WHEN the subject of the second advent is presented, and the duty of watching for the coming of Christ is urged, some seek to excuse themselves from giving heed to it, saying that it is no more a duty, or no more important, now than it has been ever since the days of the apostles. But that this is an error has already been shown in our examination of the prophecies of Daniel. And not only so, but it is contrary to the general trend of the teaching of both the Old and New Testaments.
The second coming of Christ is not presented in the Scriptures as a vague something about which nothing is revealed, and which might have taken place at any time in the last eighteen hundred years. On the contrary, it is presented by Inspiration as a most stupendous, awful, glorious, well-defined, and clearly-revealed event which will follow closely the complete fulfillment of certain prophecies which will be well understood by the people of God living in the last days. That this is so is universally recognized by the inspired writers. In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul speaks thus of the coming of the Lord:—
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 4: 16-18; 5: 1-4.
In this scripture the apostle plainly teaches that when the day of the Lord comes, some will be overtaken as by a thief; but he adds, "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." But why will they not be thus overtaken? Evidently because they are watching—expecting the return of their Lord. "Yes," you say, "that is just what I thought; the brethren are Christians; and as Christians are always watching, as a matter of course they will not be overtaken as by a thief." But have Christians always been watching for the second coming of Christ? Let us see what the apostle says about it in his second letter to the217Thessalonian brethren. It seems that some, taking advantage of the expression in Paul's first letter, "Then we which are alive and remain," etc., had taught and written, in his name, that the Lord was to come in their day; but the apostle did not wish to be so represented, for he had taught no such doctrine, as appears from the following text:—
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" 2 Thess. 2: 1-5.
The apostle had evidently preached to the Thessalonians from the time prophecies of Daniel. He had shown them how Christ came in exact fulfillment of the prophecy of the 2,300 days, how he was anointed in fulfillment of that prophecy at the end of the sixty-nine weeks, and how he was crucified in the midst of the seventieth week. He also told them of the "man of sin," the Papacy, and of the long period of persecution which we now know ended in 1798. He understood the prophecy, and taught that it would be understood by those who should be alive in the last days. The same is true of other inspired writers. In Joel 2: 1, 15-17 we read:—
"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." "Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them; wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?"
This is a prophetic commandment which must be fulfilled, or else the Scripture fails. But this alarm could not go forth in the days of the apostles, for Paul said that the day of the Lord was not then at hand; this message then could not go forth till after the events had taken place of which the apostle wrote; and, as already seen, those events bring us down this side of 1798; therefore Joel 2: 1, 15-17 could not apply earlier than the present century; and until such time as that scripture did apply, it was not a Christian duty to look for the second coming of Christ, nor to regard it as an event near at hand. On the other hand, however, now that it does apply, as is abundantly shown by the Scriptures, it is the duty of God's watchmen to sound the alarm, and it is not less the duty of his people to heed the warning.
As we have seen, the apostle's prohibition has expired; the "man of sin" has been revealed and has sat in the temple of God, "showing himself that he is God;" the long, dark night of Papal persecution is in the past; and for years the solemn message has been sounding forth, "Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." Shall we not, in view of these things, heed the admonition of the prophet:—
"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." Zeph. 2: 1-3.
Church Fundraising in New York
It is stated that Mrs. Cleveland is making an effort to raise money in New York toward building a new American Church in Berlin. Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes has raised $25,000 to endow an Ohio pew. Thirty-six thousand dollars has been raised so far, and nearly as much again is still wanted.
THE GOLDEN RULE APPLIED.
