THE THIRD WORLD. THE MILLENNIAL AGE. THE POST-MILLENNIAL AGES. THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE CHRIST ETERNAL. 

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HAVING discussed in the previous chapter, The Bible's Worlds and The Three Ages of the Second World, we will now take up for discussion the first Age of the Third World—the Millennial Age. As we diagrammed the three worlds and the three Ages of the Second World, we will also diagram the Third World and its Ages, particularly the Millennial Age, that the subject may become clearer to our minds through the eye. 

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The words, Millennial and Millennium, as such do not occur in the Bible. But the idea underlying them is taught in many Scriptures. The word, millennium, is a Latin word, and as such is an adjective meaning thousand-yeared. In Latin it is combined with the noun, regnum—Kingdom. The expression, regnum millennium, in Latin, therefore, means thousand-yeared kingdom. We have taken the Latin adjective, millennium, bodily into English, and use it, not as an adjective, but as a noun, in the sense of the thousand-yeared period in which Christ and His Faithful will reign over the earth and mankind. That they are thus to 

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reign is taught in very many Scriptures, of which we will cite a comparatively few: Gen. 22:18; Ps. 2:8; 22:27-29; 72; Dan. 2:44, 45; 7:13, 14, 22, 27; Is. 2:1-4; 9:6, 7; 11:6-11; 25:6-9; 32:1; 35:4-10; Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:14-16; Ezek. 37:23-25; Amos 9:14, 15; Joel 2:28, 29, 32; Mic. 4:1-4; Ob. 21; Zeph. 3:8, 9; Hag. 2:7; Zech. 8:20-23; Mal. 4:1-3; Matt. 6:10; 19:28; 25:32; Luke 2:31, 32; 12:32; 22:29, 30; John 18:36; Acts 1:6, 7:3: 19-21; 15:16, 17; Rom. 8:17; 14:9; 1 Cor. 15:21-28; Phil. 2:8-11; 2 Tim. 2:10-12; 4:1; Jas. 2:5; Rev. 1:5, 6; 2:26, 27; 3:21; 5:9, 10; 11:15; 20:4-9. It will greatly benefit our readers to look up and study these references. In the last citation in verses 4, 6 and 7, it is directly stated that the reign of Christ and the Church on the earth will last 1000 years. The same thing is implied in the frequently occurring names, "the day of the Lord," "the day of God," "that day," etc., applied to the Millennium, because 1000 of our years make one day with the Lord (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). Thus we see that while the words, Millennium and Millennial, as such do not occur in the Bible, yet the idea underlying them occurs there very frequently. 

The Millennial Age follows the last Age of the Second World—the Gospel Age, and is, therefore, the first Age of the Third World or Dispensation. As above shown, it will be the first thousand years of the Third World. It will be followed by "Ages to come," as shown in the above diagram. How many of such Ages there will be we do not know; because the Bible does not indicate it. It does, however, show that the Third World will be endless, calling it "world without end" (Is. 45:17), "the dispensation of the fulness of times" (Eph. 1:10) and "the Ages of the Ages" (Rev. 11:15; 22:5, Revised Version). Apart, therefore, from its first Age—the Millennium—we know very little about the Third World, except that its many Ages will be periods of bliss, progress and perfection, with every creature in heaven and earth in harmony

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with God and His Christ. The Millennium is to be the Age of transition from present woe, imperfection and degradation to the bliss, progress and perfection of the following Ages of the Ages. God's revealed Plan closes with the Millennium and the conditions it will introduce. And since it has not pleased the Lord to reveal more than this to us of those Ages following the Millennium, we are content to abide by His good pleasure, knowing that, if faithful, we will in due time be fully informed respecting them. 

Elsewhere we have emphasized various features of the Millennium into which we will not here enter. The main object of this chapter will be to show the Divine purposes with respect to the Millennium. Of these we will point out especially ten. The first of these purposes is to deliver the human race from the curse into which father Adam plunged it. Certainly the Bible teaches that mankind is under a curse on account of Adam's sin (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12-21; 8:19, 20, 22; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22). This curse affects man physically, mentally, morally and religiously. The curse strikes man physically through the imperfect condition of the earth and its climate (Gen. 3:17-19). The hard labor and long hours required to gain sustenance from the imperfect earth conspire to break man down physically. The extremes of heat and cold reduce his vitality and undermine his health. The soil and air laden with germs take their toll of human health and life. Earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves, storms, accidents, wars, famines and pestilences, make heavy inroads on human health and life. Man's ignorance and unkindness to fellow-man are large contributing factors to his physical woes. The hereditary effects of these evils from generation to generation have greatly decreased man's physical energy, health, endurance and length of life, as well as have reduced the ability and scope of his physical faculties. Thus instead of man's mastering physical nature, physical 

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nature has mastered man, in the end depriving him of life itself, usually after much suffering on his part. 

So, too, has the imperfect condition of the earth dwarfed man's mental powers. Compelled by the scant reward yielded by the imperfect earth to hard toil to devote an overweening amount of time and strength to gain the means of preserving his physical being, man has devoted too much time to planning for the welfare of his body, and has had but little time to develop his intellect—his perceptive, reproductive and reasoning powers by using them to study the higher things of life. Hence ignorance has been widespread since the fall. Error, too, has stunted, blunted and depraved his intellectual powers, so that very few have even fairly accurate powers to perceive, remember and reason on the higher and nobler things; and none can by his unaided mental powers arrive at absolute truth in physical, mental, moral and religious respects, especially in the last named respect (Eph. 4:17, 18). 

The imperfect earth has also reacted on man's moral powers. Its scanty returns for hard toil occasions man's desire to rid himself of as much toil as possible in order to escape its resultant weariness and other inconveniences. This in turn has produced an abnormal selfishness that exhibits itself in imposing burdens on others that self may be relieved. This has resulted in the physically and mentally stronger taking advantage of others to the latter's exploitation. From these conditions and practices have arisen covetousness, luxuriousness, hypocrisy, strife, hatred, theft, disloyalty, indolence, self-exaltation, vanity of man toward his fellow-man, etc. Out of these evil roots have sprung, as unholy plants and trees, kingcraft, priestcraft and aristocraft. Wars, revolutions, conspiracies, mutinies, murders, etc., have been the natural fruitage grown on such plants and trees. The family life, the social life, the business life, the political life and the religious life have all been poisoned by partaking of such fruitage (Rom. 1:28-32). 

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And worst of all, earth's imperfection has reacted unfavorably on man religiously. It has occasioned many to disuse the religious senses altogether, thereby atrophizing their highest powers. It has made others exercise a selfish use of their religious organs, thereby making them the ministers of selfishness and thus producing depravity in them. To others it has suggested demoniacal ideas of God, and thus has depraved them to the extent of their yielding to such ideas. It has made it all the easier for Satan to give man wrong religious views, and thus, by his blotting Truth from men's minds and filling them with religiously degrading ideas, it has occasioned man to turn away from the Creator, and to worship the creature with correspondingly increased depravity. Therefore, apart from the Divine revelation, the imperfect earth has ministered to the increased religious depravity—ancient and modern—seen on all hands where the God of the Bible is not recognized and worshiped (Rom. 1:18-25). 

From these innumerable degradations and evils, with which man is burdened and overburdened, there is great need of relief. By his own powers man can no more raise himself above them than one can raise himself from the earth by pulling at his boot straps. This is evident from human experience for over 6000 years, and has been demonstrated by God as an object lesson through Israel during the Jewish Age. Man's extremity has thus become God's opportunity. He has laid help upon One that is mighty and has chosen One from among the people—even the Christ, Head and Body for this purpose. His time to accomplish this relief is the Millennial Age; and His agency therefore is the Millennial Kingdom. At that time the curse will be taken from the earth and it will be made like Eden (Is. 61:4; 35:1, 2; Ezek. 36:35). Satan will be bound and spirited away from the earth, and thus will no longer be able to tempt the people, and the Christ shall hold full sway, influencing the people to righteousness (Rev. 20:1-3; Ps. 72:8). Error shall be 

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banished from the earth and Truth will everywhere wave her scepter (Is. 25:7; 11:9). Sin will be dethroned, and righteousness will be enthroned (Is. 25:7; 62:12). The human race will be released from the sentence to death and be given the opportunity to obtain full liberty in every respect (Rom. 8:21). Human sorrow will give way to universal joy (Is. 35:10). War will cease and peace will reign everywhere (Is. 2:4; 9:7). The righteous shall no more be persecuted, but exalted everywhere for their righteousness (Is. 25:8; Psa. 72:7). The wicked will no more be exalted, but will be abased and striped for reformation (Mal. 3:15; Is. 26:9; Ps. 37:35, 36). False religions will be no more; and the one true religion everywhere will be accepted (Is. 65:15; 60:14, 15; Zeph. 3:9). Oppressive governments shall be no more; and the fostering government of the Christ will bless and help all (Is. 60:12; Ps. 72:12-14). People will no more labor in vain and produce troublesome works; but everyone will prosper in his undertakings (Is. 65:23; 60:17). There will then be no exploitation and poverty, but everyone will enjoy unmolested his own possessions (Is. 65:22; Mic. 4:4). The removal of the above evils and the bestowal of the above blessings will relieve the race from its curse-derived needs. Thus we see that the Millennial reign of Christ is intended to relieve the race of all its present needs coming upon it through the curse. 

The second purpose of the Millennial Age is to exalt the righteous of all four classes—the Little Flock, Great Company, Ancient Worthies and Youthful Worthies. The righteous have not been exalted in the present evil World, which has been the period when Satan has rewarded his servants and oppressed his opponents (Mal. 3:15). Rather they, especially the Little Flock, have now had their time of trouble and abasement (Matt. 5:10-12; Mark 13:9; John 15:18, 19; 16:1, 2; 2 Tim. 2:9-2; 3:12). It has pleased the Lord to require of them as the proof of their loyalty

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steadfastness in truth, righteousness and love amid troubles, sufferings and trials of all kinds. Satan has buffeted them. The world has hated them. The flesh has tormented them. False religions have persecuted them. Civil powers have tortured them. Friends have forsaken them. Relatives have betrayed them. False brethren have burdened them. They have been exposed to fire, water, pit, scourge, rack, thumbscrew, Spanish boots, the kissing Virgin, filth, vermin, pulley, knife, awl, pincer, hook, rope, chain, cross, wild beast, sword, spear, javelin, bullet, powder, poison cup, dungeon, etc., etc., in the effort to make them disloyal. The Faithful have faced these horrors with unflinching faith, unconquerable hope, invincible love and undeviating obedience, and have come off more than conquerors through Him that loved them. Therefore, as God's witness they have stood firm for truth, righteousness and love, amid a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they have shone as lights in the world. They did their utmost even unto the supreme sacrifice in demonstration of devotion to God and His cause in the world against all odds. They having glorified God in the world, He in turn has arranged for their glorification with highest triumph, honor, riches, power, position, office and success, and the time for this is the Millennium and afterwards. 

In a less pronounced sense has He arranged for the exaltation of the Ancient Worthies, Great Company and Youthful Worthies; because their trial has been less crucial, their devotion less signal and their characters less developed. Nevertheless, as righteous persons these have ultimately stood for truth and righteousness while Satan makes such a stand disadvantageous in earthly ways. These will be exalted to Princeship and Leviteship, while the former will be exalted to Kingship and Priesthood. Moreover the faithful Little Flock will in joint-heirship with Christ have the Divine nature with its immortality. As such they will with Christ be the highest of all God's creatures, heirs 

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of God in power, honor, wealth, authority, office, work and success, having as their Millennial work the uplift of mankind from the curse to human perfection and the transformation of the earth into Paradise, and as their post-Millennial work the creation and perfection of various orders of beings in the planets throughout the universe, as their eternal occupation in developing their inheritance. The Great Company as spirit beings from the outstart of the Millennium, and the Ancient and Youthful Worthies as men during, and as spirit beings after, the Millennium will cooperate under and with the Christ in all these marvelous works. Surely these triumphs, held in reservation for the righteous (1 Cor. 2:9), will a million fold compensate their sufferings borne in this life while undergoing their trial. The Scriptures describe in most glowing terms these triumphs, especially those of the Little Flock. The long list of passages quoted in the second paragraph of this chapter gives but a few samples of these. Whole chapters are devoted to this subject, such as Ps. 72; Is. 35; 60; 62; Jer. 31; Ezek. 47; 48; Zech. 14; Matt. 25; Rev. 20; 21; 22. Indeed if all the passages treating thereon were gathered together, they would make a fair sized book taking 70 hours of average reading to finish. "Looking back they'll praise the way God has led them day by day." Surely this second purpose of the Millennial Age is a very worthy one! 

The third purpose of the Millennial Age is to destroy Satan's Empire, which occurs in the dawn of the Millennium. We will give details thereon in our book on the Millennium, to which we refer our readers. Here we will give a brief summary. Satan has dominion over the human race now (Gal. 1:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1, 2), as well as over the fallen angels (Matt. 12:24; Eph. 6:11, 12). This rulership he has used unto the depravity of all his subjects—human and angelic. His empire has an invisible higher phase—the fallen angels as joint 

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rulers under him—and a visible phase—the governmental, religious and aristocratic representatives of him among men. By this kingdom in its two phases he has been ruling over the race, especially since the flood. He has foisted the earthly phase of his kingdom on mankind mainly through deceiving the race into believing six false doctrines, the first three being the fundamental and the other three the supporting errors of his Empire: the Divine Right of the Kings, the Divine Right of the Clergy, the Divine Right of the Aristocracy, the Consciousness of the Dead, the Transformation of the Dead into Spirits, and Eternal Torture of those oppositional to, and Eternal Bliss of those submissive to, his order of affairs. Belief in these six doctrines has, of course, made mankind in general submit to the order of affairs that he desired among men. 

