History and Doctrine of the Millennium

THE MILLENIST DOCTRINE EXPRESSLY CONTRADICTS THE HOLY WORD

A rest remains for the people of God: the word is faithful which promises it; but it is manifest that the place of the promised rest is not in time, is not under the gospel dispensation, and is not a season for the exercise of faith; but, on the contrary, it is a time of crowning joy, and of holy recompense, after the gospel dispensation is ended, in the kingdom of which it is the forerunning good news. HDM 53.5

The entire volume of testimony in support of the faith of this world’s millennium, with one important exception, is taken not only in a literal, but also in a carnal sense, from the Old Testament; where it should be understood in a spiritual sense instead of carnal. It is not my province to argue this point, and yet its importance to the right understanding of my subject has forced it into some notice already, and demands a moment’s consideration here. The many promises of a return, a restitution, a gathering from all nations into the Holy Land and to Jerusalem, made in the Old Testament to the Jews, are the main support of the doctrine of the millennium in the flesh. Therefore, it is necessary to inquire for the Jews- HDM 53.6

Who are they? HDM 54.1

Answer, they are the holy people, the chosen of God, the elect, the saints, the seed of Abraham, not that only which is under the law, but that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ² HDM 54.2

It is the nature of a last: will and testament to revoke or explain any former will and testament which is in being. So does the New Testament, not revoke, but explain the Old Testament. They both stand together, are bound up and delivered together, and are in full force; but the New Testament is the interpreter of the Old Testament, both by the laws of men, and by the word of God. ² And the New Testament expressly tells us, “he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly.” ³ And again: “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” ⁴ These and similar lessons of the New Testament are enough to open our eyes to the right view of those Jews to whom the promises are made in the Old Testament. HDM 54.3

And whence do the Jews return into their own land? HDM 54.4

From their graves in every land, wheresoever the Lord has sown and scattered his chosen people. For “thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the, Lord. when I have opened your graves. O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live: and I shall place yon in your own land.” ⁵ This language is addressed to “the whole house of Israel.” ⁶ and truly includes the believing Gentiles. HDM 54.5

And whither do the Jews return? HDM 54.6

To Mount Zion, in their own land; to the city named, “the Lord is there:” to the New Jerusalem in the new heavens and earth. “For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” ⁷ HDM 54.7

And when do the Jews return? HDM 55.1

In the times of the anapsyxis, the refreshing, or recreation, from the presence of the Lord, when he shall send Jesus Christ, with power and. great glory, to make restitution of all things, (and not of the Jews only,) which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets. ¹ HDM 55.2

And who is the king of the Jews; and what is the nature of his kingdom? HDM 55.3

Jesus of Nazareth, the, Christ, the Son of the living God, he is the King of Israel, and he shall sit on the throne of his father David, in the resurrection of the dead, and reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his dominion there shall be no end. ² His kingdom is not of this world, but is “a celestial and angelic kingdom in the end of this world.” to succeed the ruin of time, itself to abide “forever, even forever and ever.” HDM 55.4

In conformity with this scheme of interpretation, which is not learned of man, but which is drawn from the word of the blessed God, the Old-Testament promises and prophecies are concentrated into our gospel focus, the kingdom of heaven and of God, to be accomplished in Jesus and the resurrection: and the testimony of the witnesses agrees; the Old and the New Testaments respond to each other. HDM 55.5

And now, while reading the sorrows proclaimed in the gospel to believers in Jesus, understand by them the same things threatened against the Jews in the Old Testament; and while reading the joys of heaven’s kingdom preached to believers in the gospel, understand in the prophets the, glorious redemption of the Jews from worse than Egyptian bondage, and their return to possess the holy land, for an everlasting inheritance: and do mark, that all the promises to the seed of Abraham, though made in different ages, are made to the hearers personally, and can never be fulfilled by coming on their offspring after seventy generations. “To thee will I give,” was spoken of old: and it is not possible to discharge the obligation by handing over the amount to the promisee’s children. “Hear! I will cast thee out:” it is not spoken to them, but to you. “I will forget you; and I will forsake you:” it is not spoken to the children. “I will gather you; I will bring you again:” it is not spoken to the offspring, but to you, and to you it will be fulfilled in the resurrection of the dead. HDM 55.6

