NO MILLENNIUM TILL CHRIST COMES. - PART 6

(7). In the Gospel according to St. Luke we are told that “As some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said. As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying. Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass.?” (Luke xxi: 5-7). Here, the question has reference simply and only to the time when there should not be one stone left upon another in the temple, that should not be thrown down. Our Lord proceeds to answer this question, predicting, as signals of the approaching destruction, great earthquakes in divers places, and famines, and pestilences, and sights and signs from heaven which, we do not need the testimony of the Jewish and Roman historians Josephus and Tacitus to inform us, literally took place. But the Saviour still further says, “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written [that is, obviously, concerning the coming desolation of Israel] may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people, 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 xxi: 20-24).

There is no controversy with regard to the literal fulfillment of this prophecy. Jerusalem was literally destroyed, and the stones of which its magnificent temple was built, although some of them are said to have been more that sixty feet long, eight feet high, and ten feet broad, were literally thrown down, and the very foundations ploughed up. “When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” The disciples could not possibly have understood our Lord to mean anything but the literal Jerusalem where they stood when He uttered the prediction. So too, when He added, “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,” they were compelled to understand Him as speaking of the literal Jerusalem. But if so, it is certain they would anticipate a restoration of the city of the Israelites, for our Lord says, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles UNTIL the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” There is no meaning in the language unless the word until implies that a time is coming, when Jerusalem shall cease to be trodden down of the Gentiles; but after the lapse of more than eighteen hundred years, we know that the time is not yet, because the times of the Gentiles are not yet run out. Various attempts have been made to set aside this prediction, all of which, of course, have resulted in ignominious failure; for it is not the rash utterance of a crazed enthusiast, nor the crafty speech of a base impostor, but the sad and solemn announcement of God manifest in the flesh.

Julian, the apostate, summoned the resources of his mighty empire to defeat it, but in the language of Gibbon, “the joint efforts of power and enthusiasm were unsuccessful; and the ground of the Jewish temple, which is now occupied by a Mahometan Mosque, still continued to exhibit the same edifying spectacle of ruin and desolation. . . . An earthquake, a whirlwind, and a fiery eruption, which overturned and scattered the new foundation of the temple, are attested, with some variations, by contemporary and respectable evidence. This public event is described by Ambrose, bishop of Milan, in an epistle to the Emperor Theodosius, which must provoke the severe animadversion of the Jews; by the eloquent Chrysostom, who might appeal to the memory of the elder part of his congregation at Antioch; and by Gregory Nazianzen, who published his account of the miracle before the expiration of the same year. The last of these writers has boldly declared, that this praeternatural event was not disputed by the infidels; and his assertion, strange as it may seem, is confirmed by the unexceptionable testimony of Ammianus Marcellinus. The philosophic soldier, who loved the virtues, without adopting the prejudices, of his master, has recorded, in his judicious and candid history of his own times, the extraordinary obstacles which interrupted the restoration of the temple of Jerusalem. ‘Whilst Alypius, assisted by the governor of the province, urged, with vigor and diligence, the execution of the work, horrible balls of fire breaking out near the foundations, with frequent and reiterated attacks, rendered the place, from time to time, inaccessible to the scorched and blasted workmen; and the victorious element continuing in this manner obstinately and resolutely bent, as it were, to drive them to a distance, the undertaking was abandoned.’ Such authority should satisfy a believing, and must astonish an incredulous mind.”—(Decline and Fall, Vol. II, pp. 438-9). However Gibbon and the scientists may account for it, the fact is, the temple was not rebuilt.

Every one knows the result of the Crusades, undertaken on such a gigantic scale and with such heroic devotedness, to rescue the holy sepulchre from the grasp of the Moslem. Centuries have rolled by, empires have risen, flourished, and decayed, but Jerusalem remains, and will remain “trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled and then no power can prevent its return to the possession of God’s ancient people, just as no power has been able to defeat the remarkable prediction of our Lord during the long period of Gentile supremacy. ' But He, whose word has been proved to be true in the eyes of all men, also tells us what shall immediately follow the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles. His testimony agrees precisely with that of the Holy Ghost given by Daniel, Zechariah, and other inspired writers, and none of them convey the slightest intimation that a Millennium will intervene between the times of the Gentiles and the “in-bringing of all Israel,” as Dr. David Brown calls it; but all alike assert that the former will close amid scenes of fearful judgment, and that the latter will be accomplished by the personal advent of Christ. If He had wished His disciples to expect a Millennium without His presence, surely the opportunity to teach the doctrine was presented in connection with the long-continued desolation of Jerusalem reaching onward until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. But precisely the opposite doctrine is taught in the startling language that immediately follows the prophecy we have just considered.

“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. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily, I say unto you. This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled,” (Luke xxi: 25-32).

