*This is for my personal use. Transcription copied from another website, but the original publications can be found online.
Rigdon, Sidney
1845 05 01
Essay on Future Events
Vol 1
No 12
pp 177-185
For the Messenger and Advocate
Mr. EDITOR:
As time is hastening on the period of great events, spoken of by all the holy prophets, our inquiries into bible truths become more intent; our desires deeper, and our anxieties more intense, to understand those things which were written aforetime for our learning. Every sincere biblical student can see in the events which are passing, both in the political and religious world, that the affairs of men are fast approaching a crisis, which portends convulsions and commotions before unknown. The various nations of the earth, are forming relations, of such a character, that the time will soon arrive when it will be next to impossible to have any serious convulsion in any one nation without affecting the whole. The very condition of things, I apprehend, spoken of by the holy prophets, when they describe a state of things of such an unheard of character, as to bring, at one time, all the nations of the earth to Jerusalem to battle.—This could be done by changing the conditions of the nations in their relation to one another, so as to identify their interests so nearly, that no individual nation could go to war with itself, or two nations go to war with each other, without affecting the whole.
I think that every intelligent reader of the scriptures, cannot fail of seeing the fact, that all the sacred writers contemplate a state of things, in both the political and religious world, that will eventuate in wars and commotions, of so dire a character, as to endanger the existence of all the nations of the earth; and in order that any of them may be left or any portion be saved, the God of Heaven will have to interfere, or else the whole earth must perish together. It is during and just preceding these events, that we are to look for the finger of God to be shewn, in preparing for the grand events which are to terminate the present state of the world’s existence, and usher in a new order of things—which order, when established, will last, according to the testimony of the Apostle John, one thousand years.
That such a new order of things will be established on this Globe, I need not stop to prove; for he who would ask me to do that, certainly does not believe the bible; but it may not be amiss to enquire a little into the character of that new age or period of the world, and into the character of the events which lead to it.
If we are to take the bible for our guide in matters pertaining to the future, we must contemplate the period of the world’s history which remains to be fulfilled, as replete with events peculiar to itself; events of a fearful as well as glorious character. It is in this future period of the world, that there are to be blood, fire, and pillars of smoke, the sun turned into darkness, the moon turned into blood, and the stars of heaven to fall. The earth itself to reel to and fro like a drunken man, the sea to heave itself beyond its bounds, the faces of all flesh to gather blackness. The rich men, and nobles, and every poor man, and wicked man, to call on the mountains and on the rocks to fall on them, and hide them from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. It is in this period of the world that Babylon the great is to fall, and rise no more: her merchants to stand afar off, and cry alas! alas! that great city, Babylon, that made us rich with her delicacies, and her merchandise, is no more. It is in this period of the world, that it shall burn as an oven, and the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble; and the coming day that will burn them up, so that they shall be ashes, is also in this period of the world. It is in this period of the world that nation is to rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and to be wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes, and famines, in divers places; and all nations to wail and lament. It is in this period of the world that the Lord will hiss for the fly of Ethiopia and the bee of Assyria, that they also may come and fight. It is in this period that all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem to battle, where the fowls of heaven shall be gathered together, and have a great feast on the blood of kings, and flesh of nobles, until they shall eat and drink, till they are full.—The Lord will also come with vengeance, treading on his enemies and trampling on his foes, until his garments are stained with blood as one treading in the wine press, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel. Treading them in his wrath, and trampling them in his fury, until Idumea is laid waste, and Edom utterly desolated and no place found for him.
God is to appear in majesty, a fire devour before him, and it is to be very tempestuous round about him, preparing his way before him, and putting things in order, that he may judge the nations, and prepare the way for his saints. Such are a few of the things reserved for the period of the world yet future; and such is the light in which the prophets and all the sacred writers represent it. It is in view of all these things that the prophets say, the Lord will set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people, and prepare a people which will be able to stand when all these things take place.
All that the Lord is to do in the last days, is all to be done, because such things as above mentioned, are coming on the earth, and the Lord is to step forth to save himself a people, lest the whole earth perish, and there be none left; and in order that some may be left the Lord will exert his own power, make bare his own arm, set up his own kingdom, and bear it off triumphant, amidst the ruin and overthrow of the nations, and the downfall of the kingdoms, and the entire destruction of all the false religions of the world.
There is also, in this period of the world, another scene of things to transpire—things on which the hopes and expectations of all the saints, since the days of righteous Able rested, and in which they rejoiced; and in view of which they laid down their lives for the word of God, and the testimony they had to bear to the world. According to the testimony of all the sacred writers, their hopes did not rest in any thing they enjoyed during their life time, nor any thing they should enjoy in the unseen world after their death; but on things which should take place, in the last days, in this world, which they viewed as effecting their condition in their separated state, and bringing about that everlasting glory which was in reserve for them, in “that day,” the day when the kingdom of God, that was set up here, should be triumphant.
That the Savior in his addresses to the Apostles, during the time of his sojourn here, inspired them with high expectations, that at the time of the triumph of his kingdom here, they should be heir in common with the saints, who should bear off that kingdom, is so plain as not to admit of any doubt. In the 21st chapter of Luke, and 28th verse, after the Savior had described the scene, as above written, says, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh.” Let it be noticed that the disciples, to whom he addressed himself, lived 1800 years ago; and the scenes described have not transpired yet, but are yet in the future; and the apostles are long since dead, and Jesus well knew that would be the case; but whether dead or alive, when the things there described began to take place they were told to lift up their heads, for their redemption drew nigh. Now if their redemption then began to draw nigh, it had not come; and, though they were dead long before, still their redemption had not come, nor was not to come until the things there described, should have taken place: for when these things began their redemption was drawing near—of course that which was only then drawing near they had not in possession, nor never had. If the disciples could credit the Savior, they were to expect their redemption was dependant on things which were to transpire here, and that, 1800 years after their dicease, if not more.
That the Apostles themselves did not calculate on attaining their redemption, until the world was redeemed from all false religions, which the sacred writers call Babylon, is so plainly taught in their writings, that it seems strange how any other idea could get into the world, among those who had a bible, and believed it. Paul, in the 8th chapter to the Romans, uses language so strong as not to be easily gotten out of the way by theorists. “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting fro the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” In this quotation, Paul says that the whole creation travailed in pain and groaned until then. Adam, Abel, and Enoch, were part of the creation as well as Paul, and so were all the prophets, and righteous men, who had lived and died before the days of Paul, who wrote some four thousand years after the martyrdom of Abel; and yet Paul says they were travailing in pain and groaning till his day, and that he and they would travail in pain together, until the redemption of the body; and Jesus told the disciples of his day, that at the time when they should see the things he there described begin to take place, they should lift up their heads and rejoice, for their redemption drew near; and Paul says the whole creation travaileth in pain, and would travail, whether dead or alive, until the time of the redemption; and further says, that at that time their bodies would be redeemed.
Surely then, these writers never conveyed an idea that saints, at the time of their death, would enter into either their rest or be redeemed; but died in faith of a rest that would be at a time when the kingdom of God on earth should triumph. In the 15th chapter of the 1st. Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul uses language not to be mistaken, on this subject: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up a Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” Here the apostle declares that unless the dead rise, then they that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. What can be plainer than that they would perish if the dead did not rise, that there present state is not a state of salvation; for if it were, though the dead never rose, they would not perish; the fact of their present state being one in which they could perish, unless something else took place, proves that their present state is not that salvation which was promised, and is not the ting embraced in their faith, but that state wherein they cannot perish, is the things after which they look, and for which they laid down their lives. This gives great force to what the Saviour said to Luke: “Then, look up, and lift your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” A something that was to take place hundreds of years after their death.
