The Great Salvation/25

PROPOSITION 25.

The Earth Is to Be the Everlasting Inheritance of the Righteous - Not Heaven

Gen. 1315 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.

Rom. 4:13 For the promise that he (Abraham) should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the law, but (it was) through the righteousness of faith.

Psa. 37:9 For evil doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Verse 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Verse 22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

Verse 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever.

Verse 34 Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the /and; when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.

Psa. 115:10 The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's; but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Prov. 11:31 Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more tile wicked and the sinner.

Dan. 7:27 And the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

Matt. 5:5 Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.

Rev. 5:9, 10 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth.

Now, dear reader, it is impossible for testimony to be clearer than this. Where is there room now for the theory that finds expression in the following fanciful words?

"Beyond the bounds of time and space, Look forward to that heavenly place, the saints secure abode."

How can heaven be the eternal abode of the righteous, when it is so positively said that the meek shall inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever? If good men go to heaven at death why did not David go there? If he did not go there why should we expect to go? He did not; for the Apostle Peter declares: "For David is not ascended into the heavens" (Acts 2:34); and it is said further, "And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that came down from heaven" (John 3:13).

Now the everlasting inheritance in the earth, when God shall have blessed it and all nations upon it is the one gospel, which gospel was preached to Abraham: "And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." Hence we may safely take another step.