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LECTURE  4
Lectures on the Second Coming of Christ
Romans 11

J. N. Darby, 1800-82

Of the two great subjects, besides our individual salvation, of which the Scriptures treat, as already stated – namely, the church and the government of the world – the latter leads us at once to the Jewish as its centre, as the church is of the heavenly glory under Christ; under whom as their head all things in heaven and earth are to be gathered together in one.

I will refer to this last first, as correcting this very mistake; and this will make way for the direct and positive testimonies of the Old which concern this people of God's election. In Romans 11 this question is treated:

Then he warns the Gentile Christians against the very notion to which I refer, assuring them that they are in danger of being cut off in their turn, as we shall see more fully when we treat that subject. In verse 25 he adds,

Thus it is certain that God maintains His purpose as to them as a people, and that it is not by the gospel as now preached they will be called in. As to that they are enemies.

Thus we learn distinctly the teaching of the New Testament, of the Lord, and the apostle, as to the plan and ways of God in respect of His ancient and elect people.

I may now turn to the direct declarations of the prophets, which leave no shadow of doubt on their restoration and blessing; and that as a people, with Jerusalem for the centre of their dominion and glory.

Their restoration after the Babylonish captivity is sometimes alleged to be the fulfilment of these promises; but it was far indeed from accomplishing them.

I will now quote the prophecies which predict this establishment of the people. You will see its connection with Christ, with the judgment of the Gentiles, with the new covenant, and even with the resurrection.

  1. the unfaithfulness of Israel to her first calling;

  2. and their unfitness to meet the glory of the Lord when He appears.

This point is more historically prophesied of in Isaiah 8 and 9, where the rejection of Christ is definitely spoken of, verses 14-18; and His manifestation in glory in favour of Israel, yet in judgment, in chapter 9: 5-7.*

In chapters 24 and 25, which form the close of the next series of prophecies, the testimony of God is carried on to the utter desolation of the earth.

In taking up these closing chapters of the two series of prophecies – chapters 5-12 and 24-27 – the first, God's dealings with Israel as in the land, the second with the Gentiles,

You will find in chapter 29, and remarkably in chapter 32, and largely in chapters 34 and 35, the Spirit's testimony to the final restoration of Israel.

But Jeremiah lived when the house of David had completed its guilt, and Jerusalem was about to be given up to the captivity of Babylon.

In chapter 30 the prophet speaks of that day of Jacob's trouble which there is none like, of which the Lord speaks in Matthew 24, but declares he shall be delivered out of it – a declaration which, as we know, was not accomplished at the first destruction of Jerusalem by Titus;

Both families – chapter 31 – should be His people. This shews at once it was not the restoration from Babylon merely.

In chapter 32 Jeremiah is commanded to redeem land at Anathoth; and the chapter closes thus: The Lord declares, He will gather them and they will be His people, and He will be their God.

We get details as to their restoration, which passing on to Ezekiel leads us to.

But I must quote some other passages of Ezekiel.

In chapter 36 we have the well known passage in which being born again is declared to be the work which God will accomplish in them that they may enjoy their land before Him.

In chapter 37 we see a further point insisted on.

Ezekiel wholly passes over the times of the Gentiles, and introduces Jehovah again in their midst in the land.

Turn to Hosea 3: 4-5, "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

In Joel 3 we have again the judgment of the Gentiles summoned to awake up and come to the great day of God to the valley of Jehoshaphat – the judgment of God.

See Amos 9: 14-15. Here we get what has clearly never yet been fulfilled, while it applies to temporal blessing in the land:

In Micah we have a beautiful description of what Israel will be in the world in that day under Christ.

In Zephaniah 3 we have another passage full of instruction as to the Lord's ways with this people.

In Zechariah, the whole of chapter 10 describes the restoration of Israel in the latter days, speaking of each division of the people, Judah and Ephraim;

The testimonies I have cited are amply sufficient to shew, to every one who receives the testimony of God's word as true, the certainty of the restoration of Israel to their own land to be blessed under Christ and the new covenant.

