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Until Every Enemy Is Put Down: The Coming Triumph of Redemption | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome back to the Deep Dive. That sound you just heard,
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reformed thinking. Well, that sets the stage for
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today's analysis. Our mission today is very
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specific. We are plunging into the
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theological forecast of Jonathan Edwards.
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We're looking at his structured scriptural analysis of the final
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total destruction of Satan's visible Kingdom here on Earth.
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That is right. And, you know, most people think
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of Edwards and they immediately go to the Great Awakening or
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maybe his big theological works. But here we're turning to a
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really key section of his book, history, the work of redemption.
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He gets past recounting what God has already done in history, you
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know, creation, the fall, Christ, life.
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And he starts using prophecy alone to guide his forecast.
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He's looking at events from his own day right up to the very end
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of the world. And what we're looking for here
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is more than just some general optimism.
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Edwards doesn't really deal in vague hope.
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He gives us a specific blueprint, the signs that come
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before this great work, the spiritual mechanism that drives
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it, the nature of the opposition.
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It's going to rise up against the church, and then the
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detailed, glorious result. So if you're curious about how
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this this towering figure of Reformed thought saw the success
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of Christ's redemption playing out on a geopolitical and
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spiritual stage, well, this deep dive should give you the context
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and clarity you need. We're analyzing those aspects
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Edwards thought were more evident from the prophetic word.
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It gives us a kind of shortcut to understanding this pivotal
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theological forecast. His view is rooted in a post
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millennial certainty, the belief that Christ's Kingdom is going
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to achieve a near universal triumph before his physical
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return. So we're really looking at his
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structured view on the mechanism, the how of this world
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altering event, especially when it comes to destroying the
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Kingdom of Antichrist. OK, let's unpack the initial
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condition that Edwards puts forward.
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He suggests that just before this glorious revival kicks off,
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the spiritual state of the world and will the visible church too,
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is going to be remarkably bleak. Spiritual interest will be at a
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real low point, kind of mirroring patterns we've seen
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before other great movements of God in history.
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Right. This idea of preparatory
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darkness is a recurring pattern for Edwards, both theologically
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and historically. You know, think about the world
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right before Christ's first coming.
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Prophetic expectation was high, but the spiritual reality, it
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was one of exceeding degeneracy, formalism, doctrinal corruption
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among the Jews. Or look at Europe just before
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the Reformation. I mean, the visible church was
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just mired and and moral decay. Edwards argues that God often
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lets things get seemingly hopeless to magnify his
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deliverance when it comes. And he connects this spiritual
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decline directly to the rise of what he calls infidelity and
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scoffers. He brings up Luke 18.8.
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When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the
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earth? Now that verse is often read as
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looking ahead to the second coming.
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But Edwards, with his specific focus here, he applies it
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directly to Christ's coming to establish his Kingdom, you know,
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to avenge his suffering church by destroying Antichrist.
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For him, it signals A widespread unbelief right before this
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deliverance happens. And that interpretation is very
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characteristic of his time. You have to remember Edwards was
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writing at the height of the Enlightenment.
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Rationalism and deism were highly confident, very
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influential, especially among the educated elites.
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Deism, this belief in a non intervening impersonal God, was
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scornful of supernatural revelation, of historical
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prophecy, of any kind of experiential faith.
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So Edward sees this rise of deism and skepticism, these
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scoffers walking after their own, less as the actual
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observable fulfillment of prophecies like Second Peter 3
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and Jude 1718. So he's not just talking in
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generalities about sin, he's actually pointing a finger at a
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specific intellectual movement in his own time, the scorn that
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was directed at what he called vital religion.
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OK, for Edwards, if Christianity isn't deeply personal and
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experiential, it's just formalism.
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And that lack of vital religion is precisely what prophecy
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predicts for the time right before Christ's triumph.
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It's a time when vice is common and true faith is minimal.
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And the spiritual winter it serves another function.
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It sets the stage for God's justice.
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This dark time justifies the long continued suffering and cry
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of the persecuted church. Edwards quotes Revelation 6.10
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Agonizing cry from under the altar.
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How long, O Lord, holy and true, does thou not judge and event
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our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
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This period of darkness and intense persecution is the
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ultimate reason for the coming deliverance.
