| Highlights of Dawn | September 1958 |
The Destruction of Enemies
“For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” —I Corinthians 15:25,26
MORE than six thousand years ago man disobeyed the law of God, was sentenced to death and driven out of his perfect garden home into the unfinished earth to die. God permitted this tragedy to occur, for in his wisdom he knew that an actual experience with evil would serve best to teach his human creation the unwisdom of ignoring and disobeying his law, and that the course contributing to fullness of and lasting joy was that of obedience to his will.
But man did not at once learn this lesson. Each generation of the human race has, in turn, continued in the course of disobedience, and only during the reign of Christ, when awakened from the sleep of death and, through the kingdom agencies, enlightened with a true knowledge of God, will they have a full opportunity to benefit from the experimental knowledge gained through contact with sin.
During that time the forces of evil will not be permitted to flourish unopposed; and everything contrary to the will of God will ultimately be put “under His feet,” and, as our text declares, the “last enemy” to be destroyed will be “death.” While it will be during the time when the kingdom of Christ is ruling with power and great glory that this great objective of the divine plan will be accomplished, certain preparatory features of the plan are even now in progress. Indeed, this has been true throughout all the ages, and is more particularly so during the present transition period when Satan’s world is disintegrating and the kingdom of Christ is being established.
From one standpoint, a great change occurred at the time of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Just prior to his death Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” (John 12:31-33) This does not mean that the power of Satan was then actually broken, but the death and resurrection of Jesus was a challenge to the unhindered operation of all the forces of evil. It was the turning point in the divine plan, which ultimately was to result in the complete overthrow of Satan’s power, and the drawing of “all men” to the Lord that they might have an opportunity to obey him and live forever.
The Prophet David wrote, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed. [‘saying’ not in original] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Ps. 2:1-3) In a prayer Peter and John quoted this prophecy, saying, “Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”—Acts 4:25-28
We are not to understand from this that the opposition raised against Jesus, leading to his crucifixion, is the only fulfillment of David’s prophecy. But the apostles’ application of it to what occurred at that time pinpoints the beginning of its fulfillment. They explained that the Lord used this opposition to him and to his Anointed One to accomplish his own purpose, a part of which was that Jesus should die as the Redeemer and Savior of the world.
David wrote that he who sits in the heavens would “laugh.” How true this must have been when the mighty power of God raised Jesus from the dead! His enemies put him to death supposing that they had ended all possibility that he would ever challenge their right to rule. But their imaginations were vain and foolish, for they did not take into account the unlimited power of the great Creator which was able to raise the King from the dead.
God could have prevented evil from the very beginning of human experience, and in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead he demonstrated his ability to put down rebellion against his will and, during a thousand-year judgment day, to give the human race an opportunity to return to him and live. Paul said to the Athenians that God had given assurance of this to all men in that “he hath raised Jesus from the dead.”—Acts 17:31
The preparation of the spiritual phase of the kingdom began at the first advent of Jesus, and while those called to live and reign with Christ have experienced much persecution, it has been by divine permission, and utilized by the Lord to accomplish his purpose in the development of those whom he has promised to exalt with Jesus as the spiritual rulers in his kingdom. No weapon that has been formed against these has been permitted to prosper, in the sense of hindering their spiritual growth.—Isa. 54:17; I Pet. 3:13,14
When God’s typical kingdom was overthrown in 606 B.C., a lease of power was given to a certain succession of Gentile kings, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. These have not been the kingdom of the Lord, but have been used by him to maintain a sufficient degree of order in the world to make possible the dissemination of the Gospel, the medium by which the call of God to joint-heirship with Christ has gone forth. In keeping with this divine purpose, Paul admonished Timothy to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”—I Tim. 2:2
This prayer has been answered to the extent that divine wisdom has deemed best for the accomplishment of the work of this age. Where persecution could work for the best, it has been permitted; and a “peaceable life” has been assured when this would best accomplish the divine purpose. Through the medium of the Holy Spirit, Jesus himself has been present with his people throughout the age; and they have been comforted and blessed, assured that all things were working together for their good.—Rom. 8:28
And then, in the end of the age, the divine plan moved forward into another phase. He who was present through the Spirit during the age, guiding his people, is now actually present. The governments and institutions of the earth which had been prevented from taking a course that would hinder the outworking of the divine plan for the development of those who were to live and reign with Christ, are now, in keeping with the divine time table, being destroyed to make room for the kingdom of Christ.
This end of the age period in the divine plan is described in the prophecies as the day of God’s wrath. Various symbols are used to help us understand what the “wrath” of God will accomplish in preparing the way for the full rulership of Christ. In plain phrase this period is described as a “time of trouble,” or of “tribulation,” such as never was since there was a nation. The various aspects of this tribulation are illustrated as being like “fire,” “storm,” “floods,” a “whirlwind,” and in other ways.
We see the breaking up of the old social order through the processes of war, revolutions, chaos, and anarchy. And although the day by day developments at times seem slow, when we look back through the years it is startling to note what has occurred. The lease of power that was granted to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors in 606 B.C. was prophetically due to expire in A.D. 1914. The particular application here was to the old Roman world, with its hereditary ruling houses. While governments are still functioning in the various countries which made up the Roman World, the hereditary kings which once ruled are either now set aside entirely, or else reduced to mere figure heads in the countries where they are still permitted to exercise a nominal rulership.