Such is the establishment of the divine government of the world at the close. Of this government Israel is the centre, according to the fixed purpose and unchangeable calling of God.

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LECTURE  5
Lectures on the Second Coming of Christ
Matthew 13

The part of the subject which will occupy us this evening, beloved friends, in treating of the coming again of our beloved Lord, is the sorrowful side of it.

The coming of Christ has a double aspect.

  1. As regards the professing church, and the world at large too, Scripture speaks of His appearing; because then it is that the result of their responsibility is manifested.

  2. As regards the body of Christ, it speaks of His coming, and our taking up to Himself.

There is never anything else but failure exhibited in man. Look all through the Scripture, where we have man's history from the very beginning of creation, and we find nothing but failure.

All was set up in the first Adam, who has failed. All will be made good in the second Man, who is perfect, and has overcome.

If we now turn to this responsibility, we shall find there are two subjects before us as engaged in it;

  1. the professing church is one;

  2. power in the earth, shewn in the beasts, is the other.

Geographically speaking, Christianity was more widely spread in the sixth century than now; the world as then known was more acquainted with the gospel than it is now.

People very often take the kingdom of heaven as if it were the same thing as the church of God; but this is in no way the case, though those who compose the church are in the kingdom.

The gospel is the only means we have of gathering souls into the kingdom, and such are properly the children of the kingdom; but, within its limits, Satan works and sows tares, and they are in the kingdom.

The moment He comes to this and the two following parables, we have a similitude of the kingdom of heaven.

Then the Lord goes into the house, and explains God's mind about these things – verse 36.

You will now remark that, as I have said, in these parables, with the explanation of the first, you have two distinct things –

  1. the outward result,

  2. and the unfolding of God's design in it.

But, having sent the multitude away, the Lord takes up an entirely different thing, and explains, not the outward effect, but God's mind in the transactions represented by these parables.

"The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one".

And indeed on this point we get a little more precise information.

  1. The first thing, we learn, will be the gathering together of the tares – those who have grown up as the fruit of the corrupt principles, sown by Satan where the gospel had been planted – in bundles to be burned.

  2. And then He gathers His wheat into His garner – takes His saints to be with Himself.

  1. We have first, then, the tares growing till harvest;

  2. and then the Lord gathers out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity.

You will now see, by comparing other passages, that the church, having a certain responsibility entrusted to her in the earth, has not fulfilled what that responsibility made incumbent upon her, and comes under judgment.

But we shall find exactly fulfilled, as regards the church as an outward thing in the world, what is stated in this chapter, that, if it continue not in God's goodness, it will be cut off.

And I ask, Has the church continued in God's goodness? Is that which we now see in Christendom what God set up in His church in the beginning, or anything like it?

Turn now to the positive testimony. What I have been reading is conditional; it shews what will take place if they continue not in God's goodness. We shall see now if they have continued.

We see, then, the cause of the falling away – that already in Jude's time these men had crept in unawares into the church of God, and were bringing in corruption.

Turn now to Habakkuk, where you have one of those passages which are constantly in people's minds, as shewing that the gospel is to go on and spread until it fills the world.

Turn now to other passages, where it is not stated conditionally, or in a general prophetic manner, but where distinct details are given of that which would come about.

Therefore, as the apostle had stated that, if they did not continue in God's goodness, they would be cut off,

We find then that this mystery of iniquity was already at work in the time of the apostle, and it was then only hindered from going on; it was not to be set aside. The time will come when it will be set aside, when Babylon will be destroyed, but not by the word.

Returning to the passage in Thessalonians, we find the apostle says,

The Lord then comes and destroys the wicked, the evil being open and evident; it is no longer a mystery. This is for us a very solemn view of God's dealings. It is not the pleasant and bright side.

Then, in 2 Timothy 3, we have very definitely and distinctly stated what the last days will be:

It is a remarkable proof of the power of Satan, that in the face of these passages, men, wise in their own conceits, will bring reasoning to prove that they are to go on and fill the whole world with the gospel

The apostle shews that the declension will go on, that it will not be set aside.

