“That the mission of the Kingdom will be to subdue all enemies, and finally death itself, by opening up the way of life to the nations, which they will enter by faith during the thousand years, and (in reality) at their close.”
Article XXVIII
“That at the close of the thousand years, there will be a general resurrection and judgment, resulting in the final extinction of the wicked, and the immortalization of those who shall have established their title (under the grace of God to eternal life during the thousand years.”
Article XXIX
The ultimate purpose of God in bringing this world into existence was to have it reflect as in a mirror His glory. This could only come about in the final sense, when sin and death had been banished from the earth. As the prophet, Habakkuk records, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (2:14). The work of Jesus in His redemptive roll has made this prophecy both intelligible and possible. His offering for sin and the conquering of death, through perfect obedience to the Father has made it possible for faithful children of God to be made partakers of His Divine nature.
The Nations Subdued
The final phase of His redemptive work involves the fulfillment of exceeding great and precious promises, made to the fathers of old. His future advent will commence a work which will bring all creation into the condition described by Habakkuk. The Kingdom of God is the instrument by which this end is to be achieved; viz, the filling of this earth with the glory of Yahweh (Num. 14:21).
As we noticed under Article XXVII, a law is to go forth from Mt. Zion to all the inhabitants of the earth, inviting them to place their trust in the LORD’S anointed. Because of the power behind this law, the nations will soon yield to the peaceful aims of the Son of God. Those who choose to resist must face the wrath of the King, and finally be subjected to destruction (Psa. 2:11-12).
All to know the Lord
Because of the world-wide program of education which is to be initiated at the commencement of His reign, the peoples of the world will soon be conversant with the will and purpose of God (Jer. 31: 34, Zech. 14:9, Psa. 72). Those who wish to become related to the household of Faith will be given the opportunity to do so by complying to the same requirements set forth today as a basis of salvation. Upon confessing their faith in the will and purpose of God as consummated in the Lord Jesus Christ, and expressing their repentance, they will then put on Christ through water baptism. Thus, they will have entered the race for eternal life on the basis of faith. Since knowledge brings responsibility, by the end of the millennial reign of Christ, the inhabitants of the earth will have become amenable to judgment. Death is to continue to exercise its dominion over the inhabitants of the earth during the thousand year rule of Jesus and His immortalized saints. It will be remembered that “he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:25-26). This is to be accomplished after He has reigned, and therefore, mortality will continue to take its toll amongst the subjects of the Kingdom throughout His millennial rule.
The Rest of the Dead
This fact makes necessary another resurrection at the close of the thousand year period for those responsible ones who have succumbed to death. John, while exiled on Patmos received apocalyptic visions pertaining to these very events. The following quotation speaks of the blessedness of those who are to live and reign with the Lord’s anointed during the thousand years. However, John also speaks of others who must await the end of the millennium before being made alive eternally in Christ: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiper the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4-6).
No difficulty is encountered when we attempt to identify those who live (restored to life) and reign with Christ. John speaks of them as having suffered for the sake of Jesus and who had maintained their fidelity to God even in the face of persecution. These are the faithful of all ages up to the coming of Jesus, who are now rewarded with an incorruptible nature and with the privilege of associating with the King of Kings as co-rulers in the Kingdom of God. But, who are the “rest of the dead,” who lived not “until the thousand years were finished ?” The “dead” here must be understood to mean those who had not yet come in to existence in John’s time, or before the resurrection of the firstfruits, and has reference to those whom the Father had given to the Son, and to whom eternal life is yet to be granted (see Jo. 10:16, 6:37-40, 17:6, 9, etc.). After the first resurrection at the coming of Christ and the subsequent immortalization of the faithful, both living and dead, up to that time, there will still remain some of Adam’s race who will ultimately experience salvation. By Adam’s race, I mean the entire reign of mortality, from the time of Adam to the end of the millennium. Those who are to be “made alive in Christ” include not only the “firstfruits of His creatures” who will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump” at His coming, but also a great innumerable host who will enter their probation subsequent to the Lord’s advent.
The manner of John’s statement seems to suggest that their will be no more admission to immortality until after the one thousand years have elapsed; (“until the thousand years were finished”). It will be noted that the word, “again” in Rev. 20:5 is omitted by the R. V., giving force to interpretation above.
The Great White Throne
The commencement of the new epoch is preceded by the suppression of the revolt of the nations at the end of the thousand years, and the resurrection of those who had become enlightened during the Kingdom age. John sees this scene symbolically set forth, which he describes in the following terms: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15).
The features of this scene are not difficult to interpret when the nature of the Kingdom is understood. The “great white throne” speaks of righteous judgment emanating from Him who sits upon it. The books referred to are not literal books, but rather (fittingly) represent the infinite mind of God in which is stored the remembrance of all His people (see Mal. 3:16-17). The ones who survive the judgment will enter into immortality, while those whose names were not found written in the book of life i.e. the unfaithful, suffer the second death — a final and unremedial death. The casting of death and hell (Grk. “hades” = grave) into the lake of fire symbolizes the end of death to those who are found faithful. But, more than this, it marks the absolute end of mortality on this earth, and the commencement of a new constitution of things.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One