oassJETasLS. Book._JP_3A__ Copyright N?_ COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. L. L. PICKETT. THE BLESSED HOPE OF HIS GLORIOUS APPEARING. (Tit. 2:13, 14.) By Evangelist L. L. PICKETT, • Author of sundry books; Editor Bible Truth Library, and The King's Herald. Introduction by Rev. H. C. Morrison. • • • • • * • • » • • • •« »•- » • • * » * • < '•«• ••• : •; -♦ v * Price : With portraits, $1.25 ; without, $1.00. PICKETT PUBLISHING CO., LOUISVILLE, KY. GREENVILLE, TEX. 1901. IPs* THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, T*o Coders Receive© JUL. 22 1901 Copyright entry CLASS Q-XXc N* COPY B. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1901, By Pickett Pttbljshing Company, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. i •• • »« • MY FOREWORD, No greater subject can engage us than the one herein discussed. On His' glorious appearing the ages focus, the Scriptures conveTge, the hopes of His people center. To this the prophets point; Peter says they all spoke of it (Acts 3:21.) The apostles and early Christians wrote, preached, sung and prayed much with reference to it. The bap- tized heathenism of the dark ages discarded the hope of his coming and kingdom in the interest of a tiara-crowned usurper, who, in the temple of God, showed himself off as God. Many good people yet discount it. But, thank God, interest is quicken- ing, saints are awaking, and faith revives at the happy thought, "His coming draweth nigh." The writer has tried in these pages to stick to the Word, knowing that within its lines we are safe. I have ventured to suggest some things a little out of the line of ordinary writing upon the subject. On these points I do not wish to appear dogmatic. I have endeavored to answer some queries from many sources. It is to be hoped this department will prove helpful. In some instances another translation has been used in preference to the King James, because the meaning seems to be more clearly brought out. Let the reader who dif- fers with the writer join me in prayer that we may both be ready when He comes. There will be found some repetition. The writer is not unmindful of iv The Blessed Hope. this fact, but feels that the truths emphasized thereby justify it. Those who accept the views herein presented should beware, as does the writer, of date -setting. The tendency with fresh converts to this blessed truth is to begin setting the time for the glorious event. This is without warrant, and in the end has wrecked the faith of many in the doctrine, A preacher friend recently said: "Bro. Pickett, how do you justify your interest in this question, and your views as to the coming, in the light of Christ's own statement, 'Of that day and hour knoweth no man?' " I replied: "Amen. That is the foundation of my interest. Since we do not know the day or the hour, it may be to-night. So I am urging men to be ready now." That was the purpose of the Master's remark. He did not mean to destroy our interest in the great event, but rather to quicken and intensify expectancy, and to urge constant readiness. Post-millennialism deadens in- terest in His parousia by putting it a millennium beyond our day, thus making it certain we will not live to see it. A sinner who feels he cannot be saved, gives himself up to deeper wickedness; a Christian convinced by his theology that a holy life is impossible, decries experimental sanctification; post-millenarians, by putting the advent of Jesus more than a thousand years beyond us, are but increasing the army of scoffers who walk after their own lusts and defiantly ask, "Where is the promise of His coming?" testifying, nevertheless, to the falsity of the post-millennial promise of the world's early conversion by declaring, "All things continue My Foreword. as they were from the beginning. '' But such delu- sions shall vanish some day in the white light of the King's descending glory. Speed the day, O blessed Redeemer. If you find this book helpful, put it in the hands of others. The time is short, the hours speed by, The Master's glory lights the sky And soon o'er earth shall break; The trumpet sounds, His dead arise, His glory lights the vaulted skies, O church of God awake! The winds swoop down, the billows foam, His sleepers hear His call, "Come home," And rise with shouts to go! Alarmed! the slothful sadly say, "The Judge appears, and judgment day, To us the day of woe." Awake, my friend, awake the bride, The hour draws near when, at His side, The Bridegroom she shall greet; The army of the sky attends The wedding, as the Bridegroom's friends, Those nuptials, O, how sweet! Header, to you this call is sent. The day now dawns, the night is spent, The time draws very nigh; Arouse, prepare, no more delay, The trumpet peals, "Away, away." Shall you be there? Shall I? L. L. Pickett, Wilmore, Ky., March 14, 1901. Introduction. There recently appeared in our American liter- ature a little book with the title, "In His Steps;" or, "What Would Jesus Do?" The book, from a literary point of view, is rather commonplace. There is not a gem in it, so far as fine composition is concerned. The plot of the story is nothing above the very ordinary, and yet in a short while after the book had come from the press, a half- million copies were in the hands of eager readers, both in this country and in England. Do you ask for an explanation of the remarkable popularity of the book ? The answer is, because it brings men into close touch with the Christ. It ignores all creeds, it recognizes no sort of denominational prejudice, but looks at the whole of religion from the prac- tical standpoint, indicated in the title, "What Would Jesus Do?" In the midst of the confusion and strife of the times in which we live, with all the greed and oppression there is in the world, and the worldliness and fashion there is in the church, there is one hopeful sign, men are less interested in creeds and more interested in Jesus Christ than ever before in the history of Christendom. It is a fulfillment of that saying of our Lord, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." It is not strange that there should at such a time be a widespread awakening of interest in the sec- ond coming of Christ into the world. Christ most positively promised that He would come. The angels promised that He would come. The Apos- tles promised that He would come. We might expect that while the churches are busy formulating creeds, and building up partition Introduction. vii walls of denominational prejudice, that the doctrine of Christ's return to the earth would be largely lost sight of. But with loss of interest in creeds, and the pass- ing away of prejudices, and the revival of love for Christ and fellow-men, there will logically be re- vived an interest in the coming of our Lord. If we love Him, we will read with delight the promise of His coming, and like the beloved John, we will find our hearts responding to His promise, "Surely I come quickly.''' "Even so, come Lord Jesus.'' Rev. L. L. Pickett is an intense man. He will be remembered in this world, long after he has gone to a better one, as a prolific writer, and earnest dis- tributor of religious books, especially of that class of books that call attention to the higher and better things of religious experience. He gives us here a book on the second coming of our Lord. It will prove interesting, instructive, and of spiritual help to the reader. Bro. Pickett does not demand that the reader shall accept and indorse every statement contained in the book, but he does ask for it a thoughtful and prayerful reading. To love Christ, to serve Him, and to long for His appearing, can but bring bless- ing to the soul. I bespeak for this book a wide reading, and join my prayer with that of the author, that it may prove a blessing to many thousands of readers, stirring up their hearts to be clothed with their wedding garments, and to WATCH for the coming of their LORD. Fraternally, H. C. Morrison. TABLE OF CONTENTS. My Foreword iii Introduction vi Chapter I.— What We Teach 9 Chapter II. — The Coming" Personal 14 Chapter III.— No Millennium Till Christ Comes 24 Chapter IV.— "We Will Bring- the World to Christ". . . 48 Chapter V.— The Great Tribulation 68 Chapter VI. — The Resurrections 79 Chapter VII. — Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter 89 Chapter VIII. — The Translation and the Rapture 110 Chapter IX.— The Antichrist 119 Chapter X. — The Dispensations 130 Chapter XI. — The Sixth Dispensation, or the Millen- nium 141 Chapter XII.— The Kingdom 147 Chapter XIII. — The Kingdom — Continued 165 Chapter XIV.— The Renewed Earth 170 Chapter XV. — Some Uninspired Witnesses 188 Chapter XVI. — The Jews, Peculiar, Chosen, Scattered. 201 Chapter XVII.— The Jews to Be Restored 210 Chapter XVIII.— The Jews to Be Converted 218 Chapter XIX. — The Jews Blessed and Made a Blessing. . 227 Chapter XX.— Prophecy Twofold 236 Chapter XXI. — Relation of His Coming to Other Ques- tions 250 Chapter XXII.— The Coming and Holiness 262 Chapter XXIII.— Signs of His Coming 269 ^Chapter XXIV. — Question Department 291 Appendix A 335 Appendix B 348 Appendix C 365 THE BLESSED HOPE. What We Teach. CHAPTER I. Below is an outline of the teachings which we shall attempt to more fully set forth in the follow- ing pages. (1). The coming of Christ is Personal, visible and majestic. His promised appearing is not ful- filled in death, divine judgments, spiritual manifes- tations, or in any other figurative manner. (2). Till His return the world will continue in sin, only a few of its multitudes becoming religious, that is, spiritually minded Christians and godly in their lives. (3). At His appearing the holy dead will be raised to greet and reign with Him. The remainder of the dead will continue in their graves for a thou- sand years, that is, till the Judgment of the Great White Throne. The holy living, being translated, will be caught up to meet their Lord in the air, along with the saints from among the dead. The translated and resurrected saints will reign with Him over the nations of those who yet remain in the flesh. This will continue for a thousand years, and is what is commonly called the Millennium, though it is far from being a period of world-wide holiness, such as men commonly expect of it. 10 Tfie Blessed Hope. (4). While Christ and His bride are in the mar- riage ceremonies in mid-heavens, the earth will be turned over to the mercies of Satan, and will suffer the greatest tribulation in its entire history. Still it will not be utterly depopulated, as men some- times teach. While multitudes will perish, many of them in their sins, others will live through this fearful period, being subjects, over which Christ and His holy ones shall reign. Thus, during the thousand years, there will be two distinct classes on earth. The immortals, who are the reigning ones, dwelling with Jesus in the Beloved City as kings and priests, and the mortals, who constitute the subject class, being yet in the flesh. (5). During the thousand years, with Christ and His saints reigning at Jerusalem, the Jews, having accepted Him at His return, being restored to the land of their fathers, will be happy, contented and prosperous. They will be used of Him in pro- moting His knowledge and glory among other na- tions. Palestine will blossom as the rose. Its vil- lages shall become cities, and as a nation the Jews shall have great splendor, riches and honor, Among the nations of the earth the masses will be faithful and true, spiritual and godly, but many will yield but a feigned obedience to the King. ,Satan, having been bound at the close of the rap- ture, and the beginning of the reign, will no longer disturb and deceive men, and yet those in the flesh will be carnal, and consequently will need regen- eration. Many will refuse this, pleading their morality and rejecting salvation, as men often do to day. After a hundred years of opportunity^ What We Teach. 11 these will be cut off under the curse of God (Isa. 65:20). Divine judgment will be executed over the nations of those in the flesh, their sins reproved, their wrongs righted, holy laws administered and just statutes enforced (Zech. 14:12-18), by means of which evil will be driven from the earth, or kept in hiding. The result will be a glorious era of phys- ical, spiritual, social and intellectual progress. Life will be so lengthened that "the child shall die an hundred years old." Yet, with all these glori- ous advantages, constituting an era far surpassing anything known since the fall, men will be vacil- lating and weak, and many of them will prove un- true to God when the hour of temptation shall come (Rev. 20:8,9). (6). At the close of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed, and will instigate another great apostasy (Rev. 20:7,8). Those not truly saved will fall away and join him in the great rebellion against the gov- ernment and authority of Christ. Then is inaugu- rated the battle of Gog and Magog. The purpose of Satan's release is evidently to test men. It is a sifting period. Those not saved by grace and un- swervingly devoted to Christ will join the armies of Satan in this final insurrection. (7). As the armies of the Satanic allies are march- ing against the forces of Christ the fire falls from heaven, the elements melt with fervent heat, as set forth in 2 Peter (3:6-12). Then the dead of all gen- erations who were not worthy to participate in the first resurrection shall be called forth from land and sea, together with those, good and bad, who shall have died during the Millennium. The great 12 The Blessed Hope. white throne will appear, and the dead, large and small, standing before God, shall be judged. This is connected with the coming of Christ, but is at the end of the thousand years, rather than at the beginning. It is the fulfillment of Matt. 25:31-46. (8). This makes an end of sin. Those who have proved true to Christ in the final onslaught of the enemy shall be transferred into the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous- ness. They shall constitute its happy, holy and deathless inhabitants, being like Adam and Eve be- fore the fall, the works of the devil having been destroyed (1 Jno. 3:8) and all things restored (Acts 3:19-21). (9). The earth being renovated, restored to its pristine purity, so much so that it is called a new earth, shall become the site of the kingdom of Christ, .which shall endure forever (Dan. 2:44; 7:13,18,27; Psa. 89:37, and 4, with Luke 1:32,33). This is called by Peter, "The times of the restitu- tion of all things," or perfect restoration of the earth and the race, including man's forfeited do- minion. In this perfect kingdom there shall be no death (Rev. 21:4; 22:3-5). From thence Christ shall reign, not only over earth, but "every knee shall bow to Him, of things in the heavens, and in the earth and beneath the earth" (Phil. 2:5-11). All of this comes in what is called, "The dispensation of the fullness of times" (Eph. 1:10). All things head up in Christ (Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:14-16), Who is over all God blessed forever. This universal sovereignty is accorded our Savior as "the Son of man." After the perfect subjugation of all things What We Teach. 13 to Him as man, He will bow the knee to the Father with Whom, in His divinity, He was, is, and shall ever be, co-equal. Henceforth the man Jesus takes a secondary place, and God is all in all (1 Cor. 15:24-28.) This is but an outline which we shall endeavor to develop and sustain in this book. 14 The Blessed Hope. The Coming- Personal. CHAPTER II. Will Jesus return to this earth in person and reign upon it? or is there to be expected only a spiritual subjugation of the race to His sovereignty, by such agencies as are now employed, and have character- ized the gospel dispensation? I. AS MEN HAVE IT. It is remarkable how men have dealt with these questions. Imagination has been allowed full sway. Some have conjured up any number of sub- stitutes for the personal individual return and reign of Jesus Christ. They have sought the ful- fillment of the promises of His appearing in the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit, and other great religious upheavals. Some have located it in the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgments of God upon the Jews. Others have insisted that it is simply death; that when any one passes into the turbid waters of the mystic river Christ has come. We object to all such man-made substitutes for the Scriptural teaching concerning "The Blessed Hope. 9 ' Let us briefly examine a few of these human theories. (1). The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. This cannot be the fulfillment, because His coming was spoken of as future in the Epistles and the Apoca- The Coming Personal. 15 lypse, and these were written long after Pentecost. Then again. His coming is visible, as set forth in many of the Scriptures; but the Spirit, as poured upon the suppliant congregation, is invisible. We are aware that at Pentecost tongues of fire were seen upon the heads of the apostles, but this was not the Spirit Himself, but simply a manifestation of His presence, nor was this ever after repeated. (2). Nor are the promises of His coming fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem, (a) It is the Christ of God for whom we look, and not the heathen armies of a cruel and despotic people, (b) His coming is for all; it is world-wide in its scope. But this vis- itation of judgment was only upon the Jews. (c) His coming renovates the world, renews all things. The armies of Rome left Jerusalem in ashes and blood, in sorrow and desolation, (d) His coming is a blessed hope; a source of joy and glad- ness, comfort and consolation. But the armies of Rome brought terror and dismay, sorrow and suf- fering, blood and bankruptcy to the once honored but then God-forsaken people of Jerusalem. (3). Nor are the promises of His coming fulfilled in articulo mortis — in the hour and article of death. Millions of his saints "have fallen on sleep," and myriads of sinners have gone down beneath the ravages of death; but Christ remains at the Fath- ers right hand — His coming awaits fulfillment, (a) Death is no object of hope. It has well been called "the grim monster." Paul calls it an enemy, which he says is the last to be destroyed by the conquering Hero of Calvary (1 Cor. 15 :26). (b) Christ shall come as the lightning shining from the East 16 TJie Blessed Hope. to the West (Luke 17:24). Death slips in as a se- cret and relentless foe. (c) Jesus comes to earth once for all; the visitations of death are innumera- ble. He passes up and down the earth, sowing tears and suffering in countless homes. The weeds of mourning in a home circle are scarcely cast aside till lo! he comes again, leaving the ranks broken and his victim to decay and undergo phys- ical dissolution, despite weeping friends who, with broken hearts, are powerless to aid. (d) It is not said in the Scriptures that Christ ever came for any one at death. The angels convoyed Lazarus from his rags and sorrows to Abraham's bosom. As Stephen fell asleep beneath a shower of stones, his fading vision caught the last gleams of things earthly, and then to him was granted to behold the Son of man, not coming in the clouds with power and great glory, but seated at the Father's right hand. As David said concerning his child, I shall go to him, he cannot come to me, so may the dying saint, who passes from scenes of earth before Christ returns, say of His Lord, (e) His coming is attended by world-shaking, heaven-melting phe- nomena. Death frequently does his work undis- covered by near neighbors, or even inmates of the same house, till his cruel deed is accomplished. (f) When every prop has been knocked from under the objectors, they generally rally with, "Oh well, it is all the same; when we die He comes for us." Not so, by any means. Though millions have died, they are not crowned; their souls are beneath the Altar, as seen by the beloved Disciple (Rev. 6:9); there they are crying to the Lord to avenge them The Coming Personal. 17 of their blood, and this will be done in the day of the restoration of all things! The hour of death is the time of our humiliation, but the day of His re- turn is the morning of our coronation (2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4). I have long since ceased to prepare for death. The Bridegroom's coming is a brighter goal. I run my life's train by the time-table of His advent. If we remain in the flesh till He come, we may share in the rapture with His saints; if death mow us down ere He arrives, our hope is that we may share with the martyrs in the first resurrection. The: following statement from Rev. J. H. Brookes is so suitable to our line of argument that we give it place: "If those who oppose the doctrine of our Lord's premillennial advent have a right to say that when He spoke of His coming He meant the de- struction of Jerusalem, the Universalist with as, much reason may insist that when He spoke of His coming to judgment He meant nothing more than, the destruction of Jerusalem. If the Post-mille- narian has a right to say that His distinct and re- peated announcement of His future advent is onljr a figurative mode of predicting the manifested power of the Spirit in converting the world, the Unitarian with no less propriety may claim that His distinct and repeated announcement of His equality and oneness with the Father is only a fig- urative way of stating that He was a good man.. If the plain promise, so often given in simple, un- adorned language, that He will come back to the earth is fulfilled in our death, our mouths are shut against the daring impiety of the Rationalist, when 2 18 The Blessed Hope. he subjects the Sacred Scriptures to the standard of human reason, or rather, of human caprice. If the coming of Christ ever means the destruction of Jerusalem, or the -outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or the death of a Christian, or any other event but His literal, personal return from the right hand of the Father, then His blessed book becomes a mere jumble of ambiguous utterances, giving no certain sound upon the subjects that most deeply concern our welfare. " (Maranatha, pages 60,61.) II. AS THE BOOK HAS IT. We have seen how men sometimes construe this subject. Let us examine the Word. It shall be the arbiter of our controversy. No other doctrine has such prominence in Sacred writ as Christ's re- turn to the earth. It is the burden of the prophets, the goal of the hopes, the object of the faith of the saints in all ages. The promises, prophecies and prayers of the Bible point to His coming with power and glory. The armies of the saints in prophetic and apostolic times, with upturned gaze marched forward constantly listening for the mid- night cry, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh." Let us examine a few passages of Scripture and con- sider the terms used, whether or not they can find their fulfillment in spiritual revolutions, the rav- ages of heathen armies, or the death of the body. (1). The names applied to Jesus in those Scriptures ivhich foretell His return are never applied to death or other phenomena. "In such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. " ' 'Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come/' (Matt. 24:42,44). The Coming Personal 19 "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching." (Luke 12:37). Here we are taught that the "Son of man," "your Lord," shall come suddenly, and "He" shall have a reward for those whom "He" finds watching. How could these terms, "your Lord" and "the Son of man," and the pronouns, be applied to death, to revivals of religion, or to Roman armies? They all clearly refer to the Son of God — the coming Christ. In 1 Thess. (4:16) it is said, "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven." (2). As Jesus went into the open heavens from ihe Mount of Olives, the two ivhite-robed messengers com- forted the bereaved and bewildered disciples as they gazed upward, with the soul-reviving promise, "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go." (Acts 1:9-11). He went in His body; He went visibly; He went in His own divine-human personality. The promise is, He shall, "in like manner, return." My heart to-day thrills with the hope expressed by the prophet of old: "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him," but when, I know not. It is more than thirty centuries nearer than when Balaam felt constrained to utter these words, "it is not nigh." (Numb. 24:17). I am taught to look for Him daily, and so are you, kind reader. (3). ih In the clouds.'' We remember that at the time of his ascension a "cloud received him out of their sight." I fancy this cloud was composed of the many saints who "came out of their graves" after His resurrection. (Matt. 27:52,53). No doubt He carried these risen saints to the skies with Him 20 The Blessed Hope. as an earnest of His victory over death — a sample of His work while absent from His Father's house. There was doubtless a great stir in the city of the King when the risen Son of man approached with His first-fruits of the promised restoration of all things, and we opine the arches of the gold-paved city rang with the thrilling song: u Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. "Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. "Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. 5 ' (Ps. 24:7-10). The same cloud in which He went up, largely augmented at the trumpet blast when He descends, shall be seen by the astonished denizens of earth (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; Rev. 1:7). (4). ''With His angels" When He left His Fath- er's house above He slipped in upon the earth, and was first discovered as a Babe in Bethlehem by the angels — servants in His Father's house, minister- ing spirits in His glory, who doubtless missed Him unexpectedly and were astonished to find Him in the manger cradle. His method of redemption for fallen humanity was a mystery into which they de- sired to look. But when He comes again, they will be allowed the privilege of attending Him. Their services will be to gather the tares from among the wheat (Matt. 13:41), and to bring together His elect from the four corners of the earth (Matt. 24:31; 25:31). (5). ik With His saints." Enoch, the seventh from Adam, declared, ' 'Behold the Lord cometh with The Coming Personal. 21 ten thousands of his saints." We are sure the noble prophet will be among them. Enoch walked with God for three hundred and sixty years. At the end of this time he was so much nearer heaven than earth, the Divine Father said to him, "Go home with me Enoch. " The holy walker responded to the invitation, and when he returns, he will ride on a white horse (Rev. 19:14). (6). His coming will be no more in lowliness, but in grandeur. He will be manifested in "flaming fire," taking vengeance on His enemies (2 Thess. 1:6-8). To His saints, thrilling the sight! To His enemies, fearful the day! (7). His coming will have a definite object, directly the opposite of death, viz., to raise His sleeping saints. They that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him (1 Thess. 4:14). "Each in his own order" (rank or regiment). "Christ the first-fruits, then they that are Christ's at His coming." How different these white-clad immortals from the armies of Rome in- vesting Jerusalem, or the horrible doings of death! (8). His coming is indeed declared to be to restore all things (Acts 3:21), not to annihilate them. III. In addition to the above, we would prove the coming of Christ to be personal, and in His body, by the force of the words used in those Scrip- tures wherein it is foretold. In Matt. 16:28; 24:30, and in other places, the word rendered "coming," and which refers to the Master's appearing in the clouds, is erchomenon, the root of which, erchomai, is defined by Pickering's Lexicon as follows: "To come or appear before the public," "to come or ap- pear in the flesh." The word epiphaneia, used in 22 The Blessed Hope. 2 Thess. 2:8, and in five other places in the New Testament, is defined by the same authority as "the appearance; or appearance of a person; unex- pected coming; advent of Christ, presence." But the most common word for the coming of Christ and His glorious manifestation is parousia, which is said to be used twenty-four times in the New Testa- ment. Pickering defines it "presence," "arrival." Rev. J. A. Seiss, a very careful writer, declares concerning these twenty four uses of this word, that every one of them denotes a literal presence — a personal advent. Both of these words (epiph- aneia and parousia) as strongly and directly de- scribe a real, visible and personal coming of Christ as any in the Greek language; and when used with reference to a person, they cannot mean anything but a real presence, an advent of that person. (Last Times, page 48). Paul expresses joy at the coming [parousia) of Stephanus, Portunatus and Achaicus (1 Cor. 16:17); and declared himself comforted by the coming [parousia) of Titus (2 Cor. 7:6,7). He reproved the Corinthians for confessing the weight of his let- ters, but denying the force of his presence in the body [parousia tou somatos) [2 Cor. 10 :10) . Phanerothe (Col. 3:4; 1 John 3:2). This word is defined by Pickering, "to make manifest; to expose to view, to show, to make public." It is translated, "when he shall appear," and "when he shall be manifest- ed." From all this we gather the indisputable conclusion that the coming of Christ is to be per- sonal, visible, manifest. He shall come in His glory, bearing the scepter of universal empire, and in His The Coning Personal. 23 retinue shall be clouds of angels and many ten thousands of His saints. Glorious hour ! May reader and writer be prepared. O THE GLORY. 1 This the rest 'mid earthly turmoil, This the balm 'mid all its pain, This the joy amid our sorrow, Christ is coming back again ; Coming surely, coming quickly, It is but a little while Till we hear his voice so tender, Till we see His welcome smile. Cho.—O the glory, wondrous glory, When our Lord shall come in clouds of angels bright ; O the glory, matchless glory, How our hearts shall thrill to see the beauteous sight. 2 He will hush earth's tribulation, He will make her wars to cease, Bring in everlasting justice, Bring in everlasting peace ; It is not for death we're waiting, But for Him who then will bring Life and health and joy and blessing, Earth's exalted, holy King. 3 Tho the world's long night grows darker, And His coming seems so late, Soon will be a glorious dawning, Let us then with patience wait ; We are longing, we are listening, For His coming from afar, O, how we shall love to greet Him, Christ, our bright and Morning Star. 4 If earth's future be so glorious, What will then be yours and mine, When we bear His blessed image, And within His kingdom shine ; When with Him for endless ages, We shall have the highest place, Reigning with Him, one forever, Gazing always on His face. For music see "Gems," No. ! 24 The Blessed Hope. No Millennium Till Christ Comes. CHAPTER III. Post-millennialism busies itself with preaching the early conversion of the world by gospel agen- cies. If this be true, we certainly have no objec- tion to it; if false, no one is benefitted by belief of It. Our only authority is the word of God. No help can be gained from science; history is incom- petent to decide the issue; logic, reason, human opinion, learned or unlearned, cannot in the nature of the case give us light. God alone knows the future, — to Him we must refer every question con- cerning things to be. The Scriptures do not teach the conversion of all men before the coming of Christ. We challenge the world to produce one passage in the Bible which definitely and clearly promises the regenera- tion of the world before the advent of our Lord. This regeneration is promised (Matt. 19:28) and the time located by Daniel (7:13,14) and Jesus (Luke 21:27,31) as the time when He comes in the clouds. If the teachings of post-millennialists be true, there should be at least a few definite, positive, un- mistakable Scriptures setting them forth; but there is not one; on the other hand, the passages teach- ing the continuance of sin to the end of the pres- ent dispensation are numerous. "We will classify a few of them: No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 25 (1). Wars and strifes. Such is the word of Christ Himself. He tells us there will be "wars and ru- mors of wars/' that "nation shall rise against na- tion.'' In addition to this, instead of encouraging a hope of increasing prosperity for the world, He informs us, "There shall be famines, pestilences and earthquakes" in many places, even to the end (Matt. 24:6,7). (2). Backsliding and Laivlessness. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.-' (Matt. 24:12). Abounding wickedness, overflowing all its bor- ders and trampling holiness under foot, results in extensive falling away from the faith, and this con- tinues to the close of the present dispensation. Christians must "endure" trial, hardship, tempta- tion "to the end" of our age. (3). False Prophets. Men who mislead the peo- ple; who preach science rather than salvation; his- tory rather than holiness; party politics rather than personal purity; w T hoseek creature comforts rather than Christly character; in short, men who have their substitutes for Christ and the gospel of full salvation are certainly false prophets. The Master asserts that such shall arise and "deceive many" (Matt. 24:5,11). (4). Signs in the heavens. (Luke 21:25). Not only shall there be wickedness and heresy among men, with preachers presenting false Christs and inventing substitutes for salvation, but there shall be extensive apostasy in the church. Not only so, but the very heavens shall be in sympathy with the general disorder. It was so at the cruci- 26 The Blessed Hope, fixion. When Jesus was dying in agony inflicted by the cruelty of men, the earth trembled as with an ague, and the sun hid his face — embarrassed at the wickedness of the tormentors of our Lord. So, when the cup of iniquity is full, and the wrath of God is about to break upon those who have reject- ed His Son and spurned the gospel of redeeming love, the very heavens show their astonishment, the sun darkens, the moon turns to blood and the very stars loose their moorings. What an awful catastrophe, involving not only the earth, but the heavens also. As Isaiah puts it, ''The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed." (Isa> 24:23). These celestial orbs will not be permitted to look down in the present dispensation upon a holy, happy world. But they shall mourn over its deso- lation and shall feel the judgment shock when the King comes forth to punish the world for its "in- iquity." (Isa. 26:21). (5). Distress of Nations. The heavens in mourn- ing and the earth in seismic convulsions; the governments alarmed and rent by anarchy and dissolution; the nations burdened with taxes and threatened with wars without and schisms within, _ while wasting pestilence, gaunt famine and deso- lating disease scourge them on every hand, make a sad spectacle, and yet this is the picture of the divine painter, intended to represent the state of things just preceding His return. While this fear- ful condition prevails on the earth and darkness and dismay spread over the heavens, the hearts of men faint within them for fear. (Luke 21:25,26). But the disciples of our Lord are bidden in the very No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 27 midst of these calamities, ''Look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh" (verse 28). This is the time of victory for God's saints, the day of their coronation, the period for the shout of their triumph, the beginning of their eternal joy. Their King is proclaimed earth's sov- ereign in the midst of these overwhelming signs of dissolution on the earth and this fearful wreck in the heavens. Then what? Have we reached the end of all things? Nay, verily. It is the day of the King's coronation. ;, So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (Luke 21:31). The objector may reply that these predictions are already accomplished, because Christ said, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." But the word generation (genea, Greek) does not necessarily mean the people then living. Adam Clarke defines it: "This race, i. e., the Jews, shall not cease from being a distinct peo- ple. I think it more proper not to restrain its meaning to the few years which preceded the de- struction of Jerusalem; but to understand it of the care taken by Divine Providence, to preserve them as a distinct people, and yet to keep them out of their own land, and from their temple services. (Comment on Matt. 24:34). (6). Satan' ] s crop continues to groiv^ Jesus said concerning the tares and wheat, "Let both grow together until the harvest," at which time He will have His harvest men gather the tares from among the wheat for their destruction. The harvest time 28 The Blessed Hojie. is defined by the Master Himself to be ' 'the end of the world," or more literally rendered, "the con- summation of the age." (Sunteleia tou aionos, Matt. 13 :30, 38-40). This one Scripture is sufficient to set- tle all the arguments that may be advanced in a lifetime by Whitbyan Millennialists. The tares will be here till the end, and they are sown by an enemy. They shall only be rooted out and de- stroyed at the end of the present dispensation. World-wide and everlasting righteousness can only be brought in when some disposition is made of the tares. Accepting Jesus as authority, we must in- evitably conclude that the world will not be con- verted till the close of the present order of things — till the consummation of the Christian era and the inauguration of a new dispensation. (7). One taken, another left. (Matt. 24:40,41). Who are taken? The holy ones, those who are prepared to enter into the marriage supper. Who are left? The unholy, the self-confident. They work in the same field, grind at the same mill, even sleep in the same bed. But while one, arrayed in wedding garments, is ready for the marriage sup- per of the Lamb, the other, unprepared for the glorious event, is left to pass thro the horrors of the tribulation. Since some are left, the proof is positive that not all are prepared to welcome Him at His coming. But the good and the evil are found side by side, # like the wheat and tares — growing to- gether. (8). As in the days of Noah. "As it was in the days of Noah," "As it was in the days of Lot," "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 29 man is revealed."' (Luke 17:26-30). How was it in the Noachan period? The world was corrupt, the saved were few. How was it in the time of Lot? The city was given up to things seDSual, selfish and lustful. In both periods the masses were charac- terized by selfishness, their carnal desires engaged them, and God was not in all their thoughts. Jesus says it will be so at His coming. Who has the au- thority to deny His statement? (9). Unfaithful servants. Peter tells us, "In the last days there will come scoffers (literally "mock- ers"), walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Pet. 3:3,4). Christ speaks of the evil servant who shall "say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming," the result is this false opinion leads him to smite his fellows, to associate with the worldly and the ungodly, to "eat and drink with the drunken." (See Matt. 24:45-51). Such is the end of the mocking servant who, in his delusion and selfishness, puts away the thought of his Master's return. If such is the fate of mis- guided servants, what of the great unwashed world? (10). Virgins — wise and foolish. (Matt. 25:1-13). The term virgin cannot by any sort of jugglery be made to apply to the world, the whole of which lieth in the wicked one (1 John 5:19). The foolish have been thought by some to represent the un- godly, but this cannot be. They had lamps with oil in them. According to the Revised Version, and other translations, their declaration was, not our "lamps are gone out," but they "are going out." Along with the rest, they had come forth to 30 The Blessed Hope. meet the Bridegroom (verse 1); a thing which sin- ners would not do; for they will in that day call for rocks and hills to hide them from His presence. (Rev. 6:1Q). Rev. J. A. Seiss, after a clear line of argument upon the subject, says: "I conclude that this parable has nothing to do with hypocrites, tares or wicked ones. It includes none but real members of the real church of Christ; that is, real subjects of converting grace. Oil is the fixed sym- bol of the Holy Spirit To have oil in our lamps, then, as Christian confessors, is to be anointed and consecrated by the Holy Spirit — to have the unction of the Holy One. As all these virgins had oil in their lamps and so had real substance in their pro- fession, they all had 'tasted of the heavenly gift, were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.' They were all true virgins, subjects of a genuine work of grace. They were all alike anxious to meet the Bridegroom and to partake of the marriage.*' (The Ten Virgins, pages 22,23). From the foregoing we conclude that not all of even the converted peo- ple will be ready for the Bridegroom when He comes. If this be so, the vast bulk of the world, hypocrites, unconverted church members, formal- ists, legalists of every type, backsliders, and with them the vast multitudes of those who have no sympathy with Christ and holy things, will be shut out from the marriage supper. Instead of the world being converted by present agencies, we find a large portion of the church unconverted, and living far beneath its privilege, and unprepared to respond to the midnight cry which tells of the approaching Bridegroom. O reader, are you ready noiv ? No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 31 (11). Ever Imminent. Post-millennialism cannot be true, because it puts the coming of Christ at the end of a period of world-wide holiness, lasting a thousand years. This settles it absolutely so far as this generation is concerned. We have not reached the beginning of the millennium, and hence His advent cannot be in our day if He can only return at the end of a thousand years of uni- versal salvation. Of what service, then, can be the oft recurring exhortation, ''Watch." It were foolish to exhort a man who must be in his grave within a short period, to be on the alert for an event which he knows cannot occur for at least ten cen- turies. But the exhortation to be ready and watch- ing is one of the most common in the Scriptures. "Watch," "Watch" — this pregnant word occurs over and over again, and is enforced by the most weighty considerations. ' 'Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." "What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." (Matt. 24:42,44; Mark 13:35,37; Luke 12:40; 21:36). Again we hear the Master saying, as if to put a premium upon watchfulness, "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching." (Luke 12:37). In the same chapter He pronounces His condemnation upon the slothful servant who ceases to watch (verses 45,46), threat- ening to "cut him in sunder and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers." (12). Little faith. Jesus asked the question when He spoke of avenging His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, "When the Son of man com- 32 The Blessed Hope. eth shall he find faith upon the earth?'' (Luke 18:8). If post-millennialism were true and the earth should be filled with His glory by the preach- ing of the gospel before His coming, He would cer- tainly at His appearing find an abundance of faith. But He will not. The form of the question implies a negative answer. There has been thro the cen- turies but little genuine New Testament faith on earth; so it is to this day. Now and then a George Mueller, a J. Hudson Taylor, or an A. B. Simpson arises out of the darkness as a star in the midnight, but examples of all-conquering faith are scarce, and have been in the whole church period. Thus it will continue till He comes. (13). Departure from the faith. