The
Millennium:
OR
THOUSAND
YEARS.
A
Lecture by F. W. Porter
(Taken from copies supplied by H. Blair Smith)
ALTHOUGH the word Millennium is not a Bible word, yet the
doctrine to which it is related stands forth very prominently in the
Scriptures. Its importance, truly, is not generally recognized by the religious
teachers of the day, by whom it is regarded as a theory of somewhat of a
speculative character, which may or may not be true, but which, at all events,
has no vital bearing on the question of the salvation of man. When, however,
the truth of the matter is perceived, the very opposite is seen to be the fact.
The doctrine is discovered to have a most vital bearing on our eternal welfare,
and to have a direct connection with the revealed purpose of God. It is,
indeed, the very essence of the Gospel preached by Christ, in regard to which
he declared that he that believed it not should be condemned. To be ignorant,
therefore, of this doctrine is to be in ignorance of the Gospel, which is “the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
The word “Millennium” is derived from two Latin words— “mille” a thousand and “annus” a year; and signifies, therefore, a “thousand years.” It is related to the revealed fact that Jesus Christ, who is now at the right hand of God, will return to the earth for the purpose of establishing His Kingdom thereon, and, in association with His immortal and glorified saints, rule the world in righteousness for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4).
The indifference
manifested in religious circles in regard to this undeniably glorious future
for the earth, is not difficult to account for. It is attributable to a
prevailing misconception of the purpose of God, and of the salvation revealed
in the Scriptures, in consequence
whereof the religious world has embraced a hope which conflicts with the
doctrine of Christ’s reign on earth- a hope which, notwithstanding its general
acceptation, is wholly unscriptural. It is manifest that the future of the
earth can excite but little interest in the minds of religious people
generally. Their hope has no relation to the earth. Their desire is to leave
it, and ascend to a better world on high; and their expectation is, that, at
death, they will immediately wing their flight to heaven, at once to receive
the fulfillment of the promises, and enter into the realization of the goodness
promised by God.
But although the doctrine of Christ’ reign on the earth is lightly
regarded at the present day, there is evidence that in former days it held a
much more important place in the religious world. Gibbon, in his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire, says: ”The assurance of a Millennium was carefully inculcated by a
succession of fathers, from Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, who conversed with the
immediate disciples of the Apostles, down to Lactantius, who was preceptor to
the son of Constantine. Though it might not be universally received, it appears to have been the reigning
sentiment of the orthodox believers... (but) The doctrine of Christ’s reign
upon earth was at length rejected as the absurd invention of heresy and fanaticism.”
This is a valuable piece of evidence, showing that the nearer we approach
the Apostles’ days, the more prominent does this doctrine become; while as we
journey down the stream of time we find it losing its hold upon the minds of
men, until it is at length rejected as heresy. It is manifest that the nearer
we approach the Apostles’ days, the more likely we are to find the truth held
in its purity; in the same was as the nearer we approach the source of a
stream, the purer shall we find its waters. And coming near to the source of
the stream of truth, we find the doctrine of the Millennium - to quote Gibbon’s
words - the “reigning sentiment of the
orthodox believers.” We are happily able to go right to the source to the
teachings of Christ and His Apostles where we find the reign of Christ on earth
revealed as a Divine truth. We know
that the truth in its purity was held then—that the early Christians, for a
time, at all events, “continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine.”
The words of Christ and His Apostles are words of infallible truth, on
which we may rely; but we cannot place the same reliance upon those who
succeeded them. The more especially would it be unwise to do so, seeing that
the Apostles predicted that the churches would not continue to hold the truth,
but would in course of time, depart from the faith. A fearful apostasy was foretold
by the Apostle Paul – an apostasy which had, indeed, already commenced; and he
declared it would continue until men would have so far fallen as to reject the
truth entirely, and be turned unto fables. In exhorting Timothy (2 Tim. 4:3) to
faithfulness as the servant of Christ, he declares in solemn language: “The time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; AND THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE
TRUTH, AND SHALL HE TURNED UNTO FABLES.”
