: "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 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 burned up. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you." Vs. 8-10, 14, 15. And thus also, as a single specimen from Paul, Rom. ii: "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Vs. 4, 5. We read of great events that must happen previous to the day of judgment, as, the great apostasy, the revelation of the man of sin, etc. Then there are other passages that represent the day of the Lord as coming "quickly," coming "as a snare," coming as "the lightning," flashing through the heavens. "Behold I come quickly," said the Lord Jesus, in Revelation. "Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of the Lord," as represented by Peter. As the flood came upon the old world, so suddenly that it swept them all away, as declared by our Saviour. One class of passages appears to relate to the length of time during which God forbears with the ungodly, giving invitations and opportunities to repent and be saved. The other class seem to relate more to the unexpectedness [to the wicked] and suddenness of the day of judgment, when it shall finally arrive. There is no contradiction between these apparently conflicting passages: they exhibit different aspects of the same thing. The cup of iniquity may be for a long time filling up, and give no indication of the fearful issues that will result from the addition of the last permitted drop. But when the cup is filled, the judgment will be swift and sure. "A short work will the Lord make in the earth." The coming of the Judge will be as the lightning that flashes in a moment from one end of heaven to the other. When the time came to destroy the old world in the days of Noah, it did not require a long while to bring in the overwhelming flood. When the time came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, it did not take long to do it. And it may be well for us to remember that both of these examples of long-deferred yet speedy judgments, have been used in Scripture to illustrate the manner of the final catastrophe of the wicked world. And we repeat that they were both examples of judgments long delayed, yet, at the proper time, speedily executed. After a few more preliminary remarks, in the present connection, you will be invited to examine more particularly the present question, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?" Whether this be an inquiry or an affirmation, is of no material consequence in the present use of it. In some old editions of the Bible we have noticed it printed as a question; in others equally ancient, it stands as a solemn declaration. If it be an inquiry, it would imply a doubt, as if there might be, and as if there might not be, faith in the earth at that time. If it be merely an affirmation, its connections would seem to indicate that there would be faith in the earth notwithstanding the difficulties that were foreseen to be in the way of preserving it. The connecting word, "nevertheless," would seem to imply the fact that faith would be maintained under difficulties, for, "nevertheless," it would not be entirely destroyed. Those who apply the subject to the country and times of the Jews, as a nation, usually regard the proposition as being decided in the negative, and therefore the extermination of that nation. Dr. Adam Clarke, the great Methodist commentator, who understood the subject as applicable to the Jews, gives this short, emphatic answer to the inquiry: "No! and therefore he destroyed that land." Now, if it can be shown that the subject does not and cannot apply to Jerusalem and the Jews, but that it must have its literal and primary application to the world, as the first impression invariably apprehends it, then why may we not be just as confident that the rareness of faith in the earth at the time of the second coming of Christ, was foreseen and intimated by our Lord in this manner? Is not the reasoning in one case just as good as in the other?

Now, since it has been shown that the application of the parable to the Jews is erroneous, and even, in some respects, absurd; since the way has been prepared for its direct and primary—may we not add, exclusive—application to the state of the world at the second coming of the Son of man; is it not manifest that it becomes a question of fearful importance to the whole world? On a question of this magnitude and import, can any people, or any individual, be deemed excusable in the neglect to become informed in respect to this matter? And is it not painfully apparent that the people generally feel little or no interest in ascertaining, in respect to this, what is truth? This parable of our Saviour introduces to us, as an appropriate subject of investigation, the state of faith in the earth when he shall come to avenge his elect. It is not a subject of mere speculation, to gratify idle curiosity, which men may or may not consider, just as they happen to please; and which it is of no practical importance whether they decide at all, or which way they may decide. It is a question of vast practical influence—one which, rightly decided, or wrongly, will have much to do in preparing the world, or in keeping it unprepared, for the judgment of the great day. It is a question for all times and for all people; but especially a question for a people who desire to understand their Bible, and who manifestly live in the latter days of the present dispensation. To this momentous inquiry, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?" we now solemnly invite your attention.

SPIRIT OF THE QUESTION, "WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMETH, SHALL HE FIND FAITH IN THE EARTH?"