This same subject is kept in view by Paul, in the 11th chapter to the Hebrews (See from the 4th to close of the 13th verse; it is too long for quotation here, but we invite our readers to read it.) Here the apostle introduces Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, and after having set forth their faith in strong language. In the 12th chapter, he gives them a place among the cloud of witnesses speaking in glorious language of their faith, but in the 13th verse of this 11th chapter uses the following language: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” But notwithstanding their faith, virtue, and righteousness, still they did not receive the promises, but saw them afar off. May we ask how far off? Till the time spoken of by the Savior, in Luke, when they should lift up their heads and rejoice; for their redemption drew near. From the 20th verse to the close of the chapter he brings to view Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephtae, David, Samuel, and the prophets; and though he speaks in terms of high commendation of their works of faith, and gives them a place with the cloud of witnesses, and yet, in the 39th verse, he says, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” Here the apostle leaves them, and leaves us, with the assurance that they saw something, expected something, had faith in something, that they never obtained, died without, and from what the Savior said, are without it till this day; but when the signs of the Savior’s second appearance are being seen, then, like others, they will lift up their heads and rejoice, for behold, that which they saw afar off is drawing nigh.
John, in the Revelations, if possible, makes the subject still plainer. He gives us two visions he had of the invisible world; the first is in the 6th chapter of Revelations, 9th and 10th verses: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Here he says he saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held, and they cried with a loud voice, saying How long, O Lord, holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. Now John had this vision hundreds of years, yea, thousands of years after many of them had been slain, and they were then under the altar, crying, How long, O Lord, till our blood is avenged. Nothing can be plainer, than this, that their rest and their redemption had not come when John saw them—though they were in heaven; and from the fact that they were asking how long till their blood should be avenged? No one can doubt but that they were longing for that period, at which time their redemption would come; and doubtless would—as the Savior told the disciples, as before quoted, that when they saw certain things taking place on the earth, to look up and rejoice—look up and lift up their heads and rejoice, because their redemption was drawing nigh; for surely when they were thus crying under the altar their redemption had not come.
During the apostle’s continuence on the Isle of Patmos, he had another view of the unseen world. The account of this vision is given in the 18th and 19th chapter, to which we would invite the attention of the reader. He says in the 21st verse of the 18th chapter, that a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be throwndown, and shall be found no more at all; he then describes her desolation, until the close of the chapter. In the 19th chapter he tells what he heard after Babylon was desolated; he says, verse 1st, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia: salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God.” Verse 2d. “For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
It is here said that the blood of the Lord’s servants had been avenged at the hand of Babylon. In the quotation from the 6th chapter, they were represented as crying with a loud voice, and asking how long until our blood shall be avenged: and John says that after Babylon, as shewn to him in vision, had fallen to rise no more, they all cried with loud voices, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord hath avenged the blood of his servants. These sayings put together, make so plain a case, that it leaves no room for doubt. The redemption promised to the prophets and apostles, cannot be enjoyed until Babylon is forever overthrown, and that the saints being in heaven does not alter the case; for though in heaven, they are waiting and crying for the downfall of Babylon, in order that their redemption may come, and cannot sing Alleluia until Babylon is intirely desolated; and when that takes place the heavens will rejoice, and not till then.—And what puts the matter forever at rest, that Babylon was here on the earth, is what is said in the 6th chapter and 10th verse, as before quoted, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth. Here then the Babylon that is to be thrown down, and at the downfall of which, the blood of the saints is to be avenged, is on the earth.
Well then might the Savior say to his disciples, as before quoted, when they saw certain signs, indicative of the downfall of Babylon, to lift up their heads and rejoice, for their redemption drew nigh; because, though they were in heaven, their redemption could not come until the downfall of Babylon. They might die, as did the ancient prophets, and see it afar off, but not inherit it till then; and they might believe in it, and embrace it, but until the downfall of Babylon, they could not inherit it.
The 5th chapter and 10th verse may give us a reason for its being so. It is there said that “thou hast made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign on the earth.” Now if the redeemed are to reign on the earth, this cannot be done until Babylon is overthrown and destroyed.
A few words may not be amiss on the term Babylon, as used by John. The old city Babylon, was destroyed long before John wrote the Revelations; and yet he says the great city, Babylon, was to be thrown down, long after his day, so he could not mean the old city, Babylon, but in opposition, the great city, Babylon. What is this great city Babylon? In relation to the old city, Babylon, the inhabitants undertook, in defiance of the Almighty, to build a tower so high as to reach heaven, which was nothing more nor less than a false system of salvation; and from that day to the present, any false system of salvation is called Babylon: and all the false systems put together, is called Babylon the Great—and it is Babylon the Great that is to be thrown down, before the saints can sing Alleluia, and before the heavens can rejoice.
We have a saying in the 11th chap. of Revelations, which is also as appropriate to this, as one thing can be to another, to which we invite the attention of the reader. (read from the 6th verse to the close of the 13th.) John gives us here another vision he had, when he saw a number of angels or messengers flying through the midst of heaven, having messages to those who dwell on the earth—one had the everlasting gospel to preach; another the downfall of Babylon to announce, and after the messenger had declared that Babylon had fallen, John was commanded to write, “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” Now let the reader mark, particularly, that the dead that die in the lord were to rest from “henceforth.” Why “henceforth?” Had not all who had died in the Lord, in all ages of the world, rested from their labors? The expression “henceforth,” would forbid the idea.—From what time then should we date the “henceforth?” From what had been previously said we are not left to conjecture. The answer is, after Babylon had fallen, “From henceforth the dead that die in the Lord shall rest:” and the very form of expression would determine that until they would not rest; it made no difference when they died, they would not rest from their labors and their works follow them till the angel announced the downfall of Babylon—from that time the dead that had died in the Lord should rest from their labors, and their works follow them.
We think then enough has been written to leave no doubt on the mind, that all the saints, whether in heaven or elsewhere, whether dead or alive, are waiting for something which is to take place yet in this world, in order that they may inherit the promises made unto them, and when that something takes place here the heavens and earth will rejoice together. When one is redeemed, all are redeemed; and the redemption of the whole purchased possession will come together.
From all that we have on record, the conclusion is forced on us that the last days are to be the days of wonders—the fixed period in the purposes of God, for the bringing to a close of all the works of salvation promised the world, or any portion of it, since the days of righteous Abel. The time of fulfilling promises, of redeeming pledges between God and man, and of establishing the truth of all the covenants made with the fathers, and bringing in everlasting righteousness, filling the heavens with joy and the earth with gladness, and to this end the whole universe will be put in motion, ere long, and all the elements of discord exercised, and all the powers of heaven exerted, and it must be a period of glory as well of fear and dismay.
In view of all the foregoing matters and things Daniel said, at a fixed period, the God of heaven would set up a kingdom which could never be destroyed, but would stand forever. See Dan. 2d chapter, 4th verse: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven 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 forever.” It needs but a careful reading of the vision of the image to determine the fact that the kingdom spoken of was to be set up after the downfall of the Roman empire, and not during the time of its existence, as may have supposed. From what is said about this kingdom, it is to be something which, after it is set up, will continue unbroken—unchanged, till the coming of the Savior; and finally become universal. That this kingdom is not the present religious or political order of things needs no proof from me; for they are already broken up, divided and sub-divided, and all thinking men do expect something different from what now exists; and it will require something different from them all to fulfil the prophecies. One thing is certain, that the prophecies can never be fulfilled without some thing making its appearance in the world different from what now exists, and unless it is the kingdom spoken of by Daniel, no mortal being can tell what it is; for the bible speaks of nothing else, and of that it does speak, and that in such terms, as to shew beyond controversy, that if there is any thing else makes its appearance, and by that the promises are fulfiled, then Daniel was mistaken; for he says that should become a great mountain and fill the whole earth, and stand forever; and no two things like that could exist.
In relation to this kingdom we have some things to say, which we find written in the scriptures. In Matthew, 24th chapter and 14th verse, we have the following: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Here we are told that before the end comes “this gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all, for a witness.” To make this easy of understanding, let us define the term gospel, which is neither less nor more, than glad tidings. So then it amounts to this,—that glad tidings of the kingdom must be preached to all, before the dead saints could lift up their heads and rejoice, and before their redemption could come. John, as recorded in the 14th chapter of Revelations, 6th verse, says; “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Here John describes “an angel, flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth;” that is, the everlasting glad tidings. What are these everlasting glad tidings? Doubtless the glad tidings of the kingdom, spoken of by the Savior; for the kingdom was to be everlasting, according to Daniel—never to be given to other people, but to break in pieces and destroy all institutions that had gone before it, and stand forever. Hence the glad tidings of that kingdom were everlasting glad tiding. All other glad tidings that had gone before, were but for a season, but that of the kingdom everlasting.