You will find, again, how this mystery of iniquity began to work at the very outset, by turning to 1 John 2, where this very question is treated of.

Turn now to Luke 18, which occurs to my mind in connection with this, shewing how far the professing church is from continuing in God's goodness – verse 6:

It may be well now perhaps to turn to a few passages – because they rest in people's minds, in looking at this subject – about the gospel being preached to all nations and the like.

Let us turn then to the passages which speak of the prevalence of the gospel. That in Matthew 24 is one of them.

If you look at Revelation 14 you will find this brought out still more distinctly and clearly, that the end comes when the gospel is sent for a witness to all nations.

But, before doing that, let me just quote one passage in Isaiah – chapter 26 – where you will see that this is brought, not by the gospel, but by judgments. Verse 9:

Turn now to Habakkuk, where you have one of these passages which are constantly in people's minds, as shewing that the gospel is to go on and spread until it fills the world.

Turn now to Numbers – another of the only three passages in which what I am now referring to is spoken of in that way; and in chapter 14 you will find what the Lord means by filling the earth with His glory.

In one other passage the expression occurs. You will find it in Isaiah 11:

Turn now to Isaiah 66, where the glory of the Lord is also spoken of. And, in referring to these passages which are so constantly quoted, it is always an excellent plan to read the context.

You see, then, these three points.

  1. First, you have the statement that, after God had sown the good seed, the enemy came and sowed the evil.

  2. Then you have the conditional declaration, that the professing church, if it did not continue in God's goodness, would, as an outward thing, be cut off.

  3. Then, further, you have the declaration that that evil which had begun in the time of the apostles would go on to the end,

    • the Lord only restraining the public manifestation of it until the time of judgment approached at Christ's coming, the fulness of the Gentiles being come in, and then that wicked would be cut off; also that in the last days perilous times would come, and Antichrist would come.

If you turn to the Revelation, you will get a little more of detail about the falling away, and about what the character of that evil is which is at work.

It is not when Babylon is destroyed that the kingdom is given to the Son of man. It is given then to the beast.

Turn now to chapter 16, and you will find more about the time when judgment shall be executed upon Babylon, although we cannot now enter into the various details of it.

I do not dwell upon this; but at all events it is perfectly clear that the three unclean spirits, which gather the nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, are not the gospel.

In Revelation 19, we read that there comes forth on the white horse He who has on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords;

Then we have a passage, which is the only ground we have for saying that there is to be a millennium – a thousand years of blessedness.

Are there not many professing Christians who, if you were to say to them, 'Do you know you are to judge angels?' would think you were mad?

Let us revert for a moment to Revelation 17 to see how intimately the saints are associated with Christ in that day.

There is another point I wish to shew you, although I cannot go into details. I can only touch upon the great principles bearing on the subject we are considering, and pass over them very rapidly.

Now we find in the Revelation, that the false prophet brings down fire from heaven in the sight of men. It is all lies, of course; but he does it in such a way as to deceive men.

If you turn to 2 Thessalonians, you will see the same, where Christianity is concerned, in connection with the apostasy:

Now, beloved friends, the more you search the Scriptures, the more you will find these great leading principles clearly brought out.

As regards the duty of individuals, Scripture gives plenty of directions about that, even when speaking of the last days, when there shall be a form of godliness and a denial of the power thereof. From such, says the Spirit, turn away.

That, however, is not the point; the question is as to the outward manifestation and outward effect in the world.

And now, beloved friends, take this lesson with you, that, during this time of God's forbearance, until He comes forth to execute judgment, a deep responsibility is laid upon each of us. Let each man take heed how and what he believes.

I only add now this thought – how important it is, if we are approaching these scenes of judgment, that we should understand correctly what is the destiny of the church, instead of imagining that all is to go on rightly until the whole world is filled with blessedness!

We shall afterwards take up that part of our subject which connects God's dealings with the world, more particularly with the Jews.

