That blessed hope; the second coming of Christ considered with special reference to post-millennial and pre-millennial discussions, also an appendix treating of related topics

Preface

The particular object of the following treatise is to mediate somewhat between post-millennialism and pre-millennialism, especially as to the time of our Lord's second coming. The discouraging view taken by the former doctrine, namely, that before Christ comes there must intervene yet a thousand years or more of time, or a millennium of such extraordinary nature that it cannot be regarded as having, up to the present date, even begun, this notion is, and in some shape, always has been, unsatisfactory to thinking Christian minds, and even to minds not much given to thinking. Consequently that view has never been able to obtain universal and prolonged recognition. On the contrary, it has always had reactions appearing against it, usually in the form of pre-millennial or other chiliastic schemes — any doctrine that could furnish relief from the discouragement and lack of interest connected with the idea of our Lord's delaying so long his advent.

So also, on the other hand, the pre-millennial doctrine of the Saviour's setting up and ruling over a kingdom more or less materialistic in its nature, and a kingdom that should occupy the same territory with sin and sinners, this notion too, is so contrary to the general Christian conception of the final outcome of Christ's redeeming work, or to the facts connected with his parousia, that it has never been able to obtain, and persistently hold, anything like a universal assent of the Christian world. Besides, the pre-millennial scheme naturally tends to fanatical over-expectation, and often teaches matters that are extravagant, or simply absurd.

Especially in these times, therefore — so it seems to the writer — there are not a few persons (and is not the class a growing one?) who are dissatisfied both with post-millennial and pre-millennial views. Certainly objections can easily be made to at least one or two items of post-millennialism, and also to nearly the whole pre-millennial doctrine — all of it, we may say, except its earnest protest against putting off the coming of our Lord to so distant a date. Such being the case with the two general views mentioned, it must, after all, not be concluded that because neither of these views has, as a whole, been universally received, therefore there is no truth in either. On the contrary, this very fact of only a partial reception of each of the views, is conclusive proof that there must be at least some truth, as well as error, in them both. That is the position taken by this work.

The truth in pre-millennialism is undoubtedly, as has been said, its vigorous and persistent protest against interjecting yet so long a period of time — a thousand years or more — between the coming of Christ and our day. And the truth or truths in post-millennialism are, first, its teaching relative to the spiritual nature of our Lord's kingdom; and secondly, its doctrine respecting the purposes for which Christ will come the second time — to raise the dead, judge the world, and " restore all things," or usher in his everlasting kingdom.

In this way it is attempted to reconcile at least some of the teachings of pre-millennialism with those of post-millennialism, and thus deduce a doctrine respecting the advent of our Lord which shall be both more comforting and inspiring to the Christian heart and mind, and also more scriptural in its character, than is either of the common or well-known doctrines we have been considering.

To accomplish this purpose it was found necessary to eliminate from the time-determining factors of the second advent, that malum discordice which has always been so prominent in eschatological discussions, namely, the millennium, or Christ's reign of a thousand years with some of his saints, as is prophesied in the twentieth chapter of Revelation. The reign there spoken of we understand to be an insolvable mystery, which no interpretation ever yet proposed has been able so to explain as not to come into conflict with other and clearly taught doctrines of Scripture ; the best interpretation of that passage probably being that it refers to some privileges which were to be enjoyed only by certain of the saints, i. e., the martyrs and confessors, who " were beheaded for the witness of Jesus," etc. But whether those privileges were to be experienced on earth or in heaven, or what was to be the time of Christ's millennial reign, or just what should be its peculiar character — respecting all that, revelation is silent. We regard, therefore, this whole matter of the millennium as a mystery; and we affirm of it only that it cannot be used as a time-determining factor with which to figure out the date of our Lord's second coming. Consequently we dismiss the millennium from our discussion of that particular ; and by so doing we have been able, we think, not only to avoid the difficulties into which pre-millennialism and post-millennialism necessarily fall, but also to construct a doctrine respecting the second advent which embodies, in a consistent and easily to be understood whole, the various teachings of Scripture on the subject.

The most distinguishing feature, therefore, of this treatise, is the disposition which it makes of the millennium, and also its reconciliation of post-millennial views with those of pre-millennialism. Its design being pacificatory, the work may properly be termed an irenicon.

In an appendix quite a number of related topics have been considered ; which addition is believed to be particularly important as bringing the work more up to date, and making it more complete. Also from the examination given to some of these special topics it can be seen how thoroughgoing and fundamental recent discussions, on one side and another of our Lord's parousia, have been in their work.