The opinion commonly and thoughtlessly entertained, that this passage refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, is worse than absurd, for, in the first place, it is fatal to any correct understanding of God’s word. The principle of interpretation on which it rests, if there is any principle of interpretation about it, will do away with the most distinct and important statements of the Sacred Scriptures, provided they do not suit the prejudices and whims of the reader. If the language, “then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory,” means the coming of Titus at the head of a Roman army, we are bound to concede that almost identically the same language employed by the Saviour when He said to the high priest, “ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven,” must also mean the coming of Titus at the head of a Roman army; and hence, there can be no personal coming of Christ, and no judgment, at any time.

In the second place, it is said, “when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh;” but in no conceivable sense did the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus bring nigh the redemption of believers. If it be suggested that they were thus delivered from the persecutions of the Jews in that city, it was only to be exposed to the fiercer persecutions of the Jews and the Gentiles elsewhere, and surely it would be difficult to imagine how the success of Titus affected in any manner the redemption of those who trusted in Jesus. But the signs that shall cause them to lift up their heads and to know that their redemption draweth nigh, instead of being gathered from the universal triumph of the Church, are found in the distress of nations with perplexity and the failing of men’s hearts for fear nor is there the faintest intimation that this season of alarm and terror is preceded by a spiritual Millennium. The times of the Gentiles must be fulfilled, which will end, as has been shown, in a more humiliating exhibition of the pravity of human nature, and in a fuller apostasy from God, than even the times of ancient Israel; and then the very next step is the coming of the Son of Man.

In the third place, in no respect could it be said at the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, “that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand;” for in the state in Which the kingdom of God now exists, it had been set up before; or if it be supposed that allusion is made to the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, that dispensation had commenced long previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, when the Holy Ghost descended on the day of Pentecost. Those who are looking for a Millennium without Christ, or a kingdom without a King, are very fond of quoting the text in the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke, “the kingdom of God is within you;” but they do not observe that these words are addressed to the Pharisees, of whom it will scarcely be said that the kingdom of God was within them; nor do they notice that the proper reading, as given in the margin and by all critics, is, “the kingdom of God is among you;” nor do they reflect that in the very chapter containing the words, the universal prevalence of wickedness at the coming of Christ is plainly asserted, without so much as a hint of the previous success of the Church. The kingdom of God was already at hand when the King was here, and therefore, it could not be said concerning the overthrow of Jerusalem, “Know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.”

In the fourth place, if it is urged that the Saviour’s declaration, “this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled,” forces us to the conclusion that He referred to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the reply is, this can not possibly be, because among the all things to be fulfilled, are His coming in a cloud with power and great glory, the resurrection and the judgment, none of which occurred when the city was taken by the Romans. It has already been shown that the word generation even in our English Dictionaries also means “a family; a race; a stock; breed;” and thus it is often used in the word of God. “Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever,” (Ps. xii: 7). “God is in the generation of the righteous,” (Ps. xiv: 5). “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation,” (Ps. xxii: 30). “If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children,” (Ps. lxxiii: 15). “The generation of the upright shall be blessed,” (Ps. cxii: 2). “The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light,” (Luke xvi: 8). “But ye are a chosen generation,” (1 Pet. ii: 9). Dr. Hodge says, “The declaration contained in Matt, xxiv: 34, ‘This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled,’ must be restricted to the ‘all things’ spoken of, referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and the inauguration of the Church as Christ’s kingdom on earth. There is, however, high authority for making this generation, here and in the parallel passages, Mark xiii: 30 and Luke xxi: 32, refer to Israel as a people or race; in this case the meaning would be that the Jews would not cease to be a distinct people until his predictions were fulfilled.”—(Systematic Theology, Vol. Ill, p. 799).

In the fifth place, our Lord immediately adds to the language just quoted the solemn admonition, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man,” (Luke xxi: 34-36). This passage conclusively shows that He did not have reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, for that day did not come as a snare set for an unwary bird “on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” Obviously the allusion is to a far more terrific and general judgment, and if so, how certain it is that there can be no Millennium previous to the personal advent of Christ. The whole chapter is filled with predictions of calamities, persecutions, sufferings, woes, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled, and what then? A long period of peace and prosperity and righteousness? Not a word of it, but “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 these 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 great glory.” Christians, then, who are looking for the improvement of man, somewhat on the Darwinian or development theory, and looking for the speedy triumph of the Church, especially their own particular sects, as if loyalty to these necessarily implied loyalty to the Lord, instead of “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ,” might do well to heed the warning, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

(8). In a proceeding part of the same gospel we are told that '‘As they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them. Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him saying. We will not have this man to reign over us,” (Luke xix: 11-14). There can be no mistake concerning the general meaning and design of the parable, the first verses of which are here quoted. The disciples evidently expected that when He reached Jerusalem, He would proclaim Himself King, and raise Israel from its prostrate condition, and reign gloriously over the earth, according to many predictions of their prophets. Our Lord does not intimate that there would be no real and visible kingdom on the earth, but only that they were mistaken in thinking the kingdom of God should immediately appear. After His resurrection, with their thoughts still fixed on the promised kingdom here below. “they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power,” (Acts i: 6, 7).

