There Are Two remarkable periods of time recorded in scripture. One 1 is already past, the other is yet to come.
The one already past was at or soon after the first coming of Christ, and this time was much spoken of in the scriptures. This the apostle calls the “fullness of time.” This was a most remarkable time, a great day, and many great things were done at this time. The way of instituted worship was wholly changed, and the ceremonial law abolished, and another way appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ instead thereof. The Jews rejecting the gospel are cast off and the Gentiles receiving the gospel are taken into their room. City and temple are ruined; the nation of the Jews, multitudes, multitudes are destroyed, the rest scattered the world over. The gospel is preached to all nations, and to that end extraordinary gifts are given. Therefore this was a great day, both notable and terrible, which Peter calls the last days and Paul calls the last days when God has spoken to us by His Son.
The future day
There is yet another remarkable period of time which is yet future, and that will be at the second or next coming of Christ. His first coming was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. His second coming will be without sin unto our salvation. His first coming was mean in outward appearance. His second coming will be unspeakably glorious, when he comes to build up Zion and take unto himself his great power and reign, and all the kingdoms of this world will become his and he will deal wonderfully with his people.
I do not know any one thing in scripture more insisted on than the glory of the latter part of the last days, including the thousand years of the kingdom of Christ until the last judgement. We may take notice how many great things God has yet to do in the world and how much of the prophetical part of the scripture is yet unfulfilled. We may note how many great and glorious things are yet unaccomplished, which are to be done now in this last age of the world, in bringing about all His glorious designs which He has purposed in Himself, and has promised the accomplishment of for His own glory.
Dry bones of Israel
Considering how these dry bones of Israel lie scattered most parts of the world over, and do hardly know themselves of what nation they are, much less do others know, and it may be speak divers languages, I rather incline to think that God will, in some way or another, first bring the Jews into their own Land, and give them advantage to return by drying up the river Euphrates, that is, as I conceive, by diminishing and abating the great power of the Turk in and about that part of the world; and that either by intestine commotions, or wars with other nations, or both.
Now is the time when those dry bones will come together and stand upon their feet, and become an exceeding great army, and have breath breathed into them, and have a civil life put into them, but no spiritual life till after they be in their own Land.
Great wars to come
After their return to their own Land, way being made for them by the weakening of the Turkish power, it is very likely there will be great wars, and much blood shed, and the Jews will be much diminished and brought very low, as we may read in Daniel 12:1. The prophet Zechariah tells us that many of them shall be cut off and die and their holy city taken. A compound of nations shall engage in a war, not with one another, but principally with the Jews, and many nations shall be gathered together in battle against them to destroy them. There shall be such a time of trouble as never was since there was a nation to that same time. Then will the Lord go forth and fight against those nations in the battle of the great day of God Almighty. God will destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem. And Christ will personally and visibly appear, and when his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives from whence he ascended, then he will come and all his saints with him.
Then shall they [the Jews] be converted to Christianity, partly by vision, Christ personally appearing to them, whom they shall look upon and see with their bodily eyes and mourn, under a deep sense of their sin. Then it is likely that they will cry as those converted Jews in Acts 2:37, “What shall we do?”
Then will be the deliverance of his people out of the hands of all their adversaries, and the destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom. Then all the kingdoms of the world shall be his, and he shall reign, and his name shall be great from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same.
Exhortation to us
Seeing these things, and many things more which might be named, must come to pass, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for, and hastening to, the coming of the day of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be found of him in peace, having our loins girt and our lights burning.
It is a great duty incumbent on all Christians at all times, not only to wait, but to watch. Hardly any duty is more pressed in scripture than this, Christ foreseeing that wise virgins as well as foolish would slumber and sleep, when he should come. The apostle, speaking of the day of the Lord coming as a thief, warns the Thessalonians to watch and be sober. Blessed is that servant whom, when his Lord comes, he shall find so doing!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One