XXX:- That the government will then be delivered up by Jesus to the Father, who will manifest Himself as the “all-in-all”; sin and death having been taken out of the way, and the race completely restored to the friendship of the Deity” - 1 Corinthians 15:28

As we saw in our last article in this series, the ultimate Purpose of Yahweh is to fill all of the earth with an immortal multitude who reflect His Glorious Attributes. We can see this by comparing two passages which each describe why the earth was created:

“thus saith Yahweh that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am Yahweh and there is none else” (Isa. 45:18).

“Truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh” (Num. 14:21)

Putting these two passages together, we can see that Yahweh created the earth to be “inhabited”, or “filled”. The first passage defines the objective for the earth to be filled with people, the second with glory. Logically therefore, the people are the glory, that is, who show forth the glory of Yahweh in both their characters and physical nature.

The passage from Isaiah, cited above, is significant, for it also demonstrates the purpose of Yahweh with His People, Israel. The verse immediately before the one we quoted states that by contrast to the nations,

“Israel shall be saved in Yahweh with an everlasting salvation: Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end” (Isa. 45:17).

This endurance of Israel in contrast to the nations is also seen in several oft-quoted passages to do with her future restoration:

“I am with thee, saith Yahweh, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations wither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jer. 30:11).

“Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith Yahweh: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations wither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished” (Jer. 46:28).

We are familiar with the principle that “they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6), but that rather “the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Rom. 9:8). Or, in other words, “they which are of faith, they are the children of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7), of whom it is written: “so then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Gal. 3:9). Though they be Gentiles according to the flesh, men and women are being called out of the Gentiles for the Name of the Most High, and become Israelites of the Spirit. These are Jews “inwardly”, whose “circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Rom. 2:29). Together constituting the “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16), those who constitute Jews after the Spirit, are thus part of the “Israel” described by Isaiah as being saved with an “everlasting salvation”, which will constitute the “world without end”. At the end of the Millennial reign of Messiah, the nations shall indeed be made a full end of—and the earth shall be filled with an immortal race—Israel after the spirit—and shall so continue for ever. Speaking of the nations at this time, Bro Robert Roberts wrote:

“When the end of the thousand years is reached, these will have ceased to be. The world will be one race and one family—and that, a new race, an immortal race—the last Adam in multitude—as the heir of the first Adam in multitude who will then have passed away. This last Adam multitude being in Christ are all the seed of Abraham, as Paul says, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.” Being Abraham’s seed, they are Israel. Consequently, in their sole occupation of the earth when “the former things shall have passed away,” there will be a fulfilment of what God says by Jeremiah concerning the house of Israel: “Though I make a full end of all nations among whom I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee.”— (Jer. 30:11). Abraham will also see in its fullest sense the meaning of the promise made to him “I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.” (Gen. 22:17)”

(Thirteen Lectures on The Apocalypse)

“WORLD WITHOUT END”

The scriptures reveal that the Divinely established Kingdom shall itself continue for ever. Consider the following testimonies:

“Israel shall be saved in Yahweh with an everlasting salvation: Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end” (Isa. 45:17).

“he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33).

“in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).

Indeed, this is itself shown by 1 Corinthians 15, alluded to by the BASF as the supporting Scripture for this clause:

“then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:24-25).

Notice this: “the end” of the thousand years is not the end of the Kingdom. The kingdom will continue beyond that time “without end”. What will rather take place, is a change in the constitution of that Kingdom. With death being destroyed and mortality being no more, the Kingdom will be handed over to the Father, who shall manifest himself as being “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28). With all of the earth being populated with an immortal multitude, all of Yahweh shall be manifested in all of man.

The expression “world without end” is only used in one other place in Scripture: Ephesians chapter 3:

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the ecclesia by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Eph. 3:21)

Notice this: what is to continue “without end” here, is the ecclesia giving glory to God. Or, as we have seen from the use of the same phrase in Isaiah 45, Immortalised Israel inhabiting the earth, and filling the earth with the glory of Divine Likeness.

We conclude with some words by our beloved brother Thomas describing this situation in his book Elpis Israel.

“Such is “the end, when the Son shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21:3). The separation between God and man began with the transgression of the first Adam; it continues till the end of the 7000 years, when sin and death are utterly eradicated, and harmony again established in this orb of His glorious universe. Earth will have been delivered from moral and physical evil by His power administered and displayed through the Lord Jesus Christ, who, though “subjected to the Father,” will have the pre-eminence over all “his brethren” through the endless duration of ages.

The last resurrection, which is implied in the development of “the end”. (Rev. 20:6), will bring up from the dust the sleeping dead of the previous thousand years. Those who are accounted worthy of eternal live will receive it, and be added to the saints of the “first resurrection.” Thus a population will have been provided for the earth, which, instead of being destroyed, will be renovated, and all things belonging to it made new (Rev.21:5).

The earth and it’s inhabitants will be incorruptible, undefiled and unfading. God, according to His Word, will have made “a full end of all nations,” except that of Israel; which will be the sole occupant of the globe, and every Israelite, “an Israelite indeed,” “equal to the Elohim,” and crowned with glory and honour throughout all ages.

During the thousand years their nation will consist of three classes: Christ and the saints, righteous Israelites in the flesh, and those who “die the curse,” but when perfection comes, there will be but one class, and all will be immortal. The purpose of God, in the formation of the earth, will be accomplished; and the “headstone of the creation will be brought forth with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.”

Chris Maddocks