3: SPECIAL PROMISES RESPECTING THE EARTH

“ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” Daniel 4:35.SAIN 18.1

THESE are the words of Nebuchadnezzar when his reason returned to him, after having been driven out to eat grass with the beasts of the earth for seven years. Previous to this, in the interpretation of his dream by the prophet Daniel, he had been shown that the end of earthly kingdoms, as then ruled by men, should be by the God of heaven setting up a kingdom, of which it was said it “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 for ever.” ^{1Daniel 2:44.}SAIN 18.2

We find in the Scriptures, promises respecting this earth which have not yet been fulfilled, and we call attention to them as proof of a future inheritance. The evidences on this point might be arranged in the form of a logical argument, as follows: God has made certain infallible promises respecting this earth. These promises have never been fulfilled, and according to the description which the Bible gives of the last days, these promises will not meet with their accomplishment before the second advent of Christ. From these premises we would draw the conclusion: There is a future state of this earth,, beyond the second advent of Christ, when the saints of God shall possess the earth, and when these promises shall meet their fulfillment.SAIN 18.3

As an example of these promises, we will first call attention to the words of the Lord to Moses: “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” ^{2Numbers 14:21.} There can be no doubt as to the certainty that this promise will be fully accomplished, for the Lord has pledged his own life for its fulfillment. The history of the past presents no time when the earth has been filled with the glory of the Lord, as stated in this promise. In every age since this prediction, violence, anarchy, and sin have reigned predominant. In the days of the prophet Habakkuk, the Lord through his prophet was pointing forward to that glorious time as yet in the future. We read the words of the Lord by this prophet: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” ^{3Habakkuk 2:14.} To avoid the conclusion that this text refers to a perfect state, when the earth shall be peopled by a class who “shall be all righteous,” ^{4Isaiah 60:21.}SAIN 19.1

As these promises have not yet been fulfilled, we claim that they will not be fulfilled this side the second advent of Christ. Some have taught that all the world is to be converted and enjoy a thousand years of peace and quietness prior to Christ’s second coming, and that during that thousand years these promises will be fulfilled. The testimony of Christ, and that of Paul, is against the view of any such world’s conversion.SAIN 19.2

Note the parable of our Lord concerning the tares of the field: “So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ^{5Matthew 13:27-30, 37-42.}SAIN 20.1

Mark the Saviour’s explanation of this parable: “He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” From this we learn that both righteous and wicked are to be together on earth until the end of the world. It is clearly evident from this fact that the entire world is not to be converted before the coming of Christ and the end of the world.SAIN 20.2

We will next notice Paul’s description of the last days: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” ^{62 Timothy 3:1-5.}SAIN 20.3

This is not a description of the world at large, but of a class who profess the name of Christ, “having a form of godliness.” These are to exist in that very time when it has been claimed that the world will be converted and enjoy a millennium. There can be no days later than the last days. So the state here described must include the very last day before Christ’s coming. It is evident that the above language presents the state of things to be found in our world just before our Lord’s return. In this same chapter the apostle has further stated what this class will do: “As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth.” ^{72 Timothy 3:8.} It could not be claimed, surely, that “all the earth” is filled with the glory of the Lord while such a class are still upon it.SAIN 21.1

In his first epistle to Timothy the apostle speaks of this same time in these words: “Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” ^{81 Timothy 4:1.} It seems from this that the doctrines of devils are to be taught in the last days by seducing spirits, and that many will give heed to them. This is already being accomplished in the teachings of modern Spiritualism. The state of things above described, and which we see coming on the earth, does not look like the conversion of the whole world, or the binding of Satan before the second advent of Christ.SAIN 21.2

Dr. Priest, in his time, stated his view of the ushering in of the temporal millennium: “Christ is coming spiritually, Satan is to be bound, and a thousand years of millennium be enjoyed by God’s people on earth prior to Christ’s coming to judgment.” Present advocates of the theory seem to have the idea that the way is to be prepared for this spiritual reign of Christ, by their enforcing their ideas of the law of God by civil law; and that, when they have done this, Christ will acknowledge the kingdoms of this world as his kingdom. The word of God tells of no spiritual second coming of Christ. His testimony to the disciples, when he gave them the gospel commission, reads: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, ... and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” ^{9Matthew 28:19, 20.} He promises, in this testimony, that his Spirit will abide with them. The same idea is conveyed when he speaks of the Comforter which he would send: “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” ^{10John 14:16.}SAIN 21.3

The Bible testimony concerning the coming of Christ presents it as a literal coming. When the Saviour had given the disciples their commission to preach the gospel, he ascended up before them literally and bodily into heaven. “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” ^{11Acts 1:10, 11.} His coming will be as literal and visible as his ascending into heaven. There is, then, no ground for the claim that the promise that “the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord,” can be fulfilled this side the literal coming of our Lord from heaven. With reference to the promise of earthly glory thus far noticed, we have sustained our two premises, and now respecting them, we draw the conclusion: Therefore, there must be, beyond the second advent, a future state for this earth, when the glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.SAIN 22.1

If we compare the statement of Daniel concerning events to take place just preceding the end, with Paul’s account of what takes place at Christ’s coming, we find no millennium, but rather the overthrow of an apostate power, which, up to that time, has been warring against the law and truth of God. Of this “little horn” power Daniel said: “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” As to when that is to be, he says, “They shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.” ^{12Daniel 7:21, 22, 26.}SAIN 22.2

Paul, speaking of the same power, calls it “that man of sin; ... the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped;” of which he says, “Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” ^{132 Thessalonians 2:3, 8.} “The general run of Protestant writers understand the whole of this as referring to the popes and Church of Rome; or the whole system of the papacy.”SAIN 23.1

This doctrine of a world’s conversion, and of millennial glory being brought in before the actual coming of Christ to overthrow sin and Satan, is of modern date, it being first proclaimed to any extent by Daniel Whitby, who died A. D. 1726. Previous to his time it seems, from history, that the almost universal sentiment of the Church was that the final possession of a new earth by the people of God, would constitute the fulfillment of the promises of God respecting the earth.SAIN 23.2