Introduction

Before I enter on the consideration of any particular things accomplished in this period, I would briefly observe some things in general concerning it; and particularly how the times of this period are represented in scripture.

1. The times of this period, for the most part, are those which in the Old Testament are called the latter days. We often, in the prophets of the Old Testament, read of such and such things that should come to pass in the latter days, and sometimes in the last days. Now these expressions of the prophets are most commonly to be understood of the times of the period that we are now upon, They are called the latter days, and the last days; because this is the last period of the series of God's providences on earth, this last period of that great work of providence, the work of redemption; which as it were the sum of God's works of providence, the time wherein the church is under the last dispensation of the covenant of grace that ever it will be under on earth.

2. The whole time of this period is sometimes in scripture called the end of the world, as, 1 Corinthians 10:11. "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they were written from our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." And the Apostle, Hebrews 9:26, in this expression of the end of the world, means the whole of the gospel day, from the birth of Christ to the finishing of the day of judgment: "But now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." This space of time may well be called the end of the world: for this whole time was taken up in bringing things to their great end and issue, to that great issue that God had been preparing the way for, in all the great dispensations of providence, from the first fall of man to this time. Before, things were in a kind of preparatory state; but now they are in a finishing state. It is the winding up of things which is all this while accomplishing. An end is now brought to the former carnal state of things, which by degrees vanishes, and a spiritual state begins to be established, and to be established more and more. First, an end is brought to the former state of the church, which may be called its worldly state, the state wherein it was subject to carnal ordinances, and the rudiments of the world: and then an end was brought to the Jewish state, in the destruction of their city and country, and then, after that, an end is brought to the old Heathen empire in Constantine's time; which is another and further degree of the winding up and finishing of the world: and the next step is the finishing of Satan's visible kingdom in the world, upon the fall of Antichrist, and the calling of the Jews: and last will come the destruction of the outward frame of the world itself, at the conclusion of the day of judgment. But the world is all this while as it were a finishing, though it comes to an end by several steps and degrees. Heaven and earth began to shake, in order to a dissolution, according to the prophecy of Haggai, before Christ came, that so only those things that cannot be shaken may remain that is that those things that are to come to an end may come to an end, and that only those things may remain which are to remain to all eternity.

So, in the first place, the carnal ordinances of the Jewish worship came to an end, to make way for the establishment of that spiritual worship, the worship of the heart, which is to endure to all eternity: John 4:21. "Jesus saith unto the woman, Believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." Verse 23. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." This is one instance of the temporary world's coming to an end, and the eternal world's beginning. After that, the outward temple, and the outward city Jerusalem, came to an end, to give place to the setting up of the spiritual temple and the spiritual city, which are to last to eternity; which is another instance of removing those things which are ready to vanish away, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. After that the old Heathen empire comes to an end, to make way for the empire of Christ, which shall last to all eternity; which is another step of bringing the temporal world to an end, and of the beginning of the world to come, which is an eternal world. After that, upon the fall of Antichrist an end is put to Satan's visible kingdom on earth, to establish Christ's kingdom, which is an eternal kingdom; as the prophet Daniel says, chapter 7:27. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him:" which is another instance of the ending of the temporary world, and the beginning of the eternal one. Lastly, the very frame of this corruptible world shall come to an end, to make way for the church to dwell in another dwelling-place, which shall last to eternity; which is the last instance of the same thing.

Because the world is thus coming to an end by various steps and degrees, the Apostle perhaps uses this expression, that the ends of the world are come on us; not the end, but the ends, of the plural number, as though the world has several endings one after another.

The gospel-dispensation is the last state of things in the world; and this state is a finishing state: it is all spent in finishing things off which before had been preparing, or abolishing things which before had stood. It is all spent as it were in summing things up, and bringing them to their issues, and their proper fulfillment. Now all the old types are fulfilled, and all the prophecies of all the prophets from the beginning of the world shall be accomplished in this period.