The gospel must expire when the millennium comes. HDM 55.7

I have been drawn by force, against my purpose, into these remarks. They are fraught with the deepest interest, and so much seemed important, to protect me from the appearance of opposing the New Testament to the Old Testament in what follows, while contrasting the millenist doctrine with the express testimony of the Lord, whose two witnesses perfectly agree. HDM 55.8

“This present evil world” ¹ is no place for a blissful millennium.” The whole world lieth in wickedness; ² and when it becomes changed, which we are assured it will be, then it will be this world no longer. For it is absurd to say, the old and the new are the same; that this world and the world to come are the same; and one who will insist upon it, may call to-morrow “yesterday,” and be contented with his ingenuity. Be the material the same, its constitution, and fashion, its complexion and character, both moral and physical, will be wholly changed: so that it will be this world no longer. Evil will go out, and the curse be removed, which will make a radical change of this lower creation. Not before the coming of the Lord have we an assurance of this; but in his second advent, we believe it will take place;” for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, looking for that, blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;” ⁴ not surely to give this world a millennium, in the blood of Adam; but to change these vile bodies, to fold up these aerial heavens, and to change them, with the earth itself, into the promised kingdom of heaven and holy land, which are a suitable “rest for the people of God” “No lion shall be there, nor ravenous beast; but the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Some things in the. Holy Scriptures are hard to be understood, but this, which the grace of God teaches, is very simple and plain; and it does not become us to obscure the plain gospel with darker prophecies. Doing so is abusing our light, and covering what the grace of God teaches plainly, and has fully revealed, with the mystery of another portion of scripture, which may be dark and unfathomable. HDM 56.1

“Heaven and earth shall pass away,” but the word of the Lord Jesus shall not pass away. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?” [Yes, Lord, says the millenist:] “I tell you nay, but rather division. [That be far from thee, cries the millenist; be it far from thee, Lord.] “For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three: the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” ¹ HDM 56.2

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” ² “The friendship of the world is enmity with God.” ³ “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” ⁵ “For if the world hate you, ye know it hated me, before it hated you.” “Woe unto you that are rich—woe unto you that are full—woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” HDM 57.1

These are hard sayings for the hope of this world’s conversion: they will never do in the millennium; they are scarcely supportable now: for so deeply have we drunk of the cup of sorcery which mingles the sweet promises of the righteous world to come with the conversion and return of the natural Jews in this carnal world, that we have, as a whole people, become insensibly intoxicated with the notion of a far different fate for this world than to be fuel for the devouring fire; though we are warned by the Lord, and by his messengers; and though we well know and confess what is sounding in the last trumpets of wo, wo, wo; and what is designated by the vials of wrath containing the seven last plagues, which usher in the consummation of the world, of time, and of all sublunary things. HDM 57.2

Should ever this world become an elysium, men may love it and set their affections on it; and having the things promised, they will need the gospel of them no longer. Our impression, however, is deep, that this world will not survive “the everlasting gospel;” but when the present dispensation ends, the Lord will appear in his glory. It will be no question to ask then, What is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? neither will that be a question to ask in the blissful millennium. So long as the gospel continues, it testifies of the world “that the works thereof are evil;” ⁷ and, therefore, the world will ever hate the gospel: and reject its testimony, as it rejected the Lord Jesus, and his testimony; and knew him not. ⁸ HDM 57.3

But it is thought that the Lord will pour out his Spirit, and convert the world, and then it will be changed, to adore and to receive him spiritually, whom once it rejected and refused personally. HDM 58.1

The gospel does not teach this doctrine; but the contrary: that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, “because it seeth him not; neither knoweth him.” ¹ “And because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” ² “I have manifested thy name to the men thou gavest me out of the world—I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me.” ⁴ “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” HDM 58.2

