OUR SALVATION, A MYSTERY

(Thoughts on 1 Peter 1:10-12)

    Did it ever occur to you that the glory of the salvation God has provided for a New Covenant people is so rich, so marvelous and so wonderful that the Old Testament prophets could not really comprehend what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write? The suffering of the righteous had always been a perplexing problem, but: The concept of a suffering Messiah was utterly beyond their comprehension! What could it mean? When, and how, was such a thing to be fulfilled? How might this affect the prospect of an early restoration of the Davidic throne and kingdom? The Jews of the inter-biblical period appear to have developed a two-Messiah philosophy: one to suffer for the nation; the other to assume the throne of David and reign gloriously.
    Peter has been encouraging his brethren to patience in the midst of trials - assuring them of the glorious salvation to which it will lead at the "revelation" of Jesus Christ. "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you", (vs. 10).
    Our Lord once said to His "little flock": "Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them", (Matt. 13:16-17; comp. Lk. 10:23-24).
    In another place, having mentioned many of the faithful patriarchs, Paul declared: "These all

EXAMINING THE "PILLARS OF
POSTMILLENNIALISM" (Part II)

    Essential to a consistent, biblical eschatology is a proper, contextual exposition of Psalm 110. This is another of those passages from which the proponents of postmillennialsm have no qualms about lifting a single verse from its proper setting and combining it with a few other passages so kidnapped in such a way as to fabricate a network of biblical terminology to use as an excuse for their philosophy. It is in such a manner that they handle Psalm 110:1: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool".
    Assuming that the making of Christ's enemies his "footstool" means the total subjection of every enemy (by some means other than the power of the Messianic King), and that this requires the ultimate destruction of death (before the Father will permit the Son to leave His right hand), they presumptuously conclude that the Father will not permit the Son to return to His promised inheritance (Psa. 2:8) until the end of the millennium, and then only to destroy it!
    After all, they argue, "any throne upon which David's regal Son sits becomes the glorious extension of David's throne". One wonders if they know more about this than the risen Christ who, walking in the midst of the churches of Asia (observing, commending, condemning and exhorting to faithfulness), clearly distinguished between the throne of David, upon which He would ultimately sit, and "the Father's throne" which He now shares as the "high priest over the house of God"! (See Rev. 3:21). He clearly differentiated between His own

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throne and that of His Father. Jesus is no more sitting on the Throne of David today than is His Father -- which is a preposterous thought!
    What a shame that men will attempt to attach elements of a pre-conceived and extra-biblical philosophy to the Father's simple command: "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool"! But, since such is the case, permit me to suggest that the best possible place to discover the meaning of the Father's command will be found in the context of the Messianic psalm wherein it first appeared! Believing the spiritual discernment of the prophet, David, to be clearer than some suppose, let us examine the context wherein the psalmist himself reveals the manner in which Jesus' enemies are to be "made His footstool". To interpret it in a premillennial framework will require no twisting, turning, or ignoring the context wherein the command was first given.

    First, let us note that the Son at God's right hand is dispatched on a second mission to planet earth. "The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth", (Psa. 110: 2-3).