By Editor
How a man can put the golden rule, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," into the same political platform with a demand for Sunday legislation, is more than we can understand; and yet this is what a writer in the California Prohibitionist of March 14 advocates. If Sunday observance is enforced by law, it will result in the oppression of Jews, Sabbatarian Christians, and others who deem it necessary to labor on that day. But the golden rule teaches that the Christian should do to the Jew or infidel as he would have the Jew or infidel do to him, were their positions as regards power and opportunity reversed. Those who keep the golden rule cannot compel anyone to keep any Sabbath. Therefore if any party holds to the Sunday-law theory, to be consistent they must relinquish and renounce the golden rule; or if they hold to the golden rule, they must, to be consistent, cease all efforts for Sunday legislation. The two cannot agree. The observance of the Sabbath is a duty coming between man and his Maker alone; the golden rule is a duty lying between men. A man can keep the golden rule and observe at the same time the Sabbath, but he cannot observe the golden rule and force his Sabbath on someone else. Cannot Sunday-law men and Prohibitionists see this?
A CORRESPONDENT requests an explanation of the last nine chapters of Ezekiel, as to whether they refer to a temple which is to be built in the last days.
The following reasons will show most conclusively that this temple was not to be built in any period subsequent to the opening of the Christian dispensation, or, in other words, no such temple is ever to be built:—
1. In the temple and its service mentioned by Ezekiel, the Levites serve as priests. See chapters 42:46; 43:19; 44:15. But when Christ was crucified and ascended on high, the law of the priesthood changed. Levi was no longer priest; but Christ became "a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek." Heb. 7:11-17. Please read these carefully. Also verses 22-24, which read as follows: "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; but this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." The margin of verse 24 reads, "But this man [Christ] because he continueth ever, hath a priesthood which passeth not from one to another," or, as the Revised Version (margin) reads, "hath a priesthood that doth not pass to another." When the priesthood of Christ ends, there is no more probation. That priesthood and the everlasting gospel are contemporary. Christ is the great High Priest (Heb. 8:1), and the gospel is his gospel. Mark 1:1. And though "an angel from Heaven preach any other gospel, . . . let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8.
2. In the service of Ezekiel's temple, burnt-offerings, sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings of bulls and goats were to be made. Eze. 40:39; 43:19-25. But since our Lord Jesus Christ suffered death, the offerings of beasts, as acceptable to God, forever ceased. Their offering was but a symbol of faith in Christ, shadows pointing toward the substance. If they had been effectual or necessary, they would "not have ceased to be offered." Heb. 10:3. So when Christ came as the Sacrifice to which all others had pointed, he said, "Sacrifice and offering [of beasts] thou [God] wouldst not, but a body thou hast prepared me." Verse 5. Those offerings were past forever; "for by one offering He [Christ] hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Verse 14. Again, "But this man [Jesus] after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God." Verse 12. To go back to the sacrifice of bulls and goats as effectual for the cleansing of sin, is a denial of Christ as Saviour; "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Verse 4.
3. In the temple-service presented by Ezekiel, no "uncircumcised in flesh" could enter into the sanctuary of the Lord. Eze. 44:7-9. But since Christ died upon the cross of Calvary, there is neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision; neither the circumcision of the flesh nor the uncircumcision of the flesh availeth aught so far as acceptance with Christ is concerned. 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 6:15.
It matters not whether a person is circumcised or uncircumcised, Jew or Gentile, if faith is possessed, he is accepted of Christ. Gal. 5:6; 3:26-29. Therefore the sanctuary of Ezekiel cannot be instituted in the last days; for, if it could, it would overthrow the work of Christ in uniting in one fold all who are his.
4. All the work presented by Ezekiel, if faith fully performed, would have the blessing of God, in fact, his very glory would be manifested as a sign of approval, and his life-giving power would be present to heal. Eze. 43 and 47. But as the offerings and services would be against the gospel of Christ since he was high priest, and as God has blessed this dispensation with the glory that excelleth (2 Cor. 3), therefore the sanctuary of Ezekiel could not exist at the same time. God could not approve of beasts as sin-offerings when Christ was pleading his own precious blood.
Certainly the above reasons (and more might be offered) are sufficient to show that the temple of Ezekiel cannot; under God's plan, be set up in the last days. But it is asked, "What does it mean? When is it to be built?" We reply, Never. God offered it to Israel through the prophet on conditions. Those conditions are stated in the following verses (Eze. 43:9-11):—
"Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever. Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. And, if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, . . . and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them."