3. That state of things which is attained in the events of this period is called a new heaven and a new earth: Isaiah 65:17, 18. "For behold, I create new heavens, and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." And chapter 66:22. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I make, shall remain before me; so shall your seed and your name remain." See also chapter 51:16. As the former state of things, or the old world, by one step after another, is through this period coming to an end; so the new state of things, or the new world, which is a spiritual world, is beginning and setting up.

The heaven and earth which are corruptible, are shaking, that the new heavens and new earth, which cannot be shaken, may be established and remain.

In consequence of each of these finishings of the old state of things, there is a new beginning of a new and eternal state of things. So was that which accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem, which was an establishing of the spiritual Jerusalem, instead of the literal. So with respect to the destruction of the old Heathen empire, and all the other endings of the old state of things, till at length the very outward frame of the old world itself shall come to an end; and the church shall dwell in a world new to it, or to a great part of it, even heaven, which will be a new habitation; and then shall the utmost be accomplished that is meant by the new heavens and the new earth. See Revelation 21:1.

The end of God's creating the world was to prepare a kingdom for his Son, (for he is appointed heir of the world), and that he might have the possession of it, and a kingdom in it, which shall remain to all eternity. So that, so far forth as the kingdom of Christ is set up in the world so far is the world brought to its end, and the eternal state of things set up. So far are all the great changes and revolutions of the ages of the world brought to their everlasting issue, and all things come to their ultimate period. So far are the waters of the long channel of divine providence, which has so many branches, and so many windings and turnings, emptied out into their proper ocean, which they have been seeking from the beginning and head of their course, and so are come to their rest. So far as Christ's kingdom is established in the world, so far are things wound up and settled in their everlasting state, and a period put to the course of things in this changeable world; so far are the first heavens and the first earth come to an end, and the new heavens and the new earth, the everlasting heavens and earth, established in their room. This leads me to observe,

4. That the state of things which is attained by the events of this period, is what is so often called the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. We very often read in the New Testament of the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist preached, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand; and so did Christ, and his disciples after him; referring to something that the Jews in those days expected, and very much talked of, which they called by that name. They seem to have taken their expectation and the name chiefly from that prophecy of Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel 2:44. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom;" together with that in chapter 7:13, 14.

Now this kingdom of heaven is that evangelical state of things in his church, and in the world, wherein consists the success of Christ's redemption in this period. There had been often great kingdoms set up before, which were earthly kingdoms; as the Babylonish, Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman monarchies. But Christ came to set up the last kingdom, which is not an earthly kingdom, but an heavenly, and so is the kingdom of heaven: John 18:36. "My kingdom is not of this world." This is the kingdom of which Christ speaks, Luke 22:29. "My Father hath appointed to me a kingdom." This kingdom began soon after Christ's resurrection, and was accomplished in various steps from that time to the end of the world. Sometimes by the kingdom of heaven, is meant that spiritual state of the church which began soon after Christ's resurrection; sometimes that more perfect state of the church which shall obtain after the downfall of Antichrist; and sometimes that glorious and blessed state to which the church shall be received at the day of judgment: 1 Corinthians 15:50. The apostle, speaking of the resurrection, says, "This I say, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God."

Under this head I would observe several things particularly, for the clearer understanding of what the scripture says concerning this period.

1. The setting up of the kingdom of Christ is chiefly accomplished by four successive great events, each of which is in scripture called Christ's coming in his kingdom. The whole success of Christ's redemption is comprehended in one word, namely his setting up his kingdom. This is chiefly done by four great successive dispensations of providence; and every one of them is represented in scripture as Christ's coming in his kingdom. The first is Christ's appearing in those wonderful dispensations of providence in the apostles' days, in setting up his kingdom, and destroying the enemies of his kingdom, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem. This is called Christ's coming in his kingdom, Matthew 16:28. "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." And so it is represented in Matthew 24. The second is that which was accomplished in Constantine's time, in the destruction of the heathen Roman empire. This is represented as Christ's coming, and is compared to his coming to judgment, in the sixth chapter of Revelation at the latter end. The third is that which is to be accomplished at the destruction of Antichrist. This also is represented as Christ's coming in his kingdom in the seventh chapter of Daniel, and in other places, as I may possibly show hereafter, when I come to speak of it. The fourth and last is his coming to the last judgment, which is the event principally signified in scripture by Christ's coming into his Kingdom.

