ONE HUNDRED AND … YEAR OLD JUDGMENT
By
WILLIAM MARRIOTT
"It is always
interesting to trace a truth before ever it has emerged into public
notice. This letter [given to D. M. Panton by a
great-grandson of the same name, and published in ‘Dawn’ Vol.16] was addressed
to an official of the C. M. S., dated July 31st 1827, and
written by the son of John Wesley’s executor; and it was composed when the
chief protagonists of this particular truth - Govett
and Pember and Seiss, not
to speak of A. B. Simpson, Hudson Taylor, and A. T. Pierson - were still in
their childhood, or not yet born." - (D. M. Panton).
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You
asked my opinion the other day relative to the First Resurrection. It appears to be God’s method in regard to
those mysteries which have been hidden from past ages, rather to bring them to
view gradually than develop the whole of them at once; because
there is a preparation of mind necessary to receive them. Witness an instance in the Apostle Peter
previously to his being sent to Cornelius, and again - you will recollect what
our Lord said to His disciples not long before His bodily presence was removed
from them. "I have yet many things to say
unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (Jn. 16: 12).
My
idea then regarding the First Resurrection* is
as follows. It is spoken of as
taking place at the commencement of the Millennium; when Satan, who is said to
have "the powers of death" (Heb. 2: 14), is bound for a thousand years.
His overthrow was accomplished, and his schemes in the seduction of our first
Parents completely thwarted, by the death of our Redeemer, who is spoken of by
the Paslmist as leading "Captivity captive" (Ps. 68: 18). It is also related by the Evangelist St. Matthew
that at Christ’s death the graves were opened (as it would seem by the
earthquake which then happened) "and many
bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his
resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto many" (Matt. 27: 52, 53). As then this practical resurrection took place
in token of Christ’s having triumphed over or conquered His enemy, not only in
his own person, but in behalf of his people (for the Apostle says "Them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him",
(1Thess. 4: 14), so in token of this
triumphant reign commencing on earth; when
the promises shall be accomplished of the Heathen being given him for his
inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession (Ps. 2: 8). The kingdoms of this world having
become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ (Rev.
11: 15), there shall be a more
glorious manifestation of his triumph in the resurrection of such as having suffered in his cause.
[* This cannot be
interpreted as a figurative resurrection, for if so, the clause "the rest of the dead lived not again until the 1000 years
were finished" must also be understood
figuratively; but this is plainly inadmissable.]
This
will throw more light perhaps on the representation given under the fifth seal
(Rev. 6: 9, 11) of the souls of them that
were slain in the persecutions under the Heathen Emperors (or Pagan Rome) who
are depicted as crying from under the Altar for vengeance to be executed, when
it is said to them, that they should rest for a little season until their
fellow servants also and their brethren which should be killed as they were,
should be fulfilled. But as those which arose on Christ’s resurrection
were not seen by all the City, but only appeared to
various inhabitants of
[* Possibly this may have a very powerful influence towards
effecting that sudden and general conversion of the Jewish Nation which I think
we may expect to take place about the same period (see Isaiah 25: 8v.) and of
the receiving of whom the Apostle speaks in the Eleventh
chapter to the Romans, "If the falling of them be the riches of the Gentiles; how
much more their fulness?" (ver. 12). For he had just before
remarked, that "through their fall
salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (ver. 11) and afterwards he
adds (ver. 15), "If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world,
what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" And ver. 25: "For I would not
brethren that ye should be ignorant if this mystery, that
blindness (or hardness) in part is happened to
For
my opinion is, as you know, that there will not be a personal reign of Christ on
earth;¹ against which I think there are the strongest
objections, but I believe the saints will reign with them, during this period (Rev. 20: 4), those at least who have suffered in
His cause; such as He will rank among the Martyrs†:
these it appears will be honoured with a resurrection before others so that
they shall be with Christ when he comes to Judgment. For he is
represented as accompanied on this important errand by Saints as well as Angels
(Jude 14.) and it is said by St. John in the
former part of this verse, "I saw thrones and they
that sat upon them and judgment was given unto them": (see also Matt. 19: 28; Luke 22: 30). Besides the
Apostle Paul says, "Know ye not that we shall
judge Angels?" (1 Cor. 6: 2, 3). This distinguished
honour then, "living and reigning with Christ
during the thousand years", is reserved for such: and although the
thousand years bears no proportion to Eternity, yet it is in itself no
inconsiderable period of duration: and in respect to the existence of our Globe
will I apprehend be the Sabbatical or Seventh part.
Although it would be presumptuous in us to attempt to fathom the Divine mind
and counsels, yet we are sure that all which God does is the result of infinite
wisdom and reason; and it appears (if I may be allowed to hint it) not without
reason that this honour is put upon the characters here mentioned seeing they
have already given so public a testimony of their being devoted to the cause of
the Redeemer by laying down their lives for His sake (2
Thess. 1: 10). The purport of this
general judgment being as I apprehend to exhibit to men and Angels the equity
of the Divine procedure and sentence of the Judge, St. Paul observes (1 Tim. 5: 24), "Some
men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to Judgment"; so in
regard to the characters of which we have been speaking, they have been made
already sufficiently manifest.
[† Is there not a meaning which has not been generally obvious in
these words of the Apostle, 2 Tim. 2: 11, 12? "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him:
If we suffer we shall also reign with him" - and again -
"If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be
glorified together," Romans 8: 17.]
To add a word more on what the Apostle says in his first
Epistle to the Thessalonians (4: 16), that "the
dead in Christ shall rise first". From this I gather that even at the general
Resurrection there will be a priority in favour of them, they probably will be
aroused by the first sounding of the Trumpet, nor need to wonder if such as
rise only to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan.
12: 2), should be backward to appear: nay, are they not represented as
calling on the rocks and mountains to fall upon them in the general breaking up
of nature, and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev.
6: 16). But that there shall be more than one sounding of the
Trumpet on this awfully grand occasion is not only a generally received
opinion, but is implied in the Apostle’s words when he speaks of the last
Trump, at which time the change shall pass on such as are alive(1Thess. 4: 17), and the general² resurrection take place.
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NOTES
1. The prepositions used throughout numerous prophecies of God, relative
to Christ’s reign on earth, make it as certain as language can,
that Christ and His saints, (that is, those amongst them who are
'considered worthy') will reign on
the earth during the Millennium. - Ed.
2. The resurrection of 1Thess. 4: 16 is not a ‘general’
resurrection. This resurrection takes
place immediately upon Christ’s descent from heaven to earth (ver. 15), and is therefore selective, (see Lk. 14: 14; 20: 35; Phil. 3: 11; Rev. 20: 4, 5; Heb. 11:
35b). In 1Thess. 4: 16 we read: "For
the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the
voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first." Not all the dead
in Christ will rise first, for we are informed elsewhere (as shown above), the
contrary: Not all believers will be ‘considered worthy’
to reign during the Millennium; therefore, many will remain in Hades. -
Ed.
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