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Having thus set before the reader the Scriptural evidence of the doctrine of the Lord's second coming; and also pointed out its designed tendency in a practical aspect, we can only add the prayer, that we may all have grace to "look" forward to and "love his appearing," as our only hope of preparation to "stand before the Son of Man," when,

“In pomp and majesty ineffable,”

"He shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God."

PART II.

An Examination of the Question-Is the Second Coming of Christ, and the Setting up of His Kingdom, past, present, or future?

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

In the discussion of the subject to which the reader's thoughts are now directed, viz., an examination of the question-Is the Second Coming of Christ, and the Setting up of His Kingdom, past, present, or future?-let us suppose that, for the first time, he is brought into contact with the Scriptural doctrine, etc., of that event, as set forth in Part I. of this treatise. With a mind entirely unbiassed by previous contact with speculating theories, the query is, What would be the impressions, convictions, and conclusions of his mind in reference to it? Undeniably, the prophecies of that event as presented by the writers of the Old Testament, and by Christ and His apostles in the New, point to a period in the Divine purpose when "the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood," should assume the form and dimensions of a "kingdom" of unrivalled splendor and dominion under the reign of Christ, the Messiah, as "king;" by an extermination of all His and her enemies, and the establishment and perpetuity of a state of universal peace, prosperity, and righteousness in the earth.

1

I now, therefore, submit: Taking into view the prophecies of this event as a whole, would not such a reader, receiving them as

1 Acts XX. 20.

a revelation from God, and interpreting the language in which they are given in its natural or grammatical sense, infer that it was still future? Look at the subjects embraced in them. Taken in connection with the coming of the Lord, they announce, first, that Jesus, in his kingly character, as "the Son of the Highest, has the promise that He shall sit on the throne of His father David, and reign over the house of Jacob forever," etc.; second, that those who now "sleep in Christ" shall be raised from the dead, while those who are alive at His coming shall be changed, and caught up to meet Him in the air; and third, that Christ is then to commence, jointly with His risen and glorified saints who are to reign with Him on the earth, to "judge the world in righteousness, and to rule the nations upon earth." Now, who will venture to affirm that all these prophecies have already been verified?

2

Strange to tell, there are eminent writers not a few, who, in one form or another, have taught that the coming of Christ the second time to establish His kingdom among men, either transpired centuries ago, and that it has already run its course; or that it now exists, and is to continue for an indefinite time. It will be indispensable, therefore, to an intelligent understanding of the various theories which have been brought to bear upon this great subject, candidly to examine their respective merits; compare each with the other; and the whole with what the writer deems to have been revealed to both prophets and apostles, by "the Spirit of Christ which was in them."

The most prominent of these theories are the following. The prophecies referring to this event, it is contended by some, were verified,

1. By the Restoration of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity.

2. Another class allege that they received their accomplishment in the overthrow of Paganism and the establishment of Christianity in the Roman empire, under Constantine the Great, in A. D. 323.

3. A third class affirms their fulfilment in the judgments inflicted upon the Jewish nation and polity, at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman legions in A. D. 70.

4. And a fourth class, that the kingdom and reign of Christ on

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earth are identical with the establishment of the Christian Church, the dispensation of which is to continue until the close of the millennial age, when He will raise the dead, judge the world, and deliver up the kingdom to God, etc.

I here remark, that the theology of these various theories is so interwoven with much that is written on this subject of the second coming and reign of Christ by modern interpreters of prophecy, that nothing further need be added by way of apology, for the space appropriated to them in these pages. They will be discussed seriatim, each under a separate chapter. As preliminary thereto, it will be well to premise:

First. That the phraseology, the kingdom and reign of Christ, and the millennial era of the Church, is used by all writers interchangeably as denoting the same thing.

Second. This being so, I remark that it is reasonable to suppose-indeed it is indispensable-that any theory which advocates the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth, either as already past or as now existing, should partake of all the characteristics of both, as specified in prophecy respecting them.

Third. It is here also specially to be borne in mind that all these theories, except the first, interpret the second coming of Christ in the sense of either a providential, or of a figurative or spiritual coming. This is done to avoid a dilemma otherwise fatal to them, to wit, that in no sense can it be maintained that a literal or personal coming of Christ has transpired, within the limits assigned by them to that event. It is clear, however, that if such a literal or personal coming of Christ is an event yet future, which all these writers admit-it will follow, according to their own showing, that there are to be three, instead of two, comings of Christ.

Fourth. But if, on examination, the theories to pass under review fail to furnish evidence from Scripture and from fact, of the second coming of Christ, and of the setting up of His kingdom in the world, under either of the forms for which they contend, it will leave the way fairly open for the separate consideration of that subject in a subsequent part of this Treatise.

With the way thus prepared before us, we proceed to an examination of those theories which maintain that the second coming of Christ is already past, of which there are three theories.

CHAPTER I.

FIRST THEORY: MILLERISM.'

THIS THEORY ALLEGES THAT ALL THE PROPHCIEES WHICH SET FORTH THE RESTORATION, CONVERSION, AND POLITICAL PREEMINENCE OF THE TWO KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL OR THE TEN TRIBES, WERE VERIFIED BY THE RETURN OF THE JEWS FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY.

IF this be so, it follows that the recovery, by Judah and Israel, of "the first dominion"' promised to them under their Messiah, in other words, the Millennium of the Scriptures-for there can be no millennium on earth without the Jews-has become a matter of history, in the place of prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

The important bearing which this theory has upon the general subject of our present inquiries, calls for a special examination of its merits. We will lay before the reader in the outset as plain a statement as we can of the facts in the case.

First, then, I observe: There are many of the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, which speak of the return of the Jews to their own land, in immediate connection with the contemporaneous personal presence of the Messiah as their King.

But those mighty men of renown of former days, Beza, Prideaux, Pareus, Willet, and Owen, together with those worthies of modern times, Simeon, and Scott, and Faber, of England; and the Rev. Dr. Berg, of our own country, stoutly maintain a future literal restoration of the Jews to Palestine; whilst at the same time they deny, that the second personal coming of Christ is in any way connected with that event; or, in other words, that it is premillennial.

On the other hand, that class of writers with whom we are now more specially concerned, whilst they admit a second personal coming of Christ as future, do at the same time deny the future restoration of the Jews, affirming that all the prophecies relating to that event were fulfilled by their return from the Babylonish captivity. In this theory, therefore, there is a doable purpose, viz., first, to evade the doctrine of the second personal coming

1 The writers on this subject are Rev. Wm. Miller, Rev. George Storrs, Rev. F. G. Fox, Rev. Josiah Litch, Rev. J. Oswold, A. M., and others.

2 Micah iv. 8.

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