The Divine Plan Of The Ages
Contents
Chart Of The Ages
The Frontispiece. The Chart is Explained in Chapter 12
Chapter 1
Introduction To The Subject And Method Of This Work
A night of weeping and a morning of joy.-Two methods of seeking truth.-The method herein pursued.-Scope of the work.-A difference between the reverent study of the scriptures and the dangerous habit of speculation.-The object of prophecy.-The present religious condition of the world viewed from two standpoints.- Egyptian darkness.-A bow of promise.-The path of the just progressive.-Cause of the great apostasy.-The reformation.-The same cause again hinders real progress.-Perfection of knowledge not a thing of the past, but of the future.
Chapter 2
The Existence Of A Supreme Intelligent Creator Established.
Evidence aside from the Bible, examined in the light of reason.- An
untenable theory.- A reasonable theory.- The character of God demonstrated.- Reasonable deductions.
Chapter 3
The Bible As A Divine Revelation Viewed In The Light Of Reason
The claims of the Bible and its surface evidence of credibility. - Its antiquity and preservation. - Its moral influence. - Motives of the writers. - General character of the writings. - The books of Moses. - The law of Moses. - Peculiarities of the government instituted by Moses. - It was not a system of priestcraft. - Instructions to civil rulers. - Rich and poor on a common level before the law. - Safeguards against tampering with the rights of the people. - The priesthood not a favored class, how supported, etc. - Oppression of foreigners, widows, orphans and servants guarded against. - The prophets of the Bible. - Is there a common bond of union between the law, the prophets and the new testament writers? - Miracles not unreasonable. - The reasonable conclusion.
Chapter 4
The Epochs And Dispensations Marked In The Development Of The Divine Plan
God's plan definite and systematic. - Three great epochs of the world's history. - Their distinctive features. - "The earth abideth forever." - The world to come, the new heavens and earth. - Subdivisions of these great epochs. - The important features of God's plan thus brought to view. - Order recognized discloses harmony. - Rightly dividing the word of truth.
Chapter 5
"The Mystery Hid From Ages And From Generations, But Now Made Manifest To His Saints" - Col. 1:26
The glimmering light of the first promise. - The promise to Abraham, - Hope deferred. - The mystery begins to unravel at Pentecost. - What the mystery is. - Why so long kept a mystery. - Still a mystery to the world. - In due time to be made manifest to all. - When the mystery will be finished.
Chapter 6
Our Lord's Return - It's Object, The Restitution Of All Things.
Our lord's second advent personal and pre-millennial. - Its relationship to the first advent. - The selection of the church and the conversion of the world. - Election and free grace. - Prisoners of hope. - Prophetic testimony regarding restitution. - Our lord's return manifestly the hope of the church and the world.
Chapter 7
The Permission Of Evil And Its Relation To God's Plan
Why evil was permitted. - Right and wrong as principles. - The moral sense. - God permitted evil and will overrule it for good. - God not the author of sin. - Adam's trial not a farce. - His temptation severe. - He sinned wilfully. - The penalty of sin not unjust, nor too severe. - The wisdom, love and justice displayed in condemning all in Adam. - God's law universal.
Chapter 8
The Day Of Judgment.
The general view of the day of judgment. - Is it scriptural? - The terms, judgment and day, defined. - Several judgment days referred to in the scriptures. - The first judgment day and its results. - Another appointed. - The judge. - The character of the coming judgment. - Similarity and dissimilarity of the first and second judgments. - The world's present accountability. - Two intervening judgments and their objects. - Widely different estimates of the coming judgment. - How prophets and apostles viewed it.
Chapter 9
Ransom And Restitution
The restitution guaranteed by the ransom. - Not everlasting life, but a trial for it, secured by the ransom. - The conditions and advantages of the trial. - Christ's sacrifice necessary. - How the race could be and was redeemed by the death of one. - Faith and works still necessary - The wages of wilful sin certain. - Will there be room on the earth for the resurrected millions?. - Restitution versus evolution.
Chapter 10
Spiritual And Human natures Separate And Distinct.
Common misapprehensions. - Earthly or human and heavenly or spiritual natures. - Earthly glory and heavenly glory. - Bible testimony regarding spirit beings. - Mortality and immortality. - Can mortal beings have everlasting life? - Justice in the bestowment of favors. - A supposed principle examined. - Variety in perfection.- - God's sovereign rights. - God's provision for man a satisfying portion. - The election of the body of Christ. - How their change of nature is effected.
Chapter 11
The Three Ways - The Broad Way, The Narrow way, The Highway.
The broad road to destruction. - The narrow way to life. - What is life? - The divine nature. - The relationship of the divine and human natures. - The reward at the end of the narrow way.- The high calling limited to the gospel age. - Difficulties and dangers of the narrow way. - The highway of holiness.
Chapter 12
Explanation Of Chart Representing The Plan Of The Ages.
The ages. - The harvests. - Planes of actual and reckoned standing. - The course of our lord Jesus. - The course of his followers. - Three classes in the nominal church. - Separation in the harvest. - The anointed class glorified. -The great tribulation class. - The tares burned. - The world blessed. - The outcome glorious.
Chapter 13
The Kingdoms Of This World.
The first dominion. - Its forfeiture. - Its redemption and restoration. - The typical kingdom of God. - The usurper. - Two phases of the present dominion. - The powers that be, ordained of God. - Nebuchadnezzar's view of them. - Daniel's view and interpretation. - The kingdoms of this world viewed from another standpoint. - The proper relationship of the church to present governments. - The divine right of kings briefly examined. - Claims of Christendom false. - A better hope in the fifth universal empire.
Prominence of the subject. - The character of the Kingdom. - The Kingdom during the gospel age. - False views corrected by Paul. - Results of false ideas of the Kingdom. - Two phases or the Kingdom of God. - The spiritual phase and its work. - The earthly phase and its work. - Their harmonious operation. - The glory of the earthly phase. - The glory of the heavenly phase. - The covenant root from which these branches grow. - The earthly phase of the Kingdom, Israelitish. - The lost tribes. - The heavenly Jerusalem, - Israel a typical people. - Israel's loss and recovery, - The elect classes. - The heirs of the Kingdom. - The iron rule. - An illustration of the object of the millennial reign. - The Kingdom delivered to the Father. - God's original design fully accomplished.
The "Day of Jehovah," the "Day of Vengeance," the "Day of Wrath." - A time of great trouble.. - Its cause. - The Bible's testimony regarding it. - Its fire and storm, its shaking and melting, shown to be symbolic. - David's testimony. - The revelator's testimony. - The present situation and the future outlook as viewed by the opposing parties, capitalists and wage-workers. - A remedy which will not succeed. - The veil lifted and light admitted just in due time. - The proof of this. - The condition of the saints during the trouble, and their proper attitude toward it.
Our duty toward the Truth. - Its cost, Its value, Its profit.
Appendix
A Criticism Of Millennial Hopes Examined.