His empire has been the kingdom of darkness, in which, through sin, selfishness, worldliness, ignorance and error, he has terribly tyrannized over the human family unto its degradation—physical, mental, moral and religious. All through this dark night mankind has been weeping because of the woes of the curse, increased by Satanic power (Ps. 30:5; Rom. 8:22). Pharaoh oppressing the Israelites in Egypt is a Divinely intended type picturing forth Satan's oppressing the people in his Empire. God's sending Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt types God's sending Christ in His Second Advent to deliver the human family from Satan's Empire. And Moses delivering Israel from Egypt, through the influence of the ten plagues, types our Lord's delivering the people from Satan's Empire through the power of ten antitypical plagues. We are now living in the midst of the last of these plagues, and by the time it is over, Satan's Empire will be no more, and mankind will be free from his tyranny. The primary agency in accomplishing the overthrow of Satan's Empire is the Glorified Christ, Head and Body. The means that they are using is religious and secular truths by which the three foundation and three 

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supporting errors of Satan's Empire are being undermined, which will result in the collapse of the entire house of Satan—the kingdom of darkness. 

The pertinent secular and religious truths are being accepted in various ways by the different classes of mankind, each class seizing hold of that phase of it which appeals to it. The saintly are appealed to mainly by the religious truths, and the worldly mainly by the secular truths. The latter class makes a selfish use of the secular truths, and this causes them to subdivide according to their selfish cravings into two groups: the Conservatives and the Radicals. So greatly did this division threaten Satan's Empire in its present form that, to avert its total remodeling, he sought to divert the two classes in every nation from their mutual antagonism by putting them unitedly in each nation or group of nations against these same classes united in other nations or groups of nations. Thus he developed two rival alliances in Europe, and by their threats against one another, he sought to keep the conflict between the Conservatives and Radicals in each nation from breaking out. But when he saw that the flood of Truth that the Lord was pouring out on all nations was more and more shaking his hold on the human race, as a desperate gamble to prevent a universal revolution of the Radicals against the Conservatives from breaking out and overthrowing the form in which his Empire existed, he manipulated matters in a way that brought about the World War, Phase I. In each group of the allianced nations he made both classes solid for that war and for one another by spreading the delusion that their national existence was imperiled by the other group of nations, and thus both classes in each group of the allianced nations united to defend their supposedly imperiled national existence. 

Little concern did it give Satan that that war would cost directly and indirectly 50,000,000 human lives, if thereby his Empire might remain intact! Little did it trouble him that 30,000,000 would be wounded and 

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that the productive energy of 1,500,000,000 human beings was diverted from useful to destructive channels, if thereby his kingdom in its present form could be saved! Little did it grieve him that famine, pestilence, sorrow, trouble and unbounded hatreds would ruin much of the human family, if his own ends could be gained! Therefore, he threw down the dice, and lost! The effect of that war has been an eye opener to the people through the light that the Lord has been shedding upon its every phase, and upon its resultant peace. Consequently there are greater separations and deeper hostilities between the Radicals and Conservatives than before the World War, Phase I. All sorts of blunders committed by the Conservatives as the war's aftermath have added fuel to the already hotly burning fires. More blunders will be made by the Conservatives and more light on them will be shed by our Lord, to the increased dissatisfaction of the Radicals with the present order of affairs, until their sense of wrong and consequent resentment at the present order of affairs will know no bounds and will be assuaged by no promises. In World War, Phase II, Satan sought to dictatorize the World to prevent a World Revolution. In this he failed, bringing it all the nearer. As suddenly as the World War in both Phases came, so suddenly will the World Revolution inaugurated by the Radicals break out (1 Thes. 5:2, 3). In the symbols of Revelation (16:18-20) and other Biblical books, this coming World Revolution is described as a symbolic earthquake which will destroy the symbolic islands (republics) and mountains (kingdoms) in one universal groan, crash and break-up of the symbolic earth (society). Worse famines and pestilences than those that accompanied the World War will come during the Revolution. Its destructiveness of human life, property, comfort and health will be even greater than that of the World War (Jer. 25:29-33). And its end will witness the overthrow of every governmental, religious and aristocratic system on earth. 

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Again Satan will attempt to gain control and will erect an order of affairs in which his present forms of government, religion and aristocracy will be absent. Instead, a socialistic form of government will prevail, and a perverted form of the religious Truth and work which the Lord has been giving since 1874 will through a certain so-called channel between God and man be made the popular religion after the Revolution. This form of government is symbolized by the ten horns of the beast (Rev. 17:11); and this form of religion is typed by Dinah, Jacob's daughter, while his 12 sons type the 12 sectarian denominations of Christendom, which will go down in the Revolution. Such a socialistic form of government will preclude the existence of an aristocracy as such, though doubtless the heroes of socialism will in effect be much like an aristocracy at that time. But that form of society will be short lived. Before many years the Lord's lightning flashes of truth will bare the dark things that will then be practiced, and as a result, in utter despair the dissatisfied will arise against it and tear it down in a wild orgy of anarchy, which will burn up every vestige of Satan's Empire. That frenzy of anarchy will be more destructive than the aberrations of the Revolution, and its accompanying famines and pestilences will be sorer than those of the Revolution. Its effects will be felt even in Palestine in the last wave of anguish that, as the second phase of "Jacob's trouble," is to sweep over regathered Israel. As a result of its fevered ragings in the time of trouble, the race will be utterly exhausted and prostrate. It will come to the borders of the Millennial kingdom like a shipwrecked, storm tossed and wave beaten prisoner, who finally by his extreme effort and the waves' violence reaches the shore exhausted and prostrate, to find himself free in a good country, whereas he had expected to reach one of more or less restraint and oppression. 

The trouble of the great tribulation surpasses human powers of description adequately to set forth; but it

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will prove a blessing in disguise, for it will under the Lord's manipulation forever free the human family from Satan's Empire—that kingdom of darkness which so wickedly and cruelly has oppressed and depraved the human family. It will also mellow the proud and wilful hearts of men, making them receptive of the arrangement of the Millennial kingdom, which otherwise their pride and wilfulness would make unbearable to them. And best of all, it will usher in "the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." Thus the third purpose of the Millennial Age—the overthrow of Satan's Empire, freeing mankind from the tyranny of the great oppressor—is a consummation devoutly to be desired. 

The three purposes of the Millennial Age so far considered give a general view of God's object with reference to that Age. There are additionally special objects that God will secure through the operation of His Millennial Kingdom. One of these—the fourth purpose of the Millennial Age—is dispensing justice to mankind. Hitherto justice has not generally prevailed among mankind. Rather the period of the curse has been largely occupied by Satan's empire, in which the proud have been advanced, the wicked have been exalted, and the tempters of God have been set up in high places. This has been so, because it was conducive to Satan's purposes to have it so. Facts undeniably prove that justice—supreme love for God and equal love for man—has not generally during the era of sin prevailed. These facts meet us on all sides and phases of human life. 

If we look into family life, how frequently the just relations of man and wife, of parents and children, of brethren and brethren, have been sinned against in the reign of selfishness! Unhappy marriages, abounding divorces, mistraining and non-training of children, widespread disrespect for, distrust of, and disobedience to, parents, and frequent gross disregard of the needs of one's flesh and blood, one and all prove the 

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general lack of justice in the family relation. Selfish ambition, frequent usurpations and crushing tyranny in rulers, ruthless and devastating wars of conquest, oppression of nationals and subject nations, favoritism toward classes as against the masses, corruption in executives, legislators and judges and their agents, unhealthy politics, extravagance in administration, waste in pomp and show, dishonesty in diplomacy, crookedness in treaty matters, and all around self-assertiveness are a few of the particulars that prove the general lack of justice in statecraft. None the less has wickedness marked the aristocratic and the capitalistic world. Financial jugglery, technicalities, beating the law, harmful adulterations, unfair competition, selfish propaganda, exploitation of, and lording it over, the poor, the lowly and labor, glaring misappropriation and misuse of funds, financial dishonesty, illegal uses of money, widespread corruption of officials, patent dodging of taxes, and a rampant riot of financial anarchy are a few of the proofs of the widespread prevalence of injustice in financial, manufacturing and business circles. The labor world is replete with evidence of the preponderance of injustice now. Riots, strikes, incendiarisms, boycotts, class antagonisms, exorbitant wage demands, partial responsibility for high cost of living, disregard of laws, of injunctions and of the rights of the public in matters of strikes and wage raises, and frequent lawless outbreaks, are sore spots of injustice in the labor world. In the religious world injustice toward God and man is manifest in false religious beliefs, practices and worship, in atheism, deism, materialism, pantheism, rationalism, infidelism, evolutionism, higher criticism, modernism, superstition, clericalism, priestcraft, formalism, sectarianism, secularism, traditionism, creedism and indifferentism. And in the social world injustice has been in the ascendancy. This can be seen in class consciousness, hostility and exclusiveness, in the erection of social barriers, in contrasted conditions of the poor and the 

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rich, in the vicious and criminal classes, in casts and clans, in slavery and serfdom, in polyandry, polygamy, alcoholism, drugism and harlotry, and in gambling. 

During past ages more or less efforts have been put forth to right at least some of these wrongs; and doubtless after much struggling some success has attended these efforts. But these partial successes have not undone the previously committed wrongs, nor have they succeeded in putting aside multitudes of others. Thus there remain in the book of justice many debts that have never been paid, and others but partially paid. Indeed as long as Satan rules the world, wrong—attenuated only to the extent that necessity compels—will be triumphant. But an all-just Creator cannot forever permit justice and truth to fall in the street and wrong and error eternally to triumph. There must come a time when the scales of justice will be balanced. Since it cannot come while Satan is in control of human affairs, our only hope for it will be after his empire is overthrown. And, true enough, it is after his baleful reign will be over that righteousness will be enthroned, and every one shall bow to its sceptre, even as it is written: "When thy judgments are [abroad] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Is. 26:9). This happy condition the Scriptures assure us will be during Christ's reign over the earth: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [Christ]; and a king [Christ] shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment [truth] and Justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5). In that day people will have to give an account of the deeds that they have done under Satan's reign. They will also have to undo the wrongs done, as well as give the antitypical 20% additional (Num. 5:7). 

The husbands and wives, the parents and children, and the brethren who have wronged one another will have to make these wrongs good. The rulers who have misruled their subjects, and the subjects who have 

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misconducted themselves toward their rulers will have to undo their wrongs. The employers and masters who have injured their employees and slaves, and the employees and slaves who have injured their employers and masters will have to right these wrongs. The thief, the murderer, the seducer, the cheat, the despoiler will one and all have to face their victims, acknowledge and apologize for their wrongs and make full restitution, plus the antitypical 20%. The judges of those days will be infallible and impeccable, therefore not subject to the deceptions and corruptions that now frequently cause justice to miscarry. Those who have long groaned without deliverance under the iron heel of the oppressor will at that time find a deliverer, powerful, responsive and dependable (Ps. 72:4, 12-14). He will be a sure defender of the defenseless, a reliable helper of the helpless and an ever ready friend of the friendless. Hope shall no more flee, and despair will no more enter the heart of the poor and needy, while the proud oppressor, Satan, will be crushed. 

Not only will the wrongs of the present then be righted, but also the unrewarded good of the present will then be recompensed. Then the cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple will receive its recognition and reward from the Christ class, who may in this life not have been able to make return for the kindness received (Matt. 10:42). Then good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, children and brethren will receive the fruitage of their good deeds. Then will good rulers and good citizens, good employers and good employees, good philanthropists and reformers, good friends and neighbors receive the fruition of the good works of the present. It will then be demonstrated that no good was in vain. 

But the kingdom will do more than render justice for the deeds of the present life; it will also execute justice for the deeds then done. No good deed performed at that time will fail of its reward. From the benevolent hearts and beneficent hands of the Christ 

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will flow an abundance of rewards in physical, mental, moral and religious blessings upon everyone who in that day shall practice good. Indeed, the blessing of restitution—the physical, mental, moral and religious uplifts unto human perfection—that the kingdom is intended to work toward mankind will in a very large measure be the Lord's rewards for well doing. Thus the more the people do good in that day, the more will they experience the uplifting influences of the kingdom, until, as their response will be complete, their uplift unto physical, mental, moral and religious perfection will be complete, and that amid the Edenic conditions of bliss which Paradise Restored will afford. All this will be due to justice rewarding the good of that Divinely-predestinated day. 

On the other hand, even-handed justice will mete out deserved and immediate punishment on even the attempt to do wrong. While there will be the fullest liberty accorded each one, unhindered by inconductive conditions, to exercise the freedom of doing right—to bless himself and others—there will be no liberty whatever permitted anybody to do external wrong to others during the Millennial times; for such a liberty would oppress and harm others; and the promise is that none shall hurt or destroy in the kingdom (Is. 65:25). Christ and the Church, being everywhere present and knowing the intents of all hearts, will immediately intervene between the determination to do wrong and its execution, preventing the realization of the wrong determined, by sudden and efficient punishment. In that day the tongue that attempts to slander or curse a neighbor will suffer paralysis or some other hindering affliction before the slanderous or cursing determination will be able to clothe itself in words. The hand uplifted to strike a neighbor will sink paralyzed or otherwise helpless at the would-be smiter's side. The pick-pocket's hand will likely become helpless in his neighbor's pocket. The feet that would lend themselves to run into wrong-doing will, enfeebled in

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some way, fail to take the contemplated steps. Why? Because, when the judgments [punishments] of the Lord are [abroad] in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. How long would the would-be slanderer and blasphemer practice slander and cursing, if each attempt thereat—frustrated from execution—should meet with a summary punishment, like paralysis of, or some other form of silencing, the tongue? How long would the would-be striker seek to smite his neighbor, the would-be kicker seek to kick his neighbor, the would-be pick-pocket seek to go through his neighbor's pocket, if the attempt could not be consummated and the offending member incapacitated from activity on the spot? A few experiences of such quick unerring judgments from the Lord would teach such better. Yea, when the judgments of the Lord are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn righteousness. Certainly the fourth purpose of the kingdom—the dispensing of justice to mankind—is a very desirable and worthy one, and is one of the things that makes the Millennial kingdom "the desire of all nations"—that for which all nations long, and which they will eventually receive (Hag. 2:7). 

