CHAPTER XXXVIII.

 

EVERLASTING GENERATIONS.

 

    

MANY find it hard to accept the truth of the perpetuity of the earth.  Others, who have accepted this truth seem to be at a loss to know what is to become of the race.  Many of them think that the human family will go out of existence with the closing events of the Millennium.  It is the purpose of this chapter to give a Scriptural and reasonable presentation of the subject of the generations that appear after the Millen­nium has closed.

     First, let me say, according to the Scriptures, the human family can never cease.  There is no intimation in the Bible that the race will have an end.  There is no Scripture that puts any limit whatever to the human family.  On the other hand, there are numbers of passages that assure us that the race will continue forever.  Let us now look at some of these pas­sages.

     “And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was sepa­rated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.”—Gen. 13:  14, 15.

     We used this Scripture to prove the perpetuity of the land of Canaan.  Indeed, it does prove that Canaan shall abide for­ever.  Yet, it just as clearly proves that the seed of Abraham shall continue forever.  The promise of God to Abraham is that his seed shall inherit that land forever.  In order for this to be, both the land and the race will have to continue forever.  If, at some future time, Abraham’s seed are to be cut off, how could they inherit that land forever?  They are to inherit that land forever, therefore, their race will never cease to be.

     “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and

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thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the lands wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”—Gen. 17: 7, 8.  This is a renewal of the promise I have just quoted.  God reassures Abraham of the fact that Canaan is to be the EVERLASTING possession of his seed.  In order for this to be true, Abraham’s race will have to be everlasting.  So then instead of Abraham’s earthly seed coming to an end in their generations, they are to be an everlasting generation here on earth.  Just as sure as the earth shall abide forever, just so sure shall the generations of Abraham continue forever.  Thus saith the Scriptures.

     “Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.”—1 Chron. 16 15.  “He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.”—Psa. 105: 8.  These verses speak of a thousand generations of Abraham’s seed.  Now, up to the present time, there have been only about one hundred generations of his seed.  This is a promise of a thousand generations.  It is impossible for this to be fulfilled in less than 18,000 years yet.  Post‑millennialists take this as one of their proofs that the coming of Jesus is still thousands of years in the future.  There argument, however, is founded upon the false assumption that when Jesus comes family will be blotted out of existence.  Those who are looking for Jesus any day, and yet do not believe that there will be everlasting generations, will find it hard to reconcile this Scrip­ture and meet the argument of the Post‑millennialists.  On the other hand, those who accept the truth that the generations of the human family shall never cease, will find no difficulty here.  Indeed, the word “thousand” here very likely means an in­definite number, as it often does.  Taking it, however, for just one thousand, we must see that Abraham’s generations must

 

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continue far beyond the Millennium; that is, if the coming of Jesus is any ways near.  It very likely means an indefinite number, and the Scripture thus implies that the generations of Abraham will continue forever.

     “Judah shall dwell forever.”'—Joel 3: 20.  What are we to do with this?  “Judah” never refers to people in heaven, but always to earthly generations.  Here is the positive statement that Judah shall dwell forever.  Not simply for a few thous­and years, but forever.  This would be impossible on the grounds that the generations are to be cut off.

     “He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne forever.  I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: but I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.”—I Chron. 17: 12‑14.  This is one of God’s prom­ises to David concerning Solomon’s throne.  Solomon ruled over human beings in the flesh on earth, not over angels in heaven.  A promise of God to establish Solomon’s throne for­evermore is His pledge that the generations are to continue forever.  A throne and kingdom can not continue forever with­out subjects over which to rule.  Therefore the human family will continue forevermore.

     “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.”—Luke 1: 32, 33.  Here we have the prophecy that Jesus is to sit upon David’s throne, that he will rule the house of David forever, and that His kingdom shall never end.  David’s throne is on earth; Jacob’s house refers to an earthly people; of the king­dom of Jesus there shall be no end; therefore, the generations must continue forever.

     “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,

 

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to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”—Isa. 9: 7.  Here is another prophecy that can not be fulfilled unless the generations con­tinue forever.

     Please note the following Scriptures:

     “And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.”—Gen. 48: 4.  “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidest unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.”  Ex. 32: 13.  “And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land where­on thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.”—Josh. 14: 9.  “And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in upright­ness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments; then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever.”—1 Kings 9: 4, 5.  What are we to do with these passages of Scripture?  Every one of them contains a promise that implies everlasting generations.  These promises abound throughout the Bible, and we have not yet exhausted the Scriptures on this subject.  Let us look a little farther into the Scriptures on this line.

     “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which can not be removed, but abideth forever.  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.”—Psa. 125: l, 2.  “His people” refers always to an earthly people.  How long shall Mount Zion continue?  Forever.  Just so long shall the Lord be round about His earthly people.

     “Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency,

 

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a joy of many generations. . . . . The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.  Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.  Thy people shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever.”—Isa. 60: 15‑21.  This promise looks over into the renewed earth, when the sun shall no longer lighten the earth, but God Himself shall be the light of it.  It promises everlasting inheritances in the earth to everlasting generations.

     “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”—Heb. 2: 5.  The Greek here for “world” is “oikoumenen.”  It means “the habitable earth.”  A better translation would be: “For not unto angels hath he subjected the coming habitable earth, of which we are speaking.”  In the eighth verse of this chapter we read: “For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.  But now we see not yet all things are to be put under him.”  Here it is stated that all things are to be put in subjection under him but that all things have not yet been put ­in subjection under Him.  There is coming an age when “the habitable earth” will be entirely in subjection under Him.  It will be in the renewed earth.  Then will be answered the prayer: “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”—Matt. 6: 10.  Note that the earth will then be inhabited.

     “Unto him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus —unto all the generations of the Age of Ages.”—Eph. 3: 21 (R. V.).  There can be no generations without births.  So here the question is forever settled beyond controversy that there will be everlasting generations, and children will be born of holy parents and all will serve the Lord and give glory to God forever.

     Very often I am asked the question: Will these generations

 

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be the children of Adam, or will God wipe Adam’s race out of existence and start a new race?  Certainly, the generations to come will be the children of the present race.  How then will they be born without carnality?  In reply, Jesus came that He might destroy the works of the devil.  He has promised the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3: 21), and that He will make all things new (Rev. 21: 5).  These promises certainly include the restoration of the race to its pristine purity.  Man, as a race, will be delivered from the curse of carnality, and children will be born holy throughout all the ages.

     Our conclusions, after so many Scriptures have been given, can only be that the generations of mankind will never cease.