'Thus
beautifully do the Scriptures harmonize on this subject. Now we are prepared
understandingly to examine the error of those who apply the prophecies we have
here noticed to the reign of Christ as a priest on his Father’s throne….
The
position which Christ now occupies on the throne of his Father, as a
priest-king, he will sometime resign. Read 1 Cor. 15:23-28.
1Co
15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward
they that are Christ's at his coming.
1Co
15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to
God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority
and power.
1Co
15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his
feet.
1Co
15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1Co
15:27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all
things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all
things under him.
1Co
15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son
also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be
all in all.
His
priesthood will not last forever.
Instead of
forever pleading his blood in behalf of sinful men, he will leave that throne
and come to earth again, “taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thess. 1:6-10.
2Th
1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to
them that trouble you;
2Th
1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall
be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th
1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that
obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th
1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th
1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired
in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that
day.
Instead of
forever enjoying the privileges of the day of salvation, and living under the
mercy of the Lamb, the wicked will, in that coming day, pray to be hid “from
the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
[saying] for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to
stand?” Rev. 6:15-17.
Rev
6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and
the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man,
hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev
6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from
the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb:
Rev
6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to
stand?
And now in
regard to the faith of the disciples, as indicated by their question on Acts
1:6, we confidently affirm that their belief was in perfect harmony with the
letter and spirit of the scriptures we have quoted. And we have yet more, and
if possible still more conclusive, evidence to produce. The angel who announced
that Jesus should be born, used the following language: “He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
[Israel] forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32, 33.
These are
the words of a messenger direct from Heaven, and may not lightly be passed
over. And with all these scriptures before them, and having so long enjoyed the
personal instruction of the Prince
- 177 - J.
H. Waggoner
himself,
“of the things pertaining to the kingdom,” we think it is altogether
unwarranted to assume that the disciples were laboring under “prejudice in
favor of an erroneous opinion.” This text last quoted settles the question that
the throne and kingdom which he now occupies is not that to which reference is made in the prophecies which
have been examined. For, as shown by 1 Cor. 15:23-28, and other texts, there
will be an end to this reign; his priestly reign will cease. And the throne
which he now occupies is not “the throne of his father David.” That throne he
will occupy in the future; and his reign upon that will have “no end.”
And so far
from the disciples having their errors corrected by the inspiration which they
received on the day of Pentecost, as intimated by Dr. Barnes, Peter confirmed
their belief, in his sermon on that day. Speaking of David he said: “Therefore
being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of
the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit
on his throne.” And one of the most decisive evidences that Jesus is not yet
sitting on the throne of David, the throne which is his by right of his birth,
is found in his own words in Rev. 3:21: “To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” His Father, upon whose
throne he is now sitting, is not his father David. That throne upon which he is
now, is not and never was the throne of his father David. This proof is
absolutely incontrovertible. But, as surely as the “Scriptures cannot be broken,”
he will yet sit upon the throne of his father David; upon that throne will he
rule over the house of Jacob forever; of that kingdom and reign there will be no end. And only in
this manner can the oath of the Lord to David be fulfilled. The Scriptures
inform us that the position which the Son of God now occupies is one of
expectancy. The apostle says he is set down on the right hand of God, from
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Heb. 10:13. This
expectation is based on the promise made in Ps. 110:1: “The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” His
enemies were not put under his feet at the beginning of the period of his
sitting at the right hand of his Father. Had that been the case
The
Atonement - 178
Paul’s
statement in Heb. 10:13 would not have been correct. But they will be put under
his feet when the time comes for him to leave that throne, to resign his
priestly office, and to come to destroy his enemies. Ps. 2:7-10 informs us what
disposition he will make of them when they are given to him. “Thou art my Son;
this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for
thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a
potter’s vessel. And 2 Thess. 1:6-10, already quoted, shows that it will be at
his second coming that he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and
obey not the gospel. And this again is in harmony with Rev. 11:15-18, where it
is shown that under the seventh trumpet, which closes this dispensation, the
kingdoms of this world are given to Christ.
Rev
11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev
11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their
seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev
11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and
wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and
hast reigned.
Rev
11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of
the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto
thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name,
small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
And in
connection with this gift it is said: “And the nations were angry, and thy
wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that
thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints,
and to them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them
which destroy [corrupt] the earth.” It seems needless to repeat that the reward
of the saints will be given when Jesus comes again. Matt. 16:27; Luke 14:14;
Rev. 22:12.
Mat
16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Luk
14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for
thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Rev
22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be.
No comments:
Post a Comment