History has shown the fulfillment of this prophecy in regard to the truth under consideration. The doctrine of the second coming of Christ to reign on the earth, upon which the hopes of the early Christians were set, was, after a time, rejected; and a fabulous hope of a kingdom in the skies, to be inherited at death, was embraced in its stead.
The word of God is in our hands today, to satisfy us as to the truth of
the doctrine under consideration. If it be true, there is a glorious prospect
ahead - a day of gladness for mankind; the contemplation of which must
assuredly fill our hearts with an earnest desire to participate in that
goodness which must necessarily characterize so glorious an event as the
presence of the Son of God as the monarch of all the earth.
Coming then to the Bible, the first point to be noticed is the fact - the
absolutely certain fact - that Christ is
coming again to the earth. He declared: “I WILL COME AGAIN” (John 14:3).
The manner of his coming is placed beyond all controversy by the words of the
angels who appeared to the disciples on the Mount of Olives, as they witnessed
the ascension of their Lord and Master into heaven. ‘THIS SAME JESUS, which is
taken up from you into heaven, SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER as ye have seen him
go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The same
Jesus, who was here eighteen centuries ago, will return to the earth, and
return in like manner as he went.
Christ is therefore coming personally and
visibly, to be present on the earth,
as really as before. When he comes again, he comes - not as a sufferer, not as
a man of sorrows - but as a KING and a CONQUEROR, to occupy a throne of glory. His own words are: “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”. (Matt. 25:3 1).
The nature and locality of that throne are made plain by the declaration
of the angel to Mary in regard to Jesus : ‘The Lord God shall give unto Him THE
THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID, and he shall
reign over the house of Jacob for ever” (Luke 1:32). The throne of David,
situate at Jerusalem is a historic fact, and though it is non-existent at the
present time, numerous are the predictions that Jesus Christ shall occupy THAT
THRONE, and reign as king thereon. The following prophecy contained in Jeremiah
23:5, may be taken as a sample of many declarations to that effect:
“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a
righteous branch, and a KING SHALL REIGN AND PROSPER, AND SHALL EXECUTE
JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE IN THE EARTH. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called – THE LORD
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
David himself; in anticipation of the day when his Son and Lord should
occupy his throne, ruling in righteousness and in the fear of God - a ruler who
should be “as the light of the morning,
hen the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds”— declares, ‘THIS IS ALL
MY SALVATION AND ALL MY DESIRE” (2 Sam. 23:3-5).
David recognized that Christ was coming for this purpose: for, says Peter,
David knew that “of the fruit of his
loins, according to the flesh, God would raise up CHRIST TO SIT ON HIS
THRONE” (Acts 2:30).
These references are sufficient to show that Christ is coming as a
Monarch, to occupy the restored throne of David, and to reign on the earth as
the promised King of the Jews.
The Saints “Shall Reign On Earth.”
Where Christ reigns, there must the saints also reign: “If we suffer
[with him], we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim 2:12). Where? In heaven?
Unquestionably not. No suggestion is given in the scriptures of a reign in
heaven. Christ’s rule is to be “in the MIDST OF HIS ENEMIES” (Psa. 110:2), and
the reign of the saints is connected with “CITIES,” with “NATIONS,” and with
“THE EARTH.” In a parable uttered by Christ, in which he depicts the judgment
of his servants when he returns, the reward bestowed on the faithful servants
is “authority over cities.” “Have thou authority
over TEN CITIES.” “Be thou also over FIVE
CITIES” (Luke 19:17-19). Manifestly these are cities on the earth. “Do ye not
know,” says the Apostle Paid, “THAT THE SAINTS SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD?” (1 Cor.
6:2). One of the last promises made by Christ to him who overcomes and keeps
his works unto the end is: “To him will I
give POWER OVER THE NATIONS, AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON”
(Rev. 2:26). In further confirmation of these passages, we have in Rev. 5:10, a prophetic picture of the redeemed,
rejoicing in the possession of salvation, and they are represented as praising
him who has redeemed them, and saying: “Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, AND WE SHALL REIGN ON
THE EARTH.”
