Wherein millenarians are wrong
By James Gall (1887)
"The form in which the question was put enabled our Lord to give an answer, more to their and our edification than they intended ; and, as it was conveyed in a prophetic style, that is to say, a highly figurative and poetic form, it was, like prophecy in general, capable of more than one application. We need not be surprised, therefore, to find three different Comings alluded to, all of them Comings of the Son of Man to Judgment — First, Christ's coming at the destruction of Jerusalem ; Second, Christ's coming to judge the world at the last day ; and Third, and most important of all, Christ's coming at death ; and these are so blended together that it is neither very easy nor very important to separate them. It cannot be objected to this, that there is a mingling of subjects which are widely different in the same prophecy, because that is characteristic of prophecy in general. CHRIST'S COMING TO JUDGMENT is the subject of the prophecy, and He refers to three of them. If Millenarians refuse to admit this, and insist on the prophecy having only one application, they destroy their own argument, because, in that case, the "Coming" referred to must be the destruction of the Temple and the end of the Dispensation, not His Second Coming to judge the world. If Christ did not answer that question, He answered none at all, because that was the only question that was put to Him. But, although it is evident that much of the prophecy referred to the destruction of the Temple, and, therefore, was a fair answer to their question, it would be impossible to apply the whole prophecy, either to the destruction of the Temple, and the close of the Levitical dispensation, or to the Second Coming. For example, the compassing of Jerusalem with armies, and its being trodden down of the Gentiles, cannot apply to the Second Advent, but only to the destruction of the Temple. " (Page 178)
“The only possible reference is to the coming of Christ at death. "Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season ? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour when he is not aware of ; and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth " (verse 48-51). This parable cannot possibly refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, because preparedness for it did not consist in being a good servant, but in readiness to run away.” (Page 185) “But it does not follow that because, an event, when it does take place, may be sudden and unexpected; therefore, it may take place before its predicted time. In regard to death, there may be no warning given, and it may take place at any time ; but in regard to the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Lord's Second Coming, there were certain events that were to happen before they took place. (page 186)
