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Overland Monthly / OV044 - The Divine Program (IX. The Millennial Kingdom)
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OV44 THE DIVINE PROGRAM IX—The Millennial Kingdom
BY C. T. RUSSELL Pastor Brooklyn Tabernacle
AS IS WELL-KNOWN, the basis of the word Millennium is Mille,
which signifies a thousand. For long centuries, GodÂ’s people have
looked forward to times of refreshment, when the curse imposed upon the
world because of AdamÂ’s sin would be lifted by reason of the RedeemerÂ’s
sacrifice. It has been the theory that he who redeemed mankind is to
come a second time, not as a sin-offering, as at the first, but as the
great Deliverer, to release mankind from sin and death conditions, and
to restore the willing and obedient to close harmony with God, and,
indeed, to all that was lost in Adam. Those "restitution times" or
years, as St. Peter says, have been declared by "all the holy prophets
since the world began." (#Ac 3:19-21.)
In other words, as the heathen have had
their theory of a coming Golden Age, the Israelites had the direct
assurance of God that such a period of general world-wide blessing
would surely come. This hope was associated with IsraelÂ’s anticipation
of worldly greatness under the Head Shepherd, the expected Messiah.
Foundation for the hope lay in the Divine promise to Abraham, "In thy
Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Israel hoped and
prayed for the fulfillment of this promise, which meant special honor
and exaltation to them, as well as refreshment to others. They
understood that Messiah would come first, and that it would be under
his direction and ministration of affairs that his Kingdom would be
established—in their nation for the blessing of all nations. These
ancient hopes of Israel will shortly have realization very nearly as
anticipated. The difference is that Messiah, instead of being one
person, is to be composed of the chosen "little flock" of one hundred
and forty-four thousand selected in part from Israel in the end of
their age, and, since then, the remainder from all nations. As soon as
this great Mediator shall be completed his work will begin—the New
Covenant will be sealed between God and Israel, and Messiah, Head and
Body, will be its Mediator. (#Jer 31:31  ; #Ro 11:1,27,31.)
The blessing will extend to all nations,
in that all nations will be welcome to become "Israelites indeed" and
sharers in the blessings of that New (Law) Covenant. As they thus come
into line with the Divine provisions, they will, as foretold, become
children of Abraham. As it is written, "Abraham, I have constituted
thee a Father of many nations." But the chief hope of salvation for the
Millennium is usually based upon the statements in Revelation 20th,
which assure us that in the end of this Gospel Age the Divine power
will restrain Satan, hindering the further deception of humanity during
that period. Meantime, Christ will take unto himself his great power
and reign—control, order, rule, bless. This same period is elsewhere
called "the day of Christ" —the epoch during which The Christ, Head and
Body, shall hold the sway of earth. (#Re 20:4-6.) The same period is referred to by St. Paul in #1Co 15:22,23,
when telling us that, "as all in Adam die, so all in Christ will be
made alive," but, he assures us, "every man in his own order," for he,
Messiah, "must reign until he shall have put all enemies under his
feet"—until he shall have subdued everything that is not in harmony
with the divine arrangement. The suggestion of Revelation that not only
Satan shall be bound for a thousand
OV45 years, but that the Church shall
reign with Christ, etc., is in full harmony with what we know
respecting the LordÂ’s dealing with our race in the past. If we count
the six thousand years as six days of evil—six days of the reign of sin
and death—and then speak of the thousand-year "day of Christ" in which
righteousness shall reign unto life eternal, we thus have in mind the
week of seven-thousand year days. And a week, a cycle of sevens, stands
for completeness. It might be urged that as Sin and Death reigned for
six thousand years the reign of righteousness and light for a period of
one thousand years would be insufficient for the uplift of humanity.
But we hold to the contrary that it is abundantly sufficient and really
what might have been expected. Some of us with the light of Present
Truth, being by the grace of God transformed by the renewing of our
minds, can well realize a great work accomplished in our own hearts in
ten, twenty or thirty years; and we wonder what marvelous
transformations might be effected in mankind during a hundred years or
a thousand. We remember that the work of grace in our hearts has had
our willing co-operation and that we thus have much advantage over such
of the world as might prove unwilling and rebellious. But we remember
also that we now are in conflict with oppositions from the world and
from the Adversary, and that the Divine program is that neither of
these oppositions shall hinder the progress of mankind up the highway
of holiness toward the mark of human perfection during the Millennium.