Neither here nor elsewhere does He utter a word which could lead His followers to understand that they had been in error in believing that Messiah would reign at the proper time and in person on the earth; but they overlooked the important fact, also announced in their Scriptures, that He must first be rejected and crucified, and come a second time to establish the kingdom they so eagerly desired. Dr. M’Caul, late Professor of Hebrew in King’s College, and Prebendary of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in a masterly argument to prove that “the doctrine of the second advent is an essential doctrine of the Gospel, remarks, “First, it is a doctrine which we find in every part of the Scriptures of the New Testament; not to refer now to the prophets, whose constant theme it is, and who often preach the second advent without mentioning the first, but who never preach the first advent without mentioning the second.” It is not strange, then, that the disciples should regard the first advent in its relation to the second as the means in relation to the end; and forgetful of the prophecies which describe the sufferings of Messiah, should hasten forward in their thoughts to the glory that is to follow, concluding that the kingdom of God would immediately appear. “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” It is clear from this that the kingdom which they were expecting, or the Millennium, as it is now called, can not be inaugurated until His return.

That which is termed the kingdom of grace set up in the hearts of men, although no such expression is found in the Bible, had been already established; but it is plain that the disciples were looking for a manifested, powerful kingdom here on the earth, such as had been so frequently and fully predicted by the prophets. As Alford says upon the passage, “They imagined that the present journey to Jerusalem, undertaken as it had been with such publicity and accompanied with such wonderful miracles, was for the purpose of revealing and establishing the Messianic kingdom.” He further says, “The ground-work of this part of the Parable seems to have been derived from the history of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great. The kings of the Herodian family made journeys to Rome, to receive their kingdom. On Archelaus’s doing so, the Jews sent after him a protest, which however was not listened to by Augustus.” It will not be denied that the nobleman in the parable represents the Saviour Himself. Nor will it be disputed that by his going into a far country, we are to understand our Lord’s ascension into heaven, where He will remain until “the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power” shall come; and then, invested with the authority, and dignity, and glory of the kingdom. He will return. Where then is the hope of seeing the triumph of the kingdom before His personal advent?

During the period of His absence. His ten servants are entrusted with ten pounds, and the command of their departed Lord rings in their hearing, “Occupy till I come.” But this is not all. The parable which confessedly spans the whole interval between the first and second advent gives no hint that all, or that even the greater part of the race will be converted. On the other hand, “His citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.” At length “when he was returned, having received the kingdom.” He enters first into a settlement with His own servants, giving to him whose pound had gained ten pounds authority over ten cities. and placing him whose pound had gained five pounds over five cities, and taking the pound from him who had kept it laid up in a napkin, in order to bestow it upon the one who had been most diligent and faithful. Then follows the stern order, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.” Surely if our Lord had wished us to believe that there would be a thousand years of spiritual prosperity, distinguished, as Dr. David Brown says, “by the universal reception of the true religion,” we might expect a glimpse, at least, of this happy period in the parable before us; but so far from this, the whole time of His absence is marked by the varying service of His friends and the unrelenting hostility of His enemies, up to his very return. It is impossible, therefore, to discover a space for the Millennium previous to His second personal advent.

(9). In a still earlier portion of the same gospel, we read the following earnest words: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; 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: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. . . . Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart. My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers,” (Luke xii: 35-46).

Here blessing is repeatedly pronounced upon the servants who stand with girded loins, and burning lights, and hands upon the hall door as it were, in an attitude of waiting and watching, now gazing out through the casement into the darkness, and anon intently listening for the first foot-fall of their expected Master. The most wonderful thing is said about them, for He declares that He will gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them; the divine Bridegroom, to change the figure a little, attending upon the precious blood-bought bride at the marriage supper of the Lamb. But if that servant say in his heart. My Lord delayeth His coming, and as a consequence loses the place and the sense of responsibility, and begins to show his power by persecuting his fellow-servants, and lives like the thoughtless, pleasure seeking world around him, the Lord of that servant will unexpectedly appear to appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. It is not supposed that the servant will say in his heart. My Lord will never come, for none dare say that; but. My Lord delayeth His coming, and many are saying that. How far the present lamentable condition of the Church is owing to the popular belief of the day, which postpones the second advent for at least a thousand years, God only knows. It is quite certain, however, that no one can find this opinion in the passage before us. It is evident that no such thought was in the Saviour’s mind, for He does not refer to a spiritual Millennium, but represents His personal return to the earth as possible any day, bids His disciples look for Him continually, and warns them against the dangers of thinking that He delays His coming. They have not heeded the warning, and the predicted consequences of their disregard are now everywhere seen among those who profess to be His servants. Will not the threatened penalty follow?