The fifth object of the Millennial Age is to restrain and finally destroy all evil and introduce and make triumphant all good. Certainly during Satan's empire evil, instead of being restrained and destroyed, has been encouraged and multiplied. Every feature of the curse has increased. The earth has under the curse been beset with all sorts of disorders in nature. Satan and fallen angels have dominated conditions, and have made them subservient to their baleful purposes. Sin and error have abounded on all hands with corrupting and devastating effects. Sighs and groans and cries have made hideous and horrible the night of sin and death. Sickness, pain and sufferings have become the normal lot of fallen man. Wars and rumors of wars have been the almost uninterrupted experience of the race. Dying conditions have stalked 

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about, putting their palsying hand upon every member of the human family. Evil doers and deceivers have been exalted and rewarded as Satan's allies and helpers. Right doers and truth lovers have been oppressed and persecuted as his enemies. Toil has ground down the weary race, and vain labor has rewarded his usual efforts. Oppression has laid its heavy hand on the bulk of the human family. Frequently large numbers of mankind have been made homeless and exiles. And finally death has swallowed up one generation of the sin-cursed race after another. Such have been the concomitants of Satan's rule; and the reign of the Prince of Peace is intended to set aside these and introduce the opposite conditions. 

The two requisites to set these evil conditions aside are the cancellation of the Adamic sentence from the race and the binding and imprisoning of Satan, the executor of that sentence. These two things accomplished, the way will be paved for the overthrow of their effects and the introduction of their opposite good. The merit of Christ's ransom-sacrifice will early in the Millennium be applied on behalf of the race, for the satisfaction of Divine justice as to the Adamic sin; and with this sin made good, the resultant sentence will be cancelled, and man will be placed in a position for deliverance from the effects of the sentence. But as long as Satan can deceive the race by error and entice mankind by sin, the present evil conditions will not be removed, and good conditions cannot supplant them. Therefore, the Lord has designed the binding of Satan and afterward his imprisonment during the Millennial Age. This is set forth in the symbols of Rev. 20:1-3. The powerful angel there referred to is the Christ class in glory. The chain in his hand represents secular and religious truth that the glorified Christ has been spreading among mankind since 1874. This truth had by 1914 so far bound Satan that he could no longer deceive and lead at his will the race, by his kingdom's three foundation errors—Divine right of Kings, 

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Divine right of Clergy and Divine right of Aristocrats—and by its three supporting errors—the consciousness of the dead, the transubstantiation of human into spirit beings at death, and their bliss or torment while dead. But the chain of truth will further restrain his efforts to deceive on others lines, and finally will so completely bind him as to make it impossible for him further to deceive the race. How so? When the glorified Christ will flood the earth with the truth that exposes all of Satan's errors, these errors will no longer deceive, and thus Satan will be completely bound. Thus seen, his binding is recognized to be a gradual one, beginning in 1874 and ending some years yet in the future. His imprisoning represents his restraint from access to the race. This will probably be accomplished by his being spirited away to, and confined in, such a distant place in the universe as will permit him neither to come in contact with, nor to see mankind in the Millennium. 

The sentence and the executor of the sentence being removed from mankind, it will become a comparatively easy task for the kingdom to restrain and destroy the present evil conditions and to introduce and perfect good conditions. As we saw in the preceding portion of this chapter, the imperfect condition of the earth and its imperfect climate furnished the conditions conducive to the execution of the death sentence—physical, mental, moral and religious depravity even unto the death state. So this imperfect climate and these imperfect earth-conditions must be removed. The extremes of heat and cold will give way to milder climatic conditions. The earth's righting on its axis and certain changes in the warm and cold ocean currents will doubtless be among the Divinely arranged methods of effecting these desirable climatic conditions. Through giving light on the nature, causes and cure of all diseases, the Lord will banish sickness from the earth. Through applying some at present unknown, or but little understood forces of nature to enriching the soil, the earth will be made as fruitful as Eden

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(Is. 61:4; 35:1, 2; Ezek. 36:35). Through giving the truth on all subjects, error will be banished from the earth and the race will have in the truth a most powerful weapon for physical, mental, moral and religious uplift. By the power of such truth, the people will not only learn the undesirableness of wickedness and the desirableness of righteousness, but will also be given the ability to eschew the former and practice the latter (Is. 25:7; 11:9; 62:12). The uplifting effects of restitution will so fill the hearts of men with joy as to encourage and make it easy for them to forsake evil and do right (Is. 35:10). These things, as well as the past experiences with the evils of war and strife, will encourage the nations to live in peace, and the individuals to live in brotherly love (Micah 4:1-3). The immediate punishment for attempted wrong and the immediate reward for doing good will help men to cease from evil things and conditions, and to come into harmony with good things and conditions (Is. 26:9; Ps. 37:35, 36). The cutting off of the irreformable in the second death, after a hundred years of misused opportunities for reformation, will diminish wrong and increase good (Is. 65:20). The suppression of all false religions and religious teachings, and the enthroning of the one true religion, teaching a mind-uplifting and heart-upbuilding faith, will contribute mightily to overthrow evil and introduce and perfect good (Is. 65:15; 60:14, 15). The absence of all oppressive governments and the presence and controllership of a mild fostering government, all wise, just, loving and powerful in its arrangements, and seeking and effecting the true prosperity of the people, will mightily co-operate to restrain and destroy everything evil and to introduce every good and perfect thing (Is. 60:12; Ps. 72:12-14). Delivered from landlordism and possessing their own homes and a sufficiency of land free from all encumbrances, the people will be kept from worry for the supply of their needs, and will be helped to peace and contentment 

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(Is. 65:22; Micah 4:4). Freed from the drudgery of labor and the pinch of scarcity and poverty, prospering in their undertakings, and enjoying the fruit of their work, which will likely be no more than necessary to furnish the body with sufficient exercise to make it healthful and to function normally, the people will be freed from conditions now producing selfishness: and exploitation, and will have time for the cultivation of the heart in grace and the mind in religious and secular knowledge, which will make a society of the highest order (Is. 65:23; 60:17). The deliverance of the human family from ignorance and partial knowledge and giving them a perfect knowledge of all scientific branches, will bring the earth under the perfect dominion of man, resulting in his becoming most prolific in time and distance abridging and labor saving devices, such as will make the inventions of our times seem crude indeed (Ps. 90:17). Under such conditions, public sentiment will be averse to evil and responsive to good; and this fact will assist toward destroying evil and introducing and perfecting good. 

These conditions will certainly be conducive to the reformation of even the weakest and most depraved of the human family. Why is it that most people now practice injustice, and that easily? Why is it that very few people now practice the golden rule? Is it not because the conditions now prevailing in human society make it easy and more or less profitable to do wrong, and hard and more or less unprofitable to do right? Evidently this is why many travel the broad road to destruction, and but few find and still fewer travel the narrow way of life (Matt. 7:13, 14). But when in the Millennial Age the highway of holiness—a public road to salvation, thrown open and made free to all—is made accessible by removing the allurements to evil and the obstacles to righteousness, and by making it desirable and profitable to practice right, matters will be thoroughly changed. Present conditions have their uses: (1) in affording the Elect the opportunity 

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of proving exceptional devotion to truth and righteousness by holding up the former and practicing the latter amid and in spite of the allurements to wrong and the obstacles to right, and thus demonstrating their fitness to be the deliverers of the race in harmony with truth and righteousness; and (2) in teaching the race the utter unprofitableness and undesirableness of evil by an experience of its bad nature and terrible effects. But these two purposes having been accomplished, the one in preparing the kingdom's rulers, the other in preparing in their prospective subjects a sense of the need of the kingdom's help, the Lord will set aside the present evil conditions and introduce the good conditions of the Millennium, to enable "whosoever will" of the lost human race to avail themselves of the kingdom's reformatory and uplifting powers. Those who have found the present conditions too hard for them to overcome in order to practice righteousness will find the conditions of the Millennium easy enough for them to use for success in their efforts at reformation. 

Most eloquently and beautifully does the prophet describe those easy, encouraging and helpful conditions: "Then the eyes of the [mentally] blind shall be opened, and the ears of the [religiously] deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the [morally] lame leap [make vigorous progress in righteousness] as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb [who cannot now speak forth God's truth] sing [tell the grand harmony of truth]: for in the wilderness shall waters [truth] break out, and streams [of God's Word] in the desert. … And an highway shall be there, even a way [of salvation], and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean [those who will not reform] shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those [who desire to reform]: the wayfaring men, though [they were] fools [the most ignorant in this life], shall not err therein. No lion [of vice, or of depraved public sentiment, or of degrading institutions] shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast [oppressive government, religion or 

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trust] go up thereon; it shall not be found there; but the redeemed [those of the purchased race who will avail themselves of the deliverance then offered freely to all] shall walk there. And the ransomed [those of the fallen race bought by Jesus' blood and gaining deliverance as they obey the kingdom regulations] of the Lord shall return [from the tomb and from sin's alienation], and come to Zion [Jesus and the Church, as the religious government, enlightening the world] with songs and age-lasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Is. 35:5, 6, 8-10). The conditions described in this and other Scriptures are of such a character as will guarantee the reformation and restitution of "whosoever will." Let us rejoice and be glad in the elective salvations of the Bible! And let us also be glad for the salutary conditions that the Millennium will bring for the deliverance of the non-elect. 

We trust that all have been blessed by the study of the five purposes of the Millennial Age we have considered so far. To fix them more firmly in our minds, let us enumerate them: (1) to relieve the needs of the race, (2) to exalt the righteous, (3) to overthrow Satan's empire, (4) to dispense justice to mankind and (5) to restrain evil and spread good. We now proceed to discuss a sixth purpose of that Age, viz., to make possible to all the saving grace of God, the redemptive death of Christ and the salutary work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly teaches God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work, not only for the Church, but also for the entire world of mankind, for salvation. We will quote and where necessary briefly explain a few passages that prove this proposition. The Christmas message is one of these passages: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11). Here the birth of the Savior is set forth as ultimately bringing joy to all people, which of 

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course did not occur to all people in this life. Another passage: Jesus Christ "was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9). Here we are expressly taught that all are to be enlightened by our Lord; nor has this been done to everyone in this life. Again, "This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel" (Luke 2:30-34). Here those Isaelites who stumbled over Christ are spoken of as to be lifted up from their stumbled condition—a work of the Holy Spirit; yet it has not been done to them in this life. Again, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Here Christ is directly spoken of as the one who will remove the Adamic sin, take away the death sentence of the race; but as yet He has not done this, though by His death He has provided its merit. 

In this connection we may well quote John 3:16, 17, which has appropriately been called the Gospel in a nut shell: "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life; for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved [from the Adamic condemnation]." Here God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work, for salvation on behalf of the world are clearly set forth; but as yet the world has not gotten the benefit of them. In John 12:32, 33, Jesus' death is set forth as the meritorious cause whereby all men will be favorably influenced toward Him by the Spirit: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die"; but all have not in this life been drawn to Him. St. Paul tells us clearly in Rom. 5:18, 19 that Christ died in order to deliver the race from the condemnation into which it was involved by Adam, and that this deliverance will be realized: "As by the offence of one [Adam] judgment [the sentence] came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One [Christ] the free gift shall

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come [the future tense in the parallel expression of the next verse shows that the italicized word came should give place to the words shall come, seeing that the italicized words here as everywhere else in the Bible are lacking in the original Greek] upon all men unto [for the purpose of] justification of life; for as by one man's disobedience the many were made sinners [through heredity], so by the obedience of One shall the many be made righteous [of the Adamic sin]"; but manifestly this has not yet happened to all. Very clearly does 1 Tim. 2:4-6 prove God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work for all men unto salvation: God "will [literally, willeth to] have all men to be saved [not eternally, but from the Adamic sin and condemnation; this shows God's love to all] and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth [this shows the Spirit's work for all]; for there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all [this shows Christ's death for all], to be testified [the Spirit's work] in due times [the Greek word is plural, times, or seasons, referring to the Gospel Age and the Millennial Age as the periods for giving the testimony]." 

1 Tim. 4:10 calls God the Savior of all men, especially of believers: "We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe." The faith class win the special salvation and all the others the salvation from the Adamic sin and condemnation, according to this and other passages. Titus 2:11 is to the same effect: "The grace [love] of God hath appeared, bringing salvation for all men" (Amer. Rev. Ver.), in His gift of Jesus for man's salvation. Jesus' death for all is clearly taught in Heb. 2:9, which states that Jesus was made a perfect human being like perfect Adam "that by the grace of God He should taste death for every man." In 1 John 2:2 it is expressly taught that He is the satisfaction to Divine justice for both the Church and the World: "He is the propitiation for our [the Church's] sins; and not 

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for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." The Spirit's call to all mankind for salvation is expressly affirmed in Rev. 22:17: "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 

The above passages clearly teach the propositions: (1) God's love for all men unto salvation; (2) Christ's death for all men unto salvation; and (3) the Spirit's work for all men unto salvation. They are some of the main New Testament Scriptures on this subject. But there are many Old Testament Scriptures on the same subject. We will cite some of these without quoting or commenting on them: Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; Ps. 2:8; 22:27-29; 86:9; 98:2, 3, Is. 2:2; 11:9; 25:6; 29:18, 24; 35:5, 6, 10; 40:5; 45:22, 23; 52:10; Jer. 31:34; Ob. 21; etc., etc., etc. Our dear readers will do well to look up these Scriptures and satisfy themselves on the subject from personal investigation. We consider that the above Scriptural proof of these propositions is conclusive and satisfying. 