To rightly understand the condition which will prevail during the
Millennium we must keep distinctly in memory the fact that there will
be two Kingdoms, a heavenly, invisible one, and an earthly, visible
one. Our Lord and his Church, his Bride, will be like unto the angels,
spirit beings, and their rule or dominion will be only through the
earthly Kingdom class, their earthly representatives. As the "kingdom
of darkness" now operates through the servants of sin along lines of
ignorance, superstition, sin and death, the Kingdom of Light will
operate through earthly agencies, in harmony with its principles of
righteousness, truth, knowledge, etc. Thus the assurance of the
Scriptures is that during MessiahÂ’s Kingdom nothing shall be permitted
to hurt or do injury, but on the contrary, it shall cause the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God to fill the earth.—#Isa 11:9 ; #Hab 2:14 .
The earthly agents of Satan and the other
fallen angels (the present powers of spiritual control) are evil men
and evil women and the whole array of sin and error, superstition and
anarchy. Many of these agents of sin are themselves deceived and know
not whom they serve. Nevertheless, as the Scriptures declare, "His
servants ye are unto whom ye render service." The servants of the
Kingdom of God, on the contrary, will be glad, willing, intelligent
servants of God and righteousness, as we shall now show. The Scriptural
presentation is that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets,
together with others who developed similar faith and character, in the
period preceding our LordÂ’s First Advent, will constitute the earthly
phase of the Kingdom of Heaven. St. Paul calls our attention to this in
Hebrews 11 , and declares that "all these died in faith, not having
received the things promised to them"—earthly inheritance, dominion—and
"that they without us should not be made perfect." In other words, the
church of this Gospel Age must first be exalted with her Lord to the
heavenly dominion before the Ancient Worthies will be called forth from
the sleep of death to full human perfection, to constitute the earthly
representatives of the Heavenly Kingdom and its laws and regulations.
Moreover, each of these Ancient Worthies will in himself be a pattern
or sample of perfect manhood—of all that the race as a whole may attain
to by obedience to the laws of the Kingdom and its uplifting
influences. The bringing forth of the Ancient Worthies from the tomb to
instantaneous perfection will be, as the Apostle explains, because of
their having stood certain trials and testings of faith, which brought
to them the Divine approval as worthy to be used as the earthly seed of
Abraham, in the great work of Messiah—the blessing and uplifting of all
the families of the earth. Those Ancient Worthies were once
OV46 styled the "fathers." But as the
Scriptures point out through the further development of the Divine Plan
their relationship to Christ and the Church will alter. As we read,
"Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make
princes in all the earth." (#Ps 45:16.)
In other words, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, et al., were the
forefathers of Messiah according to the flesh; but MessiahÂ’s sacrifices
of the flesh and his attainment by resurrection to the Divine
nature—gave him a valuable asset of human rights, which he is at
liberty to dispense to humanity. The giving to men of those human
rights, earthly restitutions, includes the giving of life rights: thus
the Mediator became "the age-lasting Father" of the whole world of
mankind—or so many of them as ever shall attain to eternal life.—#Isa 9:6 .
The Ancient Worthies will receive this
earthly life or restitution to human nature in common with the world;
hence they, as well as all the remainder of the human family, will
occupy to Messiah the relationship of children, offspring—those who
receive life from Messiah at his expense—and the result of his
sacrifice of himself. The superiority of the Ancient Worthies in
station and honor and ruling power above the remainder of mankind will
be based upon the fact that they will be perfect men, while the
remainder of the world will be imperfect. As we have already seen,
their instantaneous resurrection to perfection will be the result or
reward of their fidelity to the Lord under severe trials during their
time of contact with sin. As we have already seen, the world of mankind
will experience gradual resurrection from death conditions to life
conditions. First will come the awakening, "Every man in his own
order," and then during the thousand years a gradual raising up
(resurrection) out of degradation and sin and imperfection, to
righteousness and perfection in proportion as each individual shall
heartily avail himself of the knowledge and opportunity which he will
then possess. All who refuse to progress will die the Second Death.
