FREE EBook – THE FIRST AND THE LAST by Ira Surface 1921
Republished by TheBibleGuy Thomas Spencer 2014
Chapter 14
THE MAN CHILD
In the previous chapter we identified the sun-clad woman as national Israel in great prominence before the Gentile nations. In this chapter we wish to identify the man child.
I MAN CHILD – BELIEVING ISRAEL
There will be two classes in national Israel. One will be the class which we may call believing Israel. This class will believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God; that He was crucified, arose again, and ascended to heaven; that from then He will come again as the Messiah. To this class the man child will belong. This class is represented on the chart as wise virgins.
The other class will be those who, although believing in Messiah and looking or Him, still reject Jesus as that Messiah. These are the foolish virgins.
These two classes have a common faith in Jehovah.
II BIRTH OF MAN CHILD
The birth of the man child company will take place at the time of the overthrow of national Israel, who has been in great national pre-eminence (see chart). The birth of this company will be their separation from the national body.
As we have said before, the great prominence of Israel will arouse the anger and jealousy of the federated Gentile nations, who are under the Antichrist, Rev. 11:18. Because of these angry nations, Antichrist will break his treaty with national Israel, as seen in the prophecy of Dan. 9:27; and with a host raised for that purpose will proceed against the sanctuary, as seen in Dan. 8:12, “And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice (Israel’s worship) by reason of transgression, and it (the host) cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced and prospered.” At that time war will be declared against Israel and the time of great trouble, such as never was and never will be again, will have come upon national Israel.
God is ever watching over His saints, and as soon as the worship of Israel is removed, the birth of the man child will take place, and he will be caught up to God and His throne. This birth of the man child is so closely associated with his deliverance, of which Daniels peaks, that we may call it his deliverance. Dan. 12:1 says, “At that time (middle of the week, Dan. 12:7) thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Therefore: The birth, the catching up, and the deliverance of the man child company are practically the same, and mean their rapture. God is taking care of the believing overcomers of Israel.
1. His Relationship to Israel
Notice that the man child will be delivered from the sun-clad woman. Since this woman represents national Israel, her product, her offspring, must be the children of Israel. This proves the position already taken in this treatise, that there will be no Gentiles in this ruling man child body. This is Israel’s rapture exclusively.
2. His Relationship to Time
The fact has been scripturally proved that the catching up of the man child will take place at the middle of the seventieth week of Daniel, or three and a half years from the beginning of the peaceful entrance of the Antichrist under the first seal, and three and a half years before the end of his reign of terror. This fact is anchored, it can not be dislocated, it is fixed. The man child can not be Christ, for the middle of the week, and the sounding of the last trumpet within the time period of the seventh seal could not possibly be in the year 1, B.C., nor 4 B.C.
3. His Relationship to Daniel
This deliverance of the man child will be at the time of great trouble, Dan. 12:1. Daniel is speaking of his people, for Gabriel said, “At that time (middle of week) thy people (Israel) shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” This is Israel’s record book, kept in heaven. Then we are convinced of this truth, vis., the man child will be the children of the house of Israel, who have their names written in the book. Jesus said, “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
This is a marvelous statement which sheds a flood of light upon this subject. There is not a statement in prophecy which contradicts the truth that “thy people” means the house of Israel. The house of Israel will be the sun, moon, and twelve stars with which the “woman” is clothed; and the offspring of that woman, the man child, will be no other than the children of Israel, just as Jacob’s children were the children of Jacob, or Israel.
4. His Relationship to the Trumpets
The man child will be caught up to God and His throne. They are delivered because their names are written in the book. From this we understand that God has not varied His plan, for He always takes the peculiarly equipped ones out of the body. This deliverance is the only deliverance of Israel of which we have any record, and it will take place at the sounding of the seventh, or last, trumpet, Rev. 11:15.
The theory that makes the seventh angel trumpet to the “trump of God,” of which 1 Thess. 4:16 speaks, or any other trumpet than what t is plainly sated to be, the seventh, is clearly unscriptural. No amount of reasoning can make this seventh angel trumpet, which was announced by the sixth angel as still in the future, mean the trump of God, which will be sounded at the rapture of the Gentile overcomers; and the last angel trumpet belongs to the house of Israel, and will sound for the full overcomers of Israel.
