Plain Papers to Dwellers on Earth: No. 5

From: Things New and Old: Volume 30 By:

Dwellers on Earth, Plain Papers to: No. 5

From: Dwellers on Earth, Plain Papers to

Revelation 3:10 • 8 min. read • grade level: 6

We will now trace the history of these people through the Book of Revelation, and see what their end is. Oh may the unconverted, who read this, take the solemn warning pointed out in these scriptures. I rejoice for your sakes to think that it is yet the clay of grace, and that the way of salvation is still open for all; but we know not how long it will be open, it may close at any moment, though it is not yet too late. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9⁹The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9).)

In Rev. 3:10¹⁰Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10) we have this class of people mentioned for the first time. The Lord is there addressing the church in Philadelphia, and He tells them, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” There is a time of trial coming on the earth, and on those who dwell there; but it will not touch those who are faithful to Christ. They will be kept out of it, altogether out of it, because the Christian is not of the world. (John 17:16¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:16).) So he is not (or ought not to be) mixed up with its pleasures or interests, and will not then share in its judgments. Here we get mentioned the two classes we began with, but what a marked contrast! This time of trial will be bitter indeed; it will come after the Lord has taken His own people out of this world to be with Himself.

In Rev. 11 we see two witnesses “stand-ins” before the God of the earth,” and they go forth and preach and testify against those who dwell on the earth; for their testimony is that the Lord is the rightful Owner of the earth; and it “torments” these people (ver. 10) because they are dwelling on it, and taking possession of it for themselves.

Satan is spoken of as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4)), though it is really the Lord’s. (Psalm 24:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1).) Satan is a usurper, and so are these dwellers; for they think not of Him to whom it rightly belongs, but possess it for themselves; and thus work Satan’s will, though they think they are only pleasing themselves.

These witnesses then testify that He is the “God of the earth,” and that He will take possession, too. They continue 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth; thus showing their sorrow at the state of things, and bringing down instant judgment on any who dare molest them.

When their allotted time of 1260 days has expired, the beast—an agent of Satan—makes war against them and kills them, and heaps upon their dead bodies great indignities; they are left lying in the streets three days and a half.

Now is the time of rejoicing for those against whom these prophets preached, and verse 10 tells us they send gifts to one another as a token of their joy, and they think themselves secure, when lo! “the spirit of life from God entered into them [the dead bodies of the prophets], and they, stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.” (Vers. 11, 12.)

Then there was a great earthquake; the rest of those who were not slain by it, were affrighted; and well they might be, for in chapter 8:13, an angel proclaims with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth”—three solemn woes; and in chapter 6:10 the voices of those who were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, cry to God to avenge their blood on “them that dwell on the earth;” now their prayer is heard. Ah! well may they tremble, it is too late for them to escape; they refused Christ, and the way of salvation through Him; then they refused to hear the two prophets; now the third woe of chapter 8:10 is about to come upon them, the coming of Christ, chapter 11:15—not the coming of Christ for His own (see 1 Thess. 4:13-18¹³But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18))—that will have taken place before the events of this chapter occur at all—but the coming of Christ with His saints in judgment (see 1 Thess. 5:1-4¹But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. ²For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. ⁴But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:1‑4); 2 Thess. 1:7-10⁷And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: ⁹Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; ¹⁰When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑10)), yet mark, even in their fear, to whom do they give glory? It is to the “God of heaven,” not to the “God of the earth.” They acknowledge Him, but as afar off, not as the, possessor of the earth.

We have seen how this class of people refused the testimony of God’s two witnesses; what else befalls them? Turn to chapter 13:8, there we find them worshipping the beast, and, through the beast, doing homage to Satan himself, the usurper of the earth; the one, too, who in verse 6 blasphemes God, and His name, His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

In Rev. 13:14¹⁴And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (Revelation 13:14) we read that Antichrist—the second beast spoken of in this chapter—-deceives “them that dwell on the earth.” They would not believe the truth in the day of grace, therefore now they are given over to believe a lie. As it was in the history of Cain, so here: it is self-will that is their ruin. In 2 Thess. 2:8-12⁸And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8‑12) we have a history of this same time, “that wicked” being the Antichrist of Rev. 12:11-17¹¹And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. ¹²Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. ¹³And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. ¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. ¹⁵And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ¹⁶And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. ¹⁷And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:11‑17).

Chapter 28:2, 9 explains how those who were the inhabiters of the earth were mixed up in the wickedness of Babylon.

And now we have come to the end of their history, to their final judgment; and yet, before that judgment falls, God deals again in mercy towards them, for in chapter 14:6, 7. He sends-forth an angel to preach the “everlasting gospel” to those who dwell on the earth: its message is this, “fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”