And it might still be remarked, in explanation of certain features connected with the form and general arrangement of the main portion of this work, that this part was originally prepared, and appeared as articles in a religious newspaper, in which shape also it was widely read.

Contents

PAGE

I

History of the Doctrine 17

A New Eschatological Movement 20

Differences of Opinion 23

What May be Expected 25

II Certainty of the Lord' s Coming 27

Testimony of Science to End of the World ... 28

Scripture Declarations 31

Personal Form of the Advent 34

Jesus' Return Not a Coming at Death 36

Other Items as to the Manner 37

Special Objects of the Parousia 38

Raising of the Dead • . 38

General Judgment 39

"The Restitution of All Things " 41

1 2 CONTENTS

III TIME OF THE LORD'S COMING PAGE

Two Leading Views 45

The Millennial Controversy 47

Objections to Pre-Millennialism 49

Objection to Post-Millennialism 52

The Millennium More Fully Considered .... 55

Solution of the Difficulties 58

Time Estimates 60

IV Time Of The Lord's Coming The Subject Continued

The Millennium Again 62

Time-determining Facts 65

Progress of Fulfilled Prophecy 65

Prophetic Numbers 67

Line of Jewish Tradition 68

' ' Times of the Gentiles " 70

The Two Thousand Three Hundred Days of

Daniel 71

Time of the Papal Supremacy 74

Value of These Predictions 75

TIME OF THE LORD'S COMING THE SUBJECT CONTINUED

Symbolical Beasts 79

The Seals, Trumpets, and Vials 82

Matters More Specially Determinative. List of the

Signs 85

Wars and Rumors of Wars, etc 87

CONTENTS 1 3

VI Time Of The Lord's Coming — The Subject Concluded

Three Great Antecedent Events — PAGK

(i) Ingathering of the Gentiles 90

(2) Conversion of the Jews . . • 98

Question of Their Return to the Holy Land, Rebuilding of Jerusalem, etc. . 10 1

(3) Antichrist ; or the Great Apostasy . . . 103

Possibility of a Second Apostasy . . .108

VII General Conclusions I09

PRACTICAL IMPROVEMENT OF SUBJECT 112

APPENDIX TREATING OF RELATED TOPICS

(For Index to Appendix see pp. 173-176.)

"The Redeemer's second appearing is the very polestar of the church. That it is so held forth in the New Testament, is beyond dispute. Let any one do himself the justice to collect and arrange the evidence on the subject, and he will be surprised — if the study be new to him — at once at the copiousness, the variety, and the conclusiveness of it."

— Dr. David Brown {post-millennarian).

• • Bickersteth affirms, after careful examination, that one verse in thirty of the New Testament relates to the second coming of Christ. If to these are added the numerous references in the Old Testa?nent to the same momentous event, surpassing the allusions that are made to his first coming in the proportion of at least twenty to one, some conception may be formed of the prominence given in the word of God to the doctrine here advocated."

— Dr. James H. Brookes (pre-millennariari).

"It is moreover, in the New Testament, the great event that towers above every other. The heaven that gives back Christ, gives back all we have loved and lost ; solves all doubts and ends all sorrows. His coming looks in upon the whole life of the chzirch, as a lofty mountain peak looks in upon every little valley and sequestered home around its base, and belongs to them all alike. Every generation lies under the shadow of it, for whatever is transcendently great is constantly near, and in moments of high conviction it absorbs petty interests and annihilates intervals."

— Rev. John Ker, of Scotland.

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 : 1 1.

rHAT Blessed Hope. The hope of the second coming of Christ is one of the strongest and also one of the most widely operative of all that belong to our Christian faith. Moreover, this hope is one that acts not merely at present, or upon our own day and generation; but also in times past it has commanded the attention and interest of multitudes of people, and so undoubtedly it will continue to do in the future. Generations yet unborn will be stirred more or less widely and deeply by this great expectation of the Lord's coming, as has been the case with not a few generations now dead.

