"the last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death," and "then cometh the end." 1 Cor. 15:24-26.

The Saviour teaches, moreover, that his personal presence on earth is
inconsistent with the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. "It is expedient
for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not come
unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." John 16:7. It is
expedient, doubtless, because the dispensation of the Spirit is better
adapted to our present state of flesh and blood than his personal
presence could be. This dispensation of the Spirit must, from the nature
of the case, be continued in its full force throughout the millennial
era, when the generations of men will succeed each other as at present.
But the New Testament knows nothing of the dispensation of the Holy
Spirit existing contemporaneously with Christ's personal reign on earth.
Its constant doctrine is that the salvation of men is effected by
_Christ's intercession in heaven_ conjointly with _the gift of the Holy
Spirit on earth_.

The passage mainly relied upon by the advocates of this theory is the
twentieth chapter of the book of Revelation, which speaks of the first
and second resurrection. But the _first_ resurrection there described
cannot be identical with the resurrection described by Paul at our
Lord's advent. The resurrection described by Paul includes in express
terms _all_ the righteous, whereas this first resurrection of the
Apocalypse is restricted to a certain class, namely, the martyrs and
confessors for Christ's sake (ver. 4), while the rest of the dead live
not till the thousand years are over (ver. 5). Then there is a general
resurrection (ver. 11-15), which, from its very terms, includes _the
righteous and the wicked_; for among the books then opened is "the book
of life." The risen dead are "judged every man according to his works,"
and all whose names are not found in the book of life are cast into the
lake of fire. At the same time death and hell (Hades), personified as
two enemies of the human race, are cast into the lake of fire, and thus
"death, the last enemy, is destroyed," and "death is swallowed up in
victory." 1 Cor. 15:26, 54. _This_ is the resurrection which takes place
upon our Lord's advent at the last trump, not a thousand years after his
advent; the resurrection and judgment, when the wicked "shall go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." We
venture not to interpre