Christ's Coming to Judgment
then the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him: then shall he sit on the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations. — Matthew xxv: 31, 32.
The doctrine of a future general judgment, is a fundamental doctrine of the christian religion. It is inseparably connected with the idea of God’s moral government. If he is the moral governor of the world, and if mankind are the subjects of his government, it is rational to suppose that he would appoint a day in which he would judge the world in righteousness. That he has done it, he has explicitly and repeatedly assured us in his word. The text and context contain a description of the scenes which will occur on that day. “When the son of man shall come in his glory” &c.
In discoursing from the text, I propose to consider — I. The certainty of Christ’s coming to judgment.
II. The time when he will come.
III. The manner of his coming.
The certainty of a future general judgment appears —
1. From the justice of God. This divine attribute is not fully displayed in the present world. Here we often see good men afflicted and bad men prosperous. This inequality loiidJy proclaims a judgment to come. For we cannot suppose that God will fail to reward virtue and to punish vice. “Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.”
2. The certainty of a fulure judgment may be inferred fiom our relation to God as accountable creatures. God cannot suffer his law to be broken, and his authority to be contemned with impimity. If we aie under law, we must he called to an account, and there must be a day of reckoning
3. The resurrection of Christ evinces the certainty of a general judgment. Thus the apostle reasoned. “Because he hath appointedaday in the which he will judge the earth iii righteousness, by that man whom he hath appointed, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
The argument stands thus. Christ, wiile on earth, declared himself to be the judge of the world. If he rose from the dead, he was beyond all question what he claimed to be. This miracle incontestibly established all his claims. That God wlU judge the world, therefore, by Jesus Christ, he hath given assvrance to all men in that he hath raised him from the dead.
4. The certainty of Christ’s coming to judgment appears from many express declarations of scripture. The text is explicit on this point. Other passages are equally decisive. “Christ was ordained of God to be judge of quick and dead.” “He shall judge the qnick and dead at his appearing and kingdom.” “Enoch, also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold the Lord cometh wilhten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” The Psalmist predicted the coming of Christ in this sublime language: “Our God shall come and shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me — and the heavens shall declare his righteousness; for God is judge himself.” “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”
These texts, with many others, establish the certainty of Christ’s coming to judgment. The day of judgment, we are informed in the scriptures, will be “a great day” — “the day of the Lord” — ‘< the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” The apostle John has given us a description of this great day, as exhibited to him in vision:” I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which was the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.
I propose to consider —
n. The time when Christ Will come.
The question was once put to our Saviour: “Tell us t)/ie7i shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
In respect to the destruction of Jerusalem, his answer
Was: “Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” But in respect to the day of judgment, his answer was: ^’ Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven; but my father only.” The time of this great event is a profound secret. ^’ It is not for us to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” When Christ shall come to judgment, he will come unexpectedly. Hence the exhortation: “Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, wherein the Son of Man cometh.” But of this we are certain, that the time is fixed in the purpose of God. For ‘•’ he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.” “Marvel not at this, the how is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice and come forth.” The hour is coming — the appointed hour. It is continually approaching. It draws nearer and nearer every day, and the intervening space will soon elapse.
But although we cannot know the time, yet there are many things respecting it which are revealed and which are certain.
It is certain that the day of judgnient will not take place until the great work of redemption is completed. This world was created to subserve the divine purpos* esin relation to the work of redemption. It was created by Christ and for Christ; and it will be upheld in being, until it has fully answered the end of its creation* It is certain that Christ will finish the work which he came down from heaven to do. Not one whom he designs to save will be lost. The day of judgment will not come, till all who were given to Christ shall be called in. “I caine down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but (be will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will that hath sent me, that of all which he halh given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” Because the judgment is thus delayed, some conclude, as the apostle informs us, that it will never begin, saying: “Where is the promise of his coming; for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
But why does not the judgment instantly set? And why are not the wicked smnmoned before the dread tribunal of Jehovah, to hear their doom? W by indeed, have they not before this time, been doomed to hell *? If God is just, and ever intends to call his creatures to an account, why this long delay? The apostle Peter lias given the answer. It is to subserve God’s purposes of mercy. “And account that the long sulfering of God is salvation.” The day of judgment is deferred for the sole purpose of completing the great work of redemption. In the destruction of the old world, and the salvation of Noah — in the destruction of Sodom and the deliverance of Lot, it is evident, as the apostle informs us, that “the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to he punished. Though judgment long delay, the wicked will not escape, for they are reserved, as in prison, unto the day of judgment to be punished. The fact that the day of judgment is deferred is evidence that the work of redemption is still going on. This work will continue until all the elect are gathered in, and until there is not another sinner to be converted on earth. To this tune and no longer will the day of judgment be deferred. When the last sinner whom God designs to save shall be converted, there will then be nothing to hinder the day of judgment from taking place. The destruction of Sodom must be delayed till Lot was safe. “Haste thee — escape thither,” saith the Lord, ^’ for I cannot do any thing until thou be come thither.” When he had escaped, there was nothing to prevent — and nothing could prevent the destruction of the wicked. So it will be when the last sinner shall be converted. That the day of judgment will not he delayed beyond this period, is evident from the following declaration: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Also from the revelation of the apostle John: “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things that are therein, that there should be time no longer. But in the days of the seventh angel, when he should begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
Again — The day of judgment will not come till after the millenium. It is predicted that ‘’ the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Loid, as the waters cover the sea.” Also that “the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.” Satan, we are told, shall be bound a thousand years, and be cast into the bottomless pit, and he shall deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years shall be fulfilled. During liiis period, ^’ all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest.” These predictions, it is evident, have not yet been fulfilled.