The former ruling houses of Russia, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France are completely destroyed. In Sweden, where there is still a king, one of his most important duties is to preside at ceremonies for the opening of new bridges and roads. He is the official tape clipper, while sightseeing tours are conducted through his palace to help keep up with the expenses. To go on one of these guided tours through the palace is to be strikingly reminded that “the kings have had their day.”
Other forms of government have taken the place of the hereditary ruling houses, and these revolutionary changes are continuing. The nations of the East and the West are aligned in two opposing blocks, with conflicting ideologies. The remaining small nations, as in the Middle East, are endeavoring to throw off their chains of bondage, but in doing so, encounter the danger of being brought under the control of a more ruthless dictatorship.
Whether it be the East or the West, none of the raging and disintegrating nations are ready to accept the rulership of Christ’s kingdom. All are “imagining” that they can find a solution for the distressing problems which confront the world. But their plans, one after another, are frustrated, and their efforts “vain.” Actually their efforts are all against “the Lord and his anointed,” even as has been true throughout the age.
But God, in his wisdom, has made the wrath of man to praise him, and now he is overruling in such a way as to cause this wrath to bring about, ultimately, the complete collapse of the social order over which Satan has been the prince, We do not understand the exact prophetic meaning of the day by day developments, but the general pattern of events is clearly pointed out in the Word of God,
This is particularly true with respect to the position of Israel to the prophecies. The Word of God points out that in the final end of the great time of trouble there would be a concerted attack against Israel, spearheaded by a powerful aggressor nation from the north, with others as allies. Recent developments in the Middle East might well have a bearing on this ultimate assault in which the Lord will fight for his people.
We think it is unwise to speculate as to the exact details of coming prophetic events. It is better to wait and allow the events themselves, as they take a more definite form, to reveal the meaning of the prophecies. Suffice it now to realize that we have reached the end of the age, and the beginning of that new age of Christ’s kingdom during which all the enemies of God and man will be put down and destroyed.
Throughout the age the Lord has overruled in the affairs of men to the extent necessary to provide suitable conditions for the development of the body members of Christ. To many it has seemed that he has not been interested. The Lord himself explained this, saying, “I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.”—Isa. 42:14
Many, lacking faith and understanding, have wondered where God has been, and what he has been doing about all the sin and suffering in the world. Not understanding the plan of God for this age, they have not discerned the work of grace that has been going on in the hearts and lives of those who have been suffering and dying with Jesus in order that they might live and reign with him. So far as the unbelieving world has been concerned, God has been “silent,” which to many has meant that “there is no God.”
And even now the world does not realize the significance of what is occurring. They recognize the revolutionary changes which are taking place throughout the earth. They know that the pre-1914 world has been almost completely destroyed, yet they do not. know as yet that this has come about because the Lord has “cried” like a “travailing woman,” and thus has brought about a work of devouring and destruction.
Paul identified the time when this would take place, and the circumstances involved. He placed the fulfillment in the “last days,” and at a time when the people of the world would be saying, “Peace and safety.” It would be then, he explained, that “sudden [Greek, ‘unexpected’] destruction” would come upon them, “as travail upon a woman with child.” (I Thess. 5:1-4) Just as Isaiah and Paul foretold, the destruction of the old world is being brought about in spasms, as “travail” upon a woman with child.
It has come upon the world unexpectedly, and even now the nations have the vain notion that ultimately they will be able to stabilize national and international affairs and bring about an era of “peace and safety.” They do not realize that the Lord is no longer refraining from interfering in their selfish rulership. They do not know that the time has come for the kingdom of Christ to exercise its authority in world affairs, and that divine authority and power will brook no interference, that earth’s new King is “marching on” to certain and glorious victory.
Our text declares that Christ must reign until all enemies are put under his feet, and that the “last enemy” to be destroyed is death. It was disobedience to God’s law that led to death. Selfishness with all its attendant evils has continued to hasten mankind over the broad road which leads to destruction. While remnants of the original godlikeness with which man was originally endowed have manifested themselves in many noble endeavors and deeds on the part of rulers and the ruled, sin and selfishness have predominated.
This has been true of the various governments of the earth, and is no less so today. Thus they are out of harmony with God and with his principles of righteousness, and must be destroyed. And while death is the last enemy to be destroyed, all things else which are contrary to the will of God because they lead to suffering, sorrow, and death, must also be destroyed.
It will be then that the willing and obedient of the human race will have the original dominion over earth restored to them. A few days before Jesus died as the Redeemer of the world, his disciples asked him what would be the signs of his second presence. (Matt. 24:3) In reply, he foretold the great time of “tribulation” through which the world is now passing, and identified other events now taking place. And he continued presenting “signs,” the last one being in the form of a parable, “The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.”—Matt. 25:31-46
Introducing the parable, Jesus said, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels [messengers, his church] with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations.” This is an aspect of Christ’s presence which is still future. When it becomes a reality, all the joint-heirs of Jesus will be with him, sharing his glory. The nations which will then be gathered before him will not be governments but the people of all nations, their selfish governmental arrangements having been destroyed in the time of “great tribulation.”
They will be divided into two classes, represented by sheep and goats, the sheep representing the meek, docile, obedient ones of that time, and the goats the disobedient. To the “sheep” on his right hand Jesus will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The “goats” will be destroyed, as also shown in Acts 3:23.
Then all unrighteousness will have been destroyed. Restored mankind will be in harmony with God. Sickness and death will be no more. Thus the kingdom of Christ will have accomplished its full purpose, and God will be “all in all.”—I Cor. 15:27,28