But were they ashamed? Let another, a contemporary prophet, reply (Jer. 6:15-19):—
"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth; behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it."
The prediction of Jeremiah shows how Israel of old heeded the blessings which God would have given them as revealed by Ezekiel.
But will not the prophecy be fulfilled? No; for Israel failed to comply with the conditions. A similar prophecy is found in Jer. 17. There the Lord promised that if Israel would turn and keep his Sabbath, they would be greatly prospered, and Jerusalem "would stand forever." Verses 21-25. But they failed to meet the conditions, and thereby forfeited the blessing and lost their place and nation. The principles on which God ever deals with peoples and nations is thus stated in Jer. 18:7-10:—
"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them."
Israel turned from the Lord, and the sanctuary and its blessings offered through the prophet Ezekiel were never given.
Another thought in this connection concerning the prophecies of the Old Testament pertaining to Israel. The New Testament declares that all who have faith in Christ are of the true Israel; and that the prophecies concerning Israel and their blessings can only be understood in the light of the New Testament. For proof of this, take one text among many from the epistles of Paul (Eph. 3:3, 5, 6):—
"How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;" "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."
Certainly this is conclusive testimony. We hope that our readers will lay it up in their hearts and minds, that they may not be moved by the delusive age-to-come theories now leading away so many unstable souls. The word of God is yea and amen in Christ Jesus.
Places of Worship in England and Wales
THE number of places of religious worship in England and Wales, certified, recorded, and on the register at the close of 1888, was 25,857, an increase of 630 in the year.
The Catholic Population in America
THE number of Catholics in this country is usually stated at something over seven millions, but a late number of America, a Chicago journal, publishes figures showing that their numbers have been greatly under-estimated. It says:—
"The Catholic hierarchy in the United States has existed just one hundred years. The chancellors of the various dioceses furnish figures in consequence of this centennial, which show that there are in round numbers 12,000,000 Catholics in this country. The New England and Middle States have 5,822,831, the Western States 5,117,565, and the Southern States 1,215,576. There are 8,118 priests, 7,353 churches, 1,480 chapels, 32 theological seminaries, 125 colleges, 549 academies, and 2,799 parochial schools, having 597,196 scholars. There are also 73 bishops, 13 archbishops, and 1 cardinal."
The significance of these figures lies in the fact that if they are correct one-fifth of the people of this country follow the leadership of the Pope. If they are "good" Catholics they owe their highest allegiance to the Roman pontiff. "If," says America, "they are not Catholics first and American citizens second, then they are not loyal followers of the Pope, according to the belief of that astute politician and seeker after temporal power."
2. According to what were they fashioned? "And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount." Ex. 25:40.
3. Of what were they representations? "Moreover he sprinkled likewise with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Heb. 9:21-23.
4. Have any of these articles been seen in the true tabernacle in Heaven? Rev. 11:19; 1:12; 8:3.
5. Describe the ark. "And they shall make an ark of shittim wood; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it." Ex. 25:10-12.
6. Tell what the covering of the ark was called, and describe it. "And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof." "And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark." Verses 17, 21, first part.
7. What was upon the mercy-seat, or cover of the ark? "And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy-seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end; even of the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be." Verses 18-20.
8. In what part of this tabernacle was God's presence specially manifested? Verse 22; Num. 7:89; 8:1.
9. What do we read of the real throne of God? "The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in Heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." Ps. 11:4. "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble; he sitteth between the cherubim; let the earth be moved." Ps. 99:1. See also Eze. 1.
10. Since the tabernacle was a figure of the true sanctuary in Heaven, what must have been signified by the ark with its covering, from which God spoke?—The throne of God in Heaven.
12. Remembering that everything about the earthly sanctuary was a representation of things in the heavens, what must we conclude from the fact that the tables containing the ten commandments were placed in the ark, from above which God spoke?—That the law of God—the ten commandments—is underneath the throne of God in Heaven.