    Due to the accumulative force of the language here employed, one would need help to miss the fact that this requires the personal, body-presence of Christ on earth.
    1. The rod of His strength goes forth out of Zion-Jerusalem, (see Isa, 30:19).
    2. His rule is exercised in the midst of His enemies.
    3. His judgment is exercised among the heathen.
    4. He is pictured as drinking of the brook -- thus, refreshing Himself as He pursues His enemies to ultimate victory. (Nor should this be regarded as strange for Him who, following His resurrection, ate broiled fish with His disciples).
    As His first earth-mission involved personal humiliation, sacrifice and death for the redemption of that which was lost, forfeited and accursed through the fall of the first man; so, this mission involves a claiming of the inheritance given Him [as the Son of Man] by the Father and the manifestation of His regal authority. In the power of His glorious majesty He will so overwhelm all opposition that "the kingdoms of this world" will be transformed into THE KINGDOM "of our Lord and of His Christ", (Rev. 11:15).
    1. This will be in fulfillment of Psalm 2:6, 8-9, and in accord with God's original purpose for MAN to exercise dominion over the whole earth -- putting "all things under his feel", (Gen. 1:26-28; Psa. 8:5-8; Heb. 2:5-8; etc.).
    2. In power and great glory, the Last Adam, and Representative Man, will descend from His session at God's right hand -- accompanied by His mighty angels and the disembodied spirits of a host of saints, whom He clothes with their resurrected and glorified bodies; thus, triumphing over death as the enemy of His people! (lThes. 4:14, 16; 1 Cor. 15:51-54).
    3. With a myriad of soldier-saints, beautifully arrayed in their priestly garments, and fresh as the dew of the morning, He will proceed to subdue all resistance and to rule gloriously from Zion- Jerusalem, (Isa. 24:23; 30:19; 60:14; 62:11) - "the city of the Great King"; the place of the restored

Davidic throne, and the location that He had, from of old, desired and selected as the place of his rest - FOREVER!
    For ancient Israel, Canaan was to be a Land and Life of Rest. God gave it to them for an inheritance, but possession was by conflict. The enemy had to be destroyed, or driven out, before they could possess and enjoy their REST therein. In this sense, it was a type of the millennial kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    During His first mission to earth, Jesus offered to lead into rest such of His people as would accept His yoke and submit to the discipline of His school, (Matt. 1:19-30). The Hebrew writer informs us that there is a rest that "remains" -- still awaiting the people of God; a rest that may be experienced only through the obedience of faith, (Heb. 4:9-11). Nor is it necessary to speculate concerning the time when that rest will be experienced; it will be "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels..." (2 Thes. 1:7-10). Though one may, even now, experience an "earnest" of that rest, its full blessedness [as the fulness of "eternal life"] must await the coming millennial age. Nor is there room for reasonable doubt that this refers to His coming "at the last trump": to raise the righteous dead, to establish His kingdom and to subdue all things -- that God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven! (Rev. 11:15-18; Matt. 24:28-31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thes. 4:15-17; cf. Isa. 27:13; Zech. 9:14).

    The "rod [or scepter] of His strength" symbolizes kingdom authority, or rulership, (Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5-6; 48:16-17; Psa. 23:4; Mic. 7:14). It is from Zion-Jerusalem that Jesus, the Messianic "Son of Man", will be seen wielding this scepter of power, (Joel 3:9-21; Isa. 48; Amos 1:2). And it will be done in the midst of His enemies! (Psa. 110:2; Psa. 47; Isa. 2:2-5). In the day when His power is so visibly and publicly displayed, His ancient people [Israel], who previously would not have Him to reign over them, will willingly and joyfully offer

their allegiance, saying: "Blessed is He thai corneth in the name of the LORD!" (Matt. 23:39)
    Isaiah prophesied such a reception for Him, (Isa. 25:1-9; 40:9-1l; 52:6-10; 35:1-6). It will truly be as a DELIVERER of His people that the Lord comes the second time, (Zech. 14:1-4, 8-9; 16-19; Isa. 49:13, 22-23, 26).

