Grotius, Lightfoot, Hammond, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, and others. But we think the book itself shows that it was written before the overthrow of Jerusalem. In chap. 1: 1, it is said, that "God taught John by his angel things that must shortly come to pass." Verse 3, it is said, "The time is at hand." Chap. 22: 6, 7, it is said, that "The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Verse 10, " And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." Verse 12, "And behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Verse 20, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

It

That the above passages show the then future, yet sudden coming of our Lord, we think is self-evident. The following, we think, show that Jerusalem was then standing. Chap. 1: 7, " Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." This corresponds with Matt. 24: 30, " And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." That this relates to the destruction of Jerusalem none will dispute. was to take place in that generation. See verse 34, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Rev. 11: 1, 2, " And there was given me a reed like unto a rod and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Compare this with Luke 21 : 24," And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." See Rev. 11: 8, " And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." This time was then future. He says, their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the city &c., where

our Lord was crucified." Where was our Lord crucified, save in Jerusalem ?

The 18th chapter evidently alludes to Jerusalem

In verse 8 it

is said, "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and nourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." Dr. Clarke says this passage means, "They shall mourn because of the slaughter and the famine, the fruits of their fields being utterly destroyed or burned by their enemies." See Deut. 32: 22-25, "A fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (sheol) and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundation of the mountains. .. They shall be burned with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction. . The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also, with the man gray hairs."

of

66

The above can be said of no other city. Rome pagan has never been thus treated; only some parts of her were burnt with fire. Rome papal has not been thus treated; but it is true of Jerusalem. In chap. 18: 24, it is said, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." To what place will the above language apply so properly as to Jeru salem? Christ says, "For it cannot be that a prophet perish ou of Jerusalem." Again, we hear him exclaiming to its devoted inhabitants, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee!" Well might the Saviour declare unto them that upon them should come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth. We might multiply instances to show the internal evidence of the book itself that Jerusalem was the devoted city in question, and was standing when the book was written; which period, as before stated, was previous to the year 68. Jerusalem was destroyed about the year 70. Thus, as we have seen, the time, when the book was written, was at hand.

The foregoing statements, we think, must be satisfactory to every candid mind. And should an objector say that Jerusalem was destroyed previous to the writing of the book, we reply, that John recorded things which had been, then were, and should be thereafter. See Rev. 1: 19, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."

Hence, whether it were before or after, the objector would have the same difficulty in showing that Jerusalem was not the scene and theatre of action referred to. We also notice that John saw "the dead stand before God." In the resurrection, people cannot be dead. They will then have been raised from death to life. "Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." See Matt. 22: 30; Luke 20: 36; and 1 Cor. 15: 42-44.

On the Greek terms krino, krima, krisis, &c., we remark, that, these words nowhere signify endless misery, or damnation, in a future state of existence. We find no place in the Bible where their signification extends beyond this state of existence. Their strict signification appears to be simply this: First, a judgment; a resolution; a decision; a sentence; a condemnation; a penalty. See Krima. Second, separation; discrimination; choice; decision; judgment; the decision, or final issue; the crisis of a distemper. See Krisis. Or, third, to separate; to put asunder; to discriminate; to cull; to select; to choose; hence to form a judgment, opinion or decision; to examine; to criticize; to judge; to decide a difference; to give a verdict; to pass sentence; to inquire; to confirm; to ratify, &c.-See Krino, Donnegan's Greek and English Lexicon. New work, pp. 778–9. It will be seen in Section III., this Chapter, that their renderings, though various, agree with the above definitions given. The same words that are rendered judge, judging, judgment, &c., are also rendered damned, condemnation, damnation, &c. Inasmuch, then, as the same words are rendered judgment and damnation, they cannot, intrinsically, signify a decision or judgment to endless misery in any case; for, if they necessarily imply it in the one, they also must, of necessity, imply it in the other; and we should then be under the necessity of reading the following passages thus: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment (hrisin, endless misery) upon all." Now, we think, no one is willing to read the Scriptures in this manner, which would prove universal damnation, or damnation to all; yet, upon the premises laid down, we must of necessity do so; for it is the same word which occurs in Matt. 23: 33, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Damnation, in this text, is supposed to imply endless misery. Again, we must

read 1 Peter 4 17, thus: "For the time is come that judgment (krima, endless misery) must begin at the house of God." This same word, krima, is rendered at least eight times damnation in the New Testament, and is supposed to teach the doctrine of endless misery. But, if so, then woe to "the house of God"! For Peter says, "The time is come that krima must begin there." But that this word, or any other in the Bible, teaches endless misery, cannot be sustained. They do not of themselves naturally imply it, neither are they prefixed to any word or phrase in the Bible that does teach it. They simply show a decision in judgment; which is either condemnation on the one hand, or justification on the other, agreeably to the merit or demerit of those adjudged. For further illustrations on these words, see on the words damned, damnation, &c., in this work.

We have, in Section I., this Chapter, so arranged the scripture passages as to show, first, the manner in which God judges his creatures; second, the time when, and place where, God judges them; and, in the third place, we have noticed sundry passages which speak of judgment. We now ask the candid reader to honestly decide for himself whether the judgments of God are not all executed in the earth, and in no other place? Whether men must not reap in the same field where they sow, instead of sowing in one field and reaping in another? Whether "the judgment-seat (bematos) of Christ" is not in this world, rather than in another? (See Rom. 14: 10; 2 Cor. 5: 10.) And whether Christ's kingdom on earth does not confine his reign of judgment to the gospel period? And, when that shall close, whether there will be a place for judgment or a judge to decide? When this is carefully, candidly and honestly done, we have no fears as to the result.

CHAPTER VII.

ON THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

SECTION I

All the passages in the NEW TESTAMENT which speak of the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

Matt. 10 23. But when they persecute you (the apostles) in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come.

Matt. 16 27, 28. For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Mark 8 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.

Mark 9: 1. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here which shall not taste of death till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Luke 9: 26, 27. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God.

Matt. 24: 3. And as he (Christ) sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be. and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world' (End of aionos · - age, or dispensation.)

Mark 13 3, 4. And as he (Christ) sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? (His coming, and end of the age.) Luke 21: 5-7. And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he (Christ) said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come in the which there shall not be left one stone