But experience demonstrates that all men have not been given the opportunity in this life to benefit from these three great favors. Most people have died without ever hearing of them, let alone deriving therefrom their intended blessing. This is manifest from many facts. All the heathen who died before Christ came, and almost all of them who have died since He came, never heard of God's love for them unto salvation, of Christ's death for them unto salvation, and of the Spirit's work for them unto salvation, and therefore never benefited therefrom; for there is no salvation possible apart from hearing and accepting the Gospel. Many hold that these as a result have been condemned unto eternal torment; and they even affirm of those of them who died before Christ came and of the majority of the Jews who died before Christ came, that though He later died for them, yet they will never get any benefit therefrom, but that at the time of Christ's death

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for them they were hopelessly lost in eternal torment. From such a standpoint, what possible purpose could He have had in dying for them, if beforehand they were irretrievably lost? But not only the vast majority of the heathen never heard of these three favors; but many others likewise have died in the same condition. Three-fourths of the human family died in infancy, and therefore never derived the blessings of these favors. Many others died in childhood, not enjoying these blessings. Untold numbers of insane persons lacked them also; while Judaism and Mohammedanism have blinded many other billions to these favors. Sectarianism has darkened these subjects so that still other billions have been so confused on these matters as to have gotten but little of the intended blessings therefrom. Thus we see that the vast majority of the race died in ignorance of the only name under heaven whereby we must be saved, if saved at all (Acts 4:12). 

Therefore, in this life they had no opportunity of obtaining the blessings that these three favors vouchsafe every human being. Nor can they obtain these blessings while dead; for the Scriptures expressly teach that in death there is no change or reformation, or opportunity of salvation: "In the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be" (Eccl. 11:3). There is no change in the death state for the good reason that "there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave" (Eccl. 9:10). It being a condition in which nothing is known, seen, felt, done, received, or endured (Eccl. 9:5, 6), there can be no change there. Consequently, for the billions who have died without Christ, without hope and without God in the world, as strangers from the covenants of promise (Eph. 2:12), in ignorance or confusion as to the only name whereby salvation is possible, if they are to have an opportunity at all to obtain the benefits of God's grace for all, Christ's death for all and the Spirit's work for all, in order to their salvation, this must be after they are awakened from the dead—during our 

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Lord's Second Advent and the Judgment Day, i.e., during the Millennium. And it is to make possible to the billions of earth's non-elect, who died without having had such an opportunity, that God must have made some kind of arrangement such as we believe the Millennial kingdom will be, in order to give all a fair chance for gaining everlasting life. 

Let us not be misunderstood; we are not advocating a second chance. Emphatically we say that the Bible does not teach a second chance for the individuals of the human race. Aside from the fact that they lost their first chance collectively in Adam, they would not have an individual chance at all unless that chance, wrecked by Adam before his descendants were born, would be followed by another chance, which would be the first chance for the individuals of the human race to gain salvation. But while we do not teach a second chance for the individuals of the human race, apart from Adam and Eve, we do not teach less than one chance for each individual. The difficulty with those who seek to make the above teaching opprobrious by calling it a second chance is that they do not teach even one individual chance for everybody. They claim that whoever did not have an opportunity to obtain salvation in this life will get none at all. Therefore they teach that the overwhelming majority of the race will never get a chance at all, despite the Biblical teachings that God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work are for all men in order to salvation! And to them this means that these untold billions are at death handed over to fire-proof or otherwise torture-proof devils for eternal torment! Theirs is the opprobrious doctrine, not ours. We teach, according to Scripture, but one individual chance for all Adam's descendants. We further teach according to the Bible that a small number of the race, the Church of the Firstborn, gets that chance in this life, that all who make shipwreck of the present opportunity to gain life are everlastingly lost, and that all others are debarred from the present 

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salvation, because they lack the necessary kind of faith to qualify them for probationary membership in Christ's Bride. We also teach according to the Bible that all the rest—the non-elect—will get their chance—their first individual, not their second individual, chance—after the elect Bride is completed and united in the heavenly marriage with her glorious Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ. Unless some such arrangement should prevail, it would be impossible for the practical application of God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work, to all for salvation. And God is too practical, as well as too wise, just, loving and powerful, not to have arranged a feasible way of realizing for all an opportunity for those whom He in the present life excluded from the opportunity of the elective salvation with the express purpose of giving them one later (Rom. 11:30-32). Such an opportunity we must all recognize is fair and godlike; and therefore is certainly to be expected from God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work for all men unto salvation. Thus the sixth purpose of the Millennial Age will be realized—making possible an opportunity of salvation for all through God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work. This opens the door of hope. 

Having by the preceding point shown that something like the Millennial Age is necessary in order to make possible to all an opportunity for salvation, designed by God's love, Christ's death and the Spirit's work, we now proceed to discuss the seventh object of the Millennial Age—that the Millennium will actually give such an opportunity to everybody who in this life was excluded from the opportunity of the elective salvation—the only one now operating. In our book on the Millennium we have set forth ten reasons buttressed by many Scriptures in proof of the proposition that there is hope in the Millennium for those of the unsaved dead who in this life had no chance for the elective salvation. For details we refer our readers to that discussion. Here we will give the points briefly

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without comment, but on each one we will cite some pertinent Bible proofs: (1) God's oath-bound promise (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; Is. 60:14, 15; 29:18, 24; Luke 2:10, 34); (2) the Ransom (John 1:29; 12:32, 33; Rom. 5:18, 19; 14; 9; Phil. 2:6-11; 1 Tim. 2:46); (3) the fact that all sins, apart from unpardonable sins, not forgiven in this life, will be forgiven in the next life (Mark 3:28, 29; Matt. 12:32, 33); (4) God's perfect character as related to man's reformability under easier conditions than now prevail (Rev. 15:3, 4); (5) the purpose of the Church's selection (Rom. 11:25-33; Acts 15:14-18; Gal. 3:8, 16, 29); (6) the Biblically taught twofold experience for the non-elect: one in this life with evil, the other in the next life with good (Rom. 8:20, 21; 11:32; Ps. 90:11-17); (7) Biblically prophesied facts (Ezek. 16:46-63); (8) the official names of Jesus and the Church (Ob. 21; Rev. 20:6; Ps. 22:30, 31; Deut. 18:15-18; Is. 9:6; 66:10-14; Rom. 8:23; Gen. 22:18); (9) the things constituting an opportunity for salvation Scripturally taught as coming to all (Rom. 5:19; 1 Tim. 2:4; John 12:32; Phil. 2:9-11; Joel 2:28; Is. 35:8); and (10) the Millennial removal of the curse (Rev. 21:3-5; 22:1-21; Hos. 13:14; 1 Cor. 15:24-26, 54-57). In H. E. '20, 28, 29, two other reasons for the same thought are given: (1) the object of our Lord's return (Acts 3:19-21; 15:14-17); and (2) the object of His reign (Dan. 7:13, 14, 18, 22, 27; Ps. 72:1-19; 22:27-29). 

We would here briefly give nine other reasons for the same truth. The Bible teaches that not a few of those who had no chance of obtaining the elective salvation will make a favorable response in the Millennium to the offer of salvation then prevailing. This is directly taught in Is. 35:5, 9, 10; Ezek. 16:46-63. The Bible teaches that many of the dead will submit themselves to the kingdom arrangements when these are established in the earth (Ps. 22:27-29; 1 Cor. 15:21-26; Rom. 14:9; Is. 45:22, 23; Phil. 2:8-11; Ps. 86:9). The Bible teaching that the Millennial Age and

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the Judgment Day are identical proves the same thing; for it proves that in the judgment Day only those things will be done which are to be done in the Millennium. The following passages prove the identity of the Millennium and the Judgment Day: 2 Tim. 4:1; Luke 22:29, 30; Matt. 19:28; Ob. 21; Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:14-16; Is. 32:1; Ps. 72:1-4. All the dead, we know, will be raised early in the judgment Day (John 5:28, 29; 11:24; Rev. 20:11, 12). Consequently all the dead will be raised early in the Millennium. In the Millennium all will be helped unto salvation; therefore in the judgment Day all will be helped unto salvation. This truth is also evident from the Bible teaching that the word resurrection as applied to mankind means a restanding from the fallen condition unto the perfection of God's image (Acts 26:23, 24; Luke 20:31-37; Phil. 3:11, 7-10; Acts 24:15; 23:6; 26:6-8). This fact implies an opportunity of salvation for unjust ones in the Millennium, as St. Paul says that not only will the just be resurrected—perfected—but also unjust ones (Acts 24:15). The Bible teaching of two ways of salvation—a private one for the Elect, called the narrow way (Matt. 7:13, 14) and a public one for the non-elect, called the highway (Is. 35:8), proves the same doctrine. The connection (Is. 35:5, 9, 10) shows that this highway will be for certain of the unsaved dead; and the whole chapter proves that it describes the Millennial Age. The Bible also proves it by the teaching that the world is now having such an experience with the nature and effects of evil as will make sin abhorrent to them, when in contrast they learn by experience the nature and effects of righteousness (Rom. 8:19-22; 11:30-32; Ps. 90:11-17). The doctrine of restitution—a return of mankind to Adam's original perfection—which is to operate in the Millennium, proves that the Millennium is for the blessing of the non-elect with opportunities of salvation (Acts 3:19-21; Rev. 21:3-5; 22:1-3). The Bible further demonstrates it by the teaching that the free grace

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salvation will operate after the elective salvation is completed (Acts 15:14-16; 3:19-21; John 17:21-23; Rom. 8:19-23), even as the Millennium, the time for its operation, follows the Gospel Age, with its elective salvation now operating. And the Bible finally proves it by the teaching that ultimately all God's works will honor Him (Num. 14:21; Ps. 76:10; Rev. 5:13). This can only be when His glorious attributes operating in the outworking of His Plan will fully demonstrate His works and character to be and to have been harmonious—a fact that requires a full fair opportunity of salvation for everybody. Thus we have presented twenty-one reasons with Scriptural proof, demonstrating that one of the objects of the Millennial Age—its seventh object—is actually to give an opportunity of salvation to all mankind, if they did not have the opportunity of gaining the elective salvation now. 

When this matter is understood it clarifies God's past and present dealings with the children of men. The Bible becomes in its light a book harmonious with itself, with God's character, Christ's Ransom, the Holy Spirit's work, man's needs and with facts. It indeed is thereby demonstrated to be the depository of God's marvelous Plan of the Ages, as well as the glorious expression of His adorable character. He thus becomes loved by us with "love Divine all love excelling," and with "joy of heaven to earth come down." Let us worship, praise and adore Him, all whose works praise [reflect credit upon] Him. "Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O, Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy righteous Acts (Amer. Rev. Ver.) have been made manifest!" (Rev. 15:3, 4). 

Hitherto we have studied seven purposes of the Millennial Age: (1) to relieve the needs of the race; (2) to exalt the righteous; (3) to overthrow Satan's Empire; (4) to dispense justice to mankind;

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(5) to restrain evil and spread good; (6) to make possible to all the benefits of Christ's death; and (7) to give the non-elect world an opportunity to obtain salvation. We trust that the discussion of these seven objects of the Millennial Age has refreshed the hearts and enlightened the intellects of our dear readers unto the profit of all. We trust yet to discuss three other objects of the Millennium, the first of which is to minister restitution to all the willing and obedient of mankind. The seven purposes hitherto discussed logically lead up to this as the eighth purpose of the Millennial Age, which we will now consider. 

The word restitution means a return to an original state. It, therefore, implies three things: (1) an original state; (2) a leaving or a loss of that original state; and (3) a restoration to that original state. If man is considered as the object of restitution, these three things imply: (1) man's primeval perfection in the image and likeness of God, as he came forth from the creative hand of Jehovah (Gen. 1:26-28; Eccl. 7:29; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:23, 24; Ps. 8:6); (2) his fall through sin under the curse into physical, mental, moral and religious imperfection and into subjection to his unruly kingdom, both evils eventuating in his death (Rom. 5:12-21; 8:19-22); and (3) his uplift out of death, out of subjection to his unruly kingdom and out of his physical, mental, moral and religious imperfection unto perfection in the image and likeness of God, as he originally was when he came forth from the creative hand of God (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 8:20, 21; Matt. 19:28; Rev. 21:4, 5; 22:1-3). To bring about the happy effects implied in the word restitution is thus the eighth object of the Millennial Age. In the first part of this chapter we set forth man as the subject of the curse in physical, mental, moral and religious imperfection, controlled to his injury by his disordered kingdom, and sinking into the death state as a result of these evils. We have hitherto had little to say of man's original perfection. On this we will

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mention a few things helpful to a better appreciation of what is meant by a return to the original state. 

It is the Scriptural teaching that man was originally perfect as God's completed creation (Deut. 32:4; Eccl. 7:29), and as such was the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-28). By God's image in man, we understand man's perfection, physical, mental, moral and religious to be meant. The image of God in man, especially in its mental, moral and religious respects, consists of his being an intelligent creature endowed with righteousness and holiness (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:23, 24). As to intellect, this implies perfect perceptive, remembering and reasoning faculties; and as to heart, it implies faculties capable of perfect and supreme love to God, of perfect, equal love to fellowman, and of all related good qualities. Corresponding to such mental, moral and religious faculties are perfect physical faculties. Such a being would perfectly perceive whatever would come under the survey and would belong to the sphere of his mental faculties, would remember every impression made on his brain, and would reason deeply, sharply and correctly on everything coming within the compass of human ratiocination. Such a being would have perfectly the faculties through which faith, hope, self-control, patience, piety, brotherly love and charity operate, as well as have perfectly the faculties through which all other graces work. Such a being would have perfect symmetry, balance, beauty, strength, health, adaptability and co-ordination in all his bodily members and functions. Thus, as the image of God, he would be perfect physically, mentally, morally and religiously; and as God's likeness, he would be the ruler of the earth and its creatures, as well as of those laws of nature which would be necessary for him to use as the ruler of the earth and its creatures. Thus were Adam and Eve originally, and thus shall the restored man be when the Millennial Age shall have accomplished on him its eighth purpose, which is glorious indeed. 

