WHERE IS GOD’S KINGDOM?
By Allen Moon
Christ Preached a Divine Kingdom — Does He Tell Where It Is to Be Located? “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mat. 4:17. This was not a new doctrine, but it was one that could now be preached with new emphasis. The heavenly King had come to earth—the Lamb without blemish, the acceptable Sacrifice, man’s Substitute. Having accomplished His mission, He ascended up on high, to receive the kingdom that had been temporarily usurped by Satan (Micah 4:8), and to continue the curtailing of the power, and limit the freedom, of the adversary, by casting him out of heaven, preparatory to his final destruction on earth. To repeat: Jesus preached, not a new truth, but an old one. It is said, “Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.” Matt. 13:24. This is recognized as the parable of the wheat and the tares; and in the interpretation of this parable, Jesus said: “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” Matt. 13:38. From the beginning, the children of the kingdom have been in the world. In other words, the Son of man, who sowed the good seed in His field, has in all ages had loyal subjects on earth, in whose hearts He reigned supreme. We read that “Enoch walked with God.” Gen. 5:24. He was a loyal subject of God’s kingdom. Also of Noah it is said, “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Gen. 6:9. Of Israel it was said, in the inspired parable of Balaam: “He [God] hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.” Num. 23:21. And again: “He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.” Num. 24:7. This language was uttered concerning the true Israel of God. The true Israel is composed of men and women in the flesh. Thus the kingdom of heaven is a very literal thing, and not merely a spiritual kingdom. When Israel demanded a man to be set over them as king, Samuel said: “When ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your King.” I Sam. 12:12. The Lord regarded Israel as His nation, whether they had over them an earthly ruler or not. The psalmist was inspired to write, “When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel His dominion.” Ps. 114:1, 2. This language is beautifully poetic, but at the same time expresses a great truth. The prophet likewise utters the same truth in very forceful language, saying: “Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.” Jer. 31:35, 36. Since these have not departed from before the Lord, and are established as perpetual ordinances, therefore the Lord has a nation still that He reigns as King. Testimony could be multiplied on this subject. But of the seed of Abraham Jesus said, “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” Matt. 21:43. This shows that the natural seed of Abraham was regarded by the Lord as His kingdom. The earth is the Lord’s by right of creation, but He gave it to man for a dwelling place. This possession went into the hands of the usurper, but was purchased by the Redeemer, to be restored to man; as it is written: “And thou, O Tower of the flock, the Stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8. The dominion comes to the second Adam, and the kingdom to the church as an inheritance through Him. And “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: . . . and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matt. 25:31-34. The kingdom and the dominion prepared for the children of God, lost in the fall, redeemed by the Son of God, restored to the redeemed people of God—this is the story of redemption. And then will be fulfilled the promise of the prophetic Word: “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. 7:27. With this agrees the language of the Son of God, in expounding the parable of the wheat and the tares. He said: “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; . . . the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 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.” Matt. 13:38-43. SURE GUIDE CONCERNING THE TERRITORY
The Saviour has given us, in this interpretation of the parable, a sure guide as to the territory of the kingdom. He said, “The field is the world.” The good seed of the kingdom was sown in the world. The tares were sown in the same field. The tares will be gathered out of the kingdom, and burned. The good seed will still remain, and shine forth as the sun in the kingdom. The children of the kingdom do not shine at all times in this present state, but that will be changed in the Lord’s own time. John the Baptist said of the Lord, “He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat [the good seed] into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt. 3:12.