The Thousand Year Reign of Christ

Nathaniel West

Description

In many ways this is the most authoritative work on the thousand year reign of Christ ever to appear in English.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Prophecy
• Philosophie et théologie
• Biblical Studies

Informations

• Publié par: Rare Treasure Editions
• Date de parution: 08 novembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781774643662
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Thousand Year Reign of Christ

by Nathaniel West

First published in 1889 as The Thousand Years in Both Testaments; Studies in Eschatology.

This edition published by Rare Treasures

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The Thousand Year Reign of Christ

by

Nathaniel West
PART 1

It is a very common opinion, widely spread throughout Christendom, and in most cases believed to be true, that “the thousand years” of which John speaks in the Apocalypse, Rev. 20: 1-7, are mentioned nowhere else in the sacred Scriptures. The doctrine of a millennial kingdom on earth, introduced by the advent of Christ in His glory, is a Jewish fable without support from the word of God. A deeper study of the sacred volume dissipates this false prejudice and reveals the fact that, not only are “the thousand years” of which John speaks found everywhere in both Testaments, but that next to the eternal state, the millennial blessedness of God’s people on earth, and of the nations, is the one high point in all prophecy, from Moses to John, the bright, broad tableland of all eschatology. The prejudice against the study of a theme so sublime and far-reaching, and occupying so much space in the revelation of God has been pleased to give us, is as remarkable in our age, as [Page 2] it is inexcusable, although by no means surprising. To use the words of Prof. Van Oosterzee, “We cannot be surprised that the inner discrepancy between the modern theological philosophy and the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures should perhaps, on no point come forth so clearly, and apparently so irreconcilably, as precisely in reference to the doctrine of the ‘Last Things’ – Eschatology. Here, especially are the terms, ‘Jewish conception,’ ‘oriental garb,’ ‘poetic imagery,’ ‘accommodation to the narrow ideas of the age,’ etc., etc., the order of the day, and the doctrine of the consummation of the ages is ordinarily regarded as a moderately insignificant appendix to some philosophico-dogmatic system. In Scripture, on the contrary, it is distinctly presented in the foreground, and for the believer it attains, with every year and every century, increased significance, so that what for a time seems to be an appendix, becomes eventually the main question!” [ Person and work of the Redeemer, 450.]

Every faithful student of the Scriptures, unbiased by false theories of interpretation, will attest these words as true. What we find in the New Testament as its outcome in respect to the ages and thekingdom, has already lain in the bosom of the Old Testament from the beginning. The closing part of the New Testament is but the full flower of which the opening part of the Old Testament was the precious seed, the kingdom one and the same, in essence, all the way. Nothing appears in the latter revelation that was not hid in the earlier, nothing in John that was not in Moses. This is what Augustine meant by his golden maxim, “Novum Testamentum in Vetrere latet, Vetus in Novo patet.”“In the [page 3] Old Testament the New is concealed; in the New the Old is revealed.” We shall find “the thousand years” in many places of God’s word, long before the Rabbis ever had a being or a name.

We shall be obliged in this investigation to make use of what men call “technical” terms, in order to save circumlocution. We speak of the “Last Things.” The Greek term for this is “Eschata,” and by these are meant what should “come to pass,” not in the “latter,” as oftentimes King James’ version has it, but in the “last” days, as Moses, Joel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Peter, Paul and John, preferred to have it. If we study the eschatology of the Old Testament, we will find the Eschata there identical with the Eschata of the New Testament, and the Eschatology of both Testaments the same, only the New is more developed than the Old. Such is the organic and genetic character of revelation and of prophecy that if “the thousand years” are not in Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets, they have no right to be in John. To understand the prophets it is necessary, however, to understand the Apocalypse, and to understand the Apocalypse it is necessary to understand the prophets. The one is light to the other, and reciprocally. In order to attain a clear conception of Old testament prophecy and its fulfilment, we must combine both Advents of Messiah, remembering that the first only brought the partial fulfilment of the prophetic word which yet awaits the second in order to secure itsplenary accomplishment.

