Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter

by J. Miller, Ayr | Category: Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter | Apr 1967

[This is the first of a series of articles on Prophecy, by our co-editor Mr. J. Miller, which will appear in succeeding months during 1967, if the Lord will. They are the result of many years of study and are presented here as a contribution to the understanding of the prophetic word. There are certain landmarks in prophetic exposition which have been observed by succeeding editors of Needed Truth during the past 80 years. These articles are in keeping with the general outline which has been consistently set forth in this magazine. There are, however, some details in prophetic fulfilment about which students of the word differ in their understanding. On such matters there is room for exploration and discussion. These articles are published with this in view. It should not be assumed that all editors necessarily agree with every detail of these expositions. Editors]

The first three chapters of the book of the Revelation deal with events on earth during the present dispensation. Chapter 4 of that book begins with a revelation of heaven. Heaven is referred to in many parts of the Holy Scriptures, hut is not revealed as is done in this chapter. But before we say anything about what is said in Revelation, we shall take a look at the prophetic calendar which was given to Daniel as to the Messiah, His people, and to the city of Jerusalem. This we find in the second part of chapter 9 of Daniel's prophecy. The first part of this chapter is taken up with the account of Daniel's prayer of confession and of supplication for Israel his people, and for their restoration to their land and to their city which had for seventy years been in desolation. While Daniel was praying, Gabriel was caused to fly swiftly and he touched him about the time of the evening oblation, which would be some-

where about three o'clock in the afternoon. Gabriel was sent to make him skilful of understanding, for Daniel was one who was greatly beloved. Indeed he is one of God's greatest servants, who will no doubt stand among the princes in a coming day, men who were outstanding servants of God in their time.

Daniel is told that:

"Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy" (verse 24).

A fundamental and drastic change was to take place both with Daniel's people and with the city of Jerusalem. Daniel's people would then be all righteous (Isaiah 60.21), and they would all be taught (disciples) of the LORD (1saiah 54.13), and the LORD said that He would hasten it in its time.

This period of seventy weeks (not weeks of days, but seventy sevens of years, 490 years) was to begin from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, that is generally understood to be in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, the Persian emperor, to whom Nehemiah was cupbearer. Nehemiah got permission from him to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall of the city and to set up its gates, and no doubt to set the city in order (Nehemiah 2). After 483 years (that is seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks) Messiah was to be cut off and have nothing. His cutting off indicates His death, and when the LORD died He truly had nothing in the nation of Israel. The Jewish leaders and people renounced Him as their King before Pilate, saying that they had no king but Caesar. That was the day when the great parting took place in the 490 years, leaving seven years still to run their course, and that too was the time when Israel was set aside nationally, though many Jews had individually believed in Christ and were disciples of Him. Many more, after the Lord's resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, believed on Him in that great movement which began on that day when about 3,000 were saved by faith, baptized and added. But the nation of Israel rejected the Messiah and do so until this day, and will do so until the experiences of these final seven years have their tremendous effect upon them. They will then see the evil that their fathers did before Pilate, and which for about 2,000 years now they have upheld and followed. Generally speaking, the happenings on earth, in the persecution of saints, and in the judgements of God which will be poured out on men on earth, cover from chapters 5 to 19 of Revelation.

The present dispensation of grace began with the sending forth of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), and will continue until the Lord comes again to the air. He will then call all saints in Christ, living and dead, to meet Him; these saints are all who are members of the Body of Christ. Following His coming, He will present the Church to Himself glorious, having neither spot nor wrinkle, and being holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5.25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4. 13-18). This dispensation comes in after the 483 years, at which time the Messiah was cut off. Then after this dispensation there is the period of seven years to complete the seventy weeks (of years). We need to be clear on the matter of God's dealing with Israel, and God's dealing with the world, and the building of the Church by Christ composed of all that accept Him by faith as the Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16.15-18). It is quite impossible to say from our point of view in time now, that the seven years yet to be run of the 490 years will commence immediately following the Lord's coming for the Church. Some think and say that the seven years will commence when the Lord comes for those in Christ. We have been taught to believe that the Lord may come at any moment, that nothing in prophecy needs to happen before He comes, and that times and seasons have to do with His coming to the earth (Acts 1.6,7; 1 Thessalonians 5.1-4). We must remember that truth relative to the Church is one thing, and what is prophesied relative to Israelis quite another. To mix these two things leads to confusion. The last seven years before the Lord comes to earth have to do with Israel, not with the Church. If there are only seven years between the Lord's coming to the air for the Church, and His coming to earth for the deliverance of Israel and His persecuted saints of that time, then much that is revealed in Revelation chapters 5 to 19 will need to happen in this dispensation before the Church is caught up. The present writer does not believe this will be the case.

