7: Does Sovereign Grace Exempt From Tribulation?
Chapter 7: Does Sovereign Grace Exempt From Tribulation?
A while ago attention was called to some words in The Advent Witness, November 1930, and referred to in The Indian Christian, June 1931. In Watching and Waiting, April 1931, they were quoted as follows:—
"An esteemed fellow-student of the Scriptures asks for plain proof of the separate stages of our Lord’s Return. This opens up an immensely important line of investigation. Of course there are no verses that state in so many words that there are separate stages."
One has no idea who asked that question, but such a courteous reply to a plain question on an "immensely important" subject, is calculated to draw together the hearts of those who love the Lord’s appearing.
But many Christian hearts must surely be grieved by the review in The Advent Witness, of the Highgate Road Chapel Conference Addresses which were printed in Watching and Waiting.
The Advent Witness, of August 1931, condensed in its "review" an attack, not only on the tenets, but on the motives of the speakers; thus anticipating the Judgment Seat of Christ when the counsels of the heart will be manifested.
The Testimony attacked is called "The Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony," and on this the Reviewer says:—
"‘Sovereign Grace’ is to us the sweetest of all divine attributes, and ‘Advent Testimony’ is our raison d’etre, but, nevertheless, we do not believe the Church, or any part of it, will go through the Great Tribulation, nor do we believe that there is no difference between the Coming of the Lord to the air for His Church and His coming to the earth on behalf of Israel. Were it otherwise we should wonder if we really understood Sovereign Grace, for if the Church must endure the tribulation wrath of God after being saved by Grace, we should fear that Grace does the penalty ‘twice demand, first of my Surety then of me’ (Presumably this quotation is from Toplady’s hymn, the words of which are:
"If thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of wrath divine,
Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine."
And if the Antichrist must be revealed before the Lord Jesus comes we should not continue our ‘Advent Testimony,’ but we should pray to be taken to Heaven before that great and terrible day, when the Beast will demand our worship and allegiance under pain of death, and before the Battle of Armageddon devastates the world."
Sovereign Grace.
What are the Reviewer’s thoughts of Sovereign Grace as revealed by this review? Its center is surely in the heart of the Eternal God, but where is its circumference? The words above quoted, "If the Church must endure the tribulation wrath of God, etc.," clearly show his belief that for any part of her to be on earth during the Great Tribulation, would mean:
"Grace does the penalty twice demand."
But Why? Is Sovereign Grace the sole possession of the present-day believer? What of the saints of old? Were they not saved by Sovereign Grace? Will any soul ever be brought to God except by Sovereign Grace? Did not Abraham and Moses, David and Daniel know the blessing of Sovereign Grace ? What was its effect on them? Did not Daniel and his friends live at a time when an image was set up in the plain of Dura, and universal worship demanded for it under pain of death? And what was their attitude? What do we read of Daniel when he knew that the writing was signed forbidding prayer to God? Blessed be God, we read: "And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." Glorious words! May God give us such an heart as this. How different are these words from what we have quoted above.
Again, Noah knew that he was saved by grace through faith, for we read, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord," and in Hebrews 11, "By faith Noah." Did he say that the prospect of living to see that day of utter desolation would mean grace demanding twice? And did not Daniel know the Presence of One with him in the lions’ den? And did not even Nebuchadnezzar see the Presence of One like unto the Son of God as he looked bewildered into the fiery furnace? Was this God demanding twice?
Tribulation is Not Wrath from God.
Turning to the future we plunge right into the heart of the subject. Whether the Reviewer admits these "who keep the faith of Jesus" to be part of God’s Church or not, the fact remains that a band of redeemed and sanctified people, whose prophetic history is written large in the pages of Holy Writ, will indeed suffer and witness in the reign of Antichrist. In Revelation 14:12, we read of them: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
Again in Revelation 15:2, 3: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb."
And in chapter 12:11: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
These who are called "saints" and are specially marked out by the Spirit of God with words of divine commendation ("Here is the patience of the saints"), are true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. And are they suffering wrath from God? Can any one overcome unless born of God? (1 John 5:3, 4). Are not all the marks of true children of God found in these suffering, conquering witnesses of Jesus? And when "they who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus stand as victors on the sea of glass, would it not be a fearful error to suggest that they had suffered, being witnesses for Christ, because:—
"Grace does the Payment . . twice demand."