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To accomplish this purpose, the seven preceding purposes must come to pass: The needs of the race must be relieved, if man is to obtain restitution. The righteous, consisting of the Church as the Millennial Kings and Priests, of the Ancient and Youthful Worthies and the Great Company as the Millennial Aristocrats and Levites, must be exalted in order that the deliverers of mankind may be on hand with the means of accomplishing the work of deliverance. Satan's Empire must be overthrown in order that the Millennial Kingdom may have full and free sway to accomplish its purpose in undoing all of Satan's works, power and influence. Justice must be dispensed in order that right may triumph as against wrong, and thus furnish a proper preventive to anti-restitution work and effects, and a proper support to restitution work and effects. Similarly, evil must be restrained that restitution be not hindered; and good must be spread that restitution may be furthered. So, too, conditions must be made possible for the offer of the benefits of Christ's death to be made available to all, or restitution could not be possible to all. And, finally, a chance of obtaining salvation must be given to all in order that all might have a chance to gain restitution. Thus it is seen that the seven preceding purposes are the indispensable forerunners of an opportunity of getting restitution. The mutual relation of these Millennial purposes is a strong evidence of their truth, especially of the truth of its eighth purpose. 

The reasonableness of expecting restitution lies in the salient features of God's plan. We are all witnesses in our own persons of the curse as the opposite of the original perfection. The Scriptures are the witness that Adam was originally the image and likeness of God, and that through sin he forfeited these for himself and his unborn race (Rom. 5:12-19). The Scriptures are likewise the witness that as an offset of Adam's sin and penalty, Jesus provides the ransom that mankind might obtain restitution (1 Tim. 2:4-6; 

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Rom. 5:15-19; Acts 3:19-21). That which Adam forfeited for himself and his race—the image and likeness of God and existence—Jesus by right of purchase—the ransom—acquires for Adam and his race. The ransom is, therefore, the hub of the whole wheel of salvation. It is at once the payment of the original forfeiture and the guarantee of restitution. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost"—the image and likeness of God—and in due time He will surely succeed in His mission—restoring the willing and obedient to the original perfection, the image of God, as well as to the original rulership over Paradise—the restored earth—the likeness of God. 

The means whereby the Kingdom of God will work restitution will be Christ's right to life and life-rights sacrificed—not forfeited—by Him on behalf of Adam and his race. The right to life—the privilege of perfect existence in harmony with the Divine Law—and the life-rights—the privileges of perfect environment, home, food, air, water, fellowship with God and man, dominion over the earth, its atmosphere and its creatures, etc.—that Christ sacrificed, were exactly the equivalents of that which Adam forfeited for himself and his race. Therefore, Christ's sacrifice of them for Adam and his race guarantees their restoration—restitution—to all the willing and obedient of the human family. These are now by faith imputed to the Church in order that she may join her Lord in sacrificing them for God's service, that like our Lord she may be glorified in the Divine nature, and with Him in that nature minister them to the willing and obedient of the world in the Millennial Age. Thus she as His Joint-heir and Bride will be privileged to share with Him in offering restitution to the world. 

The condition on which restitution—the right to human life and the human life rights—will be offered to Adam and his race is faith and obedience—not the faith that the Church now exercises as she walks by faith and not by sight; but the faith that believes

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demonstrable evidence. Nor will the world's obedience by which it may attain restitution be the same as that of the Church now. Perfect obedience in our present imperfect state is not possible. God is pleased to accept the Church's spirit of obedience supplemented by Christ's righteousness as perfection. But in the next Age, while for the time being the Mediator will make allowance for human weaknesses, obedience will be required to be as nearly perfect as can be rendered; and under the gradual impartation of restitution, as one thus obeys, the powers of obedience will gradually increase until he will become perfect, when perfect obedience will have to be rendered. Thus with perfect external obedience perfect external restitution will come; and with perfect internal and external obedience perfect internal and external restitution will come. Accordingly, the next Age, unlike the present one, which is a faith dispensation, will be a works dispensation, though faith based on sight will then be active. 

The instrumentality that the Kingdom will use to effect restitution will be the Word of God—the Divine Truth—not only the Truth as is now contained in the Bible, but also that contained in additional revelations to be given in connection with the making of the New Covenant. The Word will then as now be spirit and life. Laden with the right to life and the life-rights that go with that right, the Word will indeed be the leaves of life's tree, ministering healing from the curse to all who truly partake of, and submit to, it (Rev. 22:1-3; Ezek. 36:25-29; 47:1-12; Jer. 31:33, 34). These truths will treat of religious and secular matters. They will show the people what to believe, and what not to believe, what to do, and what not to do, in secular and religious respects. It will be in great abundance, covering the whole earth even as the waters of the sea cover the great deep (Is. 11:9). It will clarify the heads and refresh the hearts of all (Is. 35:6-10). It will empower the people to render obedience by its inherent 'reasonableness and its stimulating

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strength. No wonder that it will heal the nations as well as enlighten them. It will be adapted to the ends of restitution, and will secure them. 

How glad we are to know that torture forever will not to be the portion of Adam's lost race! How much gladder we are to know that opportunities of obtaining restitution await those children of Adam who were excluded from the opportunities of the present elective salvations! Mark how St. Peter describes the glories of restitution in Acts 3:19-25: "Times of refreshing [the human family under the curse is like burnt and mown grass (Ps. 72:6; 90:5, 6); but a refreshing from this condition will come through Christ's reign] shall come from the presence [face, favor; Num. 6:25, 26] of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ [in His Second Advent to establish the Millennial Kingdom], who before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must receive [retain; His Second Advent cannot occur] until the times of restitution of all things [every feature of the Divine image and likeness lost through the fall], which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began [in the Old Testament books from Gen. 3:15 onward God has foretold the complete return of every feature of the lost Divine image and likeness to the obedient of the human family, the offer of it to be made to all, but its full accomplishments to be wrought in the responsive only. Then St. Peter proceeds to prove his statement that from the beginning these blessings of restitution were promised for the Millennium]; for Moses truly said unto the fathers: A Prophet [Christ, the Head, and the Church, His Body] shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren [a prophet consisting of brethren; therefore a multitudinous prophet], like unto me [as the antitype is like its type. The Christ as Mediator and Prophet will be the antitype of Moses as mediator and prophet]; Him shall ye hear [listen to and obey, as the conditions of obtaining restitution] in all things ''whatsoever He shall say unto 

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you. And it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall [not obtain the fulness of restitution, but] be destroyed [not preserved in eternal torment] from among the people [who will obey and thus obtain restitution]. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days [of refreshing and restitution, i.e., the Millennial Age]. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham [in the oath-bound covenant], And in thy seed [Jesus, the Head of the Church, His Body (Gal. 3:16, 29)] shall all the kindreds of the earth [the nonelect world] be blessed [with restitution opportunities (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Gal. 3:8)]." Thus St. Peter gives a marked testimony on restitution opportunities as being opened up to the nonelect world—dead and living—during Christ's reign. 

Above and in numerous other places we have given a large number of testimonies on this subject from other Biblical writers and speakers. All of these witness, with one harmonious and powerful voice, that the Millennial Age will bring, and is intended to bring, to the non-elect, dead and living, the privileges and opportunities of restitution. The first three chapters of the Bible treat of the original paradise, the image and likeness of God, and their possession and loss; and the last three chapters of the Bible treat of the image and likeness of God, the new paradise, and their restoration and possession. And between these six chapters the Bible is vocal with the glorious message of restitution. The patriarchs spoke of, and hoped for it. The Mosaic Law prefigured it; the Biblical histories typed it; the prophets apostrophized it; the Israelites longed and prayed for it; the Apostles and their fellows proclaimed it; the Lord Jesus by His death guaranteed it; and Jehovah by His oath and promise unchangeably pledged it. It is as sure as the promises of God, as effective as the death of Christ, 

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as extensible as the non-elect dead and living, as comprehensive as the desire of all nations, as curative as the defects of the curse, and as far reaching as the needs of the race. It has been the burden of the Church's prayer—"Thy Kingdom come"—the purpose of the sacrifice of Christ and the Church and of the ministries of the Ancient and Youthful Worthies and the Great Company, and the goal toward which all human history tends. Every devout heart longs and prays for it, every human need requires it, and every hope of the race is bound up in it. Blessed hope for the world, glorious relief from all woe, efficient medicine for the curse, and eternal support of righteousness, life and blessedness! O, holy restitution, third born child of God's saving grace, we hail thee and the glad day that ushers in thy longed-for coming, forwards thy heavenly work, and crowns thy enduring triumphs. 

We now come in our discussion of the Millennial Age to its ninth purpose, which is to test the human family as to its fitness or unfitness for everlasting life. The eight preceding purposes of that Age lead up to and are contributory to its ninth purpose. The needs of the human race are to be relieved in order that they may be in a condition to qualify for such a test. The righteous are to be exalted to position of rulership and blessing, to raise the race to a condition to make such a test feasible. Satan's empire must be overthrown in order to make way for a set of conditions preliminary to such a test. Justice must be dispensed in order to pave the way for such a test. Evil must be restrained; otherwise people could not be fitted for such a test. Good must be spread to encourage mankind to develop characters that will be suitable for such a test. Without conditions being created to make Christ's merit possible to come to everybody, the foundation for such a test would be lacking and the test impossible. Unless all the non-elect—living and dead—were given an opportunity to obtain 

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salvation, they could not be helpfully reached by such a test. And unless restitution were offered to all and ministered to the responsively obedient, it would be vain to test them; for they could not under test qualify for everlasting life. Thus we see that all eight preceding purposes of the Millennium are antecedent and conditional to, and necessary for, a test for everlasting life. They thus lead up to it. 

That the tests applied will be in harmony with wisdom, justice, love and power, is manifest from the fact that they who are to do the testing are Jesus and His faithful Church, as God's vice-gerental judges. The Scriptures repeatedly assure us that these are to be the Millennial judges of mankind. This, among other passages, is taught in the following: 2 Tim. 4:1; Acts 17:31; Matt. 19:28; Ob. 21; Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:14-16; Matt. 25:31-46. The fact that the very ones who shall father and mother the human race, rule over them as Kings, bless them as Priests, teach them as the great Prophet, and make the New Covenant with them as the Mediator, guarantees that the test will be in every way good. And the fact that in this transaction they will be God's Vicegerent, sufficiently evidences that they will apply the test according to God's Law, which they will have written in human hearts and minds through restitution processes. That they will in the final test require absolute perfection flows from, and is justified by, the fact that they will previously have enabled all to measure up to such perfection. 

The testing time will be the Millennium in its widest sense, in which the little season at its close is included. (Rev. 20:7.) This implies that there will be two periods of testing—the Millennium in its narrow sense as distinct from the little season, and the little season itself. Throughout the Millennium proper, as well as during the little season, we are to look for these tests. In a variety of ways they will be applied; and there will be a great difference between those of the Millennium proper and those in its closing little season.

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One passage that implies these differences is Is. 65:20. Speaking of the post-millennial conditions in Is. 65:17-25, Jehovah in verse 20 brings to our attention two classes who will no longer exist, calling any representative of the first of these, an infant of days, and of the second of these, an old man who has not filled his days, i.e., with good works. Let us quote and in brackets explain this passage: "There shall be no more [these shall no longer exist] an infant of days [later in this verse He calls anyone of this class the lad who dies accursed as a sinner an hundred years old], nor an old man that hath not filled his [Millennial] days [with good works]; for the child [the infant of days] shall die an hundred years old, even the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed [because he would not even externally reform his wicked course]." The infant of days, we accordingly understand, means those who during the Millennium absolutely refuse to obey even outwardly the external arrangements of the Kingdom. 

Among such will doubtless be many of the Scribes and Pharisees of the Jewish and Gospel Age Harvests (Matt. 23:33) who have through their sins, especially against God's Truth, so greatly undermined their characters as to make it in some cases impossible for the Millennial arrangements to reform them. The old men who do not fill their Millennial days with good works, are those who at the end of the Millennium—in the little season—will be found unworthy of life, and thus be put into the Second Death. Thus, post-millennially these classes will no longer exist. From these facts we conclude that all will be given at least an hundred years' opportunity to reform. Those who refuse to reform even externally, will be put to death at the end of the hundred years' trial, and thus end their trial for life in complete failure, a longer trial in their case being useless, because of their irreformability. And we further conclude from these facts that those who will reform, even if it be only in external respects

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without doing heartily the good works that they should do, will live throughout the thousand years; but as old men, destitute of a Divinely pleasing character, they will in the little season be deceived into sin and then made to perish. To keep these two classes in mind will better enable us to understand the Millennial tests. 

We are now prepared to study more advantageously the Millennial and post-millennial tests. In both times the test will be along the lines of obedience to God's will to the extent of ability. Only in this degree will these lines of obedience differ: During the Millennium the ability of none being perfect, none will be required to render perfect obedience, but only such obedience as one is able to render will be required of each one. In the little season all will be required to render perfect obedience to God's will, because their abilities will then be perfect. Force during the Millennium will be used to compel external obedience to the external kingdom arrangements, resulting in the Second Death in those who refuse externally to reform; but no force, of course, will be used to make one obey in his heart—to secure internal or heart obedience; for that would defeat God's purpose, which is to secure for everlasting life those who from free will and a heart-harmony with the principles of truth and righteousness refrain from sin and do God's will. God's will for mankind is that they develop the graces of faith, hope, self-control, patience, piety, brotherly love, charity, etc., unto perfection. Especially is it His will that they develop supreme love to Him and equal love for one another. These qualities, especially love for God with all the heart, mind, soul and strength, and for the neighbor as one's self—duty love—are the lines along which the Millennial people will be tested for everlasting life. This differs from the tests of the Church, who must be faithful in trials of sacrificial love unto death. 

