(Concluded from page 239).

THE INTERVAL BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE APPEARING

But to where, may I ask, does the Lord conduct His saints after He meets them in the air? To heaven, surely; to the house of many mansions which He has prepared for them, according to His own promise in John 14:"In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Nothing can be plainer or simpler than these words. The meeting with our Lord in the air seems to be foreshadowed by Isaac meeting Rebekah. We see in her beautiful behavior her reverent love; and we see in his love and kindness the fulfilment of the promises and testimonies of Eliezer:"And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel; . . . and she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done." This may be like the Holy Spirit delivering up His sacred charge to the Sen of the Father-though He will dwell in the Church for ever. "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife:and he loved her" (Genesis 24).

Having passed into heaven, the saints will then be manifested in the light; as the apostle says, "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10, 12). But, observe, this does not mean that the saints, as to their persons, shall stand in judgment. Christ has been judged for them, and they, as He says Himself, shall not come into judgment. But it does mean that all their works and ways will be manifested in the light of His presence, and that we shall then know His estimate of all that we have done for Him. Being in our bodies of glory, there shall be nothing like fear or unhappiness; but when manifested in the light we shall have a perfect knowledge, according to the mind of Christ, of every moment of our past history-the value which He sets upon it, and the praise which He gives (1 Cor. 4:4, 5).

All that was of self or of Christ in our motives, objects, and service, will then be seen; all that we failed to understand in time will be perfectly known then, at least, as regards our connection with Christ, His Church and service. But, surely, everything of ourselves will be condemned when seen side by side with His patient grace; and we shall pass from His tribunal in admiring wonder and praise at the patience which bore with our ways in the wilderness, and brought us safe to glory. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as also I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12).

All things being now ready, the marriage of the Lamb takes place, according to the vision of St. John (Rev. 19). "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." He presents her to Himself a glorious Church, holy and without blemish (Eph. 5). What a day that will be! What a day even for heaven, so long accustomed to glory! What a mustering of its myriad hosts to do Him honor! But this will be a new glory-the bridal glory of the Lamb ! Oh wondrous thought, transcendent glory! The bride ranks with her Bridegroom, as the wife ranks with her husband! As He is, so she is, where He is, there she is; what He has, that she has. And all for ever and ever.
"O God, with great delight

Thy wondrous thought we see,
Upon His throne in glory bright –
The bride of Christ shall be!

The motives, too, Thine own-
The plan, the counsel, Thine-
Made for Thy Son, bone of His bone,
In glory bright to shine!"

But tell me, O tell me this, my soul, will thine eyes behold that glory? Will thy heart taste these joys? Will thy feet stand in that holy place? Will these nuptial glories be thine? What sayest thou?-answer me. Faith replies:my heart is at perfect rest. As Isaac confirmed all that had been testified of him to Rebekah, so shall the true Isaac confirm all that has been spoken of Him to His Church, which is His body, and His bride.

The marriage scene, and the marriage supper of the Lamb, are little more than announced; they are not described. But the book of Revelation is not the place to speak of the Father's house, and the intimacies of love; but rather of the righteous ways of God, and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. Nevertheless, we are permitted to see the Bride, the guests, the preparations, and to hear of the blessedness of all present. "Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Immense weight is to be attached to the concluding sentence of this brief account of the nuptial scene:"And He saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." What grace is thine, O most gracious God our Father, to give such double assurance of that blessed future to thy weak and often doubting ones! May we be faithful to our Well-beloved, to whom we are now affianced, and only think of and prepare for that coming day, which will be the summing up of all blessedness and the consummation of all Christian hope.

THE APPEARING IN GLORY

The marriage supper being over, and all things ready, the blessed Lord, as the last Adam, with His heavenly Eve, the glorified saints and the angelic hosts, prepare for the appearing in glory, and for taking possession of the earth. But before accompanying them thither, it may be well to notice what has taken place there since the rapture of the saints, and what things in general have come to.

When the true Church shall have left the earth, the merely nominal part, left behind, shall then be rejected by Christ (Rev. 3:16). Then the Spirit of God begins to work in the Jewish remnant, and they, as the missionaries of the new testimony, preach "the everlasting gospel to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." The judgment of the living nations in Matthew 25 discriminates as to the results of this testimony; and Revelation 7 shows us the saved multitudes of both Jews and Gentiles by means of "the everlasting gospel." But while the love of God is thus active, and the power of the Spirit is thus manifested, Satan exerts all his power to bring up all his forces to corrupt the whole earth, and dispute its possession with the Lord's Anointed.