I think then, from all these things, we have reached an important point, in relation to men, both the living and the dead; that the promise of God, made to the world, through and by the messengers sent of salvation, could not be enjoyed by either the living or the dead, in heaven or on earth, until the kingdom spoken of by Daniel, was set up, and the glad tidings thereof went forth among all nations; and the kingdom had prevailed against Babylon the Great, and cast it down to rise no more; and then salvation comes to the whole purchased possession, and until then to none of them.
That Daniel and others understood it in this point of light, we think is plain. We all know that Daniel had seen the kingdom set up and triumph, in the vision; and the messenger which had been with him, at the close of the vision, says thus, (see 12th chapter of Daniel, 13th verse,) “But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” It was here said to Daniel, to “go his way till the time of the end; for then thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of days.” The fact that at the end, Daniel should rest, so exactly corresponds with what John says in the 14th chapter of Revelations, 13th verse, as before quoted, that we can only gaze with wonder. John says, that he was commanded to write, after the angel had proclaimed the downfall of Babylon the Great, that from that time (the downfall of Babylon) they that die in the Lord should rest from their labors; and here Daniel was told, that at the time of the end, he should rest, and stand in his lot; and until then he was to go his way, and not expect to rest, till the end come. Now if we want to know when the end will come, it will be when Daniel’s kingdom has triumphed-and by it, Babylon the Great is fallen to rise no more; then Daniel will rest, and all the saints in heaven and elsewhere will shout Alleluia.
That the apostles viewed the matter in this point of light, and only in this, we think cannot admit of reasonable controversy. Paul in the 2d Epistle to Timothy, 4th chapter, from the 5th to the close of the 8th verse, says as follows: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” The apostle tells Timothy that he was then about to leave the world, and surely now is the time for Paul to leave his testimony respecting his hope; and here it comes, verse 8th, “Hence there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day.” What day, Paul; doubtless the day when Daniel will stand in his lot, and all the departed saints shout Alleluia. But if any doubt this, the last part of the verse puts it at rest,—“and all them also who love his appearing.” It is certain then, that the crowning was at the time of the Savior’s appearing, which will be when the kingdom has triumphed. To this end Paul says to Timothy, in the 1st verse of this chapter, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.” Here then Jesus is to judge the dead and the living at his appearing and his kingdom—or at the triumph of his kingdom. So then at that time Paul expected his crown, and he could not reasonably expect it before; for the Savior had left it on record that when the signs of his coming, and the organization and triumph of his kingdom appeared, they should then lift up their heads and rejoice; for their redemption drew near—and Paul could not expect hic crown till his redemption came.
We will here make a few more quotations to shew how clearly this subject is written out by the sacred writers. 1st Epistles to the Thessalonians, 1st chapter, 9th and 10th verses, the apostle says thus: “for they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” Now mark the cause of Paul’s rejoicing. The Thessalonians had turned from idols, to serve the true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven. Whose Son? God’s Son. Why wait for him from heaven? Why not, when they died, go to heaven to him? Because their redemption was not come when they died, but when, through the triumph of the kingdom, Christ himself was to come from heaven; and then came the redemption of the purchased possession, and not till then. Hence Paul rejoiced that the Thessalonians not only had turned from idols, but were waiting for Christ from heaven. In the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians, 2d chapter and 1st verse, Paul says as follows: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.” Here again the same doctrine is taught; and the Thessalonians were besought in view of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and their gathering together unto him. In relation to the gathering together, see Epistle to the Ephesians, 1st chapter, 10th verse, where we have the following: “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth: even in him.” By this we are told that the gathering together, here and elsewhere, is to take place in the dispensation of he fulness of times, and that the things in heaven as well as on earth, are to be gathered, even all that are in Christ. This dispensation of the fulness of times, must be from its effects, the same as the dispensation of the kingdom, which, according to all we have seen, is to put the heavens and the earth together, and bring in the redemption of the purchased possession, whether in heaven or on earth.
In relation to the kingdom, the sacred writers all seem to have viewed it as future, in their day. James says, in the 2d chapter, 5th verse, as follows; “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” According to what is here said, the kingdom here spoken of was future at that time; for he says God had chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him; not heirs of a kingdom, which we apostles have now established, but one that God has promised. Now what kingdom was it God had promised? We know of none but the one spoken of by Daniel; neither could any other exist, seeing that one was to fill the whole earth.
The apostles, in their teachings, do not convey the idea that the order of things which they have introduced, was the one which was to prepare the way of the Savior’s second advent. Paul, in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians, from the 8th to the close of the 12th verse, says as follows: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass darkly: but then face to face: now, I know in part: but then I shall know even as also I am known.” The apostle here says that he only saw in part, and prophesied in part, but when the perfect came that which was in part was to be done away. For now, says Paul, we see through a glass darkly, but then face to fact: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known. Mark, reader, “when the perfect is come;” not when Paul goes to it—but when it comes here. Who can read this, and not see that Paul expected some order of things, subsequent to the time he wrote, which was to be superior to the order of things introduced by him and the other apostles. In the 3d chapter, from the 10th to the close of the 14th verse, of the Epistle to the Phillippians, there are sayings worthy of notice: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead: not as though I had already attained, either was already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that of which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The apostle, in this quotation, says, that “he did not suppose himself to have attained, either were already perfect.” Now compare this with his saying, in the 13th chapter and 10th verse of Corinthians, as above quoted. There he says, “When that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.” Here he says, I do not suppose I am already perfect. Why Paul, not already perfect? Why? Because the perfect has not come; and until that does come we only see in part, and prophecy in part. Now what is the perfect thing which Paul had not attained, and for want of which he could only see in part, and prophecy in part. In the 14th verse of the 3d chapter to the Phillipians, he calls it the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, for which he presses toward or along the mark. In the 11th verse of this same chapter, he gives us a clue to it. He says, “if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.” Why so Paul? Is there not to be a resurrection of all, both just and unjust? How then, Paul, can you fail to attain the resurrection of the dead? Paul, what do you mean? I suppose if Paul were here he would say he meant what he said.
Paul must have known that there was no doubt, but at some time, he would be raised from the dead; and he also as well knew that that time would not be until after the perfect thing had come; therefore, he pressed toward the prize, that the resurrection of the dead might come. What this same apostle says in the 9th and 10th verses of the 1st chapter to the Ephesians, is as appropriate to this as one thing can be to another: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are on earth and in heaven: even in him.” The apostle here says that God had made known the mystery of his will to him, which he (God) had purposed in himself. What was that purpose and mystery, the 10th verse answers: “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth: even in him.” So then the secret is revealed. It was that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he (the Lord) would gather together all things which are in Christ, whether they are in heaven or on earth. Surely then, when this gathering comes, there will be a resurrection from the dead,—when the things, in Christ Jesus, in both heaven and earth are gathered together. And all this to be brought to pass by establishing a dispensation of things here for that purpose.
Now Paul we understand you. You were striving to obtain another dispensation more glorious than the one you had. This is the prize after which you were running. This is what you call the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The dispensation of the fulness of times, in which dispensation all things in Christ were to be gathered together, whether they were dead or alive, in heaven or on earth; and, until after the introduction of which, the resurrection of the dead cannot come. This you say, Paul, is the mystery of God’s will; which he had revealed unto you:—the perfect thing which was to come, and without which you could only see in part, and prophecy in part, and that perfection only comes by and through this dispensation.
Putting what Paul has said, as above quoted, with what the other writers have said, and there are some conclusions forced on the mind of vast importance to all. John saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting glad tidings to preach to those who dwell on the earth. Daniel saw, in vision, the God of heaven set up a kingdom, that was never to be destroyed, but was to break in pieces and destroy all kingdoms, and stand forever. And God had revealed the mystery of his will to Paul; and that was, that there was to be a dispensation, called the dispensation of the fulness of times, through which all things in Christ, were to be gathered together, whether in heaven or on earth. The dispensation through which this was to take place, must be the kingdom which Daniel saw—the one that was to stand forever, and break all things in pieces. And, from what John says, that dispensation was to be established by an angel bringing the everlasting glad tidings of this kingdom or dispensation; for these tidings, when they come, were to be everlasting—they were to endure when heaven and earth had passed away, and the things in heaven, and the things on earth, in Christ Jesus are gathered together.
