The Kingdom of Christ by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 13, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 11.

The Kingdom of Christ.

By Editor

THE doctrine of the kingdom of Christ calls for special attention in this connection; though some may, at a first glance, think that it is not directly related to the subject of the Atonement. Here we may repeat a statement made, that there are no isolated, independent truths in the great plan of salvation. It takes all the truths and doctrines of the Bible to make one complete system; and the Atonement is the great central work, by virtue of which all other parts of the work of salvation and redemption are carried out. But the special reason why the subject of the kingdom should here receive attention is this: There is another class of texts in the Scriptures which speak of Christ on his throne which are misapplied by many religious teachers, who refer them also to his kingly priesthood. They seem to take it for granted that every Scripture declaration concerning his kingly authority must refer to him while sitting a priest on his Father's throne in Heaven. But the Scriptures themselves very clearly distinguish between these two classes of texts, and to amalgamate them is only to make confusion and to obscure the light of some precious Bible truths.

In Acts 1:6 it is recorded that the disciples inquired of Christ: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" On this we first notice, that the term "Israel" primarily was indicative of character, and not of birth. Jacob was called Israel, and Esau was not, though they were children of the same parents—twin brothers. Afterward the term was applied to all the descendants of Jacob, though it never lost its primary signification. It was by this fact that Paul proved that the promises of God are strictly and literally fulfilled, though the unbelieving nation were rejected which claimed the sole right to that title. They are not all Israel which are of Israel, nor are all heirs of the blessings of Abraham who descended from Abraham. The promise of kingly glory preceded the existence of the nation (See Gen. 17:5-7), and the rejection of any part of the nation, or even of the whole as a nation, did not and could not destroy the promises. When Jesus, because of their rejection of the message from Heaven, foretold the rejection of the Jews, he did it in the following language: "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Matt. 21:43. That was to say, that the kingdom should be taken from nominal Israel, and given to the true Israel, the faithful overcomers. See also Gal. 3:29.

And with this agree the words of the Lord to David, as recorded in Ps. 89. "I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations." Verses 3, 4. And again: "His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. . . . Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in Heaven." Verses 29-37. It is not merely a theory that depends upon the true interpretation of these promises. We shall endeavor to show that the truths which they contain are eminently practical, and that a misapplication of them leads to serious perversions of the gospel and of the relations of Christianity to the kingdoms of this present world.

We turn now to the question found in Acts 1:6. The opinion largely prevails among commentators of the present day that the disciples were indulging a very erroneous idea respecting the kingdom, which was the cause of their asking such a question. Dr. Barnes says: "They did not ask whether he would do it at all, or whether they had correct views of the kingdom; but, taking that for granted, they asked him whether that was the time in which he would do it." And from this he draws the conclusion that nothing is so hard to remove as "prejudice in favor of an erroneous opinion." It might be suggested that prejudice against the truth is as blind and unreasoning as prejudice in favor of error. But Dr. Barnes thought that, from the teachings of the Saviour in regard to his kingdom, they should have better known its nature than to ask such a question. And his comment doubtless expresses the views of a majority of commentators of the present day.

We say, "of the present day," because the popular view of the present day was not always the popular view held in the Christian Church. But for that we care nothing; our inquiry is, "What saith the Scripture?"

The question of the disciples was solely in regard to the time of setting up the kingdom. The answer of the Saviour was in reference to the subject of the question, the time, and it was not at all calculated to correct a wrong impression in regard to the nature of the kingdom, if they were resting in an error on that subject. "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." This answer was certainly well calculated to confirm them in the view which they held. Not the hint of the correction of an error, but, to the contrary, they were told that the time of which they inquired was not to be revealed to them. The Revised Version says, "which the Father hath set within his own authority." Margin—"appointed by." A careful examination of the whole subject must convince any one that this is parallel with Matt. 24:36. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." The declaration that the time of which they inquired is set or placed within the authority of the Father, known to no others, is quite the reverse of an intimation that the question referred to something which would never take place.

Verse 3 says that, after his resurrection, Jesus was seen of the disciples "forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Some appear to think that the time and opportunities were rather limited for their gaining instruction on this important subject. But, remembering that "the kingdom" was the burden of all the teaching and preaching of both Jesus and his disciples during all his ministry, insomuch that he called his gospel "this gospel of the kingdom," Matt. 24:14, we would rather take the chance which the disciples had of learning the truth on the subject, than to take a "three years' course" in any theological school now in existence.

We have another instance of the Saviour giving instruction on this subject where the question of time was first in their minds. "He added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." Luke 19:11. In this parable he spoke of himself as a nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. That this represents his going to his Father in Heaven to receive a kingdom, and returning to this earth, is evident, for, he said: "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom," then he rewarded his servants and destroyed his enemies. But this will apply to no other locality but this earth. And it exactly corresponds to his statement of what takes place at his coming, at "the end of the world." Matt. 13:41, 43. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity. . . . Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." It must be borne in mind that "the field is the world;" that the workers of iniquity are represented by the tares, which grow with the wheat until the harvest. That the harvest is reaped at the coming of the Son of man is shown in Rev. 14:14-20, and other scriptures.

