The voice may be stern and rugged, but it is the voice of the church. The pages of this book contain the voice of the church of the first born, whose names are written in heaven. And so had all who heard received with gladness the word of God, the world might have been converted within twenty years of the day of pentecost.
Shall we look at Judson, who labored ten long years before one sinner yielded to the claims of the gospel. If the gospel was to effect the eternal salvation of all mankind, then failing to accomplish that work is a failure of the gospel. But if the gospel was preached “to take OUT OF the Gentiles a people for His name,” then it is not a faihre.
The hope of the church stops not at death, it sweeps beyond earth’s scenes of tempest and of storm, and reposes in the calm beamings of that sun of. Wide apart as the poles in their theological opinions, they all agree in one point, that the coming of Jesus and the scenes of judgment must precede the rest of the church of God.
INTRODUCTORY SYNOPSIS
How should the creature be capable of partaking in this glorious liberty of the sons of God. On verse 19, “At the second coming of Christ there will be a manifestation of the children of God. It is the unanimous vote, the joint desire of the whole church; all agree in this.
As will evidently appear when we come to explain the manner and causes of the conflagration. It is said here, ‘the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were finished.’ — v. By what authority then shall we add this new notion to the history or scheme of the Millennium.
The Scripture, on the contrary, makes mention of the descent of the new Jerusalem, (<662102>. The Scripture plainly tells us of signs that will precede the coming of our Savior, and the end of the world. He writes: “The kingdom of the Son of Man in the 7th of Daniel, is the second coming of Christ in glory.
To be in the actual possession of the obedience of all people, nations, and languages, and all dominions under heaven. Cressener, unlike some more modern writers, also shows that the coming of the Son of man in <402430>. Grotius himself in this is forced to be of the same mind as the rest.” fb150.
In defending the doctrine of the Millennium, he fixed the beginning of Christ’s reign on earth in 1694. In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be finished. We give from him two extracts, the first on the reasonableness of the year- day theory.
I call it a special, peculiar kingdom, different from the kingdom of nature, and from his spiritual kingdom
Christ comes now to settle himself in his kingdom, with his saints, who are now to be gathered to him.”. It being therefore certain that these very souls are they which must be understood thus dead and living, and that it is not possible to understand it of any other sort of men, but of the primitive martyrs, it is now as certain that in this Millennial state they revive and reign with Christ.” fb181. He was eminent as a divine, theologian, and orientalist, and as all are aware who are conversant with his Prophetical Sermons, Body of Divinity and Commentary, was a thorough Pre-Millennialist.
This kingdom will be, after all the enemies of Christ and of hispeople are removed out of the way.
This kingdom will be, after all the enemies of Christ and of his people are removed out of the way
Antichrist will be destroyed; an angel, who is no other than Christ, will then personally descend to bind Satan and all his angels
This kingdom of Christ will be bounded by two resurrections; by the first resurrection, or the resurrection of the just, at which it will begin;
This glorious, visible kingdom of Christ will be on earth, and not in heaven; and so is distinct from the kingdom of heaven, or ultimate
It may be objected, to what purpose will Satan be bound a thousand years to prevent his deception of the nations, when there will be no
That though the saints are said to reign with Christ a thousand years, ( <662004>
It is objected to the personal reign of Christ with the saints on earth, that they, by reason of the frailty of nature, will be unfit to converse
It is suggested, that for the saints to come down from heaven, and leave their happy state there, and dwell on earth, must be a diminishing
The bodies of the wicked lying in the earth till the thousand years are ended, may be objected to the purity of the new earth, and to the glory
What will become of the new earth, after the thousand years of the reign of Christ and his saints on it are ended? whether it will be
Who the Gog and Magog army are, that shall encompass the camp of the saints when the thousand years are ended? They are the rest of
What the fire will be, which shall come down from heaven, and destroy the Gog and Magog army? The wrath and indignation of God
What will become of the new earth, after the thousand years of thereign of Christ and his saints on it are ended. Apart from all the details of chronological computation, we cannot but think ourselves approaching very near to the termination of a great period; neither can we get rid of the idea, that troublous times will soon supersede the repose we have so long enjoyed. As long as nothing extraordinary befalls Rome or Jerusalem, things in general will proceed pretty smoothly; but while they continue much as they are, the news in the journals will be.
When events have arrived just at the finishing of the mystery of God, we shall hear the striking of that clock which has so long been silent. The aspect of the present season in the church indicates the approach of winter; for ours is a poor, frigid, slumbering age, which needs an Awakener; and surely an Awakener is coming.”. Men are now but novices to those who will appear in the last age of general profligacy, when fleshly security and scoffing at religion shall have gained completely the upper hand; when it will not be so much as dreamed that the end is so near, when the dream will be that all things shall continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
But even that season will have a few who shall continue in the faith, and in patient waiting for Christ; though their numbers. A period is coming when the pure Millennial doctrine will be duly regarded as an article of the true faith, and then teachers will be so well acquainted with the whole detail of the Apocalypse, as to make it the subject of common juvenile instruction.” fb184. In his “Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul,” we see exhibited an abiding love for the Lord’s advent, worthy of emulation.
2 Peter 3:12, he thus comments: “Hastening on, as it were, by your earnest desires and fervent prayers, the coming of the day of God.” In interpreting Revelation, his views nearly coincide with those of Bengel. Mohammedanism, he observes that the dominion of Christ “appears in an entirely new manner, as soon as the seventh angel sounds,” and that “this trumpet contains the most important and joyful events, and perhaps shall once be heard on earth” — Christ now having “actually come.” On the importance of the study of the Apocalypse, he says: “Some have miserably handled this book: hence, others are afraid to touch it; and while they desire to know all things else, reject only the knowledge of those which God hath shown. John, who inquire after anything rather than the contents of this book; yea, who applaud their own clemency if they excuse those that do inquire into them!” The message of the first angel of chap.
He says: “We are very shortly to expect, one after another, the calamities occasioned by the second beast, the harvest and the vintage; the pouring out of the vials, the judgment of Babylon, the last raging of the beast and his destruction, the imprisonment of Satan. And how short the time!” Like Bengel; he singularly gathers two Millenniums from Revelation 20th — the one ending when the other begins: the first “a flourishing state of the Church on earth,” the second “a reign of the saints with Christ in heaven,” allowing verse 6th to teach a literal resurrection of the martyrs and saints. And doubtless this guilt is incurred by all those who lay hindrances in the way of the faithful, which prevent them from hearing their Lord’s I come.