The occasions for standing such tests will be furnished by the kingdom conditions among men. If we keep in mind the condition of the non-elect world— 

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living and dead—at that time, we will be able readily to see that there will be plenty of occasions furnished by human needs to test people as to their loyalty to the principles of truth and righteousness. For those who will be brought back from the dead will be in character just as they were when they left this life. And those who will live through the time of trouble whereby the Millennium will be introduced, will be quite sinful though much subdued by the trouble through which they will have passed. Consequently, all will be in need of ridding themselves of sin and error and of cultivating righteousness and truth. Those who see their fellows in such need will immediately be put on test as to whether lovingly and obediently they will take advantage of the opportunities to minister to them, to deliver them from sin and error, and to lead them into truth and righteousness, or whether selfishly they will try to get and keep for themselves all the good they can, and let their fellows live on unhelped by them. Additionally, the strict demands of the Kingdom along the lines of right external living—for then none will be allowed to injure in any way his fellow man—will be galling indeed on those who have developed characters in this life along the lines of disregard of others' rights, of lust, covetousness, slander, deceit, exploitation, oppression, murder, over-reaching, cheating, etc. When they face their victims, they will have to undo the evils they did them in this life; and they will also be compelled to refrain from further practice of such conduct. Thus we see that the occasions of doing good, of undoing the evils of the present life, and of refraining from similar evils then, will from different standpoints and in varying ways become tests on the characters of all in that great day. And, as we saw above, some will break down under the tests that require external obediences to the kingdom arrangements, and as a result will die the Second Death at one hundred years of age. Others will stand the external tests, but will fail to stand the internal ones,

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in doing good to their fellows. Still others will prove faithful internally amid the opportunities of doing good, and externally amid the demands of obedience to the Kingdom's external arrangements. These latter two classes will remain alive throughout the thousand years and will reach perfection: the former in their faculties, the latter in their faculties and in their characters, and will be ready for a final test. 

The tempting agency of the tests will during the Millennium not be the devil and his demon associates, who now tempt us amid our tests; for they will be removed far away from the earth, and will be confined in the symbolic bottomless pit, which seems to be error, which indeed has no foundation or bottom. Consequently, these during the Millennium will not understand the Millennial truths and blessings, and will thus be unable to come in contact with the race during the Millennium (Rev. 20:3), and accordingly will not be able to tempt them. Nor will the world, either institutionally or individually, then be a source of temptation, as it now is to us; for the world institutionally as now existing will then be no more, since the great tribulation will completely destroy it; and nobody will then in any wise be allowed to tempt or take individually any advantage of his neighbor. Consequently, the tempting agency of that time, amid its tests, can be nothing else than one's fallen flesh, against which he will be required to wage a valiant fight, if he would be a Millennial overcomer. We can from this, among other things, readily see that the Millennial world of mankind will have a much easier time to overcome than the elect classes of this time have had. This, however, is more than equalized by the fact that the faithful Elect will receive far greater rewards for their obedience under harder—the pre-millennial—circumstances, than will the faithful non-elect for their obedience under easier—the Millennial—conditions. But though the conditions of that time will be easier than

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those of the present, they will have to be met faithfully, if one would overcome amid them. 

Apart from the testings that will come along the lines of external obedience to the external laws and arrangements of the Kingdom, the testing circumstances are remarkably described in Matt. 25:31-45, in the parable of the Sheep and Goats. That this parable applies to the Millennium is apparent from its first verse, which describes conditions immediately following the Second Advent and Christ's taking His seat on His glorious throne—the Mediatorial Kingdom. Mankind's being separated into sheep and goats will constitute the thousand years' work of the Christ. The sheep placed to the right represent the righteous of that time—those who will then reform—coming more and more into the Lord's favor through their doing good from the heart, until at the end of the thousand years they will be completely in His favor—fully on the right hand, which represents full favor. The goats placed on the left hand represent those who externally reform during the Millennium, but who neglect to do good from the heart—the old men who have not filled their days with good—and who as a result fall more and more into the Lord's disfavor, until at the end of the Millennium they will be in His complete disfavor, fully on His left hand. 

That those who are found in the King's full favor are in such favor because of the good they will have done, is evident from verses 24-40. The language describing their good deeds, of course, is parabolic, just as their being sheep is parabolic. We will quote these verses and briefly expound them in bracketed comments: "Come unto Me [as fully qualified brethren of Mine] ye blessed of My Father [who has blessed you with perfection and is now about to bless you with everlasting paradisaic life] inherit the kingdom [of paradise restored] prepared for you [by God] from the foundation of the earth [note that the Elect's kingdom was prepared from before the foundation of the 

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earth (Eph. 1:4, 5)]; for I was [in the restitution class, as "My least brethren" (the literal translation; see Rotherham, Young, the Revised Versions, etc., Christ's greater brethren in ascending scale being the Angels, Youthful Worthies, Great Company, Ancient Worthies and Little Flock; consequently the least brethren are the Millennial faithful)] hungered [for the Word of God as the bread of life] and ye gave Me meat [in My least brethren, by unselfishly teaching Me in them that Word of God]. I was thirsty [for the living waters of Truth in My least brethren] and ye gave [it to] Me [as the real] drink. I was a stranger [in My least brethren to the Millennial covenant of promise] and ye took Me in [into fellowship with you in this covenant, by giving Me in My least brethren the necessary help and encouragement]; I was naked [through sin and selfishness I was destitute of righteousness in My least brethren] and ye clothed Me [with righteousness, by unselfishly teaching Me what to do and what not to do, how to do and how not to do, and by encouraging Me in My least brethren to give up sin and practice righteousness]; I was [in My least brethren sin] sick and ye visited Me [with the leaves of the tree of life (Rev. 22:2) which healed Me, in My least brethren, from all My sin sickness]; I was in [the] prison [of the tomb] and ye visited Me [by offering for Me in My least brethren the prayer of faith for My recovery in them from the prison of the tomb, and by promising to serve Me in them, if I would bring them back from the dead, which promise ye fulfilled in all sincerity]." 

The explanations just given cover in principle verses 37-45, which need, therefore, no further explanation, except to say that whereas the righteous are shown to have spent the thousand years in unselfish help of their fellows, the others selfishly neglected so to do. It will be noted that Jesus does not accuse them of sins of commission, but only of sins of omission. These sins of omission prove that they will not love 

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God supremely, and their neighbor as themselves; therefore will be unfit to live forever among characters that love God supremely, and their neighbor as themselves. Nor will they be fit for everlasting life at all; for such life can be had in God's clean universe by the righteous only. It will also be noted that Jesus will consider the good done to His least brethren—the restitution class—as done to Himself, as He will also consider the good that was not done to His least brethren as the good that was not done to Himself (verses 40, 45). This is right, because they will all be one with Him in the Spirit of the Lord; hence to do or leave undone unto them is to do or leave undone unto Him, even as He says. 

The final test—that during the little season—is briefly described in Rev. 20:7-9, to which we will now devote some attention. Here we are told that Satan is loosed from his prison at the end of the thousand years. Understanding the bottomless pit to mean error; and Satan's being imprisoned therein to mean that the Lord will leave Him during the Millennium in all the erroneous views that he has had up to its beginning, and will not let him understand the true Millennial teachings, works and conditions; we would understand Satan's loosing from his prison to mean the Lord's permitting him to learn the Millennial teachings, works and conditions after the Millennium is over, and removing such restraints from him as would prevent his tempting mankind, the Divine purpose in permitting the temptation being the final test of all as to fitness or unfitness for eternal paradisaic life. God does not design that everlasting life be enjoyed by any creature unless he is of a character which guarantees that he would use it and its accompanying privileges in harmony with the Lord's will, and to the profit of others and himself unto God's glory. This design is wise, just and loving, inasmuch as it conserves the rights and happiness of all concerned; just as is His design to destroy all whose characters guarantee that they will

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use life and its accompanying privileges in disharmony with the Lord's will and to the injury of others and of themselves unto the dishonor of God. To bring out in unanswerable demonstration the quality of everybody's character, God will use the only infallible method adapted to this purpose—test each one as to his heart's attitude toward the Divine Law under pressure of temptation. Such we know was His method with Adam, and thus with the race in him. Such has also been His method with the angels, Jesus, the Church and the Great Company. And such will also be His method with all other free moral agents. Its reasonableness lies on the surface; for God, the unobligated giver of life everlasting, has the right to impose conditions in harmony with which His gift may be received and enjoyed, even as any other unobligated giver has such a right. And to offer the gift on condition that it be used in harmony with the Giver's will, which will is that it be used in the best interests of all concerned, is the acme of reasonableness. And to guarantee that this conditional gift will be so used, a test that will forever demonstrate the real intentions of all as to their use of the gift will be applied, which is also a reasonable procedure. Thus we recognize the propriety of God's testing all as to fitness or unfitness for everlasting life. 

Satan's intention (Rev. 20:8) is not to test them for such a purpose, but rather to deceive them, and again bring them under his control, as they were in this life, in the hope that he may for ages rule over them again. His going to the four quarters of the earth for tempting purposes seems to mean that he will seek to deceive the human family as it will then be socially organized in four classes: the Ancient Worthies, the Youthful Worthies, the Jews and the Gentiles. Those among these whom he will deceive are Gog and Magog—those Jews and Gentiles who as the old man will during the Millennium not have filled their days with good works. According to this, none of the Ancient Worthies and 

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Youthful Worthies will likely give way to the temptations, though sorely tried in them. The battle here referred to is one of principle, not of physical warfare. Great numbers will be involved in it on Satan's side, according to this verse. Their going up on the breadth of the earth (verse 9) implies that these deceived ones will make a most thorough and universal effort to bring all the others of mankind to their side. They are spoken of as compassing the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. Ordinarily we would understand the expression, the beloved city, to mean the New Jerusalem—the Bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2, 9, 10, etc.); but such is evidently not its meaning here, for the reason that Christ and the Church will then be invisible spirit beings (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 3:2), and human beings therefore could not surround and attack them. Who then can be meant by the expression, the beloved city? We answer: A representative of a country or of an official is frequently called that country or official in governmental matters. Thus, ambassadors frequently are so called. So it is true in Biblical usage. Note how the Angel of the Lord calls himself the Lord, and that because he was God's representative and mouthpiece in Gen. 22:11, 12, 15-18. The same principle or usage is seen in Ex. 3:2-6 and elsewhere in the Bible. Therefore, we understand the beloved city in Rev. 20:9 to mean the Ancient Worthies, who will be on earth the visible and chief representatives of the invisible Christ, Head and Body, during the Millennium. Certainly they could be encompassed by the old men class, the goat class, the Gog and Magog class, at the end of the Millennium. For the same reason above given, we could also not understand the camp of the saints to mean invisible Bride; and since it is something separate and distinct from the beloved city, we are warranted in understanding it to mean the Youthful Worthies, as the Millennial army of Truth and righteousness for Christ and the Church; hence they are well called the camp of the saints.

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From the fact that the old men, the symbolic goats and symbolic Gog and Magog—various names for the wicked in the little season—attack the Youthful and Ancient Worthies in their official positions, during the little season, we infer that the former will rebel against the rulership of the latter. How could persons, so generously treated as these will be during the Millennium by the Ancient and Youthful Worthies be brought to rebel against their benefactors? We reply that since in heart they will be selfish, their selfishness can be manipulated through deception by Satan into wronging their benefactors, even as history and the Bible abundantly testify has hitherto been the case. How will this deception be successfully worked by Satan? Several facts will help us to visualize this matter: Let us first of all remember that as the Jewish and Gospel Ages ended by time stages lapping into their succeeding Ages, we may reasonably infer that the Millennium will so do; otherwise we could not claim for Christ and the Church a full 1,000 years' reign. The lapping began in 1874, reached other stages in 1878, 1881, 1914, and will still reach other stages at various dates before the Kingdom will be fully set up on this side the vail, which will be some years hence. Other facts that will help us to understand the mode of operation on the part of the deception, are Satan's subtlety and the deceivableness of selfish hearts. With these three facts in mind, we may readily see how the deception might work. In our book, The Millennium, we have proven that our Lord's invisible Return set in, in Oct. 1874. A thousand years onward will bring us to Oct. 2874, when the Millennium will begin to lap into the next Age. Then other lappings will set in, corresponding to those of the Gospel Age lapping into the Millennium, like 1878, 1881, 1914, etc., as above indicated. As the first stage of Satan's binding began in Oct. 1874, so the first stage of his loosing will probably begin Oct. 2874. Probably for 3½ years he will be studying the situation, and thus be coming out of 

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the bottomless pit—error as respects the Millennial teachings, works and conditions. As in April 1878 Christ first began to use His great power Millennially, though, without using it, He had had it before; so Satan in April 2878 will probably begin to work off his deception planned between 2874 and 2878 after studying the situation. He will through his demon associates probably spread the following thought which will appeal to the selfish: "The thousand years ended in Oct. 2874. You were promised the Kingdom for your own direct administration at their end. But now several years have passed and the Ancient and Youthful Worthies are not giving it to you. They do not intend to give it to you. Selfishly they seek to retain it, so as to lord it over you. Will you stand for it?" 

This appeal will meet no response in those who from the heart Millennially turned to and served the Lord. They would reason something like this: "Well, what if they do not deliver the Kingdom to us at once? What is the difference anyway? Look at the good they have done for us; for they ministered restitution blessings to us. We are so supremely blessed now through their unselfish ministries, whereas we were in woe unspeakable before they took hold of things, that we are content to wait as long as will please the Lord before the Kingdom is ours personally. Our love, appreciation and gratitude make us content with their retaining the power; and we will not turn a hand over to take it from them." We may be sure as the years pass on that Satan will make varied changes in his appeals to seduce them from their loyalty; but the faithful will overcome him in every temptation; because their characters will have been made perfect through their good conduct during the Millennium. 

But not so would the temptation be met by those who failed to develop a righteous and good character during the Millennium, in spite of their external obedience to the kingdom arrangements. Satan's appeal would be met with responsiveness by their selfish

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hearts. At first his suggestion would be a matter of study to them. Then as days, weeks and months increase into years, and these in turn into decades, their selfish characteristics being variously appealed to by the subtle deceiver, they would give way to him; and the more selfish would first talk of the Ancient and Youthful Worthies as usurping their rights. This talk would presently become an agitation that would find increasing responsiveness from selfish hearts, until worldwide all of this class would get together to take some concerted action, perhaps first by a petition for the delivery of the Kingdom to them being sent by them to the Worthies. Whatever form it might take, it will at the behest of Christ and the Church be refused. This refusal will lead the evil ones to more and more pressing demands, until all of them will be in open revolt to take the power from the Worthies by force. While we know of no Scripture which teaches that these will in their revolt murder the Ancient and Youthful Worthies, and therefore should not teach it dogmatically, yet from the fact that all of the Worthies, though perfect, will die at about the same time, and thereupon get a spirit nature for everlasting heavenly existence, we can readily see that they will probably be murdered by the wicked; though the Lord is abundantly able to give them their change through another exit from this earth. But whatever the form of sin the wicked will commit against the Worthies, the visible representatives and soldiers of the invisible Christ, Head and Body, one thing is certain: they will—led on by Satan—become under the final test guilty of demonstrable and open sin, and thus prove themselves unworthy of enjoying forever the gift of life conditional in such enjoyment on sinlessness. Thus the test will demonstrate the righteous as worthy of life and the unrighteous as unworthy of life. Thus, the ninth purpose of the Millennial Age will reach its completion.

