THE FINISHED WORK
CHRIST
18
OF
It is the seated Christ of Whom it is written, `from henceforth expecting'. He came from God, and He went to
God, the Apostle (sent from) and High Priest (went to) of our profession. We would therefore remember His death
on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension as three phases of one mighty work. The present period at the right
hand of God is of unspeakable blessing to His saints, for He is able to save to the uttermost, seeing He ever liveth to
make intercession for them.
This period is but for a time. The moment will come when He Who is now hidden and veiled, the unseen and
absent Christ, shall be manifested in glory. Then the church of the One Body will realize its blessed hope, the
manifesting of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ (Tit. 2:13, Col. 3:4). He will then be revealed,
coming with His mighty angels to execute wrath and judgment upon the anti-Christian world, and to deliver His
people, both those who sleep and those who are alive at His coming. He will then set up His throne and reign with
the saints whose calling associates them with earthly blessings for the thousand years, generally spoken of as the
Millennium.
After the thousand years have expired He will sit upon the great White throne to judge the rest of the dead. This
judgment is two-fold. First, a judgment out of `the books' according to works, and then a judgment out of `the book
of life' deciding destiny. It is quite unscriptural to affirm that all who stand before the great white throne will be
cast into the lake of fire. The word `whosoever' in Revelation 20:15 is misleading, for the Greek here is in the
singular number. After speaking of a vast multitude beyond computation, the record continues:
`And IF ANYONE was not found written in the book of life, HE was cast into the lake of fire'.
`The end' is now at hand and commences with the introduction of `a new heaven and a new earth' (Rev. 21:1).
No more sea is to be found here; no more death; no more sorrow; no more curse; the former things have passed
away.
We now approach the glorious goal. He Who once hung upon the cross and said, `It is finished', shall one day
sit upon the throne and say, `It is done' (Rev. 21:6).
`For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ
shall
all
be made alive (the names in the book of life, and the principle given in Romans 9:6-8). But every man in his
own order (so the two resurrections in Rev. 20): Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His
coming. Then cometh the end (i.e., the goal, the object in view, not "the end rank") ... that God may be all in all'
(foreshadowed in the tabernacle of God with men, in Revelation 21:3, and going on to the consummation of the
age) (1 Cor. 15:21-28).
Before this consummation is reached, Christ must reign until every principality, authority, and power (same
words used in Ephesians 1:21), are put down, and until all enemies are placed under His feet, the last being death
(which we see cast into the lake of fire and so destroyed for ever - Revelation 20:14). Then when all things are
subjected unto Him, the crisis of the age is reached, the supreme moment arrives: the Son, the mighty Victor, the
glorious Redeemer, the Head over all, lays the restored kingdom at the feet of the Father, that God once more may
be all in all.
Here is the finished work of Christ, blessed fruit of the cursed tree, blessed contrast to the death, sin and revolt
brought in by the first man. Here no more shall sin rear its ugly head; no more shall the tempter seduce the children
of God; no more shall the curse descend upon the earth. Redemption and resurrection have forged a bond stronger
than creation. All things are new, all things are of God. Let us glory, therefore, in the finished work of Christ.
On the cross - `It is finished'.
On the throne - `It is done'.
`That God may be all in all'.