2. I would observe, that each of the three former of these is a lively image or type of the fourth and last, namely Christ's coming to the final judgment, as the principal dispensations of providence before Christ's first coming, were types of that first coming. — As Christ's last coming to judgment is accompanied with a resurrection of the dead, so is each of the three foregoing with a spiritual resurrection. That coming of Christ, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem, was preceded by a glorious spiritual resurrection of souls in the calling of the Gentiles, and bringing home such multitudes of souls to Christ by the preaching of the gospel. So Christ's coming in Constantine's time, was accompanied with a glorious spiritual resurrection of the greater part of the known world, in a restoration of it to a visible-church state, from a state of heathenism. So Christ's coming at the destruction of Antichrist, will be attended with a spiritual resurrection of the church after it had been long as it were dead, in the times of Antichrist. This is called the first resurrection in the twentieth chapter of Revelation.

Again, as Christ in the last judgment will gloriously manifest himself coming in the glory of his Father, so in each of the three foregoing events Christ gloriously manifested himself in sending judgments upon his enemies, and in showing grace and favor to his church; and as the last coming of Christ will be attended with a literal gathering together of the elect from the four winds of heaven, so were each of the preceding attended with a spiritual gathering in of the elect. As this gathering together of the elect will be effected by God's angels with a great sound of a trumpet, as in Matthew 24:31; so were each of the preceding spiritual ingatherings effected by the trumpet of the gospel, sounded by the ministers of Christ. As there shall precede the last appearance of Christ, a time of great degeneracy and wickedness, so this has been, or will be, the case with each of the other appearances. Before each of them is a time of great opposition to the church: before the first by the Jews, in their persecutions that we read of in the New Testament; before the second, namely in Constantine's time, by the heathen, in several successive persecutions raised by the Roman emperors against the Christians; before the third, by Antichrist; before the last, by Gog and Magog, as described in the Revelation.

By each of these comings of Christ God works a glorious deliverance for his church. Each of them is accompanied with a glorious advancement of the state of the church. The first, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem, was attended with bringing the church into the gospel, a glorious state of the church very much prophesied of old, whereby the church was advanced into far more glorious circumstances than it was in before under the Jewish dispensation. The second, which was in Constantine's time, was accompanied with an advancement of the church into a state of liberty from persecution, and the countenance of civil authority, and triumph over their heathen persecutors. The third, which shall be at the downfall of Antichrist, will be accompanied with an advancement of the church into that state of the glorious prevalence of truth, liberty, peace, and joy, that we so often read of in the prophetical parts of scripture. The last will be attended with the advancement of the church to consummate glory in both soul and body in heaven.

Each of those comings of Christ is accompanied with a terrible destruction of the wicked, and the enemies of the church: the first with the destruction of the persecuting Jews, which was amazingly terrible; the second, with dreadful judgments on the heathen persecutors of the church, of which more hereafter; the third, with the awful destruction of Antichrist, the most cruel and bitter enemy that ever the church had; the fourth, with divine wrath and vengeance on all the ungodly.

Further, there is in each of these comings of Christ an ending of the old heavens and the old earth, and a beginning of new heavens and a new earth; or an end of a temporal state of things, and a beginning of an eternal state.