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving- heed to se- ducing- spirits, and doctrines of devils. "Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1,2). This is a picture of the last day. It is an express utterance of the Holy Spirit concerning the apos- tasy; it points out the seductive work of infernal spirits, and indicates an abundance of hypocritical falsehoods. The picture reminds one of the man among the tombs, demon-possessed, rather than of the same clothed and in his right mind. (Mark 5:2-15). (14). Sound doctrine rejected. Paul bids Timothy * 'preach the word, be urgent in season, out of sea- son." (2 Tim. 4:3,4). He bids him face the un- godly world with reproof, unworthy church mem- bers with rebuke, and all alike with pungent ex- hortation and sound doctrine. And why? Because No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 33 4 'the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine." That time has come. Seldom can a preacher who emphasizes the great cardinal doctrines of the Bible succeed in securing the co- oporation of even the Protestant, so-called evan- gelical churches in a town or community. The mere reformer, the hand-shake and card-signing evangelist, can, as a rule, unite the forces; but he who emphasizes heart-quaking repentance, thor- ough regeneration, the conscious witness of the Spirit, a definite, unmistakable experience of en- tire sanctification, and the imminence of the Lord's coming is, in nine cases out of ten, outlawed in the rendezvous of popular churchianity. Wealth more than rules many of our city churches, and this fre- quently without regard to the character of its pos- sessor. Paul's sorrowful declaration, "They shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:2-4), is find- ing striking fulfillment in many places. Ministers and Christian workers who love God truly and be- lieve the entire Bible should be very diligent in pressing the whole truth upon the consciences of all who will hear or who can in any wise be reached. (15). A dark picture. (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Time: The Last Days. Subject: Men In the Church and Out. Conditions: Perilous. Dark is the picture by which the apostle sustains this outline. He declares, "Men will be lovers of themselves — selfish," "covetous," lovers of money, 3 34 The Blessed Hope. and there is no crime for which it has not been chargeable; ''boasters," this is a coarse, blustering form of self-Jaudation; "proud," possessed of great self-esteem. Generally the man who has the great- est pride has the least reason for it. Boastfulness is a mark of littleness. True greatness is humble. "Evil speakers/' or blasphemers, as it might be Tendered. The unkind utterances of those who "have no respect for others and no fear of God is a characteristic of the closing days. "Disobedience to parents;" some have thought that children ought to obey their parents, but this is often re- versed, and we find parents obeying their children — a sure sign of degeneracy, a precursor often of crime. A wayward girl or a disobedient boy will come to grief. But the long list of evils continues. In the last days men will be "unthankful," "un- holy." Ingratitude is base. The ingrate is unwor- thy of favors. Not only are men unholy, but many pulpits declare it impossible that we be holy, and this, notwithstanding the blood of the covenant ivhich cleanseth from all sin (1 John 1:7), and the Divine Christ Who, with all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18), is pledged to save His peo- ple from their sins (Matt. 1:21), even to the utter- most. (Heb. 7:25). "Without natural affection." The only test of a true home is love. When this is lacking there's sorrow 'neath the roof. The result is an alarming increase of divorce and a wicked rending of family ties. The Sabbath and the fam- ily are the only institutions which have survived the fall of man and the desolations of the centuries. In these days they are shamefully attacked and No Millennium Till Christ Comes. well-nigh tortured to their ruin. ' 'Truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce." Accusing oth- ers falsely, breaking obligations, practicing injus- tice, given over to lasciviousness, to unchastity, fierceness of nature; these evils abound to a greater or less extent in the church and in the state. As a matter of fact, we know they exist now, and by in- spiration we learn that they will characterize the time of the end. But hear the apostle further. "Despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God. " We do not care in this connection to speak at length of the theater, the dance, the Sunday pic- nic, and the general spirit of frivolity and lightness, but all these things belong to the last days. What of the church? While it is boasting of its enlarge- ment and progress, the apostle calls a halt, and asks what about the power? He tells us they "will have the form of godliness but will deny" the vital essence of it. A church without the Spirit is a carcass, a poor, cold, dead body, ready for putre- faction. It is clear that Paul was no post-mil- lennialist. If the world is to be saved, it must be done beyond the period designated by him as the "last days," by which term he means the end of the present dispensation. Thank God, there is to be a deliverance beyond these "last days," as we shall see in other pages of this book. Gordon well says: "The present age is everywhere set forth in Scripture as one of mingled darkness and light, towards the end of which the shadows rather deepen into judgment than break away before a triumphant millennial dawn. (Ecce Venit, page 66). 36 The Blessed Hope. (16). Worse and Worse. We are frequently asked if we believe the world is getting better, or worse. This is a difficult question. We treat it more at length in another chapter. Whether the world as a whole will improve or degenerate, toward the coming of Christ, may not be very easy of solu- tion. At present the elements of righteousness are valiantly engaged for its betterment; but these are offset by fearful forces of wickedness. Our own opinion is, that the lines between the good and the bad are being more sharply drawn than hith- erto. The word through Daniel concerning the time of the end is, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly." (Dan. 12:10). We believe there is now as fine a type of Christianity in a limited sphere as the world has ever seen. But over against this is wickedness unmeasured and immeasurable. The carnal nature is as corrupt as ever; demons as vicious and the Devil as full of rage, knowing that he hath but a short time on earth. I assume no obligation to prove that the world is growing worse, but I can readily show that it is, and has ever been, exceedingly wicked. He who will consult the Scriptures given in this chapter cannot deny that this state of things will continue, if it does not in- crease, to the end of our age — the Gospel Dispen- sation. But whatever the condition of the world now or later, we are ready to subscribe to the Pauline declaration: "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving", and being* deceived." (2 Tim. 3:13). No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 37 (17). Colossal Fortunes. The increase of wealth and its concentration in a few hands is to-day the marvel of thinking men. There has never been a time when such vast fortunes were piled together. James had a glimpse of these times when he bade the rich, "Weep and howl for your miseries," and declared, "Your riches are corrupted," "your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire." Did he address the rich of his day alone? Surely not, for he adds, "Ye have heaped treasures together for the last days" (Greek, "in the last days"), and he immediately charges home upon them the cry of the oppressed laborer. (Jas. 5:1-6). If Adam were living to-day and had suc- ceeded in laying aside ten thousand dollars each year from his creation to the present, his fortune would not equal that of a Rockefeller or a Carne- gie, a Vanderbilt or a Cecil Rhodes, and others that might be mentioned. If the reader is inclined to question this, he can easily make the calculation for himself, and if he does, he will find that any one of the characters named possesses a great deal more than father Adam would now have. These vast accumulations of money will witness against their holders in the day of reckoning; but men will hasten this day of vengeance, of the execution of outraged justice upon glutted covetousness, even if Christ should tarry. Rags and hunger, squalor and want, wretchedness and misery hang over against these massive fortunes and overflowing luxuries of the rich, creating a great contrast with the spirit of the holy Christ. He who denied Himself and 38 The Blessed Hope. became poor and homeless and shelterless and pil- lowless for the salvation of men will judge the cov- etousness and selfishness which hoardes while oth- ers hunger, bloats while others beg, and fattens while others starve. (18). The Seven Epistles. (Rev. 2d and 3d chap- ters). These epistles to the seven churches of Asia are believed to cover the w T hole church period, from the days when they were written to the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ. The churches herein addressed are representative. They were not all, nor the greatest, churches of their times, but they were selected as embodying the spirit and repre- senting the life of the church in all ages. The purest and best were Ephesus and Smyrna, and they were closest to the apostolic period. Thyatira, w T ith her adulterous Jezebel, as prophetess, repre- sents the church of the middle ages — Romanism, corrupted by lust and debauched by worldliness, greed and carnality. Which one represents the period terminating this dispensation, bordering on that which is to come? It is none other than Laodicea, that lukewarm, disgusting thing which God declared He was about to vomit forth. Does this not remind the reader of the church of the last times as described by Paul — having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof? This does not mean that every member of the church of the last times shall be lukewarm, but it gives us a type of the then prevailing condition. (19). The False Cry of Peace. In both epistles to the Thessalonians, Paul mentions the coming of Christ in each chapter. He tells them they are in- No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 39 formed concerning this subject, knowing ''perfect- ly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night," (IThess. 5:1-8). He adds: "When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them/' The cry of "peace, peace" is very common now. Men say the coming of Christ is far away; a thing of the dim, distant future; but this contradicts the word of the Living God, which bids us consider the day as near "at hand," and Jesus declares, "I come quickly." (Rom. 13:12, 13) . It was doubtless this false cry of ' 'peace" which lulled the ten virgins to sleep, for they "all slept," rather, became drowsy before the Bridegroom came. The evident meaning of this is, that the great bulk of the church will be asleep on this question, having lost interest in it. What deadens interest, and cuts the nerve of hope and watchfulness concerning the advent of our Lord, more than the post-millennial heresy of our times? (20). Antichrist Continues. (2 Thess-. 2:1-9). As we have a' chapter on the Antichrist we will not dw r ell at length upon it here. It is, however, an unmistakable fact that this is his age. He was in existence in the days of the Apostle John, and will only be obliterated in the very glory of the advent. The expression, He shall be destroyed "with the brightness of His coming," might be literally ren- dered, "He shall be annulled by the appearing of His own presence." The Antichrist was, is, and shall be, till He comes, and there is no means of being rid of his hurtful and corrupting influence till the Lion of the tribe of Juda appears upon the scene. 40 The Blessed Hope. (21). Apocalyptic Revealment. I shall not enter into a discussion of the marvels of the Apocalypse.* Any reader, however, can readily see from the book that it allows no era of all-prevailing peace and holiness prior to the King's advent and the judgment period, then to be inaugurated. The Word of God as He rides out of heaven, accompanied by the armies thereof, to the marriage supper, finds men so debauched that He bids a great angel turn over their carcases to the fowls of heaven. (Rev. 19:6-15). The thousand years of reigning with His saints and purging the earth follows this advent, and yet precedes the final judgment of the great white throne (chapter 20). From the fourth chap- ter to the nineteenth is one continual scene of judg- ment and plague, land and sea alike smitten, beasts from the abyss arising, consternation and confusion spreading, sorrows multiplying. If we study this book as one of historic symbols, covering the entire period from the apostles to the end of the age, or seek for it a literal fulfillment at the day of Christ's appearing, the result is the same. There is no room in any period of it for the dominion of the gospel and the salvation of the race from sin and sorrow till the return of Jesus. (22). Unbroken chain of evil. The course of the world's wickedness knows no cessation before the appearing of the King. The reign of "the god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:-4) culminates in the dark and * We would strongly recommend ''Lectures on the Apoca- lypse/' Rev. J. A. Seiss, 3 vols. Price only $2.50 net. Pick- ett Publishing Co., Louisville, Ky. It is a thorough and an unanswerable exposition of this difficult book. No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 41 awful period known as the great tribulation. (Jer. 25:15-33). It is a glimpse of that period which has been characterized by wars, pestilences, famines, earthquakes, and apostasy which the Master re- lieves by the promise of His glorious epiphany. "Im mediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heav- ens shall be shaken: "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." (Matt. 24:29-31). OBJECTIONS. (1) Tlie Leaven. (Matt, 13:33). The objector strongly urges that the parable of the leaven represents the kingdom of God as a progressive thing — a development. From this he argues that the world is to be gradually brought to Christ through the leavening influences of the gospel. To this we reply: (a) Is not salvation, regeneration, an instantane- ous work of God's grace, a crisis in the life of an individual? Doubtless every reader will concede this. But the world shall have its regeneration. (Matt. 19:28). Now, if regeneration in the indi- vidual is a sudden work, wrought by power divine, what will it be in the earth? Shall its regenera- tion be different from that of the individual? Will the objector press this gradual idea of progressive leaven into the experience of the individual, and 42 The Blessed Hope. insist that his salvation is a development from sin to holiness? I trow not. The work of leaven in the individual is rather that of apostasy; while conversion is instantaneous, backsliding is almost universally gradual. At Pentecost multitudes were moved God- ward, but the leaven of corruption worked the deterioration of the church through the centuries. (b) A careful study of the Scriptures concerning leaven will reveal the fact that it is nearly if not always considered evil. It was excluded from the Passover and the Lord's Supper. It represents death rather than life, sickness rather than health, decay rather than growth. When God reproved Israel for backsliding He suggested sarcastically by Amos the prophet, "Offer a sacrifice of thanks- giving with leaven. . . .for this liketh you, O, chil- dren of Israel, saith the Lord God." (Amos 4:5). Jesus, in condemning the corrupt teachings of his day, said: "Beware of the leaven (i. e., doctrines) of the Pharisees." (Luke 12:1). Paul, speaking of fornication in the Corinthian church, says: "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye maybe a new lump, as ye are unleavened." Confessing Christ our sacrifice he exhorted, "Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5:6-8). What is the leaven in this case? The cor- ruption of the church by fornication. The true followers of Christ are unleavened. But, says the objector, this leaven represents the kingdom of No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 43 heaven, and must forever stand for purity. Not necessarily. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is as a drag net bringing in all kinds of fishes. Are sharks and devil-fish good because brought in by the gospel drag net? He also compares the king- dom to a wheat field in which an enemy sowed tares. Are the tares pure and good because men- tioned in this parable? To ask the question is to answer it. (c). Then what is the kingdom represented by the leaven? We believe it to be the organized church, which was intended to represent the work of God upon earth, and it does as yet present the only manifestation of the kingdom among men, but Satan has turned it measurably from its original purpose, and it has become corrupted and perverted as under the Jews. The tendency of the church in all ages has been to formality. The leaven of Satan has worked for the corruption of the king- dom of God, and hence in the epistles to the churches (Rev. 2d and 3d) we find them all except two in a mixed state, the last one of them a luke- warm thing, so disgusting to God that He spews it from His mouth. (d). But if all we have said concerning the cor- rupting influences of leaven be repudiated, and it still be insisted that this represents the progress of good and not evil, we reply, still our position is not overthrown. It is far from proven that the gospel will be confined to this dispensation. Does not Paul say that to Christ there will be glory in the "church throughout all generations, to the ages of the ages/' (Eph. 3:21). Even after Christ 44 The Blessed Hope. comes the gospel is to be preached to the nations; their evils condemned, their sins overthrown. If the progressive view of the leaven, therefore, be insisted upon as illustrating the progress of the gospel, it may accomplish its work of renovating the world in the dispensation to come more perfect- ly than in this. (2). The Gospel Tree. Our objector rallies and informs us that the king- dom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed which becomes a great tree, so that the birds of the air lodge in its branches. (Matt. 13:31,32). This is true in its present representation of the kingdom. The trouble is, many fowls lodge in its branches that should not be there. It has shel- tered a Judas, a Hildebrand, and among its fowls have been the Popes who have burned men at the stake for repudiating their opinions. Its greatness does not prove its purity. Ah, says the objector, it represents "the kingdom." So with these other parables. We believe that a careful study of the parables concerning the kingdom will show that they reveal in nearly every case evil mixed with good, and frequently in the ascendant. In the par- able of the sower, though the seed is the same, and is all right, yet three parts bring forth no fruit, and of the fruitful fourth, only one-third brings a hundred-fold. Thus in this sample of the king- dom, but one-twelfth part yields a hundred-fold. In the parable of the ten virgins we have a picture of the church at the coming, and yet one-half of the members were foolish and unprepared to enter the marriage feast with the wise. No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 45 (3). Dishonors the Holy Spirit. Another objector insists that to teach continuance of wickedness through this dispensation, and that the world will not be converted till the coming of Christ, is a reproach upon the Holy Spirit, deny- ing His efficiency. We reply: (a). This is wholly a matter of assumption on the objector's part. If the Scriptures teach the con- version of the world in this dispensation we abide their authority. If they do not, the objection is invalid. We believe we have already made plain from God's word that this age shall abound in wick- edness to its end. Have the Scriptures anywhere assigned to the Holy Spirit in the Gospel Dispen- sation the task of converting the world ? Is it m ade a test of His efficiency in any part of revelation? We deny, and on him who asserts it lies the burden of proof, the Onus probandi is yours, my friend, not mine. He who puts the work of the world's conversion on the blessed Spirit in the present dispensation slanders Him. How? By assigning Him a task so little part of which has been accom- plished in nineteen centuries. Was He responsible for not saving Nero, Domitian and other tyrants? If He is to be held to account for the conversion of all men in the end of this age, who is responsi- ble for the failure up to and including the present time? If the Spirit has assumed the task of sav- ing the whole world in this age, His methods ap- pear thus far inadequate. But who will dare make such charge? It is a necessary sequence of this ob- jection. Hence, he who urges the objection makes 46 The Blessed Hope. the Comforter responsible for the loss of every soul that dies in sin. (b). But who can prove that the Spirit will ab- sent Himself from the world in the age to come? If I read the Scriptures correctly He will yet be among men carrying on the work of salvation. David shows that the blessings of God upon Israel will rebound upon the world. (Ps. 67). Paul says the receiving of them will be life from the dead. (Rom. 11:15). James declares that when Christ comes the tabernacle of David will be "set up." "What the result? The "residue of men" will seek after the Lord. (Acts 15:16,17). It is then that "all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest," for His law will be written in their hearts. (Heb. 8:10,11). It is then the Spirit will be given the Jews. (See Ezek. 36:25-27). (4). Too Material. One objector urges, it is too material to bring in the personal Christ; He would be local, and hence the world would not be specially benefited by His presence. We reply: If Christ be King of the world, and Satan be bound, righteous laws will favor the evangelization of the nations. It fre- quently happens now that our gospel work is un- done by wicked influences in places of authority. Paul speaks of the wiles of the Devil and declares: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the dark- ness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:12). The world is now ruled by the Devil and his al- lies, its very governments being but wild beasts, No Millennium Till Christ Comes. 47 as revealed to Daniel (chap. 7). This makes suc- cess is all religious work difficult. When we get a drunkard converted, a dramshop, bearing a gov- ernment license, stands ready to swallow him up and sink him to the lowest hell. Save a Sabbath- breaker, and he can scarcely find employment that will not require him to desecrate the holy day. Thus our gospel work is handicapped by wicked- ness in high places — by forces of evil enthroned. What Christian worker has not been discouraged by the falling away of his converts through these evil influences, which abound on every hand? En- throne the Christ, place the government in the hands of His risen saints, under His beneficent di- rection, and every den of iniquity shall be scourged from the earth, and the blessed gospel will be un- fettered, the work of the Holy Spirit unhampered, the nations will be quickly renovated; and then will be brought in the time when "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be upon the very "bells of the horses. " HALLELUJAH ! 48 The Blessed Hope. "We Will Bring the World to Christ." CHAPTER IV. Pregnant sentence! Pull of promise! Shall we see it fulfilled? The writer would certainly rejoice if it might be done. But I know of no Scripture authorizing such broad claim. To say the least, the promise has not yet been performed, though so frequently made. -Now, as in the day when spoken by the Master, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few." (Luke 10:2). The question is often asked, Is the world getting better, or worse? I am free to confess that I do not know. It is not my task to prove it worse, and he assumes a large risk who pledges himself to show that it is really better. But we take no risk in asserting that it is exceedingly wicked. So it has been since the days of Christ, since the time of Noah, yea, since the time when the Edenic pair lost their orig- inal purity and their primeval home. Shortly after the fall, God declared of man that, "Every imag- ination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil, and that continually," and looking upon the earth He pronounced it corrupt." (Gen. 6:5,11,12). This was before the flood. How was it when the Mas- ter was on earth? The bulk of the world was heathen. If any spirituality could have been found it would certainly have been among the Jews. But 4 'He came to his own, and his own received him "TPe Will Bring the World to Christ." 49 not." (John 1:11). The Sadducees were infidels, denying the existence of spirits and the fact of the resurrection. (Acts 23:8). The Pharisees were sounder in doctrine than they, hence among them, if anywhere, we should look for godly character. But what do we find? Jesus condemned them ia the most terrific terms. He branded them as hypo- crites, as whited sepulchers, as serpents, as a gen- eration of vipers, and did not hesitate to call them * 'false and blind," declaring that they were "full of extortion and excess." He called them murder- ers, upon whom should come "all the righteous blood" ever shed upon the earth. He declared that he who would be saved must have a righteousness exceeding theirs. Turning sorrowfully from them, with the echoes of His bitterest denunciation dying in the distance, He declared, "Your house is left unto you desolate." (See Matt. 5:20; and the 23d chapter entire). What does the Word promise us as to this dis- pensation? Nowhere does it authorize us to expect the world's conversion. Rather, the purpose of this dispensation is given as a visit to the Gentiles to "take out of them a people for his name." (Acts. 15:14). Surely this cannot mean their conversion as a whole. When a man visits a town to take unto himself a wife, are we to expect him to marry all the women in town? Does he not rather choose out one from among the many and take her unto himself, as a sharer of his prosperity and joint- bearer of his burdens? Christ, the Bridegroom, is choosing unto Himself the church, the ecclesia, the called out people. This church cannot, in the na- 4 50 The Blessed Hope. ture of the case, be constituted of the nations of the earth, as a whole. It is rather an eclectic com- pany constituting a composite body, of which He is the Head. (Col. 1:18). This ecclesia, like its di- vine Lord, is to be unworldly in character, "a pe- culiar people," a hidden pearl dug up and brought forth; the purpose being to show forth the praises of Him who hath called it out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet. 2:9). Who are to possess the kingdom? It is a ''little flock ;" as such it takes the dominion. (Luke 12:32). Since Jesus was crucified, and all His disciples martyred, centuries have rolled on, and yet the world is unregenerate, and the carnal mind, as in Paul's day, is "enmity against God." (Rom. 8:7). Is the world better? In some senses it surely is. There has been material progress, civilization has moved forward, knowledge has increased, educa- tion has become more general, science has devel- oped fields hitherto unexplored, and the morals of the world, as displayed upon the surface, are doubt- less better. Men travel with greater safety, as well as more comfort. The iron hand of tyranny lias been restrained. The bloody scepter which stood for the martyrdom of the saints of God has been wrenched from the despot's hand. The cruel lines of caste have been modified, and in many places effaced. The heartless sword of an imperial army no longer — at least not frequently — deluges nations with the Christian's blood. The disciple of Christ is no longer forced to an uneven combat w T ith wild beasts for the entertainment of heathen multitudes. Nor is it common for men and help- "We Will Bring the World to Christ." 51 less women to be burned at the stake for reading their Bibles and worshiping God in the freedom of their homes. The heathen cruelties of the apos- tolic period, and the papal inquisitions of the mid- dle ages, no longer terrorize the humble adherent of the cross. Those were dark days when Luther hurled the anathemas of God at the Papacy, w T hen Huss and Jerome, Ridley and Latimer, and lesser lights by the thousand, were burned at the stake, at the instance of the so-called church of God, more properly the fallen ecclesiasticism, the apos- tate bride of the anti-Christ. If we pass on down to the days of the Wesleys, and take a brief sur- vey of the condition of Europe and England we find wickedness rampant. In 1723 Lady Montague wrote, "The honor, virtue and reputation which we used to hear of in the nursery arc as much laid aside as crumpled ribbons." Of the same period Daniel Dorchester writes, "The masses entertained themselves with brutal amusements, instigating bloody quarrels, and engendering savage disposi- tions." Leckey declared, "The impunity with which outrages were committed in the ill-lit and ill-guarded streets of London during the first half of the eighteenth century cannot well be realized." It was an age of gambling, of Sabbath breaking, of bribery, drunkenness and licentiousness. The churches were spiritually dead, the priests venal and corrupt. The Wesleyan revival was a godsend to England and America. Nor were its beneficent influences limited to the English speaking peoples. As a light shining in the darkness it went forth 52 The Blessed Hope. into other nations and languages. Blessed results have been accomplished. In the century just passed the Salvation Army has wrought marvels. Many denominations of Christians have taken on new life, and their mis- sionary, philanthropic and educational labors have assumed extensive proportions. In addition to all this, an aggressive evangelism has sprung up, which has yielded very gracious results. A spirit of fraternity and denominational unity of pur- pose has also developed which is gratifying. The Bible has been translated and extensive- ly circulated in all the great languages and many of the dialects of earth. Reform move- ments have been inaugurated in which God's people have blended their efforts to counter- act and offset the combined forces of evil. Mis- sionaries are speeding forth on their God-given errands to the ends of the earth. Light and knowledge are increasing. The printing press has been yoked up for Christ, and thousands of vol- umes and millions of pages are being .poured forth upon the face of the earth. That man must be blind indeed who can see no occasion for thanks- giving in the face of all these facts. BUT STILL THE PICTURE IS DARK. Over against the good which brings encourage- ment and cheer, is a scene of wickedness, of moral obliquity and spiritual destitution that is appall- ing. The population of the earth is estimated at about fifteen hundred millions; of these (of course, we "We Will Bring the World to Christ." 53 use only round numbers) about nine hundred mill- ions are heathens; two hundred millions are Mo- hammedans, and four hundred millions Christians — so-called. But it must be remembered that the larger part of these four out of every fifteen are Christians only in name; very few of them being devout souls, real lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is simply a classification by nations, and not a spiritual census of the world. For every four per- sons who live in Christian lands and adhere to the Christian civilization, rather than to heathenism, there are eleven who reside in lands where the Bible is not known, nor the Christ of Calvary hon- ored and worshiped. Of these eleven, two are followers of Mohammed, the false prophet, while nine are heathens, largely pagan, and many of them savages of the lowest type. To bring the great unwashed multitudes of earth to Christ would require each company of four persons in Christian lands, so-called, to carry the gospel to another company of eleven in non-Christian countries. But a large per cent, of the four are Christian only in name. They do not know God, and have no mis- sionary spirit. So we see the great bulk of the world is not yet under the influence of even a Christian civilization. The vast majority of men are utterly ignorant of the revealed word of God, and entirely destitute of the first principles of Christianity. They dwell in darkness, and at least many of their lands are the habitations of cruelty, where man is benighted, woman degraded, and where children are neglected or practically enslaved. Heathenism is both blind 54 The Blessed Hope. and deaf, while Mohammedanism is cruel, blood- thirsty and devilish. These two powerful divisions of the world's religions hold under their benighted sway many of the most beautiful portions of our planet, even including the cradle land of the race. The very lands wherein God once manifested Him- self are now darkened and cursed by the deadly shadows of paganism, the midnight of heathenism, or the bloody scepter of the false prophet. But leaving this phase of the question, let us glance at Christendom. What do we find among the four hundred millions who are included in our classification as Christians? In the first place we have one hundred and eighty millions of Romanists — adherents of the papacy. This cruel apostasy has kept Italy in ignorance, continued Spain beneath the shadows of the middle ages, bound a number of the South American States with the chains of a heartless priestcraft; it has passed France through the throes of the bloody revolution, and landed her in the meshes of a cheerless infidelity. Cuba at our door, and the far Philippines now be- neath our flag, are handicapped by her supersti- tions, while Mexico has just begun to awaken into life by casting aside the shackles of Romanism. A survey of the morals of her people, of the educa- tional and home conditions of Catholic countries, will show them to be but little advanced above the heathens. The Sabbath is scarcely regarded, ille- gitimate births are numerous, drunkenness abounds and ignorance is rife in all Romish lands. Indi- vidual and national samples of the deadly effect of this fatal Upas tree, which exudes its deadly "We Will Bring the World to Christ" 55 miasma under the name of Christianity, are not wanting. What is it but a wolf in sheep's cloth- ing, Satan parading as an angel of light?* Is Ro- manism capable of "bringing the world to Christ?" Let Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Bra- zil, Ecuador and the Philippines answer. Next to Romanism, in our brief survey of Chris- tendom, we have the Greek church. This is the Eastern branch of the so-called Catholic church, and is considered by many to be even more corrupt than the Western division. It is notoriously heret- ical in teaching and impure in morals. Witness Russia and other European countries. It can scarcely be said to have a Sabbath, while its relig- ious life consists merely in forms and ceremonies. Thus we set aside at once two hundred and eighty millions of our nominal Christendom. What is left? A paltry one hundred and twenty millions. But as our figures are only in round numbers, the Protest- ant population of the world might exceed this esti- mate; to be liberal, we will allow, thirty millions, giving a grand total of one hundred and fifty mill- ions of Protestants. Now let us glance down this line. To make up these figures we count by countries, so that the estimates are national, rather than individual. Our body-of one hundred and fifty millions of Protest- ant "Christians" is therefore composed, as we shall see, of a motley crowd of mortals. Take the United States as a sample; and it is ranked as largely Protestant. It is perhaps not a whit behind the * See my book, ''The Danger Signal," price $1.00, for a full discussion of the subject. 56 The Blessed Hope. very best of the nations, religiously considered. But how does it measure up to the New Testament demands of Christianity? A brief survey of the field will be profitable. Let us see what we have: (a). The Liquor Traffic. There are two hundred and forty thousand sa- loons, and the liquor traffic in its entirety engages irom five hundred thousand to seven hundred thou- sand men constantly in its service. But to make this a Christian nation, and to reach our total of -one hundred and fifty millions of Protestants, these :must be counted — less about ten millions of Ro- manists, which do not improve our spiritual aver- age. (b). Impurity. In the dens of infamy in the United States there ^re more than three hundred thousand women and girls, of fallen character and ruined life, beside the uncounted thousands of those who pass for pure and are yet unworthy and are lax in morals. These are patronized and supported by a vast army of men as fallen as themselves, as impure and unholy, as much debauched as they. But these, both men and women, must all be counted as Christians to reach the figures of which many boast, when parad- ing their optimistic views of the early conversion of the world. (c). Gambling. There are more than two millions of gamblers, doubtless, in the United States. They throw cards, race horses, bet on prize fights, speculate on corn, cotton, wheat, and other ' "futures" through which comes theft, forgeries, drunkenness and general 11 We Will Bring the World to Christ." 57 demoralization and corruption. Talmage says: "It is estimated that every day in Christendom eight millions of dollars pass from hand to hand, through gambling practices, and that every year in Chris- tendom two billion eight hundred million dollars change hands in that way. There are in this clus- ter of cities (New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City) about eight hundred confessed gambling establish- ments. How many of them do you suppose pro- fess to be honest? Ten." And these are ten stand- ing lies. Gambling dens, like saloons, are open doorways to hell, and many pass through them to the hopeless regions of the damned. But to make this a Christian country, this host of gamblers must be counted. (d). The Lord's Day. There is little regard for the fourth command- ment. Saloons, theaters, excursions, beer gardens, picnics, and other creations of man's lust and car- nality have almost taken possession of the Sabbath in the cities, and in much of the country. Aside from these evils we would call attention to the gen- eral encroachments of the business world upon the day of rest. More than half a million railroad men have to work on the Sabbath as on other days, or lose their positions; but if the railroad employe should surrender his place rather than toil on Sun- day, what would he do? If he enters the service of the telegraph company, his day of rest is wrenched from him as before. If he becomes printer and finds employment on the daily paper, he will be required to work on the Lord's day; if he gets a position on the street-car, it is no better, 58 The Blessed Hope. rather worse. If he enters an ice factory, or a meat market, the same demands are made. In fact, turn where you may, you will find the laboring man bound down by ceaseless toil. By the godlessness and greed of our times he is between the upper and the nether millstones. Conscience and the Decalogue require that he keep the Sabbath holy, while greed demands that it be sacrificed. (e). Greed. Greed paralyzes conscience, perverts justice, pol- lutes the sanctuary, robs man, filches her hard earnings from woman, hardens the heart and final- ly damns its victim. Our government stamps its coin, "In God we trust," but pampers the diabolical spirit of avarice and injustice by forcing many of its servants to earn their living by Sabbath toil. The saloonist buys government license and protec- tion to carry on his hellish traffic, paying the bill in this same coin. Law is corrupted and villainy defended thro greed. The commercialism of our times may yet be our ruin. Covetousness is a can- cer upon spiritual life, a festering sore upon the body politic. It stalks abroad in the land begetting crime, immorality and infidelity. It slips into the church of God and undermines the very institution which was intended to wipe it out and to promote piety and advance godliness. (f). Criminality. Our prison population is far and away beyond the hundred thousand line. Mothers, wives, children, suffer at home, while sons, husbands, fathers, lan- guish in jail, or labor in stripes; and yet blind op- timists paint everything in roseate hues. "We Will Bring the World to Christ." 59 (g). Young Men, The boy of to-day is the man of to-morrow. In considering the spiritual condition of the country it is well to look at him. Where are the youths of our nation? Leaders in the Y. M. C. A., w T hose business it is to look after young men, tell us that ninety-five per cent, of those in the cities never at- tend church. Prof. Shaler Matthews, of Chicago University, in a late lecture, said that in a census recently taken by the Central Y. M. C. A. of that city, only a very small part, perhaps two or three per cent., of those who attend that institution do so on religious grounds. But to make up our quota of Protestant Christendom, over -which so many are boasting as to religious progress, we have to count the ninety-five who stay out of church, and the larger per cent, who attend the association from other than spiritual motives along with those who enter church, or attend the Y. M. C. A. for spiritual help. With but five per cent, of the young men of this nation even attending church, when are we to save our own land, not to mention the heathen nations? It is no uncommon sight in our great cities to find five thousand people out on Sunday excursions, or carousing in beer gardens, while the preacher dis- courses to forty women and girls, with fifteen men and boys, in a church building capable of seating from eight hundred to a thousand persons. Yet they tell us, "We will bring the world to Christ." Wish they'd begin on that boat-load of Sunday ex- cursionists, or, as a sample, convert the beer gar- den crowd. 60 The Blessed Hope. Loomis, in his book, entitled ' 'Modern Cities," declares that the ' 'Protestant churches have lost influence among the workingmen. " He says that but "few have succeeded in holding their own in the cities;" that the "American Protestant Church, as a whole, has failed to win to itself the working classes of the towns." He records as a fact that in 1880, in Boston, counting churches of all kinds, there was but one house of worship to every six- teen hundred of the population; in Chicago, one to 2,081; in New York, one to 2,468; in St. Louis, one to every 2,800. (Page 88). If we allow each St. Louis church a seating capacity of 900, this will accommodate scarcely one-third of its proportion of the population; but when it can secure a congrega- tion of but ninety, which is frequently the case, we see it is actually providing for but about one-thir- tieth of its quota of the city's masses. Then we must also bear in mind that of those who do attend, many do not even profess vital godliness, while some who are loud in profession are low in prac- tice. (g). Church Members. Are they all godly? Have they a spiritual ac- quaintance with Christ Jesus? Are they holy in all manner of conversation? Have they the power of godliness, or simply the form? Take the aver- age church of 200 members. How many of them keep the ten commandments? Do none of them drink whisky, attend theaters, horse races, cir- cuses? Do none of them play cards, billiards, or attend questionable places of resort? To get at the question from another point of "TPe Will Bring the World to Christ/' hi view, let us take a brief survey of the spiritual phases of the Christian life, not simply the moral. The New Testament Christian must be regenerated. He must really know God in his heart. He must be a man of prayer. If the head of a household, he should by all means have his family altar. He should search the Scriptures, be thoroughly hon- est, entirely reliable, true to his promises, and faithful to his obligations. He should attend church as frequently as opportunity will allow, and be will- ing to lead in prayer when called upon, or conduct prayer-meeting if needed. He should take a hearty interest in revivals, and be ever ready to testify to the saving grace of God, manifested in his heart and life. He should give at least one-tenth of his income to religious uses, and labor in every possi- ble way to bring others to the knowledge of Christ, and to promote everywhere the glory of the great King. Surely this standard is not too high for a New Testament Christian. If we are to convert the world, we cannot afford to work by a lower. And yet, if measured by this standard, how many real Christians will we find in the average congregation of two hundred members? Are there ten such; that is, five per cent, of the whole? We seriously doubt it. The world may not be growing worse. Through the centuries it has been so bad that to make it much worse would be to turn it into a hell. But there is little vital godliness; the per cent, of New Testament Christians is fearfully small. Those who love God supremely are comparatively few. A writer, Rev. Win. Reddy I believe it is, makes the 62 The Blessed Hope. following terrific arraignment of our modern Churchianity: "The religion which is character- istic of these last days curls its lip at holiness; car- icatures divine healing; antagonizes the premillen- nial coming of Jesus; thinks the world is growing beautifully better; puts outward reformation for soul salvation; runs off on lines of humanitarianism as a substitute for the indwelling Holy Spirit; is forever forming itself into fresh organizations of 'Leagues,' and 'Endeavors,' and 'Boys' Brigades.' It dreams of bringing in the millennium by social reforms; it denies that Jesus will come and reign on the earth, but seeks to usurp His place and build for itself a kingdom in this world. It is an ease-loving, jovial, laughing, fun-making, fun-lov- ing, superficial thing. Its motives are bounded by time. All its enterprises have an atmosphere of earthliness about them. It despises the day of small things; it scorns little, humble people, and lonely ways. It is eager to jump to the height of prosperity; it is domineering and Popish in its as- sertions over the poor, and yet, at the same time, cringes like a puppy before the rich and the great ones. Its music has no pathos in it; its laughter lacks divine cheerfulness; its worship lacks super- natural love; its prayers bring down no huge an- swers; it works no miracles; calls forth no criti- cism from the world; it has no light of eternity in its eye. It is a poor, pale, sickly thing, born of the union of the heart of the world with the head of Christian theology — a mongrel, bastard thing, with a backslidden church for its mother, and the world for its father. This modern, fashionable re- "We Will Bring the World to Christ." 