Turning to Rev. 20, we find the period of this reign stated, from which the word Millennium is derived. We are here carried forward to the time of
the Resurrection when the reign commences. John, in vision saw thrones, and certain ones seated on
them, and “judgment given unto them.” He saw those who had been dead raised
from the dead; and, having been accepted by Christ at his judgment-seat, made immortal
and reigning with him. The Apostle says (Rev. 20:4), “THEY LIVED AND REIGNED
WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS.” And then follows, in verse 6, this statement:
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such, the
second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, AND
SHALL REIGN WITH HIM A THOUSAND YEARS.” Here, then, is the doctrine of the
thousand years’ reign of Christ and the saints placed beyond all question. It
is not, as some imagine, only to be found in this passage. The only new point
revealed here is the period of the
reign - the revelation following a vast number of prophecies and promises
referring to that glorious event.
This coming reign of Christ to bless all nations is good news indeed. It
is the good news - the Gospel - which
Christ preached. “He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of
the Kingdom of God” (Luke 8:1). He said himself, “I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also:
for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43). The connection between the Kingdom of
God and Christ’s reign on earth is seen when we comprehend the nature of the
Kingdom of God. The prophet Daniel, referring to this Kingdom, says that at a future
time, which has not yet arrived, “The God
of heaven shall SET UP A KINGDOM, which shall never be destroyed; and the
Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and
consume all these Kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44). Here is
the establishment of the Kingdom brought before us. When is this? We are told
in chapter 7:13-14. It is at Christ’s coming.
Daniel says he saw, in vision, one like
the SON OF MAN COMING, and there was
given him DOMINION, and GLORY AND A
KINGDOM that all people, nations, and languages should serve HIM.” In vss.
18 and 27, the inheritance of the saints in this Kingdom is declared: “The saints of the Most High shall take the
Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.” – “The Kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the Kingdom UNDER the whole heaven shall be given to the
people of THE SAINTS of the Most High.” The “Kingdom of God” and the “Reign of
Christ on Earth,” are, therefore, practically synonymous terms: the thousand
years’ reign being the first stage of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
The nature of the Kingdom of God is more plainly shown by a consideration
of that Kingdom in the past. God’s Kingdom has once existed. The Kingdom of
Israel was THE KINGDOM OF GOD. It is described in the Scriptures as “the Kingdom of THE LORD” (1 Chron. 28:5): the throne of that Kingdom being,
therefore, the “throne of THE LORD”
(1 Chron. 29:23). The Kingdom of Israel was a Kingdom of Divine origin: all its
constituent parts - the land - the people -- the metropolis-being divinely
chosen, and its laws and appointments given directly by God.
It is God’s purpose that that Kingdom shall exist again: not, however, to
be confined to the land of Israel, but to extend over all the earth. In
preaching the “Kingdom of God,” Christ preached the restoration of the Kingdom
of Israel Christ is to reign “over THE HOUSE OF JACOB for ever” (Luke 1:33):
and he promised to his disciples positions of authority in that Kingdom when
restored. In answer to Peter’s question, as to what should be the reward of the
disciples who had followed him, Christ said: “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. 19:28). In view of their promised
rulership over the restored Kingdom of Israel, we find the disciples asking
Christ, previous to his departure from the earth: “Lord, wilt thou at this time
RESTORE AGAIN THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL” (Acts 1:6). To which Christ replied that
it was not for them to know the times or
the seasons which the Father had put in His own power. In Acts 3:20, Peter
associates its restoration with Christ’s second coming: “He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
which the heaven must receive UNTIL the
times of restitution OF ALL THINGS WHICH GOD HATH SPOKEN BY THE MOUTH OF
ALL HIS HOLY PROPHETS.” When that time comes, Christ will appear and “raise up THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID that
is fallen, close up the breaches thereof; raise up its ruins, and BUILD IT AS
IN THE DAYS OF OLD” (Amos 9:11). Before Christ can reign, this Kingdom must be
reestablished; and this important work he will do at his appearing.
The great changes to take place in the earth at this period are referred
to in the Apocalypse in the following words: “The Kingdoms of this world are become THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF
HIS CHRIST; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). The present
rulers cannot retain their position when Christ appears to rule the world.
