Thy Kingdom Come by John M. Hopkins

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 17, 1907

“Thy Kingdom Come”

By John M. Hopkins

JOHN M. HOPKINS

In a little while all earthly kingdoms will have passed away. The world's mightiest empires, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, are all matters of history, object-lessons along the great highway of time, showing that that which is apparently the most enduring in this world must eventually be humbled in the dust.

All these kingdoms have successively risen and fallen. Each has acted its respective part in making up this world's history, along with the many more petty states and nations that have flourished for a time and then ceased to exist.

All these empires and states were built up of people more or less ambitious for earthly wealth, fame, and position. But how true the words—

“Beneath our feet and o’er our head Is equal warning given; Beneath us lie the countless dead, Above us is the heaven. Death rides on every passing breeze, And lurks in every flower; Each season has its own disease, Its peril every hour.”

What has been true of the great nations of the past will, ere long, be true of the nations of the present; for soon the Lord of heaven will vindicate his authority and manifest his power by the overthrow, simultaneously, of all kingdoms, and the destruction of all who do not then accept the great atoning Sacrifice, and yield loyal obedience to his holy law, the ten commandments.

There will be no refuge then for those outside of Christ (2 Thess. 1:7-10), for probation will have ended, and every case will have been decided. Then 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,” will be the truth of the hour. There will be mercy no longer for the persistently rebellious; for God will pour out the wine of his wrath (the seven last plagues) “without mixture.” Rev. 14:10, and chapter 16.

The next great and everlasting kingdom will be the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of glory. “And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion [the dominion first given to Adam. Gen. 1:28]; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days [the eternal Father], and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” “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, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Dan. 7:13, 14, 27. “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.” Rev. 11:15.

This is that for which Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:10. It is for the upbuilding of that kingdom in the hearts of men, that every follower of Christ should now most earnestly pray and work. To him who has been turned “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18), there can be nothing so precious as the advancement of gospel truth. No interest will lie so near the heart as the interests of Christ’s kingdom. Everything that will be a hindrance to this will be cheerfully laid aside. However dear the idol of the heart, however cherished the hope, the joy, the ambition, the earthly friend, it will be all cheerfully put away. Jesus said, If thine “eye” offend thee, or the “right hand,” meaning the dearest and most serviceable of all earthly possessions, “pluck it out,” “cut it off,” and “cast it from thee.”

Often this will require a struggle, a mighty effort; but if the soul is true to Christ, it will be done. By his grace it can be done. There is not one desire, one appetite, one practise, however strongly entrenched in the flesh, that the grace and power of Christ can not overcome. “There is help in God.” The Word of God declares it. As I write, my mind recalls an experience with which I was acquainted forty-nine years ago. My father, a Baptist minister, was conducting a revival meeting in the village where he was pastor. There lived outside the village a very profane man, who appropriated to his own use various articles not belonging to him. One evening he was converted. The next morning he took his team and sleighs, loaded up the stolen property, and drove from place to place, delivering to its rightful owner each stolen article, begging forgiveness, and desiring to make any restitution required. Some twenty-five years later I met this man, and he was still trying to lead a consistent Christian life. My heart blessed God for such a salvation as this.

Such is the blessed work of preparing subjects for Christ’s kingdom—that kingdom where there will be no stealing, no murder, no adultery, no lying, no swearing, no tears, no cemeteries, no jails, no hospitals, no infirmaries. “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. 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 an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing, . . . 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. 35:3-10.

For this glorious day let us toil, let us pray, nor falter till the work is done. Go, wearing the helmet of salvation, bearing the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, till the glorious victory is won.

“Then with Christ in his kingdom forever at rest, We shall bask in the smiles of his face; We shall join in the song of the saved and the blest, Saved through infinite mercy and grace.”

Bowerville, Minn.