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The final—the tenth—purpose of the Millennium will be the passing of a God-honoring decision on the whole tested world: life everlasting for the faithful, and death everlasting for the unfaithful. Everywhere the literal Scriptures tech these two outcomes of the final trial. We have given in summary a number of lists of literal Scriptures which show that death—extinction—will be the fate of the symbolic goats, even as Is. 65:20 tells us that the old men shall be no more. Please see H.E. '20, 36. To this agree all the symbols of the Bible, e.g., Matt. 25:46, which tells the outcome for both classes: "These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." Some people understand the first clause of this passage to teach eternal torment! But be it noted that it contains not one word teaching torment. What is the punishment of sin? The Bible in its literal passages declares it to be death. "The wages of sin is death." "The soul that sinneth it shall die." "Every soul that will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed." (Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:4, 20; Acts 3:23.) Hence death is the punishment for sin; make it eternal and we will have eternal punishment, but not eternal torment. The antithesis in Matt. 25:46 beautifully proves this thought. The word translated punishment is kolasis, meaning literally a cutting off. The wicked, therefore, go into an everlasting cutting off. From what? The antithesis of the following clause ("the righteous into eternal life") implies that it is a cutting off from life, i.e., death. The expression as to the goats, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fires [these must be symbolic, as the goats are symbolic, in keeping with the figure], prepared for the devil and his angels," proves the same thing; for the Bible plainly teaches that Satan's final fate is annihilation. (Heb. 2:14.) These goats, according to Matt. 25:41, share the same final fate as Satan. So, too, Rev. 20:9 shows under the symbol of fire that extinction will be the fate of those deceived into sin in the little season: 

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"Fire [destruction; fire destroys every combustible thing cast into it, and is thus used in the Bible as a symbol of destruction] came down from God out of heaven and devoured [it accordingly did not preserve them in any sense, let alone in torment] them." 

The decision as to the Millennial righteous is everlasting life in the earth as their inheritance. (Matt. 25:34, 46.) This is as truly taught of the restitution class as it is truly taught that the faithful of the present time will inherit the heavens. The following passages are sufficient in proof: Is. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1; Ps. 37:3, 9, 16, 32; Prov. 2:21; Is. 60:21; Ezek. 37:25; Amos 9:14, 15. 

That these two decisions and their execution are God-honoring is manifest from a little thought. Whatever honors God must be an expression of wisdom, power, justice and love, the four main Divine attributes. Anything contrary to these is dishonoring to God. Briefly would we show how the outcome of these decisions is Divinely honoring. This is true first as respects the destruction of the wicked. There is wisdom in the destruction of the incorrigible, inasmuch as their continued existence could serve no useful purpose, either for themselves, or for their fellows, or for God. There is justice in their annihilation, because, since they refuse to use the gift of life in harmony with the condition upon which its continuance was offered, it should be taken away from them. There is love in their annihilation, because their continued existence would be a curse to themselves, an injury and unhappiness to the righteous and a dishonor to God, as well as a making of sin eternal in its operation. There is power in their destruction—the power that will extirpate every evil word, work, thing and person. On the other hand, the Divine wisdom, justice, love and power express themselves harmoniously in giving everlasting life to the righteous. Wisdom preserves them forever, because their continuance will be useful to themselves; to their fellows and to God. 

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Justice is satisfied to give them eternal life, because they heartily fulfill the condition upon which it was offered them. There is love in preserving them forever; because, being in harmony with good principles, their continued existence will further the operation of those good principles in appreciation, sympathy and service. And power, too, will be manifest in their living forever; for it will furnish them all the conditions, means and privileges to sustain their existence forever. Thus as in every other feature of God's plan there is a manifestation and a harmonious coordination of the Divine wisdom, justice, love and power, so in the final decisions and their execution toward the incorrigible and toward the righteous, the same glorious attributes of Jehovah manifest themselves individually, and also collectively in perfect unison, harmony, beauty and practicability. Thus all His work will reflect credit upon Him, even as the Psalmist sings: "All Thy works shall praise Thee! Yea, all Thy works shall praise Thee." Therefore, praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. 

So far we have taken in the general sweep of God's plan. It will be recalled that heretofore we have discussed the three Worlds of the Bible and the three Ages of the second World. Here we have discussed the Millennial Age, which is the first Age of the third World. The three Worlds, as we have seen, may also be called Dispensations. God's plan sweeps through three general Dispensations, two of which are divided into various Ages. The Millennial Age, as stated above, is the first Age of the third World or Dispensation. There will be Ages following the Millennial Age, according to the Scriptures, though their number is not revealed to us. The Bible has given us very little information respecting the Ages following the Millennium and its little season. Yet there are certain general statements therein contained from which the general character of those periods is made known to us; in this 

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connection we can, therefore, point out the general conditions only, being unable to give the details, inasmuch as these are a part of the secret things that belong to the Lord our God, and are not among the revealed things that belong to us. 

We have just stated that we are ignorant of the number of Ages that will follow the Millennium. That there will be Ages thereafter is apparent from various Scripture passages; for example, we repeatedly read in the Greek of the Millennium as being the Age of the Ages, that is, the first of many Ages. Again in Eph. 2:7, we read, "That in the ages to come, He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace … through Christ Jesus." These passages accordingly prove that there will be a plurality of Ages, unrevealed as to number, in the third World or Dispensation. The character of these Ages will be perfection. No more will sin, sorrow, woe, or any other element of the curse blight this earth and its inhabitants! Nor will evil ever blight the inhabitants of any other planet. Accordingly, there will be a perfect universe in the Ages following the Millennium. The third World or Dispensation is eternal, and the reason for this lies on the surface—perfection being its quality, there will be no need for a further operation of a plan of God to unfold itself against sin through dispensational changes until it comes to completion, God's full plan with reference to man's redemption having come to a completion at the end of the little season with which the Millennium closes. With these few remarks, we leave the subject of the third dispensation as such, and will discuss certain phases of the classes that will exist in them. 

Let us consider the eternal state of the human family. In studying the tenth purpose of the Millennium we saw how the incorrigibly wicked will be blotted out of existence—"they shall be as though they never had been." We also saw that the righteous of the human family will be given the inheritance of this earth forever. (Prov. 2:21, 22.) The earth that they will

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inherit will be the same planet as that on which we live, but the planet itself will be so changed as to become Paradise. These changes in the earth will be wrought during the Millennium, at the end of which, the whole earth will be in the same state of perfection as was the Garden of Eden when it was the primeval abode of the human family. It is very difficult for us to imagine what a perfect earth would be. If we imagine a combination of the most beautiful scenery, the most beautiful landscape gardening, and the most tasteful public, home and park improvements that we have ever seen, we would have a faint idea of how the earth will look in the Ages to come. Some of us have had the privilege of seeing the gardens of Mr. Busch in Pasadena, Calif. It is considered from the standpoint of artistic taste in landscape gardening, sunken gardens, lawn improvements, luxuriant and choice vegetation, magnificent floral designs and specimens of horticulture, unequalled by anything else on this earth; but Mr. Busch's gardens have been prepared by imperfect men, whose tastes and abilities, therefore, fall short of perfection. Moreover, they have had an imperfect climate and imperfect earth materials to deal with, and accordingly could not bring anything to perfection. 

Thus, the supreme efforts of fallen men at landscape gardening, lawn culture, park decoration, garden production, etc., fall short of perfection, and therefore far short of what the new earth will present to the admiring view of a perfected race. Beautiful flowers and shrubbery will adorn the lawns, stately and noble trees will yield their shades, verdant, velvety grass kept in most exquisite taste will beautify private grounds and public roads and parks. Fruits and flowers will attain a perfection beyond our present powers of comprehension. Everyone will have his own home tastefully arranged and decorated, and his own lawn and garden most exquisitely kept. Variety of taste will display itself in an abundance of beauty, harmony and utility that will ever gladden the eye,

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refresh the mind, and yield rich increase to supply human needs. So thoroughly will the understanding of soil culture be had at that time, and so abundant will the inventions, laid under contribution for human convenience, then be, that only about as much physical work will be required to supply man's needs from the willing earth as would be necessary to give him the physical exercise required for the healthful upkeep of his body. (Ezek. 34:27; 36:29, 30.) Many crops will come to maturity in a season on the same plot of ground. The extreme rigor of our present winters, and the intense heat of our present summers will alike be absent, though there will be a succession of spring, summer, autumn and winter forever on this earth. (Gen. 8:22.) Through the righting of this earth on its axis, and possibly through other natural means, the climate of the earth will become ideal for health, comfort and convenience. No weeds, no thorns, no briars, no thistles, nor anything else that mars will be found in the earth; and man's mind will find eternal pleasure in varying fruits, flowers and other products that this earth will bring forth with greatest profusion for his convenience, comfort and enjoyment. His homes will be models of convenience, beauty, comfort and utility. 

The inventions of those times will be so wonderful as to make the work of caring for the home, farm, garden, factory, etc., take up a small part of man's time. The inventions, ever increasing, ever more elaborate and intricate, will decrease labor, and thus afford the human family more time for study, refreshment, diversion and pleasure. Indeed, this earth will be a Paradise, in which every good thing will be blended in perfection, and every evil thing will be absent. Even the animal creation will be perfectly subject to man at that time. (Is. 35:1, 2, 5, 6; 65:17-25.) Yea, man will have perfect control of the laws of nature in so far as he may need so to do. 

As to man's condition in that time, we may, in the first place, say that according to the Scriptures, when

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the resurrection processes have been completed, sex distinctions will have passed out of existence. (Luke 20:34-36.) All will become males in the sense in which Adam was a male before Eve was separated from him. The organ of love for the opposite sex will no longer be a component part of the brain. God, undoubtedly in wisdom, placed this organ at the base of the brain in order that it could dry up, or in some other way be removed from the human brain without any injury to man's well-being. There will, of course, be no longer need of sex distinctions, because the race, having been raised to perfection, and the earth being filled with perfect sinless human beings, there will be no further need of propagation of the species. The good qualities that now exist in both sexes will all be perfected and united harmoniously in each individual, even as was the case with Adam before Eve was separated from him. 

The social organization in the Ages to come is not revealed to us, but the fact that the Bible teaches us that all on earth will be Kings (Rev. 21:24), even as Adam was in the beginning the King of the earth, and the further fact that the equality implied in all being Kings, combined with the idea of convenience, would seem to imply that the Government would probably be of a socialistic, democratic character—certain members of the race being elected by the others to carry on such governmental functions as will be necessary for the maintenance of an orderly operation and progress of things among mankind. Further than this we are unable to say what the character of the social organization of that time will be; but we do know that it will be sinless; for it will be based upon the principles of wisdom, justice, love and power, even as St. Peter tells us that in the new earth righteousness shall dwell.—2 Pet. 3:13. 

Mankind themselves will be perfect—perfect in all their faculties and perfect in their characters. Therefore among other things, physical perfection will prevail 

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No more will human bodies be worn and torn by the thousands of diseases that now prey upon our physical frames. The full elixir of life will course through the veins of the race. Vitality, abundant and undiminished, will fill their nerves and blood. Vigor, strength, and robustness will mark everyone. Unfailing health, keen powers of enjoyment and strength that will rival Samson's will belong to all. Beauty of form and symmetry of figure will be universal, marking as they will every human being. Nothing within man, nor in the earth, air, climate, food, etc., will contribute to imperfection as now is the case, but man's knowledge will enable him to use everything in the earth for the maintenance of his perfection in physical as well as in other respects. 

Men will be mentally perfect at that time. Memories that are unfailing, perceptive powers that are all embracing, reasoning powers that are precise, logical and inerrant will be his to have and to enjoy forever. The imagination will be brilliant and well controlled. The sense of humor, of the beautiful and of the sublime will mark man's state of mind and accomplishment of works. Eloquence and oratory will prevail in everyone. Man's inventive powers will exceed an Edison's by a millionfold. Man's depth of thought will make an Aristotle or a Plato seem like a child. In literary attainments his power of making poetry will cause Shakespeare to seem a mere novice in comparison; and in prose, the stately periods of a Macauley will seem amateurish in contrast. Bach and Beethoven will seem to have been mere beginners in the art of music in comparison with the attainments of perfect humanity along that line. Painters and sculptors, like Phidias, Praxitiles, Michael Angelo and Raphael, will seem to be mere tyros in comparison with the painters and sculptors in the Ages to come, when all will be perfect in these arts. There will be but one language at that time, since we know that the existence of various languages is a part of the curse (Gen. 11:1-9) 

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which shall be no more (Rev. 22:3); but that one language whatever it may be will be rich in vocabulary, flexible in use, and capable of expressing the most delicate shades of thought and sentiment. Everything about man from the intellectual standpoint will be an expression of the highest and purest taste, comfort and convenience. From an intellectual standpoint there will be nothing to mar; and the human intellect in those days will explore fields of knowledge and science of which we, in our most elaborate imagination, can form no adequate idea. 