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LECTURE  6
Lectures on the Second Coming of Christ
Daniel 2: 19-49; Daniel 7

I have to read this chapter, dear friends, because it gives an outline of a part of prophecy of which other parts of Scripture are the detail.

When we turn to the ways of God on the earth, we have seen that His direct government had always been exercised with the Jews as a centre.

But, before doing so, I must point out two classes of Gentiles to which they refer, in respect of whom there are two very distinct classes of prophecy in Scripture:

  1. that which refers to those who were enemies of the Jews when God was there with them on the earth – when He owned them, or will hereafter again own them as His people;

  2. and that which refers to those who oppress them when they are not – when God has written on them Lo-ammi, "not my people", and the times of the Gentiles have begun.

In a word, Scripture shews us that the Jews are the centre of God's earthly dealings;

  1. one referring to the enemies of God's people when He owns them,

  2. and the other to their oppressors when they are turned off and He does not own them.

I will now turn, before distinguishing the enemies of Israel owned of God, and their oppressors when given up, to the general testimony of the judgment of the nations, and then shew you the two distinct. Turn to Isaiah 66: 15,

Now turn to Psalms 9 and 10. They celebrate the judgment and destruction of the enemies of Israel in the land. The Psalmist introduces the whole subject in verses 4 and 5,

Hence, remark, it is that we find in the Psalms these appeals to judgment, and demands for it, which have often stumbled Christians, when urged by the enemies of Christianity.

To pursue our subject: turn to Jeremiah 25. This is a remarkable chapter; but first I will give you a few verses from the end of Isaiah 24: 16: to shew the connection with Israel I will read from verse 13:

Now turn to Jeremiah 25: 15, "For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me: Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it".

Turn now to Micah 5: 15. "And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard".

Turn to Joel 3: 9-17. "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; prepare war, wake up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.

What makes this passage additionally important is, that Jerusalem is brought back to blessing and never to be trodden down again, no strangers shall pass through her any more, but the Gentiles who helped on her affliction are destroyed for ever.

Zephaniah 3: 3 to end: Jehovah's determination is to gather all the nations. They are to be devoured by the fire of His jealousy.

Haggai 2: 5-9: "According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

Let us now take a review of scripture as to the two classes of Israel's enemies of which I have spoken.

Well, the throne of God had ceased on the earth at the beginning of these times of the Gentiles; and therefore,

In Ezekiel we see His judgment on Jerusalem.

Four great empires arise successively – Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Then the Assyrian comes on the scene again at the close; that is, geographically what is now Turkey in Asia and part of Persia, but in the last days Assyria will appear on the scene in the Russian power, according to the testimony of Ezekiel 38 and 39

Now in Isaiah and the pre-captivity prophets you get the Assyrian all through, the beast being scarcely mentioned – once "the king", so as to complete the scene; and even that, I apprehend, as a subordinate ally of the beast.

Turning to Daniel, you get fully the beasts, but not the Assyrian.

There is not here, remark, a trace of influence exercised over the previous component parts of the image so as to produce a change of character.

What we have got here is the coming of Christ's kingdom in judgment, and a total destruction of the empires which preceded its action.

Turn now to the interpretation itself, which is perfectly clear on this point.

You will remember, beloved friends, that on the last evening we saw the general outline of God's dealings with the Gentiles in connection with His chosen earthly people, the Jews – they being the centre of all God's earthly dealings.

The first, fullest, and most general account of these is in chapter 7 of Daniel, which we have read. If we turn to it now for a moment, we shall see that it is divided into portions by the terms

The first three great empires are, Babylon – the head of gold – the bear, Persia – silver – the leopard, Grecian – brass. On these I do not dwell: they are past.

Verses 7, 8: "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly;

"I beheld till the thrones were cast down" [here with the LXX and best judges we must read "set", which falls in with the sense indeed of the whole passage],

To this we must now turn. It has an importance which none of the others have, though Babylon has a special character.