    It will be as more than a king that the Son of Man establishes and rules over His kingdom; He will also be "a priest upon His throne" "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Meichizedek", (Psa. 110:4); comp. Zech. 6:13).
    The Son at God's right hand is now "high priest over the house of God" (Heb. 10:21). Seated on the Messianic throne, and ruling over a universal kingdom, the benefits of His priesthood will one day extend to all His willing subjects -- though it is evident that the glorified priest-saints, who minister to the nations in His name, have a special relationship to Him Who sits, as King-Priest, upon the re-established throne of David, in Jerusalem, (Lk. 1:32-33). These priest-saints will be specially endowed, for this ministry, by the Holy Spirit.
    Peter's quotation of Joel 2:28-32 [in Acts 2:15-20] was NOT a claim that what happened on the Day of Pentecost was a total fulfillment of that prophecy; it was simply an earnest of the greater fulfillment awaiting Christ's second coming. To the thinking expositor of the sacred word, it will be quite obvious that, at Pentecost:
    1. There was no overthrow of anti-Christian powers.
    2. There was no restoration of the Jews to their land.
    3. There was no such abundant fruitfulness of the land as predicted.
    4, There was no time of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
    5. There was no blessedness of millennial glory.
    6. Nor was the Spirit poured out upon all flesh; all of which are clearly set forth in the con-

text of Joel's prophecy!
    7. Thus, the ultimate fulfillment awaits the RETURN of our Lord! And the great out-pouring of the Spirit, in that day, will be an endowment enabling His people to minister to the needs of others.
    A considerable number of prophetic contexts connect this outpouring of the Spirit with the restored Theocracy, (Ezek. 36:26-27; Isa. 32:15-19; Ezek. 37:11-14; 39:25-29; Isa. 59:19-21). Thus, the faith of God's elect people anticipates its ultimate fulfillment in connection with our Lord's promised return to rule the earth in righteousness!
    Since the day of Pentecost the New Covenant people [those identified with a New Testament church] have enjoyed an "earnest" of the Spirit, (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14); its fulness will be ours, as joint heirs with Christ, in sharing the rule of His glorious kingdom.
    1. Our bodies will experience its fulness in resurrection, quickening and glorifying power, (Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 5:15; John 6:63; Eph. 1:13; 4:20; 1 Pet. 3:18).
    2. Our souls will experience it in the Spirit's conferring of wisdom, knowledge, utterance and miraculous powers, etc. (Jn. 14:12-13).
    3. This creating and renewing power of the Spirit will reach as far as the curse has extended - EXCEPT where there is deliberate resistance!

    "The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head", (Psa. 110:5-7).
    We need to recognize that the ancient prophets were men of great spiritual vision; men who looked through the mists and fogs of time, to the dawn of a glorious day. Not a day of the church's spiritual triumph through the leaven of the Gospel [a concept that is never even hinted at in the Holy Scriptures], but to the establishment of heaven's order ON EARTH, and the transformation of the sin-blighted kingdoms of this world INTO "the

kingdom of our Lord!" (Rev. 11:15)
    Thus, in rejecting and repudiating the post- millennial dream of an abundant harvest of souls, before the coming of Christ, we honor the word inspired by the Holy Spirit! We give due recogmtion to His special agency, during this age, of calling out a people for Christ's own possession, (Acts 15:14; I Pet.2:9) -- a people for His Kingdom! That which He is now accomplishing is but an earnest [pledge, guarantee, or foretaste] of a far more glorious and extensive harvest following the Lord's return, and under the priestly ministration of His resurrected and glorified saints.
    As a basis for insisting that the Scriptures teach no general, widespread conversion of the world before the return of Christ to this earth, I submit the following for your consideration:
    1. Among the churches planted by the apostles, and those immediately following them, there is not the slightest evidence that a single one of them ever believed that, through the leaven of the Gospel, the church would embrace all nations before the coming of Jesus Christ. The concept of a Golden Age of triumph and universal righteousness, BEFORE the return of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, is simple fantasy -- without a single, clear, unambiguous Scripture to substantiate it! (Matt. 24:23-24; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 2 Pet. 3:3; etc.).
    2. The Holy Spirit's description of this age -- clear down to its consummation at the premillennial, second coming of Christ -- is one of ever-increasing wickedness! Satan continues to sow his tares until the time of harvest (Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:14-20), at Christ's return to establish His rule and subdue His enemies. ONLY THEN will the righteous "shine forth as the SUN in the kingdom", (Matt. l3:37-43; 2 Thes. 2:1-4; Dan. 11-12; 1 Pet. 1:1-25; 2 Pet. 3:1-14; Matt. 24-25; etc.).
    3. There will NEVER be a triumph of righteousness, on earth, without the intervention of supernatural power to subdue the wicked!
    4. The Holy Spirit designates this an EVIL AGE (Gal. 1:4; Matt. 13:22; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor.