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The prolonged silence makes the final judgement all the more
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dramatic and righteous. So the severity of the spiritual
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winter then kind of acts as a negative assurance that the
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promised spring is near. The world hits a spiritual low
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point which confirms that the time has come for the Lord to
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answer the prayers of those who have suffered for centuries
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under what He calls spiritual Babylon.
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It's the darkest point of the night, right before the dawn
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breaks. Right now, despite the cosmic
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size of the event, he's promising the annihilation of
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Satan's entire visible Kingdom. Edwards firmly counters a
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popular idea. The idea often held by
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Anabaptist groups back then was that this would all happen
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instantaneously, or just by some single great miracle, like an
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army of angels descending. And that distinction is crucial,
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isn't it? It's not some sudden global
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magic trick, he asserts. This world changing work will be
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wrought gradually through ordinary means, primarily the
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preaching of the gospel and the faithful use of the means of
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grace. Why do you think he was so
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insistent on ordinary means for such an extraordinary
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conclusion? Well, it speaks directly to
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Reformed theology concerning God's Providence.
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God typically operates through secondary causes.
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To expect a sudden single miracle would contradict the
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patterns we see all through redemptive history.
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He even gives historical parallels.
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The return from the Babylonish captivity wasn't one big March.
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It was gradual in successive companies slowly rebuilding the
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city and temple. Same with the destruction of the
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heathen Roman Empire. It was achieved by a gradual,
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though certainly swift, prevalency of the gospel over
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several centuries. So the.
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Speed is in the effect, not the method.
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The method is continuous labor and preaching, but the effect is
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an accelerated rate of conversion.
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He uses some powerful scriptural imagery to solidify this idea of
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gradual yet unstoppable expansion by the stone cut out
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of the mountain without hands in Daniel Two starts as a small
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thing, but it grows gradually until it fills the whole earth,
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shattering that colossal image of human kingdoms.
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That stone imagery is perfect. It shows Christ's Kingdom
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starting small may be as insignificant as the early
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missionary efforts in the 18th century, but destined for global
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domination. And Christ himself repeats this
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pattern in Matthew 13 when describing the Kingdom of
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heaven. It's like a tiny grain of
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mustard seed which starts small but becomes the largest herb.
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Or like Levin, hidden 3 measures of meal silently, internally and
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gradually influencing the whole mass until every bit is
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completely transformed. Which means we should be looking
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for successive conversions, spreading revivals that jump
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from one continent to another, and the gradual enlightening of
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1 nation after another. That's some singular global
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moment where everyone just wakes up converted at the same time.
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The process is organic, unstoppable once it begins, and
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relies on human voices carrying the divine message.
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To further structure this progression, Edwards points to
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the prophetic periods detailed in Daniel 12, which signals
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successive glorious events. He references the 1290 days and
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the 13135 days. Now, without getting bogged down
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in precise calculations which Edwards knew were conjectural,
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the key insight is the relationship between those two
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periods. Right.
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So what's the difference between the blessing attached to the
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1290 days and the one for the 13135 days?
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Well, the 13. 135 days is associated with a specific
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blessing. Blessed is he that waiteth and
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cometh to the 1305 and 30 days. This suggests that while the
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first period, the 1290 days, see some big events, maybe the start
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of the final push against Antichrist, the later period
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brings something much more glorious.
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It brings a settled state of spiritual happiness and peace.
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It's the time of ultimate flourishing after the great
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battles are finally won. So the whole process is
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structured sequentially. The first period brings conflict
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and success, which then leads to the second period of unrivaled
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spiritual prosperity. The victory over the enemy is
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followed by a period of deep flourishing, which fits that
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model of gradual yet swift progress perfectly.
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OK, so if the work is gradual and it's accomplished by means,
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we need to identify the source of its acceleration.
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What's the engine that takes these slow, ordinary means and
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gives them this extraordinary global effect?
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Edwards is completely clear on this.
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This great work is not achieved by the political authority of
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Princess, or the wisdom of learned people, or even the
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skill of preachers. It is solely by God's Spirit.
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It's a direct echo of Zechariah 4.6 and seven, not by might, nor
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by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.
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This is a necessary theological safeguard against human pride.
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Human institutions, whether they're governmental or
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academic, they will not be the driving force behind this
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revolution. It's a sovereign spiritual work
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of divine intervention in the moral world.
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When God pours out His Spirit as promised in Ezekiel 39.29, the
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entire spiritual climate just changes dramatically.