Another important thing is, that this was not the dispensation introduced by the apostles, but one God had made known to them that was to come, which Paul called the mystery of God’s will—the prize of the high calling—the perfect thing; and when it was introduced, tongues should cease, prophecyings fail, and former knowledge vanish away; for this Paul considered all things but dross, that he might gain the prize.
A third thing is, that this dispensation was to be introduced by an heavenly messenger sent from heaven for that purpose, and not by virtue of the priesthood the apostles had; for they did not pretend to have it, but Paul sought for it, and greatly desired it above all things, but said he had not attained it.
We shall take the liberty of saying a few things about priesthood as it now exists in the world. Great have been the efforts to prove a succession of priesthood from the apostles. Supposing then the different denominations or any one of them, can prove a regular unbroken chain of priesthood from the apostles, what avail would it be in the last days; who would be the better of it? The dispensation of the last days was to be introduced by an angel from heaven; and one John saw in a vision, long after his day, descending from heaven, with the everlasting glad tidings—the glad tidings of the kingdom. It matters not who has got the priesthood, in succession, from the apostles; it is of no avail, but only proves that they have not the priesthood that pertains to the kingdom of God—for this was to come by an heavenly messenger, long after the apostles’ day. Whoever has the priesthood of the kingdom of God, has it either directly or by succession from this angel, and no other way.
Many have said that the ministering of angels had ceased; if so, then the dispensation of the fulness of times will never come, and the resurrection of the dead will never come; the kingdom spoken of by Daniel will never come; the everlasting glad tidings will never come; the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus will never come; Babylon the Great will never fall to rise no more; and the rest of God will never come, and all that have slept in Christ Jesus will perish. For all these things depended, not on what the apostles had left on record, nor on any priesthood they had left among men, but on the ministration of an angel, that was to come after their day, who was to lay the foundation of another dispensation, by giving power to men to establish it.
We will, at this place, say a few things about the mission of John the Baptist. In the 11th chapter of Matthew, from the 7th to the close of the 11th verse, the Savior says thus, concerning John: “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitude concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the wind! But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. But what went ye out for to see? a prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I sent my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of woman there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” In the 9th verse he says that John “was more than a prophet;” and in the 11th verse he says, “of all that was born of woman there hath not been a greater than John; notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” It has been the opinion of many that the Savior alluded to himself, when he said “that he that is least in the kingdom is greater than he.” There are difficulties in this view of the subject, that must render it very doubtful. The first is, that it is not true: the Savior, in truth, was not the least in the kingdom of heaven, but on the contrary, the greatest:—but as the idea is with those who maintain that opinion, that that was the light in which his enemies viewed him. This again is not true; for so far from his enemies thinking he was least in the kingdom of heaven, they did not believe he had any thing to do with it. They believed he was an impostor, and was of the devil, and that God had nothing to do with him, nor he with the kingdom of heaven. View the case as we may, and that view of the subject must be very doubtful.
In the 14th verse of this chapter it is said of John, “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come:” and in the 10th verse, “For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” John was then the Lord’s messenger sent before the face of the people to prepare the way before them.
In the 17th chapter of Matthew from the 10th to the 13th verse inclusive, it is said of John, “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then, say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake of John the Baptist.” The question is here asked, “Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?” What gave rise to this question, was the transfiguration, as related in the preceding part of the chapter, and the Savior’s charge, that they “tell no man of it till the Son of man be risen from the dead.” They asked Jesus then, why the scribes said Elias must first come? that is, before the resurrection of the dead. The answer was, that Elias must first come, and restore all things—and that restoring must take place before the resurrection of the dead. And he then says, verse 12th, “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already;” or in other words, their Elias has already come—he that was to restore all things—and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they listed. The disciples then understood that he spake of John the Baptist. That is, they understood him to say that John the Baptist was the restorer for whom Israel looked. This, connected with the saying in the 14th chapter and 11th verse, makes the matter plain: that if the Jews would receive it, John was the Elias which was to come; but in consequence of their rejecting both John and Jesus, the restoration promised unto Israel could not come, and the kingdom of heaven would be given to another people, and one that would bring forth the fruits thereof. See Matthew 21st chapter 43d verse: “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
From all the above quotations, we can arrive at some degree of certainty, what it was the Savior meant, when he said John was more than a prophet. His mission was peculiar to himself; he was not only a prophet, but he was sent on a mission that no other prophet ever had, a restorer unto Israel,—to turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, and prepare their way before them: that the kingdom of heaven might come unto them, through which the resurrection of the dead would eventually come. Hence, “of all that was born of women there was not a greater than John.” He had the understanding to do what none else could do; and had the Jews received it, he would have done it, and instead of Israel being scattered and cursed, they would have triumphed over their enemies, and through them would have come the resurrection of the dead, and all the glory promised to the world. They would have obtained the rest of God, and enjoyed its power. This was the object of John’s mission to them; but because they rejected him he died without doing it, and left them to be cursed. There is one thing we wish the reader particularly to notice in relation to John’s mission, that he was not said to be the messenger to go before the Lord’s face, and prepare the way before him; but the Lord’s messenger to go before the face of the Jews and prepare their way before them. Behold I send my messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee. The corresponding account in both Mark and Luke are the same. See Mark 1st chapter, 2d verse, and Luke 7th chapter, 37th verse. Let so much suffice for the mission of John.
[To be Continued.]
Rigdon, Sidney
1845 05 15
Messenger and Advocate
Vol 1
No 13
pp 193-197
ESSAY ON FUTURE EVENTS.
No. II.
In view of John’s mission, it was said that “the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” We look at this just as it is said, that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John, and if there are those whoa re less than John, it is because they are not in the kingdom of heaven, but some other institution or order of things. The declaration is a positive one, and it is either true or false.
From what we have previously written on the kingdom, and doubtless the kingdom here alluded to, we are prepared to examine the subject of the standing before God of those who are in the kingdom of heaven. We have previously shown that the kingdom was to be introduced and established through and by a heavenly messenger, who was to visit the earth after John the apostle, wrote the revelations, who was to bring to the earth the everlasting glad tidings, something which had not been announced before; for though there had been glad tidings proclaimed before, yet, the everlasting glad tidings had not been proclaimed before. From what is said in the 3d of Malichi and 1st verse, there was to be a messenger inspired that was to obtain a standing before God, different from all that had gone before. “Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” Here the Lord is to send a messenger, who is to prepare the way before him, [the Lord.] This was never said of John the Baptist; it was said of him that he was to be a messenger sent of the Lord before the face of the Jews, and to prepare their way before them; but of this one it is said, he shall prepare the way before the Lord, and what follows shews that this messenger was neither John the Baptist, nor any or either of the apostles; for soon after the appearance of this messenger, the Lord was to come suddenly to his temple, and it is confirmed by a “behold he shall come” so that there is to be no misgiving in the case, “he shall come,” and when he comes “he is to be as a refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap, and shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” See 2nd and 3d verses. “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap! And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”
None of these things have taken place yet, and John the Baptist and all the apostles are gone long since. No doubt, then, ought to remain as to the fact, that the messenger here spoken of, was none of those former messengers; but one that was to come and prepare the way before the Lord, preceeding the coming of the Lord to his temple, when he would purge the sons of Levi. Paul has some sayings in the 11th chapter to the Romans, which seem to allude to the same messenger. See 25, 26, and 27th verses. “For I would not, brethren, that ye be ignorant of this mystery. (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so al Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” According to this, there is to go out of Zion a deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for Paul says, “it is thus written.”—Where is it written about this deliverer, unless it be the one spoken of in Malichi, who is to prepare the way before the Lord? for ungodliness must be turned away from Jacob, before the sons of Levi can be purged.
We think there need be but one mind on this point, that the messenger spoken of by Malichi, and the deliverer spoken of by Paul means the same person. Certain it is that the Jews expected some such a messenger previous to the resurrection of the dead, and the restoration of all things, and it is equally as certain that John the Baptist did not do the work assigned this messenger, neither have any others since his day; and if ever the lord designed to send such a messenger he has a work to do yet.