Whether these witnesses are Jewish or Gentile does not alter this fact that some whom God calls "saints" are undoubtedly allowed by God to live and act in these scenes, even as men of God like Daniel and his friends witnessed in the lion’s den and in the fiery furnace. And to Daniel a mighty angel was sent with the words, "0 Daniel, a man greatly beloved." Yet he suffered, and witnessed, and continued his testimony and will be amongst those who shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and as the stars for ever and ever.
Do these Suffer the Wrath of God, or Tribulation?
In Scripture we see them in passage after passage, suffering even unto death under Antichrist, but we see them commended by God with special words of divine approval. Do we, in this present day, need to know where to see the Patience of the Saints? The Divine Word says, as it points out these highly approved ones: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
Could we not well desire such words of divine pleasure to be said concerning us? Again, we see them when the conflict is over, the battle for ever won; as they stand upon the sea of glass mingled with fire, divinely mentioned as those "who got the victory over the beast," etc.; and just as the redeemed from Egypt in Exodus 15 stood on the Canaan side of the Red Sea, with their enemies still as a stone, so these redeemed ones stand in the Heaven of heavens on the sea of glass mingled with fire: the sea of which we read in Revelation 4, that it is before the throne of God.
Do We Understand Sovereign Grace?
Thank God we know a little of it, and expect one day to be like Him and to know even as we are known. Glory to the God of Grace who has sent us the Gospel of Grace, and given us the Throne of Grace, for only by means of Sovereign Grace can any one ever inherit Eternal Life and Glory (Dan. 12:2, 3).
Yes Grace; not circumscribed to any special few amongst the host of the Lord’s redeemed (for none could be redeemed apart from it), but Sovereign Grace from the Throne of God; Redeeming by Precious Blood every member of the Family of Faith from Adam’s day until the last gathered in at the end of the Millennium. Let not dispensational theories divide the family of God, for what God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Sufficient has been said, but more can be easily added, to show that no Saint will suffer the wrath of God.
The Future of Advent Testimony.
The Reviewer in The Advent Witness says: "And if the Antichrist must be revealed before the Lord Jesus comes we should not continue our ‘Advent Testimony,’ but we should pray to be taken to Heaven before that great and terrible day, when the Beast will demand our worship and allegiance under pain of death, and before the battle of Armageddon devastates the world."
I desire, in reference to the above, to speak very lovingly to my brethren who are connected with "The Advent Testimony and Preparation Movement." Do these words truly foreshadow what will be its doom when the on-coming march of events proves the fallacy of their belief that Christ will come before Antichrist? I speak carefully, and in the fear of the Lord, for honored names are connected with that testimony; and in this very fact lies the immense importance of my present words. Many of the Lord’s servants all over the world, are fully convinced that the Lord will not come for His Church before the Antichrist appears and reigns; and we believe that this has been truly taught not only in Holy Scripture (our only ground of infallible teaching) but by Christians all through the age. What disaster it will be when the oncoming march of events proves their belief (without which the Reviewer says, they would not continue their Advent Testimony) to be utterly wrong! What shipwreck to many devout souls it will mean if such a testimony should thus be discontinued and its tenets largely discredited. What will become of those who have sought shelter under its branches? How will godly men, who in this one matter have missed the mark, be able to maintain their influence with, or help in any way, their followers, when such events prove the futility of the two-stage theory? And in that day, will not all the efforts made to overthrow our witness by means of the popular cry: "Will the Church go through the great tribulation?" and the assertions about its being the "Tribulation Wrath of God," etc., still further harass the minds of those perplexed disciples? Will there not be danger that such may become the prey of false teachers, in the day of which our Lord says, they shall "deceive if possible, even the elect."
What We Believe and Teach About the Second Advent.
We firmly believe that the two-stage theory invents a coming of the Lord, in nearly every respect the opposite of that for which our Lord has told us to wait, and has insinuated that it will be several years in front of the coming of the Lord as taught all through Scripture.
Although The Advent Witness has admitted that "there are no verses" teaching two stages, it has published the following in its review of "The Highgate Conference Report," 1931:—
"After carefully reading this ‘Outline of Events in Connection with Christ’s Second Coming,’ we are conscious that those who piece them together realize that the exposition of the Lord’s Return so clearly unfolded in 1 Thessalonians 4 differs from the prophecy of the Coming of the Son of man in Matthew 24. To harmonize them the former is interwoven with the latter in an endeavour to make two different events one."