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And the immediate effect of that addresses the very darkness we
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were just talking about. Vice and wickedness, which were
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so prevalent in that time of infidelity, will suddenly just a
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bait and flee away. And that vital religion, that
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deep experiential faith that was mocked as fanaticism, will
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suddenly revive and become universally honored and
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respected. It's a complete moral and social
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inversion. Right.
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And not only does the quality of religion change, but the speed
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and the scope of conversion during this time will be
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unprecedented. Edwards cites Isaiah 44 saying
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that the work will break forth and go on in such a manner as
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never has been hitherto. This is the Holy Spirit not just
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converting individuals, but also raising up and equipping the
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human instruments, ministers, missionaries, filling them with
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extraordinary knowledge, wisdom, and fervent zeal for this
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specific goal of promoting Christ's global Kingdom.
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I find that scriptural image he uses in Isaiah 60.8 so evocative
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for describing the speed of these conversions, multitudes
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flying as a cloud and as the doves to their windows.
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What does an image like that convey about the nature of the
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spiritual movement? Well, it conveys several things.
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First, volume, A cloud implies an immense multitude, far beyond
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any revival we've seen before. Second, speed.
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They are flying, moving rapidly. And 3rd instinct doves
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instinctively fly to their own windows, their nesting places,
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for shelter and safety. It suggests that once the gospel
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light is truly seen, the human soul, under the influence of the
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Spirit, just instinctually flees to Christ as its natural,
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necessary refuge. It's a massive, immediate and
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irresistible movement toward the goodness of the Lord, with
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streams of people flowing together continuously.
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So this divine acceleration is the mechanism, the means used.
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Preaching, teaching, evangelism are ordinary human instruments,
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but they're made overwhelmingly effective through the immediate
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operation of the Spirit. It shifts the focus away from
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the human ability of the preacher or the wisdom of a
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political strategy, and it places the entire burden and
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glory on the sovereign intention of God.
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Exactly. And this spirit fueled
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conversion wave is inseparable from the powerful proclamation
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of the gospel. Revelation 14 indicates that
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before Babylon falls, before Antichrist is destroyed, the
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everlasting gospel shall be powerfully preached and
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propagated in the world. The preaching is the means, the
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Spirit is the power. Edwards calls this glorious time
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ahead, the church's jubilee. He's drawing a typology from
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Leviticus 25, where the silver trumpets were sanded throughout
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Israel at the start of their jubilee year.
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And that was a year of incredible restoration.
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Debts were canceled, land went back to its original owners and
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bond servants were set free. And the Gospel itself is that
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silver trumpet announcing liberty, Isaiah 27 foretells.
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The great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which
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were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcast of
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the land of Egypt. It is the sound of good tidings
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and release for those who were previously held captive by
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spiritual servitude to Satan or superstition or their debt to
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divine justice. What's so significant here is
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the widespread success that's anticipated this gospel
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preaching. Now, coupled with this massive
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outpouring of the Spirit, it causes specific doctrines that
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were previously ridiculed, especially those about original
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sin, atonement, sovereign grace. To revive it results in a
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massive turning away from organized heresy, from popery,
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and from other false ways that dominate the spiritual
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landscape. And this movement is predicted
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to spread swiftly through every tongue, kindred, and nation.
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Edwards understands that since the gospel is preached to every
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nation, kindred, tongue and people before the fall of
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Antichrist, it must be gloriously successful.
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It has to bring in vast multitudes from every corner of
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the earth. It's not some weak token effort.
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It's a successful evangelistic campaign on a global scale.
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It's compelling that the means stay ordinary, the simple act of
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preaching, but the result is globally extraordinary because
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the Spirit is poured out without measure.
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This revival turns scorn doctrines into universally
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accepted truth, and it formally introduces the Church's time of
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liberty, the jubilee that follows centuries of captivity.
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This period also implies a huge preparation phase.
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I mean, for the Gospel to reach every corner, there has to be a
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massive translation effort, logistical support, and a zeal
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for missions that's unparalleled in history.
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The Spirit not only converts the hearer, but also moves the
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Church to execute the Great Commission with unprecedented
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vigor. So we've discussed the coming
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glory, but Edwards reminds us that this transition from
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darkness to light is not seamless.
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It's not peaceful. As Christ begins to come forth
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in glory and Satan's visible Kingdom shows those first signs
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of cracking, the powers of darkness will rise up in a
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unified, violent and desperate opposition.