13. What statements have we to this effect? "Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before thy face." Ps. 89:14. "Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Ps. 97:2.
14. What are the commandments of God declared to be? "My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119:172.
15. Whose righteousness are they? "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." Isa. 51:6, 7.
17. To what would the abolition of the law of God be equivalent?—To the overthrow of the Government of God.
18. Then is it conceivable that the law can be abolished or changed?
THE ARK OF GOD.
By M. C. W.
THE very center of all the Hebrew worship was the ark of God. It is also called the ark of the testimony, the ark of the covenant, and the ark of the testament. It was an oblong chest three feet and nine inches long, two feet and three inches wide and the same in height. The ark was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold within and without. Its cover, called the mercy-seat, was of pure gold, upon each end of which were figures of angels, representing the cherubs who are near the throne of God in Heaven.
But what was there in this little box that should make it of so much interest? First, it contained the Constitution of God's Government for all time and all places,—the decalogue. It reflected forth the highest attributes of his character, absolute wisdom and holiness. The glory of a Government lies in the perfection and justice of its laws, and so this law219shed forth God's glory, manifested in the glorious shekinah. That law covers all human duty. The transgression of its least precept was sin, calling for the punishment of the transgressor. But in connection with this ark also shone forth, not only the glory of God's righteousness and justice, but the glory of his goodness and mercy in the sprinkled blood upon the mercy-seat. Mercy and truth here met together. God's mercy was extended to everyone who by faith laid hold of the virtue of the sprinkled blood. God's law is truth. Ps. 119:142. And when mercy was extended to the penitent sinner, his sins were forgiven, he was brought into harmony with the law. "Mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace kissed each other." The ark was thus a symbol of God's love.
It was what the ark contained that rendered it such an object of interest and importance. It was what the ark contained that made it the center of all worship, gave it a place in the holy of holies, and vailed it in the glory of the Infinite. Everything connected with it was designed to show, not the holiness of the ark, but the holiness of the law it contained. The ark was holy only because the law was holy. Holiness was inherent in the law; rather, the law was holiness itself; but the holiness of the ark was derived. The holiness of the law was absolute and eternal; the holiness of the ark was relative and temporal. The commands and injunctions of God concerning the ark were to impress upon his people the holiness of his law. Let us examine some of the passages which pertain to this subject, with this in mind, and it cannot fail to give us more impressive ideas of the holiness of God's law.
1. This holiness of God's law is shown in the making of the ark. Men were especially fitted for that purpose. God filled them with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and knowledge that they might build just right. Ex. 31:1-7. Did not this also suggest the fact that the moral law, on account of which all these things were made, could only be kept by divine power? that man was just as dependent on God to build morally as mechanically?
2. Special ones were selected to carry the ark. These were the sons of Kohath, one of the sons of Levi. But they were not to touch it. It was first to be covered by the priests, and then the Kohathites were to bear it on their shoulders. Num. 4:4-15. A neglect to do this in the days of David resulted in the death of Uzzah. For, if they had not put it upon a cart, and drawn it by oxen, the ark would not have shaken. One disregard of a commandment of God led to another, and Uzzah was slain for his presumption. 2 Sam. 6:3-7. When David completed the transfer of the ark, the Levites themselves carried it; they then sought God "after the due order." 1 Chron. 15:1, 2, 12, 13. With more careful reverence and holier joy did the king and priests carry the ark from the house of Obed-edom than they felt when they left it there. They had clearer views of its holiness; they had complied with the requirements, and their joy was correspondingly great. 1 Chron. 13:8.
3. God honored the sacred law by the mighty miracles which he wrought in connection with it. Before that sacred ark, Jordan rolled back its swelling waters (Josh. 3:14-17); the walls of Jericho were leveled at its presence (Josh. 6:11, 20); taken by the Philistines, it twice compelled the inanimate Dagon to prostrate before it, while the people were plagued, in order that they might know the holiness and power of God. 1 Sam. 5. Benumbed as Eli's sensibilities were over the sins of his sons, the news of the capture of the ark caused his death. 1 Sam. 4:17, 18. On its return, the presumptuous men of Beth-shemesh rashly looked into the ark and God smote them with great slaughter. 1 Sam. 6:19. They learned that they could not trifle with the holiness of God, and were compelled to acknowledge it. Verse 20.