Next, we find here that what is brought out as the cause of this judgment is the great words of blasphemy of the little horn.

But though the kings of the earth stand up together, and the rulers take counsel together, yet God will set His King upon His holy hill of Zion.

We now come to the interpretation in which this very judgment is spoken of, some immensely important truths besides being brought out.

Here you will first remark the extremely important point that the Ancient of days Himself comes.

Another term calls for remark here – the saints of the Most High; or, as in the margin, heavenly places, which we find again in Ephesians as the place of the saints;

Meanwhile tribulation and trial is the portion of those on earth. The little blasphemous horn who speaks such great things makes war with the saints. This is the general character. Of course they must be down here. Those on high he can only blaspheme.

When will Christians learn their place? He is never called our King, but He is the King of the nations, of the world. We reign with Him.

But I pursue the explanation. Verse 24,

When that time comes, the beast at first makes his covenant with Israel, according to Daniel 9: 27 – first joins with them, then breaks with them, and makes the sacrifice and oblation to cease.

In order to get that clear a little, we turn to the Revelation, for there we find the history of this beast unfolded in chapter 13. I shall refer to it fully farther on; here, only to notice its character and what it is.

The distinct and definite place and character of this period become as plain as possible if we consult the end of Daniel 9. The prophet receives from the heavenly messenger the assurance that the Jews will be restored.

The last week thus remains. In the first half indeed Messiah was there, but rejected by the nation and owned only by the remnant.

Thus the time we are in is not reckoned at all. So the prophets – who do not speak of the times of the Gentiles as Daniel does – pass it over altogether and connect Christ's second coming to earth with His first.

All this time the interval in the midst of Daniel's week runs on without being counted. We do not count by time in heaven, and this is the time of the heavenly calling.

If you take Revelation 13 you get the details of this beast.

But, connected with this, we have now another power coming out of the earth.

In sum, we have a second beast, using diabolical spiritual energy, and playing into the hands of the beast who held his throne from Satan.

In chapter 17 we have other aspects of the beast, or Gentile power. The empire is given, but it will ascend out of the bottomless pit, become definitely diabolical, and go into perdition.

This introduces us to the judgment of Babylon, of Rome, of the great whore, the mother of harlots and abominations.

You will find at the end of chapter 19 God's dealings with the beast – verse 14-20,

In chapter 20 We have a full development of what we read in Daniel 7.

Now another power, the Assyrian, comes before us, Israel's great enemy when God owns them, and who will also appear on the scene in his last form in the last days, thinking, when the beast is destroyed, to possess all, but he comes to his end. In Isaiah 10: 5 we read,

Now, beloved friends, we will turn to Isaiah 30; but before we do so, let us, just in passing, look at the passage I have referred to in chapter 28: 14-16,

Now look at the end of chapter 30, and you will find this enemy and his end:

Turn now to Micah 5, where we shall see the connection of Christ with the judgment of the Assyrian and the subsequent blessing of Israel. Nothing so laid hold of a Rabbi I was conversing with as this passage. Verses 1-9:

The rejected Christ is now to be great to the ends of the earth. He is the peace, secures the peace of Israel, when the Assyrian – their last rod whose destruction puts an end to the indignation – is in the land.

Daniel, we have seen, is occupied with the Gentiles when Israel is in captivity, and Jerusalem and the land desolate.

Ezekiel does exactly the contrary. He goes, himself a captive, up to the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and goes then right over to the end, when Israel would be restored and the enemies go up against them in their land.

Chapter 38: 14-20: "Therefore, son of man prophesy and say unto Gog,

Chapter 39: 1-8: "Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel.

I get here this other fundamental principle:

I have now gone through the passages which give us the history of the beast, and a sufficient number of those which speak of the Assyrian, to have a distinct idea of these two powers, now concentrated in Western and Eastern Europe.

All this calls our hearts, beloved, to a far more divine apprehension that our portion is in heaven while Christ is rejected; and that, Christ having been rejected, Christians are; and that, Christ being in heaven, their conversation or citizenship is there also.

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