One peculiarity of this hope is the fact that, notwithstanding it has often failed in the past, or has so frequently disappointed expectations regarding itself, it yet has always survived these disappointments, and despite all its failures or seeming failures, it again comes to the front, and is to-day as active and wide-awake a topic as ever before. Indeed it is, as an eminent writer on the subject has called it, " the very pole star of the church " — the star not only directing and prompting our Christian activity, but the object also of our aspiration and desire. For the realization of this hope it is that we labor and pray. For its realization it is that all our missionary operations are undertaken and carried forward; and for the attainment of this same great end of the Saviour's second advent it is that all preaching and praying and all other religious exercises are, at least in a measure, conducted. Indeed, all our religious endeavor circulates, it may be said, more or less around that " blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," as the apostle terms the matter.

To be sure, there are now-a-days, as there have been always, persons who, like the scoffers of whom Peter speaks, tauntingly ask : " Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were " : but after all, the number of those who do not believe in the coming of Christ at some time is comparatively small. In all the ages, and wherever Christianity has been, the great majority of persons who have been willing to confess to anything whatever of a positive nature respecting the facts or doctrines of our Christian religion, have been willing, and have rejoiced, to confess to this doctrine of Christ's advent. So, for example, in that oldest of all the creeds formulated in Christendom — the creed known as the Apostles', — it reads not only " I believe " that Jesus Christ " rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father," but also that " from thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead " ; — and because this symbol so states, it is able to add, " I believe also in the resurrection of the dead, and in the life everlasting."

History of the Doctrine. But now, when we look over the history of this doctrine as it has been in the past, we see that there have been times when the subject has taken, so to speak, a wider and more inspiring lodgment in the minds and hearts of men than it has at others, or that there have been special movements in the interest of this topic, and movements that have generally been connected with the idea of Christ's coming speedily. So, for instance, it was even in the days of the apostles. Indeed, it would seem that scarcely had the words of the angels who — as in the quotation at the head of this chapter — promised the disciples on the mount of Olives, as they stood there gazing after their ascended Lord, that " this same Jesus who was taken up from them into heaven, would so come again in like manner as they had seen him depart " ; scarcely,

B it would seem, had these comforting words of the angels died away in the hearing of the disciples, before they, or at least some of them, began to indulge the hope of Jesus' speedy return. For we read that " with great joy " did these disciples return to Jerusalem, after having witnessed the ascension. But be this as it may, we know from other sources that, very early in the history of the apostolic church, there occurred quite an extensive movement in the interest of the idea that Christ would come soon, possibly even in the days of the apostles; and especially was this movement rife in that portion of the church which had come into it from the ranks of the Jews. To overcome this tendency, and to give the churches better ideas in general respecting the matter of Christ's coming again, it was that Paul wrote, e. g., his second letter to the Thessalonians, besides other words of his in the same line. Also similar efforts were made by some of the other writers in the New Testament.

But of course Christ did not come in that period ; and the next we read of any special interest being excited as to the matter of his advent, is in the second and third centuries, and perhaps also in a part of the fourth. At this time great and widespread interest took place not only regarding the matter of Christ's coming speedily, but also and especially regarding this idea as connected with that of the millennium, or the literal personal reign of the Saviour on earth for a thousand years. So, under the excitement of these two ideas obtaining at once, the movement became very general, and numbered among its adherents many learned teachers of theology. So much was this the case, or so general did the movement become, and so respectable was it in character, that the period of it has been called the golden or flowering one in the history of the doctrine, and especially of this doctrine as related to the millennium.

The next manifestation of special interest in this subject took place away down the centuries, or in the Middle Ages at about the year iooo, and also some considerable time after that, in connection with the first Crusades. The year iooo, it was thought, indicated not only that the first thousand years of Christian history was past, but also that — inasmuch as this period might, by being properly regarded, be identified with the millennium — it indicated also that the time for the end of the world had come, and so also, of course, for the return of Christ. Because of such belief, therefore, a widespread feeling of uneasiness existed at the time. Moreover, in connection with the victories at first achieved by the Crusaders, it was thought that these extraordinary events portended others still more extraordinary and glorious — perhaps even the coming of the Lord. This belief — or rather it was a kind of vague apprehension — seems to have spread all through Europe and in other parts of the world, wherever Christians dwelt or happened at the time to be.

But the period passed, and even yet Christ did not make his appearance; and so we are brought down to the time of the Protestant Reformation. At this period there sprang up, in connection with the great successes achieved by Luther and his coadjutors, and especially in connection with the widely spread popular belief that the pope was Antichrist, or the opposing wicked power which was to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming, quite a number of movements in the interest of this same idea of the Lord's coming speedily. Also since that day there have been several movements, more or less extensive, of a similar nature. The Millerite excitement, which occurred, or came to its end, in 1843, an d which was so disastrous in many instances, was a movement of this kind.