With testimony so explicit to the contrary, it seems to be madness to look for a blissful millennium in this world, or, until after the gospel dispensation expires. Heaven and earth shall pass away, by the word of the Lord Jesus, whose word shall not pass away; and when any follower of his supposes Jesus came to introduce a millennium into this world, let that follower devoutly consider these words: “I tell you nay; but rather division.”—“I came not to send peace, but a sword.” ⁵ And let that follower further consider, that the Apocalypse does not unveil the millennium, until after the seven epistles to the churches are sent, in their seven ages; until after all the seals are opened, until after the seventh and last trumpet has sounded, until after the vials of the seven last plagues are poured out, and a voice from the throne in thunder proclaims Gegoné-It is done: not until Babylon is fallen, and the harvest of the world is reaped, and the battle of Armageddon is fought, and the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into their own place; not until after all these things have been unveiled, is any |notice of the millennium in the earth. And let that follower consider further, that neither St. Peter, nor St. Paul, nor St. Clement, nor St. Justin, nor St. Cyprian, nor St. Cyril, nor St. Jerome, nor any other saint, or father, or eminent man in the primitive church, received or admitted the doctrine of the millennium for one moment, except it was in the coming of the Lord Jesus with the resurrection of the dead; that neither the Greek nor Latin nor Lutheran, nor any one of the Reformed churches, does now, or ever at any time has acknowledged the doctrine of a millennium in this world by creeds, confessions, or approved standards of faith; and further, that never a man, (whose writings have been enough esteemed to be preserved in the world,) came forth to preach the doctrine of “peace and safety” to the world, and a spiritual millennium to the race of the first Adam, without any resurrection, until Daniel Whitby, D. D., who died A. D. 1726: and then, if he do not pause with wonder, and with astonishment, and with fear, at the strong delusion that has gone over the protestant churches; and if he do not withdraw instinctively from this “Newlight” doctrine, and inquire for the good old paths to the heavenly bliss our fathers trod, and to the true millennium through Jesus and the resurrection, no word of exhortation from this humble source could move or persuade him. However, this I boldly say, and challenge contradiction, that Dr. Whitby’s honorable name is the first and earliest that I have seen quoted in support of the doctrine, among the writers and orators of a spiritual millennium in this world’s flesh, before the Lord’s appearing; and Dr. Whitby gives credit to no other man for the discovery, but puts it roundly forth as his own opinion singly. And now one hundred years have barely gone by, since he was gathered to his fathers; and so firmly planted has this new faith become in all the churches of America, that never a religious newspaper of high standing with its own sect can easily be found, in New York or Boston, to admit an article into their columns, boldly questioning this proud Philistine, which has seized the ark of our faith, and now defies the hope of Israel. HDM 58.3

This state of things calls for mourning, as well as indignation, that in a single century, an innovation so bold in departure from the primitive faith and confessions of all the churches, should have silently intrenched itself in the heart of all denominations following the reformers; which innovation those very reformers expressly condemn and brand, as opposed to the Holy Scriptures; and now in this liberal age, and free country, we may not come into the religious newspapers, in the name of the gospel, and of Luther and Melancthon and Cranmer, there to interrogate its excellency, to question its apostolic birth, and to scruple its holy dignity. No; the religious community must not be agitated, by raising the voice, to ask this angel in glorious light either whence he comes, or whither he tends; whose minister he is, or how he escaped the observation of past ages, and came only into heavenly view within a century. The religious newspapers are right to avoid the agitation of settled questions; and their conductors were right in counting this of a spiritual millennium in the flesh fully settled in the public mind and adopted. Nevertheless, it must be turned out;-for it sounds most queer, and is really absurd: a spiritual millennium in the “sinful flesh,” with death reigning to the end of the dispensation! Truly, if the Dragon could leave things so, he might not grudge to be chained for a little season. HDM 59.1

You have now been presented with the promises, the prophecies, and the gospel of the recovery of Eden and Immortality by our Lord Jesus Christ, constructed and fashioned into one instrument, through which faith discerns the glory and beauty and joy and eternal life, belonging to the heirs of the kingdom of heaven. If we use this instrument, it must be directed heavenward to the invisible world. This visible world requires no telescopic vision, to scan its promises, to detect its illusions, or to display its sorrows, wants, and mortal agonies. These are all visible to the naked eye. The gracious God permits us, through his word by faith, as in a glass darkly, to see another world beyond, outside of, and after this; a new world to come, in which dwelleth righteousness; and to which he directs our hearts, our hopes, our aims. And when He speaks of a millennium, we have only to ascertain its blessed and holy, its resurrection character, and its freedom from pain and sin and the father of lies, to determine, that it belongs not to this land of the valley and shadow of death, but to the holy land of eternal life in the kingdom of God. HDM 60.1