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The Sabbath-School

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 30, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 29.

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The Sabbath-School.

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—AUG. 22.

Inheritance of the Saints.—Continued.

THE KINGDOM RECEIVED.

1. GIVE a brief outline of the kingdom of Israel from the time of Saul till its final overthrow.
As stated in last week's lesson, Saul was succeeded by David and Solomon. At the death of Solomon, Rehoboam took the kingdom, but in consequence of his imprudent stubbornness, a large portion was taken from him. The two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, continued together, sometimes at war and sometimes at peace, until 721 B. C., when the kingdom of Israel was obliterated. In B. C. 606 Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the southern kingdom, was besieged and conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the captivity of Judah was made final in B. C. 588. The Biblical history of these kingdoms may be found as follows: The book of 1 Samuel contains the history of Samuel and Saul; 2 Samuel, entire, is devoted to a history of the kingdom under David; the first eleven chapters of 1 Kings contain the life of Solomon; and the remainder of 1 Kings, and the whole of 2 Kings contain the history of the kings after the division. In the books of Chronicles, the history of the same period is repeated, but after the division no further mention is made of the wicked kingdom of Israel.
2. Into the hands of what power did the dominion then pass?
"Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel. Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up be-times, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age; he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia." 2 Chron. 36: 11-20.
"And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzer the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come; and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him." Jer. 27: 4-7.
3. Into whose hands did it subsequently pass?
When the Jewish kingdom fell, it passed into the hands of the Babylonians, at that time the ruling nation of the world. In 538 B. C. the Babylonian kingdom was overthrown, and, with the Jews, passed under the dominion of Medo-Persia. In 331 B. C. another revolution took place, when all the world passed into the hands of Alexander the Great, king of Grecia. The Jews, although mostly in their own land, were under Grecian rule until B. C. 161, when they came within the power of Rome, which was then taking its place as the ruler of the world.
4. How was this foretold by one of the prophets?
"And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him." Eze. 21: 25-27.
The taking off of the diadem from the profane, wicked prince of Israel, Zedekiah, was the taking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Then three "overturnings" are spoken of. The first of these was in 538 B. C., when the Babylonian monarchy was overturned, and the Medo-Persian succeeded; the second was when Medo-Persia gave place to Grecia; and the third was when the Romans assumed the sovereignty of the world. Since then no other power has exercised universal sway over the earth, nor will such a state of things exist again, "until he come whose right it is;" then the uttermost parts of the earth will be given to him for a possession.
5. Who is the one "whose right it is"?
"I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." Ps. 2: 7, 8.
6. What did Isaiah say concerning the continuation of the kingdom of David?
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Isa. 9: 6, 7.
7. Where is this successor of David named?
"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and 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: 31-33.
8. Where had the promise of such a successor been made directly to David?
"Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever." 2 Sam. 7: 10, 16.
9. Did David understand to whom this promise referred?
"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." Acts 2: 29-31.
10. Did Christ receive and restore this kingdom at his first advent?
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1: 6, 7.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence." John 18: 36.
11. To what did he liken the reception of the kingdom?
"And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." Luke 19: 11, 12.
12. Has he yet received this throne?
"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. 3: 21.
13. When will he have received it?
"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.
14. What will the righteous then also receive?
"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: 34.