Untitled article by C. P. B.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · February 25, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 8

The Kingdom of Christ.

By C. P. B.

As THE SENTINEL has repeatedly shown, the error of the National Reform theory is due to a misapprehension of the teaching of the Scriptures of truth concerning the kingdom of Christ. But there should be no confusion or misapprehension upon this point, for the Scriptures are very plain upon the subject.

The Scriptures speak of two thrones, and consequently of two kingdoms (for a throne necessarily implies a kingdom), namely, the throne of grace and the throne of glory. Says the apostle: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:16.

This throne of grace is the throne from which grace, or favor is dispensed. Says the Scriptures: “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Heb. 8:1.

Christ is now a priest-king, not upon his own, but upon his Father’s throne. He himself makes a clear distinction between the throne he now occupies and that which he will one day take. He says: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev. 3:21.

Christ also tells when he will take this throne; it is “when the son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” Matt. 25:31.

The kingdom of grace, over which Christ now reigns, and the kingdom of glory, which according to the word of God is still future, are of course very closely related. The purpose of the kingdom of grace is to prepare subjects for the kingdom of glory. There is, however, this important difference, that while the kingdom of grace is temporary, spanning only time from the fall of man to the close of human probation, the kingdom of glory is coincident with the future eternity. The

promise to Christ is, “The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:32, 33.

But it will not be so of the throne of mercy; the time will come when Christ will leave that throne, and then will go forth the decree: “He that is unjust let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy still.” Rev. 22:11.

Then follow the events so graphically foretold in the word of God. Christ will then appear having “on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Rev. 19:16. “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thess. 4:16. “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matt. 24:31. “Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 8:11. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” Dan. 7:27.

But what then will become of the nations of this earth, and of their wicked rulers and people? Let the word of God answer. To the Son the Father says: “Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron: thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Ps. 2:8, 9.

The Revelator thus describes this destruction:—

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. 19:19, 20.

Describing the scenes that come in connection with the destruction of all things earthly and temporal, the Apostle Peter says:—

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which 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 therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-13.

The promise to which the apostle refers is recorded in Isa. 65:17-19:—

For, behold I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

The glory of that new earth, that everlasting kingdom prepared for the people of God “from the foundation of the world,” is thus described by the prophet:—

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. . . . Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. . . . And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isa. 35.

In Rev. 21:1-8 we read:—

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven, and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Such is the description which the Bible gives of Christ’s everlasting kingdom, and of the time and manner of the setting up of that kingdom; and yet National Reformers propose to usher in that kingdom by political action; they would bring Christ to his throne by act of Congress; they would take him by force and make him king! Could folly be greater, or presumption more pronounced? In the very presence of eternal realities, and in view of the plain testimony of the Scriptures of truth, should not men the rather “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord”?

C. P. B.