5. His Relationship to the Gentile Rapture Neither can the man child be the same as the Bride. The trumpet of God will call the raptured body of Gentiles up to meet Jesus in the air, and at o place in the word can this be applied except to 1 Thess. 4:15-18: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The last angel trumpet follows six other trumpets. All of these, taken together, represent the time period which lies between the trumpet of God, and the seventh angel trumpet. At the sounding of the seventh trumpet the man child is caught up to God and His throne. There is not a sentence in the Bible which indicates that the man child rapture has any relationship to the rapture of the Gentile overcomers, either in time, position, or place. How can we, then, accept the theory of dislocating this portion of God’s word, and giving it a position to which it can claim no relationship whatever?
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
6. His Relationship to the Angel Gabriel
Let us again refer to Dan. 12:1 for further light. The prophet tells us that not only will deliverance be given to this body, but that, at the transit of this ruling body across the skies through the powers of the prince of the air, Michael will stand up. Michael always stands up when the children of the house of Israel need him. Michael seems to be the general of the angelic hosts. When the body of Moses was transported, Stan raised a contention as to who should have it, Jude 9. Michael prevailed at that time by rebuking Satan in the name of the Lord; but when the man child body makes its transit, there will be more than a contention. A decisive battle will be fought, Rev. 12:7, 8.
At this time Satan, with all his forces, will be cast out into the earth. Then Michael, the prince of this mighty overcoming body which is called the man child, will victoriously proceed, with the overshadowing angels of glory, up to the throne of God.
This makes the deliverance of which Daniel speaks (12:1) identical with the deliverance of the man child, Rev. 12:5. Then those whose names are written in the book must be believing Israel, who are the man child for whom Michael will stand up.
7. His Relationship to Prophecy
There is another reference to which I wish to call your attention, Isa. 66:7: “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.”
Before Israel travailed she brought forth a man child. This is in line with what we have said. We know that Israel will not travail when she is in great political prominence; but her pains will begin when she is deprived of her worship. We have shown that simultaneously with the overthrowing of national Israel, the man child will be caught up. This is the birth of a man child, of which Isaiah speaks.
III. WHO IS THE MAN CHILD?
The man child is a chosen body composed exclusively of overcoming Israelites, from the living and the dead, selected and caught out as the raptured company. They will be the first fruits of the wheat harvest (see chart), and they will be a representative body. The fact that they are caught up to God and His throne makes them a raptured body.
You will notice on the chart another raptured company, composed of the Bride and the full overcomers. These, with the tribulation saints, constitute what Paul calls, in Rom. 11:24, the full measure of the Gentiles. We have shown these to be exclusively Gentiles, and they belong to the first order of the reckoning time.
In like manner the time from the catching up, or rapture, of the man child company, to the glorious appearing of Christ, will constitute the reckoning time of Israel, who belong to the last order of the reckoning time. This is the order Jesus gave n the parable of the laborers. Then, s the rapture of the Gentile full overcomers and their fullness is exclusively Gentile, so the rapture of the man child will be exclusively Israel.
On the chart you will also see these two orders expressed. First, the barley harvest; second, the wheat harvest. Each of these two have their sheaf of first fruits, which must be offered in their respective order.
That we may scripturally recognize the body that constitutes the man child, we will let the scriptures speak, Rev. 14:1-3:
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a vice from heaven, as the voice of a harpers harping with their harps; and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth.”
This is a striking revelation. John saw a body of a hundred forty-four thousand before the throne of God and before the living creatures and elders. They have the Father’s name written in their foreheads. They are separate from other bodies that might be around the throne, because they sang a new song that no man could learn but the hundred forty-four thousand.
IV MARKS OF IDENTITY
There are three mark which identify this hundred forty-four thousand who are on Mount Zion after their rapture, with the hundred forty-four thousand whom John saw sealed in the seventh chapter, before they came to the time of Israel’s rapture.
First: We see there in chapter 7 that a hundred forty-four thousand were sealed, and that is the number John saw on Mount Zion.
Second: They were sealed in their foreheads. Those whom John saw in Rev. 14:1, had the Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Third: They were Israelites, exclusively. Those whom John saw later before the throne of God were separated in their worship, for they sang a song no man could learn.
