us that he is to be destroyed "with the Epiphaneia" of this "Parousia," and that the saints only then "rest," when Christ Himself is thus revealed, i.e., at His Apokalūpsis; when only they assume His likeness, and are "manifested" with Him in glory.3 Moreover, it is expressly stated elsewhere that the Parousia is not to take place until after, although it be "immediately after," that "tribulation;" while it is likewise stated that the martyrs under Antichrist (i.e., in the great tribulation") are to be partakers of to be partakers of "the first resurrection; " and that this resurrection is to take place at Christ's Parousia! Now, as there are only two resurrections, it is manifest that the saints are not to be raised before "the great tribulation "-a truth which is further confirmed by Dan. vii. 21, 22, 25, which tells us that Antichrist "made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom;" and by Mat. xiii. 30, 39-41, where our Lord tells us that the tares and the wheat are "both" to "grow together until the harvest:" and that “in the time of harvest" He "will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into My barn"—a statement which is afterwards explained by "the harvest" being described as "the end of the age," when "the Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend," or, all the stumbling blocks, "and them which do," or work, "iniquity." Moreover, the Lord promises His disciples that He will be with them “unto the end of the age "s clearly showing that His disciples will not be raised up until then. What "the harvest" itself will be we learn from. such passages as Rev. xiv. 14-16, and 1 2 Thes. ii. 8. 22 Thes. i. 7. 3 Col. iii. 4; 1 John iii. 1-3; 1 Thes. iv. 17. 5 Rev. vii. 13-17; xx. 4-6. 4 Mat. xxiv. 29-31. 61 Cor. xv. 23. 71 Cor. xv. 23, 24; John v. 25-29; Acts xxiv. 15; Rev. xx. 4, 5. s Mat. xxviii. 20. Joel iii., which we have already considered, and which describe the destruction of the Antichristian hosts at the second coming of the Lord. VII. What then are the practical conclusions that we should draw from these things? Those which our blessed Lord Himself sets before us, when He foretells us of them. "Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come Therefore be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." "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; "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" (i.e., "the redemption of appropriation," "the redemption of the body," the resurrection,)" "draweth nigh." 66 "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," literally, are seated," (as we have seen), i.e., settled down, "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."3 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord : "4 Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God," "to Whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen." 1 Mat. xxiv. 42, 44. 3 Luke xxi. 25-36. Heb. xiii. 21. ' Rom. viii. 23; Eph. i. 14; iv. 30. SECTION II. The Rapture and Final Blessing of the Church of Christ. Having so fully shewn in former pages, the utter failure of both Jew and Gentile, to rule for God in the earth; and having also shewn the unutterable failure of the Christian Church, in its corporate capacity, to live up to its "High calling of God in Christ Jesus;" and thus bring unto Him "the glory due unto His Name;" I have now to shew, that there never has been, neither ever could there be, any failure on God's part. Notwithstanding, therefore, all the skilfully organised opposition of Satan and all his hosts, notwithstanding all the seeming unutterable confusion produced in the world in consequence; and notwithstanding also all the terrible failures on man's part, even under the most favoured circumstances, to carry out the will of God; every single purpose of God will be found at Christ's second coming, to have been carried out by Him to perfection. And as the only two classes mentioned in the Division referred to in Section I. of Chapter VII., the First and the Second, i.e., the Jews and the Christian Church, will then be fully blessed; it will be my purpose in the next two Sections, to shew how completely God's purposes with respect to these, will then have been accomplished. This Section will, therefore, deal with the Rapture of the Church, at the Lord's Second Coming: the Section following being reserved for some of the blessings to be then conferred upon Israel, as a nation, also at that period. If my readers will take in, what I stated in Chapter V., respecting the High calling of God of the Church in Christ Jesus, as unfolded in the two Sections dealing with the Believer's Calling, and the Believer's Blessedness which will then be fulfilled, not only in the whole Church collectively, but also in each member thereof individually, and that to perfection; and if he will strive to enlarge his conception of the subject by endeavouring to grasp something of the meaning of the Holy Ghost, when He tells us, that God "is able to do EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY above ALL that we ASK or THINK, according to the power that worketh in us," he will then be able to form. some faint conception of the "exceeding and eternal weight of glory," that awaits the redeemed at the second Coming of the Lord. As general statements, however, serve but to convey general impressions, if I would be definite, I must furnish my readers also with particulars: which I will now, therefore, proceed to do. There could not of course be a greater contrast ever furnished to the world, than that which will be furnished to it, between the abject state of the members of Christ's body, disconnected, broken, disjointed, scattered over the face of the whole world, cast out and persecuted, and accounted "as the filth of the earth, and the offscouring of all things," at the close of the Dispensation, and the glorious and instant change in their condition and appearance, when they are "gathered together" at the Second Coming of the Lord; when Jesus "comes again again" to "receive" them to Himself; "that where" He is they "may be also." For then "we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God Which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."5 Now as we have seen, that when Christ comes again, He will say to the angels, "Gather My saints together unto 1 Eph. iii. 20. 4 John xiv. 3. 22 Cor. iv. 17. 31 Cor. iv. 13. Me;" and we are told in the 23rd verse of 1 Cor. xv., that this will take place at Christ's Parousia, or Second Coming again in Person, which will be "at the last trump;" and that His Parousia will not take place until "immediately after the tribulation of those days," and that at this time He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other "2-these Scriptures of themselves settle the question of the Rapture of the Church; and prove to a demonstration that the secret rapture theory previous to the great tribulation is a myth; and that the whole Church will not be "caught up to meet the Lord in the air," and so "for ever be with Him," until "after the great tribulation:" when "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God"-which Paul identifies with the "last trump"-" and the dead in Christ shall rise first."3 What then will be the nature and character of the resurrection-body? "It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body." "They that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." "What then, is an angel? God 'maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire." As such they now watch over the righteous, 'to keep them in all their ways." 'Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? '8 Hence when Elisha's servant feared at the presence of the host that 'compassed the city,' and cried out, Alas! my Master! how shall we do?' 'Jehovah opened the eyes of the young 6 31 Thes. iv. 16, 17. 6 Psalm civ. 4. |