3. I would observe, that each of those four great dispensations which are represented as Christ's coming in his kingdom, are but so many steps and degrees of the accomplishment of one event. They are not the setting up of so many distinct kingdoms of Christ; they are all of them only several degrees of the accomplishment of that one event prophesied of, Daniel 7:13-14. "And I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." This is what the Jews expected, and called "the coming of the kingdom of heaven;" and what John the Baptist and Christ had respect to, when they said, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." This great event is gradually accomplished, or is accomplished, by several steps. Those four great events which have been mentioned, were several steps towards the accomplishment of this grand event.

When Christ came with the preaching of the apostles, to set up his kingdom in the world, which dispensation ended with the destruction of Jerusalem, then it was accomplished in a glorious degree; when the heathen empire was destroyed in Constantine's time, it was fulfilled in a further degree; when Antichrist shall be destroyed, it will be accomplished in a yet higher degree; but when the end of the world is come, then will it be accomplished in its most perfect degree of all; then it will be finally and completely accomplished. And because these four great events are but images one of another and the three former but types of the last, and since they are all only several steps of the accomplishment of the same things; hence we find them all from time to time prophesied of under one, as they are in the prophecies of Daniel, and as they are in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, where some things seem more applicable to one of them, and others to another.

4. I would observe, that as there are several steps of the accomplishment of the kingdom of Christ, so in each one of them the event is accomplished in a further degree than in the foregoing. That in the time of Constantine was a greater and further accomplishment of the kingdom of Christ, than that which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem; that which shall be at the fall of Antichrist, will be a further accomplishment of the same thing, than that which took place in the time of Constantine; and so on with regard to each: so that the kingdom of Christ is gradually prevailing and growing by these several great steps of its fulfillment, from the time of Christ's resurrection, to the end of the world.

5. And lastly, It may be observed, that the great providences of God between these four great events, are to make way for the kingdom and glory of Christ in the great event following. Those dispensations of providence which were towards the church of God and the world, before the destruction of the heathen empire in the time of Constantine, seem all to have been to make way for the glory of Christ, and the happiness of the church in that event. And so the great providences of God which are after that, till the destruction of Antichrist, and the beginning of the glorious times of the church, which follow, seem all to be to prepare the way for the greater glory of Christ and his church in that event; and the providences of God which shall be after that to the end of the world, seem to be for the greater manifestation of Christ's glory at the end of the world; and in the consummation of all things.

Thus I thought it needful to observe these things in general concerning this last period of the series of God's providence, before I take notice of the particular providences by which the work of redemption is carried on through this period, in their order: and before I do that, I will also briefly answer to an INQUIRY, namely, Why the setting up of Christ's kingdom after his humiliation, should be so gradual, by so many steps that are so long in accomplishing, since God could easily have finished it at once?

Though it would be presumption in us to pretend to declare all the ends of God in this, yet doubtless much of the wisdom of God may be seen in it by us; and particularly in these two things.

1. In this way the glory of God's wisdom, in the manner of doing this, is more visible to the observation of creatures. If it had been done at once, in an instant, or in a very short time, there would not have been such opportunities for creatures to perceive and observe the particular steps of divine wisdom, as when the work is gradually accomplished, and one effect of his wisdom is held forth to observation after another. It is wisely determined of God, to accomplish his great design by a wonderful and long series of events, that the glory of his wisdom may be displayed in the whole series, and that the glory of his perfections may be seen, appearing, as it were, by parts, and in particular successive manifestations: For if all that glory which appears in all these events had been manifested at once, it would have been too much for us, and more than we at once could take notice of; it would have dazzled our eyes and overpowered our sight.

2. Satan is more gloriously triumphed over — God could easily, by an act of almighty power, at once have crushed Satan. But by giving him time to use his utmost subtlety to hinder the success of what Christ had done and suffered, he is not defeated merely by surprise, but has large opportunity to ply his utmost power and subtlety again and again, to strengthen his own interest all that he can by the work of many ages. Thus God destroys and confounds him, and sets up Christ's kingdom time after time, in spite of all his subtle machinations and great works, and by every step advances it still higher and higher, till at length it is fully set up, and Satan perfectly and eternally vanquished in the end of all things.