A New Eschatological Movement. But now again, in these times of ours, despite all the failures which have taken place in the past, and despite the fact that all attempts at locating or prophesying the time when the Lord would appear, have, so far at least, proved utterly futile and in vain — even yet we have, here at the beginning of our century, a movement in progress respecting this same idea of Christ's speedy coming. It is a movement which has spread far and wide among the different denominations of Christians, and which, so far as enthusiasm is concerned, is or has been perhaps the equal of any of those which have preceded it. l Now, we are assured, the Saviour will come without failure. Notwithstanding that, in time past, there have been so many disappointments, there will be none now. Not only is it certain that our Lord will come soon, but he may be expected at any time. This is a view held, not simply by a few fanatics, but by great numbers of people, and by many who are earnest and sober-minded scholars, persons standing high in the church and in some of our theological schools, and noted both for their scholarship and good judgment. This being the case, of course the movement must be pronounced a very respectable one; and it has stirred up a good deal of interest, even outside of itself, in the general subject of our Lord's coming. When will Christ make his appearance? That is the question now engaging the attention of many minds. Men are anxious, earnest, wistful about this matter. They have been looking out eagerly into the spiritual heavens, to see if they could discern from the signs of the times when that great event will take place. And not only this, but they have been looking also into the Bible for its promises, to see if they could find in these anything that would direct them in their study, or at least confirm them in views already formed.

1 The enthusiasm and general interest connected with this view does not seem to be as great now (1907) as was the case a few years ago, when the above was written.

Perhaps some persons who may read this are connected with that movement, or have adopted some of its notions. However that may be, certainly all Christians can unite in the desire for the Saviour's speedy coming. All can earnestly say, in the words of the well-known hymn:

How long, dear Saviour, oh, how long

Shall that bright hour delay?

And bring the appointed day!

Or they can say, in the words with which John, closing his Revelation, responds to the Master's promise that he would come quickly, " Even so, come, Lord Jesus! " — come quickly!

Now, whatever may be one's opinion respecting the movement which we have noticed, or whatever ideas he may have respecting the speedy coming of Christ, or of that coming as being yet away off in the future, certainly the movement itself is, as we have said, a very respectable one, and equally certain is it that the subject which is thus brought, so to speak, afresh to our minds, is of no little importance, and one that is well worthy of study. If it is so, as they tell us, that we are now living near the borders of a new and most extraordinary era in the history of our world and of ourselves, then surely we ought to know all we can about that matter; and whether this is true or otherwise, the general topic of Christ's second and glorious appearing is surely one to which attention and study can be profitably given.

Differences of Opinion. Coming then to the general theme of our Lord's second advent, we may remark of it, yet in a preliminary way, that probably no one of all the doctrines connected with the general system of our Christian faith has been or is now more under discussion, or has had connected with it more differences of opinion than has been the case with just this one. Opinions here differ not only regarding the doctrine as a whole, but seemingly also regarding every individual feature of this doctrine. For example, there are differences of opinion with regard to what may be called the manner or the form of the Saviour's appearing. On the one hand is the orthodox doctrine, which we think is also the true one — that Christ will come in person, or that, as his firs f advent was made by himself physically, so it will be also with his second advent. But now, as opposed to this view, the rationalistic theory teaches that the coming of our Lord will be, or is, only one through intermediate agencies, by his word or Spirit, or in " the clouds of events," as the matter has been worded. Then, again, as to the purposes, or concomitant events, of the Saviour's advent there have been the widest differences of opinion. For example, the pre-millennial theory, instead of accepting the more commonly taught doctrine, that Christ will come to raise the dead, judge the world, and usher in his everlasting kingdom, teaches that at least one purpose of that coming will be to bring about what in pre-millennial language is called the rapture — that is, a catching-up of the saints to dwell with the Lord for a time in the air, during which period the judgments of God will — so the pre-millennialists tell us — be poured out upon the wicked. Then after the rapture, this theory teaches, there will come a thousand years of literal personal reign by the Saviour on the earth with his saints, or the millennium; and then, after the millennium, comes the judgment of the ungodly, and lastly the end of the world. In many points this pre-millennial scheme is different from the theory which, being more generally received, we will call the reigning view.