Isaiah speaks of a messenger which seems also to be the same. In the 11th chapter and 10th verse he says, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”—What follows in the 11th verse, the root of Jesse here spoken of, who is to stand for an ensign to the people, and to whom the Gentiles are to seek, and whose rest shall be glorious, has also a work to do in relation to the Jews; for in that day; what day? the day when the root of Jesse shall have obtained a glorious rest among the Gentiles, the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Elam, and from Cash, &c.—The root of Jesse here spoken of, is then, doubtless, the messenger, through whom Israel is to be gathered, and redeemed, as well as to do a great work among the Gentiles.
Surely all these things mean something, and if they mean what they say, there is no difficulty about them, for Malichi’s messenger is to prepare the way before the Lord, that the sons of Levi may be purified; Paul’s deliverer is to turn ungodliness away from Jacob, and Isaiah’s root of Jesse is to come forth for the gathering and redeeming of Israel, which in amount is the same work, and must be the same person, and must receive his power and authority by the hand of John’s angel who was to come with the everlasting glad tidings; and if not we are left to conjecture how he did or was to get them.
The work to be performed by the messenger here spoken of, is of such a character that no reasonable man can doubt the necessity of revelations in order to do it; this is a fact that will not admit of controversy. Moses could not lead Israel out of Egypt and establish them without revelations. John the Baptist, to be qualified for his mission, had to be more than a prophet. And the apostles could not build the primitive christian church, without revelations direct from heaven. Now all this necessary, and here is a messenger spoken of, whose work far surpasses them all, and yet he is to be without the aid of direct revelation from heaven. This we think is supposing too much. Jeremiah says, in the 16th chapter of his prophecy, from the 14th to the 17th verse inclusive, speaking of what shall take place concerning Israel in the last days, as follows: Therefore behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but the Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers: Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” According to these sayings, the work of this messenger is to far excell all who have gone before, so much that the work of former messengers shall be forgotten. “It shall no more be said, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but the Lord liveth, that brought the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all lands whether he had driven them, and I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers.”
Here then is a work beyond Moses, John, or the apostles, and one which cannot be done without direct revelation from heaven, no more than those former messengers could do theirs, and who will say this work is done—none dare say it; and if it is not done then Malichi’s messenger, Paul’s deliverer, and Isaiah’s root of Jesse has yet to do his work, for the gathering, redemption, and purifying of Israel, for none other can do it; and if he does it not the prophecies all fail. In the 16th verse the Lord says, “Behold, I will send for many fishers, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” Now Moses could not bring them out of the land of Egypt, without revelations, John could not prepare their way before them without being more than a prophet, and the apostles could not build the church of Christ without special revelations for that purpose, and how can this messenger, and the fishers and hunters, do all this mighty work without direct revelation. Well hath Jesus said the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. There is not a fisher or hunter in the kingdom of heaven but must be greater than John, or else the work assigned them can never be done; for all know John could not do these things.
Jesus said Elias must first come, and restore all things. Why is it said “first come,” that is, he must come before something else can come, and what is that something else? from the connection in Luke, as before quoted, it was the resurrection of the dead. This was the doctrine the scribes had taught, that before the resurrection of the dead Elias must come, and the Savior said it was true.
The question is who is this Elias? It is admitted that John was the Jews’ Elias; but the Savior says they did to him as they listed, and all things was not restored, and yet that must be done or the resurrection of the dead will not come, for Elias must first come. The saying of Malichi is here to the point, as above quoted, “Behold I send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me:” how prepare the way before the Lord: there is but one way to do it, viz. to restore all things; and to do this, the least in the kingdom, through and by which this is done, must be greater than John. We have now a wide field before us, the work asigned these last day messengers, is ever where written in both the old and new Testaments.
Isaiah in the 1st chapter of his prophecy 25th, 26th, and 27th verses says this concerning Israel, “And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement, and her converts with righteousness.” Here it is said verse 26 “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning; afterward thou shalt be called, the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” When will this be done? It will be when the Lord “will turn his hand upon them, and purely purge away their dross, and take away all their tin;” see 25th verse. How will this be done? by Malichi’s messenger, “who shall prepare the way of the Lord, that he may come as a refiner’s fire, and as fullers’ soap, and thoroughly purge the sons of Levi,” and Paul’s deliverer, who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and Isaiah’s root of Jesse has gathered them. Then it is that Zion shall be redeemed, verse 27. But those who do this work must be greater than John; for surely John did not this work; but how can Israel have her judges returned as at the first and her counsellors as at the beginning, and yet there be no more revelations given. Was it not by special revelations, that Israel had judges at first, and counsellors at the beginning? Did not Moses get revelations, yea, did not Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob get them? Did not the seventy elders set apart by Moses prophecy? It is said they did not cease to prophecy; how is it then that Israel will have her authorities as at the beginning? she cannot have them unless they can get revelations from heaven.
Isaiah, when looking at Israel, as being redeemed, and when ungodliness is turned or turning away from Jacob, and their being gathered says 43rd chapter from the 1st to the 7th verse, “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called the by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.—For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior; I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not; for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north give up; and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” The Lord will say to the north, give up, and to the south keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Who is it that is thus commanded to bring Israel? the answer must be, the Fishers and the Hunters; for they, as before quoted, were to bring them from every mountain, and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. Now if they were to bring them from every mountain, and every hill surely it was by them that the north was to give them up, and the south not to hold them back, and their sons come from far, and their daughters from the ends of the earth. In the 11th chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, there are things said, which, if there were no other scriptures to the point, would settle the question forever, speaking of the gathering of Israel, after the root of Jesse had lifted his ensign to the people, and had obtained a glorious rest among the gentiles, see 14, 15, and 16, verses, “But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west and they shall spoil them of the east together, they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with a mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod.—And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which have been left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came out of the land of Egypt.” Mark reader this particularly, “and the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongues of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind, shall he shake his hand over the rivers, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and men shall go over dry shod. And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” Will this ever come to pass, that the Assyrian captives or ten tribes, will again return with all the power that attended Israel when they first came out of the land, if so, those who lead them will be greater than John the Baptist, for John did no miricle. Truly then said Jesus, when he said that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.
That all who believed in the prophets, expected the appearence of a restorer, or one to come to establish the kingdom of God, is a fact we think so plainly written, that it cannot admit of a reasonable doubt. At the time of the crucifixion, when the Lord cried Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani! Some of those who stood by, said “this man calleth for Elias. The rest said let be, let us see whether Elias will come and save him.” See Matthew 28th chapter, 47th and 49th verses. Why say, “this man calleth for Elias,” and then say “let be let us see whether Elias will come to save him,” unless there was some messenger expected that they called Elias, and one in the character of a deliverer. In the 24th chapter of Luke there are some sayings of the disciples, which go to establish this fact, of the general expectation of the appearance of a character, coming for the deliverence of Israel. See 21 verse, “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.” This was a communication had between two of the disciples after the crucifixion, while on their way to Emmais. The disciples then, as well as those who crucified the Savior, all expected a deliverer, a restorer, an Elias, which was to come, and they understood that this said Elias was to establish the kingdom of heaven? To the point we have some things written by Luke, Acts 1st chapter; 6th verse, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”—Why did the disciples ask this question?—“Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” surely because they expected that the kingdom would, at some time be restored to Israel. Hence the Elias that was to restore all things.
David in 14th Psalm, and 7th verse has some sayings which will throw light on this subject “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.” David then looked for salvation coming out of Zion, and that salvation to be when the Lord had brought back the captivity of his people, at that time Jacob would rejoice, and Israel be glad. Now compare this with what Paul says in the 11th chapter of the Romans 26th verse “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” The salvation then which David desired, was to come by reason of a deliverer, which was to go out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and Paul also says verse 27, that was according to a covenant the Lord had made with them, and when that covenant was fulfilled the sins of Israel would be taken away, and all Israel be saved. No wonder then that David said “Oh that the salvation of Israel had come out of Zion, then Jacob would rejoice, and Israel be glad.” Why rejoice and be glad? because their sins would be taken away, and they would be saved. And all this to come to pass by a deliverer being sent, a messenger to prepare the way before the Lord, a root of Jesse, by whom the captivity of Jacob was to return.—By puting all these things together, we can understand why it is said “That Elias must first come and restore all things,” and that “we verily thought that it should be he that was to restore the kingdom to Israel.” “Will thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel,” all these sayings are made plain, by getting into possession the views the Jews had in relation to themselves, and the purposes of God in relation to them.