63 ligion will be everlastingly wrecked at the appear- ing of Jesus.' 1 If we have to ' 'bring the world to Christ'' by present gospel methods, or agencies, when we have already spent nearly two thousand years to reach such a stage as this, our task is in- deed very difficult. . Even the "Holiness Movement" is rent into fac- tions. Some are for all the churches; some for none. Some are zealous advocates of divine heal- ing; others look upon it as fanaticism. Some are clearly and strongly with the writer on the "blessed hope" of His near coming; others label it "a side- track," and will not read concerning it, or allow it preached in their meetings. I could not get room in The Christian Witness, under dear Bro. McLaugh- lin's editorial management, for a brief note on this question. The National Holiness Association will not allow it preached, as I understand, in their meetings. And yet these are godly, zealous men. I do not name this to condemn them, but to show the hopelessness of their task. The world can never be filled with the knowledge of God by preaching a half gospel, or through the labors of men who cannot see eye to eye. And yet we who are emphasizing the doctrine of unity (John 17:17-23; Eph. 4:11-15) cannot unite. Who is to blame? I say the brethren who reject a large part of God's word. They reply, You, who are forever harping on non-essentials. The fact is, neither is to blame; both are honest. We shall know each other better when the shadows flee away before the light of His countenance. We will easily unite and "the residue of men will seek after the Lord" 64 The Blessed Hope. when He returns and restores all things. (Acts 3:19-21; 15:14-17). Till then let us "walk in love." (Eph. 5:2; Uohn 4:7). Will our post-millennial brethren please give us a sample, if the nations may all be brought to Christ by the present regime. We ought to begin to have some qualifications for our great accom- plishment. We should see some signs accompany- ing a promise so large. We have preached the gospel for eighteen centuries, and yet there is not a Christian nation on the face of the earth. Who will show us a converted city, town, village, ham- let or community? If, with our best efforts, with Sunday-schools, leagues, endeavors; with church revivals, camp-meetings, tents; with pastors, evan- gelists, the aid of godly men and women; the use of the printing press, pouring forth books, papers, and tracts; with the preaching of sound doctrine and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, if, with all these, we cannot bring even a village to the feet of Christ, upon what must we build our hopes of gathering the entire world into the fold? Not only is it impossible to get them saved, but equally so to keep them from falling away. Men grow gray under our ministry, and yet continue in their sins, while others backslide and go to perdition despite our most earnest efforts. Judas passed through the earthly ministry of Christ either unconverted, or, in the end, a hopeless apostate. While the apostolic ministry was wonderfully fruitful, yet many, despite its influences, continued in their sins, while others made shipwreck of the faith under the best efforts of these Spirit-anointed men. All "We Will Bring the World to Christ." 65 the dead churches of the world are such by apos- tasy, as they were practically all born in revivals. Again, what about that picture of the Master's coming in which from the field, from the mill, and from the bed, one is taken and the other left? We hear preachers cry out, "O, brethren, if we would only live right we could bring the world to Christ. " This all sounds very well; but it will not stand the test. Did not Enoch live right? How about Moses,, Daniel, Elijah? They certainly lived godly lives, but did they convert the world? Those who are to be taken from the mill, from the field, from the bed, will surely have been living right, else they would have no admittance to the marriage supper of the Lamb, to that meeting with their Lord in the air. But despite their godly character and their fervent prayers, through which they will be per- mitted to participate in the rapture (Luke 21:36), they will not be able to bring even their asso- ciates, those with whom they work and sleep, to a readiness for the occasion. How many godly wives may be caught up, while their worldly husbands are left? Yea, how many faithful parents will rise to meet their Lord, while their frivolous, prayer- less, Christless offspring will go into the shadows and horrors of the great tribulation. In fact, the only translations of which we have auy account occurred in the times of the densest darkness. These saintly men (Enoch and Elijah) of whom God thought so much that He would not allow them to fall victims of death, were unable to bring even the communities in which they lived to God, or to secure the companionship of one sanctified asso- 5 66 Ttie Blessed Hope. ciate in their deathless journey to the skies. To Daniel the revelation was given concerning the time of the end, that many should be purified, i.e., sanctified, but the wicked should do wickedly. Nor does the continued godlessness of the wicked discount the purity of the sanctified. We all know the value of godly living, and the writer is not willing to be discounted by any in insisting upon holiness of heart and life. But it is better to speak the truth than to speak falsely. Live as best we may, be as diligent, faithful, fervent, and Christly as we can, we shall not be able to bring this wicked world to the feet of Christ — our grandiloquent op- timists to the contrary, notwithstanding. "We will bring the world to Christ" will we? Would that we might. But while we write Christen- dom is spending annually $5,000,000,000 (five bil- lions) of dollars on liquor and tobacco to a paltry $15,000,000 on missions; i. e., 333 to 1. Our ships are loaded with beer, whisky and tobacco for the heathens. Our governments draw revenue from vice and debauch our citizens for gain. The gov- ernments of the world are struggling with anarchy, while the armies of Christendom, prepared for the destruction of each other, run into the millions. By our own vices we are debauched, Christ is in- sulted, the very heathens are astonished, the Spirit of God is grieved and wrath is stored up against the day of wrath. That stalwart writer, H. L. Hastings, forcefully puts the case: "What are the present prospects of a church that has set out in all confidence to con- vert the world? How may those now putting on "TT> Will Bring the World to Christ." 67 the harness boast of greater success than is war- ranted by the experience of those who have put it off after having fought the good fight? The proph- ets could not convert the world; are we mightier than they? The apostles could not convert the world; are w r e stronger than they? The martyrs could not convert the world; can we do more than they? The Church for eighteen hundred years could not convert the world; can ive do it? They have preached the gospel of Christ; so can we. They have gone to earth's remotest bounds; so can we. They have saved 'some;' so c^n we. They have wept as so few believed their report; so can we. They have finished their course with joy, and the ministry which they have received to testify the gospel of the grace of God; we can do the same. Can we reasonably hope to do more? 'It would take all eternity to bring the Millennium, at the rate that modern revivals progress,' said the venerable Lyman Beecher. What hope is there that they will progress more rapidly? Is it in the word of God? Glad would we be to find it there. Sadly we read that 'Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being de- ceived.' " 68 The Blessed Hope. The Great Tribulation. CHAPTER V. "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matt. 24:21). Post-millennialists here as alsewhere are contin- ually minimizing the word of God. According to the theory which they attempt to maintain, they talk glibly of an earth filled with the glory of God in the present dispensation. Grim war becomes a relic of the past and mankind is filled with blessings and happiness before the coming of the Lord. The Scriptures, on the other hand, point out a fearful time, a period of indescribable suffering and un- mitigated anguish, immediately antedating the glo- rious appearing of the Son of man. (See Matt. 24: 29-32). Instead of world-wide peace and blessing, His coming is to be preceded by the most awful period of suffering and sorrow, afflictions and destruction in all the annals of time. It is "immediately" after the tribulation that He is to be seen coming in glory. A careful survey of the discourses of our Lord, as recorded by the evangelists (Matt. 24 and Luke 21), will indicate, not first a converted world, and then a returning Judge while it is in a state of gos- pel light, grace and purity, but a corrupt, depraved The Great Tribulation. 69 and Devil-dominated world, the lusts and crimes of which culminate in that which is pronounced by the Master and His prophets to be the most fearful time of sorrow ever known to earth's inhabitants, and His coming follows directly upon the days of this tribulation. There are those who have contended that the de- struction of Jerusalem, by the Roman armies un- der Titus, A. D. 70, fulfills the requirements of the great tribulation. But this is without warrant, yea, even without show of reason, as a brief exam- ination of the subject will disclose. Truly those were fearful times, especially as depicted by Jose- phus, (and yet there are those who strongly resist his showing).* Even if we concede all that Josephus says, this would lack much of being the greatest tribulation in the world's history. In many ancient battles, according to Biblical and other records, hundreds of thousands perished. The vast army of Xerxes consisted of from three to four million men, and the probability is that many more of them perished than were destroyed in the siege of Jerusalem. What shall we say of the wars of the Babylonian i; Smith's Bible Dictionary, referring- to the enormous ex- aggerations of Josephus, well says: The assertions that three millions were collected at the Passover, that a million peo- ple perished in the siege, that a hundred thousand escaped, etc., are so unreasonable that it is surprising that any one could ever have repeated them. It is probable that the entire force of Titus did not consist of more than thirty thousand men, and there could not have been more than sixty thou- sand persons in Jerusalem during the siege and sack of the city by the Roman army." (J. H. Brooks, in Maranatha). 70 The Blessed Hope. and Persian monarchies? What of the sweeping- victories of Rome's bloody hordes, or of Napoleon's sanguinary battles? In some single Jewish battles as many as 500,000 perished. But not in war alone must we seek for the equal of the great tribulation, since the declaration of the Master is that this time of sorrow exceeds all the records of history for anguish and trouble. What of the famines that have desolated India and China, as well as other lands? As many as thirteen mill- ions are said to have died in a single Indian famine. The desolations of that impoverished people in the past three years have far surpassed the overthrow of the city of the Jews. What of the plagues and pestilences that have decimated the nations of the earth? But not only must these all be eclipsed, but even the great flood itself, which left the ante- diluvian world in ruins, is to be surpassed by the prophesied desolation. Who would dare to say that the destruction of a city no larger than Jerusalem, whatever the hor- rors attending it, would excel in sorrow and suffer- ing all the afflictive dispensations of the ages? If the following points are observed, it will be seen that no visitations or judgments upon Jerusa- lem, or any other city, or even nation, could possi- bly fulfill our Lord's prediction. 1. Christ said He would come immediately after the tribulation, but He did not so come at or di- rectly after the destruction of Jerusalem. If it be objected, that His coming was not a personal re- turn, but a dire visitation of judgment, and that the Roman armies fulfilled the prophetic declara- The Great Tribulation. 71 tion, we reply: Not so; the destruction of the city by the Romans, according to this argument, would be a tribulation, but observe, His coming was to be "after" the tribulation, and not in it. 2. His coming is to be visible. "They shall SEE the Son of man coming in the clouds." Who thus saw Him after the destruction of Jerusalem? There is not a record, either sacred or profane, of such a manifestation. 3. His angels were to gather His elect from the four winds of the heavens, and they were to appear with Him. This reminds us of Paul's declaration to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 4:16,17), in which he gives us a picture of the rising from the dead of those "in Christ," and the translation of the holy living. No such thing occurred after the destruc- tion of the Jewish city. Some came out of their graves just after His own resurrection, but the over- throw of Jerusalem was nearly forty years later. 4. The title used is peculiar to Christ — "The Son of man." When were Roman or other armies ever so designated? Was death ever called by this title? I trow not. It is a title pre-empted by the Master. We find it occurring quite frequently in the gospels, several times in this chapter. It never is applied, I believe, to other than the son of Mary. 5. There are a number of Apocalyptic descrip- tions of this fearful period. What is the meaning of the locusts; of the pale horse w T ith death and hell following; of the great earthquake, when the sun became as sackcloth of hair, and the moon be- came as blood? (Rev. 6th chapter). What about the falling of the stars, the kings and the mighty The Blessed Hope. men calling for rocks and mountains to fall upon them? When is the visitation of the army of two hundred millions of horsemen, of whom it is said that the heads of the horses are as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths shot fire and brim- stone? (Rev. 9). These awful plagues are no doubt parts of the great tribulation. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27). The destruction of Jerusalem did not, could not, result in these awe-inspiring signs involving the heavens as well as the earth. It is said, also, that men's hearts failed them because of the things which are coming upon the earth — not on Jerusa- lem simply. By an examination of the twenty- fourth verse, it will be found that these direful visitations come on the nations after Jerusalem shall have been ' 'trodden down of the Gentiles." These are mentioned as happening when "the times of the Gentiles" shall have been fulfilled. Thus we find that Luke agrees with Matthew in pointing us to the days of this tribulation as the time when we shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds. 6. Redemption at hand. "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (Luke 21:28,31). The Great Tribulation. 73 From this Scripture we know that the reference was not to the overthrow of the beloved city by the armies of Titus; for these were days of sorrow, trial, afflictions and anguish, which continued for many years, among both Jews and Christians. But the scenes of tribulation spoken of by Jesus shall be followed by a time of great joy for His ready ones. So He bade the disciples look up and rejoice when these things come to pass, for their deliver- ance is at hand, and the long-looked-for kingdom shall then be established. 7. The time of tribulation is to be followed by the Master's glory. He is to be manifested then with power and great glory, and with majesty in- describable. No one will be so rash as to assert that such things happened immediately following the destruction of Jerusalem. 8. As to the kingdom: We all know it was not set up at the overthrow of Jerusalem; in fact, it has never been set up to this day, in the sense here promised (Luke 21:31), as we show in our chapter on the kingdom. If it be contended that the domin- ion promised is spiritual and invisible, it will not alter our proposition, for in this sense it was set up long before the desolation of Jerusalem. As to the beginning of the Church, or spiritual kingdom, men differ; some date it with Abraham, some with John the Baptist; others say it began at Pentecost, A.D. 33. But Jerusalem was overthrown A. D. 70. No man, I suppose, will contend that the spiritual kingdom had its origin later than Pentecost. Thus it antedated the destruction of Jerusalem by more than thirty-five years. The Blessed Hope. But we are not depeudent upon the records of Matthew and Luke alone for a knowledge of this tribulation period. We find it in various places in the Old Testament, to some of which we will call the reader's attention: 9. Daniel's information touching this time. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy peo- ple shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." (Dan. 12:1). Observe the following points: (1) This is a time of surpassing trouble. (2) It is the time for deliv- erance of the Jews, and all who are found written in the book. (3) It is the time of the resurrection of the holy dead, as set forth in the second verse. (See chapter on the resurrections). This agrees with Jesus in Matt. 24, verses 29-32. "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble: but he shall be saved out of it. "For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve them- selves of him: "But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them." (Jer. 30:7,8,9). Here we have the following points: (1) The day of great trouble. "None like it." (2) He shall be saved out of it; that is, the Jews as a nation shall pass through the tribulation, in which many of them shall perish; but they shall obtain mercy and find deliverance. (3) Their being trodden down of the Gentiles shall cease. The yoke of the "stranger" The Great Tribulation. 75 shall be broken. (4) They shall serve the Lord Jesus, who is certainly meant by the term, "David their king." (See Luke 1 :32,33). 10. Again Jeremiah pictures this period of hor- ror. See chapter 25:15-33. Observe following points: (a) It is upon "all the nations" and "all the kingdoms of the world," yea, "upon all the inhab- itants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts, (verses 15,17,26,29). (b) It is so fearful that it makes them "a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse," (verse 18). (c) "Evil shall go forth from nation to nation," "and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth, " (verses 32, 33). (d) Now, when is all this dire evil to come to pass? It is when "The Lord shall roar from on high," when "He shall give a shout," (verse 30). Paul shows when the Lord gives His shout, viz: "when He shall descend from heaven," (1 Thess. 4:16). Thus Jeremiah's tribulation prophecy coincides exactly with that of Daniel, Christ, Isaiah and Zechariah. They all connect it with Christ's return, and thus we know it is yet future. 11. Isaiah 24th. We will not consume space to reprint the entire chapter here, but earnestly re- quest the reader, Bible in hand, to note the follow- ing points: (1) It involves the earth, and not sim- ply Jerusalem, nor yet Palestine. Such expres- sions as the following carry the mind to the horrors of the predicted tribulation: "The Lord maketh the earth empty," "waste," "turneth it up- side down," "scattereth abroad the inhabitants," (verse 1). The land "mourneth," "fadeth away," 76 The Blessed Hope. "languisheth," is "defiled," "they that dwell there- in are desolate." "Few men are left," (verses 4-6). "Fear and the pit and a snare are upon the inhab- itants of the earth." "They glorify the Lord in the fires, " (verses 15-17). The earth ' 'is broken down. " It reels "to and fro like a drunkard." The Lord will punish the "host of the high ones," "the kings of the earth," (verses 19-21). "For many days shall they be visited." "The Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem," "gloriously," (verses 22,23). By the foregoing it "will be seen that the great tribulation is world- wide, reaching Jew and Gentile, bond and free; yea, the very earth itself being involved, and mightily shaken, men of all classes being punished and terribly afflicted. And yet all this terminates in the Lord's glorious reign in Jerusalem. He re- lieves the earth of its desolation, and His glory banishes the night of its sorrows. 12. In Zech. 14:1-3 we have the tribulation de- picted. The following points the thoughtful reader wall readily observe: (1) It is a day of spoils. (2) All nations are gathered against Jerusalem, not simply the armies of Rome as under Titus, but "the nations." (3) The city is taken and severely pun- ished. (4) Half of the city go into captivity, but the residue are not cut off, but are allowed to re- main. It was not so in the former desolation of the city. (5) Then the Lord punishes the nations as they have punished Jerusalem. Thus the tribula- tion begins in another destruction of the unfor- tunate city, but extends to all nations. (6) This is followed by the appearing of the Lord with all His The Great Tribulation, 77 saints. And the great earthquake splits the Mount of Olives, in the heart of which there is left a great valley. Will our reader kindly turn to Rev. 6:12 and 11:13-15. Here will be found the same earth- quake in connection with the signs in the heavens mentioned by Jesus in Mark 13:24-27. It will also be observed that at the time of this seismic con- vulsion the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever. It will be seen in the further study of the pas- • sage (Zech. 14) that after the Lord shall come with His saints He ''shall be king over all the earth," and there shall be no rival gods, for there "shall be one Lord and his name one. " This is not the end of all things, as many contend, for "Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited and men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction," (verses 9-11). "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord," (verse 20). But the objector brings forward, "This genera- tion shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." (Matt. 24:34). The word rendered "generation" is "£/enea," and in Acts 14:16 it is rendered "times." In the same book (15:21) it is translated "time." In Eph. 3:5,21 it is rendered "ages." Adam Clark and other scholars have plainly shown that it may mean "race," "people," or even an entire "age" or "dispensation." Jesus did not say that the men living at that time would not die till all these things had been accomplished, nor could He have made such an assertion, for it would not have The Blessed Hope. fitted the facts in the case. The people then living have all died, but many of the things prophesied have not yet been fulfilled. But the passage is true; it applied to the children of Israel. The Jews as a people have not passed away; they yet main- tain their racial identity, and this tells the mean- ing of the Master. This will fit in with the facts; the application of the prophecy to men then living will not. We are at last nearing the period of the great tribulation. Just beyond this dark cloud the hori- zon is lit with the radiant glory of our coming King. Let us lay aside the garments of sin and put on the beautiful robes of holiness. "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." (Rev. 16:15). The Resurrections. 79 The Resurrections. CHAPTER VI. The doctrine of the resurrection, like other truth, is gradually unfolded in the Word. Gleams of light break over the hopes of men adown the ages, pointing to life out of death. Job, in holy expectancy, exclaimed: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (thus He saw the Redeemer on earth at the time of the end); and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God," (Job 19:25,26). And David declared: "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell" — the grave, (Ps. 16:10). Isaiah prophesies; "Thy dead men shall live," (Isa. 26:19). Daniel, also, speaking of the waking of the sleepers, says: "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake," (Dan. 12:2). It was doubtless to foster this hope that the dead were sometimes raised by the prophets, as in the case of the child of the Shunemmite woman (2 Kings 4), and the dead man who was brought to life when his bones came in contact with the de- ceased body of the prophet, (2 Kings 13:21). A resurrection picture is that of the valley of dry bones, in the prophecy of Ezekiel. We notice the promise of a resurrection along with the restora- 80 Tlie Blessed Hope. tion of Israel. Whether this is a literal raising of the dead, or simply a national revivication, is a question difficult of solution. We shall not enter into it at present. It nevertheless certainly en- courages the hope of a rising from the dead. The Jews as a people were divided in their views on this subject. The Sadducees were materialists, denying a future life; on the other hand, the Phari- sees, who were more orthodox, believed in the resurrection. (Matt, 22:23-32 and Acts 23:6-9). Paul, we remember, asserted the orthodoxy of the Pharisees on this issue, saying, "Themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (Acts 24:15). Christ set forth this doctrine clearly in speaking to the comfort of Martha (John 11:22-26). He pro- claimed Himself the author of the resurrection, exemplifying it by the raising of Lazarus, the wid- ow's son, and the daughter of Jairus. (John 11:43,44; Mark 5:39-42; Luke 7:11-15; 8:49-55). But the crowning act of the Master was in lay- ing down His life and taking it again. His own resurrection, together with "Many bodies of the saints which slept" (Matt. 27:52,53), fully con- firmed all He had said touching this question. His enemies were careful to have the tomb sealed and well guarded, to prevent the rising which He had foretold; but vain were their efforts, for death and corruption could not restrain the Lord of life and glory. He who had snatched other victims from the grave was more than a match for the grim enemy. Even death the conqueror shall be de- stroyed by Him who has the keys of hell, and is SOME FAITHFUL, EARNEST ADVOCATES OF THE BLESSED HOPE. D. L. MOODY. GEORGE MULLER. A. B. SIMPSON. H. L. HASTINGS. CHAS. H. SPURGEON. The Resurrections. 81 Himself the resurrection and the life (1 Cor. 15:25, 26; Rev. 1:18; John 11:25). The disciples were held to account for preaching "Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18), but this doctrine has fought its way to victory, and is to- day conceded by all evangelical Christendom. We come now to the presentation of a phase of the subject which in some localities is controverted. To many, especially to those who have not care- fully studied the subject, the resurrection is sup- posed to be completed in one grand event, comprised, in a simultaneous rising from the grave of earth's, myriads, good and bad alike. But to our mind there is nothing more clearly taught in the Scrip- tures than a TWO-FOLD RESURRECTION. Men quibble at this, and many objections have been raised to it. The doctrine, however, is one that is dependent upon Revelation. It cannot be settled by the dictum of science, the conclusions of logic, the authority of human creeds, or the learned opinions of men, dead or alive; but it must be brought to the arbitrament of ' 'the law and the testi- mony" (Isa. 8:20). If a two-fold resurrection is taught in the Scriptures, human objections have no force, since God alone can reveal that which shall be. I. In his matchless treatise on this subject, Paul has forever and definitely settled the position we have assumed. He says, "As in Adam all die, sa also in Christ shall all be made alive." "But each in his own rank, Christ the first fruits, then those 6 82 The Blessed Hope. that are Christ's at his coming, then the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to him who is the Father, when he shall have annulled all rule and all authority and power/' (1 Cor. 15:22-24). The word rendered "rank" in this translation is "tagmati" and means a company, or regiment. It is also rendered "order." The picture is that of an army moving forth in regiments, and the point is, the dead shall rise in companies or ranks, ac- cording to their deservings. A post- millennial writer has striven hard to prove that the word "then," in the expression "thencom- eth the end," means immediately. We would call his attention to the fact that this word has prac- tically the same force as the word translated "afterward" in the same verse. The two words are "ei£a" and "epeita" and have been rendered by the one word "then" by scholars. So it would read, "Christ the first fruits; then those that are Christ's at his coming; then cometh the end." Now, we know that "epeita" rendered "then," or "afterward," as in the common version, covers the nearly nineteen centuries since the resurrection of Christ. Why, then, might not the "eita," also translated "then," cover a thousand years or more in the second instance? Christ Himself was raised more than eighteen centuries ago; shortly afterward many others came forth from their graves. At His return those that are His shall arise from the dead ; but before the others are raised He must have time to subject all enemies, which shall be accomplished during the thousand years, at the close of which the remain- The Resurrections. 83 der of the dead shall be called forth to judgment. The distinctions are clearly made, (a) Christ was raised, (b) At His coming those that are His will be called from their tombs, (c) The next resurrec- tion will be for the judgment of the great white throne. But John was distinctly shown that a thousand years would intervene between the two. II. The Master confirms this argument in His encouragement of those who care for the poor. He says, "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrec- tion of the just." (Luke 14:14). This reminds us of His promise of reward at His coming. (Rev. 22:12). III. Again, He speaks of the class who "shall be accounted worthy to obtain that 'world' (age or dis- pensation) and the resurrection which is from among the dead." (Luke 20:35). In this pregnant utterance He opens to us the fact that some will come forth from among the dead, while others who are not worthy of this glory shall abide their time. They will be raised, but not to His glory and honor; this shall be conferred upon those who are allowed to participate in the first resurrection. IV. St. Paul evidently had this in mind when he spoke of the fellowship of Christ's sufferings and conformity to His death, "If by any means I may arrive at the resurrection from among the dead." The critic may reply that we are not following the King James Version. Very true, but we are giving the rendering which all critical research sustains. "The Greek phrase is 'teen exanastasin teen ek nekron, and the literal translation is 'the out resur- rection from among the dead,' which peculiar 84 The Blessed Hope. construction of language gives a special emphasis to the idea that this is a resurrection, out from among the dead, Our version renders it 'resurrec- tion of the dead,' which is especially wrong, for the Greek preposition ek occurs here in a duplicate form, in all the oldest manuscripts." — W, E. Blackstone. Rev. J. H, Brookes makes the following comment upon this passage: "The Greek word for resurrection is Anastasis, but here the apostle actually invents a new word to set forth this distinct resurrection unto which he desired to attain. It is composed of the ordinary word, Anastasis, together with the preposition ek or ex, which, as already stated, means 'out of, from, or from among.' Not only so, but the article 'the' is repeated after this compound and unusual word, and followed by the preposition ek again. Hence a literal rendering of the passage is as follows: 'If by any means I might attain unto the out resurrec- tion (or, as we might say, the elect resurrection), the one, or that one, from among the dead." In vindication of the foregoing we offer this thought: If we follow the common version it will land us in materialism. To insist that Paul was striving, "If by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, " would force us to the con- clusion that he would not be raised at all unless he should strive; then what becomes of the sinner, the lukewarm church member, and all other indifferent people? They do not strive for a resurrection, and hence they would never be raised. The conclusion is inevitable — they would not rise from the dead, The Resurrections. 85 since only those will be raised who strive for it. But this would drive us to the doctrine of condi- tional immortality and would contradict the doc- trine of Christ, of Paul, and of other Gospel writers, who tell us that, "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive/' That some shall come forth "unto a resurrection of life, and others to a resurrection of damnation," and that "the dead, small and great, shall stand before God" (1 Cor. 15:22; John 5:29; Rev. 20:12). The apostle's intense desire for a resurrection from among the dead sustains our position that there is a resurrection unto honor and glory, in which those will not participate who do not seek after it — strive for it. To be on a stretch for a resurrection which comes alike to all seems un- necessary; but if we may not be raised without striving, then the resurrection is clearly condi- tional, and the bulk of humanity will miss it alto- gether. But when we recognize two resurrections, differing in time and circumstances, we can see why our great apostle should bend his energies that he might attain unto that which brings with it honor and glory — "the out resurrection, which is from among the dead ones." The force of this expression, exanastasis. ek ton nekron, out of, or out from among, the dead, may be seen in various places in the New Testament. It is used in whole or in part in nearly if not all those passages which speak of the resurrection of Jesus. For example, see the Greek in the follow- ing: "Jesus showed himself to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead" (Jno. 21:14). The Blessed Hope. "They preached through Jesus the resurrection which is from among the dead" (Acts 4:2). "But now Christ has been raised from among the dead" (1 Cor. 15:20). "According to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from among the dead" (Eph. 1:20). ' 'Who is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead" (Col. 1:18). "Ye are risen with him through the faith of the working of God, who hath raised him from among the dead" (Col. 2:12). "To wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from among the dead" (1 Thess. 1:10). "Who hath be- gotten us again to a living hope, through the resur- rection of Jesus Christ from among the dead" (1 Pet. 1:3). "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first- born from among the dead" (Rev. 1:5). Now we know, apart from the study of the words used in the original, that the translation here given in each of these passages conveys the truth, be- cause Jesus was literally and emphatically raised from among the dead; i. e., He came out of the grave, while others remained, and they continue there to this day. In like manner, His holy sleep- ers shall come forth at His call from among the dead — leaving others behind for a resurrection unto shame at the end of the thousand years. V. Again, this truth is illustrated by the regen- eration of believers. Through faith they are born again, "that like as Christ was raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4), Paul makes this use of the idea when he speaks to the Colossians about being "risen with Christ" The Resurrections, 87 (3:1), and exhorts the saints at Rome to not yield their members up to the lusts of the flesh, but "yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from among the dead" (Rom. 6:13). Sinners are not all raised to newness of life, and hence those; who exercise faith are raised up from among them,, and this truly exemplifies the resurrection of the; holy ones — the Master's sheep, who know His- "voice" and will come at His call (Jno. 10:4), even from among the sleepers in the dark caverns of the tomb. VI. The doctrine of a first resurrection is also set forth by the apostle in the following: "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 (precede, go before) them which are asleep. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with 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." (1 Thess. 4:15-17). In the passage before us there is no provision made for the resurrection of any but those that "are asleep in Jesus." An opponent of the doc- trine for which we are contending has dwelt at length upon the fact that the word "first" contrasts the resurrection of the dead in Christ, not with the rest of the dead, but with the translation of the holy living. Certainly. But we notice that fol- lowing the raising of the holy dead comes no rais- ing of sinners, but the translation of those ready to meet Him from among the living. The holy liv- ing are to be caught up, while the unprepared The Blessed Hope. are left to the terrors of the great tribulation (Rev. 6:13-17). In like manner the holy dead are raised, while the others await the judgment of the great white throne" (Rev. 20). The ascending ones are the elect — the called out, in each case, some being left behind who were among the living, and some who were numbered with the dead. "But," cries the objector, "did not Jesus say, *Every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day;' and does this not overthrow the idea of a first resurrection, by showing that none are raised till 'the last day?' ' This seems a plausible objection. But it was with reference to the Lord's coming and the attending judgment, that Peter said, "one day is with the Lord as a thou- sand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Pet. 3:8-10). All these events — the judgment and both resurrections —occur on "the last day," but it continues for ten centuries. The saints are raised in the dawn of this judgment day, the "rest of the dead" in the fading twilight. (See next chapter). VII. We come now to the investigation of the twentieth chapter of the Revelation, in which the doctrine of a first resurrection is explicitly set forth. To it we must devote a chapter. Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 89 Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. CHAPTER VII. We trust our reader will study this chapter care- fully for himself in connection with our comments. It will be well to read it in the Revised Version, or better still, in the original, if possible. The coming of the Lord is set forth in the pre- ceding chapter (19), where He is seen riding out of heaven on His white horse, followed by the armies of heaven (verses 11-14). The occasion is the mar- riage of the Lamb, over which there is great ex- ultation (verses 7,8). At the same time the great tribulation occurs, in which the bodies of men and beasts are turned over to the fowls of heaven (verses 17-18). The beast (anti-Christ) and the -false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, and their followers are slain with the sword of the conquering Leader (verses 20,21). Then follows our lesson, Christ having taken the world from un- der the dominion of Satan who himself shall be in- carcerated in the dungeon of the abyss. Accord- ingly the great angel seizes him as a criminal and thrusts him into the dungeon, for a period of a thousand years. He has been the world's destroyer from the time when Adam lost Eden; now he him- self is an unwilling prisoner at the hands of God's angel-sheriff. For once the world has a breathing 90 Tlie Blessed Hope. spell, a freedom from his pestiferous presence. Blessed riddance! At this juncture the Master takes up the reins of universal empire, in the administration of which He is to be assisted by the holy ones who in the past have proved true to Him. The living are translated (1 Thess. 4:16). The holy martyrs, to- gether with those who have not received the mark of the beast, are raised from the dead and crowned heirs of the kingdom. This is declared to be the first resurrection; that is, first of a general charac- ter. Christ had been raised and had brought with Him samples of His victory over death. But this resurrection includes all those who are worthy to be accounted king-rulers with Himself. There are those who deny the literalness of this resurrection. S. Williston says: "The first resur- rection is wholly spiritual (italics his), being intend- ed to describe a moral change of our world.'' (Mil- lennial Discourses, page 40). G. W. Wilson, another post-millennial writer, says: "The taking of the souls of the martyrs and placing them on the throne was the first resurrec- tion, and restoring Satan to power by his deception to deceive the nations 'was the being restored to the living again.'' (Italics his). In both cases it was the cause they stood for that was resurrected, and not the bodies of the individuals who had been slain for the cause they represented." (The Signs of Thy Coming, page 15). The cause represented by these dear brethren must be very weak, judging from the straits to which they are driven in its defense. Here we Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 91 have a plain account of the closing period of the present dispensation, together with a brief account of the "thousand years" period, to which is added the white throne judgment; that is, the judgment of the Great Day. But these writers would rob the whole picture of any literal significance. They spiritualize the rising from the dead of all classes, and render this great picture of the judg- ment a mere figure of speech. Such exegesis would despoil the Bible of all prophetic and in- spired significance, and would leave humanity a prey to the mere caprices of men. If the position defined by our brother Wilson be maintained, it will clearly land us in Spiritualism. Who but a. spiritualistic medium would place disembodied souls on the throne of universal empire? We are aware that the passage uses the term "souls," but it does not enthrone them. They are first seen in their disrobed condition. John says, "They lived again." What did their death mean, but simply the laying aside of their bodies? And what did their living again mean, but the restoration of their bodies to life, as over against their death? Again, this term "souls" is used quite frequently in the Scriptures to represent men in their bodies. Three thousand "souls" were added to the church (Acts 2:41). Seventy-five "souls" went with Jacob into Epypt (Acts 7:14). Two hundred and seventy- six "souls" were with Paul on the ship (Acts 27:37). Eight "souls" were delivered from the flood by Noah's ark (1 Pet. 3:20). So we see that the play upon the word "souls," indulged in by some who taboo the idea of souls seated upon thrones, is a. 92 The Blessed Hojie. mere quibble, especially when the inspired writer tells us that they who were martyred "lived again;" i. e. , were restored to life. Again, if this is simply a spiritual reviving, what does it accomplish? It does not save sinners. For the subjects of it are only martyrs, and those who have not received the mark of the beast. For "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." Hence, our friends, in their efforts to explain away the literal first resurrection by one that is wholly spiritual, attempt to have the whole world converted by a theory which plainly declares that none are saved except those who were previously the holiest among men. They make no provision for the conversion of drunkards, harlots, libertines, gamblers or other sinners, for the plain declaration is that the rest of the dead lived not again for a thousand years. Only holy ones, mar- tyrs and those of like spirit, are subjects of this rising again. They are supplanting a literal rais- ing of the dead saints by a resurrection, or regen- eration, of those who are saints to begin with. Furthermore, if this be a spiritual millennium, only those who shall have died before it began will be allowed to participate, since those who have never died are not martyrs. But sinners who need the spiritual resurrection, or regeneration, are not competent to receive it, having never been martyrs. But the passage is not subject to any such restric- tions. The holy living upon earth shall have the full benefits of this blessed privilege, while the holy dead of all ages, coming forth from their graves, will share in its happiness. Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 93 According to the theory we are opposing, none of the sinners will be changed during the thousand "years/' only martyrs, and those who have not re- ceived the mark of the beast. They will all, how- ever, be changed at its close. None but martyrs and other holy ones lived during this period, but the rest of the dead lived when the chiliad ends. By our opponents' way of putting the case, no sinners are converted while Satan is bound, and all of them are saved when he is loosed. Truly,. " the legs of the lame are not equal." That noted scholar, Dean Alford, in his com- ments at this place says: "As regards the text itself,- no legitimate treatment of it will extort what is known as the spiritual interpretation now in fashion If the first resurrection is spiritual, then so is the second, which I suppose no one will be hardy enough to maintain. But if the second is literal, so is the first, which, in common with the primitive, and many of the best modern expositors, I do maintain, and receive as an article of faith and hope." He and others testify that those who lived next to the apostles, and the whole Church for three hundred years, understood this subject in the plain, literal sense. Again, we argue the literal resurrection from this passage because of the force of the original word anastasis, which is seldom, if ever, used, in any other sense than to represent a resurrection. "The word here ren- dered 'resurrection' is more th.an forty times used in the New Testament and four times in the Apocalypse, and always in the one only sense of rising again of the body, for it alone is under the 94 The Blessed Hoj)e. power of death. The emphasizing of it as a resurrection cannot, with any degree of propriety, be understood of any mere metaphorical or sym- bolical rising. The placing of it as 'a first' in a category of two resurrections, the second of which is explicitly stated to be a literal rising again of such as were not raised in the 'first,' fixes the sense to be a literal resurrection." (Lectures on the Apocalypse, Vol. Ill,, page 317). Here is, first, the vision of disembodied souls, then of their reanimation. This reanimation must mean a literal rising from the dead, for the two words employed in the passage puts the matter beyond dispute. « ' They lived"— ezesan— is language which is never, in the New Testament, applied to the soul disembodied, but to man in his complete condition of body and soul united; and "This is the first resurrection." Anastasis defines this living to be bodily reanimation, since the word in the New Testament, with perhaps a single exception, always signifies corporeal resurrection, so that the phraseology employed seems to render it impossi- ble to apply the vision to a condition of disembodied existence, or to the quickening of spiritual regen- eration" (Ecce Venit, pages 218, 219). Moreover, we read, ''They lived and reigned with Christ." How can principles live and reign, or how can a revival of spirituality be used, and made to represent kings and priests unto God? Spiritual revivals are generally gradual in their beginning, and, we believe, are, without exception, gradual in their decline. But this is definite in its beginning and in its end. Simply a period of one Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 95 thousand years — no more, no less. If the mil- lennium is simply a triumph of righteous principles, what does the binding of Satan stand for? What is the meaning of his being "loosed for a little season?" What, also, shall we understand by the falling away of men, the number of whom is as the sands of the sea? What is the fire that destroyed them? What is the meaning of Satan being cast into the lake of fire? What is the purport of the dead, small and great, standing before God to be judged? How are we to know that the dead are to receive their final destiny as set forth in the closing verses of this chapter, if we consent to spiritualize away the first six verses? Truly, we have no sig- nificance in all the prophecies if we are to turn over this plain passage to those who would warp and twist its revealment to suit their individual whims. THINGS TAUGHT IN THIS CHAPTER AND KINDRED PASSAGES. The reader of this book should bear in mind the following points: First, the kingdom of our Lord abides forever (Dan. 2:44; 7:18). Second, the thousand years of this chapter is a judgment day period. It is a time of renovation. Third, it is to be followed by a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Fourth, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years (2 Pet. 3:8). 96 TJie Blessed Hope. And this is the judgment day. Fifth, at the be- ginning of this day Christ comes, Satan is bound, the saints are raised and unite with Christ in the ruling of the nations (Isa. 32:1; Psa. 2:8,9) Sixth, the whole world is brought under the benefi- cent rule of God. The gospel is preached through- out the earth, most of whose inhabitants are truly converted, but many of whom are simply restrained by authority. Seventh, Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years for the purpose of sifting men, to see who will prove true to God. Many will join him in rebellion; in fact, all who are not rooted and grounded in God. Eighth, this ends his work. He is again arrested and sum- marily dealt with, being cast into the lake of eternal burnings. Ninth, fire falls from heaven, as men- tioned in the third chapter of second Peter, and the elements melt with fervent heat. Tenth, then is ful- filled the picture set forth by Jesus (Matt. 25: 31-46). The dead, small and great, stand before God. Sinners of all ages and nations take their places at His left hand; while those who were saved but not prepared for the first resurrection, being unfit for rulership, and all who have died during the thou- sand years, in the love of God, take their places at His right hand. Eleventh, the old order of things passes away in the general conflagration of that day. All earth's sicknesses, pestilences, hor- rors, trials, poverty and heartaches, along with its thrones and powers, and old death itself, the chief enemy of man, pass away. The earth, made new, arrayed with dazzling splendor and indescribable beauty, becomes the resident place of the race re- R( relation, the Twentieth Chapter. 97 deemed. The earth will continue to be the habita- tion of man as if the first Eden had never been for- feited by sin. (See our chapter on The Kingdom.) OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. The ground upon which we have entered has long been the battlefield of theologians. There are many who utterly repudiate the idea of a "first" and a second or subsequent resurrection. They insist that there is but one, and that all the dead are raised simultaneously. Rev. G. W. Wilson, in his book, "The Sign of Thy Coming," trying to overthrow the doctrine of the first resur- rection, insists that the whole of the Apocalypse is a book of symbols, and that it was all fulfilled in the first century of the Christian era, and he thus is led to assert that "the book of Revelation is utterly silent as to the end of all things" (page 289). In fact, there are writers who, rather than concede the teaching of the Apocalypse as to the return of Jesus, and the overthrow of His enemies and the ultimate establishment of His kingdom in the earth, have gone «to the extreme of utterly repudiating the book of Revelation and discarding it from the canon of Scripture. Thus post-millennialism would mutilate the Bible, and destroy the book which reveals our Lord in His kingly character, and upon the study and keeping of which He has placed great reward. But the opponents of the first resurrection claim to have Scripture for their teaching. Let us ex- amine the passages most commonly put forth by them. 7 98 The Blessed Hope. "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting- life, and some to shame and ever- lasting contempt." (Dan. 12:2). The contention is, that the resurrection here spoken of is universal, because some come forth to life and some to shame and contempt. If their position is well taken, why should the verse begin v^ith the word "many?" If the resurrection here announced is universal, we should have the word "all'' in the place of "many." If from among a multitude I assert that many are raised, the infer- ence is that there are others that are not raised. And if I mean that all are to rise I should not use this term. But to set this matter forth in its clearest light, we give our readers the benefit of the translation of the learned Tregelles: "The many from among the sleepers of the dust shall awake; these shall be unto everlasting life, but those (the rest of the sleepers, those who do not awake at this time) shall be unto shame and everlasting contempt." He adds that ' 'The word which in our Authorized Version is twice rendered 'some,' is never repeated in any other passage in the Hebrew Bible, of taking up distributively any general class which had been previously mentioned; this is enough, I believe, to warrant our applying it here to the whole of the many who awake, and second to the mass of those who do not awake at this time, and it is clearly not a general resurrection; it is 'many from among,' and it is only by taking the word in this sense that we gain any information as to what becomes of those who continue to sleep in the dust of the earth." Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 99 In support of his position, he quotes two of the most learned Jewish Rabbis, Saadiah Haggaon, in the tenth century, and Aben Ezra, in the twelfth. He afterward says that this translation as given is undoubtedly correct, as affirmed by Gerard Kerk- herdere. Thus our position is fully maintained by these weighty names. They teach us that the resurrec- tion spoken of by Daniel is clearly double. From this Scripture we learn (1) That immediately suc- ceeding the great tribulation comes the deliverance of Daniel's people, the Jews (verse 1), and the res- urrection of those who are unto everlasting life through grace. (2) Those who are not then raised remain to the final resurrection, viz., that of the "great white throne judgment," when they shall be called forth to shame and contempt — the resur- rection unto damnation. Gordon well says :. ' 'Here, if our authorities are correct, we have an idea of the first resurrection with its eclectic and separate character set forth." (Ecce Venit, page 225). II. John 5:28,29. This Scripture is used by post- millennialists as a regular Gibraltar. Their forces may be found here in great numbers. They dw T ell much upon the word "hour," and insist that the good and evil of all ages will pour forth from their graves en masse. If this Scripkire stood alone, and was the only revelation on the subject of the resurrection, we might safely concede their demand, but when we have a plain and explicit declaration that there is a "first resurrection," in which only the holy have part, while "the rest of the dead Lore- 100 TJie Blessed Hope. live not again till the thousand years" expire, it behooves us to investigate the meaning of the pas- sage lest we jump to a premature conclusion. We know that the word "day" is frequently used to represent an extended period of time. How often; in common speech and literature, we find the ex- pressions, "our day" and "their day," so used as to cover a period that may extend over centuries. Furthermore, the six creative days are well nigh universally conceded to represent periods of vast length, perhaps thousands of years in each "day." The word "hour" itself is so used in the Scrip- tures, even as the term "day," but three verses preceding the passage we are commenting upon. The Master says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:25). If the living of the dead, in this connection, refers to spiritual life, the "hour" is not yet ended, for men are still called unto the life of Christ. If the reference is the resurrection of the dead, the "hour" which the Master said "now is," is cer- tainly not completed, for while a few were raised immediately after his own resurrection, yet the general resurrection, for all the dead, has not yet occurred. Hence this hour is more than eighteen centuries in length by either mode of interpre- tation. Saint John also uses this word just as Jesus did. "Little children, it is the last hour, according as ye have heard, that the anti-Christ is coming, even Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 101 now many anti-Christs have arisen, whence we know that it is the last HOUR." In the Common Version the Greek word "Ora" is rendered "time," but we have given a literal translation. Such is the Greek, and it is the same in all these places. (John 5 : 26-28; 1 John 2:18). So, more than eighteen hun- dred years ago, the beloved John said: "It is the last hour. " Truly, it is rather a long hour, and yet it is the declaration of an inspired writer. Now, if the "hour" of the anti-Christ may continue for eighteen centuries, I can see no reason why the "hour" of the resurrection, when "all that are in their tombs shall hear His voice and come forth," may not cover a yet shorter period, viz. , one of ten centuries. From a popular writer we have the following: "At the appearance of the Lord from heaven, the age will open in which all that are in their graves will come forth, but some at the beginning and some at the end of the age." III. u When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." (Matt. 25:31,32). Here, says the objector, we have the dead, small and great, standing before God, and being sepa- rated, the holy from the unholy. Very true, but this is that judgment which Christ has set forth in the twentieth chapter of the Revelation, where it occurs at the end of the one thousand years (verses 8-15). But, says the objector, this is 102 The Blessed Hope. 1 'when the Son of man shall come, and shall sit upon the throne of His glory." Certainly; it is a scene in the drama connected with His coming. But remember, the judgment day covers a period of a thousand years, and the little season beyond. The millennium is a period devoted to the judg- ment of the living nations; after which Satan, being loosed, raises an insurrection, which termi- nates in his incarceration, the destruction of his allies, and the final judgment of the dead. This includes all who die during the millennium, and the wicked of all ages. But His saint-rulers are not in it, for they have been with Him in His glory during the entire millennial era. A concert is advertised, in which the rendering of Haydn's "Messiah" is promised. A country- man brings his family to the performance, with special reference to this great chorus. He sits for an hour while many other scenes are being en- acted, when, suddenly rising, he leaves the place, declaring the concert a fraud, saying that he had gone especially to hear the Messiah, and it had not been rendered. He barely passes the door when the great chorus breaks upon the air; the promise is fulfilled; the curtain falls, and the concert is ended. Our friend left too soon. In connection with His coming, our Saviour promises the gather- ing of the dead, small and great, before Him for judgment. To His beloved disciple He reveals that the charter members of His kingdom will be raised at the beginning of this resurrection "hour;" and will join with Him in the shepherdizing of the nations of the earth for a chiliad] after which the Revelation , the Twentieth Chapter. 103 rest of the dead shall be called before Him. Thus we see that the twentieth chapter of the Revelation becomes the key to the judgment scene, as recorded in Matt. 25:31-46. IV. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in 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" (2 Pet. 3:10). The opposer of the first resurrection considers this an entire refutation of our doctrine. He con- tends that there is no time for a thousand years' reign upon earth, since Peter has declared that in the day of the Lord the elements shall melt with fervent heat. In answer, we call attention to the eighth verse of the same chapter. The apostle warns us against depending upon the twenty-four hour theory of the judgment day. "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" (verse 8). We are notified that this day of judgment shall cover a period of a thousand years. Now, if the reader will turn to our key (Rev. 20), he will find Christ and His saints judging the nations of earth for a period of ten centuries, while Satan is bound in the abyss. It is after his being loosed for a ' 'little season" that fire falls from heaven, the elements melt, and the old earth gives place to the new. V. ;, I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his ap- pearing and his kingdom" (2 Tim. 4:1). 104 The Blessed Hope. It is argued from this Scripture that the judg- ment of all the dead is synchronous, and transpires immediately upon Christ's appearing. But this does not follow of necessity. The Greek word kata, rendered "at" in the King James, may be translated "according to," and it is so put in some versions. The force of the argument is this: He will, when He appears, inaugurate a kingdom by the principles of which He will in due time judge both the living and the dead; or if this point be repudiated, He will at His appearing inaugurate the judgment of "first," the living, and "second," the dead. The passage says nothing as to the consummation of this judgment. That will be a glorious time when Christ and His saints of the first resurrection take the dominion. We close this chapter with the following wonderful description of the glorious event: The completion of this resurrection introduces a wonderful change in the earth's history. It is the breaking through of an immortal power; a power which sweeps away as chaff before the wind the whole economy of mortal and Dragon rule, and thrusts to death and Hades every one found rising up or stiffening himself against it; a power which shears the old Serpent of his strength, binds him with a great chain, locks and seals him up in the Abyss, pulls down all his works, tears off and clears away all his hoary falsehoods, which have been oppressing, deceiving, misleading and sway- ing the world to its destruction for so many ages; a power which gives to the nations new, just and righteous laws, in the administration of immortal Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 105 rulers, whose good and holy commands men must obey or die; a power which at once cuts the cords of life for every dissembling Ananias and Sapphira, blasts every Nadab and Abihu that ventures to offer strange fires before the Lord, consigns to death and burning every Achan that covets the Babylonish garment or wedge of gold which God hath pronounced accursed, and causeth the earth to- open her mouth and swallow up on the spot every Korah, Dathan, and Abiram that dares to open his mouth against the authority of the holy princes whom Jehovah hath ordained; a power which grasps hold of the plethoric fortunes accu- mulated in meanness and oppression, and held in greedy avarice for the pampering of lust and pride, hewing them down in righteousness and scattering them in restitutions to those out of whom they have been so uncharitably and dishonestly ground and wrung; a power which goes forth in vindication of the worthy poor, the oppressed, the weak, the friendless, and the down- trodden, the righting of their cause, the maintenance of their just claims, and the enforcement of truth and brotherhood between man and man; a power which lifts the mask from deceit, pretense and false show, puts each one in his true place according to what he is, gives credit only where credit is due, stamps an ef- fectual condemnation on all false weights and meas- ures, and tries everything and everybody in the bal- ances of a strict and invincible justice. I think of the coming in of that power, of the havoc it must needs make in the whole order of things; of the confusion it will cause in the depraved cabinets, and courts, 106 The Blessed Hope. and legislatures of the world, of the revolution it must work in business customs, in corporation managements, in political manipulations, in mer- cantile and manufacturing frauds, in the lies and hol- lownesses which pervade social life; of the changes it must bring into churches, into pulpits, into pews, into worship, into schools, into the newspapers, into book-making and book-reading, into thinking and philosophy, and into all the schemes and en- terprises, judgments, pursuits and doings of men; of how it will affect literature, art, science, archi- tecture, eating, drinking and sleeping, working, recreating; of what it must do concerning play- houses, and rumshops, and gambling hells, and the unhallowed gains by which great masses of people have their living and keep themselves up in the world. And as I thus begin to realize in imagina- tion what the irresistible enforcement of true and righteous administration in all these directions and relations necessarily implies, I can see why the book of God describes it as a shepherdizing with a rod of iron, and calls it a breaking like the dashing to pieces of an article of pottery. Think of the sudden collapse of all the haunts of sin, the root- ing out of the nests and nurseries of iniquity, the clearing away of the marshes and bogs of crime, where every style of damning pestilence is bred, and the changes that must hence come; think of the summary abolition of all infamous cliques, combinations, and rings — political rings, whisky rings, municipal rings, State rings, railroad rings, mercantile rings, communistic rings, oath-bound society rings, and a thousand kinds of other rings Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 107 — all the children of wickedness, hindering just law, suppressing moral right, crippling honest industry, subsidizing legislation, corrupting the press, robbing the public treasuries, eating up the gains of honorable occupation, perverting public sentiment, spotting and exorcising men who cannot be made the tools of party, transmuting selfish greed and expediency into principle, razeeing the dominion of virtue and intelligence, subordinating the common weal to individual aggrandizement, and setting all righteous administration at defiance; think of the universal and invincible dragging forth to divine justice of every blatant infidel, perjurer, liar, profane swearer, drunkard, drunk- ard-maker, whoremonger, hypocrite, slanderer, trickster, cheat, thief, murderer, trader in un- cleanness, truce-breaker, traitor, miser, oppressor of the poor, bribe-taking legislator, time-serving preacher, mal-practitioner, babe-destroyer, friend- robber, office-usurper, peace-disturber, and life- embitterer; think of the instantaneous going forth into all the world of a divine and unerring force, which cannot be turned or avoided, but which hews down every fruitless tree, purges away all chaff from every floor, negatives all unrighteous laws, overwhelms all unrighteous traffic, destroys all unrighteous coalition, burns up every nest of infamy and sin, ferrets out all concealed wicked- ness, exposes and punishes all empty pretense, makes an end of all unholy business, and puts an effectual stop to all base fashions, all silly conceits, all questionable customs, and all the hollow shams and corrupt show and fastidiousness of what calls 108 The Blessed Hope. itself society, transferring the dominion of the Almighty dollar to Almighty Right, and reducing everything in human life, pursuits, manners and professions to the standard of rigid truth and jus- tice; think of the tremendous revolution, in all that the eye can see, the ear hear, the hand touch, the heart feel, or earthly being realize, that must needs attend the putting into living practical force of such an administration; the high it must make low, the famous it must make infamous, the rich it must make poor, the mighty it must make powerless, the loud it must sink into oblivion, the admired and worshipped it must turn to disgrace and ab- horrence, the despised and contemned poor it must lift into place and respectability; — the different impulse under which every wheel must then turn, every shuttle move, every hammer strike, every foot step, every mind calculate, and every heart beat; the change that must come over the houses we enter, over the streets we walk, over the people we meet, over the words we pronounce, over the food we eat, over the air we breathe, over the sun- light of the day, over the repose of night, over the spirit of our waking hours, and the very dreams of our slumbers, and over all the elements, relations, activities and experiences which go to make up what we call life; think, I say, of all this tremen- dous revolution, and conceive it going into invinci- ble effect, unchangeably, without compromise, at once and forever, and you may begin to have some idea of the alteration which the First Resurrection is to introduce into the history of our earth. For this, and nothing less than this, is the meaning of Revelation, the Twentieth Chapter. 109 this, sitting upon thrones, receiving power of judg- ment, shepherdizing the nations, and reigning on the earth, on the part of these blessed and holy immortals. (Seiss, in "Lectures on the Apoca- lypse," Vol. III., 327-331). 110 The Blessed Hope. The Translation and The Rapture. CHAPTER VIII. We have spoken of the resurrection from among the dead. At the same time, in the same manner and by the same power, there is to be a translation from among the living, of those who are prepared for it. The holy dead will be raised like Jesus, the holy living, transformed in an instant, by the same power Divine, like Enoch and Elijah, will be caught up to meet their descending Lord. One taken, from the field, the mill, the bed, the other left. The risen and translated constitute jointly the church of the first-born and will be forever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:15-17). Our bodies are now under the dominion of disease and death. But when our Saviour shall appear in kingly glory and majesty, He will work in His peo- ple such a renovation of their mortal bodies as will make them like unto His own. St. John says, ''When he shall appear" "we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2). In like manner, St. Paul declares, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we (the liviug saints) shall be changed. And when this cor- ruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall The Translation and The Rapture. Ill come to pass the word that has been written 'death is swallowed up in victory'" (1 Cor. 15:51-54). The change in the dead is from corruption to in- corruptibility; the change in the living is from mortal to immortality. In each case death is de- feated; his captives are wrenched from him on the one hand, and his prospective victims on the other. This same gracious truth is brought out in the words of the evangelical prophet, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. ''For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." ut, as I have elsewhere shown, this is untenable, (a) It is to be the greatest tribulation known in all history, whereas the destruction of Jerusalem could not possibly have equalled the great famines and pestilences of the ages, nor the destructive wars, nor the flood, of course, (b) It was to be followed "immediately" by the personal, manifest, visible coming of Christ (Matt. 24:29). (c) Then also we Prophecy Tioofold. 237 are instructed to look for the restoration of the Jews, the enthronement of the saints, and the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ (Luke 21: 24-31). If it be objected that the sovereignty was only spiritual, we reply, The spiritual kingdom was established at Pentecost, A. D. 33. But Jeru- salem was not destroyed till thirty- seven years afterward. These are only a few of the many objections which might be brought against the posi- tion that the predicted tribulation was fulfilled in the devastation of the doomed city. While that was clearly a sample of the great tribulation, it cannot safely be considered anything more. It was limited to one small nation and principally to one small city, but the tribulation is evidently world- wide. In considering the dual nature of prophecy, we discover that the first fulfillment is a foreshadowing of that which is final and complete. A proper com- prehension of this double nature of prophecy will enable us to properly interpret many prophecies by which men have often been led into error, and over which good people have uselessly wrangled. We give some samples. The reader may enlarge upon our list. I. THE GATHERING OF THE JEWS. In Ezekiel and other prophets we have very full details as to the restoration of the Jews to the land which God gave to their father Abraham. He promised to gather them from all countries and to bring them into their own land; to save them from all their idols; to give them a new heart and a new 238 The Blessed Hoj)e. spirit; to save them from all their uncleannesses; to cause them to walk in His statutes, and to put His Spirit into them; to combine the house of Judah and the ten tribes of Israel into one; to multiply them, and to be their God, and He pledges that His sanctuary shall be in their midst for evermore. Now, it is easily demonstrable that all these things were not fulfilled in their return under Nehe- miah, which, however, was a sample restoration, a pledge of the greater gathering yet to be. (a) That was the gathering of only a few; this is to be for all. (b) The promise includes the country, which is to be restored to its primal fertility and loveliness. That was only for the people, and was a very partial restoration. The land now has nothing of its original beauty, fruit-fulness and blessed character. But, according to the promise, it is to exceed all its former glory, (c) God is to be with them and His sanctuary in their midst ' 'f or- evermore." After the restoration by Nehemiah the divine blessing was not vouchsafed to them in any very particular or continuous manner. They were not at any time after that very prosperous. They were soon again visited by the judgments of God, and driven out among the nations. That was indeed a restoration, but it was only as a shadow to the substance; hereafter the prophetic outline will be complete in all the fullness of the gracious promise. As the destruction of Jerusalem was but a premonition of the great tribulation, so this an- cient restoration of scattered Israel was but a pre- libation of the glories which our Father has in store for His elect, but longsuffering people. Prophecy Twofold. 239 II. ISRAEL ENSLAVED AND DELIVERED. We remember the bondage of Jacob's descend- ants in Egypt lasted 215 years. What was this but a foreshadowing of the time when they should be trampled under foot for twenty centuries by the Gentiles? In like manner, their deliverance was effected by Moses, representing the Law, and Joshua (Hebrew word meaning Jesus, that is, Saviour) representing the grace that came by Christ (John 1:17). As His servants brought them from Egyptian slavery to the land flowing with milk and honey, so shall the Messiah bring them up from the ends of the earth to their own land, made fruitful and exceedingly glorious by His own gracious presence. (See Jeremiah 23:3-8). III. THEIR GLORY. Any student of the Jews can readily name the time of their greatest prosperity. Beyond all question it embraces the reigns of David and Sol- omon. This period of national splendor was broken into two clearly defined sections, (a) David's reign was one of war, but of triumph; of bloodshed, but victory/ (b) Solomon's, on the other hand, was characterized by peace and splendor, by material development and exceeding glory. Now, what are these periods of national prosperity but a prefiguration of the reign of the greater David, who shall succeed to David's throne? (Hos. 3:4,5; Luke 1:32,33). A greater than Solomon, whose glory shall fill the whole earth. David's reign typi- fies the Millennial Era, being one of war, but vic- tory; while Solomon's is representative of the glo- 240 The Blessed Hope. rious reign of the Prince of Peace, a time of world- wide holiness unmarred by sin, beyond the Judg- ment day. The worldly-minded cannot see anything greater than the glory which passed away with the death of Solomon. But a spiritual reader of the Bible can see in these limited things a prophecy and a promise of the greater glory which shall cover the earth and never pass away. The one is limited to Israel, partial in results, and perishes, like the king who occupied its throne. The other embraces all nations, peoples and tongues, fills the whole world, and endures as long as the throne of God itself (Hab. 2:14; Zech. 9:10; Dan. 2:44). That which has been is simply a figure of that which shall be. IV. THE ANTICHRIST. The solution of all the questions touching the Antichrist is puzzling. We believe the key, how- ever, may be found in the idea we are now setting forth. Men have debated sharply the question, Is the Antichrist to be found in history? or shall we look for him in the future? Is he behind us, or ahead? John tells us there were many antichrists in his day. These have continued, and we may find their chief heading up or principal manifestation in the Papacy. But, as the destruc- tion of Jerusalem is only a type of the great tribu- lation, and the Davidic and Solomonic reigns are but a prophecy of Israel's future glory, so the awful, blood-curdling wickedness of the Romish Anti- christ is but a dim and horrid outline of the match- less, merciless doings of him who shall scourge the Prophecy Twofold. 241 earth, in company with the dragon, leaving con- sternation and sorrow, blood and wreckage in his train (Rev., 13th chapter). V. THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET. This section but continues the preceding one, as the beast is certainly the man of sin; the Anti- christ. Looking backward the candid Bible stu- dent will most likely name Romanism for one, Mohammedanism for the other. Looking forward, the student of prophecy sees a personal Antichrist, accompanied by a misleading, lying prophet, who worships the Devil and works in the interest of the arch enemy of our Lord. Both are right. VI. AS TO DURATION. Many have crossed swords in the arena of Bibli- cal polemics concerning the length of time the Antichrist is to continue, which is given as "forty- two months," 1,260 days, or "a time, times and a half" (Rev. 11; Dan. 12). The question is, Shall he curse the earth for a literal period of three years and a half only, or shall his existence continue through 1,260 years? May we not find a solution in the double nature of prophecy? After the his- torical mode of interpretation we would say 1,260 years, and locate our Lord's chief opponent in the Papacy; but following the view of the futurist and looking forward we shall expect a domination of the nations by the Antichrist for a literal period of 1,260 days, or three and a half years. From this it would appear that the great tribulation will last for three and a half years, and it is also likely 16 242 The Blessed Hope. that the rapture, while Christ and His saints are in the air together, will cover the same length of time. By our dual mode of construing the predictions we believe both the historical and the futurist view may be right. The papal Antichrist ruled and cursed the world 1,260 years; the personal Antichrist, the beast, shall spread fire and sword, desolation and tor- ment, death and anguish that would die but cannot (Rev. 9:6), and his time shall be a specific period of forty-two months, twelve hundred and sixty days. VII. THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. Shall we expect this awful war to occur at the be- ginning, or at the close of the Millennium? By studying the 13th, 14th and 16th chapters of Reve- lation with the 20:7-10 we are led to believe that this battle will be twofold, occurring as shown by the Revelator just before the appearing of Christ, and being repeated at the end of the Millennium, when Satan instigates his final revolt. (See specially Rev. 16:8-17; 20:8-10). VIII. THE PURGATION OF THE EARTH. This is twofold. The world was destroyed by water in the days of Noah. It is to be purged with fire in the days to come. Death by water is perhaps the mildest form known, while that by fire is doubt- less the most awful. From this we conclude that the first visitation was mild compared to that which is to come on the earth. We have the baptism with water as a symbol of regeneration, and the baptism of fire as a figure of sanctification. The earth passed from the Antediluvian age of rebellion and Prophecy Twofold . 243 exceeding wickedness into the Postdiluvian, which was an era of better things, at its baptism with water. It shall receive its sanctifying baptism of fire, in the day when all things are made new. IX. CHRIST'S COMINGS. The very subject of this book, the comings of Christ, illustrates the double nature of prophecy. Let us contrast the two advents: The first was in lowliness, the second shall be in splendor. The first was as a helpless Babe, the second will be as a mighty Judge. The first, as a poor toiler, a hum- ble man, weak, worn, weary, needing food, requir- ing rest and demanding sleep. The second, as the mighty God, earth's sovereign Lord, the Judge of quick and dead, the Renovator of all things. At His first advent His divinity was hidden behind the veil of His humanity and thereby obscured. At His second advent His divinity will be to the front. The radiant splendor and matchless majesty of His glorious appearing will make all recognize the God- head, His unclouded, eternal divinity. Now, who could have known from the early prophecies of His coming that He would be manifested in this two- fold character, and especially that hundreds of years would intervene between His lowly advent and His majestic apocalypse? Take as a sample the prophecy of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." This indicated nothing as to His first coming, but seemed to entirely overlook it. On the other hand, Isaiah declares, "A virgin shall con- ceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im- 244 The Blessed Hope. manuel" (Isa. 7:14). In this there is nothing of the majesty and glory portrayed by Enoch. These prophecies we know are true, but how could those who lived in the days of the Master's sojourn among men recognize in Him the fulfillment of both predictions? They did not discern in Him the Saviour, coming first by the manger, being born of the humble virgin, and second in glory, cloud- wrapt, and angel-attended. All this serves to illustrate the truth we are presenting. While prophecy is singu- lar in its form, it may be, and most commonly is, double in its meaning and fulfillment. X. OUR LORD ENTERS JERUSALEM TWICE. In Luke's gospel (19:28-40) we have a picture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the colt. The mul- titude thronged His path, spreading their garments before Him. They rejoiced, praising God with a loud voice, and "Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glorv in the highest" (Luke 19:38). This seems like a great ado over a destitute, way- worn traveler, of humble birth and carpenter train- ing. Behold the scene ! A poor man riding into the city on a borrowed ass, and men shouting them- selves hoarse over Him as a great King, whose glory shall reach to the very heavens. The whole thing seems like a travesty upon the kingly office, a poor sort of parody. But in it is a lesson; it is a picture, simply a foretoken, of what shall be. This same humble Carpenter, riding, not upon a donkey, but on the clouds of heaven, shall come to Jerusalem, Prophecy Tivofold. 245 while heaven and earth join the acclaim, "Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord." XI. THE TRANSFIGURATION.* Jesus said, "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man accord- ing to his works. u Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matt. 16:27,28). Some have supposed this pointed to Pentecost; hut the Son of man was not "seen" then; the Spirit was present and tongues of fire appeared, but Jesus was not visible. Others have supposed that some then present should never die: but we have no record of any of the disciples escaping death. They likely all suffered as martyrs. What, then, is the meaning of the passage? Simply this: The transfiguration was a miniature revelation of His kingdom and glory. The verses we have quoted are the last from the sixteenth chapter of Matthew. The seventeenth opens with an account of the transfiguration. When Matthew wrote his gospel he made no chapter divisions. This, therefore, is a consecutive statement, embracing the promise that some then present should not die till they had seen Him in His kingdom and glory, and going immediately forward to the scene attendant upon His glorification — the transfiguration. The follow- ing points will be observed by the careful reader of the account (Matt. 17:1-6; Mark 9:1-7). * See Watson's "Christ Returneth." 15c. This office. 24(3 Tlie Blessed Hope. (a) The Master's appearance became glorious, His countenance shining as the sun, and even His raiment ■ 'white as the light/' It reminds us of the description of Him in the Revelation (1:12-18). Also of His advent picture (Rev. 19:11-16). (b) There appeared with Him Moses and Elias. These are a necessary part of the apocalyptic scene. They are types of all those who shall be in it. Moses represents the holy dead raised to life and marshaled out to attend their Lord in His kingly majesty. Elias is the type of the holy living who shall escape the ravages of death and by transla- tion, in transfigured glory, be caught up to join those who have been rescued from the fell de- stroyer. Thus we have here a sample of the dead raised and the living translated. In the one case, corrup- tion (the dead) has put on incorruptibility; in the other, the mortal has put on immortality. Both alike are with the King in His beauty, sharing His glory. But this is not all. (c)_Another impressive feature appears, in the fact that Peter, James and John were also present. They represent those who continue in the flesh when the Lord comes. Here we have then the Master in glory, in His kingdom, attended by those who have thro resur- rection come into honor and immortality, together with those who by translation share in His transfig- uration. There are also present others, who behold the glory, but are not privileged to share in it. That we are not mistaken in this interpretation is evident. Peter confirms us. He said, Prophecy Twofold. 217 •'For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming* of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount" (2 Pet. 1:16-18). He locates the scene, "when we were with Him in the holy mount," and refers it to the "power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ/' Now what is all this but simply a miniature representation — a sample, of the appearing and kingdom of our Lord? It is a pledge or earnest of what shall be, and confirms the twofold interpretation of proph- ecy, in that He came "after six days" and yet is to come. ELIAS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST. This is a subject of peculiar interest. We read in Malachi: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the chil- dren, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5,6). A question, Was John the Elias here foretold? Some say yes, others deny. Perhaps the solution is to be found in the view we are now presenting. He was the symbolic Elijah, but not the real. But did not Jesus say, "This is Elias which was for to come" (Matt. 11 :14) ? The Greek says, < 'This is Elias which is about to come.*' The original is the same as Matt. 16:27. The literal rendering of which is, "The Son of man is about to come in His glory." 