We believe that our Lord’s coming again is one coming, namely to the earth, and that it is when He is on His way that we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus, on that day when the Lord descends, the dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be changed, and together with them we shall be caught up to meet our coming Lord, and thus be with Him as His feet touch the Mount of Olives, and as He confronts the Antichrist in the valley of Jehoshaphat and destroys him and his host. What could be simpler?
No Scripture States an Interval of Years.
We begin to realize the immense importance of the alleged interval of years between our Lord’s coming for us and with us, when we see that it is the pivot of the whole any-moment, two-stage theory, without which it must fall to pieces. The admission by its teachers that such a period of years is nowhere stated in Scripture should make devout Bible students test afresh their foundations, but we go much farther than any such negative statement, for we most surely affirm that while Scripture nowhere states any such period of years, it does very emphatically supply many positive statements which make such an interval a total impossibility.
We need build nothing, therefore, upon negative admissions of brethren of the other school, but upon the positive statements of the impregnable rock of Holy Scripture. We also observe that Scripture very simply and definitely sets events, which such brethren put within that alleged interval of years, in an entirely different position in the divine program. In the absence of any statement of Holy Scripture to uphold them, it appears to us very hazardous to build such a two-stage theory upon any inferences. To infer that certain events must take place between the time when our Lord comes for us and with us, and to reckon out that these must take so many years, is dangerous indeed, as even the diversity between an alleged 3 1/2 or 7 or even 40 years or more should suggest. Scriptures in abundance speak of the coming of the Lord in glory, and what could be simpler than to believe that when He so comes we shall be caught up to meet Him, and thus be with Him when His feet touch Mount Olivet?
The Coming to the Air and the Coming to the Earth:
ONE OR TWO?
Every careful reader of this review will notice how emphatic the Reviewer is about there being "two different events." He says: "Nor do we believe that there is no difference between the Coming of the Lord to the air for His Church and His Coming to the earth on behalf of Israel," and continues, "there remains no doubt in our mind that the attempt to force the Church into the discourse completely fails, and with it all the further modification necessary to the suggestion that the ‘Advent’ of Thessalonians is the same as the ‘Advent’ of Matthew 24."
Not only does he insist upon these being "two different events" but very distinctly and positively speaks of the difference between the "Advent of Thessalonians" and the "Advent of Matthew 24." Thus the writer teaches indisputably two distinct and different advents, but Holy Scripture has only one second coming, for we read:—"And unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28). Which of these alleged two future comings are we to consider to be the appearing a second time "of our Great High Priest"?
Psalm 110.
This Psalm is quoted and referred to in the Gospels, Acts and Epistles: thus showing its tremendous importance. With its first verse our Lord put to silence His accusers, the rulers of Israel, and with it He faced them when the High Priest Caiaphas uttered the word of adjuration: Peter quoted it on the day of Pentecost to prove the ascension of Christ (Acts 2:34), and referred to it again in the well-known words, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).
Psalm 110:1 is cited or referred to more than twenty times in the New Testament, and together with ver. 4, "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec," may be said to be at the basis of the whole Epistle to the Hebrews, where our Great High Priest, after the order of Melchizedec—our Priest Ring—in all His Eternal Majesty, is contrasted and compared with the priests of Aaron’s line. The above-mentioned passage which speaks of His appearing now in the presence of God for us; of His past appearing to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and His appearing "the second time without sin unto salvation," uses clearly the figure of the High Priest in the holy of holies; with those for whom he ministers, looking for him to appear among them again in his robes of glory and beauty: surely typical of Christ’s appearing in glory. Psalm 110:1 is cited several times in this epistle. In Hebrews 1:3, we read:—"Who. . .when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (His sacrificial work and present session). And in verse 13, "But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" In chapter 8:1, 2, "We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." And in Hebrews 10:12, 13, we read :—"But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool."
When we read the oft-quoted words: "the Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Ps. 110:1), can we expect Him to come forth before His enemies have, by the Father, been made such a footstool? "Sit Thou at My right hand until . . ." is a distinct command of the Father to the Son. To infer a leaving of that place at the Father’s right hand before He had made His enemies His footstool, would imply disobedience to His Father’s decree. Every true child of God would, if he saw this awful implication to be the logical outcome of a belief in a pretribulation coming, surely reject such teaching at once. But when will Christ’s enemies be made the footstool of His feet? Will it not be when the Antichrist is gathered with his host" to the battle of the great day of God Almighty"?
This Psalm shows clearly that Christ is to sit at the Father’s right hand; His priestly session on our behalf continuing until "The Lord shall send forth the rod (sceptre, see Amer., R.V.) of Thy strength out of Zion: Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies" (ver. 2).