I now proceed to take notice of the particular events, whereby, from the end of Christ's humiliation to the end of the world, the success of Christ's purchase has been or shall be accomplished.

1. I would take notice of those things whereby Christ was put into an immediate capacity for accomplishing the end of his purchase.

2. I would show how he obtained or accomplished that success.

Before turning to the specific things accomplished in this period, I want to briefly note some general observations about it — and in particular, how Scripture describes this period of time.

1. The times of this period are, for the most part, what the Old Testament calls 'the latter days.' We frequently read in the Old Testament prophets of things that would come to pass 'in the latter days' — and sometimes 'in the last days.' These expressions most commonly refer to the period we are now considering. It is called 'the latter days' and 'the last days' because this is the final period of God's providential dealings on earth — the last period of that great work of providence, the work of redemption. It is, in a sense, the sum of all God's works of providence, the time in which the church is under the final dispensation of the covenant of grace it will ever experience on earth.

2. The whole span of this period is sometimes called 'the end of the world' in Scripture, as in 1 Corinthians 10:11: 'Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.' And in Hebrews 9:26, the apostle uses the phrase 'the end of the ages' to mean the entire Gospel era, from Christ's birth to the close of the day of judgment: 'But now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.' This span of time may rightly be called 'the end of the world,' because the entire time is occupied with bringing things to their great conclusion — the great issue that God had been preparing for through all His providential dealings from the fall of man to this point. Before this, everything was in a preparatory state. Now things are in a finishing state. This whole time is the winding-up of history. The former earthly order of things is coming to an end by degrees, gradually fading away, while a spiritual order begins to be established and grows increasingly firm. First, the former state of the church — which may be called its worldly state, the state of outward ordinances and the elementary principles of the world — comes to an end. Then the Jewish state comes to an end in the destruction of their city and nation. Then the old pagan empire comes to an end in the time of Constantine — another further step in the winding-up of the world. The next step is the ending of Satan's visible kingdom in the world, with the fall of Antichrist and the calling of the Jews. And last will come the destruction of the physical framework of the world itself, at the close of the day of judgment. The world is all this time, as it were, in the process of ending — though it comes to its end through several steps and stages. Heaven and earth began to shake, in preparation for dissolution — according to the prophecy of Haggai before Christ came — so that only the things that cannot be shaken may remain: that is, so that what is temporary may pass away, and only what is eternal may endure.

First, the outward ordinances of Jewish worship came to an end, making way for the spiritual worship of the heart that will endure forever. John 4:21: Jesus said to the woman, 'Believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.' And verse 23: 'But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.' This is one instance of the temporary order ending and the eternal order beginning. After that, the outward temple and the outward city of Jerusalem came to an end, giving way to the spiritual temple and the spiritual city, which are to last forever. This is another instance of removing what is ready to vanish, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. After that, the old pagan empire came to an end, making way for the kingdom of Christ, which will last to all eternity. This is another step in the ending of the temporal world and the beginning of the age to come — which is an eternal world. After that, with the fall of Antichrist, Satan's visible kingdom on earth comes to an end, establishing Christ's kingdom, which is an eternal kingdom. As the prophet Daniel says in Daniel 7:27: 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.' This is another instance of the temporary world ending and the eternal one beginning. Finally, the very framework of this corruptible world will come to an end, making way for the church to dwell in another home that will last forever. This is the last instance of the same pattern.

Because the world is thus coming to an end through various steps and stages, the apostle perhaps uses the plural form, writing that the 'ends' of the ages have come upon us — not 'the end' but 'the ends,' in the plural, as though the world reaches its end through several successive closings.

