IN our last number we cast a rapid glance at the first four ages into which this world’s history may be divided. We will now look at the last three.
THE SON OF GOD ON THE EARTH IN HUMILIATION.
Some four thousand years having elapsed since God had declared to the Serpent that the Seed of the woman should appear, and the time having arrived for the fulfillment of the promise to His people, “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” (Gal. 4:44But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4).) The eternal Son of God became the Son of Man―Jesus was born! His advent, though heralded in the sky with glory, was on earth in weakness. He was a stranger in the world from His birth―unrecognized by its imperial might, unwelcomed by the nation of Jehovah. “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came— unto His own, and His own received Him not.” (John 1:10, 1110He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (John 1:10‑11).)
But the fact of the Son of God being upon the earth, the divine messenger and spokesman, the express image of God’s essential being, evidenced an altered character of God’s ways with men. “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,” (John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17).) “This do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:2828And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (Luke 10:28)), was the voice of the law; “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)), is that of the gospel. God had commanded man to obey His Law, and He had smitten the disobedient, but in the result, man had become more and more rebellious. Now, through the words and ways of, His Son, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” (2 Cor. 5:1919To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19).)
There was even more than this display of divine grace in the Lord’s ministry on earth. He declared God as the Father; as such God had never before been revealed to men. As the Creator, the Almighty, and as Jehovah, God had made Himself known, but not until His Son came to this earth did He reveal Himself as the Father.
We know, alas! too well, the bitter sequel to this display of divine love— man, true to himself and to his enmity against God, pursued the course of his antagonism to the end. Thus, after years of kindness, after miracles and mercies, both Jews and Gentiles combined to cast Jesus out from the earth, and the loud cries of the heavenly host, who at His advent had filled the sky with gladness, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:1414Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14)), were answered by shouts of men on the earth, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.” (John 19:1515But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19:15).) Thus closed the age of the witness of perfect love upon this earth.
The age of human innocence had ended in alliance with Satan; the age of the law had ended in rebellion against Jehovah; and now the age of the witness of God’s friendship and love to man, in the very person of His Son, closed in the unutterable darkness of man crucifying Jesus.
THE HOLY GHOST ON THE EARTH.
If a new age―a new way of God’s dealing with man―should open, of what character could it be? All hope of human reform, or of fallen man rising up, contrary to his nature, to good, was buried in the grave of the Son of God’s love; all hope of the world being moved towards Him was dead; but on God’s side there could be mercy and grace, and He is love, hence He could not bury His love to man even in the grave of His Son.
From the cross and from the empty grave of Jesus do the most wonderful of God’s ways of grace with man arise. With the resurrection of the Lord, and His ascension to heaven, a new way of God in dealing with man opens. The Holy Ghost has been sent to the earth to testify of the rejected Son of God, and to unite all who believe on His Name to Him.
For the world, as a system, there is no hope of recovery, no prospect of peace or safety: the cross of Christ calls for its judgment. “From henceforth,” Jesus said, “the world seeth Me no more” (John 14:1919Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19)), and when He comes again to the earth, it will be in judgment, and then all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. (Rev. 1:77Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7).) Come again He will, even as He said to the high priest, “I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:6464Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64)); but there will be no millennium, no glory of Jehovah filling the earth, until judgment has been executed upon it. How near that day of His coming is, no man knows, but none who believe God’s Word can doubt that, “yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” (Heb. 10:3737For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37).)
THE SON OF GOD ON THE EARTH IN GLORY.
The last age of the world’s history will be introduced by the advent of Christ to the earth for judgment. He will come forth out of heaven, the King of kings (Rev. 19), in His glory, and having overthrown the powers of human evil, and having cast out Satan from the earth, He will reign here for one thousand years. After that period the roll of time will be laid aside, the great day of judgment will arise, and then in eternity alone will be man’s portion.
While in future numbers we propose to enlarge upon these seven periods, let time and eternity now have their true place in our souls. Will our reader look once more upon the little diagram that heads this paper, and allow it to suggest a lesson? Our lives are but a roll of time! Our years are already numbered upon the roll; we live so long, but no longer than God pleases. Before our time began was eternity, after it the judgment seat and eternity. How will it be with us when the roll of our lifetime is completed?