248 The Blessed Hope. We know that His coming in glory was then future, as it is yet, and in the Greek He says the same of Elias. He is "about to come." We know that John had already come, had done his work and fulfilled his ministry. Now when Christ applies to him the title of "Elias" He sets forth the fact that he was merely a symbol of the true Elijah. Elijah's real, personal coming, like that of the Son of man in His glory, is future. John himself denied being the Elias. They asked him, "Art thou Elias?" and he saith to them, "I am not" (John 1:21). Did the great prophet lie? Sure- ly not. Then he was not the real Elijah, but sim- ply the type. The antitype has not yet appeared. Jesus called the bread and wine of the sacrament, His body and His blood. Romanists have foolishly built their dogma of transubstantiation upon this saying. We recognize these simple elements as but symbols or types of the actual body and blood. As the bread was the body and the wine the blood of the Crucified, so was John the Baptist the EUas who should prepare the way of the Lord. The real Elijah will doubtless as far eclipse the typical as the second appearing of our Lord will surpass His first advent. This is fully confirmed by the terms of Malachi's prediction. His prophecy has reference, not to the appearing of the Lamb of God for sacrifice, but to the coming of the Lion of the tribe of Judah for judgment. He speaks of it as the "great and ter- rible day of the Lord," which we know is yet future. There was no great and terrible day when the Babe of Bethlehem was laid in the manger. John as the Prophecy Tivofold. 249 prophetic forerunner appeared nineteen hundred years ago, but the real Elijah will no doubt appear in great power just before our Lord shall take to Himself the reins of universal empire. The proph- ecy is one, the fulfillment twofold.* Jesus came and is to come. Elias appeared among men as a forerunner of Christ in the person of John; he will come in his own personality doubtless just before the advent of the Judge. From the foregoing we see as the Bible has two grand divisions, the first leading up to and giving place to the second, so its prophecies have two chief fulfillments, the earlier being greatly eclipsed by the later. * Seiss in his Lectures on the Apocalypse, Vol. Il.^pages 180- 207, strongly maintains that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are Enoch and Elijah. He believes that these men, who have been for many centuries in the celestial city, will re- turn, face the Antichrist and antagonize his pernicious work with great power. In the end he will succeed in killing them, and thus will be fulfilled the Scripture which says, "It is appointed unto all men once to die" (Heb. 9:27). These two men are the only exceptions in all history to the universal decree of death. If our author is correct, they will go the way of all the earth in their day. We strongly recommend the reader to consult the Seiss Lectures. The arguments are ingenious and very conclusive, 250 The Blessed Hope. Relation of His Coming- to Other Questions. CHAPTER XXI. Men often ask, What is gained by preaching upon this subject? ' 'If I am converted and ready to die, why should I worry about His coming?" Is it not enough to love God, and leave all these speculative questions to the future? These ques- tions are quite common. We reply, First, with some counter questions. Should we not study every Bible doctrine? What is to be gained by slighting the word of God? Is ignorance of any Bible truth allowable, when one may be informed? If the matter is taught in the Scriptures, what excuse can we make when standing before the King for neglecting it? Is not the word a lamp to our feet (Psa. 119:105)? Should we not search the Scriptures (John 5:39)? Ought we not hide the word in our hearts as a shield from sin (Psa. 119:11)? Is not the searching of God's Word a mark of nobility (Acts 17:11)? Is not a blessing promised upon the man who meditates on the law day and night (Psa. 1:2)? Is not all Scripture given by inspiration of God and profitable, making wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15,17)? Men exhort us to prepare for death, but where in the good Book do we find such exhortation? Heze- kiah was told to set his house in order, for he Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 251 should die (Isa. 38:1), but this was a special case, an individual. We know of no passage in all God's Word which commands us to get ready for death. It rather exhorts us to prepare to meet God (Amos -4:12). To be ready for the coming of the Son of man (Luke 12:40). What right have we to place our exhortations on a lower basis than the word of God? Death is low, coarse, corrupt, a thing to be dreaded, to be shrunk from as an enemy (1 Cor: 15:26). Christ is good and high, holy, pure, noble, a friend to be welcomed — hence His return is set forth as the ' 'blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). It is said that on an average every 25th verse in the New Testament refers to the return of our Lord. It occupies a large place in the gospels, is not neglected in the Acts, is very common in the Epistles, being mentioned in nearly all of them. As to the book of Revelation, this doctrine is the key note. His coming in the clouds is presented in the first chapter (verse 7), thence it runs through the whole-book, being presented in three different verses of the last chapter, the Master Himself asserting, •'Behold, I come quickly.'' For these reasons we insist that the doctrine must not be neglected — that it should form the staple of our preaching, the chief basis for our exhortations and appeals. But we wish to note its relation to other doc- trines. (1) Repentance. "Repent therefore and be con- verted, for the blotting out of your sins, so times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Him who was before proclaimed to you, Jesus Christ, whom the heaven 252 The Blessed Hojie. must indeed receive till the times of the restoration of all things" (Acts 3:19-21; Hind's Literal Transla- tion). Thus repentance is enforced by the coming of the Lord. To the church at Sardis the Master exhorts ' 'repent," and declares as a means of en- forcing it, ' 'I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come" (Rev. 3:3). (2) Conversion. Paul used this doctrine to awaken the heathen, and by it led them out of idolatry to the love and service of God. ' ' Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus" (1 Thess. 1:9,10). If Paul preached it to the heathens with such good results, might we not profitably preach it to the sinners of our generation? (3) Zeal. Any doctrine that will increase the in- terest of Christians and make them zealous for God is surely important. Paul asked his converts at one place, ''What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" As if to answer his own question, he says, "Ye are our glory and joy" (1 Thess. 2:19,20). The day of the crowning, the time of our reward, is at the coming of the Lord (2 Tim. 4:8). Now, if we would be prepared for God's pay day, that we may make a good report and receive a rich recompense, we must be very diligent. Our Lord, going away, said to His servants, "Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13). The Master bids us lay up our treasures in heaven, keep our lamps trimmed and burning, and Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 253 our loins girded about, and to live "like unto men that wait for their Lord, that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching" — not for death, but for Him (Luke 12:34-37). (4) Watchfulness. "Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." "Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is." "Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleep- ing." Again, "Behold, I come as a thief . Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments" (Matt. 24:42; Mar. 13:32-37; Rev. 16:15). Calvin wisely said, ' 'It must be held as a first principle, that, ever since the ascension of Christ there is nothing left to the faithful but that they be wakeful and watchful; to be always ready for his second advent." "Oh! if we could only get the church to heed this admonition, and to remember that ' The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. ' If it is not so, why has the Saviour told us so earnestly to watch, and pointed out so many signs by which we should be guided, and so repeatedly admonished us to take heed lest that day come upon us unawares? All these things prove that the judgment will come upon the world unexpected except to the de- voutest and most watchful of His children. How important, therefore, that we should study with profoundest care what the prophets have written upon this subject for our learning! With what 254 The Blessed Hope. solemn concern should we contemplate the myste- rious movements of the age in which we live! With what absorbing interest should we ponder the signs by which we are to know when the great day shall come! Woe, woe, woe, to them whom Christ, when He comes, shall find ignorant of the times, and faithless to their duty" (The Last Times, p. 156). (5) Sobriety. ''Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:13). "But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (1 Pet. 4:7). "The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. .. .therefore let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thess. 5:2,6). The world is giddy, full of its frivolities, vanities, lusts and empty pleasures. What is more calculated to render men thoughtful, to make them serious, to impress upon them the solemn issues of time and eternity, than that Jesus may come to-day? Post-millennialism, in its vain dream of gradually converting the world ere His appearing, utterly vitiates this truth, and loses the value of the doc- trine of His coming as an incentive to watchful- ness and sobriety. (6) Fidelity. In the parable of the talents we have an illustration enforcing the importance of faithfulness. The Lord is absent, but after a long time comes and reckons with His servants. Those found faithful in the use of their Lord's money are rewarded, while he who buried his talent is cast into outer darkness (Matt. 25:14,30). Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 255 "And, behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me, to give every man according- as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12). Again we read of a case in which the evil servant said in his heart, "My Lord delayeth his coming," and as a result he gave himself up to drunkenness, and began to mistreat his fellow-servants. "The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites" (Matt. 24:48,51). (7) Confession. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38). Men frequently backslide by failing to acknowl- edge the Master and to confess Him before wicked men, but he who lives with the thought uppermost of His glorious appearing at any moment, is made strong to confess Him, though in the midst of most ungodly surroundings. (8) Spiritaal-mindedness. Ours is a secular age, pre-eminently. The increase of learning, the ac- cumulation of wealth, the commercial spirit of our times, all tend to worldliness. The dollar is out- weighing the cross in the minds of men. The store is supplanting the church, the Sunday newspaper is superseding the Bible, and things secular are submerging spirituality, and eclipsing things eternal. Let us hear a word from the Master; it may lift our hearts above things perishable to things eternal. 256 The Blessed Hope. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then he shall reward every man accord- ing to his works" (Matt. 16:26,27). . (9) The death of self. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Col. 3: 3-5). The fleshly life is carnal. Its domination of the church accounts for low spirituality, general weakness and inefficiency. Faith, however, looks forward to the Master's appearing, and bids us seek Him as our very life ! In His strength we may live above the world, and by His grace and Spirit may be crucified those remains of carnality which hinder His love in us. If we draw our life from Him now we are promised that when He shall ap- pear in His glory we shall be with Him. Live in Him the spiritual life, and then appear with Him in the unfading glory. (10) Patience. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry" (Heb. 10:36,37). O, the value of patience! How important, yet how rare. Having done the will of God, after pa- tient waiting for a little while we shall receive the promise, for the Father hath pledged that He will come and will not tarry. James also exhorts the Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 257 brethren to be "patient unto the coming of the Lord." He enforces his exhortation by the hus- bandman waiting for the earth's yield, and con- tinues, "Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (Jas. 5: 7,8). Paul speaks of those who by patient con- tinuance in welldoing obtain eternal life. ' 'At the revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds" (Rom. 2: 5-7). (11) Spotlessness. "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, .... keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Tim. 6:13,14). If the church can be brought to this attitude of expectancy and consequent spotlessness, it will greatly increase her efficiency. (12) Endurance of trial. "That the trial of your faith, being" much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the ap- pearing of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:7). "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suf- ferings: that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet. 4:13). So many in the hour of test, in the time of temptation, fall away. Thus the purposes of God are thwarted, and the labor of His servants lost. There is no doctrine more calculated to build one up in the very midst of fiery trials, to nerve him for the martyr's stake, if necessary, than a true view of our Lord's coming, with all its attendant scenes and consequences. 17 258 Tlie Blessed Hope. (13) Faithfulness. The prophet informs us that "like people, like priest" (Hos. 4:9). A degenerate church, full of riches and self-esteem, usually causes the preacher to blackslide, forbidding him to deliver the full message of God, on penalty of starvation or dismissal. A weak, vacillating pulpit- eer cannot face the issue. All such go down be- fore this high tide of worldliness. Woe worth the day when a preacher, forgetting his high commis- sion, and that he is the representative of God, yields to the whims of an unregenerate congrega- tion, and so fails to proclaim the message with which God sent him to the people! Remember Jonah! As an incentive to fidelity Paul said to Timothy : "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appear- ing and his kingdom: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:1,2). Peter likewise bade the preacher ''Feed the flock of God. . . .not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." By what motive does he enforce his exhortation? "When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Pet. 5:2-4). (14) Looking upward. "For our conversation is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. 3:20,21). Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 259 Men sometimes reside in one country and hold their citizenship in another. This indicates confi- dence in and love for the far away nation. Our elder Brother is at present in the heavenly land. We hold our citizenship with Him in that celestial world, and from thence we look for His appearing in glory possessing all power, whereby He shall change the body of our humiliation (not our vile body, as in the King James Version, but simply our humiliated body, because it is subject to disease and death), and subject everything to His own glo- rious reign. (15) Pentecostal gifts. "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming" of our Lord Jesus Christ: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:7,8). In Apostolic days the thought of His early return was the source of great inspiration, abounding zeal, and an all-prevailing faith; under such condi- tions spiritual gifts abounded. The power of ex- hortation, of healing diseases, of combating and subduing heathenism was common in the little Apostolic fold. If the proper view of this subject, with all its accompanying truths, should become common, we believe these gifts would be revived. In fact, we see them now in some places among the waiting ones. For example, consider the cases of A. B. Simpson, A. J. Gordon, J. Hudson Taylor, and that mighty man of faith, George Mueller — every one of these wonder-working servants of God is inspired by the hope of His near coming. 260 TJie Blessed Hope. (16) Charitable Judgment. "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God" (1 Cor. 4:5). Expecting the early coming of our Lord in His judgment-power and glory, we had better leave the character of others in His hands. * 'Judge not that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1). (17) Enthronement. "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee: what shall we have therefore? "And Jesus said unto them. Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:27,28). Our day of crowning has not yet come. The enthroning of His saints is at the time of His own crowning, when He shall come and take possession of the Kingdom. Now is the time of the powers of darkness. The god of this world holds sway, and the true, the apostolic servants of Christ, are hated and rejected (John 15:19,20). In that day they shall be loved and honored, and shall sit on thrones in regal power and splendor. (18) Comfort. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:14-18). "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive vou unto myself: that where I am. there ye may be also" (John 14:3). Christ said, I will not leave you orphans — com- fortless, or alone. His Spirit abides to-day, and Relation of His Coming to Other Questions. 261 His word points us to His glorious Apocalypse in some sweet, near-by, but as yet unknown day. Let every sorrowing heart take comfort. Let every weeping one dry the falling tear. He will come, yea, He will come in great power, and will exalt us, if faithful, and array us in habiliments of glory, and crown us with a fadeless crown of life. Beloved, though hard the world may serve you, though bitter may seem your portion, though trials may be multiplied, though friends may prove un- true, yet look up and lift up your head, be holy, be true to God, and be of good cheer. The Master is coming, He's coming again, His scepter shall sway both hilltop and plain, He's coming in glory, He's coming in power, With joy we shall hail Him, Oh speed the blest hour! Look up from your sorrows and dry every tear, Be humble and trustful, O be of good cheer; He's coming. He's coming, in glory arrayed, We'll shout Him a welcome, and ne'er be afraid. He's coming to take us, to crown us with life, To ease every burden, to end every strife. He's coming, Hallelujah! His coming is near, Oh, how we shall shout when He shall appear! 262 TJie Blessed Hope. The Coming and Holiness. CHAPTER XXII. The curse of the world is sin. Anything that will tend to its overthrow or to the weakening of its grasp upon the hearts of men is a God- send. Holiness is the great desideratum. It is the core of the whole redemptive scheme. In order that it might be introduced and promoted, the Bible was inspired of God, and written by holy men (2 Tim. 1:16,17; 2 Pet. 1:21). The ministry in its various branches was divinely inaugurated for the promo- tion of holiness (Eph. 4:11-13). God is worshiped because He is holy (Psa. 99:5,9). He is to be wor- shiped in the-beauty of holiness, and only therein does He receive the glory due unto His name (Psa. 96:9; 29:2). Holiness is commanded (Lev. 19:2; 20:7,8; 11:44; Gen. 17:1; 1 Pet. 1:15,16). Without holiness we shall not see God in His beauty and glory (Heb. 12:14), for only the pure in heart shall see God (Matt. 5:8). There are those who tell us that we cannot be holy in this life. In this case, as in others, the advocates of error quote Scripture. They refer us to the 14th Psalm. "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." They seem to entirely over- look the fact that in the same Psalm we are in- formed that those sinners did not understand nor seek after God, and that they are in great fear, for The Coming and Holiness. 263 "God is in the generation of the righteous" (verses 4,5). Again, they take us to the third of Romans (verses 9-11), but strangely fail to consider the following verses in which we are informed that those whom the writer has described have no part nor lot with the people of God. Let the reader take his Bible and begin at the 10th verse and read to the 18th. The apostle gives a very minute de- scription of the most abominable characters, and then, to make it unmistakably clear that he has no reference whatever to Christians, he says, "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (verse 18). Can man, with any show of reason at all, make these diabolical characteristics apply to the fol- lowers of the holy Christ? Again, the opponent of holiness quotes from St. John, "If we say we have no sin we deceive our- selves" (1 John 1:8). That this refers to human nature without grace, as the passages we have just examined, is evident, for in the preceding verse we are informed that "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." The sinful state is natural, the holy state spiritual, supernatural. It is simply a question as in the patent medicine adver- tisement, of "before taking and after taking." While all men are sinners by nature, God has pro- vided redemption by which we may each be saved from all sin. Christ is called "Jesus" because He saves His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21). In- deed He saves to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). He taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His blood was shed for our sanctification (Heb. 13:12), and our sanctification is the will of God (1 Thess. 4: 264 The Blessed Hope. 3-8). Through this grace we are brought into one- ness with Him (Heb. 2:11). Christ is made of God unto us sanctification (1 Cor. 1:30), and He demands of us that we perfect holiness (2 Cor. 7:1), and has even sworn an oath that we may serve Him in holi- ness all our days (Luke 1:73-75). His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9). His Spirit works our sanctification (2 Thess. 2:13), and for our aid He pledges all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18). All sin is of the Devil, and hence a sinning religion is his counterfeit of the gospel of the grace of God. Now, any doctrine that will promote holiness must be true, and should be preached. We claim the right to press the thought of His near coming on this ground. He who expects Jesus to come suddenly, perhaps this very day, sees and feels the need of holiness. How else can one greet the de- scending Judge with joy? The stronghold of sin is in the blindness of man to spiritual things, in his thought of the far-away-ness of God. To the average man God is intangible and almost unreal; but startle this slumbering. soul with the warnings of the Judge, with the trumpet blasts of glory, with the sight of the descending Lion of the tribe of Judah, and forthwith he becomes all-attentive, and holiness is seen to be the one thing needful. Ac- cordingly, we read: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth him- self, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2,3). Tlie Coming and Holiness. 265 What is the "hope" of which the Apostle speaks? It has no reference to what is known as a * 'hope-so" religion. He asserts, "now are we the children of God." The language is positive, and refers to a conscious assurance, not a weak, flagging hope. In fact, one cannot hope for a thing which he has in possession. As the term hope is compounded of two things, desire and expectation, it necessarily refers to things future. Then what does St. John tell us, and what is the hope to which he refers? Simply this: we are now Christians — born of God; at the Master's appearing our mortal shall put on immortality; our decaying bodies shall be rendered all-glorious, like unto His transfigured body. Seeing Him in the fullness of His glory, we shall be like Him. Such is the hope. Now what is the effect? Purity. He who has the hope of seeing and being like his risen Lord cannot afford to grovel in the dust like the worldlings around him. He must be free from sin, he must be holy. Conse- quently every evil habit is abandoned, every ques- tionable thing laid aside, and with this hope inspir- ing him, he presses onward and upward to higher heights of full salvation. Thus the expectation of Christ's early coming promotes holiness. On the other hand, what can be more soul-inspiring to the sanctified servant of God than the thought of see- ing his gracious Lord at an early day? Hence, as the work of sanctification is promoted, the interest in the Saviour's return is intensified. Those who look for His coming soon are lovers of holiness, while those who enjoy the life of full salvation are^ 266 The Blessed Hope. most commonly interested in the question of our Lord's appearing. But let us examine a few Scriptures touching the question. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23). The entire sanctification of spirit, soul and body is "unto," that is, for the coming. This implies that we will not be ready for the glorious manifes- tation of our Lord unless we are thus sanctified. Again, the promotion of brotherly love is coupled with this truth in order that we may be holy at the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with His saints (1 Thess. 2:12,13). Paul bids us live righteously, and godly (in a godlike manner, holy) in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and "the glorious appearing" of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:12,13). The Apostle immediately adds that He "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (verse 14). The connection is clear between the looking for His appearing and the godly living, as a pecu- liar people, zealous for His glory. We wish to promote steadiness of character in Christians. We would have men holy, not only for to-day, but continually. The question of which we treat enforces the importance of abiding in Him. "And now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). The Coming and Holiness. 267 In view of the dissolution of the present order of things Peter urges holiness. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness , "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. 3: 11,12). In some quarters "holiness" preachers and work- ers have joined in antagonizing the truth for which we plead. Strange indeed! If they would carry- forward the great work of full salvation, they should preach a whole Bible. There is no truth more calculated to arouse the church and to awaken and intensify zeal, or to quicken missionary interest, or to break the deadening grip of the world, than the truth of the Lord's soon-coming. The advo- cates of holiness, as a second work of grace, teach that at regeneration, when the love of God is begun in the soul, the spiritual kingdom is set up in that life. But they believe that for the fullness of sanctification another work of grace is necessary, namely, the crucifixion of "the old man," the de- struction of the body of sin (Rom. 6:6-11). Then only are we crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20), made free from sin (John 8:36; Rom. 6:22). Then only is Christ crowned within (Eph. 3:17). Then is the indwelling foe cast out, the inborn traitor destroyed. Now this is exactly what takes place with the earth at the return of Christ. It is the period of the world's sanctification. Eighteen hundred years ago the Kingdom was set up on earth in pentecostal power, but the devil yet re~ 268 The Blessed Hope. mains to hinder the work. When our Lord comes Satan will be cast out and sealed up in the bottom- less pit (Rev. 20:1-3). Then the strong man being bound, his goods will be spoiled (Matt. 12:29). The shackles by which he has bound the world will be broken. The power of sin will be cancelled, and holiness will fill the earth. Thus the world is sancti- fied, receiving its second blessing. Hallelujah! Then will be fulfilled the prayer so long on the lips of His faithful ones, "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). The Kingdom can only come when the King comes. If we desire the Kingdom, let us pray for the coming of the King. Slg?is of His Corning. 269 Signs of His Coming. CHAPTER XXIII. Let it be distinctly understood by all, I have no dates to set; but we have many reasons for believing the coming of Jesus near. He would have us ever looking for Him, and always ready to shout Him welcome. Some of our reasons may appear more impressive than others. When combined they seem to the writer unanswerable. We submit the follow- ing points: (1) Christ's Tivo Comings Combined are the key to the Bible. We are dealing now with His second advent, and it holds the key to prophecies yet unfulfilled. ; 'Andhe said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Dan. 12:9). From this passage we would conclude that there are Scriptures the purport of which may not be un- derstood till "the consummation of the days," "till the time of the end. ? ' Now, when a doctrine is found that unlocks the prophetic Scriptures, we may as- sume (a) that such doctrine is true; (b) that we have reached the time appointed when the seal should be broken. Just that is what this doctrine is doing. It is giving us a clue to the prophecies and open- ing the Word as a whole. He who neglects the "Blessed Hope*' of His early coming is forever con- 270 The Blessed Hope. fused in the reading of the Bible. In fact, Post- millennialism is filling the church with a breed of so-called higher critics, who have emasculated the whole Word. They spiritualize away promises and threatenings alike, obscure the prophecies, dis- €redit the Apocalypse, and, shutting their eyes to spiritual deadness, glory in an optimistic blindness which is inexcusable. A proper view of Christ's return, on the other hand, opens the inner eye to the revealed word of God, fructifies the faith of the spiritual babe; develops a stalwart character, with undying devotion to the holy Writings, largely in- creasing his comprehension of them. (2) Spiritual Helpfulness. I find in my own experience a spiritual bonanza in this doctrine. Nothing has done more to in- crease in me the Christlife, to develop my faith, to intensify my Zealand to improve my religious expe- rience as a whole than this doctrine. It must, therefore, be true. God would not so bless false- hood. The study of the doctrine and the hope of my Saviour's soon-coming has proved so helpful to me that I feel like pressing it upon the attention of others, and conclude that as it has proven a spiritual message to my heart, so it will to others. Our Saviour is heard saying, ' 'Behold I come quickly." May reader and writer be thoroughly prepared to answer with the beloved disciple, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). (3) Interest in this Subject. For some years I have been in the habit of preaching in my meetings and at other places, as opportunity afforded, from one to a half dozen ser- Signs of His Coming. 271 mons on this subject. The congregations at these services have usually been the largest gathered during the meeting. In other words, the people want light. They are interested in the subject. There is a spirit of inquiry. Does this not indicate the day's approach? Is not the Master Himself stirring up the hearts of His people as to His re- turn? Again, we call attention to the large num- ber of books, papers, tracts, etc., that are being poured forth anent the return of the Lord. Preach- ers are awakening, writers are catching the in- spiration, doubters are realizing the truth, and the people are being stirred touching the matter. Surely this is the voice of the Bridegroom saying, * 'Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." In some sense, these things seem to be the midnight cry, ' 'Behold, the x Bridegroom cometh." (4) General Expectancy. There is a world-wide looking for something. As to what this "something" is, men differ, but Chris- tians and sinners, good men and bad, among all na- tions, are looking for a great crisis, a world-wide upheaval of some kind. Many who reject the posi- tion assumed in this book, yet believe this crisis is on us. May not the thing expected be the coming of the Judge of all the earth, and the sifting of the nations? Is not this almost universal expectancy a premonition of the event? Was there not a sim- ilar state of mind at the birth in Bethlehem? (5) Distress of Nations. The whole world is in a state of upheaval and unrest. Nations are burdened to sustain vast 272 TJie Blessed Hope. armies and large navies. The spirit of strife and contention is abroad. We have monarchy and de- mocracy, republicanism, socialism, nihilism and anarchy. There is turmoil and strife; restless anx- iety and fear; social and ecclesiastical disorder. ' 'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. " Gov- ernments are undergoing changes; their very foun- dations are being undermined. People are weary of the established order of things, and revolutions are in the air. There are elements of weakness in all known systems of governmental polity. "While there are some great nations that have vast re- sources, immense armies and unheard-of equip- ments, yet we are undoubtedly in the toe-stage of Nebuchadnezzar's image (Dan. 2); the governments are a mixture of iron and clay, of strength and weak- ness. Not only in governmental but in many other phases of life do we see this restless spirit, the foundations decaying. Famine has desolated India, and is to-day preying upon large provinces of China. Plagues are abroad, diseases are increas- ing in virulence and numoer. Who ever he&rd of "the grip" till a few years ago? Consumption is much more common than in former generations. Storms desolate land and sea, sweeping through the heart of a St. Louis, or submerging a Galves- ton. Coming to social and individual life, we find the same general unrest. There is an alarming in- crease in divorce, in the breaking up of marriage ties. It is doubtful if a single issue may be found of any of the great dailies in which there is not an SOME FAITHFUL, EARNEST ADVOCATES OF THE BLESSED HOPE. E. F. WALKER. B. F. HAYNES. M. W. KNAPP. J. O. McCLURKAN. SETH C. REES. Signs of His Coming. 273 account of at least one divorce suit, oftentimes many. I counted four on one page of a newspaper recently. We are in the midst of awful days, the optimistic laudation of our times notwithstanding. Am I a pessimist? Apart from the hope of His glo- rious appearing there is abundance of room for one to be. But, bless God, the skies are lit with His coming glory. "The Sun of Righteousness shall soon arise with healing in His wings," and the night of sorrow shall vanish. Be it remembered "the darkest hour is frequently just before day." (6) Faith's Increase and Decay. Jesus tersely asked, "When the Son of man Com- eth, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). By this He does not mean to say that there will be no faith, but that it will be limited and weak. Does the reader recall the time when, Jesus being asleep, the Devil raised a great storm thinking to drown Him? The alarmed disciples awoke Him, crying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:37,38). Jesus quelled the tempest, and rebuked His disciples because they lacked the faith by which they themselves could have stayed the storm. Strange scene! A Carpenter arising from His sleep, allaying a "great storm" and reproving His followers because their faith was so weak they could not themselves stop the raging tempest. If this is His standard of faith, where could He find it if He were to appear to-day? Have any of us the storm-quelling, Devil-driving, dead-raising, miracle- working faith? George Mueller had it while he fed 3,000 orphans, calling only upon God to supply 18 274 The Blessed Hojk. his necessities. But Mueller has gone to his re- gard. J. Hudson Taylor has it, and thereby has sent out and supports 600 missionaries in the heart of China. Wm. Taylor, Bishop of Africa, is a hero of faith, but the grand old man is standing on the borders of eternity pressing rapidly toward the crossing. His toils are ended, his days numbered, and the bells of heaven will soon be calling him liome. A. B. Simpson has it, as attested by 450 missionaries in this and other lands. But ah! few ;are the Simpsons, the Taylors, and the Muellers. May our Father pity our little power with Him, and raise up among His children some who may more perfectly represent the sycamore-lifting faith of our Master. There is a general lack of all-pre- vailing, triumphant faith. But the few instances that may be found serve to illustrate the type ivhich should prevail within the ranks of Zion.. Paith's general decadence, and yet isolated tri- umphs, confirms us in the belief that the time of the -end draweth near. (7) TJie Character of the Advocates of this hope. The value of any doctrine may be at least meas- urably determined by the character of its adherents. Who believes His coming to be near? What class of men and women are preaching this doctrine? "Who are its supporters? In our chapter on "Unin- spired Witnesses" will be found many illustrious names, among whom are the early fathers, and the greatest lights of ecclesiastical history. This doc- trine, from the human side, while certainly having some such within its ranks, as all great but neglected truths have, is not dependent upon the support of Signs of His Coming. 275 fanatics or ignoramuses. It numbers among its supporters men of ripest scholarship, of the most massive intellect, of the most thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, and of the closest walk with God. Take, for example, the scholarly Delitzsch, the studious Dean Alford, the polished Canon Farrar; the tireless Grattan Guinness, the beloved A. J. Gordon, the successful D. L. Moody, the holy Fletcher, the voluminous and convincing writer, J. A. Seiss, the steadfast H. L. Hastings; and, beside many others, the noble apostles of faith mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Here may be found men and women who, like the worthies mentioned in the eleventh of Hebrews, "have sub- dued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens" (Heb. 11:33,34). These people make things happen. They confuse gainsayers, win the lost to Christ, and stir nations for God. Show me a one-story D. D. wearing a two-story hat, with a gold-headed cane and gold ring, and with a cigar in his mouth, who rides on Sunday trains, chews to- bacco, buys and reads Sunday newspapers, pours forth a tirade of abuse against the holiness people, sneers at the second blessing, and who has not had a dozen conversions in twelve months, perhaps not in ten years, and I will show you a man who is a strong Post-millennialist, a great optimist, and who will likely declare that Christ cannot possibly come for at least sixty thousand years, "Because, my 276 The Blessed Hope. brethren, we must first get the world converted, you know." It is well that he was thoughtful enough to allow himself sixty thousand years for the task. If he is the hope of the world's conver- sion, we may increase the time many tenfolds. We do not say that all Post-millennialists are of the type we have described, some certainly are not, but we know none who fit this description who are not Post-millennialists. We would advise our spiritually-minded brethren who are advocating Post-millennialism to remember poor Tray, and be careful of their company. (8) Increase of Wealth. We have elsewhere called attention to the heap- ing up of vast fortunes. In the fifth chapter of James the apostle condemns the rich who live in indulgence and self -gratification, and says, "Ye piled up treasure for (Greek "in") the last days." It is a prediction that at the time of the end this condition of things should prevail. No such vast estates were known in the days of the Apostles, not even among the rulers themselves, perhaps, as are being accumulated in these times. The papers have recently been full of accounts of the forma- tion of what is called "The billion dollar combine" of the iron and steel industries. This is but a mile- post indicating the approaching dissolution of the present order of things, the inauguration of a new era. Millionaires are a common product of our civilization. Men who are not able to rank with them are scarcely called rich. We believe it may be safely asserted that eighty per cent, of the wealth of this country is controlled by ten per Signs of His Coming. 277 cent, of the people. Though I have not the figures at hand, this estimate is, I am sure, well within the truth, perhaps far below. In the history of all fallen empires we readily see their decadence began with the large increase of wealth. Riches breed softness and self-indulgence. All the old world powers fell in the days of their greatest prosperity and luxury. Witness Babylon, Nineveh, Rome. Riches beget laziness and ennui. They intensify selfishness and undermine the social fabric, robbing it of those elements of thrift that tend to hardihood and patriotism. The result is an early overthrow. So God will soon visit the civilization of our times, which is so largely given over to commercialism and greed. (9) Increase of Knowledge and Travel. Daniel, speaking of the time of the end, says, "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. " According to this, we are undoubt- edly in the last days. The prophecy is twofold, (a) extensive travel — "many shall run to and fro;" and (b), the acquisition of knowledge. As to travel, this is pre-eminently its age. We are certainly safe within the facts when we say that travel is a hun- dredfold greater now than it was two centuries ago, we should, perhaps, say one century. The past hundred years have witnessed the invention and perfection of all the present popular modes of rapid transit. Think of it! Our great- grandpar- ents never saw a bicycle, an automobile, a street- car, a steamboat or steamship, or a railroad train. W. E. Blackstone, in October, '97, said, "Last year the number of passengers on the railroads of this 278 The Blessed Hope. country was 535,120,756, and the mileage was 13,- 054,840,243; and in the whole world the number of passengers was 12,304,000,000, and the mileage was 28,677,000,000." This takes no account of travel by other modes of conveyance, such as ships, boats, etc., private and public, all of which, when combined, doubtless equal or exceed the above figures. And these figures are nearly four years old. If brought right down to this date we have no doubt they would be largely increased. One hun- dred years ago a speed of eight or ten miles per hour was about the best that could be made. Now the best railroad lines will carry you eight hundred miles in a day, and give you time for sight-seeing at principal cities. In some rare instances they have been known to make more than seventy-five miles an hour on short runs. When the railroad was first invented men who posed as philosophers and logicians argued that a speed of twenty miles per hour was impossible, and, should it be attained, the result would be disastrous to human life. I have myself traveled at the rate of sixty miles an hour, not only free from injury, but with comfort and pleasure. Without posing as a prophet, the writer will venture to suggest that a speed of from one to two hundred miles per hour will be attained within the next twenty years, and a successful air- ship is looked upon as one of the possibilities of the near future. I well remember when a boy in Texas the interest I felt in any one who had trav- eled. To meet a person who had been in the great city of New York was a treat to my boyish mind, Signs of His Coming. 