every individual of all the nations on the globe previous to the destruction of Jerusalem; and we, therefore, conclude that the phrase all nations, in this place, does not signify every individual of all nations. Again, were the disciples of our Lord hated by every individual of all nations of the earth? No; thousands never heard of their names; and of those who had heard of them, of those who had seen and heard them proclaim the Gospel, thousands loved them as they loved the apple of their eye. Now, he who contends for a literal gathering of every individual of all nations before the Son of Man at the destruction of Jerusalem, must also contend that the Gospel was preached to every individual of all nations, and that the disciples were hated of every individual of all nations, previous to that event; all of which is contrary to fact. If it be asked, "What all nations, then, were to be gathered before the Son of Man at that time?". we answer, the same all nations to whom the Gospel was to be preached before the destruction of Jerusalem, and the same all nations who were to hate the disciples of Christ. Well, did such a gathering take place at the destruction of Jerusalem? We answer, Yes. Titus, the Roman general, with his army, invested the city of Jerusalem at a time when the Jews had assembled there to celebrate the feast of the Passover; and multitudes of the Jews, together with vast numbers of the proselytes to Judaism from the different heathen nations, were gathered there to partake of this great national and annual feast. About three millions of people were congregated in the city, and both Jews and Gentiles were represented there. In the sense, then, that Jesus intended, there was a gathering of the nations before him at the destruction of Jerusalem. His prediction concerning it was as literally fulfilled as some similar predictions contained in the Old Testament. See Jer. 3: 19, "At that time they shall call Jerusalem THE THRONE OF THE LORD and ALL THE NATIONS shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem." Zech. 14: 1, 2, "Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather ALL NATIONS against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." These passages need no comment. They show what is the evident meaning of the phrase "all nations," and

in what sense we are to understand our Lord when he says, that "before him should be gathered all nations." We have been thus particular in our examination of the text under consideration because our Lord's discourse, of which it forms a part, has been very generally misunderstood; and because a correct understanding of this discourse is absolutely necessary to a correct understanding of the New Testament scriptures. This discourse may be said to be a key to unlock the whole New Testament. Reader, the subject is before you; read, consider, and reflect.

The next passage which presents itself for our consideration, is

11. Mark 3: 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.

For an exposition of this text, see "On the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," Chapter XIX.

12. 2 Thess. 1: 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

Any person who will carefully examine this text, will see that the persons to be punished, the time, and place, and nature, of the punishment, are precisely the same as in Matt. 25: 46, which we have just considered. The first question to be considered is, Who were to be punished with everlasting destruction? The context shows that they were those who "knew not God, and obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; or those that troubled the Thessalonian Christians. See verses 6 and 8. But who troubled the Thessalonian Christians? We answer, they were troubled, first, by their own countrymen. See 1 Thess. 1: 14, "For ye, brethren,

became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus; for ye (the Thessalonians) also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews." But, second, they were troubled by the Jews. See 1 Thess. 1: 15, "Who (the Jews) both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us." See, also, Acts 17: 1-8, "Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures; opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ. And some

of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, filled with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also, whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people, and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things." See, also, Acts 17: 13, "But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people." The next question is, When were they to be punished with everlasting destruction? "When the Lord Jesus should be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire." See verses 7 and 8. But when was the Lord Jesus to be revealed from heaven? See, on this subject, "On the Second Coming of Christ," Section VII. See, also, on Matt. 25: 46, above. It is there shown that this coming took place at the destruction of Jerusalem. This, then, was the time when the punishment spoken of in the text was to commence. This is further evident from what is said should take place when the Lord Jesus should be revealed from heaven. At that time he was to "take vengeance on them that knew not God," &c. Compare this with John 16: 3, They (the Jews) have not known the Father nor me." See, also, the declaration of our Lord, when speaking on the subject of the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 21: 22, For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.' Again, in 1 Thess. 1: 6, Paul says, "It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." Compare this with Matt. 24: 21, "For then (at the destruction of Jerusalem) shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Now, those who contend that a greater tribulation than this awaits the unbelieving Jews who persecuted the Thessalonian Christians, must of course contradict the direct and positive testimony of Jesus himself. That we have fixed upon the precise time when the Lord

