Random Quote from Blackstone

William Blackstone in his work Jesus is Coming has a quote that is worthy of note. Anyone who has frequented this blog knows that I am most decidedly Millennial in my thinking. I am also a literalist. Blackstone also adheres to this philosophy. In his chapter entitled "The Three Appearings" he has this to say:

"Jesus and the apostles and the prophets have given great prominence in the Scriptures to this inspiring theme (Christ's Second Coming). The Early Fathers and the Christian church, for the first two centuries of our era, found in it their chief source of hope and comfort. The belief that Jesus was coming in glory to reign with His saints on the earth, during the Millennium, was almost universal with them.

But in the third century there arose a school of interpreters, headed by Origen, who so "spiritualized" the Scriptures that they ceased to believe in any literal Millennium whatsoever. Their system of interpretation has been severely condemned by Martin Luther, Adam Clarke and other commentators.

When Constantine was converted and the Roman empire became nominally Christian, it appeared to many that the Millennium had come, and that they had the kingdom on earth. The church, hand in hand with the world, plunged into the dark ages, until awakened by the great reformers of the sixteenth century, who again began to proclaim the comforting hope and blessed promise of the coming of Christ. Since that time the subject- so long neglected- has been studied and preached with increasing interest. Indeed, in the last two centuries, it seems to have risen (with the doctrine of salvation by simple faith in a crucified Savior) into somewhat the same prominence which it occupied in the early church. God be praised for it!"  (Blackstone p. 37 -38)

Mr. Blackstone is correct. He is not of the same denomination as I am, but the truth is the truth. Mr. Blackstone was a successful businessman and layman in the Methodist Episcopal Church.  He lived from 1841 -1935. This work (Jesus is Coming) was first published in 1878. I recommend anyone to pick up a copy of this work.