The Day of His Preparation.
As already seen, the world has been for
more than a century in what is termed "The day of his preparation"—for
the Millennium, the time in which the LordÂ’s blessings will fill the
earth. The wonderful inventions of our day are already making the world
rich. But what will a thousand years of progress signify in the way of
accumulated wealth? If, as inventors assure us, we are merely on the
edge, as it were, of still more wonderful inventions and devices for
human comfort, what may we reasonably expect the world will have before
the close of the thousand years of ChristÂ’s Millennial reign? If
present inventions are but preparations for that glorious day, and the
work of imperfect men, what may we not expect in the day itself at the
hands of a growingly intelligent race and under the special supervision
of the Ancient Worthies perfected in human nature, and under the
further supervision of the great Messiah, Prophet, Priest, King, Judge
and Mediator for the race? If any are disposed to fear that the great
wealth of the world at that time would inure to the comfort and
blessing of only a wealthy few and not to the general prosperity of the
race, let such reflect upon the fact that the great Messiah, Emmanuel,
has given us assurances, not only in his own character and teaching,
but also directly through the prophets, that he will lay righteousness
to the line and justice to the plummet. Let such remember, also, the
distinct promise that he will remember the poor and needy. Note the
prophecy: "He shall judge the poor of the people; he shall save the
needy children, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. In his day
shall the righteous flourish, and an abundance of peace." (#Ps 72.)
Let us remember, also, the figurative promise of the Scriptures
respecting the Millennial Day, that "every hill shall be brought low
and every valley exalted." Let such remember also the Scriptural
assurance that "the meek shall inherit the earth;" that "the righteous
shall be exalted and that evil-doers shall be cut off." Surely there is
abundant evidence that during the Millennium the blessing of life will
be justly, unerringly distributed. The Divine promise is that the great
King will lay justice to the line and righteousness to the plummet and
sweep away all
OV47 the refuges of lies. The high ones
will all be brought low and the lowly ones will be exalted. This will
mean more than a fulfillment of socialist dreams. Their well-meant
scheme is a thoroughly impracticable one; first, because if they could
effect such a change as they desire, it would be only a question of
time when the selfishness of the human heart would re-distribute the
wealth of the world much after the manner of the present; secondly,
their view is impracticable because the wealthy and favored class,
believing that they are justly possessed of their wealth, would see the
streets run with blood rather than permit distribution of their wealth
and special privileges.
We are not discounting the benevolence
and goodness of the wealthy, but neither are we discounting the innate
selfishness of all classes. The Divine program has taken into
consideration every feature of the situation in its providence, and the
results will be glorious. The wreck of the present social system in
anarchy, shortly, will teach humanity the necessary lesson that it
cannot trust itself under present conditions. The help necessary must
come from the Lord. The new Kingdom will be a strong one and its
judgments, its decisions, its rewards, its punishments, will be
world-wide.
The righteous will be blessed with the
true comforts of life—health, strength and earthly blessing. The
unrighteous will be made to feel the unprofitableness of their
course—that the way of transgressors is hard. Gradually, this system of
rewards and punishments—or, as the Scriptures put it, these "judgments
of the Lord"—will teach the right lesson of the sinfulness and
undesirableness of sin in its every form and of the blessedness of
righteousness and equity, "when the judgments of the Lord are abroad in
the earth and the inhabitants of the world will learn
righteousness."—Isa..26:9. The condemnation of Divine Justice will be
lifted immediately at the beginning of the millennium, when the great
Mediator shall apply the merit of his sacrifice on behalf of the world
(as he applied it to the household of faith at Pentecost.) Nevertheless
the "curse," the imperfections, the blemishes, of humanity and the
earthly home will be gradually recovered. The promise of the Lord that
the whole earth shall be brought to a Paradise condition will be
gradually effected during the thousand years, just as human restitution
to Adamic perfection will be gradually attained. The blessings which
will then prevail, the comforts, the leisure, will be for all, because
all will be rich and under the supervision of the Millennial Kingdom.