The kingdom and dominion over this world is given to Christ, the "nobleman," not at or near the beginning of this dispensation, as many believe, but near its close. This is proved by Rev. 11:14, 15. Under the third woe trumpet, which is the last of the seven trumpets, and which introduces the Judgment (verse 18), a voice proclaims: "The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." Under this trumpet the dispensation comes to its close.

Also the prophecy of Daniel is decisive on this point. In chapter two, in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the king or kingdom of Babylon answered to the head of gold of the image. This kingdom was succeeded by that of the Medes and Persians, see Dan. 5:30, 31, which answered to the breast and arms of the image. And the Persian was succeeded by the Grecian, Dan. 8:3-8, 20, which was represented by the body of brass of the image. Another kingdom, the fourth, was strong as iron—represented by the legs of iron—stronger than all that preceded it; and it was divided into ten parts, or kingdoms, in the image represented by the feet and toes. This was the Roman kingdom, which was successor to the Grecian, and which bore an iron rule over all the world. It was divided into ten kingdoms. These are the several parts of the image which was seen by Nebuchadnezzar; and such was the interpretation of the dream, as given by Daniel.

But another object was seen in the dream, and it also represented a kingdom. It was "a stone cut out of the mountain without hands." The original is reflexive in form, conveying the idea of self-moving. This stone smote the image "upon his feet, that were of iron and clay." That is to say, that it smote the image at some time after the Roman kingdom was divided, for the stone could not smite the feet and toes of the image before they existed. Or, in the fulfillment, the kingdom represented by the stone could not smite the kingdoms represented by the feet and toes of the image until they had arisen—until the Roman Empire was divided into ten parts or kingdoms.

In the dream, the effect of the smiting of the image by the stone, is thus described: "Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." In the interpretation it is thus stated: "In the days of these kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Dan. 2:35, 44. This describes, not the conversion of earthly powers, but the entire destruction of all earthly powers, their places being filled by the kingdom of God, by which they are broken in pieces. See the same foretold in Jer. 25:15-33. In this chapter it is said that "all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the whole earth," shall drink of the wine-cup of God's fury, "and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among" them. No such destruction as that described in Jer. 25 has ever taken place; but it will, for the word of the Lord declares it. Then will the interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar be fulfilled.

It is true that Dan. 2 does not definitely give the chronology of the setting up of the kingdom of God; but it does definitely place it after the full development of the image, including the divisions of the Roman power. This brings it down several centuries this side of the days of the apostles. But in Dan. 7: 9-14 it is located, as in Rev. 11: 14-18, in the time of the Judgment. In Dan. 7 is recorded a vision of the prophet, which was explained by an angel. Under the symbols of beasts and horns it presents the same kingdoms and the same events which are given in chapter 2 in the great image. In chapter 7, the Roman Empire and its divisions are represented by a dreadful and terrible beast with great iron teeth, which had ten horns. This chapter contains, however, two important points which are not found in chapter 2. (1) The rise and work of "another little horn," after the rise of the ten, which was quite different from the others, and at length became stronger than all the others. (2) The sitting of the Judgment, which takes place before the kingdoms of the world are given to the Son of man.

The work of the "little horn" was one of persecution. "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." This wearing out the saints of the Most High—the most terrible persecution which the church of God ever suffered—was under the Roman power, but principally under its ecclesiastical form. The angel continued: "But the Judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." These words contain a confirmation of the view we have advanced, that the Judgment sits before the end, before the coming of the Son of man; and before the dominion is taken from this persecuting power. And how noteworthy it is that within the last score of years the civil power has been entirely taken away from the church of Rome. "United Italy" has literally dethroned the head of the church, who now pays taxes to the Government as any other citizen! And the next event in the angel's interpretation of the vision is this: "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: 25-27. This closes the interpretation. The last event in every line of prophecy is the giving of the kingdom and dominion in Christ and to his people. And, as has been shown, and will be further noticed, this gift is speedily followed by the overthrow and entire destruction of all the kingdoms and dominions of the world.

It may not be objected that these prophecies refer to the introduction of the gospel and to the establishing of the church of Christ, in the present age. The scope of the prophecies forbids it. The events given in the vision of Dan. 7 cover the entire gospel dispensation, and even reach beyond it. If this be denied, we might as well deny the Judgment and future rewards at once. And—which ought to be decisive with all—the New Testament presents the possession of the kingdom as a matter of promise and of hope to the saints. Thus James says: "Hearken, my beloved brethren. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" Jas. 2: 5. In the same manner Peter speaks "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us," and informs them what they must do in perfecting their characters, "for so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1: 1-11. And Paul also shows to his brethren the mystery of the possession of the kingdom. He says "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." 1 Cor. 15: 50. In the scriptures already quoted it is said the kingdom is to be everlasting—to stand forever. "Flesh and blood" is an expression indicating a mortal, perishable, corruptible condition. A mortal, corruptible man could not inherit an everlasting, incorruptible kingdom; for he would die and leave it to successors. But that would destroy the scripture which says "it shall not be left to other people." In this present mortal state the saints are heirs of the kingdom; when they inherit it their heirship will cease.

EDITOR. (To be continued.)