Jesus was to be revealed from heaven, and when the punishment spoken of in the text was to be inflicted, is still further evident from what is said in verse 7. "And to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed," &c. Not only were those who troubled the Thessalonians to be punished with everlasting destruction when the Lord Jesus should be revealed, but the persecuted Thessalonians were to obtain rest at that time. Rest from what? Why, plainly from the persecutions which they had endured. Now, those who contend that this text relates to a judgment day in eternity, must also contend that the Thessalonians were not to obtain rest until that time. But this is contrary to fact. For if they obtained no other rest, they have long since found rest "where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest;" viz., in their graves. But it may be asked, "Did the Thessalonians obtain rest from their persecutions when the Jews were destroyed?" We answer, they did. The power of the persecuting Jews being at that time overthrown, the Christian churches enjoyed a long season of uninterrupted peace and rest. Hence, our Saviour, when addressing his disciples on this very subject, says, Luke 21: 28," And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." But that this text has no reference to a future state of existence, is further evident from the following facts: 1. Paul does not say that the persecuting Jews were to be punished with everlasting destruction after death, nor in a future state of existence, nor in another world. 2. Nothing is said in the text, nor in the whole connection, about a resurrection from the dead. 3. Not one word is said, either in the text or context, about a general judg4. The whole connection shows that Paul expected that what he predicted here would take place during the natural lives of some of the persons whom he addressed. But it may be asked, "What is meant by the Lord Jesus being 'revealed from heaven in flaming fire?"" On this subject, see Chapter X. It is there shown that the term fire is frequently employed in the Scriptures as a figure of God's temporal judgments, and is not once used to signify punishment in another world. Again, it may be asked, "What is meant by everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord?" This expression is rather ambiguous; and hence, some understand it to signify that the everlasting destruction spoken

ment.

of was to come from the Lord. Others, that the everlasting destruction consisted in being banished from the presence of the Lord. In either case it can make no difference. If the first opinion is the true one, then it signifies that the punishment spoken of was to come from God. If the latter, then this punishment consisted in being banished, in some sense, from the presence of God. Well, "What sense was this?" On this subject, see Chapter XIV. It is there shown that this banishment of the Jews from the pres ence of God consisted in their being driven from the land of Judea, from the city of Jerusalem, and from the holy temple, where God's presence was supposed particularly to dwell. Once more. It may be asked, "What everlasting destruction was it which the Jews were to suffer?" We answer, it was the entire, total, and absolute destruction of the Jewish people as a nation. They were driven from their country, and for eighteen hundred years have been deprived of their civil and ecclesiastical institutions, and have been subject to the laws, institutions, and government of other nations.

To the views which we have presented on this text we know of but one plausible objection. It has been objected, "How could the Thessalonian Christians, or the Jews living in Thessalonica, be at all concerned or interested in the destruction of Jerusalem, or the dispersion of the Jewish nation, seeing they lived so far from the scene of that event?" To this we reply, that at the destruction of Jerusalem there was to be a special manifestation of Christ's interference in behalf of his followers. The fulfilment of Christ's prediction in relation to that event would establish his claims to be the "Sent of God" beyond the possibility of a doubt. Then, the persecuting power of the Jews was to be overthrown, and the Christians delivered from those cruelties which they had suffered from their hands. Then, the kingdom of God was to come with power, and Christianity be permanently established in the earth. Hence, it could not but be a subject of interest to all the Christian churches throughout the then civilized world, wherever such churches had been established. Besides, Jerusalem was destroyed at a time when the Jewish people were partaking of a great national feast in that city; and, undoubtedly, many Jews from Thessalonica were there, some of whom suffered in that destruction; and all the rest, whether there or at Thessalonica, suffered, in common with their country