The Gospel dispensation is the final state of things in the world — and it is a finishing state. All of it is spent in completing what had previously been in preparation, and in abolishing what had previously stood. It is all spent, as it were, in summing everything up, bringing things to their conclusions and proper fulfillment. In this period all the old types are fulfilled, and every prophecy of every prophet from the beginning of the world will be accomplished.

3. The state of things attained through the events of this period is called 'a new heaven and a new earth.' Isaiah 65:17-18: 'For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.' And Isaiah 66:22: 'For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make will endure before Me, so your offspring and your name will endure.' See also Isaiah 51:16. Just as the former order of things — the old world — is coming to an end step by step throughout this period, so the new order of things — the new world, which is a spiritual world — is beginning to take shape and be established.

The corruptible heaven and earth are shaking, so that the new heaven and new earth — which cannot be shaken — may be established and remain.

With each successive ending of the old order, there comes a new beginning of a new and eternal order. This was true at the destruction of Jerusalem, which marked the establishing of the spiritual Jerusalem in place of the literal one. The same is true with the destruction of the old pagan empire, and with each subsequent ending of the old order — until at last even the physical framework of the old world itself will come to an end. Then the church will dwell in a world new to it — or new to much of it — namely heaven, which will be a new dwelling place. At that point the fullest meaning of 'the new heavens and the new earth' will be accomplished. See Revelation 21:1.

The purpose for which God created the world was to prepare a kingdom for His Son — for He is appointed heir of all things — so that Christ might possess it and reign in it forever. To the degree that Christ's kingdom is established in the world, the world is brought to its end and the eternal order is set up. To that same degree, all the great changes and revolutions of the ages are brought to their everlasting conclusion, and all things reach their ultimate destination. The waters of that long river of divine providence — with its many branches and its many bends and turns — are being emptied out into the ocean they have been seeking from the very beginning, and so come to their rest. As Christ's kingdom is established in the world, things are settled into their eternal state, and the flow of events in this changeable world is brought to a close. The first heaven and the first earth pass away, and the new heaven and new earth — the everlasting heaven and earth — are established in their place. This brings me to observe:

4. The state of things attained through the events of this period is what Scripture so often calls 'the kingdom of heaven' or 'the kingdom of God.' We read of the kingdom of heaven very frequently in the New Testament. John the Baptist preached that the kingdom of heaven was near, and so did Christ and His disciples after Him — referring to something the Jews of that day eagerly expected and widely discussed, which they called by that name. They appear to have drawn their expectation and the name chiefly from Daniel's prophecy in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel 2:44: 'In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom' — together with Daniel 7:13-14.

This kingdom of heaven is the Gospel state of things in Christ's church and in the world — the state in which the success of Christ's redemption is realized during this period. Great kingdoms had been established before — earthly kingdoms, such as the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. But Christ came to establish the final kingdom, which is not an earthly kingdom but a heavenly one — the kingdom of heaven. John 18:36: 'My kingdom is not of this world.' This is the kingdom Christ speaks of in Luke 22:29: 'My Father has granted Me a kingdom.' This kingdom began shortly after Christ's resurrection and has been accomplished through various stages from that time to the end of the world. Sometimes 'the kingdom of heaven' refers to the spiritual state of the church that began shortly after Christ's resurrection; sometimes to the more perfect state of the church that will come after the fall of Antichrist; and sometimes to the glorious and blessed state the church will enter at the day of judgment. As the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 15:50, speaking of the resurrection: 'I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.'

Under this heading I want to note several things in particular, for a clearer understanding of what Scripture says about this period.