4. The next we learn of it, it was taken to Jerusalem, on which occasion Uzzah was slain, in which we have already reverted. Solomon with great rejoicing placed it in the holy of holies in the magnificent temple which was built for God's worship. 2 Chron. 5:1-10. Here it remained till Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, when, according to one writer, it was removed by Jeremiah.
2 Maccabees 2:4-7 reads as follows: "It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. And when Jeremiah came thither, he found an hollow cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it. Which when Jeremiah perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God shall gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy."
May a sense of the holiness of God's law abide with us; may our heart be made a dwelling-place for its holy principles, inwrought through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that God's blessing may rest upon us, as it did of old upon the household of Obed-edom. M. C. W.
THE WAGES OF SIN.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
IN a recent sermon preached in Chicago, Dr. Henson (Baptist) expressed some views concerning future punishment, which have occasioned not a little comment. Among other things he said:—
"The preachers of the olden time sinned in their use of hell as a topic for homilies, in two ways—first, by holding it up as a motive, and, secondly, by depicting it in a material, gross manner. The result was that people were repelled by the apparent vindictiveness of the Deity."
The Doctor then expressed the opinion that modern preachers err by going to the other extreme, and offered the following view as the happy via media, which taking, the evils resulting from extreme views would be avoided. Mr. Henson said:—
"In hell we shall have bodies. The resurrection of the body implies place and implies physical torment. But physical is not the worst. It is only brutish men who think so. Mental pain, remorse, anticipation, that makes the body writhe as the worm writhes on glowing embers, is the worst, and this poor sinners will have to suffer. Thirst with no water to quench, hunger with no food to satisfy, a knife thrust into the heart, but to be thrust there again—endless, awful. This is the hell we have to meet. Death offers a release from life's treadmill, but there is no relief in hell. But God, who doesn't believe in hell any more than we do, warns us by the blood of Christ to reform and escape the terrible fate. God is not vindictive. Hell is a necessity, like our State prisons."
It requires a fine discrimination to discover any real difference between this view and that of "the preachers of the olden time," which Mr. Henson characterizes as "gross" and "material." Indeed, if there be any difference worth mentioning, his idea of repeated knife thrusts is the more revolting. But be that as it may, both these conceptions of future punishment are a libel on the divine character and a negative of the teaching of the Scriptures.
It is true that "the resurrection of the body implies physical" punishment—not "torment," as Dr. Henson puts it. The word of God expressly declares that "the wages of sin is death;" not what we call natural death, which is suffered alike by righteous and wicked, but the second death referred to by that name, Rev. 2:11; 20:6; 21:8, but more fully described in Mal. 4:1. There is more or less of physical suffering connected with the first death, and there is every reason to believe that there will be also with the second death, but that suffering is not the punishment. The punishment, "the wages of sin, is death." Rom. 6:23. Again we have the words of the Lord by the prophet Ezekiel: "When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." Eze. 18:26. In this text we have the same truth stated as in Rom. 6:23, namely, that death is the punishment of sin. Here, too, the distinction is clearly made between the first death, which is the common lot of all men, and the second death, the wages of sin; but in both texts death is declared to be the punishment, and nowhere does that term mean eternal life in misery.
Mr. Henson deplores "the tendency to humanize everything" and "to regard depravity as a disease, and the sinner as one to be pitied rather than punished." He says: "It is one of the evils of the day that the advance of modern thought and the resulting skepticism has shamed people into believing hell to be a relic of superstition." And the hell of the popular theology of a half century ago is a relic of the worst kind of superstition. It is perverted truth—perverted till it contains only a single element of truth, namely, the idea of punishment after death, or, rather, after its resurrection.