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Right. Edward sees this as the last and
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greatest effort of Satan to save his domain.
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He sees the foundations of his visibility and his authority
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starting to crack, which causes a catastrophic alarm throughout
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the realm of hell. I mean, if Satan was furious
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when he was cast out of just the Roman Empire in Constantine's
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Day, how much more intense is his rage when he's faced with
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the prospect of being cast out of the entire world?
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To understand the mechanism of this final conflict we have to
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turn to Revelation. The scriptural basis for this
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counter effort is found after the pouring out of the 6th vile
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in Revelation 16. We should probably be clear for
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the listener, what exactly are the vials in Edwards's prophetic
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framework? OK.
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In classical reformed interpretation of prophecy, the
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seven vials of Revelation represents 7 successive
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judgments poured out by God on the Roman Empire, primarily the
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anti Christian Kingdom which they saw as popery.
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The first five are generally seen as judgments already
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executed, maybe culminating with the Reformation.
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The 6th vial poured out on the river Euphrates is symbolic.
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It dries up the river, which is interpreted as preparing the way
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for the kings of the East. Just as the literal drying of
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the Euphrates allowed Cyrus to conquer Babylon historically, so
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Edward sees this as a weakening of the power structures around
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spiritual Babylon Rome to pave the way for its destruction.
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And it's after this weakening that the crucial counter move
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happens. 3 Unclean spirits, like frogs, go force to the kings of
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the earth. Right, and these spirits are
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gathering global support, uniting all opposition to the
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battle of the Great Day of God Almighty, which is often
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identified with Armageddon. This alliance is not regional.
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Edward sees it as total, uniting all the remaining visible forces
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of Satan, anti Christianity, Muhammadanism and heathenism.
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So this alliance represents the entire visible Kingdom of Satan
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across the whole world. Let's breakdown the sources of
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these three spirits, because this is where Edward's specific
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18th century geopolitical analysis really comes in.
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They come from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false
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prophet. Right.
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The dragon commonly signifies the devil as he reigns over the
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heathen kingdoms, the gross idolatry that dominates vast
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swaths of Africa, Asia, and America.
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The beast refers specifically to Antichrist or Popery,
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representing the idolatrous Roman power.
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That's a standard Protestant interpretation.
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But the false prophet is the key historically.
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While sometimes that term is applied generally to the Pope
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and his clergy, Edwards makes a point of distinction here.
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He argues that the false prophet refers specifically to Muhammad,
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the figure his followers revered as the great prophet of God.
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And that's a major theological move.
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Why separate the false prophet from the beast from Popery?
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Because in Edwards Day, the Islamic Ottoman Empire was an
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immense geopolitical and spiritual force, Muhammadanism.
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It was just as large a visible obstacle to Christ's global
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Kingdom as Potpourri was. So by identifying the three
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spirits with the Dragon Heathenism, the beast Potpourri,
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and the false prophet Muhammadanism, he's saying that
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this final desperate battle pits the unified spirit of all three
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major false world systems against Christ and his Church.
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And this unified opposition will involve external force is
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joining hands, as Revelation 19 notes.
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But Edwards is quick to remind us that the fight is also deeply
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intellectual and spiritual. It includes subtle disputations,
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carnal reasoning, fierce persecution craft, and virulent
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reproaches aimed at those who profess vital religion.
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Satan employs his entire arsenal, gathering his most
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articulate and powerful instruments for one last stand.
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But despite the global scale and the intensity of this
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opposition, the outcome is never in doubt.
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Christ and his Church upset a complete, swift and total
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victory. This isn't a partial success.
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It's a definitive absolute routing of Satan's final effort.
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The advance of Christ and his Church is described in
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Revelation 19 in a way that is just August and glorious.
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Christ appears on a White Horse wearing the title King of Kings
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and Lord of Lords. It's a display of conquering
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majesty. The sheer magnitude of the
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overthrow is shown by that gruesome imagery of calling the
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fowls of heaven to eat the great supper of the flesh of kings,
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captains and mighty men. That signifies the total
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destruction of the military and political structures that oppose
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Christ. And the decisive moment of
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victory coincides precisely with the pouring out of the 7th vial.
