According to Albert Schweitzer,the whole history of Christi-anity, down to the present day,

that is to say, the real inner historyof it, is based on the delay of thesecond advent.!

The logic of Schweitzer's statementis plain when one considers the tan-talizing question that has bubbled upin the thinking of Christians in everygeneration. If the death of Christ wasthe atonement for the world's sin,and the end onhe old era as well asthe beginning of the new, why didnot the Second Advent come quicklyon the heels of the first?

Christ has given his answer." ...thegospel must first be preached to allnations" (Mk 13:10). "And this gospelof the kingdom will be preachedthroughout the whole world, as atestimony to all nations; and then theend will come" (Mt 24: 14, see alsoRev 14:6,7,14). In Jesus' last discoursethe proclamation of the gospel to allthe world is certainly one of thesigns preceding the Second Advent.

Centuries ago John Calvin, in hiscomments on 2 Thessalonians 2,declared that the power restrainingthe eschatological manifestation ofAntichrist was the missionary procla-

by Desmond Ford

mation of the church. In our dayOscar Cullmann and others haveechoed CaIvin~ The Bible's last bookis emphatic that it is the worldwidespread of the gospel which provokesSatan's final onslaught on truth andthe truth-bearers.

And this gospel of thekingdom will bepreached throughout theWhole world, as a testi-mony to all nations;and then the endwill come.

It is this fact which endorses whatis known as the "harvest principle"(but not in the sense used by someperfectionists). There is, according toprophecy, to be a final flowering ofgood and evil on a worldwide scale.Loyalty and disloyalty will bedisplayed globally. The harvestmetaphor is prominent not onlyamong the Old Testament prophetsand the synoptic Gospels but also inRevelation Uoel 3:13; Mk 4:26-29;Mt 13:39; Rev 14:14-20).Armageddon: Climax to GospelProclamation

The final battle between good and

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evil, the battle of Armageddon, willreally manifest every person's attitudeto the cross of Christ-for some astone of stumbling. There is to be noreaping of earth until the harvest isripe. It will take place when the fruitboth of good and evil are fullymatured. Apparently this little world isa lesson book to the universe. Godloves not only this runaway earth, butalso the ninety and nine other worldswhich have never rebelled. He haspermitted sin only in order tosafeguard his infinite domains from anyrepetition of such an experiment Thechurch here below demonstrates to theprincipalities and powers in heavenlyplaces the manifold wisdom of God.Weare a theater to the universe, toangels, and to men (Eph 3:9,I0; 1 Cor4:9). The great controversy betweengood and evil on earth began in oneplace with one man and one woman.Only when the whole globe with allits inhabitants has taken its stand for oragainst the Creator, only when everyperson has shown a response to thelove of God manifested at Calvary-only then will the end come. Menwill judge themselves as they hear thegospel, and their decisions will beconfirmed by divine acknowledgementin the great Judgment Day. Arma-geddon is that day (compare Joel

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3:12 with the Rev 16 scenario).Only this view can give sense to

God's continuing permission of satanicactivity, and particularly thephenomenon of the final Antichrist.Antichrist is to be the divineinstrument for polarizing the worldinto two camps-one of which willreflect the likeness of Christ, (the sealof God), and the other reflecting theirleader, Satan (with the mark of thebeast). One company from everynation, kindred, tongue and people,will be threatened with a crucifixionlike that of Calvary (not in itsatonement sense, but as the floweringof fidelity to the law of Jehovah). Theother company, by its murderousdecrees against the saints (Rev13:13-18) will reveal to the universethat sin leads to the ultimatedevelopment of satanic character.

There is, according toprophecy, to be a finalflowering of good and evilon a worldWide scale.

Such constitutes the main burden ofthe final prophetic picture of Scripture.According to Revelation 16 there is tobe a gathering of the "kings of thewhole world, to assemble them forbattle." The scarlet whore is to reigntriumphantly "over the kings of theearth," even all "peoples andmultitudes and nations and tongues."These give their power to the beastthat it might "make war on the lamb"and "those with him." "...all whodwell on earth shall worship it" exceptthe saints. But simultaneously, amessage enshrining the everlastinggospel gives warning to the threatenedmultitudes (Rev 14:6-12).

From the opening of the Apocalypsethis final conflict between the gospel ofChrist and the false gospel of Antichristis sketched. The opening vision is akey to the book as it presents us witha vision of light challenging darkness-the glorious irradiated king-priest onhigh attending to his lamps (thechurches) and stars (leaders of themissionary bodies). The same imageryof light displacing darkness continuallyrecurs throughout the book (see 6:1the lustrous horse;7:2 the sunrising);

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10:1;11:4;12:1;18:1;19:17;21:23;22:25). The good news of theatonement is the most brilliant lightthis world experiences; but it everarouses hatred and opposition, aswell as gratitude and love.

Further Clues from RevelationThe chapters of Revelation have

as their central theme the progress,trials and triumphs of the1ightbearerswho light the way forthe returning Savior. In the heart ofthis prophetic history we find asignificant question and answer thatilluminates the problem of thedelayed Parousia. Consider thefollowing passage:

When he opened the fifth seal, Isaw under the altar the souls ofthose who had been slain for theword of God and for the witnessthey had borne; they cried outwith a loud voice, '0 SovereignLord holy and true, how longbefore thou wilt judge andavenge our blood on those whodwell upon the earth?' Thenthey were each given a whiterobe and told to rest a littlelonger, until the number of theirfellow servants and their brethren

should be complete, who were tobe killed as they themselves hadbeen. (Rev 6:9-11)

Apparently this little worldis a lesson book to theuniverse. God loves notonly this runaway earth,but also the ninety andnine other worlds Whichhave never rebelledThe comments of Herman Hoeksemaare illuminating for all seeking toplumb the anguished cry of themartyrs.