The first two of these points make the hundred forty-four thousand whom John saw on Mount Zion, identical with the sealed hundred forty-four thousand. Therefore those on Mount Zion were exclusively Israel, for twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes were sealed. There can be no doubt that these hundred forty-four thousand sealed ones of the seventh chapter of Revelation were those whom Daniel, in the 12:1, said would be delivered at the middle of the seventieth week; for these, who were sealed by the might angel with the seal of the living God, must also have their names written in the book. Daniel had reference to Israelites only, for Gabriel had said “thy people,” or Israel.
Not only are the hundred forty-four thousand who were sealed delivered, but there are others also. Jesus said to the seventy disciples, when they returned so full of joy to tell Jesus how that even the devils were subject to them, that they should rejoice rather that their names were written in heaven, Luke 10:20.
When Daniel said that everyone should be delivered whose name was found written in the book, he did not make a careless statement. It can be applied to no people but the Israelites, and to no time but the middle of the week. All of the faithful Israelites will be delivered.
As the man child is the only company delivered or caught out at the time of which Daniel speaks (Dan. 12:7), the man child must be the company which John saw on Mount Zion, after they had been caught out, vis., a company composed of Israelites only, among whom will be the apostles of our Lord, who are to rule; the hundred forty-four thousand sealed ones of Rev 7: and all others who belong to the ruling body of Israel; for the man child is the ruling body, raptured at that time.
V HIS CHARACTER
To further identify this great company of raptured Israel, let us read Rev. 14:4, 5, where we see the same company of which we have been speaking:
“These are they which are not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guilt: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
1. Virgins We see in the above quoted scripture that they are virgins. When our Lord gave the parable of the ten virgins He was speaking of national Israel. We have already spoken of the two classes of which she will be made up.
The give went in to the marriage, and the door (to the marriage) was shut. If you will follow the chart you will see there are three companies who will be present at the marriage. They are the raptured Gentiles, from among whom the Bride is chosen, the tribulation saints, and the man child, or the raptured body of Israel. This is the last place where we have a record of any one going up to the marriage. Jesus said, “They that were ready went in to the marriage: and the door was shut.” This locates the parable. The foolish went away into the fearful trouble of Jacob, the great tribulation.
Thomas said he would not believe Jesus had arisen until he saw for himself; so that part of Israel who are represented by the five foolish virgins will not believe Jesus is the Messiah until they see Him.
The ten virgins represent these two classes. The five wise virgins represent the believing class who will be ready, and looking for the Bridegroom. They are not the Bride, for the Brie will be Gentile. The wise virgins were ready to join the bridal procession (see chart). The foolish virgins were looking for the Bridegroom, but were delaying His coming, and were not ready. They represent the unready and unbelieving part of Israel.
2. They Followed the Lamb
This man child company were followers of Jesus Christ. They must, therefore, be those whom Jesus called, and all those of Israel who have believed on Him since He left His precious message. They followed Him in sacrifice, laying down their lives for Him. They followed Him in self-denial. They followed the Lamb whithersoever He went.
3. They Were the First Fruits
“These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb,” Rev. 14:4.
But, let us notice further. Although the hundred forty-four thousand were sealed before the church came to its fullness, they were not taken out with the church, for we see them again in Rev. 9:4, gloriously preserved by divine power from the plagues of the fifth angel trumpet. Here is another unquestionable proof that no Israelites will be in the Gentile rapture, neither will they be in the Gentile fullness. Then the only rational thing to do is follow the inspired order of the word.
We see this same company again as those who were separated from national Israel, and caught up to God in the person of the man child. These will be the firstfruits of Israel – their raptured ones. This proves two raptures: one before the tribulation, which is exclusively Gentile, and one at the catching up of the man child, which is exclusively Israelite.
We have spoken in a previous chapter of the first fruits of the barley harvest, and shown them to be the raptured Gentiles. We wish you to notice this, that raptured body were not sealed in their foreheads, but they were given “a white stone, and in that stone a new name written,” Rev. 2:17. This indicates a wide difference between the raptured ones of the Gentiles as seen in the firstfruits of the barley harvest, and the raptured ones of Israel, as seen in the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.
4. They Were Faultless
The firstfruit offerings were always without blemish. No half -filled head of wheat or barley was ever chosen to be put into the sheaf of first fruits. When the offerer came with this first fruits sheaf, it was always composed of the choicest heads, chosen out from the whole field.
Those whom John saw were the first fruits of Israel. They were perfect and “without fault before the throne of God.” As we see them on Mount Zion, they were washed, cleansed, sanctified, saved and sealed.
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