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If the first six vials weakened, Antichrist the 7th delivers the
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fatal blow. Revelation 16 records that after
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the great army is gathered at Armageddon, the 7th Angel pours
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his vial into the air, and a great voice cries out.
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It is done. It is done.
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And what's the significance of the vial being poured into the
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air? Well, in Scripture the air is
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frequently referenced as the special seat of Satan's Kingdom.
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Ephesians 2.2 calls him the Prince of the power of the air.
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So pouring the final judgment into the air signals that the
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very atmosphere, the whole spiritual environment
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encompassing the earth, is purified.
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The entire visible dominion of Satan is shattered, marking the
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definitive completion of the work.
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And that blow is the finishing structural destruction to the
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world image described in Daniel 2.
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That stone which was growing gradually, now strikes the image
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of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay.
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The entire structure breaks to pieces and becomes like the
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chaff of the summer threshing floor, blown away completely.
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And This is why the victory is the greatest ever obtained in
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redemptive history. It's a total defeat of all of
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Satan's measures, leaving him baffled and confounded.
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His anti Christian, Muhammadan, and heathenish kingdoms all
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tumble down at the same time. Christ demonstrates his absolute
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dominion, dashing his enemies in pieces like a Potter's vessel,
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fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 42, where the Church has
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made a new, sharp, threshing instrument that shall thresh the
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mountains and beat them. Small divine strength is
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manifestly seen coming out of apparent weakness.
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So following this great military and spiritual victory, Satan's
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visible Kingdom on Earth is systematically destroyed.
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Edwards details this destruction in four major comprehensive
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categories. This is where we see the global
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scope of the change. The world is wiped clean of
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these dominant structures of sin and opposition.
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Right. And that 7th vial poured into
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the air is the agent of this cleansing.
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It signals the comprehensive removal of the spiritual
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influence of darkness from the Earth's atmosphere, making way
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for the universal light of the Gospel.
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The first area of overthrow addresses spiritual corruption
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among those already under the light of the gospel.
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Before dealing with external heathens, internal enemies have
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to be purged. So heresies, infidelity and
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superstition, specifically Deism and other forms of intellectual
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skepticism that were so bold in Edward's time, she'll just
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vanish and be driven away to nothing.
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And the result is a doctrinal uniformity never before seen in
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the Church's history. Edward Sites.
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Zechariah 14.9. The Lord shall be king over all
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the earth in that day. Shall there be 1.
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Lord and His Name 1. All believers will agree on the
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great and key doctrines of the gospel, a doctrinal peace
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following centuries of contentious debate.
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All superstitious modes of worship will also be abolished,
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ensuring a universal purity of practice.
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Then comes the centerpiece of the prophetic victory for 18th
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century Reformed thinkers, the utter destruction of the Kingdom
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of Antichrist, which they identified as spiritual Babylon,
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the idolatrous Roman government, first under heathenism and then
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supremely under potpourri. Right.
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Edwards views the Reformation as merely weakening Antichrist,
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like a vial poured on his throne.
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But now he's utterly destroyed. Revelation 18 gives the explicit
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details. This cruel, proud city,
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spiritual Babylon, that lifted herself up to heaven, will be
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thrown, found with violence, like a great millstone cast into
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the sea, never to be found again.
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The destruction is so complete that she becomes a habitation of
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devils and the hold of every foul spirit.
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That imagery of the kings turning on Rome is particularly
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striking, isn't it? The political support base just
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collapses entirely. The kings of the earth who once
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gave their power and strength to the beast will now actively hate
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the whore, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn
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her with fire as it's described in Revelation 17.
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The political and economic loyalty that maintained that
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anti Christian power structure dissolves and the very powers
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that propped her up turned into her executioners.
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And it is necessary to state that we are reporting on Edwards
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historical interpretation of these specific prophecies.
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For him, the destruction of the centralized, corrupt, visible
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form of institutional oppression, spiritual Babylon,
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is synonymous with the success of Christ's rule.
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This abolition ensures that the path is clear for the simple,
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pure preaching of the gospel to dominate.
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OK, so the second and third major components of Satan's
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visible Kingdom to fall are the Muhammadan Empire and Jewish
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infidelity. Let's start with Muhammadanism.
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Edwards views this as the smoke which ascended from the
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bottomless pit represented by the locusts and horsemen in
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Revelation 9. Right Muhammadanism, despite
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being upheld by a vast empire, the Ottomans were a massive
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force in his day and widely propagated geographically, shall
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be utterly scattered. The smoke will vanish before the
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light of the glorious Gospel day.
