with the high intelligences of heaven ; with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all the redeemed. (6.) Another is con- stant increase. in knowledge and in the useful exercise of all their powers. (7.) Another is the secure and everlasting possession of all possible good. And, (8.) Doubtless the outward circum- stances of their being will be such as to minister to their in- creasing blessedness.
§ 5. The Theory of the P re-millennial Advent. The common doctrine of the Church stated above, is that the conversion of the world, the restoration of the Jews, and the de- struction of Antichrist are to precede the second coming of Christ, which event will be attended by the general resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, the end of the world, and the consum- mation of the Church. In opposition to this view the doctrine of a pre-millennial advent of Christ has been extensively held from the days of the Apostles to the present time.1 According to this view, (1.) The nations are not to be converted, nor are the Jews to be restored to their standing in the Church, until the second coming of Christ. (2.) His advent is to be personal and glori- ous. (3.) He will establish Himself in Jerusalem as the head of a visible, external kingdom. (4.) When He comes, the martyrs, as some say, or, as others believe, all who sleep in Jesus, shall be raised from the dead and associated with Him in this earthly kingdom. (5.) The Jews are to be converted, restored to their
1 There recently appeared in the Presbyterian, a series of articles signed " Twisse," understood to be from the pen of the Rev. Dr. Duffield of Princeton, New Jersey, de- signed to sustain the doctrine of the pre-millennial advent of Christ, and especially to disprove "the doctrine of a millennial era of universal righteousness and peace on earth before " the second coming of Christ. The arguments summarily stated by the writer are the following : " (1.) Were the doctrine true, it would undoubtedly be prominent in the New Testament, and especially in the Apostolical Epistles. The fact is, it is not only not prominent, but, so far as we are informed, the advocates of the doctrine do not pretend to find in the Epistles the slightest allusion to it. (2.) The uniform and abundant teaching of the New Testament as to the condition of the Church and of the world during the present dispensation — that is, until the advent — forbid the expectation of such a millen- nium. (3.) The advent itself, not the millennium, is prominently presented in the New Testament as ' the blessed hope ' of the Church, and is uniformly referred to as an event near at hand, ever imminent, to be 'looked for' with longing expectation. (4.) The Saviour's repeated command to ' watch ' for his coming, because we ' know not the hour,' is inconsistent with the idea of a millennium intervening. (5.) The New Testament teaches repeatedly and unequivocally that the advent and the manifestation of the Messianic king- dom are to be synchronous events. (6.) The Apostolic Church, under the instruction of those holy men who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, was millen- narian. (7.) The Church, for two centuries immediately succeeding the Apostles, was millennarian. (8.) The doctrine of a millennium before the advent is not to be found in the standards of any of the Churches of the Reformation; by several it is expressly repudiated. It is a modern novelty, suggested but one hundred and fifty years ago by Whitby, and avowedly as ' a new hypothesis.' "
862 PART IV. Ch. IV. — THE SECOND ADVENT.
own land, invested with special honours and prerogatives, and made the instruments of the conversion of the world. (6.) This kingdom is to be one of great splendour, prosperity, and blessed- ness, and is to continue a thousand years; which, however, as stated above, is understood in different senses. (7.) After the expiration of the millennium, the general resurrection of the dead, the end of the world, and the final consummation of the Church are to occur. Such are the general features of the scheme which, with many modifications as to details, is known as the pre-millen- nial advent theory.
The leading objections to this doctrine have been already pre- sented in the discussions of the several topics included under the general head of eschatology. They may be summarily stated as follows : —
1. It is a Jewish doctrine. The principles adopted by its advocates in the interpretation of prophecy, are the same as those adopted by the Jews at the time of Christ; and they have led substantially to the same conclusions. The Jews ex- pected that when the Messiah came He would establish a glorious earthly kingdom at Jerusalem ; that those who had died in the faith should be raised from the dead to share in the blessings of the Messiah's reign ; that all nations and peoples on the face of the whole earth should be subject to them ; and that any nation that did not serve them should be destroyed. All the riches and honours of the world were to be at their disposal. The event disappointed these expectations ; and the principles of prophetic interpretation on which those expectations were founded were proved to be incorrect.
2. This theory is inconsistent with the Scriptures, inasmuch as it teaches that believers only are to rise from the dead when Christ comes ; whereas the Bible declares that when He appears all who are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.
3. The Bible teaches that when Christ comes all nations shall appear at his bar for judgment. This theory teaches that the final judgment will not occur until after the millennium. It may be said that the judgment is to commence at the second advent and continue during the reign of a thousand years. But the general judgment cannot occur before the general resurrection, and as the general resurrection, according to this theory, is not to take place until after the millennium, so neither can the general judgment.