Mere professors, "because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved," shall be given up to strong delusion, that they might believe a lie(awful doom!) and will be at the mercy of Satan. Antichrist and the false prophet-the one the head of the civil power, and the other of the ecclesiastical-fill the whole scene of the Roman earth with their blasphemies. Outside, the nations are angry and mustering their hosts for battle. The dragon and his angels then are overthrown by Michael and his angels, and their place is found no more in heaven (or in heavenly places). Satan and his angels being cast down to the earth, and knowing their time is short, concentrate all their evil there (Rev. 12:7-13). And such will be his power, that when God ceases to hinder his working-as He will do for a time-men will fall down and worship the Beast, and the Dragon that gave him his power. Human sin, in the person of Antichrist, who is also filled with Satan, rises to its greatest height, and all is ripe for judgment. But let us now return to our heavenly company.

The Lord is coming:He is on His way. Look up, my soul, what seest thou? Heaven is open; "and, behold, a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war." But mark, He does not come alone; the armies of heaven follow Him. "And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine line, white and clean." This, we must remember, is a vision which the prophet saw, and not a question of real horses. It is the symbol of the Lord appearing in power and great glory. He comes to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He comes to put down all the wickedness of man and of Satan on the earth. "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall He slay the wicked." The Antichrist, the kings of the earth, and all associated with them, shall be utterly overthrown (Isaiah 11; 1 Thess. 1:7-9; 2 Thess. 2; Rev. 19).

THE THRONE OF GLORY

Having executed what we may call His warrior judgment, He takes His seat as "Son of man, on the throne of his glory," which we may call His sessional judgment. It is not taking vengeance on the masses by an act of His power, as when He is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, but calmly discriminating between the righteous and the wicked. He separates them the one from the other. This is the judgment of "the quick" (the living). The judgment of "the dead" does not take place till after the millennium; but there no separating of the one from the other will take place. All who stand before the great white throne are judged according to the value of their own works; and, consequently, are condemned and cast into the lake of fire. Only those who are owned as in the value of Christ's work can be saved. But, some may ask, when will the judgment of "the quick" take place? It is before the millennium commences, according to Matthew 25. Immediately after the Church is caught up, the Lord sends forth messengers to preach the gospel of the kingdom everywhere, and to proclaim the near approach of the King in power and glory (Rev. 14:6,7). Those who believe the message and treat the messengers with kindness, are owned as " sheep," but those who despise them perish as "goats." There is no opening of books here as before the great white throne; all turns on the way the message was received. To honor the King's messengers was the proof of faith; to reject them, of unbelief. The Lord remembers this, and counts what was done to His "brethren" as done to Himself. The "sheep" and the '"goats," are the godly and the ungodly of the living nations; the Lord's "brethren" are godly Jews, whom He sent out in all the world to preach the gospel of the kingdom.

When the scene is thoroughly cleared of the enemies of the King (as it was at the beginning of Solomon's reign), the millennium in all its glories will be introduced.

THE MILLENNIUM

It may be well to pause here for a moment before speaking of the millennium, and meditate on this solemn scene. Hast thou given it much thought, my soul? In a moment, suddenly, when the world is intoxicated with its own devices, and saying "Peace and safety," the heavens open. The once rejected Jesus of Nazareth comes forth:He is clothed in light and majesty; His breastplate is righteousness; His sword is girded on His thigh:His eyes are as a flame of fire; and on His head are many crowns. Saints and angels follow in His train, and celebrate His praise.

But what of the godless world below? "Every eye shall see Him;" and every heart shall be struck with astonishment, and all the world, with eyes uplifted, shall stand still. But there is no hope for the rejecters of Jesus then. The Lord's hand has laid hold on judgment:"He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, king of kings, and lord of lords." Amongst the many lessons which thou mayest learn from these approaching judgments, there is one especially I pray thee to remember:Let the solemn realities of thy Lord's coming and kingdom be so mirrored on thy soul as to move thee to increased earnestness, yea, to burning zeal, in preaching the gospel, and in all thy work with precious souls. True, thou wilt be with the Lord thyself, but forget not those who are in danger of being left behind through the deceitfulness of sin. But to return.

We have seen the heavenlies cleared of Satan and his angels; the earth cleared of its wicked kings; the beast and the false prophet cast into the lake of fire; and now we have the binding of Satan (Rev. 20). Victory is complete! the hidden source of all the evil is bound in the abyss for a thousand years. The blessed Lord takes the kingdom. "The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:IS). This is the millennium -Christ manifestly governing, and Satan bound. These are the two grand features of that blessed period, and by which it is distinguished from all former dispensations.