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This underscores the conviction that political and military
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strength is no match for the spiritual reality of the
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outpouring of the Spirit. An established global empire is
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fragile when confronted by divine light.
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Then we addressed the Jewish infidelity after 17 centuries of
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national obstinacy following the crucifixion of Christ.
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The thick veil that blinds Israel will be removed as
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promised in 2nd Corinthians 3, and this is defined as a
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national conversion, not just scattered individuals
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integrating into Gentile churches.
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And here is where the deeply emotional and theological
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dimension comes in. Their hearts will be melted and
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renewed by the Spirit, leading to profound penitence.
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They will mourn for Christ, looking on him whom they have
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pierced, mourning for Him as one mourns for an only Son, as
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foretold in Zechariah 12. This is an awakening rooted in a
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national recognition of their rejection of the Messiah,
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leading to widespread faith in Him.
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And Edward stresses that nothing is more certainly foretold in
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Scripture than this national conversion, specifically
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referencing Romans 11. He sees their continued
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preservation as a distinct nation for over 1600 years,
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dispersed, yet retaining their identity across the globe as a
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continual miracle providing tangible proof of God's explicit
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intention to restore them. And this restoration also
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requires the reunification of the remaining 10 tribes, often
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called Ephraim, with Judah. They will be brought in together
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as one people, returning to the unity they had under David and
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Solomon, fulfilling prophecies in Hosea and Ezekiel.
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The physical in Gathering is seen as coinciding with the
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spiritual in Gathering. And the timing of this
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conversion is prophetically synchronized with a Gentile
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triumph. Romans 11 states that they're
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coming in will be life from the dead to the Gentiles.
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We really need to unpack this monumental phrase.
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What does Edward suggest life from the dead means in this
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context? Is it just a quantitative
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increase in missionary success, or is it something more?
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It's generally understood to be qualitative, though it certainly
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includes massive conversions. Life from the dead suggests A
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resurrection level spiritual intensity, a new creation.
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The restoration of Israel is seen as releasing such a potent
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spiritual blessing and such a demonstration of God's
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faithfulness, the fulfilling of promises made to Abraham, that
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it will inject an entirely new level of spiritual vigor,
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vibrancy, and holiness into the already flourishing Gentile
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church. The conversion of Israel is a
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catalytic event leading to a spiritual experience for the
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global church, far surpassing even the glories of that initial
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Gentile success. So the spiritual harvest in the
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Gentile world might be great, but after the Jewish conversion,
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there's a subsequent, even greater spiritual awakening, a
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resurrection of fervor, piety, and purity that follows.
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That's a powerful incentive to consider the Jewish Inn
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gathering not as an isolated event, but as the trigger for
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the ultimate spiritual climax of the church's time on earth.
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Right, and the final massive aspect of the overthrow is the
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complete end of gross heathenism.
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Edwards notes that heathenism possessed the largest part of
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the earth in his day, far more adherence than all Christian or
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Muhammadan professions combined. This darkness shall be totally
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enlightened. And this requires an
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unparalleled mobilization. He foresees a wonderful spirit
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of pity and zeal poured into multitudes across the Christian
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world, inspiring them to carry the gospel abroad into regions
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that were previously considered inaccessible.
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This joyful sound will finally reach the vast, long neglected
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regions of the Earth that have been covered with darkness for
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millennia. The geographical scope he
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outlines is truly revolutionary, especially for an 18th century
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New England minister who had never traveled beyond the
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colonies. He explicitly names three vast
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regions that will be visited by glorious light, demonstrating a
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world map view of prophetic expectation.
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Let's detail these three areas, keeping in mind how daring this
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vision must have been in the 1740s.
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First, Africa. Edwards identifies that nations
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in Africa then viewed by many Westerners as below the level of
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beasts due to their deep barbarity and lack of political
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organization. Harsh perspective, we report as
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reflecting the attitudes of his era, will become a civil,
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Christian and holy people. This predicts the total
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spiritual transformation and civilization of the entire
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continent, overturning deeply entrenched societal darkness.
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2nd, the vast continent of America.
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Edward sees America, despite having Christian settlements, as
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largely covered with barbarous ignorance due to the presence of
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indigenous populations engaged in what he called devil worship.