The expectation then of Israel, and the prophets and apostles, all rested on the establishment of the kingdom of heaven. Let there come life or death it matters not, it was because God had promised to establish his kingdom on earth, that they rejoined; and abstract from that, they had hope in neither life nor death. To this, and to this only they looked; and from what we have before written, that was the apostles only hope, whether in life or in death; they never looked for rest until the kingdom of heaven should triumph here.—Another fact is equally as certain that they all expected, that God would inspire messengers to establish his kingdom, send an Angel from heaven for this especial purpose, that power might be given to men for this purpose; for they all know that it would take men who were greater than John to do this work, for until his day there never had been a greater born of women than John the Baptist; yet the apostle knew that the least fisher or hunter in the kingdom of heaven, would be greater than John, and if they knew it no other way, they did by the Savior’s own words; but they had other evidences of it, that was, that notwithstanding all the power and spiritual gifts which they had received, they were not sufficient for these things, and thought it was their greatest glory to be accounted worthy to inherit with the saints who accomplish this work. Hence Paul says to the Colossians, 1st chapter and 12th verse “Give thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”—Who are the saints in light? what we have before written will settle this question. It was the saints who would attain the dispensation of the fulness of times, and who would obtain the power, and orginize the kingdom of God, and obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and by that means be, like Noah, become heirs of a new world; and Paul thanked God that the Colossians were made heirs with those saints in light, these heirs of the new world.
This then is the point of light in which apostles and prophets viewed the saints of the last dispensation, and so did the Savior himself, for he said they would be greater than John. Paul says they were to be the saints in light; were to obtain that which he strove for but could not obtain; and yet, we are told, that they are to get no revelations, have no visions to enjoy, no spiritual gifts, and still be greater than John, though they be the saints in light, be heirs of the new world, do that that none others on this earth had ever done. How shall we, or how can we reconcile these things? Surely, working miracles, and getting revelations, is a small matter compared with reconciling the above difficulties.
We have before shown, that they were to have a priesthood, through, and by which, they could do that which neither prophets and apostles before their day could do; and the deliverance and complete salvation of all in heaven, and all on earth, depended on them. They were to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, and thereby save the whole earth from a curse; and that, at the time of their triumph, the saints in heaven should shout Allaluia, for their blood had been avenged on those who dwelt on the earth, and that through them, God had judged the great whore that had corrupted the whole earth.
Let any person seriously contemplate what Daniel says about the kingdom the God of heaven was to set up, and it will be found that all that heaven and earth can hope for, must come by it, and those who found it, and bear it off triumphant. When it was to be set up, it was to continue until it became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. It mattered not what order of things or orders of things existed when it was set up, political or religious, it was to subdue all, conquer all, and break all in pieces; and when it had done this, it was to stand forever. Now, whatever Babylon the great was or is, if it existed in the world at the time this kingdom was set up, it would eventually fall before it, and be broken in pieces, and become as the chaff of the summer threshing floor, so that the winds of heaven would carry it away. So surely then as the saints in heaven are waiting until Babylon the great is fallen before they can proclaim their complete deliverance, or shout Allaluia—so sure it is, that they are dependent on the rise and progress of this kingdom for their eternal rest; for to suppose any thing else, would be to suppose that the Lord was going to work by some unrevealed means, and deny that which he had revealed; for he has revealed no other way or means by which he would bring about the complete deliverance of the world than by and through this kingdom.
There has been a great deal said about the gathering of Israel, and about millenium in the world. This is easily said, and people can really or pretendedly rejoice in the prospect of a millenium; but it is quite another thing to inquire after the way the Lord had appointed to usher in this new condition of things. And how common among men is it, to hear persons rejoicing in the hope of millenial glory, and yet say there are to be no more revelations, no more prophecyings, no more ministering of angels. If such is the case, there must be something about which the Bible knows nothing, nor did any of the sacred writers leave one syllable on record concerning it. The Savior never so much as once mentioned it; all the millenium mentioned by any of them, is the one which is to be introduced by an heavenly messenger, with the everlasting glad tidings, through and by which, the Lord’s messenger was to be authorized and empowered to establish the kingdom of God, and by that kingdom gather the Jews, establish righteousness on the earth, turn away ungodliness from Jacob, bring in the rest of God, the salvation of the fathers, and the redemption of the purchased possession—cast down Babylon the great, and put the heavens and the earth together, and make those who are waiting in heaven for their blood to be avenged, shout Allaluia.
This is all the millenial the Bible says any thing about; what else there is of millenium in the world, has been obtained else where, than in the Bible. It is one thing to talk and write about the glory of the last days, and it is another thing to inquire how and upon what principle it is, these glories are to be ushered in and established. The same may be said of the second advent of the Savior. It is in the estimation of some, a matter of great joy, to think and believe that the Savior of the world is coming to reign on the earth, and establish righteousness among men; but there are few, very few, that are willing that the way of his coming should be prepared. They are unwilling he should send any heavenly messengers to give power to organize the dispensation of the fulness of times, and inspire men with power to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, and prepare the way before the Lord, that he may come. Ah, no! this is imposition, gross imposition; but the Savior is coming: O yes, he is coming, and that is joy enough, and it will be a day of glory when he comes. The same thing is said about the gathering of Israel. Israel is to be gathered, and possess their own land, their sins are to be taken away, ungodliness will be turned away from Jacob, God will be their God, and they shall be his people; their sins and their iniquities will the Lord reremember no more. But how all this is to be done, that we know nothing about: neither is there any thing said about how it is that the Lord will write his laws upon their hearts, and imprint it on their minds; for, as for revelation there will be no more, and yet the Lord is to write his laws upon their hearts some how, but it is not to be done by giving revelations. All these strange things are common among men; but, what adds to the singularity of this is, that there are to be no more miracles, and the tongue of the Egyptian sea is to be utterly destroyed, and the river of Egypt is to be smitten, and men shall go over dry shod as they did when they came out of Egypt: but the days of miracles are past. Strange indeed. But to pursue the kingdom, and hear what the scriptures further say.
[To be Continued.]
Rigdon, Sidney
1845 06 01
Messenger and Advocate
Vol 1
No 14
pp 209-213
ESSAY ON FUTURE EVENTS.
No. III.
We have the following curious sayings about John the Baptist. See Matthew, 11th chapter and 19th verse: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” There are many other passages in the scriptures, that may throw light on these sayings. It is said in the 13th verse: “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” And then those sayings follow in the 14th verse: “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” By these sayings of the Savior, it is to be infered that the Jews understood that the law was to cease when Elias came, and the prophets had thus testified; and from that time the kingdom of heaven was to be proclaimed. In the 1st chapter of John’s gospel, from the 19th to the close of the 23rd verse we have the following: “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not: but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then? art thou Elias? and he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, no. Then said they unto him, who art thou? that we way give an answer to them that sent us: what sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” John is here said to deny being “the Christ,” or “Elias,” or “that prophet.” From the inquiries of the Pharisees here made, we learn that the Jews expected a “Christ,” and “Elias,” and another messenger here called “that prophet.” Some have found a difficulty between the saying of the Savior here, and that in Matthew the 11th chapter and 14th verse, where the Savior says of John: “If ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come;” and yet John says to the Pharisees: “I am not Elias.” Let those who think they see a difficulty, mark, that Christ said, John was the Elias if they would receive it; if they would not receive it, John would not be the Elias. John of course said he was not “Elias,” after it was manifest the Jews would reject him.
In accordance with the prevailing opinion among the Jews, that at the time the restorer came, the law would cease: it was said that the law and the prophets were until John, and after that, the kingdom of heaven was preached. See Luke 16th chapter and 16th verse: “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” By this, the kingdom of heaven was not only preached, but every man pressed into it. When John came, he cried, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand:” “repent, therefore, and believe the glad tidings.” It was also said to the Jews, that the kingdom of heaven was in them or among them, and yet after that time, James said, the kingdom was yet future. All these sayings are easily reconciled, when we see the subject as the Savior and apostles did.
