down, the mountains flowed down at Thy Presence. Isa. lxvi. 15. For, behold! The Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire (Ezek. xxxviii. 20-23: Hagg. ii. 6, 7, 21, 22). 2 Thes. i. 8, 9. In flaming fire yielding vengeance on them that know not God [rebellious Gentiles], and that obey not The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ [rebellious Jews], who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from The Presence of The Lord, and from The Glory of His Power, when He shall Come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. in That Day. Zech. xiv. 4. And His feet shall stand in That Day upon the Mount of Olives. Joel iii. 16, 17. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His Voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake but The Lord will be The Hope of His people, and The Strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am The Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no stranger pass through her any more. [Jerusalem on earth is then become a true reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem (Ex. xxvi. 30), into which none enter but those who are written in The Lamb's Book of Life. Rev. xxi. 27.] Rev. xx. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection! [to which Paul so earnestly desired to attain ? Phil. iii. 11—14; Acts xxvi. 7: the promise to and hope of the fathers,-the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: 2 Pet. i. 11, the abundant entrance:] on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. PARABLES CONCERNING THE TIME OF ABSENCE AND RETURN. THE NOBLEMAN. Luke xix. 12-28. A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return . THE SOWER. Matt. xiii. 3-8, 18-23; Mark iv. 3-8, 14-20. Behold! a sower went forth to sow. .When any one heareth the word of The Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the Wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. Others have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time; for when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. With others the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and lusts of other things entering in, choke the word and it becometh unfruitful. But he that heareth the word, and understandeth and receiveth it, beareth fruit, bringing forth some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. THE TARES. Matt.xiii. 24-30. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [resembling wheat, but a poison producing dizziness] among the wheat, and went his But when the blade was sprung way. up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, "Sir! didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it tares?" He said unto them, " An enemy hath done this." The servants said unto him, "Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?” But he said, "Nay! lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest! and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, 'Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn! THE NET. Matt. xiii. 47-52. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind which when it was full they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus saith unto them, "Have ye understood all these things? They say unto Him, "Yea, Lord!" Then saith He unto them, "Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasures things new and old." ["New things, as from the treasures of The Kingdom of Heaven; old things, those which are known from Moses and the Prophets, as a scribe, from the Scriptures of the Old Testament."] 86 PARABLES CONCERNING THE TIME OF ABSENCE AND RETURN. FISHERS OF MEN. Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark i. 16-20; Luke v. 4-11. "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught!' "Master! we have toiled all night and have taken nothing: nevertheless, at Thy word, I will let down the net." And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net brake And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not! from henceforth thou shalt catch men." John xxi. 4-12, 15-19. But when the Morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. . And He said unto them, " Cast the net on the right side of the ship! and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, "It is The Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was The Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, (for they were not far from land, but as it were 200 cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon and bread. Jesus saith unto them, "Bring of the fish which ye have now caught!" Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, 153, and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, "Come and dine!" And none of the disciples durst ask him, "Who art Thou?" knowing that it was The Lord. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, "Simon ! son of Jonas, lovest thou ME?" he saith unto Him, "Yea, Lord! Thou knowest that I love Thee." He saith unto him, "Feed My lambs!" "Feed My sheep!" . . Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time (Mark xiv. 30, (38), 68, 70-72), " Lovest thou Me?" And he said unto Him, "Lord! Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee." Jesus saith unto him, "Feed My sheep!" "Verily, verily! I say unto thee, When thou wast young thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldst : but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not." This spake He, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He saith unto him, "Follow Me!" Then Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following: who also leaned on His breast at supper, and said, "Lord! which is he that betrayeth Thee?" Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus," Lord! and what shall this man do?" Jesus saith unto him, " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou ME!" THE WEDDING GARMENT. Matt. xxii. (6-10) 11-13. (Luke xix. 27-28.) Matt. xxii. 14. The many are called but few are chosen. [John xv. 16, elected-not all who shall be saved but the most excellent.] PROPHETIC DISCOURSES RELATING TO THE LAST TIMES: PRIMARILY AND PARTIALLY OF THE JUDGMENT ON THE JEWISH CHURCH; FULLY AND LITERALLY OF THE JUDGMENT ON THE APOSTATE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 66 WITH THE JEWS OF THE LAST TIMES OF THE GENTILES." Isa. v. 3-7. "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah! judge, I pray you, betwixt Me and My Vineyard! What could have been done more to My Vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to My Vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be for a treading: and |