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He prophesized that this entire continent will be covered
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everywhere with glorious gospel light, replacing that devil
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worship with praise to Christ. And 3rd, the populist part of
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the world known as the East Indies.
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So modern Asia, which was dominated by complex, long
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standing religious systems and often engaged in devil worship.
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Edwards predicts the Kingdom of Christ will be established here,
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overturning ancient civilizations.
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He even extends this geographical vision to newly
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discovered lands toward the North and South Poles, where
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people live in isolation and often in savage conditions.
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The idea that evangelism would reach every single corner,
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regardless of physical or cultural obstacle, really
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defines the universality of this vision.
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And this comprehensive victory fulfills Isaiah 35.1.
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The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them,
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and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the Rose.
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It's the total abolishing of idols and the scattering of
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darkness from the earth, reaching even the most remote
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and seemingly hopeless parts of the globe.
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The fourfold overthrow, Popery, Muhammadanism, Jewish unbelief
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and heathenism leaves no stone unturned in the visible Kingdom
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of Satan. So if we synthesize this
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fourfold overthrow, the scope of Christ's rule becomes crystal
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clear. It means the fulfillment of that
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ancient promise made to Abraham, that in his seed all the
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families of the earth shall be blessed.
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Christ becomes the desire of all nations, as Haggai 2 foretells.
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And Edwards insists the Kingdom will extend to the whole earth
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in the most strict and literal sense.
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There's no room for exceptions or reservations.
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To illustrate this total coverage, he leans on the
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metaphor in Isaiah 11.9. For the earth shall be full of
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the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
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That analogy is perfect for conveying totality, isn't it?
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Just as there's no part of the sea channel or bed that isn't
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covered by water, there'll be no part of the world of mankind, no
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tribe or remote nation that is without the knowledge of God.
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And this universal dominion will be given under the whole heaven,
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as Daniel 7 promises. We discussed earlier that the
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casting out of Satan from the Roman Empire was described in
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Scripture as Satan being cast out of heaven to the earth.
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Well now through this final work of redemption, he is cast out of
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the earth as well and shut up in the bottomless pit.
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This shift, the total overthrow of Satan's visible Kingdom which
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it stood since the confusion of Babel, is regarded as the single
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greatest revolution that has ever occurred in the world's
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history. It's why Revelation 16 compares
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it to a mighty earthquake such as was not.
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Since men were upon Earth, it shatters the entire corrupted
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structure of global society. And this dispensation is so
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earth shattering that it's likened to Christ's physical
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coming to judgment, far more so than any preceding work.
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The accompanying spiritual resurrection of the Church of
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God, seen in the widespread conversion and purity, resembles
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the general resurrection at the end of the world.
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This is the time when Christ destroys Antichrist with the
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brightness of his coming. As noted inside the
30:06
Thessalonians, the work is decisive, final and glorious.
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We should acknowledge, though, that this glorious introduction
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isn't entirely peaceful for the enemies of Christ.
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It's preceded by the visible, awful hand of God executing
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terrible judgments and fearful destruction upon God's enemies.
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This divine vengeance is directed against blasphemers,
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deists, obstinate heretics, and other clear enemies of the
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Gospel who persist in their opposition.
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The severity of the judgments is particularly concentrated
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against anti Christian persecutors.
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The cruel perpetrators of the Church of Rome will suffer far
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more dreadful punishments than they inflicted on the Saints,
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fulfilling Revelation 18. It's likened to casting
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Antichrist alive into the Lake of Fire, which symbolizes
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immediate and complete destruction, not just a gradual
30:52
decline. And the physical imagery used to
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describe these judgments really emphasizes their crushing
30:58
finality. They're compared to great
31:00
hailstones from heaven, every stone about the weight of a
31:03
talent signaling the exceeding greatness of the plague, as seen
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in Revelation 16. This is also the time of the
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treading of the winepress described in Revelation 14,
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where God executes his fierce wrath.
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But these judgments signal the absolute conclusion of the
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church's suffering state. Her afflicted state, which
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lasted from Christ's resurrection until this time,
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finally comes to an end. Isaiah 40 proclaims that her
31:26
warfare is accomplished and her iniquity is pardoned.
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The Lord has removed the cup of trembling from her hand, and she
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will drink it no more. The historical period of the
31:34
church operating under a men's arrest and persecution is over.