The spirit of the question seems to be this: God's covenant with his people includes, as an essential part, a pledge of their complete salvation, not only by delivering them from the persecutions of their great adversary, but also by conferring upon them all the honors and felicities that have been provided for them by their infinitely meritorious Redeemer. The saints, in all ages and everywhere, have received from the Lord the assurance that they would be perfectly saved, both in respect to their souls and their bodies, and eternally glorified with himself. Abel received this assurance, undoubtedly, and died a martyr for the true faith. Enoch and Elijah were permitted to enjoy a demonstration of it, in advance of the appointed time, that specimens and first-fruits of the predestined harvest might be given to the church, in those early times of comparative obscurity in respect to life and immortality. Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible, and acted with continual respect to the recompense of the reward which neither the former dispensation, nor the present, has secured for him. Those model believers of the ancient ages looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. They expected a better country than Canaan—even a heavenly one. They looked for a better resurrection, as the result of their sufferings for God. Now, all those saints, whose faith we are exhorted to contend for, experienced, as well as we, the common salvation from the guilt, power and pollution of sin. And yet it is said, "These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." This perfection, which they could not receive without us, could not have related to their personal religious character, for, in respect to that, they could not have been dependent upon us. It is undoubtedly intended to apply to them collectively and corporately, as the elder members of the great family of God. And the intention must be, that without us, who are, so to speak, the younger children of the divine family, they—the elder members—cannot be made perfect by entering upon the possession and glory of the common inheritance, until all the members of the family come to age, so as to share it together. It is a most important and a most affecting truth, which Inspiration has deemed it good to communicate to us, that all the members of the great family of God, being equally joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, the "first-born among many brethren," shall at the same time come into full possession and enjoyment of the common family inheritance. This was Job's expectation, by which he was cheered in the midst of his distressing calamities: "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." The New Testament teaches still more fully and frequently than the Old, that all the family of God shall be made perfect in their heirship and eternal redemption at the same time. One part of the family is not to have the precedency of any other. The same, "Come, ye blessed, children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," shall be heard by all at the same time; and "So an entrance shall be administered unto [all] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," at the same time. When the period shall come for one to be finally redeemed and glorified, it shall come for every one. Thus Paul, 1 Thess. iv: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Vs. 13-18. The Bible everywhere points forward to the second coming of Christ as the time when the elect shall be avenged of their adversary, and receive the fulness of their heavenly inheritance. Hence it is said that Christ will come with all his saints; "Them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him;" "He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." And thus our Lord represented it in his great prophecy, in immediate connection with his coming, and the signs which are to precede and accompany it: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." Then, giving the parable of the budding fig-tree, which shows when summer is nigh, he continued: "So likewise ye, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Hence Paul's confident expectation when about to be martyred: "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Vs. 6-8. Hence the glorious consolations which he administered to the Ephesians in the first chapter of his epistle to them: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him; in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Vs. 9-14. Hence such exhortations as, "Patient waiting for Christ;" "Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace;" and many more of the same import. The inspired teachers in every dispensation, so far as life and immortality were brought to light, strengthened and comforted the church with assurances from God that he would in due time vindicate his chosen, and raise them up to enjoy the bliss and glory of his heavenly kingdom. And this was always associated with the coming of the Messiah. Innumerable prophecies excited and justified this expectation. This hope and belief were most beautifully and feelingly exhibited by the father of John the Baptist, when informed that his own son was to be the harbinger of Prince Messiah: "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant: the oath which he swore unto our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." Vs. 67-75. The misimpression of the uninspired saints, so far as they have been misimpressed, was not concerning the fact that such a deliverance and such a reign as the good man expected, were implied in the covenant which God made with their fathers: their whole misimpression was in relation to the times when the restitution of all things which God had spoken by the mouth of all his prophets should take place. They supposed it would occur at that appearing of Christ. They had not learned to distinguish between the prophecies which relate to his first appearing in poverty and humility, to provide the way of salvation by suffering, and those which refer to his second advent in glory, to judge and to reign. This misimpression in relation to the time when the promised restitution should take place under the Messiah, was undoubtedly the principal hindrance to the Jewish nation in acknowledging Jesus as the true Christ. He did not answer those prophetic descriptions of his second coming and glorious reign, which are to be fulfilled at a future period, but which they supposed would be accomplished as soon as he appeared in this world. They