Again — It is evident that the day of judgment will take place shortly after the close of the millenium. How long a time will intervene, we are not informed. But we are given to understand that it will be short. After the thousand years shall have expired, “Satan will be loosed for a litlle season” — “and will go out to deceive the nations.” A general apostacy will now take place. Here all predictions end. At this point, divine revelation closes. The Bible gives us no account of any thing intervening between this apostacy and the final judgment.
Let us consider more particularly the state of the world when Christ shall come to judgment.
1. The number of inhabitants on the earth will be great. Dining the millenium, we have reason to believe, that the population of the globe will greatly increase. Many of the causes which have annually swept from the earth millions of its inhabitants, will have ceased to operate. To say nothing of the judgments of famine and pestilence, which are brought upon the world by the wickedness of men; and the numberless vices, which impair the constitutions of men, and bring them to a premature grave; — the single fact that the nations phall learn war no more, will fend greatly to augment the population of the globe. And this happy period will continue a thousand years. The inhabitants of New England double once in iwenty-five years. If during the millenium, the inhabitants of the earth should double once in twice that time; that is, once in fifty years; at the close of that period, there would be as many millions of people, as there were individuals at its commencement. In other words, if the milienium were to commence to-day, at the end of a thousand years, it would be found that every individual had multiplied into more than a million, on the supposition that the number of inhabitants on the eaith should double only once in fifty years.* Whatever may be thought of this calculation, it is certainly rational to conclude, that when Christ shall come to judgment, the number of inhabitants on the earth will be great.
2. The number of Christians wnll be comparatively small. A very general apostacy will have taken place. There will, however, be some Christians on the earth; for Paul, speaking of the whole number of believers to the end of time, says, ^’ We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed.” And again, “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them wdiich are asleep.”
3. When Christ shall come to judgment, it will be a time of great and abounding wickedness. The glorious millenial day will be succeeded by great moral darkness. The state of the world will be wonderfully changed. The great body of Christians will have passed off the stage. The Spirit of God will be in a great measure withdrawn, and feAV instances of con — viction and conversion will occur. “When the thou-
* It may admit of a question whether the earth is capable of sustaining so large a population as this calculation supposes.
8EKM0NS AND REMAINS
.’and years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his l-rison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which cue in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” The nations of the four quarters of the earth shall be deceived — and the number of those who will be enemies to Christ, will be as the sand of the sea.
They will make great opposition to the church of Christ. They are represented as taking up arms against the church. Satan shall gather them together to battle; the number of whom shall be as the sand of the sea. “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved cit’.” The whole multitude of apostate nations are represented as rising, and combining to exterminate Christianity from the earth. The church of God, called the beloved city will be threatened and surrounded, like the house of Lot in Sodom. When Christ shall come to judgment, it will probably be a time of greater wickedness than was ever known.
It will be a time of great worldliness.” As it was in the days of Lot, they bought, tlie^sold, they planted,
they builded
It will be a time of great mirth and iiilarity. ‘’ For as in tliedays that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in maniage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; — so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.”
It will be a time of great scoffing at religion. The church will be in great affliction and distress. Christians will be so hated and ridiculed — so persecuted and tormented, that they will expect deliverance only from the immediate appearance of Christ, and they will be looking, and longing, and praying for the coming of Christ. These expectations being known to the wicked, will furnish matter for profane scoffing; and then will be fulfilled the prediction of the apostle Peter; ‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
It will be a time of great security. Such will be the unbelief of sinners, that every warning will serve only to harden their hearts. The wicked will despise the long suflfering of God, and take occasion from it to wax bold in sin. ^’ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men, are fully set in them to do evil.” They will, as the prophet informs us, bid defiance to th3 Almighty. “Let him make speed and hasten his work, that we may see it.” While the world is thu3 sunk in guilty repose, the awful scenes of the judgment will burst upon their view.
From certain passages of Scripture, some have been led to suppose that Christ’s coming in the clouds of heaven, would occur at midnight. “At midnight, there was a cry made, behold the bridegroom comelh.” “The day of the Lord will so come as a thief in the night.” Others reasoning from analogy, and from certain other texts, have supposed it would be in a clear, fair day, like that, when for the last time, the sun rose on the cities of the plain. It is said, “the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from llie Lord out of heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man shall be revealed.” A little reflection will show that both opinions are correct; for the sun can never enlighten but one half of the globe at once. Day and night always exist at the same time on opposite sides of the globe.
