THE AGE TO COME | AdventAI

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, March 4, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 10

“THE AGE TO COME.”

THE WRONG THRONE, AND THE WRONG KING.

In the lectures before the Biblical class in the College, the doctrine of the “Age to Come” has been briefly examined, and by request we present to the readers of the REVIEW some of the points that have been made. Whoever examines this question in order to refute the errors which are entertained concerning it, meets a difficulty on the very start. It is that there are no expositions of the doctrine which are considered standard, and indorsed by all who hold what they call “Age-to-Come” views. Hence when one claim is examined and refuted, we find we have disposed of the views of only an individual, or at most, of comparatively few individuals, others holding other positions, almost as multifarious as the number of persons who belong to the organization.

Yet we understand that there are certain underlying views upon which all theories of the “Age to Come,” so-called, must rest, certain fundamental principles, without which all the superstructure, from sill to finial, must fall to the ground. These principles are:—

1. That Christ comes the second time to take the throne of David to reign in Palestine, and subjugate his enemies, the Gentile nations of the earth.

2. That probation continues after Christ comes.

3. That the earth is habitable, and is inhabited after that event.

4. That there are certain special promises to be fulfilled to the old, or earthly Jerusalem, and to the literal seed of Abraham, during this reign of Christ.

If any one of these positions fails, all the views included in this term, “The Age to Come,” must also fail; and if they shall all be found to be antiscriptural, the doctrine is certainly founded on something far less substantial than sand itself.

We take the ground that not only one, but all of them are utterly without support in the Scriptures of truth, and will give a few reasons for so believing.

In the Restitution of Feb. 5, 1880, Eld. J. P. Weethee quotes 1 Cor. 15:25 as testimony concerning the future reign of Christ: “For he must reign until he hath put all enemies under his feet.” This is put in as testimony that the reign of Christ, commencing with his second coming, is a reign of subjugation to subdue his enemies to himself. But there are other scriptures which speak of the subjugation of Christ’s enemies, and the testimony of these scriptures must be allowed to have a bearing upon the conclusion which we adopt.

We find a prophecy of this glorious work in Ps. 110:1: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” There can be no mistaking the personages here brought to view: “The Lord [Jehovah, the Father] said unto my Lord [Christ, the Son], Sit thou at my right hand, until I [Jehovah] make thine enemies [the Son’s enemies] thy footstool.” According to this prophecy, it is Jehovah who subdues the enemies of Christ to him, and he does this while Christ is sitting at his right hand.

We now turn to the New Testament to ascertain whether Christ has yet taken that position or not. In Rev. 3:21 Christ himself says, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Christ, then, has taken his position on the throne, at the right hand of the Father. Paul testifies to the same fact in Heb. 8:1: “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” This points out the present position of our Lord Jesus Christ, at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Is this the period referred to in the 110th psalm? We learn from Paul’s testimony in Heb. 10:12, 13, that it is: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

Here is a direct reference to the prophecy of Ps. 110; and if Paul is a safe expositor of the prophecies, he shows us that Christ is now occupying the position at the right hand of his Father, waiting till he (the Father) shall make his enemies his footstool, according to that prophecy.

We now turn to the 15th chapter of first Corinthians, the prophecy from which Mr. W. takes his text, and will read the verses to which he refers, paraphrasing them in accordance with this view: “Then cometh the end [the end of this dispensation], when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom [which he now holds in connection with God upon his throne] to God, even the Father; when he [God] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power [which is opposed to the Son, according to the prophecy of David in Ps. 110]. For he [Christ] must reign [at the right hand of his Father upon his

throne in Heaven] till he, [the Father] hath put all enemies under his [Christ’s] feet. The last enemy [of Christ and his people] that shall be destroyed is death. For he [God] hath [in promise and purpose] put all things under his [Christ’s] feet. But when he [God] saith all things are put under him [Christ], it is manifest that he [God] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Christ]. And when all things shall be subdued unto him [Christ], then shall the Son also [Christ] himself be subject unto him [God] that put all things under him [Christ], that God may be all in all.”

That this is a correct view of the passage may be easily ascertained by trying to read it, paraphrasing it in the same manner, in accordance with the “Age-to-Come” view. With that view we must read it as follows:— “Then cometh the end [of the thousand years of Christ’s reign], when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom [his own kingdom] to God, even the Father; when he [Christ] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power [against himself]. For he [Christ] must reign [on the throne of David], till he [Christ] hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he [Christ] hath put all things under his [Christ’s] feet. But when he [Christ] saith all things are put under him [Christ], it is manifest that he [Christ] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Christ]. And when all things shall be subdued unto him [Christ], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [Christ] that did put all things under him [Christ], that God may be all in all.”

This is not only contrary to the prophecy concerning this subjugation of Christ’s enemies, but it makes utter nonsense of the scripture itself. Here, then, is the first failure in these foundation stones of the “Age-to-Come” view. They make the subjugation take place while Christ is upon the wrong throne, and have that work accomplished by the wrong King. It is while Christ is on the throne of his Father, where he himself and the apostle Paul testify that he now is, that his enemies are subdued under his feet; and this subjugation is accomplished by the Father and not by the Son.