rightly understood the prophecies which unmistakably teach that this earth is to be the scene of the Messiah's triumph and dominion. We must have noticed that even the apostles, previously to their plenary inspiration at pentecost, had the same erroneous impressions in respect to the "times of restitution" which had been foretold by all the prophets since the beginning of the world. They supposed it would be at that very period, while Christ was yet with them upon the earth. They could not receive his own explicit declarations concerning his death and resurrection. The "times and the seasons" of the long-predicted restitution had not been revealed to them. Our Lord himself affirmed, "But of that day knoweth no man; not even the angels in heaven; but my Father only." After our Lord's resurrection, he continued with the apostles forty days, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. But though he spake of the things pertaining to his kingdom for so long a time, giving, too, his farewell instructions, yet he did not reveal to them the time, whether it would be then or at some distant period. So, at the last meeting, just before he ascended to heaven, they asked him this question, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom again to Israel?" His answer was, "It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." This great event of Christ's appearing in behalf of his own people—of appearing without a sin-offering, to save them that look for him—this appearing to avenge his elect, and deliver them from their enemy, has been long promised, long prayed for, long expected, but long delayed. All anticipations and calculations have been disappointed. The church is yet suffering; Israel is yet unredeemed; the persecuting adversary yet triumphs; scoffers are yet mocking; infidels are yet disputing; Christian allegorists are yet doubting and speculating about it; and some who

call themselves Christians are confidently denying it. The Hope that looks for it has become greatly obscured; the Faith that prays for it has grown weary; until it has come to pass that Christians are very generally agreed that it will make but little if any difference whether he comes or not, if we can only obtain the common salvation which the saints in all ages have enjoyed, even while they were looking forward for better things, and died without receiving the things that were promised. It is a bad state of things—a state of things that directly and fearfully discourages the simple, the childlike faith of former ages, when the saints believed in the language that Inspiration adopted, and confidently expected the things that were promised. In ancient times, to the eye of faith, the Redeemer of Israel appeared as on the mount of transfiguration, with his raiment all luminous, and transparent with the glory of his own person; and the saints of the olden time had no difficulty in discovering the person of the Messiah shining through the glistening drapery. But now, under the same bright cloud that overshadows us, we exclaim, with Peter, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make here three tabernacles: 'one for Moses and one for Elias.'" But, alas! we are so bewildered and dazzled with the gleaming drapery of Christ that we do not discover his person; and we would deem it out of place to say, Let us make here a tabernacle for Elias. The promise of the personal coming of the Son of man to avenge his elect, is usually interpreted to mean almost anything else than what it seems to mean, or than what it inevitably does mean, to every person who has not a previous and contrary theory to maintain. It thus, in effect, becomes a question of God's veracity, or of his Faith, as the word is sometimes used in the Scriptures. "Will he fulfil his covenant with his people?" is the question. The long delay, and the present doubt and disputation, put the veracity of God to a severe test, and the faith of many has utterly failed. "But what if some do not believe—shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?" Has it not frequently, if not usually, been the case that God's word has been put to the test—if we may thus express it—in all his great interpositions in behalf of his people? Has he not in the same interpositions put to the test the faith of his people, until it seemed sometimes as if there would be none who would maintain his confidence until the time appointed for the promised deliverance? Is it not certain, from the frequency of this testing the faith of his people, that there must be a discipline of faith, as well as of other graces, in all the divine methods of exercising and perfecting the virtues of the truly pious? Not to pursue this thought beyond the present use of it, may we not safely conclude that in the final and greatest of all the interpositions of the covenant-keeping Lord, there will be a trial of the faith of the church, corresponding, perhaps, with the unusualness and eventfulness of the interposition? But finally, after bearing long with the enemies of the church, after putting the faith of his people to a test even unusually severe, suddenly as the flashing lightning, while scoffers are yet mocking, while many are crying, "Peace and safety," suddenly and irresistibly, as a "snare upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth," the archangel's trumpet-blast is heard, and the Son of man appears coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. "Unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin [sin-offering] unto salvation." "Then shall he send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." The great work of avenging the elect, as a preliminary to the promised restitution of all things which has been spoken by all the prophets, now begins. Messiah appears in his kingly character, as described in those prophecies that foretell the latter-day glories and reign of Christ with his people. The harvest of the world will have come; the tares will be gathered and burned by the angel reapers; the wheat will be gathered and saved. The whole work will be done speedily. The living impenitent will be destroyed suddenly; the dead in Christ raised instantly; the living believers changed in a moment—in the twinkling of an eye. A short work will the Lord make in the earth. In the decisive events connected with the second advent, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord in a very short time shows his faith with his people, by fully performing all his covenant engagements.—Buck. (To be Continued.)