the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit
on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' The number
'twelve' in Scripture symbolism always signifies 'election;' the judges
may be presumed to be of the order of prophets and apostles--the elect
of the elect--and the twelve tribes of Israel the whole number of the
elect (see Rev. vii. 4-8). Now, these {131} twelve times twelve
thousand, symbolizing the complete number of the redeemed of every age
and nation, are 'the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb,' and being
made perfect by suffering and judgment, farther on in the events of
that age 'follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth,' and together with
him execute the final judgment on the whole world (Rev. xix. 14),
inclusive even of the judgment on Satan and his angels. This doctrine
seems to have been generally taught in the days of the apostles,
inasmuch as St. Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Epist. vi. 2, 3),
'Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world?' 'Know ye not that
we shall judge angels?' Even in the Psalms we read, 'This honour have
all His saints' (see Psalm cxlix. 6-9).

"On these premises, it seems to me, the following argument may be
founded relative to the interpretation of Matt. xxv. 46. In that
chapter the _separation_ between the sheep and the goats is spoken of
as initiatory to the general judgment, and the chapter closes with an
exposition of the principles on which the judgment is conducted as
regards both the one class and the other. The details and the
processes of the judgment, together with its _results_, are to be
sought for in the writings of the prophets and in the Book of
Revelation. Now, when account is taken of all events of that future
life, it may be said, I think, with truth, that the righteous who live
and act in it throughout, when that life begins enter into 'eternal
life,' the word 'eternal' being applicable because that age has a
time-limit. _This_ eternal life, the mention of which was omitted in
the former letter, merges into endless, or indissoluble, life, when
time is no more, and words expressive of time cease to have
application. In an analogous manner the unrighteous may be said to go
into 'eternal punishment' when they enter upon the experience of the
future age, the limit of the effects of the judgment and punishment
which they are doomed to undergo being a 'second death.' However great
and terrible may be the woe and tribulation attendant on t