1:20-21; 2:6-8; Jn. 15:19; 1 Jn. 5:19), whose god is Satan (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:13; Eph. 2:1-3; 6:12) -- evil men "waxing worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" CLEAR TO ITS END!
    5. The people of God face the prospect of persecution and spiritual warfare until the arrival of the Divine Deliverer, (2 Tim. 3:12; Acts 14:22; 1 Thes. 3:3).
    6. The condition of the world, at the time of Christ's return suggests a course of wickedness that is both long-continued and cumulative, (Matt. 24:37-39; Lk. 17:26-30; 18:8; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Jude 17-19; Rev. 19:11-21) -- developing into a mighty confederation of wickedness [including kings and nations] determined to overthrow the regal Christ [at His coming] and to prevent the triumph of righteousness in the earth, (see Psalm 2). So widespread will be the state of open rebellion; so deplorable the state of wickedness, that judgment must fall! The abundant Biblical evidence that such judgment will be meted Out by our Lord, at His personal, premillennial second coming, indicates that God, through means OTHER THAN THE GOSPEL, will subdue all things unto Himself.
    7. Thus, the millennium is preceded by the return of Jesus Christ and the destruction of the anti-God world-system that attempts to thwart His holy purpose, (Psa. 110:5-6)
    8. Only when His judgments are made manifest will the nations turn and worship the true and living God, (Rev. 15:3-4; Isa. 26:9; Zeph. 3:8-20; Zech. 14:16).

    That the Messianic triumph will be accomplished through the personal manifestation of divine power and conquest, in the person of Jesus Christ, is clearly set forth throughout the Scriptures.
    1. A divine purpose - clearly enunciated, (Gen. 1:26-28); a divine covenant - solemnized by the "cutting" of a sacrifice, (Gen. 15:1-18); a divine oath of a God Who cannot lie, is surely NOT something to be brushed aside as unworthy of consideration in establishing a Biblical rationale for

an orderly eschatological outlook!
    2. Any rational framework of biblical eschatology MUST BEGIN with the originally- stated purpose of Him Who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will". and as continued to be progressively revealed in His successive covenants to men -- but especially the Abrahamic and Davidic.
    3. To take isolated passages that, in their literal-grammatical context, refer to the future restoration of the Theocracy and personal body-presence of Jesus Christ as King of the earth; then to deliberately [without any clear, precise, unambiguous and unquestionable biblical authorization] transfer them to the third heaven for fulfillment, is not only misleading and arbitrary; it is nothing short of an actual dishonoring and perverting of the sacred Word of God Almighty!
    4. Against all human denial of Christ's millennial reign on earth, His subduing of all things under His righteous, earthly rule, and the bringing of the nations to bow before Him in joyful and whole-hearted worship and praise; we have the promise of God, fortified by His DIVINE OATH!
    5. The conversion that I anticipate, under the glorious and righteous rule of Messiah and His saints, is far more sublime, enduring and glorious than the most elaborate, fantasizing dream of some gospel leaven -- working in a sin-cursed, unrenewed and soon-to-be-destroyed earth!
    6. In the day of His wrath, following His premillennial return to this earth, the Lord is pictured by the psalmist as "striking through kings" and "the heads of many nations" -- which is essential to the subjugation of the nations to His righteous rule, (Psa. 110:5-6; comp. Psa. 2:1; Rev. 11:17-18).
    7. Furthermore, He is manifested as being personally present on earth when He judges among the nations, (Psa. 110:6; comp. Psa. 76:6-12; 68:12-21).
    This "Day of the Lord", beginning with His return to earth, is not a soLar [24-hour] day; it appears to be a "day" of one thousand years, (2 Pet.