1. The establishment of Christ's kingdom is accomplished chiefly through four great successive events, each of which Scripture calls 'Christ's coming in His kingdom.' The whole success of Christ's redemption is summed up in one phrase: the establishment of His kingdom. This is accomplished chiefly through four great successive acts of God's providence — and every one of them is described in Scripture as Christ's coming in His kingdom. The first is Christ's appearing in the remarkable providential events of the apostles' day, establishing His kingdom and destroying its enemies — events that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem. This is called Christ's coming in His kingdom in Matthew 16:28: 'Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.' It is also described this way in Matthew 24. The second is what was accomplished in Constantine's time in the destruction of the pagan Roman empire. This is portrayed as Christ's coming, and compared to His coming to judgment, in Revelation 6 toward the end of that chapter. The third is what will be accomplished at the destruction of Antichrist. This also is described as Christ's coming in His kingdom in Daniel 7 and in other places, as I may show later when I come to speak of it. The fourth and last is His coming to the final judgment, which is the event most prominently meant in Scripture by 'Christ's coming in His kingdom.'

2. Each of the first three of these four events is a vivid picture or type of the fourth and last — Christ's coming to the final judgment — just as the great providential events before Christ's first coming were types of that coming. Just as Christ's final coming to judgment will be accompanied by a resurrection of the dead, each of the three earlier comings is accompanied by a spiritual resurrection. The coming of Christ that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem was preceded by a glorious spiritual resurrection of souls — the calling of the Gentiles and the bringing of vast multitudes to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel. Christ's coming in Constantine's time was accompanied by a glorious spiritual resurrection of the greater part of the known world — its conversion from paganism to a visible-church state. Christ's coming at the destruction of Antichrist will be attended by a spiritual resurrection of the church after it had long been, as it were, dead during the times of Antichrist. This is what Revelation 20 calls 'the first resurrection.'

Again, just as Christ at the final judgment will gloriously reveal Himself coming in the glory of His Father, so in each of the three earlier events Christ gloriously revealed Himself — sending judgments on His enemies and showing grace and favor to His church. And just as the last coming of Christ will be attended by a literal gathering of the elect from the four corners of heaven, so each of the preceding events was attended by a spiritual ingathering of the elect. Just as this final gathering will be accomplished by God's angels with the great sound of a trumpet, as Matthew 24:31 says, so each of the earlier spiritual ingatherings was accomplished by the trumpet of the Gospel, sounded by the ministers of Christ. Just as a time of great spiritual decline and wickedness will precede Christ's final appearance, so this has been — or will be — the pattern with each of the other appearances. Before each of them comes a time of great opposition against the church: before the first, by the Jews in their persecutions recorded in the New Testament; before the second in Constantine's time, by the pagans in a series of persecutions raised by the Roman emperors against Christians; before the third, by Antichrist; before the last, by Gog and Magog as described in Revelation.

Through each of these comings of Christ, God works a glorious deliverance for His church. Each is accompanied by a glorious advancement in the church's condition. The first, which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem, brought the church into the Gospel — a glorious state of the church that the prophets had long foretold — elevating the church into far more glorious circumstances than it had known under the Jewish dispensation. The second, in Constantine's time, advanced the church into a state of freedom from persecution, the support of civil authority, and triumph over its pagan persecutors. The third, at the fall of Antichrist, will advance the church into that state of glorious prevalence of truth, liberty, peace, and joy that we read about so frequently in the prophetical portions of Scripture. The last will bring the church to consummate glory in both soul and body in heaven.

Each of these comings of Christ is also accompanied by a terrible destruction of the wicked and the enemies of the church: the first with the destruction of the persecuting Jews, which was devastating; the second with dreadful judgments on the pagan persecutors of the church, of which more later; the third with the awful destruction of Antichrist, the cruelest and most bitter enemy the church has ever faced; and the fourth with divine wrath and vengeance on all the ungodly.

Furthermore, in each of these comings of Christ there is an ending of the old heavens and the old earth, and a beginning of new heavens and a new earth — an end of a temporary order of things, and a beginning of an eternal one.

