History and Doctrine of the Millennium

THE PROPHECIES OF THIS HEAVENLY MILLENNIUM

I classify the prophecies under three heads, without discoursing of either. HDM 6.1

The first class are those which relate to the great King, who obtains this promised land of bliss in Eden, and in eternal life regained. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” He is the King. HDM 6.2

The second class are those which relate to the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” This is the kingdom of heaven. HDM 6.3

The third class are those which relate to the Israel of God, the chosen generation, the saints, who are the heirs of this kingdom. Their restoration is by all regarded as belonging to the millennium; and they are his people out of every nation, in the resurrection of the dead; even “the house of Jacob,” and “the whole house of Israel.” HDM 6.4

The prophecies show that the King should pass through the grave to his throne, ¹ and that his kingdom also must itself rise from the ashes of this world, ² and that his citizens also must arise from the dust, to reach the inheritance of the exalted Son of God in his heavenly kingdom. ³ HDM 6.5

Under the ancient dispensation, every sacrifice on holy altars slain pointed to his death, and, under the present dispensation, every communion of his holy supper commemorates it, ⁴ until he comes in the dispensation of the fullness of times, to receive the inheritance of the purchased possession, ⁵ and to give it to the chosen seed, the saints in light, and to bruise Satan under their feet. ⁷ Then is the blissful millennium; for the prophecies of a latter-day glory are the in heritance of all the faithful in Christ, whether they be sons of the natural Israel or of the Gentiles; that being now revealed by the Spirit “which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men-that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ.” Accordingly, the Gentiles are no longer “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise;” but are by the blood of Christ made “fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” ¹ not to receive a perishable kingdom in this world, but to be gathered into the kingdom of heaven in the world to come, never more to be rooted out of their land: it is their everlasting possession, and David is our king forever. HDM 6.6

It is not a new thing for Israel to exclaim, “What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the Son of Jesse” ² And yet the ancient example affords small inducement for moderns to follow We are resolved to follow David, and to worship in Zion; and not in either Bethel or Dan. HDM 7.1

It is not a new thing for the natural seed to exclaim, “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” ³ And they trouble the church with their dissension; but now “faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster;” to whom we give “place by subjection, no, not for an hour.” We yield not our claims to the natural seed. “For ye are all the children of God by faith of Jesus Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus:” by faith now, and in fact in the world to come; “and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise:” ⁴ heirs of the holy city in the heavenly land under the dominion of the Lord our King. HDM 7.2