Their Kingdoms will be wrested from them, and the dominion and authority given
to Christ alone; for, saith Zechariah: “The
Lord shall be King over all the
earth: in that day shall there be ONE
LORD, and his name one” (Zech. 14:9). There are now many Kings throughout the
earth: but in that day the Lord shall be “King OVER ALL THE EARTH.”
Where shall this one King be enthroned? The answer has already been
given: “At that time they shall call Jerusalem
THE THRONE OF THE LORD” (Jer. 3:17). The city which witnessed the humiliation
and the sufferings of Christ is destined to become the scene of his exaltation
and glory. “The Lord of Hosts shall reign
IN MOUNT ZION, AND IN JERUSALEM, and before his ancients gloriously” (Isa.
24:23). Recognizing the great future in store for that city - the “city of
God,” which He has chosen, and loves—Christ forbade men to swear by it. “Swear
not by Jerusalem,” he says, “for it is the CITY OF THE GREAT KING”; and, as
such, it will ultimately be established and made “a praise in the earth” (Isa.
62:7).
Referring to the position of this city in the last days, it is declared:
“OUT OF ZION SHALL GO FORTH THE LAW, AND THE WORD OF THE LORD FROM JERUSALEM”
(Isa. 2:3). Here, then, is a characteristic of the Millennium. No human law
shall then govern the world - no longer shall men in every nation devise their
laws according to their own wisdom - but there shall be one law for the whole earth proceeding from the metropolis of the
world. “The law shall go forth from Zion.”
The earth will be in subjection to Christ, and quietly and submissively wait
for his commands to go forth. “The isles shall WAIT for his law” (Isa. 42:4). That the law that proceeds from Zion will
be in every respect a desirable one is manifest when we consider from whom it
proceeds. Who is it that is enthroned there? Jesus, the Son of God—a King
all-wise, omniscient and infallible; whose law must be characterized by the
highest wisdom and righteousness; a King who knows the needs of the world - who
has Himself “drunk of the brook by the way,” and who will, therefore, devise an
unerring law most fitted for the wants of man, and effectual to secure their
permanent well-being and good. The prophet Isaiah testifies as to the rule of
Christ “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of counsel
and might; the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord; and shall make him
of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove
after the hearing of his ears; but with RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL HE JUDGE THE
POOR, AND REPROVE WITH EQUITY FOR THE MEEK OF THE EARTH” (Isa 11:2-4).
King, Priest,
and Shepherd
We have but to reflect upon the character of the coming King to realize
the blessings that will prevail under his rule. Not only is he all wise and
unerring, but he is merciful and pitiful. He is one who can be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. His rule, therefore, will not be actuated by
motives of selfishness, but will be framed for the benefit of those who need,
and whose wants are neglected and unheeded by the rulers of the present age.
The law of Christ will be one for the poor as well as the rich, and one adapted
in all respects for every human being who is favored in so glorious an age.
A special characteristic of Christ’s law will be its absolute perfection.
The laws devised by man are weak and imperfect, and require continual reform
and amendment; but “the law of the Lord
is PERFECT.” there will be no defects in that law - it will require no amendment;
but, being devised by Divine wisdom, it will go forth from Zion a perfect law for the obedience of the
world.
Not only will Christ’s rule be infallible but it will be omnipotent. The
universal Monarch of the earth will have power to enforce the execution of his
wise decrees. However beneficial the laws of man may be in their inception,
they fail to secure the desired result. Owing to the difficulties connected
with the administration of the law, and the inability of the rulers of the
world to compel strict obedience even to laws that are righteous, evil
continually triumphs, and wickedness abounds. The reflective stand appalled and
dismayed at the evils of the situation, and the hopelessness of reformation by
human agency. We need a Government with absolute power to compel righteousness
and justice amongst men, and this is an especial feature in Christ’s reign. “He shall rule with A ROD OF IRON” (Rev.