We have thus far considered the state of the world at the coming of Cbrist, only as it respects the inhabitants then living. But in this great event, the dead and the living are all equally interested. “For to this end, Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” He is styled the “judge of quick and dead.” ‘^ Before him shall be gathered all nations” — not only those who shall be living at the time, but all who have ever lived on the earth. How vast will be the congregation of the dead! How often the earth changes its inhabitants! For nearly six thousand years this change has been going on. “The grave hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure, and all nations have descended into it.” Of most of this vast multitude, there is now no remembrance. They have long since been forgotten. They will all continue to sleep till the morning of the resurrection. “Man licth down and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of sleep.” As it has been in days past, so it will be in days to come. Death will continue its work. In a few years, all of the present generation will die — not one individual will remain. In a few years, we shall go the way whence we shall not return; and another generation will occupy our places. That generation too will die; and so it will continue till the millenium; and thence through all the successive generations down to the end of time. So that all the generations that ever have lived, or ever shall live on the earth, will return to dust, except one. That one, the last, will he living when Christ shall come to judgment. All the rest will be sleeping in the dust. So many millions will have lived and died, that the earth will be like one vast grave yard.
Just cast your thoughts forward, my hearers, to the time when Christ will come to judgment, and think what will be the state of the dead.
Some will have just expired. Some, like Lazarus, will have been dead but a few days. Some will have lain in their graves a few months; — others a few years. Some whose monuments will still be standing, will have been dead fifty, or a hundred years. Their bones, perhaps, may all be found.
But where vrill be the bodies of those who lived before the millenium? Where will be the bodies of that generation which lived in the beginning of the nineteenth century? Where will be the bodies which are this day, in this house of prayer? They will have been dead more than a thousand years, and will have become imdistinguishable from common dust. Where will be those which have fallen and remained on the field of battle, and whose bones have been scattered and lost? Where will be those which have been drowned and lost in the ocean; and those which have been devoured by beasts of prey?
Many human bodies have undergone a variety of changes, and have entered into the composition of other bodies, such as vegetables, and animals of various kinda. The celebrated Wickliffe, styled the morning star of the reformation, died and was buried. After forty years, his enemies, to gratify their malice, dug up his bones and burnt them; and to make an effectual end of the good man, they cast the ashes into a running brook. Where is his body now? What becomes of the particles of a body after it has been consumed in the flames! It cannot be annihilated; but converted into smoke, it is taken and driven round the earth by the winds of heaven; and the little handful of ashes which remain, goes to fertilize the earth. And yet thousands of human bodies have been consumed in the flames. How many perished thus, when God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes? How many among the Jews passed through the fire unto Moloch? How many have been burnt to abbes on the funeral pile in India? “Ten thousand women annually,” says Dr. Carey, “are burnt with the dead bodies of their deceased husbands.” In view of these facts, we are almost ready to ask, can these bodies ever be found? Can the particles of which they were composed ever be collected? W’ee we left without divine revelation, well might we ask, “How are the dead raised? And with what bodies do they come V But nothing is impossible with God. And what he has declared respecting a general resurrection, will certainly come to pass.
Such will be the state of the dead, as it respects their bodies. But where are the souls which once inhabited these bodies? The righteous when they die, pass immediately into glory. Lazaius was “carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom.” To the penitent thief our Saviour said, “To- day shall (liou be with me in paradise.” ‘’Write blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.” It is evident, therefore, that when the soul of the believer quits the tabernacle of clay, it immediately joins the general assembly above. On the other hand, when the impenitent sinner dies, his soul passes immediately into the world of despair. ‘’The rich man died and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment” — while his five brethren were yet living on the earth. The inhabitants of Sodom, are “set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” The antediluvians are now “spirits in prison.”
Thus it appears, that souls are continually ascending into heaven, and descending into hell. Thus it has been from the death of Abel down to the present time. Some have been in heaven, and some in hell, for hundreds, and others for thousands of years. And there they will continue till Christ shall come to judgment. At this period, the number of the saints in heaven will be great. They are thus spoken of in the Revelation. “I beheld and lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” — “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes; and whence came they? And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of (he Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that silleth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirit any more; neither shall the sim light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
This is a description of the state of the saints between death and the resurrection. But the souls of all unbelievers who have died, are shut up in the prison of hell, with devils, “whom God hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Here their souls will remain in a state of separation from their bodies, in fearful expectation, until Christ shall come to judgment. Such will be the state of the dead, when that great day shall come.
Here I would pause — and ask what will then be the state of my hearers — of this whole assembly? If the day of judgment does not come until after the millenium, then these bodies will have lain in the grave more than a thousand years. During this whole period our souls will have dwelt with the general assembly and church of the first born, or with the devil and his angels. In one or both of these companies, all our souls will be found. Probably some in one, and some in the other. If so, some of us shall have been in heaven, and some of us in hell more than a thousand years. Solemn thought! Who would not pray with David, “Gather not mv soul with sinncis.”