THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM.
By ALBERT STONE
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” Matt. xxiv, 14. What is this gospel of the kingdom? Not the common message of the gospel as given by our Lord to his apostles on the eve of his ascension; but it is a special message, given for a special purpose, to accomplish a special end. It was to be preached to Jews and Gentiles respectively at certain points in the history of each. Those points were separated by a distance of more than 1800 years. It was preached to the Jews when the probation of that race, in their national capacity, was drawing to a close, and was a measure preparatory to that event. Our Lord’s instruction is that just before probation for the race of man ends, the same preparatory message, then being given to the Jews, and forbidden to be preached beyond the limits of Judea, must be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. It is brief, in point of time, to both Jew and Gentile. Four years from the commencement of John’s preaching in the wilderness of Judea, Jewish probation ended, and “these things were hidden from their eyes.” The position of both Jew and Gentile when this message is given to each respectively, is very nearly parallel; hence the same general message is applicable to both. The message is 1. Solemn. It announces the speedy approach of a crisis, involving in the one case the fate of a nation, and in the other, the fate of a world. “The ax is laid unto the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” 2. Awful. It announces the speedy approach of the great day of God. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains.” Joel ii, 1, 2. 3. Instructive. It opens the book of prophecy, and sheds increasing light on the plan of salvation by presenting both law and gospel in their just relations and showing the beautiful symmetry of their different, though indispensable, offices in the salvation of men. It is the meat in due season, with which the household are to be fed, to fit them for the coming of their Lord and Master. “And blessed are those servants whom their Lord when he cometh, shall find so doing.” 4. Saving to those who heed it. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev. iii, 21. This gospel of the kingdom is based on the three messages of Rev. xiv, the first pointing to the Judgment hour come, the second announcing the fall of antichristian power, as premonitory of its speedy and final overthrow, and the third instructing the remnant church of God how to escape the things that are coming on the earth, and to stand before the Son of Man. To preach this special message to Jew and Gentile respectively at God’s appointed times is emphatically the work of Elijah, as intimated in the prophecy of Malachi iv, 5, 6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” See Luke i, 17. Our Lord, speaking of John, Matt. xi, 14, says, “If ye will receive it, this is Elias which was to come.” In another place he also says, “Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of Man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at naught. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed.” Now John preached the gospel of the kingdom six months, and was beheaded. Our Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom three and a half years, and was crucified by his people. The gospel of the kingdom, as preached by our Lord and his chosen apostles, was not received, but was rejected, and the messengers were killed. When the Jews rejected the Son of God, God rejected them from being his people, and here is the end of his message to the Jews. The work of Elijah is not finished. “The wedding indeed was ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.” The king sends forth his armies, and destroys that murderous race, and burns up their city. “The kingdom of God,” says Jesus, “shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” The work of Elijah was left incomplete at the first advent, the work of reform required by the message was not wrought; therefore our Lord, in speaking of his second coming and of the signs that would precede that event, informs us that this work will be resumed near the close of this dispensation with more effort and better success. Bible subjects and doctrines generally, as held by the professed people of God, must be reviewed and corrected. Erroneous views and false theories must be searched out and rejected, and that prophecy of Isaiah will be fulfilled: “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” Isa. xl, 9, 10.