19:15). His government will be
absolute and vigorous, firm and irresistible, enforcing obedience, and compelling
submission. In vain will it be for the oppressor, the tyrant, the unrighteous,
and the evil, to strive to evade his law. “Every soul who will not hear him, shall be destroyed from among the people” (Acts
3:23). An illustration of the power in Christ’s hands to enforce obedience is
seen in regard to the execution of one of the decrees that will go forth from
Zion. All nations will be commanded to go up from year to year to Jerusalem, to
worship the king in the glorious temple to be erected there, and to keep the
feast of tabernacles. What if any refuse to comply? How will the King deal with
them? In a very summary and effectual way. He will withhold the rain from their
territory. “It shall come to pass,” says the prophet Zechariah, “that whoso
will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the
King, the Lord of Hosts, even upon them
shall be no rain” (Zech. 14:17). Who will dare to resist a King whose
authority prevails to such an extent as this-who has “all power in heaven and
earth?”
Nations Flowing
Unto Jerusalem
The Government of Christ will be recognized and appreciated by the
nations as a whole, who will gladly comply with the command to pay their homage
to the King who reigns in Mount Zion. “All
nations,” says Isaiah, “shall FLOW
unto it.” “Many people shall go and
say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach
us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people” (Isa. 2:3-4). The nations will concur
in his appointments; they will cheerfully submit, and flow in joyful crowds to
the centre of the kingdom of Christ, rejoicing in the blessings that result
from his rule. It will be said in that day “The extortioner is at an end, the
spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy
shall the throne be established, and he shall sit upon it in truth in the
tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment and hasting righteousness”
(Isa. 16:4-5).
The 72nd Psalm presents a glorious picture of his reign- a picture delightful
to gaze upon. “He shall judge the poor of the people; he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor” (v. 4). The
poor and helpless will then be cared for as they have never been before: the
oppressor and the tyrant will be broken in pieces, the burdens under which men
groan will be removed; the poverty and wretchedness that now fill the earth
will be known no more; vice and evil of every kind will be restrained; and all
the causes of suffering and sorrow, which are the general characteristics of
this dark day, will be uprooted. “He shall come down like rain upon the mown
grass: as showers that water the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his
name shall be continue as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all
nations shall call him blessed” (Psa. 72:6, 17). A glance at this picture, and
at the evils that now cover the earth, will help us to understand the reason
why all nations will flow to the presence of the King who reigns in Salem’s
towers, and render worship and praise to the God of the whole earth.
“He Maketh Wars to Cease”
One great characteristic of the reign of Christ will be the entire
absence of war and strife amongst men. He is called the “prince of peace.” It
is testified that he shall “speak peace
to the nations” (Zech. 9:10). War will continue - the battle will rage - until the prince of peace comes to
establish peace. All human efforts are unable to effect this desired result.
In spite of our abhorrence to war - in spite of the advance of knowledge and
the strides of civilization - we have continually the melancholy spectacle of
mankind in deadly conflict, the lives of thousands sacrificed in settling the
disputes of the, rulers of the present order of things. Christ will speedily
end this unhappy state of affairs; his power will be manifested in the
termination of strife and bloodshed, the destruction of weapons of war, and
the establishment for a thousand years of perfect peace and freedom from war.
This is declared to be the effect of Christ’s rule. “He shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks. NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4). The same is
predicted through the prophet Hosea: “I will break the bow, and the sword and
the battle OUT OF THE EARTH” (Hosea 2:18). A consideration of the state of
things here foretold brings before our minds a glorious picture. No strife upon
the earth, men everywhere dwelling in peace and unity, converting their
weapons, no longer needed to slay their fellow men, into implements for the
peaceful pursuits of agriculture; no longer the din and crash of war, for “nation shall not lift up sword against
nation”, but “the work of
righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness, r and
assurance for ever.” (Isa. 32:17). And the statement follows: “Neither shall they LEARN WAR ANY MORE.”
Another
characteristic of the Millennium will be the enlightenment of all the nations
and the education of the peoples in ways of righteousness. In connection with
the Government of Mount Zion, it is recorded that many people shall go and say,
“Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob; AND HE WILL TEACH US OF HIS WAYS, AND WE WILL WALK IN HIS PATHS” (Isa.