In view of all this, it was said, “the kingdom of heaven suffered violence,” since the days of John the Baptist, thus informing the Jews, that that which they looked for had been preached to them since the first commencement of John’s ministry, and had been proclaiming to them ever since; and notwithstanding all their desires for the kingdom to come, and their glorying in brilliant anticipation of the glory they should receive when the kingdom was established—it had received nothing but violence at their hands, and that from the commencement of its proclamation till then, and that the violence they were then inflicting on John and on the Savior, was against their long expected and desired kingdom of heaven, John being the “Elias” who had the power, and the only one who had, to establish the kingdom with Israel, this being his mission to the Jews, and the reason why he was more than a prophet. Every violence offered to John, was violence against the kingdom of heaven promised the Jews, on condition that they would receive the messenger who came with power to restore the kingdom to them.
The Jews, long before John’s mission, had violated many, yea, nearly all the commandments of God delivered to them; but they never had offered violence to the kingdom of heaven, until John came proclaiming it; after that their rebellion and violence was against the kingdom of heaven, and their violence against Jesus, was also against the kingdom of God, notwithstanding their former iniquity, if they had received John, they would have got the pardon of their sins, and been restored to the favor of heaven; but when they did violence to him, their last ray of hope perished; for on obtaining the kingdom, their only hope rested, and when they did violence to John, they did violence to their last hope, and their downfall was certain. In view of all these things, Jesus says in the 23rd chapter of Matthew, and 37th verse: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”—Why was their house left unto them desolate? They had committed an act in doing violence to the kingdom of heaven, that sealed their destruction, and insured their overthrow; but in committing their violence, they did it in view of securing to themselves the kingdom, and through and by this violence, they intended to take the kingdom; hence the words of the Savior: “and the violent take it by force,” or expect to take it by force. That the Jews expected and intended to take the kingdom of heaven, and that their violence against both John and the Savior, was done in order to take the promised kingdom, we think cannot be a matter of doubt with those acquainted with the scriptures. In John’s gospel, 11th chapter, and 47th, 48th, 49th and 50th verses, it is thus said: “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, what do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, ye know nothing at all: nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.” A few remarks is all that is necessary on this quotation in order to see its bearing. Keep in mind what we have before written, that all the Jews, not even the Pharisees and Scribes excepted, expected the kingdom of God to be established among them, through which they expected to triumph over all their enemies, that when they got the kingdom, they would deliver themselves from the Roman yoke, and from the power of all nations. Now mark their saying about Jesus, verse 48th: “If we let him alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” And again in the 50th verse: “That it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
Now the Jew’s hope of deliverance was intirely predicated on their obtaining the kingdom, and it was by reason of this, that they expected that their place and their nation would be saved from the Romans; and they say, as quoted above, “that if we let this man alone all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take our place and nation.” The same as to say, if we let him alone we will lose the kingdom of heaven, and be entirely overthrown, and “it is better that one man die, than a whole nation perish.” John makes a comment on this saying, to the effect, that the thing was true, in another sense, if it were false in the sense in which it was spoken. Well might Paul say, that “blindness in part had happened unto Israel, until the fulness of the gentiles be come in.”—Romans 11:25. The Jews then rejected John, crucified Jesus, and did violence to the kingdom of heaven, under the impression, that by that violence they would forcibly take the kingdom, and deliver themselves from the power of their enemies. Leaving this for the present, we will attend to the other sayings respecting the kingdom, which we find in the New Testament.
In Matthew 12th chapter and 28th verse it is said: “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” See Luke, 10th chapter and 9th verse: “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” We might quote multitudes of scripture which are to the same effect: such as “the kingdom of God is in you”—“come near unto you”—“the kingdom of God is preached, &c. &c. In relation to all the passages in the New Testament of the above character, a few words will place them in a clear point of light. It was said by the Savior, “that since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven was preached,” and from what we have written above, John had power, if the Jews would have received it, to have established the kingdom; but in consequence of their having rejected and killed John, that power was taken from the earth; still the kingdom of heaven was preached, and a new order of things introduced through the priesthood and ministry of the apostles, by which those who believed the glad tidings proclaimed and obeyed the instruction given, could be made heirs of that kingdom, when it was established and had triumphed, would inherit in the blessings of the saints in light, through whom that kingdom would be established, and borne off till the Savior come. Hence the apostles went forth proclaiming the kingdom, calling upon all, Jew and gentile, to believe and obey the gospel, that they might be heirs of that kingdom. So that all who believed and obeyed the teachings of the apostles were made heirs of the kingdom, but their being heirs, did not suppose that they inherited the kingdom at the time their heirship was obtained; for Paul says in the 4th chapter to the Galations, 1st and 2d verses, to the contrary: “Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all: but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father.” Then, a person may be constituted an heir, and yet be like a servant under tutors and governors until the time appointed for him to enter into the inheritance. Thus it was and is with those who obeyed the gospel through the ministry of the apostles, they became heirs of the kingdom, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, but did not nor could not enter into the inheritance until the time appointed of the father; but still the kingdom of God was among them, had come to them, was proclaimed since the days of John the Baptists—and, when “that prophet” came, “that root of Jesse,” “that deliverer,” and established the kingdom, and it was borne off triumphant, then was the time appointed for those to whom the apostles had ministered, to change their heirship into possession, and no longer be heirs but possessors.
We have a saying of Paul in the 11th chapter to the Romans, which is to the point. See the 7th verse: “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded,” What was it Israel sought for? We have before shown, that it was the kingdom of God; and here Paul says they had not obtained it, but the election had; that is, the apostles had obtained power to build the kingdom of God, and prepare materials for it, so that at the day of its triumph, it might be glorious.
Surely then, we have reached an important point in relation to the salvation of the world, that all that have gone before our day, and all the dispensations delivered to men, have left the world without reaching the promise made to them of God our heavenly Father, and that all those who were administered to by the primitive apostles, are waiting for another dispensation to come into the world, in order that they may change their heirship for possession, and enter into the inheritance and inherit with the saints in light.
We may, if we will look, see the great necessity of “the Elias” coming, that the hearts of the children may be turned to the fathers, seize upon heaven’s offered boon of the kingdom, and cease not till they have obtained the redemption of the purchased possession, and brought the rest of the fathers, and this will of necessity, turn the hearts of the fathers to them; for the fathers could not have equal interest in an order of things which left them without their rest, as they could have in one which was to eventuate in their complete redemption, and in their changing their heirship for the possession of the inheritance. No sooner would the hearts of the children be turned to the fathers, than those of the fathers would be turned to the children, and then speedily will the earth be redeemed from the curse. It was in view of this, that the Lord said he would “cut his work short in righteousness, for a short work would he make in the earth.”
What more need we say, to show that the expectation of all who in any degree were acquainted with the things of God, have been resting on the fact, that the God of heaven would at some fixed period in the world, establish his kingdom, and through and by it, redeem the whole purchased possession, and unite the heavens and the earth together, and bring in everlasting righteousness. And the fact is so plain, that we think none can doubt that in order to do this, there had to be something different from that established by the apostles. If we could now at this late period of the world, establish a New Testament church, as did the apostles, with all its prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, gifts, healings, miracles, tongues, and interpretation of tongues, what could it do? The highest it could do, would be to make those to whom they administered heirs of the kingdom; but could not bring them into the possession of the inheritance; for that, the apostles themselves, when they were here, could not do; and who setting under their authority could to it? surely none, “for the servant is not greater than his lord, neither indeed can be.”
Surely then, wo to the world, the dead and the living, if the angel has not nor never brings the everlasting glad tidings, the kingdom of heaven will never be established—Babylon will never be thrown down; the dispensation of the fulness of times never come; the heavens and the earth never be gathered; all the promises made to the world fail; and those who have died in Christ perish.
We wish to say a few things more in relation to the Jewish expectations concerning the kingdom of God, and on what these expectations were founded. We have shown above, that the Jews knew that the law was to cease, and the kingdom of heaven was to be proclaimed and established, and their earnest desire was to obtain that kingdom, feeling assured, if they did, they would prevail, and finally triumph over their enemies. And they expected an Elias, a restorer, to be sent and commissioned of heaven to establish that kingdom, and through that kingdom restore all things; turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, and thereby save the whole earth from a curse.
