Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 3
June 28, 1951
NUMBER 9, PAGE 6,11c

"Truth Advance" --- And Retreat --- No. 2

H. H. Dunn, Huntington, Arkansas

Now let us pass a year and, as Editor Chambers assures he has done, examine another volume of the Harbinger. I am sure that he read at least a part of this volume and, if he read it, he knew that he quoted only a part of a sentence given on page 74. He might have copied this part of sentence from some other misleading writer. Here is his quotation: "In one word, I yet believe in a Millennium—a thousand years—a Sabbath of bliss before the scenes of Gog and Magog are transacted—(Just here Mr. Chambers closed the quotation with a period as though that was the end of the sentence. Why did he do it? H.H.D.) (Let us read the rest of it.) I believe David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Apostle John--and because I believe them, I know not how to believe the old or the new editions of an entirely new dispensation and administration of Christianity by the King in person, after the resurrection of the dead, and before the end of time.

With me, the resurrection of the dead—the final judgment, and THE LAST DAY, (caps are Mr. Campbell's H.H.D.) are yet contemporaneous events; and, therefore, if there be no Millennium before, there can be none after the resurrection, the final judgment, and the last day. I therefore regard all these brethren as deceived by false reasoning in denying a temporal (Mr. Campbell italicized temporal) Millennium, which they all effectually do, in making the world end immediately.' Again, did Editor Chambers think he wouldn't get caught? Why will men do such things?

From page 11 to and including page 16 Mr. Chambers asks questions and answers them. Here is one of them: "But premillennialists teach three comings of Jesus.' Notice his answer: "Would you bar Him from returning to His footstool but once? Does "second coming preclude more? However, when His ransomed go to meet Him He has reached only the atmospheric regions. (New vocabulary? H.H.D.) His second coming is not consummated until He comes WITH HIS saints as in 1 Thess. 3:13 and Jude 14, which is the event of Mt. 24:30; of Rev. 19:14.' Now we will let one of his star witnesses be heard again. Who is he? Oh, Mr. Campbell. The man that we were assured was a premillennialist. "Now as there are not three personal comings of the Lord, and as one is certainly past, whatever is to be done at the second and final coming of the Lord, incompatible with the continuance of the present constitution of the earth and the human constitution, is, in my opinion, an unanswerable argument against the theory of the immediate end of the world. For example: the coming of the Lord is "THE DAY OF THE LORD'—"THE LAST DAY'—"the day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men. On that day the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth, also, and the works that are upon it shall be burned up;' indeed "all these things'—the present constitution of nature—"SHALL BE DISSOLVED.'

I need not multiply quotations. I regard Peter's last words as not disputed nor contradicted by any inspired man. I believe that these words indicate a dissolution of the planet—not an annihilation of it—and then a new creation—a resurrection of a new out of it, homogeneous with the spiritual bodies of the saints—will ensue.—Now, because I believe Peter in this passage, and the last words of John, that, before this dissolution of nature, or before time shall close, we shall have a thousand, a Millennium of rest, and peace, and triumph, I cannot see how the promises and faithfulness of God, to Jew or Gentile can be maintained; in other words, how the prophecies above quoted could, in my judgment, ever be accomplished.

A new covenant with the Jews shall never be made. They shall never return to their own land; in fact, their own land shall be no more after the present year; and all those promises found in Isaiah shall never be accomplished.' Harbinger 1843, p. 76. On page four Mr. Chambers writes: "It is to be recognized that in that period around the dates set by Mr. Miller and the Adventists for the Lord's return, and the failure of their date-setting (1843-1844) Campbell receded a bit from positions previously taken by him, but our last quotations show that in his later years he had reacted strongly, in his hope of prophetic fulfillment.' This paragraph I deny in its totality. Mr. Campbell receded at no time nor again reacted concerning his hopes of prophetic fulfillment. He was not a premillennialist before Miller's day nor after it. He considered such teaching as Miller, Editor Chambers, and all such as the work of novices in Bible study.

In the May issue of the Harbinger, 1849, beginning on page 261 Mr. Campbell printed a letter sent to him by H T. Anderson of Louisville, Ky. (quite a well known place for premillennial teaching., H.H.D.) and headed by this question: "Is not Christ to sit upon the throne of David?" Mr. Anderson was not a date-setter as Mr. Miller. He was the same type premillennialist that Editor Chambers and his co-adjutors of today are. It is not necessary to quote Mr. Anderson's letter here. You can get the gist of it from Mr. Campbell's answer as given beginning on page 289 of the same issue. Here it is: "An opinion has been occasionally propagated at different periods of the Christian Church, that the conversion of the Jews would be affected at once in a national way, and that by a personal and literal return of the Messiah to the literal and earthly Jerusalem in Judea, where our Lord was crucified. This opinion has again been revived in connection with other kindred notions, propagated also at different periods of the Christian Church concerning the state of the dead, of which I cannot now speak particularly. But the recent attempts to revive the oft alleged, and as oft refuted, notions of the personal and literal return to Jerusalem of the Messiah to sit upon the literal throne of David, and thus convert the Jews by sight rather than by faith, demands a passing notice at our hands, and more especially as it has now been presented to our consideration by our much esteemed brother Anderson, of Kentucky. At present we can do little more than exhibit an induction of what is said in Holy Writ, on the subject of the Throne of David. And first, then, we shall place before the reader what the scriptures say on this subject.' From this opening paragraph of Mr. Campbell's answer to Mr. Anderson's letter you get the main points of Mr. Anderson's teaching. 1) That the gospel would not be sufficient for the conversion of the Jews. 2) That Christ is not now on David's throne but on God's throne in heaven. 3) That he will come to Jerusalem and sit upon David's throne. 4) Christ will then reign over the nation of Israel and they will then be converted. 5) At his coming the righteous dead will be raised and under Christ with the scepter in his hand they inherit the earth and reign over it. Following the opening paragraph of his answer, Mr. Campbell gave the scriptures that speak of Christ being given the throne of David and commented on them, following up with this paragraph: "With this induction of all the passages that speak of the throne of David, and all that is said of the anointing or coronation of the Lord Jesus, can anyone find a vestige of authority for the assumption that Jesus Christ will descend from the throne of God in the heavens, to sit upon any thing called a throne of David, in the literal Jerusalem; and thus, in the form of a man, reign as a prince and priest over one nation and people, for any national, temporal, or spiritual purpose! Harbinger, 1849, p. 292.

From this scriptural position on the reign of Christ Mr. Campbell receded not for one moment to the day of his death. He considered all such as Mr. Anderson as but beginners in learning concerning prophecy. Mr. Anderson died almost forgotten and most of the ones who at first followed his theoretic teaching learned to be ashamed of having ever been so deluded.