2:3). The same fact is brought out in Jer. 3:17. Referring to the time when
Jerusalem has become “the throne of the Lord,” we are told that “all the
nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem.” The
result, of their gathering there follows in the same verse: they shall not “walk any
more after the imagination of their evil heart.” Here, then, is a result of
Christ’s reign- the regeneration of the world- which could never be effected by
human agency. In spite of the spread of knowledge in these favored days, how
little is its effect on mankind generally! How true is it still that “the dark
places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty!” (Ps. 74:20). The
spread of knowledge does not secure the improvement of the world. Righteousness
and holiness do not increase with the advance of knowledge, and all the influences
which are exerted in this direction have but little effect in spreading
righteousness, so far as the mass of the inhabitants of the earth are
concerned. We are living in an evil age- an age of unbelief and skepticism, and
to all human appearance, mankind are drifting further and further away from a
condition of righteousness into a condition characterized by persistent
neglect of the Scriptures, and of the commands of God. The situation appears
all the more appalling when it is realized that the religious world itself is
in a state of apostasy. The doctrines, which are generally held are not founded
upon the word of God, but are the inventions of men of corrupt minds who have
erred concerning the faith- doctrines which are destructive of “the truth as it
is in Jesus,” These have so beclouded the minds of men that the light is not
perceived by them; a “veil” of darkness is upon the peoples; they are under
“strong delusion,” believing a lie. So deeply rooted in this departure from the
truth that all human efforts are vain to remedy it, and the outlook would be
gloomy indeed if it were not for the promise of Christ’s coming.
All Nations of One Religion
Referring to the time when Christ shall, reign on Mount Zion, it is
declared by the prophet Isaiah (ch. 25:7): “He will destroy in this mountain
the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over
all nations.” The work to be done by Christ and his saints will have the effect
of removing the darkness that now covers the earth, and enlightening all the
nations, and the result will eventually be that the peoples of the earth will
no longer walk in the vanity of their minds, but, being enlightened by
infallible teachers in the truth of God, mankind universally will walk and rejoice
in it. After the gathering of the nations and the outpouring of God’s
indignation, then, says Jehovah, “will I turn to the people a pure language,
that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent” (Zeph. 3:9). There will come a time
upon the earth when it will not be necessary for man to say to his brother:
“Know the Lord; for they shall all know
him from the least unto the greatest” (Jer. 31:34)—the “earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as
the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9); and God’s will shall “be done on the
earth as it is in heaven.”
In order to further the well being of the peoples of the earth during
this coming Millennium of blessedness, the very earth itself is to undergo a
marvelous change at the hands of Christ. The earth, on account of sin, is now
subject to the curse pronounced in the Garden of Eden: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it
all the days of thy life; thorns also and
thistles shall it bring forth to thee”
(Gen. 3:17). The consequence of this cursed condition of the ground is that
toil and arduous labor are necessary to cause it to bring forth its fruits for
the sustenance of man. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,”
declares the Creator to Adam (in v. 19); and such has been the lot of mankind
from the day the first man and woman were expelled from the Garden of Eden,
where life had been continuous pleasure and ease. So accustomed has man become
to this cursed condition of the soil, that it is regarded as its natural
characteristic. The Scriptures show us, however, that it is a mere temporary
feature, to disappear with the removal of the curse. Speaking of the time when
God, through Christ, will “judge the people righteously and govern the nations
upon earth,” the Psalmist declares: “THEN shall
the earth YIELD HER INCREASE” (Ps. 67:6).
One of the promises to the children of Israel, conditional on their
obedience, was that their land should be specially productive, and yield its
fruits in such profusion that there should be no want amongst them. The removal
of the curse will have this effect throughout the earth. The prophet Amos,
referring to that day when the tabernacle of David is restored “as in the days
of old,” declares, by the word of God, that the days shall come that “the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and
the treader of grapes him that soweth seed” (Amos 9:13). That is to say, that
the earth will yield in such profusion that the people will not be able to
gather its fruits before the time again comes round for plowing and sowing
seed. Another promise to the like effect is given in Ezekiel 36:29: “I will
call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you, and I
will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field.” Here is a
wondrous fertility of the ground predicted; and further than this, the waste
places of the earth shall then be utilized; the vast deserts and sterile
tracts of land, which are apparently useless, will then be transformed into
fertile plains, no longer yielding the thorn and brier, but abounding with
vegetation for the use of man, and blossoming with the flowers of the field. “Instead of the thorn shall come up the
fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree” (Isa. 55:13). “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah-tree, and the
myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in
the desert the fir-tree, and the pine, and the box-tree together” (Isa.