279 and many were the questions with which I plied him. In recent years my own experience has sat- isfied my longing for travel to some extent, having preached in twenty States of the Union. Men who^ have been to Europe and Asia, and even around the) world, are more common to me now than those were who had seen New York City in the tender years of my youth A peculiar feature in connection with the increase of knowledge is the fact that so many inventions and other indications of, and facilities for, the in- crease of information and general improvement- have been crowded into a single century. Thought- ful readers can readily make a very profitable re- view of the past century on this line. We would scarcely know how to "get along" if we were to lose in one night the inventions of the last ten decades. For general travel we would be confined to the stagecoach and the sailing vessel. A letter would require two months to cross the continent, and the cost of transmission would be twenty-five cents. The century has given us the railroad, the steamboat, the ocean-liner, the street-car, the au- tomobile, the bicycle, the telegraph and telephone, the phonograph and wireless telegraphy, the rapid printing press, the linotype, the mower, reaper and threshing machine, the X-ray, the photo- graphic camera, the sewing-machine, together with the modern rapid methods of spinning, knitting and weaving. As to lights, in George Washing- ton's day they used tallow candles, such as the writer and many of his readers have helped their mothers or grandmothers make. The elec- 280 The Blessed Hope. trie light, and even the kerosene lamp and the gas jet came within the century. Time would fail us to go into further details. The records at the pat- ent office at Washington have already passed the six hundred thousandth mile post. A noticeable feature in connection with this is that these inventions have all been launched upon the world in so short a time. Why should they not have been gradually developed? Why might not the world have had the street-car a thousand years ago, the steamboat nine hundred years since, the railroad train five hundred years agone? But no; God reserved this increase of knowledge, and of travel, with improved modes of travel, and this running "to and fro" for our day, and has foretold by His prophet Daniel that these things mark the "time of the end." But let us turn to another phase of this increase of knowledge, namely, the increased study and growing understanding of God's Word. Manifest- ly some portions of the prophecies were couched in such language as to seal them until, in the progress of events, a key to their solution should be given by the facts, and the history of the times should indicate somewhat of their fulfillment. For illustration see Isaiah (7:14) and Micah (5:2). These refer to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and the virginity of His mother. Now these were neces- sarily clouded and obscure till their fulfillment. With the New Testament before us we have no difficulty with them. In like manner, many proph- ecies concerning our Lord's coming to the King- dom are opening to this generation by the unfolding Signs of His Coming. 281 of the prophetic scroll through the developments of history. As we have elsewhere suggested, the books relating to prophecy and the second advent of Christ which have been produced in recent years are throwing a flood of light upon this question. Thus the mysteries of prophecy are being unsealed, and Daniel says that such shall be only at the ' 'time of the end." We have also spoken of the general increase of knowledge. But let us glance at it for a moment again, giving some attention to details and differ- ent phases of the subject. Four centuries ago even kings were sometimes unable to write their names. Books were rare, and very costly. Edu- cation was confined to the favored few, while the masses remained, and contentedly so, in densest ignorance. Now, how different! A fair education is in the reach of the poorest, while men of mod- erate means can put an entire family through a collegiate if not a university course. He who can not read and write is a back number. Boys ten years of age, if bright and studious, often enjoy a better education than mature men of two centuries ago. Universities are in reach, colleges numerous, academies plentiful and common schools abound. But an education secured within the four w T alls of a schoolroom is narrow and technical. The spirit of the times will impart a fund of information to an inquiring mind, even though he be deprived of the technical advantages of the schools. The so- cial atmosphere is favorable to education. Even sluggish heathenism is yawning and rubbing its eyes over the books. Travel is a fruitful source of 282 TJie Blessed Hope. the truest and best social and mental culture. The telegraph has brought the ends of the earth to- gether, and the morning newspaper lays the world of yesterday at your doors. We have harnessed the lightning, and thereby left the sun in the rear. At 6 o'clock a.m. we can read the happenings of 8 o'clock the same day in Europe. I was in Syra- cuse, N. Y., the day Queen Victoria died. At 5 o'clock p.m. we were reading the incidents about her dying couch at 7 o'clock the same evening. The electric courier had ridden the wire horse across the Atlantic Ocean ahead of the sun by two hours. The Indian said, ' 'White man too smart. God make ice only in winter time, but white man make it in summer." Our inventions remind one of the Indian's remark. The increase of knowl- edge heralds the King's approach. (10) Flaming Chariots. "The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with naming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terri- bly shaken. "The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jus tie one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings" (Nahum 2:3,4). I venture to suggest that the "mighty men" rep- resented by the red shields may stand for the Sal- vation Army. This may be fancy. Be that as it may, there has been no mightier movement for the uplift of men since days Apostolic. Though its founder is yet a living man (but 72 years of age April 9th), a million of souls are shouting around the throne of God in heaven, or on their way there, Signs of His Coming. 283 because of the work of this peculiar and God-hon- ored people (1 Pet. 2:9; Prov. 11:30; Dan. 12:3). But it is of the raging chariots and flaming torches that we wish to speak particularly. There is no doubt in the writer's mind that the reference here is to the thundering express, by which the fir trees are terribly shaken, the electric headlights of which flash out like a midnight sun. And the rag- ing of the chariots in the streets is fully illustrated by the numerous street-cars in any great city. Standing on a street corner in Louisville some months ago I saw twenty-five cars moving in various directions, all visible at one time. The rapid speed of these cars is indicated by the expression, ' 'They run like the lightnings. 5 ' This scripture was in other days a confusion to commentators, but since the appearance of the "cannon ball," the "limited vestibule," the "lightning express" and the electric car the passage is luminous. It is amusing now to read the efforts of commentators of the olden days to give an exposition of this prophecy. It only remains to observe that it finds its fulfillment, "In the day of his preparation." Already the armies of the skies are ready, the chariots bur- nished, and the harness adjusted, while the fiery steeds are pawing the gold -paved streets. At a word the magnificent retinue will pass out of the pearly gates and the world shall see and own its Conqueror. (11) The Decay of False Systems. Not only has Christianity faced earth's hoary heathenism, but it has had to grapple with the fierce, red-handed system of the False Prophet, as also 284 The Blessed Hope. the corruptions and superstitions of the great Ro- man apostasy. With fire and sword Mohammed attempted to overrun all Christian lands. The first great set-back the forces of the false prophet received was in the battle of Tours, A. D. 732, when Charles Martel defeated them in a decisive engagement. Again, they were driven back from their final great effort to crush Christianity by the troops of John Sobieski, in 1683. Since this date Mohammedanism has been on the wane. One na- tion after another has been wrenched from her cruel grasp until, like a dying vulture, this bloody system of hate, error and falsehood is standing at the crumbling edge of its grave on the banks of the Bosphorus. The "false prophet," depicted in the book of Revelation, is an attendant of the "beast." They flourish side by side, and together they perish. The "little horn" mentioned by Daniel (7:21) was to "wear out the saints" till the coming of the Son of man in the clouds, when the kingdom should be given to the saints of the Most High (Dan. 7:13-27). This little horn is sup- posed by some to refer to Mohammedanism, by others to Romanism. It certainly has reference to one of them, and it is, according to the predic- tion, to continue till the appearing of the Son of man, when the saints take the kingdom. These systems of error and falsehood have paralleled each other for more than twelve centuries, but thanks be to God their decay is evident, their end at hand. In the name of Christianity the Romish hierarchy has burned its multitudes at the stake, and by the most hellish ingenuity has endeavored Signs of His Coming. 285 to wipe godliness from the face of the earth. * Bear in mind my chapter on Prophecy Twofold. While Romanism and Mohammedanism may an- swer to the requirements of these prophetic de- scriptions through many long years, there may be also a personal manifestation of the beast and the false prophet in the Tribulation times. I do not care at this place to enter into a discus- sion of the chronological prophecies, but suffice it to say there is an important date period quite fre- quently mentioned in Daniel and Revelation and variously described as a "time, times and a half time," "forty- two months," "a thousand two hun- dred and three-score days," etc. (Dan. 12:7; Rev. 11:2,3; 12:6; 13:5). According to the day for a year method of interpretation this period would represent twelve hundred and sixty years. Now we know, as a matter of fact, that the greatest strength of Romanism and also of Mohammedan- ism has been displayed in a period of about this length. The rise in each case was so gradual that no man might definitely drive down a stake and say, "Here it began;" in like manner the decline has been gradual. The metes and bounds may be hard to define, but it is easy to determine that the life proper of these systems of error is about of this duration. They have both been dying by inches for the past two or three centuries, and their end is at hand. The writer does not commit himself to the year for a day theory, but he does believe that it has a strong probability of truth. According to * See my book, "The Danger Signal." 286 TJie Blessed Hope. views set forth on the twofold nature of prophecy, I believe the literal interpretation may be correct, and yet not vitiate the symbolic mode of explana- tion — the day for a year method. While Romanism and Mohammedanism were doubtless pictured in these periods, yet we have no doubt there shall appear a literal Antichrist, accompanied by a false prophet, who shall hold sway for just three and a half years. The decay of these false systems in- dicates a dissolution of the present order, and points to an early advent of the Messiah, and the inauguration of the Millennial era. The whole thing maybe but thebudding of the Jig tree, denoting approach of spring; the fig tree sign given by the Master. (12) Restoration of the Jews. While we have some chapters on this subject, yet there are certain phases we wish to introduce at this place. These days belong to the time of vengeance against the Jews. The Master says: "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). We have seen them cut down by the edge of the sword and led away captive into the nations. All history attests the truth of the prediction. How long shall Jerusalem be trodden down? The day of pre-eminent wrath is at its close. The time of Israel's oppression has its limit. How long was it to continue? Until the "times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled." Then what? The oppression shall cease, and the Master shall appear. Signs of His Coming. 287 "Arid then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:27). When does the Son of man come? When the times of the Gentiles shall have been fulfilled and the treading down of Israel shall have ceased. Has the reader studied the condition of the Jews? Is he familiar with the rapid improvements now going on in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine. If not, note the following: There are more Jews in Jerusalem to-day than at any time since its over- throw by the armies of Titus. A railroad now runs from Joppa to Jerusalem, and others are being built and surveyed through different parts of Pales- tine. Cities are springing up as if by magic. The rains so necessary for the fertility of the soil, and which have been so long withheld under the divine curse, are being restored, there being an annual increase of rainfall. God's promise to re- store "the early and latter rain" is being fulfilled. It is said that Baron Rothschild holds a mortgage over Palestine against the Turkish government. I am not prepared to vouch for the truth of this statement, but when we remember the depleted condition of the Turkish treasury, and recall the fact that the Rothschilds are the greatest money- lenders of the world, the statement does not seem unreasonable. When this mortgage is foreclosed, Palestine will belong to the Jews. Its foreclosure is simply a matter of time. The history of the Jews was written by their prophets long, long ago. It is the most trustworthy of all history. It will be fulfilled to the last iota. Their oppressions will end; their cities will be re- 288 TJie Blessed Hope. built; their government restored, and the Carpenter of Nazareth, as written over His cross, shall be known to the world and acknowledged by them as 1 'KING OF THE JEWS. " When will all this take place? AtHiscoming. He has promised to "return " and rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. If their casting away be the recon- ciling of the world, what will their receiving be but life from the dead? They are under judicial blind- ness now, but their light shall come, when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, and so all Israel shall J>e saved (Rom. 11:15,25,26). Following their re- covery the residue of men will seek after the Lord (Acts 15:16,17). Their leaders are planning already for the repopulation of their ancient country. The Zionist movement points that way. Every ship sailing thitherward bears some of the elect but despised people. The day of their triumph is at hand, though it shall be ushered in by one of the darkest hours in their checkered history. The advent of their King, and ours, draweth near. ' 'When ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (13) Missions. ' 'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). The Gospel as a "witness" for all nations is the scope of this promise. Their conversion is not even hinted under the present regime, but the gospel shall call out from among them a people for His name. What next? But few words are need- ed to answer our question; the Master gave them. Signs of His Coming. 289 "Then cometh the end." Nothing here to justify a magniloquent display of oratorical fire-works, so common at our Leagues, Conferences, Endeavor Conventions, etc. Simply the gospel for a witness to all nations. Then, O how solemn! then cometh the end. Now, what headway are we making to- ward this end? Study the missionary movements of the past century, especially the latter part of it. Heralds of the Cross are sailing over all seas, and planting the standard of Immanuel in all lands. Every church worthy the name has its missions, and they are continually increasing their contribu- tions, and the number of their representatives in the field. Not only are the churches manifesting an in- creased interest, and putting forth new life along this line, but God is getting in such haste to have His Son crowned King of the nations that He is calling and commissioning both men and women to enter the mission-field on the Apostolic lines of faith and self-support. The independent mission movements of our times are about to eclipse in Apostolic power and simplicity the operations of the church societies. What do the hundreds of missionaries sent out by J. Hudson Taylor, H. Grattan Guinness, A. B. Simpson, Manie Payne Ferguson and Bishop Wm, Taylor mean? They are but stars in the East, harbingers of the glorious coming day. Less than fifty years ago (1853) Commodore Perry first opened the doors of Japan to the civilized world. Until recently for a Christian to set foot on the soil of Corea or Thibet meant certain death. 19 590 The Blessed Hope. Other nations were as cruel and as thoroughly ■closed to the gospel as these. But to-day all lands ;are open, the gates practically taken from their linges, and the world is welcoming the missionary. He is already on the field of action, or en route. "The gospel is permeating the islands of the sea and revolutionizing, the nations of the earth. Already gleams of light divine shoot athwart the Eastern skies. The signs foretelling* the coming of the King are not simply thirteen, as here listed, Tbut they are legion. Let every sinner repent, every "backslider return, and every child of the King don his armor. Let every virgin be wise, with lamps brightly burning and oil in the vessel. The trumpet is sounding. O hear the midnight cry, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." Question Department 291 Question Department. CHAPTER XXIV. (1) What is the meaning of "They all slumbered and slept?" The general loss of interest in His coming is, perhaps, what is meant. It also indi- cates the midnight condition of the world — its gen- eral darkness and apathy toward spiritual things. In the midst of such conditions even the wise vir- gins fall asleep. There is not that keen, intense, wide-awake interest in His coming which should characterize watchers. It is said they all slept — or rather became drowsy, nodded. (2) Will there be opportunity for the conversion of sinners after Jesus comes? Certainly. It is following His return that "the residue of men seek after the Lord" (Acts 15:17. See alsolsa. 2:2-4). (3) If Jesus is the same as when He went away, will He not love everybody and desire to save all, not condemning the world, but laboring to save and purify it? If so, should not everybody desire His coming, even sinners? While He is the same Jesus (Acts 1:9-11), yet He is represented in the Word as a Lamb (John 1:29), and also as a Lion (Rev. 5:5). We have only thus far seen the love side of His nature; but at His re- turn the ungodly who have rejected Him will beg for rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide 292 The Blessed Hope. them from His face, for it is "the great day of His wrath" (Rev. 6 :15-17). Men who have rejected Him shall mourn and wail (Rev. 1:7), and shrink with terror from beholding Him. While we believe very strongly in the conversion of the world after His coming, yet it is very doubtful whether any who have had the light of the gospel and rejected it will live through the great tribulation, or taste His mercy and His love. Grace will be extended, but chiefly, if not exclusively, to those who have not enjoyed the blessings of gospel light in the pres- ent dispensation. "Apostate Christendom, being destroyed, and the believing church translated at Christ's coming, there will remain Israel and the heathen world, constituting the majority of men then alive, which, from not having come into close contact with the gospel, have not incurred the guilt of rejecting it. These will be the subjects of a general conversion" (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, on Rev. 20:6). (4) If the work of salvation continues after Jesus comes, will it not give men of that age an advantage over those of previous times, and indi- cate a partiality on God's part? Such as live in the Millennial dispensation cer- tainly will have an advantage over the people of this age, as we have over those of preceding ages. We have advantages to-day over China, Japan and other heathen lands; our opportunities are better than the Jews had before the first advent; they also had opportunities not offered to the surrounding nations, and not enjoyed by the antediluvians. This, however, does not argue partiality with God. Question Department, 293 It simply shows that He is utilizing every agency to restore the race, and that He avails Himself of every opportunity to bring men up to better things. (5) If the opportunity of salvation for those who have rejected light ceases with the return of Jesus, how can the ready ones desire His immediate coming, knowing that it would forever cut off even their own loved ones? (a) Because they love Him more than any earthly one, and they know that His glory is at stake, for His rights are being trampled upon, (b) They know this crisis will have to be made in the end with others, if not their own immediate friends, (c) They see also it will be better for the world as a whole. If multitudes are perishing while He tarries who may be brought to a knowledge of Him after His return, it seems better that He should come, even though a smaller number should be for- ever cut off. Paul said, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). So great is the advantage of having many saved, even at the sacrifice of the few. They who love Him truly are constrained to join with the holy Seer of Patmos, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20). (6) Will the judgment referred to in Matt. 25 occur at the coming of Jesus, immediately, or at the end of the thousand years' reign? As to this, writers differ. Some say this is only the judgment of the living nations, and that it occurs immediately after Christ takes the throne. But to me this view seems untenable, because the 294 Tfie Blessed Hope. issues in each case are final and eternal. I believe it has reference to the great white throne judgment at the end of the thousand years. If the objector replies, "But this separation takes place when he comes," I answer, When I go to my next appoint- ment I will likely preach a sermon on the judg- ment, but I have no idea of delivering this discourse on the hour of my arrival. It is simply a part of the work to be done in connection with the meeting. So this judgment scene is connected with the coming of Christ, though, like with many other things, it does not necessarily occur on the day of His arrival. (7) What judgment is meant in 2 Tim. 4:1, "He shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom?" This is the whole scheme of dealing with men, both the living and the dead. Christ, when He comes will reign over the living, and will administer righteous laws with them. He will also at the end of the thousand years call up the nations of the dead and pass sentence upon them. The word (Jcata) rendered "at" in the text is sometimes trans- lated "according to," also "by." This word is also rendered "after" in Heb. 7:11, 15-17). The mean- ing is that He will judge them according to the principles of His Kingdom. See the Greek. (8) Explain Dan. 12:2. Why is the word "many" used instead of "all?" This is a strong proof-text for the doctrine of a "first" resurrection; many are then raised. And these participate in the joys of eternal life, but those who remain for a subsequent resurrection shall Question Department. 295 be called forth finally to the judgment of condem- nation. (See chapter on the Resurrection). (9) When shall the final judgment come? At the end of the thousand years (Rev. 20). (10) Will the great tribulation come before the Millennium? If so, what is the meaning of Rev. 20:7,8? Certainly, the tribulation will come first (Matt. 24:21,29,31; Rev. 19:17-21). The passage you refer to describes the final apostasy which the devil suc- ceeds in bringing about at the end of the Millen- nium? (11) At the coming of Christ, shall all those who have died Christians, or only those who have died sanctified, be raised? (1 Thess. 4:16; Rev. 20:1,5,6). I believe only the sanctified will be raised at the coming of Jesus, but that raises another question, Does any one die converted and not wholly sancti- fied? It would seem that all who are true to Jesus in the experience of regeneration, who do not backslide from it, will be sanctified even at the hour of death — though not by death. However, Paul (Phil. 3: 11-15), speaks of striving if by any means he might attain unto a resurrection which is out from among the dead. (See the Greek). If he, with all his knowledge of the Christ, felt it required that he strain every nerve for this first resurrection, the rest of us surely have no reason for sloth or indif- ference touching the case. It behooves us to be as holy as Christ can make us, lest we fail of the first resurrection. (12) Is there more Scripture to prove the Pre* millennial view than the Post-millennial? 296 The Blessed Hope. According to this question, the Bible is a divided book, part of it teaching one thing, the remainder another. The Bible is either wholly Pre-millennial or wholly Post-millennial. It is consistent with itself. From my point of view, there is just as much foundation for a sinning religion in the word of God as for Post-millennialism. For proof I submit 4his book. (13) Will all the world know when Christ comes for His Bride? If not, explain 1 Thess. 4:16. I do not think the world will see Him when He comes for His Bride? The cry is likely heard only by the virgins. But in the reference given it is said the Lord will descend ''with a shout." True. But may not this shout have the same effect as when Paul was stricken on the highway? He alone understood it. As the rest of the dead will not hear when He calls up His sleeping saints, so the living may be deaf to the trumpet's sound. The world will see Him first after the rapture, when He brings His saints with Him. At least, so it would seem, but we do not wish to dogmatize on such points. (14) Will there be no resurrection of the unjust until the end of the millennial age? In John's description of the last times we read, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection;" "but the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished" (Rev. 20:5,6). (15) When Christ and His Bride are in the upper air, and after they have descended to reign on the earth, where will the remainder of the saved be? Question Department. 297 If they are not ready for the Rapture they will continue in the flesh, and many of them will doubt- less perish in the great tribulation. In Revelation we read of those who come up to heaven through great tribulation, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The literal rendering might be, and is so given by some translators, "These are they which came up out of THE GREAT TRIBULATION." Not simply any tribulation or sorrow, but emphatically the great tribulation (Rev. 7:14). (16) When Christ and His Bride descend to earth to take possession thereof, will all evil have per- ished from it? Certainly not. He will reign over the nations, correcting their errors, reproving their sins. In Zech. 14 we read of the Lord taking possession of the earth and reigning over it, and of how He will punish the heathen who are disobedient. (17) Will mortal and immortal dwell together during the thousand years' reign of Christ on earth? Yes; the mortal being the subject class, and the immortal the reigning ones. It is concerning the time after the Lord comes that God, speaking by the prophet, says, "Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord will build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate" (Ezek. 36:36). (18) If the earth is still to be the habitation of mortal man, what will be his condition and his re- lation to Christ? If obedient, life will be greatly lengthened, and 298 The Blessed Hope. every condition made favorable to his happiness; if disobedient, he will die under the curse of God (Isa. 65:20-25). As to his relation, it will be- that of a subject to his king and lord. (19) If the reckoning with the servants intrusted with the talents (Matt. 25:14-30) refers to the judgment of saints for reward after the Rapture, what does verse 30 mean? Where, and what, is the outer darkness into which the unprofitable servant is cast? Would not this involve a simulta- neous resurrection of the wicked with the just? There are three lines of thought within which we can answer this question: (a) It may be the judg- ment of the living only, as the parallel passage in Luke 19 manifestly is. Here we read: "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me" (Luke 19:27). You could not "slay" the dead, and his enemies were to be slain, while his servants were to be "judged." We know there are many who are servants rather than sons in the house of God. There is an Esau along with Jacob; an Ishmael side by side with Isaac. Might not the Rapture be for those represented by Isaac and Jacob, while the judgment of the servants is for the Ishmaels and Esaus? (b) Or this may be the general judgment at the end of the chiliad. Then both good and bad alike shall stand before God in judgment, save those who were prepared to share in the joys of the Rapture. This brings up another question, previously discussed, namely, are all who die con- Question Department, 299 verted, not having been previously sanctified, ready to share in the first resurrection? Perhaps they are not; and this is their judgment in the great and final reckoning. But there is one thing to bear in mind, not all servants are reckoned with the Bride. In the Nobleman's house there are many trustworthy servants, but they are not his wife, and do not in any wise rank with her. So in the house of the Master there may be many de- grees between the Bride and the servants. (c) Yet again we would answer that ' 'one day with the Lord is as a thousand years," and this is spoken, with reference to the judgment (2 Pet. 3:8). Now, what is the Millennium? Simply a judgment day, a period of one thousand years in which God is dealing with men, both living and dead. In the passage under consideration the unprofitable ser- vant is brought in as the last on the docket. The faithful have all been dealt with before he is called- They may have been raised at the beginning for their rewards, and he at the end of the thousand years for his sentence. I have given this answer from three different points of view. In any one of which it will be seen that there is no necessary con- flict with the doctrine of the first resurrection. (20) If verses 31-46 of Matt. 25 refer to the judgment of the living nations, and not to the great white throne judgment of Rev. 20, what is the "coming" there mentioned, and what the pun- ishment? Are all unsaved individuals of these nations cast at once into hell fire? While some maintain that this is the judgment of the living nations, I incline to the opinion, as 300 The Blessed Hope. elsewhere expressed, that it is the judgment of the great white throne, at the end of the Millennium. That it does refer to this judgment is shown by the following facts: (a) Those placed to the right are sheep, those to the left goats. Thus a fundamental difference of character is recognized, (b) Those upon the right are obedient to their Lord, which im- plies that they are all saved, as is also implied in the fact that they are all sheep, (c) Those upon the left are consigned to punishment. There is to them no hope of future salvation. No grace is extended, no opportunity offered, their doom is sealed, (d) This shows that final punishment is coeval with reward. Henceforth there is no change of character on either side of the line. To consider this as the judgment of the living nations at the beginning of the thousand years would cut off all possible oppor- tunity of salvation for those upon the left. This would conflict with many Scriptures. For illustration: Zech. 8:7,8,13, 20-22; 12:7,8,10; 13:1; 14:16; Acts 15:14-17; Rom. 11:12,15. The world gets its regeneration, its life from the dead, at the restoration of Israel, which occurs when He "re- turns." If it be objected that this judgment takes place when the Son of man shall come in His glory, we answer. Yes, but it occurs in the evening of that day (which is a thousand years), and not at its beginning. (21) Can a man be filled with the Holy Spirit and ready for Christ's coming while connected with secret societies? I am not an authority on such questions, and must necessarily leave a man to his God. My con- Question Department. 301 science is for my own use, and not for the guidance of other men. I am, however, very free to say that I do not think it best for Christian men to be identified with worldly and Christless associations of any kind, David says "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear God" (Psa. 25:14). This is the only secret society to which I belong. Christ is the Grand Worshipful Master, the Holy Spirit the Grand Secretary and Initiator. Our object to glorify God and do men good. (22) What is a man to do who feels unmistakably called to preach, and sees the need of workers, but his church refuses him a license? This question does not come within the scope of this book, but I will venture to suggest: (a) He may not have proven himself worthy of a license. Let him consider the advisability of a clean, honest acknowledgment of past faults, (b) Or he may not be qualified. His education may be so thor- oughly deficient that his church considers him in- competent to instruct the people. The call to preach implies a call to prepare. In this case he should make diligent application to his studies, that he may be qualified for an efficient ministry. As a general rule, churches are glad to license a man who is well prepared to accomplish anything for God and the church. In case the license is refused on the question of holiness, or freedom in service, it may be best to change church rela- tions, and enter a body where these questions are not made a bar to the ministry. But this should only be the last resort. (23) Where are those, and what is their condition, 302 TJie Blessed Hope. who have passed away, from the time of their death till the coming of Christ? Paul teaches us that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8). This, of course, has reference only to Christians. John saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar crying to God to avenge them of their mur- derers (Rev. 6:10). The wicked, on the other hand, are in the flames of torment, as may be clearly seen in the case of the rich man who was in hell, while his brethren were living in the flesh (Luke 16:22-28). This, of course, is only the con- dition of the soul. The resurrection is for the body. After it takes place the destiny is eternal. (24) Do others, especially preachers and writers of eminence, agree with you on the coming of Christ and the twofold resurrection? As we show in our chapter on Uninspired Wit- nesses the view advocated in this book was held by all the early Christians, prevailing for the first three centuries. It also numbers among its adhe- rents many of the brightest lights in the religious world to-day, especially those who are noted re- vivalists, missionaries and workers along the lines of the higher spiritual life. I believe it can be safely said that nearly all those who are noted soul- winners, and who rank as pre- eminent in works of faith, are advocates of the near coming of Christ. Of course there are some exceptions; some lovely characters, some efficient revivalists, who reject the hope of His early advent; but I do not know of any who are widely known, who have na- tional or international reputation, such as Spur- Question Department. 303 geon, Moody, George Mueller and others of their type, but are Premillennialists. C. C. Mcintosh, the author of many widely-read books, speaking of John 5:28,29, says: "Here, then, we have indicated in the most unmistakable terms the two resurrections. True, they are not distin- guished as to time, in this passage; but they are as to character. We have a life resurrection, and a judgment resurrection, and nothing can be more dis- tinct than these. There is no possible ground here on which to build the theory of a promiscuous res- urrection. The resurrection of believers will be eclectic; it will be on the same principle, and par- take of the same character, as the resurrection of our blessed and adorable Lord; it will be a resur- rection from among the dead. It will be an act of divine power, founded upon accomplished redemp- tion, whereby God will interpose on behalf of His sleeping saints, and raise them up from among the dead, leaving the rest of the dead in their graves for a thousand years" (Rev. 20:5). The same writer also calls attention to the trans- figuration as recorded by Mark, and notes the fact that as Christ and His disciples descended from the Mount He cautioned them to not mention the scenes they had witnessed until the Son of man should be risen from among the dead. Mark adds, "And they kept that saying among themselves, questioning one with another, what the rising from among the dead should mean" (Mark 9:10, Greek). The disciples were not the only ones who were ever astonished at the doctrine of a resurrection "out from among the dead." 304 Tfie Blessed Rope. (25) Is the resurrection for the body only, or for the soul? There is no resurrection of spirits since they never die? "It is of no use to speak of the resur- rection of spirits. Indeed it is a manifest piece of absurdity; for inasmuch as spirits cannot die, they cannot be raised from the dead. Equally ab- surd is it to speak of a resurrection of principles (C. H. Mcintosh). . (26) Is not the coming of Christ to take us from the earth, rather than to reign with us on it? His people do indeed rise to meet Him in the air, and they are then to be ' 'forever with the Lord. " He also said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). His people will be with Him, but this does not necessarily imply that He and they leave the earth. We are told plainly, "They shall reign with Him on the earth" (Rev. 5;10; 20:4,6). Furthermore, we see the city of God coming down out of heaven, while the an- nouncement is made, "Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them" (Rev. 21:3). It is evident that during the reign of Christ on earth there will be an intimate connection between this world and heaven. No doubt, the saints of God will pass freely and easily from the one world to the other as the angels now do. (27) Is is not in the gospel dispensation that "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks?" (Isa. 2:4). Question Department. 305 No, that occurs after "The day of the Lord of Hosts" (Verse 12). "When the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be laid low; and the idols he shall utterly abolish. " All this occurs, "When he ariseth to- shake terribly the earth" (verses 17-19). These things identify this period with the coming of the Lord, and the great scenes of judgment attendant upon it. (28) Is the coming of the Lord "As a thief" to take the church by surprise, or simply the world? To all the world and the backslidden church, His coming will be a great surprise, finding them total- ly unprepared; but to one of his churches Paul wrote: ' 'But ye, brethren , are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thess. 5:4). To all the ho]y ones, to those who are sanctified, filled with the Spirit, waiting and watching for His glorious appearing, there can be no surprise; rather His coming will be a source of abounding joy, praise the Lord. They will be watching, with lamps trimmed and burning, and will hail His ap- pearing with great delight. But the Master in a note of warning to the church of Sardis says: "If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev. 3:3). (29) Will those born then who continue in sin die under one hundred years of age? It would seem from the passage to which I have referred you, that men will be allowed a century 20 306 The Blessed Hope. in which to become Christians, but the sinner at one hundred years of age will be cut off. (30) When will those born during the Millennium change their mortal bodies for immortality? It would seem that at the time the elements melt from prevailing heat, at the close of the thousand years, all those who have proven faithful to Christ, having not fallen away when Satan was turned loose, will be translated and transferred by some means, like Noah's Ark, for instance, into the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. (31) Please explain the doctrine of predestination set forth in Romans 8:28-30. Your question is difficult. The writer does not claim to have mastered the subjects of election and predestination. I think, however, the solution may be found in a proper understanding of the coming of Christ. We are at present in the church age. It is a period for the calling of the Gentiles. In other words, the dispensation of election. You find nothing about predestination in the Old Testament. It is a New Testament doctrine. This is the age for the selection of the Bride of the Lamb. The word rendered "purpose" (v. 28) is prothesin, which means arrangement or plan. The thought then is, that according to the plan of the ages, the arrange- ment of the dispensations, this one is devoted to the selection of the church, as a composite body, made up of holy individuals from the nations. This is not an unconditional election and reprobation, such as is sometimes taught, but it is dependent on the volition of the individual. He calls all. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the Question Department. 307 earth." "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out" (Isaiah 45:22; John 6:37). But while many are called, few are chosen, because, as the Master said to the Jews, "Ye will not come unto me. that ye may have life" (John 5:40). I trust my questioner and others of like mind will read Cameron's very helpful little book, en- titled, "The Doctrine of the Ages." Price 60 cents, this office. (32) What are the conditions to be met by the bride before the Bridegroom comes? The same as any other bride preparing for her marriage. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7). As St. John saw her she was arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. She must be clothed in the beautiful garments of holiness. (33) When Christ leaves the mediatorial throne, how can any one else be saved? Where do you read that He will ever cease to be a mediator? Of course, He will judge the world, but He will still readily save all who believe in Him. (34) Will the world know when Jesus comes and catches away His bride? If not, are there not two comings? We believe the taking away of the bride will be unknown to the world. We remember that when Enoch had finished his walk of three hundred and sixty years with God, "He was not found, for God had translated him" (Heb. 11:5). No doubt there 308 Tfie Blessed Hope. was a long search made by the friends of the saintly man. He had simply vanished from their presence, and they were unable to locate him. Evidently the neighbors went about in search of him who had so mysteriously disappeared, but "he was not found." Elijah was taken away unawares to the world. Elisha, by great watchfulness, was per- mitted to see him ascend, but no one else. So the saints at the Rapture will likely be caught away unseen by the world, and diligent search may be made for the vanished ones. After the Rapture, Christ will reveal himself to the world, in company with those who had first been taken up secretly. We believe those who accompany Him constitute the "cloud" with which He is said to come. Paul uses this word "cloud" with reference to the many witnesses (Heb. 12:1). (35) What will become of all those converted, but not sanctified, at the advent? Without assuming to judge as to who are in the experience of entire sanctification, the writer be- lieves that those not clearly or distinctly enjoying the fullness of perfect love, will be left to pass through the tribulation. It was evidently this class that constituted the foolish Virgins whose lamps were "going out." I would wish it, how- ever, distinctly understood that I do not use the term sanctification in any exclusive or partisan sense. I would not by this classification sit in judgment on the humble servant of God who has not identified himself with the so-called "Holiness Movement." There are, no doubt, many who are more truly sanctified in God's sight who are not Question Department. 