What a mighty change! What an immense relief to this groaning earth! Satan and his evil angels banished from the abodes of men:Christ reigning, and His risen saints associated with Him on the throne of His heavenly and earthly glory. Then shall come creation's day of boundless blessedness so constantly spoken of in the Old Testament. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. The wild beasts of the field shall become gentle and harmless as the lamb, and warfare and strife shall cease from amongst the children of men. Thus will God reverse the history of man; He will heal his sorrow, relieve his misery; crown him with health, peace, and plenty, and spread joy throughout the restored creation, according to His estimate of the cross of His beloved Son. In that day it will be seen and acknowledged that the cross of the Lord Jesus is the foundation of the millennial glory and blessing (Col. 1:20).

There are three ways in which Christ will fully reveal and glorify God by-grace, government, and glory. The first He did in His humiliation; the second He will do in the millennium; and the third throughout eternity. Thus the millennium will be the revelation of God in government for a thousand years. All language fails to speak of what its blessedness must be. Satan no longer free to tempt men, and the goodness of God displayed in blessing men; the heavens above, Israel and the Gentiles below, the earth, the sea, the lower creation-all brought under the government of Christ-all embraced in His wide dominions; and all to the glory and praise of God by Him.

"Kings shall fall down before Him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing,
Outstretched His wide dominion,
O'er river, sea, and, shore;
Far as the eagle's pinion,
Or dove's light wing can soar."

But how terrible and humiliating to man is what we find at the end of the millennium! God will then show that a thousand years of glory will not convert the human soul without His saving grace. The moment Satan is again free, and exercises his power, the unconverted portion of the Gentile nations are deceived by him. He gathers them together in rebellion; but fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them utterly.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE

We have now come to the last and closing scene in the history of man-the day of judgment. All is solemn- most solemn – eternally solemn for all who stand before that throne. "And I saw," says John, " a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there was found no place for them." There need be no difficulty in distinguishing this last sessional judgment from the Lord's coming, the first resurrection, and the judgment of the living nations (Matthew 25). When the Lord comes, He comes from heaven to earth; and the earth, as we have seen, is universally blessed under Him. But that is not the case here. The first heavens and earth are fled away. It is the resurrection and judgment of the wicked dead at the close of the millennium. All are judged according to their works:the book of life is searched in vain for a single name that stands before the great white throne; all are condemned, and cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

But before parting for ever with so many of thy poor fellow creatures, be exhorted, 0 my soul, to pause, and weigh in faith's balances, the last sight of those countenances, and the final sentence of the Judge. Remember, thou shalt see those faces no more for ever. Therefore be faithful now to God and to thy fellow-men.

At the commencement of the millennium the saints are seen sitting upon thrones in association with Christ. "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4). This was their time of public reward for service done to Christ during His absence. "The time is come," says the seer, "that Thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great" (Rev. 11:18). On the great white throne Christ is seen alone. While it was a question of governing the millennial earth, the saints governed with Him; but now it is a question of eternal judgment, and in this He acts alone. Nevertheless, they will be with Him, according to that all-precious word, "For ever with the Lord."

And thus shall it be:the lost and the saved shall then stand face to face-the righteous with the Lord, the wicked standing before Him. What a sight! what a moment! What a difference now between the two companies ! the one in bodies of glory shining in the image of Christ; the other in the naked realities of their sad condition. Stripped of every false covering each one must see his sins in the light of divine holiness and righteousness. All must be there. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; death and hades delivered up the dead which were in them:and they were judged every man according to their works." The depths, the unseen world, are forced to deliver up their miserable prisoners, that they may hear from the lips of the once-rejected Jesus their final sentence. The heavens and the earth are fled away, and nothing is to be seen but the great white throne of dazzling brightness, and the glorious majesty of Him who sits upon it. The guilt and anguish of the heart are seen in all faces ; and the awful sentence, uttered amidst the dreadful silence of that solemn scene, " Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." But the glory and beauty of the Saviour, Jesus, whom they despised in time, and the myriads of happy saints who surrounded Him and who shall be for ever with Him, can never, never be forgotten.

Thus closes the history of man, and the events of time. Eternity begins. The wicked, lost; the righteous, saved; and all the ways of God for ever vindicated. His power now brings in new heavens and earth as the future dwelling place of His children; and God comes down to dwell among them. "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and -He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Rev. 21:1-7). Andrew Miller