41:19). “The wilderness and the solitary
place shall be glad for them; and the
desert shall rejoice, AND BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE” (Isa. 35:1)
This marvelous change will be a source of blessing to the inhabitants of
the earth. Instead of having to give up their lives to arduous toil, merely to
procure the necessities of life, and with but little opportunity of
participating in the enjoyment of the blessings, which are even now so
profusely showered upon mankind by the Father of Mercies, under this favored condition
of things work will be a pleasure, plenty will be secured for all, poverty and
want will not exist, and every human being will be enabled to enjoy the
bounties and the pleasures of the earth. The riches of the world, instead of
being confined to the few, will be open to all, and life will be a matter of
pleasure and rejoicing, instead of incessant toil and weariness.
Eating and Drinking in The Kingdom
The conceptions of the religious world are in this, as in many other
particulars, entirely in opposition to the Word of God. Even as regards the
immortal brethren and sisters of Christ, the promise is given that they shall
“EAT AND DRINK at his table in his
Kingdom” (Luke 22:30; Luke 14:15). Christ,
in instituting the memorial feast of bread and wine, declared to his disciples
that from thenceforth he would not drink of the fruit of the vine until that
day when he would drink it new with them
in his Kingdom (Matt. 26:29). But apart from this, which has reference to
the immortal rulers of the world, the subjects
of the Kingdom will for a thousand years consist of mortal beings, who will carry on their avocations as now, but under
more favored conditions. “They shall BUILD
HOUSES, and inhabit them, and they shall PLANT
VINEYARDS, and eat the fruit of them... They
shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble” (Isa. 65:21,23). “They shall come and sing in the height of
Zion, and shall flow together to the
goodness of the Lord, FOR WHEAT, AND FOR WINE, AND FOR OIL, AND FOR THE
YOUNG OF THE FLOCK AND OF THE HERD; and their soul shall be as a watered
garden, and they shall not sorrow any
more at all” (Jer. 31:12).
The New Heavens and New Earth
All this will have the effect of transforming this world of sorrow into
a world of rejoicing and joy. “Be ye glad,” says Jehovah, “and rejoice for ever
in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing; and her
people a joy; and I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; and the voice of weeping SHALL BE NO
MORE HEARD IN HER, nor the voice of
crying” (Isa. 65:18). There is a
time coming when sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Christ’s rule will
eradicate the causes of sorrow; and that which is declared concerning Jerusalem
and her people will ultimately be applicable to the whole world. Evil and
suffering come as the result of sin. When sin is restrained, and righteousness
prevails, blessing will follow. With the “Great Physician” on the earth, and
his immortal associates in possession of those powers which were displayed in
Apostolic days, disease and sickness, with their consequent suffering, will not
abound. “The inhabitant shall not say Jam sick” (Isa. 33:24). The children
of Israel were blessed, when obedient, with freedom from sickness and disease;
and so will it be in the coming day. Man is impotent to stay the progress of
disease, but the omnipotent King of the World will display his power in
removing the causes of sickness among the peoples, and causing them to walk in
such ways as will tend to their individual good. No longer will the poor be
herded together in unsanitary dwellings; no longer will vice spread its fearful
effects amongst mankind, nor want of food or shelter carry off its victims. All
that will tend to promote health and longevity will prevail, and all that tends
in a contrary direction be removed. Instead of all creation groaning n pain under
its many burdens, as now, all mankind will rejoice in the deliverance effected
by Christ, and there will be songs instead of sighing—the “garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness.”