Joel’s prophecy as to the outpouring of the Spirit in the last days, and of the great and notable day of the Lord, with all its terrestrial and celestial phenomena, the final redemption of Israel, and the transfiguration of the Holy Land, was only incipiently and partly [page 4] fulfilled to a few, an election out of Israel, at the first coming of Christ, and awaits a far larger fulfilment at His second appearing. So the prediction of Amos, in reference to the dispersion and sifting of Israel the “Sinful Kingdom,” and God’s visitation of the Gentiles, “after this,” to take out of them a people for His name, met a partial and precursive fulfilment in the first calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of Christ, in the days of the apostles, as James in the first council at Jerusalem assures us. We see that by comparingActs 15: 13-18 with Amos 9: 8-12. But there is to be a grander fulfilment still in coming days, when, now that a Second Dispersion and Sifting of Israel has occurred, since James spoke, there shall be a fullness of the Gentiles “after this,” also, and finally the fallen Booth of David, or Israel’s proper Kingdom, as the prophets picture it, will be reerected with the fullness of Israel converted to God, and the glorious millennial age heave into view. So it is with reference to Isaiah’s Redeemer coming to Zion, and Hosea’s Israel abiding alone for many days, and Micah’s halting daughter of Zion to whom at length, comes the “former dominion.” Whatever occurred to Israel graciously, at the first coming of Christ, was only a preliminary fulfilment to be exhaustively completed for Israel, at His second coming. Such is the law of prophecy and the law of fulfilment, and it will save us from many an error, if only we are careful to remember it.

THE KINGDOM AND PROPHECY.

From first to last, the kingdom of God on earth, its inception, progress, conduct, and consummation in glory, is the one theme of Old Testament prophecy. To this end were the converts with Christ, Adam, [page 5] Noah, Abraham, Israel and David. To this end was the choice of the one national “Israel,” the “choice forever,” as a prophetic, priestly, kingly nation, a messianic and mediatorialnation, the one national “Servant of Jehovah,” and national Son of God, standing between God and mankind, and bringing salvation to a lost world; a people from whom should come the one personal “Israel,” Prophet, Priest and King, the one Mediator and true Messiah, Seed of the woman, Seed of Abraham, Seed of David, Son of Man and Son of God, in whom all nations should bless themselves –Jesus Christ. Identified with Him, individually, and called by His name, stands Israel collectively, in His whole Messianic work and kingdom. Neither acts without the other. The Pentateuch prophecies refer chiefly to the people. The Messianic Psalms emphasize the King, the Kingdom, and the Priest. Isaiah dwells upon the prophetic character of Israel; Ezekiel displays the priestly; Daniel reveals the kingly; Zechariah blends all in one. Old Testament prophecy knows no other subjects of discourse than these, Israel, Messiah, and the Nations. As to the kingdom, Israel had it, under the Old Testament, in its outward form; the Gentiles have it under New Testament, in its inward form;in the age to come, Jews and Gentiles together, shall have it, both forms in one, one kingdom of Messiah, spiritual, visible and glorious, with Israel still the central people, the prelude of the New Jerusalem and the nations walking in its light forever.

The division of the Davidic kingdom into two, laid the ground for all the prophecies concerning the “Kingdom of Israel” and the “Kingdom of Judah,” i.e., the ten-tribed Israel, called “Ephraim,” and the two-tribed Israel, called “Judah,” as distinguished from “all [page 6] Israel,” or the twelve-tribed Israel, an election from those children shall one day form the national nucleus of the millennial kingdom.

The catastrophe that brought destruction to Jerusalem and captivity to Judah under the ChaldeanKing, forms the ground of the common destruction of the canonical prophets into their present classification. The Babylonian exile is the middle point. If we study the prophecies that speak of theKingdom of Messiah, Israel’s kingdom, the Millennial Kingdom, and the relation of the nations to each, - all as parts of the Kingdom of God on earth, - we shall take in all the prophets. If we group these around the several great epochs of Israel’s history, they will fall into three main divisions, (1), pre-exile prophets (2), exile prophets (3), post-exile prophets. Or, to be still more specific, they will fall into five chief divisions: (1) The pre-Assyrian, viz., Obadiah, Joel, Jonah; i.e., the prophets of the period prior to the Assyrian invasion and captivity of Israel; (2), The Assyrian, viz., Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum: (3) The transition prophets, viz., Zephaniah and Habbakuk; (4) The prophets of the Chaldean period, viz., Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel; (5) the Persian period, or period of the Restoration down t