...this time that these souls mustwait before their blood shall beavenged in the day of judgmentpublicly is also further defined, anddefined materially. How long mustthey wait? The answer is: untiltheir fellowservants and brethren,that should be killed even as theywere, should have fulfilled theircourse. This is plain language. Itsimply means that the time is as yetnot ripe for judgment. The worldhas not yet shown its real characterin all the hatred of its corruption.And before the world is ripe forthat day of judgment, the Lordcannot and will not come. We findthis phenomenon time and again inHoly Writ. The antediluvian periodlasted about sixteen hundred yearsbefore the measure of their iniquitywas full. And even when theclimax was almost reached, the Lordstill gave them one hundred twentyyears in which they might hear thetestimony of God through Noah, sothat it might become fully evidentthat the day of judgment was a dayof righteousness and justice. Thesame is true of the history of Israel.That history shows us that they hadkilled the prophets and stoned themessengers of God who had beensent against them. And it seemed asif the Lord would never visit themfor their iniquity. But the time wasnot yet ripe. Not until they hadrevealed their hatred to the full, notuntil they had clearly shown thatthey rejected the Son of God, couldthe day of judgment come and

Jerusalem be destroyed. Thesejudgments, so the Bible tells us, arebut typical of the great day of theLord that is to come. And therefore,also for that day the time must beripe, and the measure of iniquitymust be filled. The witnesses ofChrist also in the future must lettheir testimony go forth. They mustwitness of the Christ. They mustwitness of the blood of the cross.And over against this testimony, theworld must reveal its hatred stillmore plainly than already it hasdone in the past. In the past allthese things were mere local affairs.In the future the Christian world ingeneral, so-called, will rise upagainst the church. In the past thewitnesses of Christ were butchered,but the enemy was not so directlyconscious that they rose up againstthe name of Jesus Christ. In thefuture the enemy will do so fullyconscious that it is the hateful nameof Jesus Christ that is the greatobstacle to all their plans for theworld. And thus the world becomesripe for judgment There are still acertain number who must be killedfor the Word of God and for thetestimony which they hold. Andwhen they are killed, then the Lordwill come and avenge His holinessand truth and establish His kingdomforever.3

o Sovereign Lord holy andtrue, how long before thouwill judge and avenge ourblood on those who dwellupon the earth?Revelation 6:9-11 should be comparedwith II :7ff.

And when they have finished theirtestimony, the beast that ascendsout of the bottomless pit will makewar upon them and conquer themand kill them. . . . Then they hearda loud voice from heaven saying tothem, 'Come up hither!' And in thesight of their foes they went up toheaven in a cloud. And at that hourthere was a great earthquake ....

This finishing of testimony is identicalwith the fulfillment of the gospelcommission (Mt 24:14 is the key to

Rev 11:7). The beast cannot silencethe church by its interdict until itstask is completed. In thisconnection, we would warn readersagainst limiting the meaning ofRevelation 11 to the events of theFrench Revolution. Revelation 11:7with its warning of the resurrectionof the beast parallels Revelation 13and its portrayal of the healing ofthe beast's wound of death (see also17:8,11).

God does not warn onegeneration and destroyanother. Neither does hedestroy without warning.Dangers and Privileges of theEschatological Church

It should now be apparent thatthe New Testament habitually placesthe final proclamation of the gospelalongside the final manifestation ofAntichrist (see Mt 24:14,15; 2 Th2:9-12; Rev 10-11;13-14;17-18).Goddoes not warn one generation anddestroy another. Neither does hedestroy without warning. Thegeneration that heard Noah'swarning about the end of the worldwitnessed that event Theinhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrahwho heard the testimony of Lot,experienced the fate he threatened.The Jews who rejected the messageof the apostles of Christ afterPentecost perished in the maelstromof A.D. 70. Similarly, when thewhole world has been told of theJudgment Day of Calvary andthereby is divided, as the crossdivided between the penitent andthe impenitent thief,-"then shallthe end come."

The words of G. C. Berkouwerare worthy of close thought

The tie between eschatologicalexpectation and mission call isessential and indissoluble. Thechurch that fails to understand itsmandate in this area inevitablybecomes entangled in its ownoutlook on the meaning of thepresent dispensation. It is inimminent danger of wrappingitself up in an introverted,internal problematics that forfeits

the meaning of the presentdispensation. The expectation cannotremain vibrant and operative if theoverwhelming richness of Christ'sgrace in the coming age is notshown and if the peace to whichwe have access in the Father is notproclaimed. (Eph 2:7,17f.; cf. Is57:19)4

And so in the final scenarios ofChristian prophecy the Second Adventtakes place after a worldwideproclamation of the gospel. Whatpart are you playing in that grandwork?

I. A. Schwietzer, The Ouest of the Historicaljesus, p. 358.

2. See katecho TDNT 11:8293. H. Hoeksema, Behold, He Cometh, pp.

230-23l.4. G. C. Berkouwer, The Return of Christ,

pp. 132-133.

DESMOND FORD

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