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p278 Dearest W Kelly, - My own earnest hope is that brethren will walk on in peace, and take no notice whatever of attacks. I am sure it is the most morally dignified, and the path of grace. If the Lord should break down Mr. -, they will not have perpetuated his dishonour.

As regards Apocalypse 7, I have for years considered it the most difficult portion of the Apocalypse. But the great tribulation is not my difficulty. Chapter 3:10 I think explains that. The great tribulation of Matthew 24, Jeremiah, and Daniel 12, is confined to Jacob and Judæa. The great difficulty for me is "before the throne." (Vers. 9, 15.) Were it not for one passage, I might freely take it morally, not actually. The English translation increases the difficulty: "dwell among them," is not in the passage (ver. 15), but "tabernacle over them," as the cloud did Israel. But the temple in no way sets them in heaven. In the holy city there is no temple. It is not the character of heavenly worship to worship in the temple. You will remark, they are not round about the throne, but before it. If in chapter 14:3 ἄδουσιν be applied to the 144,000, "before the throne" applies to those on earth; but in chapter 4:5-6 we have it applied to part of the furniture of the temple above. That they are not the church is to me clear. They are contrasted in their whole condition with the elders; they are saved by Him that sits on the throne and the Lamb, which connects them with the time of introductory government - though not of the millennium; they give no motive for their praise - a mark of the saints who are properly heavenly; their blessings are relief from sufferings, or being led by shepherd's care to food and refreshment; their relationship with God as before the throne takes them out of association with it - the true character of the strictly heavenly saints. Even the angels are round about the throne - not so these.

I certainly think they are separated pre-millennially - are in relationship with God on the ground of the place He takes as introducing the only-begotten into the world - of His throne above, but before He has introduced Him. Hence they pass through the time of temptation which shall come upon all the world. I do not see that the object is to state earth or heaven, but the character of relationship, and that as the elect perfect number of Israel would be saved, so there would be a multitude of Gentiles spared in the time the throne of God held its place on high, and the Lamb was yet there.

But that those who are thus spared have eternal life as supposed by your inquirer, says absolutely nothing of the multitudes that come into existence during the millennium. So that the difficulty as to the rebels at the close does not exist. The great tribulation here spoken of is in no way confined to the Roman earth. I know of none which is particularly applied to that. But there are persons spared - those associated with idolatrous Jews, whom the Lord judges at His coming. The sun not smiting them would tend to prove they are on the earth. Unless the army of the beast (Rev. 19), I know of no objects of judgment of which a remnant is not spared. The wine-press may distinctively mark this, and Edom involved in it. To those who have not received the love of the truth who have it, strong delusion will be sent to believe a lie, that they all might be condemned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. I can hardly think the dragon, beast, and false prophet do not assemble their subjects to Armageddon - but I suppose rather that it is a general assembly of all.

I was thinking the day your letter came of "Reflections on the Psalms."

Ever affectionately yours in the Lord.

[51161E]

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