A millennium previous to the second advent of Christ is nowhere mentioned in the Scriptures. If it be said that the preaching of the Gospel shall ultimately convert the world, we may well ask where the tokens of such conversion may be found. Shall we look at the dense darkness of the heathen world ? Shall we look at the formalism of the professed church ? Shall we look at the centres of professed civilisation, where squalor crowds on splendour, where in the midst of lavish wealth, thousands pine away in hunger, shame, starvation and damnation ?
Shall we look at China, where a few mission stations profess to illuminate the gross darkness, but really intensify it by their truth perverting dogmas ? Where shall we go to find evidence of a glad era of peace and universal blessing which is proclaimed as sure to come in the near future ?
The truth is, no such blessing is predicted in the Scriptures. The contrary is the fact. Christ specifically warned His apostles and disciples that they should be the subjects of grievous persecution during His absence in the heavenly sanctuary. He declared that they should be as “sheep in the midst of wolves”; “that they should be hated of all nations for His Name’s sake.”
It was further predicted that many members of the church should prove unfaithful and become apostates, that indeed this apostasy should result in the manifestation of anti-Christ who should make divine claims. He should exalt himself as God and, sitting in the temple of God, should show himself as God. In fact, the whole interval between Christ’s first and second advents should be characterized by war and persecution, and declension from the Truth.
Manifestly this apostasy cannot co-exist with a millennium. Indeed, so far from the world being in a godly state to usher in a millennium, it will exhibit the abounding wickedness of Noah’s age, and the sensual degeneracy of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus it is contrary to the entire analogy of human experience to expect a spiritual reformation of mankind during Christ’s absence.
Abounding iniquity is the salient feature of the human race in every dispensation of its history. The Edenic era was seduced by the serpent’s subtlety ; the Antediluvian age lapsed into gross immorality; Egypt fell from the glory of Joseph’s days to the judgements and plagues of the Red Sea ; the restored remnant of Judah rejected and crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and the universal dispersion of their race.
These unquestionable facts show conclusively that peace and righteousness are impossible under a human administration. Not until the Prince of Peace returns will the nations learn righteousness by His divine judgments. Then the just shall flourish in His reign. And while the moon doth endure He shall cause peace to flow as a river, and righteousness as the waves of the sea. For He shall speak peace to the nations, and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation ; neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4).
Thus the carnage and devastation of war shall cease forever, for justice and equity shall reign among all nations. For the Lord shall be king over all the earth ; in that day there shall be one Lord and His name one.
“For the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11 :15). “For the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom shall be given to the people of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27).
Thus the glorious arid wonderful day draws nigh when this earth shall be the kingdom of Emmanuel, God’s glorious Son. Then its people will be equal in rank and dignity to the angels of God. Like these angels they, too, shall be deathless and glorious. They shall die no more, and shall shine forth as the brightness of the sun forever and forever (Matt. 13:43).
They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto the living fountains of waters : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev. 7 :16,17)
The tabernacle of God will then be with men, and He will dwell with them and be their God, “and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21: 4,5)
Such is the sublime vista of the future of our race and our earth in the eternal ages with which the Scriptures close—a deathless, tearless, glorious universe in which the light and love of God is triumphant forever, and He is all in all. May it be ours!
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One