"His Coming to the Air."
This very misleading phrase is nowhere to be found in Holy Scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 4 it is not said that the Lord will descend to the air; nor is any word used to signify that the air is to be the terminus of His journey on that occasion. The particular word for meet is used three times in the New Testament, and in each case the thought is the same. In Acts 28:15, Paul was approaching Rome, which was to be the terminus of his journey, but the brethren in Rome went out to meet him as far as the Market of Appius. Many Scriptures speak of the coming of our Lord:—
Zechariah 14:4 says:—"And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives," and in verse 5, "And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee."
The simplest explanation is that when our Lord is on His way to Olivet "we . . . shall be caught up... in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." We shall thus, in bodies of glory, be assembled in that glorious host when He comes to destroy Antichrist and his confederate kings and when He delivers the spared ones of Israel from Antichrist. That will be the glorious day when the nation shall be converted, forgiven, born in a day. For "If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth (or ‘land’?), finishing it and cutting it short. And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah" (Rom. 9:27-29; cp. Isa. 10:20-23).
Jewish and Christian Remnants Distinguished.
God has promised that however much He may send His four sore judgments on Jerusalem, to cut off man and beast: "Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant . . ." cp. Ezekiel 14:21-23; and God will in the latter day, convert and forgive them, and they will be blessed on earth during the reign of Christ. But these must not be confused with the witnesses of Jesus, of whom Scripture speaks as "Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus"; for the Jewish remnant will not be born again until they look on Him whom they had pierced and have been led to repentance at the coming of the Lord for Israel’s deliverance. When they are thus converted at Christ’s coming, they will become "saints of the Most High," but before they are converted and forgiven they cannot be called "Saints": neither is it true of them that they keep the commandments of God, for they will not till they have believed in Him whom God sent to them. And assuredly, none can "keep the faith of Jesus" before he has believed on the Saviour. Remembering that the spared remnant of Israel will not be converted until Christ comes to them in glory, it is impossible to identify them with the people who are called "saints" who "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," who witness faithfully unto the Lord and His Christ during the reign of Antichrist. We cannot keep the faith of Jesus, until we have received faith in Jesus, and have owned Him as our Lord Jesus.
A distinction frequently alleged is that Matthew 24 speaks of the "Coming of the Son of man," but that 1 Thessalonians 4 is of the "Coming of the Lord Himself." Concerning the title, "Son of man," it is one by which the Lord frequently spoke of Himself, and as such it is recorded by the Evangelists, but of the apostles He said, "Ye call Me Master and Lord and ye say well, for so I am." Never in the Gospels do we read of the apostles calling Him Son of man, and in the epistles they continued the approved habit of calling Him Lord. This sufficiently accounts for the presence of this title in Matthew 24 (as used by Christ Himself) and its absence in 1 Thessalonians 4.
Again, as to the Lord Himself. In Matthew 24:42, He says, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come," showing that the coming of Matthew 24 is of the Lord Himself.
The Church is in Matthew 24.
The Advent Witness says, "But that makes it necessary to believe that the ‘Elect’ of Matthew 24 are the Church, which we are convinced is not the case. When the Lord said the angels shall gather His Elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other, the Church was not in existence. Mankind consisted only of Jew and Gentile, and the Jew is described as the Elect in Isaiah 45:4 and elsewhere."
But if it were true that the Church did not exist at that time, would that prevent it existing at the end of the age?
Much might be said on this matter, but for brevity I will only say, that two chief events are prophesied in the Olivet Discourse (which is contained in Matthew 24 and 25; Mark 42 and Luke 21), viz., the destruction of Jerusalem which took place in A.D. 70 and the Second Coming of our Lord. I have known of Christians who believed that the Church commenced at Pentecost; some who maintain that it was not known until revealed to Paul; others who assert that it came in by a sort of transition when near the end of Acts Paul said, "Lo, we turn to the Gentiles." But I have never known any one so bold as to declare that the Church did not exist in A.D. 70, when Jerusalem was demolished as our Lord herein prophesied, Jews by the thousands being slaughtered and many crucified outside the city walls. History records that at the given sign of the armies surrounding the city, all the Christians fled across the Jordan and found refuge in Pella, and there is no record of one losing his life. We only ask: Were these Christians in A.D. 70 who obeyed our Lord’s Word as uttered in the Olivet Discourse (Luke 20:20), part of God’s Church? If so, then the Church is already inside this Olivet Discourse placed there by the sovereign Lord Himself.