3. Each of these four great acts of God's providence that are described as Christ's coming in His kingdom are simply steps and degrees in the fulfillment of one single event. They are not the establishing of several distinct kingdoms of Christ. They are all successive degrees of fulfillment of the one event prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14: 'I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.' This is what the Jews expected and called 'the coming of the kingdom of heaven' — what John the Baptist and Christ meant when they said, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' This great event is accomplished gradually, through several steps. The four great events described above are successive steps toward the fulfillment of this grand event.

When Christ came through the preaching of the apostles to establish His kingdom in the world — the dispensation that ended with the destruction of Jerusalem — it was accomplished in a glorious degree. When the pagan empire was destroyed in Constantine's time, it was fulfilled in a further degree. When Antichrist is destroyed, it will be accomplished in a still higher degree. But when the end of the world arrives, it will be accomplished in its most perfect and complete degree of all. Because these four great events are images of one another, the first three being types of the last, and because they are all only successive steps in the fulfillment of the same thing — we find them all prophesied together from time to time as though they were one, as in the prophecies of Daniel and in Matthew 24, where some details apply more naturally to one of them and others to another.

4. As there are several steps in the accomplishment of Christ's kingdom, each step brings a greater degree of fulfillment than the one before it. The fulfillment in Constantine's time was greater and more advanced than the one that ended in the destruction of Jerusalem. The fulfillment at the fall of Antichrist will be greater still than what occurred in Constantine's time. And so on with each successive step — so that Christ's kingdom is gradually prevailing and growing through these great stages, from the time of Christ's resurrection to the end of the world.

5. Finally, it may be noted that God's great providential workings between these four great events are aimed at preparing the way for Christ's kingdom and glory in the great event that follows each one. The providential dealings of God with His church and the world before the destruction of the pagan empire in Constantine's time all appear designed to prepare the way for Christ's glory and the church's blessing in that event. The great providential workings that follow Constantine's time, up until the destruction of Antichrist and the beginning of the glorious era of the church that follows, all appear designed to prepare the way for the greater glory of Christ and His church in that event. And the providential workings after that, leading to the end of the world, appear designed for the greater manifestation of Christ's glory at the end of all things and in the consummation of everything.

I felt it necessary to lay out these general observations about this final period of God's providence before turning to the particular providential events through which the work of redemption is carried forward in this period. But before doing that, I will also briefly address one question: Why should the establishment of Christ's kingdom after His humiliation be so gradual — accomplished through so many steps over such a long span of time — when God could easily have completed it all at once?

It would be presumptuous to claim to explain all of God's purposes in this. Yet much of the wisdom of God can be seen in it, particularly in these two things.

1. Through this gradual process, the glory of God's wisdom in how He works is more visible to created beings. If it had been accomplished all at once — in an instant or in a very short time — creatures would have had no opportunity to observe and reflect on the individual steps of divine wisdom. But when the work is accomplished gradually, and one evidence of His wisdom follows another, the whole can be perceived and appreciated. God has wisely chosen to accomplish His great design through a wonderful and extended series of events, so that the glory of His wisdom is displayed across the whole series, and the glory of His perfections can be seen emerging part by part, through successive revelations. If all the glory that appears across all these events had been revealed at once, it would have been too much for us — more than we could take in at one time. It would have dazzled and overwhelmed us.

2. In this way, Satan is more gloriously defeated. God could easily have crushed Satan in a single act of almighty power. But by giving him time to use every ounce of his cunning to hinder the fruits of what Christ did and suffered, Satan is not simply caught off guard — he is given ample opportunity to press his full power and scheming again and again, strengthening his position through the work of many ages. Yet God defeats and confounds him, and establishes Christ's kingdom time after time in spite of all his clever schemes and great efforts — advancing it higher and higher with every step, until at last it is fully established and Satan is completely and eternally vanquished at the end of all things.

I now turn to the particular events by which, from the end of Christ's humiliation to the end of the world, the success of Christ's purchase has been or will be accomplished.

1. I will note the things by which Christ was placed in immediate readiness to accomplish the purpose of His purchase.

2. I will show how He obtained and accomplished that success.