3:8; comp. Psa. 90:4). Thus, there is no necessity for haste; He may, indeed, pause to "drink of the brook in the way", (Psa. 110:7). While some suggest that this refers to His having to drink the "waters of affliction" when He came the first time, that concept will not harmonize with the context of this Psalm. This "drinking" takes place following His departure from the Father's right hand, and while He is enroute to universal triumph in the subduing of His foes, as He makes them His "footstool", (comp. Ezek. 20:33-41; Hab. 3:3-18; Isa. 63:1-6; Zech. 14:4; etc.
    There is no room for doubt that the Lord's faithful, covenant people will be permitted to share in His triumph. When all has been subdued to God's will, the kingdom will then be delivered up to the Father, (I Cor. 15:24-25) - whose plan for ages yet to be unfolded must await future revelation. But, the Kingdom is EVEM.ASTTNG; it will have no end.
    Jesus Christ is King of the Ages! - including those yet to come. And His people will fully possess (Dan. 7:22) and enjoy His kingdom without any future possibility of corruption through sin. What a glorious prospect!
    Such a premillennial, eschatological outlook is NOT a human philosophy of how anyone thinks things ought to be [and propped up by isolated passages divorced from their original contexts]; it harmonizes with the general tenor of all that the prophets have spoken on the subject. [More next issue]


    A number of churches are planning Fellowship Meetings that I hope to attend later this year. Among those that come to mind are the following:
    Trinity Baptist Church, of Garnett, Kansas, Melvin Gray, Pastor. June 8-10.
    Bethel MB Church, Sacramento, California, Sharrel E. Ford, Pastor. August 25-28. [It is encouraging to see a developing "spirit of unity" among the various groups of Missionary Baptists in California.]

    Calvary Cross MB Church, St. Louis, Missouri, John L. Coleman, Pastor. November 24-26.

    In the early hours of April 3, my 97-year-old father, Elder W. J. Gamer, of Lakeland, Florida, went home to be with the Lord. He evidently died in his sleep. For several months Dad had been expressing a desire, if it could be the Lord's will, that he might "go on home". The Lord has now been pleased to honor that desire.
    As a youth I considered Dad a very tough disciplinarian: which he was. But, how I do thank the Lord for the Christian principles that he both taught and demonstrated in those formative years of my life.
    To those of you who have called, sent cards and flowers, I can only say: "Thank You, for such an expression of your love"! E.G.

OUR SALVATION . . . Continued
died in faith, not having received the promises. but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Heb. 11:13-16).
    One needs only compare some of the promises with Israel's history to understand how perplexing the situation must have been to the prophets. God had promised to bless faithful Abraham and his seed - making them a blessing to all nations, (Gen. 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 27:26-29; Deut. 28:1-6; Psa. 72:17; Mal. 3:10-12; Gal. 3:8). Though Israel was 400 years in bondage to Egypt, according to the word of God (Gen. 15:13-16), she was gloriously delivered by the outstretched hand of Jehovah, her covenant-God. What a glorious song of redemption was sung by Moses, and all Israel, after they had been so