They felt themselves fully authorized to believe this from the testimony of the prophets. David in whom they believed, had said so many things about the kingdom, and about its glory, that the expectations of Israel were raised exceedingly high. In the 145th Psalm from the 10th to the 15th verse inclusive, David says: “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and they saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee: and thou givest them their meat in due season.” And again, in the 103d Psalm, after viewing the dealings of God with men, and the frailty of the human family, in the 17th and 18th verses, he begins to set forth the grounds of his hope and foundation upon which his happiness rested, as follows: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” Who can read these sayings of the Psalmest, and not see the light in which he viewed the kingdom of God, and the results which were to follow its organization on the earth. In the above quotations the context will be sufficient to show, that David’s whole expectation for the salvation of Israel, entirely depended on the triumph of the kingdom of God, not on the triumph of the law as it then existed in Israel. He says in the 11th verse of the 145th Psalm: “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord, and thy saints shall bless thee.” How shall his saints bless him? 11th verse: “They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power.” 12th verse: “To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.” Who then, that had confidence in David, could avoid looking forward with deep desire for the coming of the kingdom of God? There rested their hope; there the saints were to talk of the power of God; it was there that the mighty acts of God were to be made known to the sons of men. It was the glorious majesty of his kingdom in which his saints were to rejoice, and not in the law; for his kingdom was to be an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion throughout all generations. From verse 13th, to the close of the Psalm, David shows the glorious results of the kingdom where his hopes alone rested.
In the 103d Psalm as above quoted, he carries his views still farther; he views the world of mankind as fading and perishing as the grass of the field, and finds no hope only in the kingdom of God, and there he finds hope for the living and the dead. For though they perish, as the grass, and wither as the flower, “yet the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them.” Why will the Lord do all this? Because he hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over the whole earth. This then is the reason assigned for the hope of the righteous. The kingdom of God is to rule over the whole earth, though the righteous are cut down as the grass, and wither as the flower of the field, yet there is hope both in life and in death; God has his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over the earth.
There are a few sayings in the above quotations about the saints, which also deserve particular notice. It is said of these, “they shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of the power of God;” those who are not saints will do neither; they will neither speak of the glory of the kingdom, nor talk of God’s power—the saints will do both. A people may talk of the power of God, and not be his saints, and they may speak of the glorious majesty of his kingdom and not be his saints; but when a people talk of both, we are bound to believe they are the saints of the Lord, for this is what his saints are to do. We have a remarkable instance of this now passing in this city. The saints here began to talk of the glorious majesty of God’s kingdom, and of his power in staying the violence of fire. This indeed appears strange talk to some of our citizens; to them it is wild delusion, and editors afar off in the land are crying delusion! knavery! Witness the Cleveland Herald. Bishops and Editors, are all on the alert. What is the great alarm? There are a people in this city who have ventured to talk of the power of God, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom, as David and the saints would do. This is all; and this is enough to alarm a Bishop, to arouse the vituperation of a son of the west, and greatly to enkindle the ire of a city Editor. Still, after all the excitement, the saints will talk of the glorious majesty of the kingdom of God. And why the saints talk of it and not others? Because others have no understanding about it. To them, it is an idle tale; but to the saints a matter of rejoicing, because the kingdom of God is to “rule over all the earth.” This made David sing of it, the prophets rejoice in hope of it, and the apostles desire that it might be given to Israel.
The saints will not only talk of the righteous majesty of the kingdom, but also of the power of God. The very fact of David having said this concerning the saints, supposes others would not do it. No wonder then, that those who are not saints, should be startled at the idea of the saints talking of God’s power; for they are ignorant of it; they are not saints, and know nothing about the power of God, and as little about the kingdom.
Nearly all the ignorance in the world in relation to the things of God, arise from a want of understanding of the things pertaining toe the kingdom and power of God; the very things about which the saints were to talk. If ignorant professors understand the glories that pertain to the kingdom of God, the relation, it bears to the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, the fathers and the children, the dead and the living, they also would talk about it; but none but the saints ever did understand it, or ever will; to others, professors or non-professors, it will be as one teaching the doctrine of “strange Gods;” and will remain so until the Lord shall have established it in righteousness over the whole earth, and then they will open their eyes in the unseen world, being in torment, and bewail their ignorance and hardness of heart that they did not believe.
Taking what we have quoted from the Psalms, in connection with what Daniel says in the 2d chapter and 44th verse of his prophesy, and the 7th chapter 13th and 14th verses, and we can see why it was that the Jews so earnestly desired the kingdom of God, and the reason why they looked to that as their only hope. If what was said by David and Daniel were true, they could as well as any others might, if they were in their stead, see that if this kingdom passed into the hands of others, they must fall, and if they obtained it, with it they obtained all things. According to these prophecies, it was to “break in pieces all kingdoms, and stand forever” to fill the whole earth; a kingdom which was to hear rule over all tongues, languages, and kindreds of the earth, to be everlasting, to never be given to other people; the dead as well as the living to be partakers in its glories, and when the Son of man came, this was the kingdom which was to be given to him. Well then, might the disciples ask the all-absorbing question to the Savior: “will thou now restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Let any man read the Old Testament prophets, and the New Testament apostles and prophets, and they cannot avoid seeing that this, of all others, was the subject that engrossed their attention. When the apostles contended for the resurrection of the dead, it was in obedience to the triumph of the kingdom of God. It was through that they expected it.
Having then the subject of the kingdom of heaven fairly before us as taught by all the sacred writers, we may well say the last days are to be days of wonder. The prophet Isaiah then said right, when he said of the Lord, that in these days he would perform his work, his strange work, and do his act, his strange act. If all the things spoken by the prophets and apostles are ever fulfilled, the day or days in which they will be fulfilled, above all others, will be the days of wonder. We must expect a new body of inspired men yet on this globe; men having received authority, not from the apostles and prophets of old, but from the mission of an heavenly messenger sent through the midst of heaven for that purpose, and bearing good news that are to be everlasting, and through that, cause the downfall of that which the scriptures call Babylon the great.
It is a matter for all to notice, particularly, that thing called Babylon, was not to be thrown down by reason of any power or priesthood the apostles had left when they were taken; for had this been the case, they would have said so; but when they speak of the downfall of Babylon, they speak of it as a consequence, which shall follow a something called the everlasting gospel, and that everlasting gospel to be proclaimed, not by the apostles, but by an angel from heaven. If then, this is correct, all the preaching and teaching men can do by virtue of the authority received from the apostles, will leave Babylon where they found it.
One thing we think is certain, and that is, whatever that thing called Babylon the great is, it is a something which grew up notwithstanding all the power and priesthood the apostles left amongst men, and probably the thing to which Paul alluded, when he said “the mystery of iniquity doth already work,” and would do till a certain time. What makes us think it was the same thing, is, that it is called “mystery Babylon;” and Paul says, “the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” This “mystery of iniquity” was in all probability, “mystery Babylon.” Be this as it may, it is certain, that it was something that was to follow after the days of the apostles, and if it spread in despite of all the priesthood the apostles left on earth until it became Babylon the great, it would be a very unfair conclusion to draw, that that which could not prevent its growth until it became great, could after it became great then overthrow it, where would all this power come from? For if the people, or any of them, had it before, it would have been easier to stop it before it got great, than to cast it down to rise no more after it had become great.
Look at it then as we may, and the conclusion is forced on the mind, that it will require the interposition of heaven in some way, to cast down Babylon the great, different from the Lord’s way of dealing with the apostles, according to their ministry and apostleship; for according to that dealing, Babylon grew up and became great, and the same cause would let it remain great. A change then, must take place, and how will that change take place? If it is not by the angel John saw with the everlasting gospel, we are left to conjecture; and in that case, the angel saw by John, had no business; he brought good tidings the world did not need; for the apostles had all the power necessary, and could transfer it from generation to generation.
View the subject in any point of light we can, and we are left to embrace the plain scripture facts, that in the last days an angel was to visit the earth to inspire men to found and bear off the kingdom of heaven, and thereby gather Israel—establish righteousness on the earth—cast down Babylon—bring in the redemption of the purchased possession—prepare the way for the second advent of the Savior—put the heavens and the earth together—bring those forth who were under the alter in heaven, and cause the heavens and the earth to shout Allaluia.
Science Is True and the Church Is Too 