309 in the "Holiness Movement," and who do not use its phraseology, than some who are in it and vociferous defenders of it; but the writer is identi- fied distinctly with the Movement. (36) Who are meant by the foolish virgins? (Matt. 25). Those not walking in the light of God, not liv- ing up to the whole will of God, being satisfied with low attainments in Christian experience. (37) What class is represented by, the one hun- dred and forty -four thousand in Rev. 14? They are evidently the same as are mentioned in the seventh chapter; twelve thousand out of each of the twelve tribes of Israel that were sealed, perhaps in the days of the tribulation. They were seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. (38) What is meant by the woman and the man child in Rev. 12? When we reach the book of Revelation, we are in deep water. There are nearly as many theories about this book as writers on it. I do not hesitate, however, to most heartily commend to all my read- ers the three volumes by Seiss, entitled. "Lectures on the Apocalypse," from which I have drawn a number of extracts for this book. It may be safest to consider the woman the church of all ages and sects. The man child is the body of rapture saints, (a) They are caught up to heaven ; (b) they are the product of the church, they come out of it, but do not include it. The woman was left behind, while the child was caught up. So the bulk of the pro- fessing church will be excluded from the marriage 31) TJie Blessed Hope. of the Lamb, while the holy ones, the church with- in the church, arise to meet the Lord. (39) What is meant by the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3)? The ' 'Antichrist, " the same as the Beast men- tioned in Revelation. (40) What is meant by the carcass? (Matt. 24:28). It refers to the Lord Jesus. He simply uses the illustration that as the eagles gather about the dead body, so His people will gather together unto Him who was slain for them, and by whose death they obtained life. (41) When is the war of Armageddon; is it before the coming of Christ, or after? There seem to be two of these battles, one of which occurs in the tribulation just before the ap- pearing of Christ (Rev. 16:14-16). In this, it is thought the Russians will play a large part. (See 38th chapter of Ezekiel). After the Millennium, the Devil instigates a re- bellion among the multitudes of Gog and Magog, which is terminated by the fires of heaven (Rev. 20:8,9). (42) Are there any signs of the nations getting ready for that war? All nations are loaded down with armies and navies, equipped with the most improved weapons of destruction, while the most terrific implements of warfare are being continually added to the armaments of the world. (43) What will be going on upon earth while the righteous are with the Lord in the air during the Rapture? Question Department. 311 Wars, pestilences, famines, plagues, and all the conceivable and inconceivable horrors of the great tribulation. The Rapture and the Tribula- tion" will evidently occupy the same period of time. As the ' 'beast" reigns for three and one-half years, this will no doubt be the duration of both. (44) Will the new heaven and the new earth be created before the appearing of Christ? No, they come at the end of the thousand years (Rev. 20 and 21). (45) How is it the wicked shall be destroyed at His coming, and yet, "A nation shall be born in a day," and "all shall know Him from the least to the greatest?" If they are to be destroyed, how can they be saved? If saved, will it be by faith or by sight? While the destruction will be great, it will not be universal. Many will live through the tribulation. I am inclined to the opinion that those who had the light and rejected it, will all perish; while the Jews and the heathen nations, together with those in so-called Christian lands who have not had the opportunities of salvation, will live to the end of the "indignation" and will serve the Lord. "All shall know" Him, from the least to the greatest, has special reference to the Jews, to whom the word was spoken by Jeremiah. At the same time, the bulk of the heathen nations will also be converted, but some of them will yield only a feigned obedience (Psa. 18:44, margin). You quote, "A nation shall be born in a day," and in this you follow many writers, but I know of no scripture that teaches it. Isaiah (66:8) asks, 312 The Blessed Hope. ! 'Shall a nation be born at once?" I have often seen the quotation you make, and think I have, in other years, used it myself, but I know of no scrip- ture for it. Those who are saved at all, are saved by faith (Acts 16:31; Rom.5:l,2; Heb.ll:6; Eph.2:8). (46) Will the Bride of Christ be constituted only of the entirely sanctified? I think so. Ephesians (5 :22-32) gives the picture of the sanctified church as the Bride of Christ. (47) Are the wise Virgins the bride? Virgins are generally the attendants upon the bride, the maids-in-waiting. Yet, if it be thus, no description is given of the bride in that picture. Still it may be true. It is not necessary in the pic- ture of the Virgins that a description of the bride should appear. A study of Revelation and 1 Cor. 15 (20-24) we find that the first resurrection is broken into bands, regiments and companies. The bride may have gone forth to meet her Lord before the virgins. I do not know as to this; it is a mere suggestion. (48) Please explain the meaning of Matt. 10:23. (a) It may have reference to the transfiguration, which was plainly given as a sample of the Mas- ter's coming, (b) Or it may mean that the cities of Israel have not all yet received the word, because Israel includes the Ten Tribes, which were scat- tered. The persecutions also drove the disciples in an early day from Judea. In this event our Lord will come before the last of the cities of Israel re- ceive the gospel. (49) Explain "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled" (Matt. 24:34). Question Department. 313 The word generation is from genea, which means race or nation. It implies that the Jews will abide as a distinct people, will not lose their racial iden- tity. (50) Explain Matt. 24:15. The abomination of desolation, etc. (a) It may mean the overthrow of Jerusalem and the temple by the Roman armies, or (b) the sack and destruction of the city by the Ottoman forces. It is said that when the city was captured by the Turks in 637, the priest ran crying, "Behold the abomination of desolation spoken of Daniel the prophet." (c) It may refer to the appearing of the Antichrist, who shall sit in the temple of God, showing himself off as God. Personally, I am inclined to the opinion that it covers all these three points. That it refers to the whole period of -the desolation of the temple which will terminate in the blasphemous performances of the man of sin, the Antichrist. (51) Will children born during the Millennium die after they get saved? Yes. While life will be greatly lengthened, even as in the days of the Patriarchs, still men will be subject to death (Isa. 65:20). The following questions are from Walter C. Brand, editor of the Pentecost He is a strong writer, and his paper is very readable. We trust our answers will be helpful to our dear brother, as well as to our other readers: 314 The Blessed Hope, (52) (1) Explain 2 Thess. 1:7-10. If Christ is to reign one thousand years, what is the flaming fire in which He is revealed at His appearing? (a) It refers to the tribulation, which is a very fiery period to those who have proven themselves enemies to Christ; not so much perhaps to the heathen nations, as to those who despise Christ and trample His grace under foot in gospel lands. (b) It also refers to the whole Millennial dispensa- tion, which is a period of ruling nations with a rod of iron, by punishment for sin, as well as rewards for righteousness. (See Zech. 14:12-18). (53) (2) In John 6 Jesus states that He will raise believers at "the last day." How will you recon- cile this with the statement that the holy are raised one thousand years before the wicked, who are themselves raised at the last day? The term "last day" covers the whole period of one thousand years, as Peter explicitly states (2 Pet. 3:7,8); here he speaks of the judgment day, and definitely informs us that it will cover a thou- sand years. In it all are raised, the holy at its beginning, the unholy at its close. (54) (3) Are we not taught in Romans (2:12-16), and in 1 Corinthians (4:5), that Christ will judge all men when He comes; will it not include the wicked as well as the righteous? Certainly, as we have shown time and again, the whole millennial period is a judgment day; but at its beginning the righteous are raised and placed by the Master over the nations (Dan. 2:44; 7:18, 27; Luke 19:16-19). The saints on their thrones will execute judgment over the world, acting as Question Department. 315 superintendents of the nations (1 Cor. 6:2), and thus the living will be judged. It takes the thou- sand years to finish this work. The setting in order of the living nations, after which the rest of the dead are raised and judged, as plainly shown in Rev. 20. It is all connected with our Lord's return, but requires time. (55) (-4) The Mosaic covenant has passed away, that the covenant of Jesus Christ may supersede it, being sealed with His own blood. If this be perfect, what need have we of the Millennial dis- pensation? The present covenant is for the individual, se- curing his sanctification. The church is composed, as we have shown elsewhere, of all those who are called out, as the name ecclesia implies, but if they are called out, there must be a body left behind. As this is the age of individual redemption, the Millennial era will be of one national redemption. Then nations will he saved as individuals are now. (56) (5) Have we the right to quote Acts 15:17 as referring to the Lord's future coming? Does it not apply to the present dispensation rather than the next? It certainly does not refer to the present dispen- sation exclusively. It can only find its perfect fulfillment when Jesus comes again. (a) At present we are in the period known as "the times of the Gentiles." It is the day of their election, (b) After* this, the Lord promises to "re- turn." He could not be said to return except He had been here once before; hence it refers neces- sarily to His second coming, (c) At this second 316 The Blessed Hope. visit to earth He is to ' 'build again the tabernacle of David," which is now in ruins. Thus we see that the prophet has special refer- ence to the time when Israel will be restored, but Jesus shows explicitly that Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles throughout this dis- pensation, and until His coming again (Luke 21: 24-27). Paul teaches the same, that all Israel shall be saved by the Deliverer who comes out of Zion. He also shows that the time of Israel's restoration is the day of fullness of life to the nations (Rom. 11:12-26). Formerly Christ came out of Israel to the nations, but now the case is reversed, and He comes ''out of Zion," the church, to turn away un- godliness from Jacob, (d) But the residue of men do not seek the Lord until the tabernacle of David is restored. Put all these facts together, and we have a positive demonstration that the passage in Acts refers to the second coming of our Lord. But these words agree perfectly with those of Peter (Acts 3:19-21), where he shows that the day of "the restoration of all things" is when Jesus returns from the heavens, where He abides till this time oj restitution. "Whom the heaven must re- ceive till the time of restitution." (57) (6) How can Matt. 13:40-43, 47-50 be har- monized with the idea that Christ will come and reward His saints before He comes to judge the wicked? "We have shown time and again that Christ will judge men at His appearing, and will use His saints who are raised at His parousia as judges, but we would like for the questioner to try to reconcile Question Department. 317 this scripture with post-millennialism. There is positive proof in the Bible that Christ shall have dominion over the whole earth (Psa. 72:8; Isa. 11: 6-9). During this blessed period the nations shall learn war no more, but there shall be universal peace (Isa. 2:2-4), and all shall know the Lord, from the least to the greatest. Now, from the pas- sage under consideration, we have positive proof that the tares will continue to the end of this age, hence the good time described by the prophets must necessarily lie beyond the appearing of Christ, and after the separation of the tares from the wheat. It is, therefore, utterly impossible to reconcile the teachings of post-millennialism with this plain passage of God's Word. (58) (7) Would it not be best for us to use all our time and strength in spreading holiness rather than post or pre-millennial theories? Your question reminds me much of some raised in other quarters. Men are continually asking, Had we not better be trying to get sinners converted than teaching a theory of sanctification? But we know that false theories of conversion will leave men in their sins, and unsound views of sanctifica- tion will hinder the realization of the experience. In like manner, error as to the coming of Christ will hinder the looking for Him and the longing desire to welcome Him. As we have shown in our chapters on "The Coming and Other Doctrines," and "The Coming and Holiness," there is no truth more calculated to promote vital piety and further the work of full salvation, than what Paul is 318 The Blessed Hope. pleased to call "The blessed hope of His glorious appearing" (Titus 2:13). This great apostle also bade his converts comfort one another with this gracious doctrine (1 Thess. 4:18), and our Lord set His return as the goal of our preparation and hope (Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12 : 35-40; 21:27,28). From my friend, O. E. Laird, of Mt. Vernon, 111., comes a typewritten letter of four pages, set- ting forth objections to the views advocated by myself. I have no space to print his letter in full, but will, as carefully as possible, give the gist of his objections — for such they are rather than questions. (59) (1) The doctrine is un-Methodistic. I shall not enter into this objection here, since the next writer has made it his strong point, at which place I will give it proper attention. (60) (2) It is not in accordance with the teachings of the general church — witness the Apostles' Creed. "Thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead," He further adds that "Chiliasm was never taught in the church to any great extent, and per- haps not at all until nearly a thousand years after Christ." (a) I have shown over and over again that the millennial era is simply a period of judg- ment. That it is the time in which Christ is judg- ing the living nations, and that at its close He will raise and judge the dead. Hence, the extract from the Apostles' Creed is not in any way at variance with the position set forth in these pages, (b) For Brother Laird, who is a man of education and reading, to assert that Christ's personal reign on Question Department. 319 earth was not taught at all for the first thousand years of the Christian era, is indeed remarkable. On the other hand, no doctrine was taught at vari- ance with it, until far into the third century. Mosheim confesses that it was the doctrine of the early church for the first three centuries. Barnabas, Clement, Papias, Lactantius, in fact all the fathers of the early church, were a unit upon this question, until the days of Origen, who was a visionary, and erratic character, esteemed unsound, and whose views of a spiritual Millennium were combatted by Nepos, Bishop of Alexandria, and other fathers of the church. The reign of the church, rather than the personal Christ, is an in- vention of Romanism, and is on a par with her doc- trine of the infallibility of the Popes. "Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaous and Cyprian, among the earliest fathers, all held the doctrine of a millen- nial kingdom on earth; not till millennial views de- generated into a gross carnalism was this doctrine abandoned" (Jamieson, Faussett & Brown, on Rev. 20:3). Whitby, an English writer, espoused the idea of a Spiritual Millennium to be brought about by the triumph of the Gospel. He lived only a little more than two centuries since, and was the father of this error among Protestants. (61) (3) <4 The theory of a general apostasy, neces- sitated by this doctrine, is so false that it seems remarkable that any Christian man could be tricked into believing it." This is a remarkable utterance. Over against it we will place another written by Saint Paul. The 320 TJie Blessed Hope. reader may judge for himself as to which is the better authority, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, or O. E. Laird, of Illinois: u Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). (a) There has already been one great Apostasy, that of the Middle Ages, (b) In the epistles to the seven churches, the last of them is the Laodicean, which is a lukewarm, sickening thing that God spues from His mouth. There has been one falling away, and there may be another. As I have shown elsewhere, I assume no obliga- tion to prove the world worse than hitherto, but that it is far from an ideal condition is easily seen by any one not blind. (62) (4) ' 'There is absolutely no scriptural founda- tion for pre-millennial teachings. All its support comes from the prophetic books, and that by a lit- eral interpretation that is not warranted." (a) To assert that pre-millennial teachings have no warrant in Scripture is easier than to prove it. It is simply auipse dixit of my friend. I may pos- sibly be excused for differing with him, and in proof of my position, submit him this book, (b) By what authority will he set aside the prophetic writings? Have they no inspiration? Are they not the voice of God? Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17). It would seem that He ranks the Prophets with the Law. Peter tells us that all the prophets have spoken concern- ing the restoration of all things. But according to Brother Laird, their utterances are not supposed Question Department. 321 to have authority. Then why were they written?' What do they mean? If they cannot be taken on. their face value, who will give us a standard by which we may read them profitably? They either mean what they say, or they mean something else. Christ believed them, so did His apostles. He him- self was born at the time and place predicted by them. Various incidents in His life of humiliation were foretold hundreds of years before His first appearance. He was to be born in Bethlehem of a virgin, to come out of Egypt, to be called a Naza- rene, to be despised and rejected of men, to be sold for thirty pieces of silver, to make His grave with the rich, etc. The Jews, like my friend Laird, have spiritualized all these things, until the Christ of the prophets- has not been accepted by them as the Messiah of their hopes. Let us beware, lest we make as grave errors respecting His return as they have concern- ing His first coming. Our spiritualizing of the prophets may lead us into as great errors as theirs have led them. (63) (5) By the parable of the tares (Matt. 13) we see that sin is to continue to the time of judg- ment, hence, there can be no intervening millen nium. Exactly. And here is where post-millennialism breaks down. It teaches a millennium in the pres- ent dispensation through gospel agencies, but the parable of the tares shows that such cannot be. If Christ is ever to have dominion over all nations, languages, tongues and peoples (Daniel 7:13), it must of necessity be after the end of this dispensa- 21 322 Tfie Blessed Hope. tion, since the tares continue until the coming of Christ. I am much obliged to Brother Laird for the in- troduction of a point so utterly ruinous to his post- millennial vagaries. (64) (6) "There is to be no personal reign of Christ on earth." So says O. E. Laird. For answer, I quote a man whose authority was recognized by Christ and His apostles. "The Lord shall be King over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9). John heard voices from heaven saying: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." The blood- washed were also heard crying, "We shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10). They do not reign alone, but "with Him" (Rev. 20:4-6). My Brother may be an authority on some ques- tions; but somehow, I feel that those whom I have just quoted outrank him touching the kingdom of our Lord. (65) (7) Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). To be sure; but that does not argue that it shall not extend over this world; on the other hand, the scriptures assert positively that it shall. The Greek word translated "of" is ek, and means out of, or from; hence His meaning is, that the kingdom is not of earthly origin, that it was not born of the world, it did not originate here, but was imported from the skies. If it were of the earth, it would be earthly, but being divine, it is heaven- ly, spiritual, and eternal: and by it, He shall have Question Department. 323 dominion and reign over the earth. All this occurs when He comes in the clouds, as shown in Luke, Daniel and elsewhere. (66) (8) "If the prophecies count for anything, they go to prove that the kingdom of Christ shall fill the whole earth." To be sure; this is the point we have been mak- ing, and by the parable of the tares and the drag- net, we learn distinctly that this result is not obtained in this dispensation, in which the tares prosper as the wheat, being only destroyed at the <3nd of this age. Hence, the perfect reign must come in the next dispensation, and my point is established, and post-millennialism is weighed and found wanting. (67) (9) "If Christ is to return and set up a ma- terial kingdom, then the Holy Ghost must be taken away" (John 16:7). This does not follow by any means; while eigh- teen centuries ago it was necessary that Christ should depart that the Comforter might come, yet this in no wise proves that the Comforter must de- part that Christ might return. On the other hand, the Scriptures teach expressly that when Christ returns, and the Jews are restored, the Spirit will be poured out on the people in abundant measure. (68) (10) "The important point is not so much ivhen He will come as the Imminency of that coming. " I am very glad, my dear brother, you have found the truth, and surrendered the post-millennial error. If the Lord's return is "Imminent" we should be looking for Him daily, the glorious event 324 The Blessed Hope; may happen to-night, for that is the meaning of the term imminent. Post-millennialism puts off the coming of Christ until the world shall have been converted by the preaching of the gospel, but you have it down correctly that His coming is Im- minent, and hence have acknowledged the fallacy of post-millennialism. From the preceding notes I would call attention to the following facts: Brother Laird concludes, (a) That there is no dis- pensation beyond the present, (b) That the tares will continue to the end of this age. (c) Yet the kingdom shall fill the earth. If any one knows how to reconcile these contra- dictions, he is at liberty to do so. For my part, I sum it all up in the words of Solomon, "The legs of the lame are not equal." (69) I have a letter written by a well known Methodist preacher, who says: "When every one shall have the opportunity of hearing the gos- pel, and of accepting Jesus, that will be the begin- ning of the millennium. It may, and probably will, last a million years, the physical and human world growing more and more paradisian and Christ-like all the time; and then, when the knowledge of the Lord fills the earth, the end will come. Jesus will descend, the judgment will set, and all will receive reward or punishment according to infallible jus- tice. These are my views, without mentioning the scripture on which I base them." This is from a letter to a friend of mine. It was written by Rev. C. O. Jones, dated Bristol, Tenn., January 1, 1900. I am not surprised that the good brother did not give the scriptures upon which he Question Department. 325 bases his million-year theory. The probability is, he never will. It is hard to bring people who have adopted false theories together. Brother Jones thinks the com- ing of Christ something more than a million years ahead, whereas brother Laird, who claims to be, but is not, a post-millennialist, thinks the advent Imminent.* My friend and brother, C. C. Cary, of Georgia, busies himself in antagonizing the pre-millennnial coming of our Lord. He writes quite frequently for the papers, and this question draws out his keenest thrusts. Knowing and loving him, I take the liberty of dealing with the position assumed by him. From a letter to the writer, dated January 15, 1901, I make the following extracts: (70) (1) ' 'I am quite sure you would never con- vince me of the scripturalness of pre-millenniaHsm. My views of almost a lifetime, formed from imbib- ing Methodist doctrine, would have to be so com- * I say he is not a post-millennialist advisedly. The "millennium" is a period of a thousand years, during* which Satan is bound, and in which time the world is at least com- paratively good. "Post" means after. "Imminent" means that a thing may happen at once. Now, if the coming of Christ is "imminent," we may be expecting it daily. But if post-millennialism be true, we know that at least a thousand years, and probably many thousands, must pass first. If imminent it cannot be post-millennial, and if post-millennial it cannot be imminent. The positions are necessarily and essentially contradictory. I believe my Lord's coming im- minent, and hence I vigorously and consistently antagonize the contrary teaching. 326 The Blessed Hope. pletely revolutionized that it is almost unthinkable at this time of life." (a) The Christian's experience should be always progressing, his hold upon God should become firmer; but his opinions should be held subject to further light from God's Word. No man's mere opinions should be allowed to crystallize. (b) Brother Cary's case seems hopeless, from the simple fact that he will not even entertain an in- quiry. I hope I may never reach this condition on any mere "view" of a doctrine taught in God's Word. (71) (2) "Your views of certain scriptures are so widely apart from mine, and the Standard Com- mentators, that I could not possibly revolutionize my opinions, and undertake to read God's word as you do." (a) As to the commentaries, I seldom consult them. This may be wise, or it may be otherwise, but I prefer the Bible to them. (b) As to God's word, my rule in reading it is with prayer, and an open heart, to seek simply to know the mind of the Spirit. I accept all of it as literal, except those parts in which, from the lan- guage, or by the connection, a symbolic or spiritual meaning is manifest. If Brother Gary cannot read the Bible as I do, I have no fault to find with him, but still I must in- sist that we should read it for information, and not to establish preconceived opinions. (72) (3) "If I were to entertain the question of accepting this view of our Lord's coming, which I now believe to be serious error, it would put me in Question Department. 327 the attitude of saying practically that I believe the Methodist Church has been in error on this ques- tion in teaching, as she does, that Christ will come at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead, and not a thousand years before the end. This I am not prepared to do, for I cannot yet put myself in direct antagonism to what Methodism plainly teaches on the second coming, and say that this grand Church in which I was born, born again, and raised, is in such grave error as you place it by your advocacy of pre-millennialism .... Not until recent years did I ever hear of a Meth- odist preacher advocating any other doctrine than that Christ would come at the end of the world,, and then and there, immediately, would hold the great assize. Nor did I ever hear of two resurrections, or of Christ's reigning on earth a thousand years before the end.... You ought to say to the public that your church teaches post-millennialism, and that you differ with it upon this doctrine." 6 'If I were to say that I now thought my church wrong upon this doctrine, after teaching it one hun- dred and fifty years, then the next question would be, Why is not Methodism wrong upon some other of her doctrines?" This is a remarkable document. I never knew before that Methodism was infallible. I thought the Pope held a monopoly on this line, but if Brother Cary is correct, no man has a right to differ with the teachings of Methodism, for they are essentially, absolutely and in detail, to be received as of inspired authority and divine origin. I have been a Methodist preacher for twenty-five 328 The Blessed Hope. years, nearly as long as my good brother, but this is a little too much for me. As much as I love my church, I have not sold out soul, body, conscience, mind and "all the appurtenances thereunto be- longing"' to Methodism. I believe its teachings in the main to be correct; to my mind it presents the simplest, most scriptural body of doctrines, and, withal, the best polity, to be found. But I also remember that no church or preacher has any right to lord it over the consciences of men (1 Pet. 5:2-4). This is the curse of Romanism. Whenever the Word of God is set aside as the only standard of authority in doctrine, and the church assumes this prerogative, at once we are making headway rap- idly for the dark ages. If a Methodist cannot think or read the Bible without consulting his creeds, confessions and "standards," neither can the Presbyterian; in like manner, the Baptist must inquire of his church fathers, the Episcopalian of his bishop, the Roman- ist of his priest; each must first know what is the standard of faith and doctrine. By this rule you Tiave many standards, and yet no real source of inspiration, no actual standard of doctrine from which there is no appeal. But Methodism does not ask such blind adherence; she does not put her children in Bro. Cary's strait-jacket; she claims no inspiration, and presents no higher source of faith or doctrine than the canon of sacred Scrip- ture. In our fifth Article of Faith we read: "The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be Question Department. 329 proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." (b) But does Methodism teach post-millennialism? This I exceedingly doubt. In our standards of doctrine there is no explicit utterance to that effect. I am well aware that in the ritual of baptism we read that Christ * 'shall come again, at the end of the world to judge the quick and the dead." But this I also teach, if we construe the term ''world" as it frequently occurs in our English Bible. The return of Christ is at the end of the period, and the judgment begins with the quick, that is, the living, continuing for a period of one thousand years. This is followed by the judgment of the dead. For first the "quick," then the "dead" are judged. It may be a preponderance of Methodist preach- ers are post-millennialists, but this proves nothing, since we are, none of us, beyond the possibility of error. It is a well-known fact that the majority of Methodist preachers are not true to the doctrine of their church on the subject of sanctification. While the church is not specifically committed to post-millennial teachings, it is clearly so committed to the second blessing view of entire sanctification. Yet many of its preachers reserve the right to repudiate its distinct teachings on holiness. Mr. Wesley gave some very clear and pointed en- dorsements of what is known as pre-millennialism. Tyerman in his Life of Wesley shows conclu- sively that the Founder of Methodism was a be- 330 TJw Blessed Hope. liever in pre-millennial teaching, that he strongly commended a book by Rev. Thos. Hartley, entitled, "Paradise Restored." Of it Tyerman says: "It is, by far, the most sober, sensible, scriptural and learned work on the millennium that it has been our lot to read. He professes to show 'the great importance of the doctrine of Christ's glori- ous reign on earth with his saints;' and maintains that 'it is typified in many of the Levitical insti- tutes; was foretold and described in numberless places by the inspired prophets; was made the subject of many precious promises in the gospel; was delineated in the Revelation of St. John; and was received as an apostolical doctrine by the primitive Christians, according to the testimony of several of the ancient fathers, ' as Barnabas, Her- man, Justin Martyr, Irenasus, Tertullian, and Lac- tantius. He further argues that the doctrine re- ceived the sanction of the Council of Nice, called by Constantine the Great, and composed of bishops from all parts of the Christian world; and that it is embodied in the Catechism of King Edward VI., which was revised by the English bishops and pub- lished by royal authority, in the last year of King Edward's reign. "His arguments, to illustrate the importance of the doctrine, are, to say the least, exceedingly in- genious and able.*' Hartley's creed as condensed by the author of Wesley's Life is: "1. Christ will come a second time, and will set up a kingdom, and visibly reign on the earth for a thousand years. 2. During this reign, His saints will be raised and restored to the Question Department. 331 perfection of the first man, Adam; and earth, all over, will be made a copy of the primeval paradise. 3. During this millenarian theocracy, saints will flourish, and sinners be in absolute subjection; hos- tility and discord will cease, and all things harmon- ize in unity and peace. 4. Some of the saints will be crowned and sit on thrones; some be set over ten cities, and some over five; some will sit at table with Christ, and others serve; some follow Him whithersoever He goes, and others come period- ically to worship in His presence." "These are a few of the salient points of Mr. Hartley's learned and able book. Why are they enumerated here? Because, in substance, they were held by Wesley. Wesley read the book, and read it with approbation. He writes to the author: 'Your book on the Millennium was lately put into my hands. I cannot but thank you for your strong and seasonable confirmation of that comfortable doctrine : of which I cannot entertain the least doubt, as long as I believe the Bible. 1 * " Tyerman adds: "With such a statement, in refer- ence to such a book, there can be no doubt that Wesley, like his father before him, was a Millena- rian, a believer in the second advent of Christ, to reign on earth, visibly and gloriously for a thousand years.*' "In his letter to Dr. Middle ton (1749), he refers to the creed of Justin Martyr, namely, that, at Christ's second coming, the martyrs will be raised, and, for a thousand years, will reign with Christ in Jerusa- lem, which will then be rebuilt and enlarged, and richly adorned, according to the prophets (Isaiah 332 The Blessed Hojie. lxv.); and that, at the end of the thousand years, there will be a universal resurrection, in order to the final judgment. These were the views of Jus- tin Martyr; views which Wesley says Justin de- duced from the prophets and the apostles, and which were also adopted by the fathers of the sec- ond and third centuries. In fact, 'to say that they believed this, was neither more nor less than to say, they believed the Bible.' " There appeared also an article in Wesley's Armin- ian Magazine, in 1784, page 154, on "The Renova- tion of All Things." Here it is set forth that, * 'according to prophetic promises, there will be a middle period between the present pollution, cor- ruption, and degradation of the earth, 'and that of a total, universal restoration of all things in a purely angelical, celestial, etherial state;' and, in this middle period, 'between these two extremes,' the earth will be restored to its 'paradisaical state,' and be 'renewed in its primitive lustre and beauty.'" Sometimes Mr. Wesley seemed to contradict his own utterances, and yet these are unmistakably premillennial as given above. From the Methodist Hymn-book I present some verses from Charles Wesley, which are distinctly pre-millennial. These show Charles W.'s view, and if not in harmony with the teachings of Meth- odism what are they doing in the Hymn-book? Can Bro. Cary explain? Question Department. 333 1 Lo! He comes, with clouds descending, Once for favored sinners slain! Thousand thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train! Hallelujah! GOD APPEARS ON EARTH TO REIGN. 2 Every eye shall now behold Him Robed in dreadful majesty; Those who set at naught and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree, Deeply wailing, Shall the true Messiah see. 3 Yea, Amen! let all adore thee, High on thy eternal throne! Saviour, take the power and glory, Claim the kingdom for thine own! Jah ! Jehovah ! Everlasting God, come down! Now, since there is no definite utterance from my church upon this question, supported as I am by both the Wesleys and the Hymn book, and with the Word of God overwhelmingly on my side, I propose to stand for this truth whatever may be the views of my dear brother Cary, or any other brethren. (c) Brother Cary invites me to publish to the world that I differ with my church. This I cannot do, as he is evidently as much at variance with Methodism upon this subject as I, probably more. (d) ' 'I never heard of two resurrections, or Christ's reigning on earth a thousand years." Pity you have not read the 20th chapter of Rev- elation; also Isaiah 32:1; Zech. 14:9; Luke 1:32, to- gether with other innumerable scriptures. That beautiful emblem of our Lord's passion which we 334 Tlie Blessed Hope. celebrate in the broken bread, and the fruit of the vine, points forward the faith of His trusting child to His coming (1 Cor. 11:26), when the kingdom shall be established (Luke 21:31). Trusting our dear brother will receive greater light from the precious truth of our Lord's coming and kingdom, and that this book may be a blessing to all its readers, and that they, with him and the writer, may be prepared to greet our descending Lord with shouts of welcome, we bid you, one and all, a loving farewell. Appendix A. 335 Appendix A. In a camp-meeting which I conducted in Florida in the fall of 1899, Rev. J. C. Green was present, and publicly announced himself a convert to the views which were there presented. After the meeting, however, he repudiated the doctrine of the near coming of Christ, and shortly after preached a sermon before his District Conference in which I was made the target of his criticisms. The sermon was published, by request of the Con- ference, in the Florida Christian Advocate, and also in tract form. I do not feel that the production merits a reply, but because of the Conference en- dorsement, and the further fact, that space was given it in the official organ of our church for that State, I feel that some reply in these pages may not be inappropriate. 1. The brother misrepresents me, unintention- ally, of course, but nevertheless it puts me in a false attitude. He has me saying: "Jesus was a failure; Pentecost was a failure; Christianity is merely nominal, all is failure. " Instead, I said that man is a failure under every dispensation, up to, and including, the present. This I have abundantly proven in these pages. Christ is no failure, for He shall in due time subdue the world, and have do- minion over all lands. But the time of His reign is not yet. Satan is "the god of this age," as testi- fied by Paul. 336 TJie Blessed Hope. 2. Bro. Green says: "The Spirit's dispensation is to last forever. This is fundamental, nothing can change it." If he means by the dispensation of the Spirit that the Christian Era, that in which we now are, is to last forever, I deny, and demand the proof. On the other hand, the Bible speaks constantly of the "end of the age;" references having been given in this book I need not repeat them. I, however, believe that the Spirit will abide through the Millennial dispensation, and in the new earth forever. 3. Here is a remarkable utterance from Bro. Green concerning the position advanced by myself. "It is a pessimistic theory, rests entirely upon in- terpretations which controvert the absolute knowl- edge and justice of God, for it dethrones both the necessity and efficiency of the divine Sacrifice; it robs the apostolic commission of its Rock Founda- tion, 'Lo, I am with you,' and falsifies the pre- vailing doctrines of near two thousand years. It robs Pentecost, the promise of the Father, of its power, and Jesus of his truth." This is a very strong indictment. The brother does hot hesitate to make bold charges. Can he sustain them? I deny. While I am no blind opti- mist, I am no pessimist. Though the picture is dark (Matt. 24; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Tim. 4:1-3). Yet it is lightened with the blessed prospect of the ap- proaching King and kingdom. He is wide of the mark when he says that pre- millennialism controverts the absolute knowledge and justice of God. There is no reason for such charge. God knows all things, and will bring in Appendix A, 337 everlasting justice. There is no connection be- tween the subject in hand and the charge. Instead of it robbing the divine Sacrifice of its efficiency, it crowns Christ the absolute Sovereign of this and all worlds. He declares that I "rob Jesus of his truth." On the other hand, he positively denies the unequivocal assertions of Holy Writ. For the Bible does teach plainly and constantly that the world is wicked, and will continue so until the return of Christ; that He will find the world steeped in sin y under the dominion of Antichrist, and living as in the days of Noe and Lot. Instead of this "falsify* ing the prevailing doctrines of two thousand years, " it is simply a revival of the primitive faith, whereas, Bro. Green's post- millennial teaching is the inven- tion of the heretic Origen and the faith of a fallen ecclesiasticism. Romanism is very fond of post- millennial teaching. 4. Listen at this, ' ' Jesus says this dispensation will last forever.'' Where? I call for the proof text. He does not say so in Matt. 13:39,40; 24:3, and other places where the "end of the age" is, spoken of. He makes no such statement in the New Testament. How a man who boasts of sixty years of Bible study can make such unfounded as- sertions is remarkable. 5. "Our friends not seeing the rapid progress in the conversion of the world, which their ardent spirits desire, have invented a compulsory theory — a sight theory to force a speedy subjugation, by substituting an incarnate ruler; one who will more literally rule 'with a rod of iron.' " Who does he think invented this theory? The 338 The Blessed Hope. angel said that Jesus should "sit on the throne of His Father David;" the Psalmist declared that He should "rule with a rod of iron;" John said that "every eye shall see Him;" Jesus Himself promised thrones to His disciples, and rulership over the twelve tribes of Israel; Daniel said the saints should possess the Kingdom, while Paul asserted that they should judge the world; John declares they shall reign "with Him," and the saints from heaven respond "on the earth." So it is simply 'Green against Christ and the "holy men of old," who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 6. "The prevailing doctrine for nearly two thou- sand years has been holiness to the Lord." Brother, you have surely been more fortunate than I, if you have found this blessed truth so gen- eral as to truly call it the prevailing doctrine. I find it too generally the discredited doctrine, labeled "fanaticism," but when Jesus appears in the clouds and becomes king over all the earth, then ' 'holiness to the Lord" will be on "the bells of the horses." {SeeZech. 14:5,9,14.) 7. Bro. Green harps on Millerism. He strives to involve all who believe the coming of our Lord to be near in the errors of Miller, who was no doubt a good man, but made the mistake of setting an ex- act date for the second advent. Of course this was a blunder; but many good men have likewise erred, not simply on this question, but on others. Our Brother's position might be stated somewhat as follows: Miller was an adventist. Miller was a crank. Therefore all adventists are cranks. Con- clusive is it? Then I will give you another syllo- Appendix A. 339 gism. How will this do? Miller was a Christian. Miller was a crank. Therefore all Christians are cranks. Or, try another. Miller was a white man. Miller was a fanatic. Therefore all white men are fanatics. Such is the sum of Bro. Green's wonder- ful logic. The devil likes to spoil truth. If Christianity- could have been wrecked by the blunders of its ad- herents, it would have "gone the way of all the earth" long ago. We believe ardently that our Lord's return is near, but we have no dates to sug- gest. 8. "Sight is compulsion and destroys free agen- cy." Then there were no free agents among the throngs who followed Jesus when on earth eighteen hundred years ago. Multitudes saw him. "Sight is compulsion." Therefore multitudes were com- pelled. "Sight destroys free agency." Thousands saw him. Therefore the free agency of thousands was destroyed. Absurdity gone to seed! " 'But,' says Bro. Pickett, 'sight does not inter- fere with faith, it did not when he was here, they believed on him then.' This the Bible does not warrant. " Let us consult the Word, ' 'Many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is in- deed the Christ, the Saviour of the World" (John 4:41,42). The blind man saw Jesus and believed (John 9:35-38). 