For instance, the prince that shall come will "make a firm covenant with many for one week" (the last week of seven years), "and for the hal (or in the midst) of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the consummation, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolator" (Daniel 9.27). The prince that shall come, is, I judge, the one that is called the (wild) beast in Revelation. In the middle of the last seven years the covenant which he makes with "many" of the Jewish people concerning their freedom to sacrifice and offer oblation, is set aside by him, and the one that comes on the wing of abominations is the false prophet. It is he that will say to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image of the beast, to which breath will be given, and it shall speak and cause as many as shall not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (See Revelation 13.11-18 where the iniquity of this accomplice of the beast and of Satan is revealed.) At this time Israel, the woman of Revelation 12.1-6, and 13-17, flees into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they may nourish her for 1,260 days (12.6), which is the same period of time as in 12.14, "a time, and times, and half a time", where she will be nourished in her place in the wilderness. The lands of Edom, Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon are delivered out of the hand of the king of the north, who is the first beast of Revelation 13. No doubt this will be the place in the wilderness to which Israel will flee. Isaiah 35.4-10 tells us of the flight of Israel into the wilderness and of God providing them with abundance of water in a waterless place, of the way of holiness being there, and then finally of the ransomed of the LORD returning to Zion, having everlasting joy upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing fleeing away. As Joshua the son of Nun led Israel into the land after their long and weary wilderness journey, even so will Joshua (Jesus) lead Israel from the wilderness again, so it seems to me.

Let us now consider some of the things in Revelation which will happen, after "these things" which belong to this dispensation recorded in the first three chapters have passed. In the beginning of chapter 5 we are told that God (the Father) who sits upon the throne has in His right hand a book written within and on the back, and that this book is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb, who is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Root of David, was the only One worthy to take the book, and to open it and the seven seals thereof. In consequence of this the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders sing a new song, the subject of this new song is concerning the worthiness of the Lamb to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, and that He purchased unto God with His blood men of every tribe, tongue, people and nation, and made them unto God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.

Then in chapter 6 we have the results of the opening of the seven seals. When the first seal is opened one of the four living creatures says with a voice of thunder, "Come". And John saw a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given to him a crown (Greek stephanos, not diadema, which is the sign of royalty). This rider goes forth conquering and to conquer.

Then the Lamb opens the second seal, and the second living creature says, "Come". A red horse goes forth, and to its rider it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another, and he was given a great sword, which is the symbol of war and slaughter. Leaders of nations at present fear another international war. Bad as the two international wars have been, another with the weapons that certain of the nations have devised will come under the heading of this rider's commission, "to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another".

With the opening of the third seal, the third living creature says, "Come". A black horse appears, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand, and John hears a voice from the midst of the four living creatures saying. "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not". The measure (Greek choinix, nearly equivalent to about one quart), being considered a sufficient daily allowance for the sustenance of one man. The penny was worth about eightpence

halfpenny of British money. The wine and oil were not to be hurt, and they would be for those who could get them, but the limitation of cereals, together, perhaps, with the limitation of money, would in many cases be a matter of life or death. This is what follows war: scarcity.

The Lord opens the fourth seal, and the voice of the fourth living creature says, "Come". "And, behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth." This seems to be the gleanings left by the two former horsemen of international war, and international famine conditions. Death and Hades glean in the fourth part of the earth, and what gleaners they are, by means of war, with famine, by death and wild beasts! These are the calamities that the inhabitants of the earth will suffer because they neither know God nor want to know Him.

With the opening of the fifth seal by the Lord we come to something very different. There is not a fifth living creature to say "Come", nor are there horses and horsemen seen when this seal is opened. What John sees in this vision are the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God and the testimony that they held. We come here to the faithful saints that fall in the battle against the fearful evil of the last days. Neither the word of God nor their testimony was acceptable to the world rulers of those days, and, in consequence, they became martyrs for the word of God which they held and practised. They are found saying, "How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" They were each given a white robe and told to rest for a little while yet until their fellow-servants and brethren who were to be killed should be fulfilled. These all are those, I judge, that are seen in 7.9-17.

At the opening of the sixth seal we come to the time immediately before and associated with the coming of the Son of Man in judgement to the earth. This same time of judgement is referred to in Matthew 24.29-30; Acts 2.20; Revelation 1.7; etc. It is evident that the opening of the sixth seal and the events which will take place then bring us to the same time as that of the third woe and the sounding of the seventh angel, as recorded in Revelation 11.14-18, and to the same time as that described to us of the Lord's coming in judgement in Revelation 19.11-21. It will thus be seen that the events recorded in this book do not all follow one another from first to last. The opening of this seal shows us the complete evaporation of human pride and purpose. Every man who is able is found seeking a place of safety in terror of that day. They all might have known of this judgement, if they had only read the Holy Scriptures, but they left off doing that till it was too late. "Too late, too late shall be the cry".

J. Miller, Ayr | Apr 1967
Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter