languages, should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His

Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." Is this universal dominion given to Christ in connection with

the spread of the Gospel? No, but at His coming. Look at the preceding verse (13) "I saw in the night visions

and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven." THEN "there was given Him," (not

peace and righteousness but) "Dominion and glory... that all nations... should serve Him."

XI. Dan. vii. 22. "The time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." When did the time come? When

"the ancient of days came"! And does He come at the conclusion of the millenium of peace? No! The

previous verse says "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them

UNTIL the ancient of days came and (then, not till then) judgment was given to the saints of the most High

and the time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom. It is clear therefore that Christ must come before

there can be an end of war, and the Kingdom be possessed.

XII. Dan. vii. 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." When? The verses immediately

preceding (25, 26) tell us of a power that "shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out

the Saints of the most High... But the judgment shall sit and they shall take away his dominion, to consume

and to destroy it unto the end." Then follows the statement of verse 27.

It is in fact impossible to produce a Scripture which speaks of Millenial blessing, where the immediate

context does not connect it with preceding judgment, or with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In every

instance the bright picture of rest and glory for "the Jew, the Gentile and the Church of God," rests on the

dark background of tribulation and judgment.

The New Testament is full of predictions of increasing and abounding evil; and side by side with these there

are "exceeding great and precious promises" for the poor and afflicted the suffering and the sorrowful, the

hated and persecuted; and this during the continuance of the present dispensation. There is no period

between the present t ime and the coming of Christ in glory, in which the saints are viewed or contemplated

as being free from conflict; no time when they shall cease to "mourn" for the absent Bridegroom (Matt. ix.

15); or be free from sorrow and tribulation" (John xvi. 22, 23); or have no need of "enduring to the end"

(Matt. x. 22); or be other than "as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matt. x. 16). No period when the wolves

shall all become sheep, or the tares become wheat! And yet there is to come a blessed time when "there shall

be no more curse." But that is essentially a Divine work requiring all the might of omnipotence. Not to any

body of men, however holy or educated; not to any church however orthodox, is committed the miraculous

work of eradicating the curse from creation, and sin from the heart. No! The church herself is fallible, erring,

scattered, and divided, and needs herself to be brought to, and kept humbly at the feet of the Saviour.

But time will not permit us to go through all the Scriptures which refer to this subject. We can only remind

you of certain great classes of passages:--

I. The class which speaks directly of the object of the Gospel "to take out of the nations a people for His

name" (Acts xv. 14-17, Matt. xxiv. 14, John i. 17), etc.

II. The class that describes the suffering condition of the Church as "a little flock," and utterly precludes all

idea of her increase and absorption of a converted world: Matt. v. 10, 11, 44; vii. 13-22; ix. 15; Luke xviii. 8,

John xv. 18-21; xvi. 33; xvii. 14-16; Acts xiv. 22; xx. 29, 30; Rom. viii. 17-24; Phil. iii. 18-21; I Thess. v. 1-8; 2

Tim. ii. 12; Heb. x. 30-37; I Pet. iv. 12-18.

III. The class which speaks of the condition of the world, immediately before out Lord's return, comparing

those days to the days before the flood. Matt. xxiv. 37-39; Luke xvii. 26-30; 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4; 2 Thess. ii. 3-12; I

Tim. iv. 1-3; 2 Tim. iii. 1-13; 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4; 2 Pet. ii. and iii. 3; Jude 17, 18, etc.