8. "The reign of Jesus is by the Holy Spirit, and He is now reigning with a sharp sword in His 340 TJie Blessed Hope. mouth; even sharper than any two-edged sword; He is ruling to-day with a rod of iron .... Yes, He is now reigning on the only throne on which He will ever sit." If so, why is Satan called the "god of this world," and "the prince of this world?" If so, why are there so many saloons, and gambling hells? Why is there so much of war, of profanity, of lust, of unbelief, of infidelity, of wickedness? It seems strange if Christ is ruling with authority and power in the earth that He tolerates so much that is evi- dently infernal in origin and tendency. No, my brother, Christ is not reigning on earth yet, nor will He until He comes in the clouds of heaven. (See Dan. 7:13,14; Luke 21:27-31; Rev. 11:15-18.) Jesus speaks of the Son of man "in his day" (Luke 17:24). It is then that He lightens the world. From this we conclude that His day is not yet. This is the age of wickedness, the devil's day, and it is as though Jesus had said, My time is coming. And so it shall; but this is the age of darkness and of sin. 9. Our brother preaches that Christ will occupy the throne in heaven till the end of all things, and denies their being a first resurrection. Paul, on the other hand, teaches that at the coming of Christ those who are His will be raised, and it is after this that He puts down "all authority and power," even to the destruction of death (1 Cor. 15:24-28). Bro. Green has it that all authority and power are exercised from the skies, that all enemies are overthrown while Christ is yet in heaven, but Paul Appendix A. 341 does not so state the case. He has Christ return- ing while the man of sin is yet antagonizing the work of God, and this son of perdition is to be de- stroyed according to the great apostle's teaching, by ■ 'the brightness of Christ's appearing" (2 Thess. 2:1-9). Now, it is evident that the man of sin, the Antichrist, continues until the advent. Hence, if all wickedness is to be overthrown and the King- dom of Christ fill the world, it must of necessity occur at the King's glorious appearing. Those that are Christ's are raised from the dead at His coming (1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:17). These reign with Him on the earth (Rev. 20:4; 5:10). But Bro. Green does not seem to mind differing with Paul, John and Jesus, even as with me. He says that Christ "is now reigning on the only throne on which He will ever sit." But the angel announced that He would occupy the throne of David, and that surely cannot be located in heaven. Jeremiah also spoke of Jerusalem as the throne of the Lord (3-17). God declared by Hosea that Israel should be many days without a king, but should afterwards return and seek the Lord, and that He would raise up a king unto them, and this, we learn from the New Testament, is Jesus, "the King of the Jews." 10. The Brother speaks of a "reincarnation," as though pre-millennialists teach such. Not by any means. Jesus carried His glorified body to the skies and will return as He went. Hence, there is no necessity for reincarnating Divinity. He bears, even in heaven, the scars of Calvary, the same blessed body which slept in Joseph's tomb, and over which was written at His crucifixion "The 342 TJie Blessed Hope. King of the Jews." And this shall be fully real- ized. Not only shall He be King of the Jews, but> the King of all kings, and Lord of all the earth, when He comes in the clouds with power and great glory. 11. A climax of absurdities is reached in our Brother's efforts to discount the resurrection ' 'from among the dead." He takes Colossians (3:1), "If ye be risen with Christ," as having the same mean- ing as the passage in Revelation concerning those who have part in the first resurrection. His lan- guage is, "These had never been dead physically, and yet they were risen, resurrected, regenerated, born again. In this connection, either of these terms might have been used, for the word which was used means in this place, exactly what all the others mean in like connection. Then, they were resurrected.' 5 Speaking of those whom John saw (Rev. 20) he says: "We readily see that these had not passed through physical resurrection, for John only saw their souls. " In error again. The words in Colos- sians 3:1 and Revelation 20:5 are not the same. John uses anastasis, which is the regular word for the resurrection of the dead. Thayer, in his Greek- English Lexicon, defining this word in this partic- ular passage says: "It is a rising from the dead," such as ' 'has come to pass as yet only in the case of Christ alone," but this "will be that of true Christians, and at the end of a thousand years will be followed by a second resurrection, that of all the rest of mankind." Evidently the same kind of resurrection which is Appendix A. 343 accorded the saints at the coming of Christ will be extended to the balance of the dead at the end of the thousand years (Rev. 20:6,12), that is, both are physical. If it is only a spiritual resurrection in the one case, so it is in the other; and if figurative in either case, it must be so in both. But if the resurrection is real at the end of the thousand years, at the day of final judgment, so it must be real at the beginning of the thousand years. Now, the passage which he introduces from Colossians contains a word that is altogether different. It is sunegerthete, which Thayer defines to mean "To raise up together from moral death (my italics) to a> new and blessed life devoted to God." So we see that in the one case it is purely a moral resurrec- tion, that is, a regeneration; but in the other, it is; a bodily resurrection, a literal rising from the dead. Bro. Green argues that "John saw only their souls." Elsewhere in this book we have treated the use of the word "souls" sufficiently. Suffice it to say here, that after he saw them in their disem- bodied state he positively asseverates that they had been beheaded for their testimony, but that they lived. Their souls were not dead on account of their being beheaded, for they had been risen with Christ (Col. 3:1), but simply their bodies had died. Hence, when the apostle says that "they lived," we know the only meaning it can have is, they lived out of their death; that is, in the same sense in which they died, lived again, were raised from the dead. And this is the meaning of the word used by John, both in classic and New Testament use. 344 The Blessed Rope. 12. Absurdity piles on absurdity when our critic represents the great angel that seized Satan and bound him for a thousand years as being Christ, and the chain in his hand as being the gospel. He says, "It represents the Son of man with the gos- pel, in appearance like a chain, because it is a suc- cession of revealed truths, which so perfectly con- nect together that they form an endless chain. These truths are 'the sword of the Spirit,' and make up the weapons always used by the Saviour when in contest with either Satan or the Pharisees. I therefore suggest that the Son of man is the angel and the gospel is the chain." This is a new one on us. A new use of the gos- pel has been discovered. By it Satan is to be bound. Why not rather convert him, and be done with it? An imagination as fruitful as Bro. Green's should not stop at merely binding Beelzebub, but lie should by all means carry on the conquest of the gospel till his Satanic Majesty is truly saved, and fully sanctified. If a man's imagination is to be al- lowed unlimited sway, he had as well use it for the conversion of Satan as on the interpretation of Scripture. The plain record of John is, that he "saw an angel" descend out of heaven with the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, and bound him and cast him into prison, that he should deceive the nations no more for a thousand years. The word rendered he "laid hold of" is ekratesen, which means to seize, or lay sudden hold of, as a sheriff would seize a crim- inal. This word is used in the record of the cap- Appendix A. 345 ture of Jesus by the mob (Matt. 26:50). It is said they "laid hands" on Jesus and seized Him. Ac- cording to Bro. Green it simply means they preached the gospel to Him, and bound an endless chain of truth about Him ! ! ! If the binding of Satan is simply the gospelizing of the old sinner, why should it lose its effect at the end of a thousand years? Does Bro. Green mean to assert that the serpent is truly saved for a millennium and then backslides again? If the gospel is a "chain," how can it be a sword? If it is intended for the conversion of men only, and for antagonizing the devil, how can it chain him? The gospel is the power of God to the sal- vation of men, but it is scarcely intended to chain Satan. 13. But hear him further: "Is it unreasonable to interpret the resurrection to be a reforming of bodies out of the common elements of matter, and then spiritualizing, and translating them in like manner? May it be out of reason to conclude that the peaceful reign of a thousand years (a day for a year) is in order, that enough God-children will have lived to require all matter to compose the resurrected bodies, and that the stupendous climax may result of creating atoms out of nothing, worlds out of atoms, infusing the worlds with animal life and instict, connecting Himself by breath with His noblest animal, turning all matter into that partic- ular class of beings, and then spiritualizing the •entire mass, that 'All creation shall with intelli- gence and adoration, Praise the Lord forever.' " My ! Not only has Bro. Green's gospel process 346 The Blessed Hope. reached Satan, but it now actually transmutes all matter into spiritual intelligences! What has be- come of the rocks, the mountains, the rivers, the soil of earth, of all matter? Why, Bro. Green's- gospel has etherealized it. It has turned into liv- ing intelligences and is round the throne prais- ing God. So we understand now how it is that the first heaven and the first earth passed away. Pity Bro. Green was not born six thousand years ago. 14. "The reign of Saints began when the first son of Adam entered the first blood-washed man- sion in glory." So they have been reigning all the centuries. Then why so much sin in the world, if the saints have been reigning through all the ages? Why have they tolerated such abounding wicked- ness? But Bro. Green would tell us their reign is in heaven. Then I suppose they will never reign on earth at all. If the Kingdom is already in their possession, and its field is far away from this sin-cursed earth, then we need never look for their dominion on this, planet. I had thought to have noticed Bro. Green's treat- ment of Enoch, who has it that the old saint has turned into an angel, whose name is Gabriel, since he reached the upper world, but I suppose it is unnecessary. His absurdities are so numerous, his errors so manifest, his interpretations so fanciful, that the strange thing about it is that an intelligent body of Methodist preachers should have given it the sanction of their endorsement, by requesting its publication. Appendix A. 347 How the Florida Christian Advocate can give cir- culation to such inexcusable vagaries is past com- prehension. Bro. Green challenged me frequently last sum- mer to answer him. Over-burdened with work, I refused to give time and strength to a reply. Now he has it. Peace to him, and to all who have fallen into his errors. 348 The Blessed Hope. Appendix B. The editor of the Florida Christian Advocate has been giving considerable attention during the past year to the subject of Christ's coming. In a recent editorial he makes some strange assertions. I boil down the teachings of his editorial as carefully as I can. First, he tells us, "Too many have no other idea of Christ's coming than that of a visible appearance in His risen body .... But there is a better view, and we offer it now. That coming of our Lord, for which His people were commanded to watch after His ascension, could not have been His bodily com- ing, as we learn from the simple fact that the com- ing referred to was to be ivatched for by them. Can we suppose that Christ and His Apostles would set people to watching for an event that we know was then at least eighteen hundred years distant, and not to come while they were watching? "The coming they were to watch for was five times spoken of as 'at hand.' St. James said, 'The coming of the Lord draweth near,' and Behold the Judge standeth before the door. . . .We cannot es- cape one of two alternative conclusions: Either the expectation referred to was a false one ; or else Christ did come about that time. We must find scripture proof of the coming of Christ near that time, or we must admit that a false expectation was created and encouraged." Appendix B. 349 He quotes Matt. 16:28 and adds, "This clearly in- dicates two things: (1) That some would die before the coming referred to; and (2) that some would live on until that coming" .... "In Matt. 24:1-3, we read of Christ's predicting the destruction of the temple, and of His disciples asking Him, 'When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?' Here we have really but one question: The disciples ask for the time and the sign of Christ's coming to destroy the temple and terminate that age. They did not ask about the end of the kosmos, but of the aionos, the age in which they were living, the Jewish dispensation." For proof of his position he quotes Mark 13:4 and Luke 21:7, and adds: "So the question referred to the events connected with the downfall of Jerusalem and the Jewish nationality as affecting the Christian relig- ion and church; and each of the first three evan- gelists represents Christ as saying that 'This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.' The coming of Christ to judge the Jewish nation, to deliver His people from Jewish persecution and claims, to take away the theocratic kingdom from the Jews and to give it to His church, was a fact that took place before that generation passed away.". . . . He proceeded in the 25th chapter to speak of His coming to judge the church, .... and represents that, as ' 'after a long time," in contrast with the coming to judge Jerusalem before that generation passed away; and further, at the 31st verse He speaks of His coming to judge all "nations." 350 The Blessed Hope. He further informs us that this "gradation of Christ's comings is strikingly borne out in the book of Revelation. The destruction of Jerusalem was past when that book was written, and therefore no mention is made in it of Christ's coming to judge the Jewish nation, but in the second and third chap- ters Christ's coming to His churches is six times definitely mentioned, and near the close of the book Christ's coming to judge the world.. ..So we see how the different comings of our Lord are graded: He came before John died to judge the Jewish peo- ple; He came to judge His own people; and He will come again to judge all nations, small and great, the living and the dead." He refers to John 14:3; Matt. 28:20; Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:17, as embraced in the comings of Christ, and adds, "Now with this scriptural summary in view, we can readily see how our watching is af- fected. 1. We of this age have nothing to do with watching for Christ's coming to judge the Jewish nation, a coming which was at hand in the days of the apostles. . . .It is a past event. 2. The coming of Christ to judge ' all nations will take place after the millennium, as we learn in Rev. 20th chapter, and as the millennium is not yet come, we need not now be watching for the coming of Christ in visible manifestation as the Judge of all nations." He argues, third, concerning providential and spiritual comings, comings in revivals and in chas- tening events and in the baptisms of the Holy Spirit, and "He comes at death to receive His own." "Here we have the right ground of Chris- tian watching." "Some day or some night, He will Appendix B. 351 receive our spirits and we shall go home to our Father's house to behold His glory forever. Then let us watch, for the invisible all-glorious Lord is ever near." Our dear Bro. Anderson is an old and honored minister of the Methodist Church. I have great respect for him, and would not like to appear se- vere in my criticisms of anything he may write. I am, however, in the interest of truth, disposed to puncture some of his propositions. He lays him- self liable. By his method of interpretation the vagaries of Swedenborg, or the blasphemies and hollow mockeries of so-called Christian Science can be easily and fully sustained. If the plagues or the fierce onslaughts of a heathen army can be compared to the coming of the Divine, all-glorious Christ, the Son of God, the Son of man, then there is an end to all serious, intelligent interpretation of Scripture. The Christian Scientists tell us that there is no reality in matter, consequently none in pain. What you consider headache, earache, rheu- matism, neuralgia, is all a thing of the imagination, and might be called a pleasant sensation, the best of health as truly as disease. In line with their method of interpretation comes our dear Brother, and when we read that "the Son of man shall come" he supposes that it may mean the ravages of the Roman army or the sufferings and death of people through disease, plague and starvation. Every time a Christian dies Bro. Anderson supposes that the Son of man has come. Now let us look into the matter seriously. This title, "the Son of man," was appropriated by our 352 The Blessed Hope. Lord, for so He called Himself. He promised that "as" He went away, "so" He would return, and this is called in Scripture His parousia. It is also called His epiphaneia. Now these words have refer- ence directly to a bodily presence, an individual per- sonality, and not to a mere influence. There is noth- ing that can be called properly the coming, the parousia, or epiphaneia, of Christ but His personal, visible manifestation, either (a) to His church; or, (b) to the world. These words neither of them ever have their fulfillment in anything short of a bodily presence. Thayer in his Greek-English Lexicon defines parousia, first, "presence;" second, "the presence of one coming; hence, the coming, ar- rival, advent. In the New Testament, especially, the advent, that is the future, visible, return from heaven of Jesus the Messiah, to raise the dead, hold the last judgment and to set up formally and gloriously the Kingdom of God." (My italics). Here he gives the references: Matt. 24:3; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; James 5:7. This is not only the definition of Thayer, but it is borne out by every other author- ity whom I have consulted on the subject. One eminent writer says: "Parousia is used twenty-four times in the Scriptures, and in every one of them denotes a literal presence — a personal advent." In other pages of this book I have shown where it is used and is applied to the arrival of Stephanus, Fortunatus, Achaicus and others. According to Bro. Anderson's method of interpretation Paul might have supposed all of these brethren to have arrived every time their names occurred to him, a simple thought of them might have justified him in Appendix B. 353 declaring their appearing, for so he has Jesus com- ing in revivals, spiritual manifestations, etc. The word epipheneia, Thayer defines "an appear- ing, appearance.*' "In the New Testament the ad- vent of Christ — not only that which has already taken place and by which his presence and power appear in the saving light he has shed upon man- kind; but also that illustrious return from heaven to earth hereafter to occur." This word is used six times in the New Testament with reference to the coming of Christ, and in no case can it by any proper interpretation be applied to any other event than His visible, manifest return. Just so with paroxism; the authorities bear out the idea that these words both refer to the proper return of the same personal Christ who went up to heaven in view of his disciples. The word commonly trans- lated "coming" in passages concerning the advent of Christ is erchomai and its derivatives. Thayer defines it, "to come; to come from one place into an- other, and used both of persons arriving, and of those returning; used of the form in which Christ as the Divine Logos appeared among men; and of the return of Jesus hereafter from heaven in maj- esty." Now how a man can apply all of these scriptures concerning the advent of the Son of man, the Lord Jesus Christ who went away to heaven, and espe- cially when they contain words of such definite and unmistakable meaning, to a thousand and one other things which have no connection with His person- ality and individuality is beyond comprehension. As to John 14:3, where Jesus said, "I will come 23 354 The Blessed Hope. again and receive you unto myself,*' does it not re- mind the reader of Matt. 24:30,31, at which place He speaks of coming in the clouds, and declares that at this time His angels shall gather together His elect unto Him? It also sounds like Paul's statement in 1 Thess. 4:17, where the Lord de- scends with a shout, and at the sound of His voice His holy ones from among both the living and the dead arise to meet Him, and thus is fulfilled His promise to "come again" and receive them unto Himself. There is not a passage in God's word in vvhich it is said that when a man died Christ came for him. The only case that even resembles this thought is the record of the death of Lazarus, who was borne by the angels (not Christ) to Abraham's bosom. The coming referred to in Luke is specific. It is not connected with the destruction of Jerusalem, which is described in verse 20 (of chapter 21), but the Master continues to descant upon the desola- tions of Jerusalem, and the treading down of the Jews, until He reaches the 24th, verse. From this He passes to the signs on earth and in the heavens, and declares that "Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (verse 27). Nothing is said about His coming in the destruction of Jerusalem, but that is fully de- scribed and past before the sign of the Son of man and His "coming" is announced. Bro. Anderson says that the promised coming of Christ could not have been His personal visible ap- pearing, "because it was to be watched for by them," — the disciples and early Christians. Appendix B. 355 He asks if we suppose that Christ and His dis- ciples would set people to watching for an event which could not happen for eighteen hundred years? In answer I say, Yes; and for two reasons: (1) As an incentive to holy living; (2) Because, whether we live or die, the coming of Christ is the goal of our hopes. Paul informs us that the crown of life is for those who "love his appearing." Hence, those who live godly lives with reference to His coming shall share in the rewards of that day, even though they shall have "fallen on sleep" prior to His appearing. The doctrine of the first resur- rection fully explains this thought. If my heart is devoted to His appearing, and I live till the event shall happen, I will be permitted to share in the glories of that blissful occasion by the translation, being called up to meet Him in the air, my mortal clothed upon with immortality. But in the event that I shall have first passed into the grave, if ready for His coming, I will be blest with the un- speakable privilege of arising and sharing in the Kingdom and thus escaping the terrors of the judg- ment at the end of the millennium. Our brother objects to the thought of the visible return of Christ being that which was promised in these scriptures, because it was spoken of as "at hand," which he says would create a false impres- sion. But he admits that the Revelation was writ- ten after the destruction of Jerusalem, and in this book Christ says, "Behold, I come quickly," even "as a thief." Now if the passages promising the coming of the Lord as at hand in James and else- where would create a false impression, so would 356 The Blessed Hope. this. But evidently the Master speaks in the light of eternity. Measured by its countless cycles, a few centuries are but a day, a very short time. If 4 'at hand," "quickly," etc., would encourage a false hope in the gospels and epistles, what would be its effect in the Apocalypse? Thus the absurdity of the objection is seen. It vanishes as the "baseless fabric of a dream." On Matt. 16:28 I refer to an exposition already given. They did see Him in His coming kingdom, power, and glory but six days afterward; that is, at the transfiguration. Read right on into seven- teenth chapter (1-6), with 2 Pet. 1:16-18. So some standing there did see Him in the glory that per- tains to His coming. There is one phase Bro. Anderson seems to have overlooked, namely, that the coming of Christ was not spoken of anywhere in connection with the de- struction of Jerusalem, or any other temporary event. In the passages referred to (Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21) the destruction of the Jewish metropolis and the punishing of the descendants of Jacob are first depicted and pass into history be- fore the coming of our Lord is mentioned. Here we find wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, abounding wickedness, backsliding, false Christs, false prophets, and the like. All these things ter- minate in great tribulation. Then, we read, "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds," and in connection with this, His only coming, when He is arrayed in glory and power, His angels gather His elect. In Mark we have the same general outline. The Appendix B. 357 overthrow of Jerusalem is portrayed, the abomina- tion of desolation is set up, the tribulation, ex- ceeding anything known in history, follows. Then 4 'after that tribulation," the sun is darkened and "they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Luke draws a very similar picture. The wars, commotions, earthquakes, persecutions and opposi- tions of men is set forth. Jerusalem is encom- passed with armies and trodden under foot, and this continues throughout the entire Gentile period (verse 24), distress comes on the nations of the whole habitable earth, and "THEN SHALL THEY SEE the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory," after which the Kingdom of God is set up (verses 27,31). It will be observed in every case the destruction of Jerusalem, the scat- tering and punishing of the Jews, the distress and sorrow of the nations culminate in the great trib- ulation, after ichicli the Son of man comes. With- out exception His coming is described as (a) On the cloud; (b) visible; (c) with power and great glory. There is nothing said about a dozen different com- ings, as in heathen armies and the death of saints; revivals of religion and chastening events; provi- dences and ministerial calls; simply and only a visible, manifest, glorious coming in clouds. In every record the coming is separate from the tribulation, which precedes it. The advent is always given as after the destruction of Jerusalem and the tribula- tion. They are not in any sense one and the same. Bro. Anderson would make a good gnostic. They deny Christ having come in the flesh, spiritualize 358 . Tfie Blessed Hope. His first advent; our Florida editor denies that He will come visibly any time soon, and invents many other kinds of unrevealed comings. St. John con- demns the gnostics severely, because they tried to preach a mere spiritual coming of Christ, rather than a real bodily appearing (1 John 4:2). The word erchomai, which here refers to the coming of Christ, means, as I have shown, "to appear, to come be- fore the public." It was used by John the Baptist when he asked, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another" (Matt. 11:3); also by Jesus when He said the Son of man came eating and drinking (Matt. 11:19). The woman of Samaria said, "I know that Messias cometh, when he comes he will tell us all things" (John 4:25). It was used when it was said that "Jesus came out of Judea into Galilee" (John 4:54); and by the cripple at the pool of Bethesda, who said, "While I am coming another steppeth down before me" (John 5:7). When the multitude shouted, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest" (Matt. 21:9). They used this same word, or its derivatives, in every case. These references bear out the idea of a personal and manifest com- ing; and in them is used exactly the word that is employed to announce the return of Christ. Fur- thermore, the title, "Son of man," and the pro- nouns, "He" and "Him," cannot find their fulfill- ment in mere abstractions. If we are to say that Jesus came at the destruc- tion of Jerusalem, and that He comes at the death of His people, what about the statements that "every eye shall see him," that He shall ride on Appendix B. 359 the clouds, that He shall be arrayed in power and great glory, that He shall gather His elect from the four corners of the earth, that the Kingdom shall be then established, the crowns distributed, His saints rewarded and sinners punished? These things are constantly connected with His coming, and there is no reference to any other kind or style of coming in all the passages bearing on the sub- ject in which anything like detail appears. Thayer concedes a metaphorical use of erchomai in John 14:3. But this cannot be, from the simple fact that Christ then gathers His saints to Him, which event occurs as set forth by Jesus and Paul in connection with His coming in the clouds (Matt. 24:29-31; 1 Thess. 4:16-18). So even this exception to the strictly personal use of this word which Thayer allows, fails when we compare scripture with, scripture. The editor of the Florida Christian Advocate con- tends that there will be a millennium before the advent of Jesus to judge the world, and he has in- vented all these mystical, spiritual and symbolic comings as preceding the final advent of Jesus. He says, "The millennial reign of Christ is spirit- ual, not visible." "It is abundantly evident that the millennium is to close before the second coming of Christ and the day of judgment." Thus he has a thousand years of the triumph of Christianity through the gospel, with Satan bound and spirit- ual forces predominant in the present era. After this millennium of universal righteousness, he pic- tures an apostasy followed by the coming of Christ. So much for Anderson. 360 The Blessed Hope. I would like to ask him how he explains Isaiah 11:6-9? How can the gospel bring even the very animal world into a state of peace- and docility? How will he explain Isaiah 65:19-25? Can the mere prevalence of righteous principles extend life so much that a child shall die a hundred years old, and the days of God's "people be as the days of a tree, " while the wolf and the lamb feed together, and the lion eats straw like the bullock? Where does he find any scripture descriptive of the millen- nium before the advent ? But let us push our investigations a little fur- ther, consulting some inspired authorities. In- stead of an era of world-wide holiness under the gospel, prior to the coming of Christ, Daniel saw that the "horn made war with the saints, and pre- vailed against them, until the Ancient of days came and judgment was given to the saints." He saw the horn "with eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things," and beheld this con- dition "until the thrones were set" and the Lord came with a fiery stream issuing forth before Him, and then the beast was slain. He saw this beast, the willful king, exalting himself above every God and prospering until the indignation or tribulation (Daniel 7:9,10,21; 11:36; 12:1). No time for a mil- lennium here, preceding the glorious advent of the King of kings. This picture from the Seer of Babylon agrees exactly with the vision of John in the lonely isle. Bro. Anderson's millennium before the advent of Jesus fails of the support of John. The saintly apostle refuses to sanction such unscriptural teach- Appendix B. 361 ing. In his view of the advent heaven opens, and He who is called Faithful and True rides forth, on His thigh is emblazoned "Ring of kings and Lord of lords." At this time the beast is taken and cast alive into the lake of fire. Immediately, Satan is bound, the saints are raised and the millennium be- gins (Rev. 19:11,16,20; 20:1-6). Instead of the mil- lennium before the coming of Christ, and world- wide righteousness prevailing, John gives first the advent, then the destruction of the beast, afterward the millennium. John versus Anderson. According to the prophets, the apostles, and our Lord Himself, there is to be a time when the saints shall reign, when they are crowned and sit on thrones, but this does not occur until the Lord comes and the blasphemous horn, or man of sin, is destroyed. Crowning implies rulership, kingly authority. But this crowning and taking the king- dom appears w T hen the Son of man comes in the clouds, when He is manifest in His glory (Dan. 7:13,14,18; Matt. 19:28). Paul says that our crowns are to be received in the day when Jesus comes; that is, at His epiphaneia, His glorious personal ap- pearing (2 Tim. 4:8). The time of our entrance upon the glory is when our Lord is manifested. The word rendered "man- ifest" is phanerothe, which means "to make mani- fest or visible;" "to expose to view." It was used by John with reference to the first coming of Christ. "The life was manifest and we have seen it" (1 John 1:2); thus we have this idea of visibility. This word was used by Paul with reference to the saints appearing in glory with Christ (Col. 3:4). 362 Tiie Blessed Hope. Thayer says it applies to the ' 'future return from heaven" of Christ, that Christ is now ' 'hidden from sight in heaven but hereafter to return visibly." This is the term used also by Peter with direct ref- erence to the crowning of the saints, and the time when it shall happen is given thus: ''When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory" (1 Pet. 5:4). Jerusalem is trodden under-foot of the Gentiles until their time is fulfilled. This is followed by the distress of nations and the failing of the hearts of men. "Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the cloud" (Luke 21 :24-27), and His saints join Him on the thrones (Isa. 32:1). I submit to any candid mind that there is no time for a millennium in this picture; sorrows, dis- tresses, anguish, then the coming. So Daniel, Paul, Peter and Jesus are on one side of this ques- tion, my dear Bro. Anderson and men of his way of thinking on the other. Every man to his own lik- ing; but I propose to follow the teachings of mjr Master rather than the editor of the Florida Chris- tian Advocate. The references given by Bro. Anderson (Matt. 28:18; Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:17) have no bearing on the- coming of Christ. None of the words that are used in connection with the promise of His advent appear in these passages. There is nothing said of a k 'coming" in them, but simply a "dwelling in," an "abiding with,"— a presence through all the days. They, of course, have only a spiritual meaning. But when His coming is spoken of, words are used that carry the idea of a bodily and visible ap- Appendix B. 363 proach. When He went His disciples saw Him, and were informed that He would come as He had gone, and this is the only kind of "coming" that is promised in the New Testament. Who can show a passage of scripture in which the return of Christ is spoken of in a spiritual sense, or at any one's death, or in connection with any mere individual or national events? His abiding with us all the days is not to the point. When His advent, His return, His coming, are referred to, it is with reference to His appearing in the clouds, in every case which I have examined, with one possible exception, name- ly, John 14:18, where He says, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." This possi- bly has reference to the outpouring of the Spirit, and yet He uses the term "that day" here in such sense that I am not sure that even this has exclu- sively a spiritual application. Bro. Anderson harps on Matt. 24:34, "This gen- eration shall not pass until all these things be ful- filled." I have elsewhere in these pages shown abundantly that the word genea does not mean sim- ply the people then living. I might add two or three testimonials to this effect: Joseph Mede, the great scholar and writer, tell us that the meaning is, "The nation of the Jews should not perish till all these things were fulfilled." Edward King, "This race of mankind, or this mode of men's ex- isting upon the earth in the present life, rather than this one particular generation, according to the vul- gar acceptation." Auberlen, "It means here, not this present generation, but this unbelieving Jew- ish people." Stier contends that it refers to "the 364 The Blessed Hope. wondrous continuance of Israel even to the end." Dean Alford says, "The continued use of parercho- mai in verses 34 and 35, should have saved the com- mentators (Bro. Anderson and others, P.) from the blunder of imagining that the then living genera- tion was meant, seeing that the prophecy is by the next verse carried on to the end of all things, and that, as a matter of fact, the apostles and ancient Christians did continue to expect the Lord's com- ing." It is to be hoped our dear and honored Brother will lay aside his mystical, gnostic methods of in- terpretation, and take the word of God for what it says. Let us wait and watch and be ready at all times for the glorious parousia of our holy and blessed Redeemer. Shall we be like the Thessalonians, who, con- verted under an apostolic ministry, renounced their idolatries that they might serve God and wait for His Son from Heaven? (1 Thess. 1:10). So may we. Appendix C. 365 Appendix C- "Side Tracks. 55 Some of the brethren of the Holiness Movement are very uneasy over the preaching of the near coming of Jesus, which they are pleased to label a "side track." Even the National Holiness Asso- ciation forbids the preaching of this truth at its camps. The Christian Witness, official organ of that body, refuses to publish anything on the pre-mil- lennial side of this subject, which they justify by saying it is a question that creates division. As to this action, I note following points: (a) They fre- quently present the post-millennial view as the truth, (b) No one who reads the paper can fail to discover their leaning in the controversy, (c) They publish and push one or more books on the post- millennial side, (d) The same view crops out in various books from the office of The Christian Wit- ness Company, and in the paper. If they propose to evade the subject as divisive, why do they not cease circulating literature that attacks this doc- trine, so dear to the hearts of many? Rev. Isaiah Reid, in an effort to vindicate the exclusion of this question, says: "Holiness is always better than holiness and something else." Must there be no preaching at the meetings of the Association on any other subject than the one question of entire sanctification? Follow this up 366 The Blessed Hope. to its logical conclusion and we will soon be for- bidden to preach repentance, the new birth, Sab- bath observance, missions, the judgment, hell, etc. Ah! says one, "but these are not side tracks." Neither is the coming of Jesus. "But why not leave off questions that have no importance, and preach those things that bring salvation?" Amen. The Lord's return is connected with every great and vital truth in the Word of God. See chapters "The Coming and Holiness" and "The Coming and Other Doctrines." It awakens men, and is thus connected with repentance; leads sinners to Jesus, and is thus connected with conversion; promotes Tioliness, with which it is identified by Paul and Peter. (See Acts 3:19-21; 1 Thess. 1:9,10; 3:12,13; 5:23; 1 Pet. 3:7; 2 Pet, 3:11-14). Holiness people should be the last people in the world to reject the coming of Christ as a pres- ent possibility, (a) They profess to believe the whole Bible and preach a full gospel, (b) They have surely encountered enough of blind preju- dice and unreasoning opposition to not adopt the tactics which they have so long condemned in others, (c) If the sanctified ones cannot welcome Jesus and are not now longing for His appear- ing, who are ? (d) This grace prepares its pos- sessor to greet the King, and in turn the hope of His early coming promotes purity; thus the doc- trines are intimately connected (1 Thess. 5:23; 1 John 3:3). (e) The holiness movement was fore- told by Daniel in connection with ' 'the time of the end" — that is, at His coming (12:9,10). I am not surprised at men soaked in beer, pickled in tobacco, Appendix C. 367 trampling on the Sabbath and fighting the holiness movement, being opposed to this truth. But pro- scriptive tactics on lines of this kind seem out of place among advocates of full salvation and an untrammeled gospel. The grand apostle to the Gentiles would be for- bidden by the rule of the Association to preach on even entire sanctification from his own great text, 1 Thess. 5:23, because he got it tangled up with a "side track." He could not speak on the resurrec- tion of the holy ones, because he connected it with the Lord's descent from heaven (1 Thess. 4:14-18). He would be forbidden to explain the man of sin, or the great apostasy, because he identified their overthrow with "the glorious appearing" of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven (2 Thess. 2:1-9). He would be ruled out on the crowning, because he set the day for it as at the epiphaneia of Christ (2 Tim. 4:8). If he desired to set forth the glory to be shared by those who live the Christ life, he would again be out of order, as he has it also con- nected with the "appearing" of the Master (Col. 3:4). " Turned down at every point, Paul takes up the question of practical godliness and zeal for good works, and is again declared out of order, as he mixes these up with the blessed hope of His "glo- rious appearing" (Tit. 2:13,14). Once more his great soul rallies and proposes a sermon on The Gifts, from 1 Cor. 1:7, but he is again set aside, be- cause his text brings up "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." So, though Paul is generally con- ceded to have been a good man, he could scarcely 368 The Blessed Hope. preach at a camp-meeting under the control of the National Holiness Association and The Christian Witness, "because he has too much to say on the second coming, which we consider a non-essential. " Paul being ruled out, let us try St. John, the be- loved of the Master, the aged witness of Jesus. He opens his first discourse on "Little children abide in Him, that, when He shall appear,"— and is interrupted by Bro. Reid, or the editor of The Christian Witness, with, "Hold, Bro. John, you are out of order. We have decided that sermons on 'when He shall appear' are divisive. Please preach us a sermon on Holiness only — for holiness is al- ways better than holiness and something else." The aged disciple desists, and after a moment's reflection begins anew; this time on a text in his First Epistle, 3:1-3. He moves off very well on Sonship, and the glory that shall follow, till his congregation are at the shouting point, and he cries out, "It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear" — "Hold," cries a member of the association, "we cannot allow preaching on the second coming here." Somewhat discomfitted, the veteran apostle says, "Beg your pardon, brethren, but this rule was not in force in the days of my ministry, some eighteen centuries ago. Give me a moment for reflection and I'll try again." After a breathing spell the great-souled apostle opens at Revelation 1:7 and announces a new text, "Behold He cometh with clouds and every eye shall see Him" — "But hold, brethren! that is also on His coming." Apx>endix C. 369 Turning a fe\v leaves he reads, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever" (Rev. 11:15). ' 'Stop ! tha,t brings up the ques- tion of His reign on earth, which we have decided is no part of the gospel." John says, "All right, brethren; may I preach a sermon on 'Watching?" : "Certainly; there can be no objection to that. " ' 'Let me see, What is my best text on this subject ? Yes, here it is, 'Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth' ' : (Rev. 16:15). "That won't do, Bro. John. You have it tangled up with His second coming." "Yes, so I see. Then let me try Rev. 20:6. That is strong on holiness. 'Blessed and holy (Amen! Amen!) is he that hath part in the first resurrection' " — "Hold; we don't accept the doctrine of a first resurrection here. Our Bro. Wilson has proven to our satisfac- tion that there is no such thing." "Excuse me, brethren, may I preach on 'The re- wards of the faithful ? ' " "Just what we want, let us have that by all means." "Then my text is Rev. 22:12. 'Behold, I come quickly; and my re- ward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.'" "Beware, Bro. John, of the second coming! That is a side track." "Well, brethren, I see I can not preach to please you. The latest word I had from my Master was, 'Be- hold, I come quickly.' And I love Him so I can scarcely preach without making it the burden of my discourse. I said at the time, 'Amen; even so, come, Lord Jesus.' I am compelled to say, my dear brethren, I think your new rule a mistake. 370 The Blessed Hope. You had better give the world a full gospel, and bid them, in the language of our Lord, 'Be ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.' While you exclude so large a part of His Word, I cannot do my best work under the auspices of your Association. So, adieu. My King will soon appear and then you will see your error. Selah! " y Aw 9 1901 JUL 22 1901