This leisure will not be permitted to be used for sinful or depraved
pleasures, but merely in accord with the highest interests of all.
Love, joy and peace will be the characteristics of that time. By the
close of the Millennium GodÂ’s will shall be done on earth, even as it
is done in heaven, and every human creature shall have attained to full
perfection—the rebellious being cut off in the "Second Death."
The loss incurred through AdamÂ’s
transgression will have been fully retrieved. The race, so far from
being injured by the experiences of sin, will really have been blessed;
because of their greater appreciation of Truth and righteousness and
their experiences under the reign of sin and lessons that will be
learned during the Millennial period of reclamation from the influences
of the curse. All refusing these gracious provisions, after trial, the
Scriptures assure us, will be utterly, hopelessly destroyed in the
Second Death.—#Ac 3:23.
When the Mediatorial Kingdom of Christ
shall have accomplished its design of blessing all the families of the
earth, by uplifting of the willing and obedient out of sin and death
conditions, that special and provisional Kingdom will terminate. As the
Apostle says, Christ shall give up the Kingdom to God and he will be
all in all. Meantime by his Millennial Kingdom he shall have put down
sin and all opposed to the Divine Government and everything in
opposition to the highest interests and welfare of the race. Love and
mercy having done everything possible, their utmost, for the race
during the Millennium, the regenerated race will be handed over at its
close to strictest Justice. Thenceforth, no allowance will be made for
imperfections, because no imperfections will exist.
Ignorance and superstition having been done away with, destroyed,
OV48 Divine Law, absolute Justice, will be enforced.—#1Co 15:24,28.
The Scriptures, properly enough, then, show us that immediately
following this turning over of the Kingdom by Messiah to the Father,
the reign of Mercy, giving place to the reign of Justice, will be
followed by a period of trial to the race. For a brief period, Satan
will be loosed, and an opportunity for sin will be permitted, with a
view to testing the loyalty of those who had been rescued from the
reign of Sin and Death. A conspiracy of self-will against agents of
Divine authority will be permitted—to test, to prove, all dwelling upon
the face of the whole earth, whose members will then be as the sands of
the seashore—innumerable. How many of these will succumb to the
temptation and thereby prove their hearts disloyal, is not stated. But
all who do thus yield to the temptation will be accounted worthy of the
Second Death and will be utterly destroyed. By such strenuous tests the
Lord will prove, test, the hearts of men and blot out of existence all
who with full knowledge and opportunity to the contrary still entertain
any disloyalty to the principles of truth and righteousness. It is
because of these strenuous tests which will be applied to every
creature that the Lord is able to guarantee to us that "there shall be
no more sighing, no more crying and no more dying," because there shall
be no more sin. There may be some unwilling to believe in the
Millennial Kingdom, because unable to grasp by faith so remarkable a
Divine supervision of human affairs for the uplifting of our race from
sin and death conditions. These are not to be specially blamed, for, as
the Apostle says, "All men have not faith." (#2Th 3:2.)
All men, however, who have faith to believe in the Divine promises can
realize the justice as well as the love and mercy connected with the
Divine scheme of redemption. It began with our LordÂ’s giving himself as
a.ransom for all, to be testified in due time. It has continued during
this Gospel Age in the selecting of the "little flock," the "jewels" to
be MessiahÂ’s associates in the work of the Millennial Kingdom. It will
operate during the Millennial Age most gloriously, and the results will
be all that can be desired. Then shall come the time when every
creature in heaven and earth and under the earth shall be heard
praising and honoring the great Prophet, Priest and King, whose
righteous dealings will finally have been made manifest, and whose
creatures will have been brought to the highest degree of blessing—the
"little flock" on the heavenly plane, mankind on the earthly plane, and
the incorrigible to Second Death—destruction.
TAKE HEART
LET me take heart! the present scene shall soon be oÂ’er; The clustering clouds shall hide the sun at noon no more.
The tears now dropping from mine eyes shall be forgot; And joys, undimmed by sin and misery, my lot.
The storm now sweeping through the troubled sky be past; The longed-for morning without clouds arise at last.
The hindmost shadow soon shall utterly depart; Then let me watch and wait, and hopefully take heart.
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