From a moral standpoint man will be perfect. Then there will be nothing of hatred, anger, contentiousness, malice, evil surmising, covetousness, hypocrisy, gluttony, drunkenness, unchastity, unfaithfulness, indifference, pride, cowardice, ostentatiousness, or laziness, among the children of men. In their place the opposite graces will shine forth it all their beauty, loveliness and attractiveness. Every human heart will radiate peace, joy, friendliness, kindness and charity. Every eye will be love-lit; all lips will be wreathed in smiles; all faces will be the expression of benevolence and generosity; all tones of the voice, all expressions of the face and all gestures of the hands and other parts of the body will alike tell the glad story that love for man as for self is indelibly written in the hearts of everybody; and what a glorious world to live in will that be, in which everybody loves everybody else, in which everybody is kind, polite, considerate and helpful to everybody else, and in which everyone trusts, respects, and honors everyone else. Surely in these respects—in man's relationship to his fellows—a fountain of joy and peace will ever be bubbling up with its waters of refreshment, gladdening the hearts of all beholders and participants. 

Man will be perfect religiously. No more will unbelief and despair, no more will impulsiveness and impatience, no more will impiety and idolatry mar the relations between God and man. Every heart will be 

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an altar yielding the sweetest perfume of the graces Godward. God will be man's supremest delight. Union and communion with Him will be man's highest privilege and joy; Heaven with smiles of benediction shall show its pleasure on these holy exercises of men, and will return the spirit of fellowship in ever-increasing and abounding pleasure to man's further joy and delight. No more will God be dreaded, though reverence toward Him will fill all hearts. A perpetual song of praise, like a holy incense will ever ascend heavenward, and will be received with acceptableness before the throne of God. What a wonderful world this will be! Nothing to mar, nothing to blight, nothing to harm, nothing to hurt anyone in all that holy realm; the blending of everything good, happifying and useful, characterizing its every arrangement, its every activity and its every purpose. (Is. 65:25.) No wonder that it is called the desire of all nations in the Word of truth. 

We now look away from the perfected earth and human race to the condition of the several classes in the new Heavens. First of all, we think of the Bride of Christ. Here again we must say the Bible does not give us details of their activities in the Ages following the Millennial Age, and its little season. It does, however, tell us of their condition. It tells us they will be Divine in nature—immortal, having life in themselves, and as such independent of any external condition for its preservation. The Bible shows us that they will have access to God's presence at all times, that they will be, under Christ, God's Vicegerent throughout the universe. The Scriptures assure us they will be the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, that in their spirit bodies they will be able to dash through millions of miles of space as quick as thought, no material substance being an impediment to their progress, even as Christ passed through the closed door into the upper room in His resurrection body. Pain, sickness, weariness, hunger, thirst, sorrow and trouble will no more

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be theirs. The highest honors of the universe will be laid at their feet. Angels, principalities, powers, thrones and dominions, and every other creature will be subject to their rulership. The Scriptures give us a hint at least of their future occupation; for it says of them that they will serve God and will reign forever and ever. (Rev. 22:3, 5.) The Scriptures further tell us that in the Ages to come God will show forth His exceeding varied wisdom by Christ and the Church. (Eph. 2:7.) The Scriptures still further assure us that with Christ they are the heirs of the universe, God's possession; and an heritage is of course to be developed. (Rom. 8:17.) If God formed not the earth in vain but created it to be inhabited, we must from the combination of thoughts just set forth conclude that in the Ages following the Millennium God will be constantly evolving plans for the creation of new orders of beings in the worlds about us, and will use Christ and the Church as His honored Agents to bring these orders of beings into existence, and to develop them unto perfection. 

As evidenced in this earth and its creatures, God loves variety; and from this we may conclude that out of the profound depths of His inventive powers, He will be constantly planning new orders of beings whose creation and perfection will be committed to the charge of Christ and the Church. So will they create them as to adapt them to inhabit the worlds about us, and this will result in an ever-increasing number of planets becoming inhabited with new orders of beings, all of which shall show forth in their perfect bodies, minds and hearts the glory of God in its expressions of perfect wisdom, justice, love and power. We used to think that if we went to Heaven, we would spend eternity sitting on benches and playing literal golden harps. How dull and stupid such an eternity would be; but how eminently useful, practical, joyful and fruitful will such an eternity be for Christ and the Church as described above! 

As we have shown in our writings, there are three elect classes in God's plan other than the Little Flock, 

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i.e., the Great Company, the Ancient and Youthful Worthies. The Great Company consists of those who, during the Gospel Age, have failed to qualify for Bride-ship with Christ, but who, nevertheless, have proven or will prove worthy of everlasting life. These will be awakened as spirit beings in time to be Bridesmaids at the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Bible does not definitely tell us just what order of spirit nature will be theirs, except that it implies that they will not have immortality—the Divine nature—inasmuch as Christ will always lead them to the fountain of Life. (Rev. 7:17.) They will be incorruptible and spiritual, but not immortal, i.e., their nature will be spiritual, but lower than the Divine. Since the nature which Christ had before He came into the world has now no possessors, it is quite likely that the Great Company will be given that nature, but nothing so far as we know is stated on this subject in the Bible; and therefore it is not for us to teach it as a doctrine. The Great Company will not only assist Christ and the Church during the Millennium; but there is Scriptural reason for believing that since they also are servants of God, they will also serve Him forever, and that under the direction of Christ and the Church. This would imply that they will in a subordinate manner cooperate with Christ and the Church in bringing into existence the new orders of beings that Jehovah designs shall be created in the Ages to come. 

There are two other elect classes—the Ancient and Youthful Worthies. These the Bible teaches will also be made spirit beings, and that at the end of the Millennial Age. During the Millennium, the Ancient and Youthful Worthies will be perfect human beings, and as such will be the visible representatives of Christ and the Church among mankind in Kingdom matters—"Princes in all the Earth" (Ps. 45:16); but the Bible indicates that at the end of the Millennium they will be given a change of nature from human to spirit beings. The following reasons are a brief summary of arguments 

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in proof of this statement. Since all on earth will be equals, were the Worthies to remain on earth, they would forever be degraded from being the Millennial superiors to being the Post-Millennial equals of the human family; but such degradation is not to be expected for those who will have served God so faithfully before and during the Millennium. On the contrary, the Divine Attributes, appreciating such faithful and exemplary service, will reward them more highly than they will reward the faithful of the world at the end of the Millennium; hence we would expect that they will be elevated in office and changed in nature, i.e., made spirit beings. This is also implied in the fact that they are among the firstborns whose names—character, nature and office—are written in Heaven—are heavenly, spiritual (Heb. 12:23); also in the fact that they will be antitypical Levites, and as such will have no inheritance in the land; hence their inheritance—nature, office, home—will be heavenly. The location of the priests and the three groups of Levites, two of whom type the Ancient and Youthful Worthies, and the third of whom types the Great Company, about the tabernacle as separate and distinct from the twelve tribes in the Camp, who represent the reconciled world at the end of the Millennium, would prove that they will be made spirit beings. The further fact that the inferior gives tithes to the superior (Heb. 7:1-10) proves that these antitypical Levites, receiving antitypical tithes from the antitypical twelve tribes of Israel will be forever their superiors; and hence will not have an inheritance in this earth, where all will be equals, i.e., they will not remain human, but will be made spirit beings. The Ancient Worthies are undoubtedly the "beloved city" and the Youthful Worthies are undoubtedly the "Camp of the Saints" in Rev. 20:9, who, for their loyalty in withstanding the attack there described, will be rewarded with spirit existence. These reasons imply a change of nature for the Ancient and Youthful Worthies, i.e., they will cease being human beings and living on this 

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earth, and will become spirit beings and live in Heaven. Just as we are unable to state definitely what the nature of the Great Company will be on the spirit plane, so are we unable definitely to state what nature on the spirit plane will be possessed by the Ancient and Youthful Worthies. All three of these groups of antitypical Levites may be on the same plane as spirit beings, and possibly on that plane of being in which our Lord was before He became flesh; for it is reasonable to believe that it will again have occupants. Again it is possible that they will be on three different planes of spirit being. If this proves true, we would anticipate that the Ancient Worthies would have the highest of the three natures, the Great Company the next, and the Youthful Worthies the next; but as said above, the Scriptures being silent on this matter, we must not teach it as a matter of faith. For the same reason that the Great Company will cooperate with Christ and the Church in bringing new orders of beings into existence in the planets and worlds about us, would we say that the Ancient and Youthful Worthies will cooperate in the same work; for they are also included in the expression "His servants shall serve him." Thus there will be a grand hereafter on the spirit plane for these three lower elect classes in God's plan, serving in common cooperation under the Christ, Head and Body. 

There is another class of beings connected with the redemptive work of Christ who will exist in the Ages to come. We refer to those of the fallen angels who will reform. The Scriptures teach that through the preaching of Christ and the Church during the Gospel Age an opportunity of probation has been furnished the fallen angels (Eph. 3:8-10); and the Scriptures connect this probation with the sacrificial work of Christ, as we read in Col. 1:20: "Having made peace through the blood of the Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth [human beings] or things in Heaven [fallen angels]." Thus reconciliation for the fallen angels is

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set forth as a feature of Christ's redemptive work in this passage, as in Eph. 3:8-10 we are told that through the teachings of Jesus and the Church they will have gotten all the enlightenment needed to put them on probation for life. The Scriptures further assure us that the crisis of their trial is at the present time, which is Scripturally spoken of as the Epiphany; for they, together with the new creatures are the living—those not under the death sentence—who are judged at His appearing. The Greek word translated appearing in 2 Tim. 4:1 is the Greek word from which our English word Epiphany is derived. Accordingly by the time the Epiphany is over, the decision upon the fallen angels will have been passed. The repentant and reforming ones among them will have been reconciled to God, and will again be admitted into His favor and presence, while the impenitent ones, with Satan, will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit for the thousand years. Emerging from it, and with Satan seeking to deceive the world into sin, they will be hurled into eternal destruction at the end of the little season. Presumably the reformed fallen angels will be given a service to perform for the Lord somewhat like that of those angels who did not fall. On this subject, however, we must also say the Bible tells almost nothing, and therefore we can with definiteness say almost nothing on this head. 

Our Lord is another one of the beings who will be active in the Ages to come. Forever will He be seated at the right hand of God—that is, forever will He enjoy Jehovah's chief favor and exercise His chief power; for Jehovah shall do all things through Him; even as is written: "All things are of the Father … by the Son" (I Cor. 8:6). He will be God's almighty Vicegerent, in whose hands will lie all the resources of the universe for operation. All of the plans that the Father will evolve will primarily be committed to the hands of the Son for execution; and He will subdivide the carrying out of these plans with His Bride; for He will forever be the Head of the Church and 

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the Director of all her works; even as it pleases God to seat the Son at His own right hand to all eternity; and as it will also please the Father to seat the Church at Christ's right hand through all eternity. 

Now we come to the climax of all those who shall be active in the Ages to come: The great Jehovah Himself, supreme above all, through all, and in all. While He will have as His Vicegerent, the Christ, Head and Body, to all eternity, He will forever occupy the place of supremacy; for of Him, and to Him, and for Him are all things." He will have the final honor of bringing unto perfection His illimitable works of creation in all their wondrousness, profusion and variety, and shall forever be acclaimed by every creature in the heavens and earth as supreme—"all in all." Forever will His marvelous wisdom, justice, love and power work out new plans for new activities to be carried out by His chosen Vicegerent—the Christ, Head and Body—cooperated with by the Ancient and Youthful Worthies and the Great Company, as well as subordinately helped by the angels in their various orders. As Age rolls on to Age with ever-increasing orders of beings created and made perfect, and each order yielding honor unto God and unto the Lamb, the universal chorus of praise, worship and adoration with the music of the spheres will break as the sweetest of anthems upon Jehovah's ears and find acceptableness in His heart forever! 

All Glory be to the Father, and, under Him, to the Son in the one Spirit of God permeating all the free moral agents of God's universe! The Revelator, in enraptured vision, tells us in Rev. 5:13 of a universal anthem that shall roll from planet to planet, from world to world, in an ever-increasing crescendo of praise unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. "Then heard I every created thing in Heaven and on earth, even such as had been in the sea [the sin rebellious race—lawless like the sea], praising God and saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and unto 

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the Lamb forever and ever"; and we who are privileged to see beforehand the glorious consummation of all of Jehovah's purposes may now bow before, adore, worship and praise God and the Lamb, who are worthy of all praise, worship, adoration, devotion, honor, appreciation and thanksgiving forever and ever! 

Let us envision the various participants in this hallelujah chorus that will last forever and ever. The Little Flock as the chief singers in this chorus will march, with measured step and wondrously harmonious song up to the throne of God and the Lamb, and there at Their feet lay their trophies. These will be immediately followed by the Ancient and Youthful Worthies and the Great Company, singing as best they can, but not so ably as the Little Flock, their anthem of praise, and laying their trophies at the feet of Jehovah and the Lamb. Then will follow the noble companies of the angels, both those who never fell and those who will arise from their fallen state, yielding their melody of praise unto God and the Lamb, and laying their trophies at Their feet. Then will come the redeemed and perfected human race, singing as best they can the praises of God and the Lamb, and laying their trophies at Their feet; and then in endless succession new orders of beings that will be brought into existence in the Ages to come will, one after another, approach with their praises unto God and the Lamb, and lay their trophies at Their feet; and thus will God and the Lamb triumph endlessly in the victories that they will have achieved, and shall achieve throughout the Ages to come. What melody, what joy, what perfection, what fruitage, will result from Jehovah and Christ emerging from Their conflict with Satan as complete victors, glorified, and loved and praised and worshiped and adored because of Their glorious persons, holy characters, marvelous plans and great works! Oh! let us now, though enfeebled by the infirmities of imperfection, seek to yield unto God and the Lamb all the praise, majesty and glory that we are capable of rendering, 

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and look forward with joy and hope to the faultless melody of praise that shall be universally sung to God and the Lamb! And what is this melody, this universal song of praise? It is the credit that perfect bodies, perfect minds, perfect hearts, perfect planets and perfect worlds will reflect upon God and Christ as the perfectly created expressions of Their glorious persons, holy characters, wondrous plans and great works! Praise now and forever and ever be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb! And let every created thing eternally respond. Amen!