NOTE.
By Editor
It is absolutely inconceivable that the law of God should be abolished, or changed in the slightest particular. It is the righteousness of God, and that cannot be different from what it is. It is his will, and God changes not. It is the foundation of his throne, his Government, and that cannot change, because he is "from everlasting to everlasting." There is just one thing that the Bible declares that God cannot do: "He cannot deny himself." He cannot be other than he is. And so it is absolutely impossible for the omnipotent God himself to change or abrogate his law, for in so doing he would deny himself; he would change his character, his will, and his Government, and would cease to be God. But this is inconceivable; and so we repeat that it is absolutely inconceivable that the law of God should be abolished or changed.
THE figure of a vineyard was familiar to those to whom this parable was addressed. David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah had used this figure to represent Israel. Said the psalmist: "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river."
BUT notwithstanding all God's care for his vineyard, the chosen vine which he had planted yielded him no fruit. "What could have been done more to my vineyard," saith the Lord (Isa. 5:4), "that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes." The same idea is presented in Jer. 2:21.
THEN said the Lord: "I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry." Isa. 5:5-7. Compare Ps. 80:12-16.
THESE texts apply especially to the earlier history of the Hebrew nation, that is, prior to and including the time of the Babylonian captivity, but the parable covers the entire history of that people as a nation. It is plainly stated in one of the texts quoted (Isa. 5:7) that "the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah." In the parable the lord of the vineyard is represented as sending again and again to the husbandmen of the vineyard for the fruits that he had a right to expect in their season, but he received nothing; the husbandmen caught the messengers and used them despitefully and sent them away empty; and some they killed. Finally he sent his son, and him they killed, saying that he was the heir and that the inheritance should be theirs.
THE application of the parable is simple. As already shown, the house of Israel and the men of Judah were the vineyard, God was the one who planted the vineyard, the husbandmen were the priests and rulers of the people, the servants which were sent from time to time were the prophets, the fruit which the lord of the vineyard had a right to expect was fruit of righteousness, the son was, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE man who plants a vineyard has a right to expect fruit from it, and God had a right to expect fruit from the Jews. He had taken them from the land of Egypt, where they could not serve him because of their surroundings and because of the oppression of the Egyptians, and had planted them in a land of their own, where he surrounded them with the most favorable conditions, but instead of bringing forth fruit to his glory, they rebelled against him and caused his name to be blasphemed among the heathen.
AND there is in this a lesson for all who have taken upon themselves the vows of the Christian. Such are branches of the true Vine, and it is their duty to bring forth fruit. Said the Saviour: "I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." John 15:5, 6.
BUT again the parable teaches the great patience of the Lord; he waited long for fruit from his chosen people. "And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place." "Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age; he gave them all into his hand." "And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia." 2 Chron. 36:15, 17, 20.
THEN he restored them to their own land, but again he sought in vain for fruit; the whole history of the children of Israel from Egypt to their utter rejection and dispersion by the Romans was little but a history of backsliding and rebellion. But in the fullness of time God sent his Son, but they utterly rejected him and put him to death. We shudder at the wickedness of the Jews in crucifying Christ, and yet on every hand are multitudes who are sinning against even greater light than did the Jews, and still we pass along comparatively careless, having very little burden for those about us, and sometimes very little for our own souls.
THIS indifference would be impossible if we half realized the value of the sacrifice which God made in our behalf. The parable says: "Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son." "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
IN giving his Son, God exhausted the resources of his grace. He had nothing more to give. How then shall those escape who neglect so great salvation? Surely those who turn away from him have nothing to look forward to but wrath and indignation, for they have despised infinite wisdom, grace, and glory, for in Jesus Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwells, and his is the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
THE sentence against the Jews was faithfully carried out; the wicked husbandmen were destroyed, their city, Jerusalem, was also destroyed, and the vineyard has been given to the Gentiles. It is true now, as formerly, that, "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Eccl. 8:11), but it is also true that, "though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him; but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." Eccl. 8:12, 13.