an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone." It seems, then, that when the nations are assembled on the great plain of Jerusalem, compassing the city round about for an immediate attack,-THE LORD SHALL APPEAR as the defender of His people: fear and trembling will fall upon the nations: the sword of Israel will be called for: and in the confederate camp there will be slaughter, brother against brother, as in the days of Gideon and of Jonathan. Moreover, the Lord will plead with PESTILENCE; like that, perhaps, which is described by ZECHARIAH-"Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in their tent, as this plague."2 And He will also plead with blood; for the slaughter shall be very great, because "it shall come to pass in that day that a great 1 It may be right to note that it appears to me that with this 38th chapter of Ezekiel the most distant point in the prophecy is arrived at. The next chapter still deals with Gog and Magog, but commences a fresh prophecy concerning them, having for its period of fulfilment the time immediately preceding the restoration of Israel and the erection of the Millennial Temple. A careful perusal of the 39th chapter will, I think, place this beyond doubt. 2 Zech. xiv. 12-15. tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem."1 Nor is this all; for the Lord will plead with fire; He will rain upon GoG and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, great hailstones, fire and brimstone; yea, fire shall come down from God out of heaven, and devour them. So shall the last outbreak of iniquity be silenced, and its power destroyed. It would appear that no effectual blow will be struck against God's people. He whom they have served will keep them safely, and not a hair of their head shall perish. Thus the time will have arrived, not only for the punishment of sinners, but also for the effectual rooting out of sin. And so we read that the DEVIL, that deceived the nations, will be "cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." He is not now to be bound in prison for a certain period, whence again he may go forth and re-commence his work of evil, but he is to be cast into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, that there, 1 Compare Ezek. xxxviii. 21, with Zech. xiv. 13, 14. 2 Rev. xx. 10. in torment, day and night, he may, beyond the reach of any whom he might excite to sin, endure for all eternity the fearful penalty his works deserve. Thus SATAN-the great prince of darkness-the author of man's sin and misery-who in all ages of the world has laboured to uproot the work of God, and to eradicate all virtue, and all peace, and to overthrow eternally the kingdom of the Lord of lords— will pass from the presence of God's children, leaving HIM, "WHOSE RIGHT IT IS," to reign in undisturbed possession; leaving ISRAEL in peace; leaving EVERY SAINT unscathed; not having taken one believing, praying soul of man, since Adam fell, from the protecting arm of God; nay, leaving vividly on record, that the praises of the everlasting age may dwell upon it in the blissful harmony of Heaven, WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND: THAT AS SIN HATH REIGNED UNTO DEATH, EVEN SO MIGHT GRACE REIGN, THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS, UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, BY JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD." CHAPTER VIII. The Last Resurrection and Judgment. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people." PSALM 1. 2-4. E have already dwelt upon the probability that very brief; its fury being cut short by the tremendous stroke of the Almighty arm. But the crowning effort of the Wicked One being thus turned into foolishness, all things will be ready for that awful and amazing scene which is to close this earth's eventful eventide, and introduce again the darkness which in the primæval days dwelt "on the face of the deep." That ONE REMAINING SCENE is now to come before us for consideration. Not every eye will feast upon the glories of the Reign of Peace, nor behold the tabernacle of the Lord with men. Not every heart will swell with rapture at the blessedness of the Millennial inheritance, nor join the praises which from multitudes out of all nations will ascend acceptably to the Eternal Father's throne. But now that the Millennial Reign is passed, and Satan is secured in the eternal prison-house, whence there is no return, the day is come for God Almighty to be "All in All." AN EVERLASTING END MUST BE PUT ONCE FOR ALL TO SIN, AND THE DESERTS OF EVERY MAN AND EVERY DEVIL EVERLASTINGLY AWARDED. Every eye, therefore, must now behold, and every heart be aroused to confidence or dread. For this the voice of THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD shall be uttered with almighty strength; the vast depths of earth and sea shall be penetrated; the continents and isles attend; and "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," WILL ALL THE DEAD GIVE HEED,-the dead of yesterday; the dead of ages past; their ashes for whom the tears have just begun to flow, and theirs whose names have for revolving centuries been buried in oblivion. All these shall hear, and heed, and rise; their old corruption put on incorruption, and their mortal immortality, Before the call of the Almighty Voice, their bodies will abide as silently as ever, in the earth or ocean depths, enshrined securely and at rest; but when that Voice shall have poured forth its word, it will be otherwise. But now the surface of the earth and sea will be covered 11 Cor. xv. 28. |