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The entire era preceding this was the Church's sewing time, a
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time of Labor, often sowing in tears and in blood.
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Now is the glorious harvest, where she comes again rejoicing,
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bringing her sheaves with her. The time of travail for the
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woman close with the sun is concluded, and the spiritual
31:54
manchild is brought forth in universal glory and peace.
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And with sorrow conclusively giving way to triumph, the
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praises ascending to God will be truly universal.
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They will rise from all parts of the earth as promised in Isaiah
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42, filling not only the earth but also heaven itself with
32:10
shouts of joy. The Church on earth and the
32:13
Church in heaven will unite in rejoicing and praising God with
32:15
one heart. Edward specifically draws
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attention to the fact that the holy apostles and prophets in
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heaven will rejoice because God has avenged them, linking this
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overthrow directly back to their historical sufferings and those
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long continued cries for justice.
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This joy is magnificently described in Isaiah 44.23.
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Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it.
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Shout ye lower parts of the earth, break forth into singing,
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ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein.
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The Universal Church in heaven and on earth sings joyful
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praises on this occasion, as detailed powerfully in the
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beginning of the 19th chapter of Revelation, when the voice of a
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great multitude, child's Alleluia for the Lord God
32:55
Omnipotent, reigneth. And the culmination of this
32:58
entire dispensation is the definitive introduction of
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Christ's everlasting Kingdom. The old heavens and old earth,
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referring to the existing order erupted by sin, darkness and
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opposition, pass away in a greater measure than ever
33:10
before. The new heavens and new earth,
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representing the glorious state of peace and purity, are set up
33:16
in a far more magnificent manner, bringing this entire
33:18
phase of the success of Christ's purchase to its climax.
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And this new state is not the eternal state, but that glorious
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long period of peace and spiritual flourishing known
33:27
generally as the Millennium, where the Church enjoys
33:30
uninterrupted light and fellowship, preparing the world
33:32
for Christ's final physical return.
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So Edwards, drawing purely from prophecy, provides a remarkably
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detailed and specific sequence for the ultimate triumph of
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Christ's Kingdom. Let's just review the blueprint
33:44
for the listener. We start in a time of spiritual
33:47
darkness and widespread infidelity, followed by the
33:50
sudden, swift revival triggered by the pouring out of the Spirit
33:53
the Church's jubilee. Right.
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And this success provokes the final unified opposition, the
33:59
Triple Alliance of the Dragon Heathenism, the Beast Potpourri
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and the False Prophet Muhammadanism.
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The victory arrives decisively, with the pouring out of the 7th
34:08
vial into the air, signaling the absolute completion of the work
34:12
and the total overthrow of all of Satan's visible kingdoms.
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And that overthrow is comprehensive and fourfold the
34:18
abolition of internal heresies and the fall of spiritual
34:20
Babylon, the collapse of the Muhammadan Empire, the highly
34:23
anticipated national conversion of the Jews, and finally the
34:26
Enlightenment of all heathenish darkness across continents like
34:29
Africa, America, and Asia. The true value of this prophetic
34:32
view, especially from this Reformed viewpoint, is seeing
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God's reliance on the ordinary means of grace, the faithful
34:39
preaching of the gospel, even during the world's greatest
34:42
spiritual revolutions. It assures us that God's
34:45
providential control extends even to the precise geopolitical
34:49
fall of specific empires and false religions, all through the
34:52
mechanism of widespread conversion.
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It grounds the grand prophetic narrative in the diligent use of
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the simple means appointed by Christ.
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It's a work executed through the steady process of evangelism,
35:03
just amplified by sovereign grace.
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So here's the final thought to consider that builds directly on
35:08
Edwards source material. We've analyzed how Edwards,
35:11
following Romans 11, insists that the national calling of
35:14
Israel will be life from the dead to the Gentiles.
35:17
This implies a spiritual surge of resurrection level intensity.
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So if the conversion of the Jews follows the initial glorious,
35:25
widespread conversion of the Gentiles and results in a
35:27
blessing that is life from the dead, what does that suggest
35:30
about the depth and the qualitative experience of the
35:33
spiritual blessings still awaiting the global church even
35:35
after Christ's Kingdom is established everywhere?
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A compelling question to Mull over as you reflect on the
35:41
absolute triumph of the work of redemption.
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Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into prophetic
35:46
scripture. We look forward to your
35:48
continued knowledge seeking.