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C H Spurgeon - The First Resurrection

C. H. Spurgeon preached on the First Resurrection on the Lord's day morning 5th May 1861 at the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.

This is what he said towards the commencement of his sermon on how the reference to the first resurrection in Revelation 20:4-6 should be understood:

Before I proceed to enter into these privileges, I must remark that two  modes of understanding this verse have been proposed, both of which I think are untenable. 

I have been reading carefully through Albert Barnes. He gives it, as his opinion, that the first resurrection here spoken of is a resurrection of principles, — a resurrection of the patience, the undaunted courage, the holy boldness and constancy of the ancient martyrs. He says  these great principles have been forgotten, and, as it were, buried and that during the spiritual reign of Christ which is to come, these great principles  will have a resurrection. 

Quotable Quote - C. H. Spurgeon

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. 

Some despair of this… but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that:
“Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
Does his successive journeys run.” 

We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ’s blood shed upon it, to be always the devil’s stronghold. 

Quotable Quote - Adolph Saphir

The literal fulfilment of many prophecies has already taken place. It belongs to history. But the Christian has no more difficulty in believing the future fulfilment of prophecy than in crediting the record of history. He believes because God has spoken, because it is written. To believe that the Jews are scattered among all nations, that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, that of the Temple not one stone was left upon another, requires no spiritual faith—it requires only common information. 

But to believe that Israel will be restored, Jerusalem rebuilt, and that all nations shall come up against the beloved city and besiege it, and that the Lord Jehovah shall appear and stand on the Mount of Olives, requires faith, for it is as yet only written in the Bible. But what difference does it make to the child of God whether the prophecy is fulfilled or not? Can he for a moment doubt it?

Prophetic Truth maintained from the Apostles until now

This is a synopsis of a message preached at Kilskeery Annual Conference. 

An audio recording of this message is available - click here.

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, 

in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.           2 Timothy 1:13.

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been 

assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.    2 Timothy 3:14.  

There were ‘things’ which Paul taught Timothy which he wanted this young man to ‘hold fast’ and to ‘continue…in’. These ‘things’, which Timothy had heard preached and taught by Paul, are described as ‘sound words’ in 2 Timothy 1:13.

By ‘sound words’ are meant doctrines, namely, the great doctrinal truths which make up the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not referring to mere words, for the servants of the Lord are warned against striving about words, to no profit: Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers,” 2 Timothy 2:14. The Greek word translated ‘words’ in 2 Timothy 1:13, is translated as ‘doctrine’ in Hebrews 6:1: Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.

Special Week of Meetings In Newtownabbey FPC

When is death destroyed?

This question arises from the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28:
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

When is the 'last enemy' death destroyed? The answer is found in observing the order set forth in these verses:

The Purpose and Success of Evangelism as the Return of Christ Draws Nearer

This topic is suggested by the different tone that we find in two types of Scripture verses. On one hand there are verses which speak of the spread of the knowledge of Christ. On the other hand there are verses which speak of the end time apostasy developing and only a remnant testimony being found in the earth when Christ returns. These types of verses would seem to be, and in reality are, incompatible with one another.

How on one hand can the Scriptures teach that: For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts, Malachi 1:11; and yet at the same time the Scriptures teach that a great apostasy will be taking place; the love of many will wax cold; professing Christendom will be like a field mixed with worthless tares; multiple false prophets will be deceiving many; evil men will wax worse and worse; there will no ear for sound doctrine, rather a believing of fables; scoffers will abound; all of professing Christianity slumbers and sleeps and the Saviour laments whether there will be faith on the earth when He returns? These verses are simply not compatible!

Spiritualising Scripture - A warning from J C Ryle

The following quotation is taken from J C Ryle's commentary on John's Gospel, chapter 12, verses 12-19:

We learn, for another thing, in these verses, how minutely the PROPHECIES concerning Christ's first coming were fulfilled. The riding into Jerusalem on an donkey, which is here recorded, might seem at first sight a simple action, and in no way remarkable. But when we turn to the Old Testament, we find that this very thing had been predicted by the Prophet Zechariah five hundred years before. (Zech. 9:9.) We find that the coming of a Redeemer some day was not the only thing which the Holy Spirit had revealed to the Fathers, but that even the least particulars of His earthly career were predicted and written down with precise accuracy.

Pre-millennialism and The Early New Testament Church

The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgement. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius, while Caius, Origen, Dionysius the Great, Eusebius (as afterwards Jerome and Augustine) opposed it.
Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church

Pre-millennialism & The Westminster Divines

This article has been updated slightly [Saturday 5th January 2013].
Mention has already been made on this Blog about Dr William Cunningham's* impression of the Pre-millennialist views of a number of the Westminster Divines.

Further evidence of the prevalence of Pre-millennialism among the Westminster Divines is to be found in the writings of Robert Baillie, one of the Scottish Commissioners to the Assembly. Robert Baillie was the Principal of Glasgow University in his day.

In his writings, entitled 'The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie' he writes on his observations of the Assembly's proceedings.

Spiritualising Scripture

This article was published in the October - December, 1983 edition of Watching and Waiting, the magazine of the Sovereign Grace Advent Testimony. 

The Rise and Fall of A-Millennialism

by James Payne 

Gibbon, the Roman historian tells us that for the first three centuries of the Christian era, the assurance of the Millennial reign of our Lord Jesus Christ was the general belief of orthodox Christians. Justyn Martyr, early in the 2nd century says, “I and as many as are orthodox Christians in all respects do acknowledge that there shall be a resurrection of the body and 1000 years reign in Jerusalem”.

For the first two and a half centuries Pre-Millennialism was the universal doctrine of the Church as it had been of the Apostles. No other doctrine was so much as known, far less received. A-Millennialism was not heard of in the Church during this period.

C H Spurgeon on The Millennium

In his Morning & Evening devotions today C H Spurgeon has the following to say upon the text in Isaiah 40:5: The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. 

The Literal Interpretation of Scripture

Rev William de Burgh records the following conversation between a Christian minister and a Jew in a sermon of his on the second advent of Jesus Christ:

Augustus Toplady on the 'Millennium'

I am one of those old-fashioned people, Mr President, who believe the doctrine of the Millennium: and that there will be two distinct resurrections of the dead, first, of the just, secondly, of the unjust; which last resurrection, of the reprobate, will not commence till a thousand years after the resurrection of the elect. In this glorious interval of one thousand years, Christ, I apprehend, will reign, in person, over the kingdom of the just…
Augustus Toplady, Volume 3 of his Works, page 470.

Horatius Bonar on 'Israel' in prophecy

The prophecies concerning Israel are the key to all the rest. True principles of interpretation in regard to them will aid us in disentangling and illustrating all prophecy. False principles as to them…that is Israel…will most thoroughly perplex and overcloud the whole Word of God

I am one of those who believe in Israel’s restoration and conversion, who receive it as a future certainty, that all Israel shall be gathered and that all Israel shall be saved. As I believe in Israel’s present degradation, so do I believe in Israel’s coming glory and preeminence. I believe that God’s purpose regarding our world can only be understood by understanding God’s purpose as to Israel.

I believe that all human calculations as to the earth’s future, whether political or scientific, or philosophical, or religious, must be failures if not taking for their data or basis God’s great purpose regarding the latter day standing of Israel. 

J C Ryle's comments on the "Throne of his father David"

In J C Ryle's commentary on Luke's Gospel chapter 1 verses 32 and 33, which reads: He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end; he makes the following comments:

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