But this is not all. The power of God will be exercised in the extension
of the life of man. In our present cursed condition, death comes in many cases
as a relief to terminate a life of sorrow, and the burden of the infirmities
of age; but with perfect health and every blessing, long life would be
desirable indeed. The present short
tenure of life has not always been the lot of man. Early in the history of the
world men reckoned their lives by hundreds
instead of tens, and so shall it
be again. The Spirit of God, through the prophet Isaiah, declares: “There shall be no more thence an INFANT
OF DAYS, nor an old man that hath not
filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the
sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed. And they, shall build
houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of
them. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and
another eat: for AS THE DAYS OF A TREE are the
days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands”
(Isa. 65:20-22). Mortality will not
prevail then as now those who die a hundred years of age will be esteemed as
but children: men will live out their days, and not be cut off in youth except
in the case of a sinner, who shall “die a hundred years old.” By reason of
their longevity, they will be enabled to occupy the houses they build, and
partake of the fruit of the vineyards they plant. In former years death had
prevented them from so doing, but during this glorious period their days shall
be “as the days of a tree.” Trees in many cases flourish for
centuries, and so shall it be with mankind; life will be extended, as in
ancient days, to hundreds of years, and “they shall long enjoy”- or, as the
margin reads, “WEAR OUT”- the very work of their hands. Here, then, is another
blessing of the Millennium. Long life, with freedom from disease and
suffering- a life surrounded with the highest and choicest blessings and enjoyments.
The Earth
Filled with God’s Glory
Even the very animals are to be transformed and brought into harmony with
the rest of the creation. Their savage nature is to be tamed, and the enmity
existing between them and man removed, and all creation brought into that state
of peace and friendship which once existed in Eden. “The wolf also shall dwell
with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and
the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on
the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’
den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa.
11: 6-9).
It is impossible adequately to portray the blessedness that will be
realized when Christ reigns. Words fail to set forth the glories of his
Kingdom. All the good the heart can desire, or the mind can conceive, will be
the portion of his people, and of the privileged subjects of his rule. It is
summed up in the promises that “ALL NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIM;” and that,
as truly as God exists, the “EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH HIS GLORY” (Num.
14:21).
“Then Cometh
the End”
The thousand years’ reign of Christ is not, however, the end of God’s
purpose with the earth. That reign is simply a means to an end- the means adopted
by God to carry out His final purpose with the earth and man upon it. The
Kingdom of God does not terminate at the end of a thousand years. Of Christ’s
Kingdom “there shall be NO END” (Luke
1:33). The Kingdom has its work: to remove all enemies and to bring the world
to God. Christ is to rule “in the midst of his enemies” (Psa. 110:2). “He must
reign till he bath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:25). Those enemies are not merely personal, for death is spoken
of as “the last enemy” to be destroyed. Christ will destroy all evil in whatever form it may be
manifested; all the wicked shall
ultimately be destroyed, and sin, with all its effects, including at last
death itself will finally be no more. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have
delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down
all rule and all authority and power... And
when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the Son also himself
be subject unto Him that put all things under him, THAT GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL”
(1 Cor. 15:24-28). The purpose of God
with the earth will then be accomplished. The earth will be redeemed from all
evil; all its occupants will be immortal, righteous, glorified beings, like
unto Christ, who, with him, will for ever inherit the earth, all its blessings
at their disposal—a multitude of happy, undying creatures in communion with
their God, before whom will be unending days of inconceivable joy and blessing.
The Gospel of the Kingdom comes to us that we may be saved from sin and
death, attain unto immortality, and inherit the blessings promised. God asks
our faith in what He has declared, and in evidence of our faith He asks
obedience. “HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTISED SHALL BE SAVED.” (Mark 16:15-16) If we would be partakers of
the inheritance of the saints in light, here are the conditions. Manifest
belief in the good news of the Kingdom of God; yield obedience to the command
to be baptized for the remission of sins; and, thenceforth walk in patient
continuance in well doing (See Rom. 2:6). If such is our position, then the day
of Christ will assuredly bring us glory, honor, immortality, association with
Christ, in His reign on earth, and the possession of joy unspeakable for evermore.
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