The particular feature of our doctrine, however, regarding which there have been most different opinions, or at all events, regarding which opinions have differed most widely, and seemingly with most irreconcilable opposition, one from another, is that feature which has to do with the time of the Saviour's advent. Is that time away off in the future? or is it to be regarded as near ? The answers given to these questions have differed so much, and have been so directly in contradiction one to the other, that all attempts at reconciling them, or at coming here to any satisfactory and definite conclusion, would seem to be in vain ; and therefore many people have come to look upon this part of our subject as involved in hopeless confusion or uncertainty.

What, then, are we to do with this matter? Is there no way of coming to a solution of the time when our Lord will make his appearance ? or is this whole subject to be dismissed as an inscrutable mystery, one respecting which nothing can be really known, and therefore as a thing all study spent upon which must be spent in vain ? Not a few people take this view of the matter. To them it seems that neither in the Bible, nor out of the Bible, nor from any source whatever, is there to be derived any important light that will elucidate this dark and insolvable problem; and so they just dismiss it — pass it by without investigation. Then there are others who seem to have a kind of superstitious feeling toward this particular subject; and because they read in their Bibles that " of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only," therefore they look upon this matter of the time of Christ's coming as something that is sacred or forbidden, and hence as something all studying of which would seem to be almost wicked.

But neither with one nor the other of these views do we sympathize. Our position is that nothing in the Bible is too sacred for investigation, otherwise it would never have been placed there, nor would we be told, as we are in the Apocalypse, respecting this very matter under consideration, that this book of John's prophecy was " a revelation which God gave to Jesus Christ, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." And on the other hand, we do not sympathize with the view which regards the whole subject of the time when our Lord will appear as an inscrutable mystery; for we think there is given to us from the Bible, from human history, and even from the natural world round about us, no small amount of light, that will very largely at least elucidate this mystery. What we mean is, that there are facts in the Bible, and in human history, and even some in nature, all bearing upon the topic of the world's end, or of the time when Christ will make his appearance ; and by using these facts rightly, ascertaining what they are, and comparing some of them with others — facts in the Bible with those outside of the Bible — we can in this way come to some conclusions respecting the matter in hand that will be both definite and satisfactory. At all events, we can thus come to some convictions of our own; and so far as these convictions are intelligent or well founded, so far they should be also both satisfactory and definite.

II

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1 : 16.

IN our last chapter we spoke of some differences of opinion respecting various items belonging to the Lord's second coming. But there are some other matters connected with that great and important event which are so clearly and fully revealed in Scripture that no doubt can be entertained regarding them. One of these matters is the

Certainty of the Advent. That our Lord will most surely come at some time is a matter very abundantly taught in the Bible. Indeed, it would seem that, even from the light of nature, one might here come to a definite and positive conclusion. For even a scanty examination of facts belonging to nature, is sufficient to show that, as our world very evidently had a beginning, so it must also have an end ; and in the usual theological way of thinking the end of the world means the same thing as the second coming of Christ. When the one occurs the other will occur also, or the two events are simply concomitant. Any line of argument, therefore, which establishes the event of the world's termination as one that is sure to occur at some time, establishes also, and with equal certainty, the second coming of Christ.

Testimony of Science. But as we have already said, there are facts appearing in the natural world which justify the belief that it, or at least the present order of things belonging to it, must at some time end. So, for example, the great epoch-making facts revealed in a geological study of our globe — these teach us that, in the past at least, there have been great changes occurring in the physical formation of our earth, changes which have amounted to real beginnings and endings; and if such has been the case in times gone by, why shall not the same state of things continue in the future? In other words, geology testifies to the effect that the same laws continuing in the future which have been operative in the past, then an end to the present order of things belonging to our world must certainly occur. And so we have a doctrine taught by natural science that, to say the least, is not at variance with the teaching of Scripture, namely, that there is an end of the world coming, which is inwrought as it were into its very structure, and so also that Christ's advent will take place.

The same, or a very similar doctrine, is taught by facts connected with what may be called the science of political economy. If in the future the population of our globe continues to increase at the same rate as it has in the past, 1 then evidently the time must come when, notwithstanding all the improvements made in obtaining and in economically using the necessaries of human life, the whole earth itself will, as a producing power, be insufficient to furnish these necessaries; and when that state of things arrives, then, of course, the existence of man upon this planet is doomed. So here again we have prophesied, even by some of the facts of nature, the second coming of our Lord as an event concomitant with the world's termination.