divinely delivered from the bondage of Egypt! (Ex. 15:1-19).
    Following the death of King David, "a man after God's own heart"; Solomon, his son, built a temple to the honor of Jehovah's name. Its dedication was a time of joyous celebration for the covenant people. At the time, Solomon declared that ALL God's promises of blessing had been kept. "Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant", (1 Kings 8:56). He fully anticipated the day when all nations would come to that very temple to pray; thus, he asked that the Lord would bless them when they came, (1 Kings 8:41-43).
    The glory of the Lord filled this house, as it had previously filled the tabernacle in the wilderness, (2 Chron. 7:1-2; comp. Ex. 40:34-35). However, the glory that filled Solomon's Temple did not long remain -- and for good reason. The king turned his back on the house of God and dedicated a shrine to Chemosh, on the Mount of Olives, and other pagan shrines to various idols to whom his foreign wives were devoted, (1 Kings 11:7-8). Nor is there much doubt about his occasionally bowing there with them! Of course, he still claimed to be a servant of Jehovah, but God will have no part of a divided allegiance; He requires the loyalty of one's whole heart!
    God could not tolerate such idolatry. He would not give His glory to another. Thus, judgment fell, and the glory of the Lord departed from the house that Solomon built. Nor was it long before pillars of smoke [a sign of destruction] could be seen rising: first from Israel, in the North, and then from Judah, in the South: both going into captivity until they could be cured of their idolatry!
    Though Ezekiel saw the covenant nation in the "Valley of Dry Bones" [death], the prophetic message does not end there. Rather, it ends with a picture of such renewal as is almost incomprehensible! (Ezek. 37:1-14). God has purposed to restore all that has been lost through human sin and rebellion: the land, the sanctuary, the sacrifices and the

priesthood; it has not yet happened. Though, in stubborn refusal to walk obediently before God, individuals may forfeit any portion therein; God's promises, and the execution of His purpose, will not fail! But, instead of restoring the past, this will involve the establishment of a new order of things, (Isa. 2:2-4; Jer. 33:17-18). And the transformation will be complete. God will make all things new, (Rev. 21:5). The faithful remnants of Judah and Israel will be regathered; also a remnant from among the Gentiles, (Isa. 56:6-8; Micah 4:1-3).
    In that day Egypt and Assyria will also be recognized as God's people, (Isa. 19:19-25, 66:19-23; Zech. 14:16-20). Delivering the whole of creation from the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8:19-23; Acts 3:21; 2 Pet. 3:12), God will renew the face of the whole earth, (Isa. 35:1-10; 40:3-5, 9-11, 30; 60:1, 20; Zech. 14:16).

    "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the suflërings" of Christ, and the glory that should follow", (vs. 11).
    The Holy Spirit played a vital role in the lives of God's faithful people -- even belore His special coming to endue and indwell the Lord's church on the Day of Pentecost. He bestowed upon rulers, kings and prophets such endowments as were needed for the fulfilling of their particular duties.
    1. Joseph received wisdom and administrative ability, (Gen. 41:38-40); thus, was he recognized as a man in whom the spirit of God is".
    2. Moses and the elders of Israel were endowed by the Spirit with the power of leadership and the ability to judge righteously, (Num. 11:16-30).
    3. Joshua, through the wisdom, courage and strength that the Spirit provided following Moses' death, was able to lead the covenant nation into the possession of their inheritance in the land of promise, (Num. 27:18; Deut. 34:9).

Heb. 2:9). They predicted the nature of Christ's first coming: in humility, humiliation and suffering, (Isa. 48:7; 52:13 - 53:12; comp. Jn. 1:11; Lk. 19:13-14; Mk. 15:14-15). They predicted the nature of Christ's majestic second coming: "and the glory that should follow", (Isa. 2:10, 19-21; 32:1-2; 40:3-5; Hab. 2:14; 3:3-18; Dan. 7:13-14). Yet, they did not understand that two comings were involved -- separated by a space of 2,000 years. Hence, the mystery and perplexity that caused them to search so diligently for some clue to its meaning.
    The prophets were used of God to proclaim a message of hope and joy for future generations. They forecast the riches of divine grace that were to be manifested toward us today. At the time this letter was written, that message was being proclaimed by Peter's dispersed brethren through the Gospel, (1 Pet. 1:25; 4:6; Heb. 11:13, 39-40). It was being proclaimed under the direction of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven according to the promise of Jesus, the Christ, (vs. 12; Acts 2:2-4).


    To those who have so liberally supported us during the past month, we say a sincere "THANK YOU"! Your words of encouragement for this ministry are deeply appreciated.