The Kingdom of Christ by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 20, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 12.

The Kingdom of Christ.

By Editor

(Continued.)

THE Lord himself said his people will inherit the kingdom when the Son of man comes in his glory, sitting upon the throne of his glory. Matt. 25:31-34. But when the Son of man comes, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God will be heard, and the saints will be raised from the dead. 1 Thess. 4:15-17. And Paul further says that when that last trump shall sound, "this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality." Then death will be swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. Then will the saints be prepared to inherit an incorruptible kingdom, as they will never die and leave their inheritance to others. Thus beautifully do the Scriptures harmonize on this subject.

Now we are prepared understandingly to examine the error of those who apply the prophecies we have here noticed to the reign of Christ as a priest on his Father's throne.

The position which Christ now occupies on the throne of his Father, as a priest-king, he will sometime resign. Read 1 Cor. 15:23-28. His priesthood will not last forever. Instead of forever pleading his blood in behalf of sinful men, he will leave that throne and come to earth again, "taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:6-10. Instead of forever enjoying the privileges of the day of salvation, and living under the mercy of the Lamb, the wicked will, in that coming day, pray to be hid "from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; [saying] for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Rev. 6:15-17.

And now in regard to the faith of the disciples, as indicated by their question in Acts 1:6, we confidently affirm that their belief was in perfect harmony with the letter and spirit of the scriptures we have quoted. And we have yet more, and if possible still more conclusive, evidence to produce.

The angel who announced that Jesus should be born, used the following language: "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 [Israel] forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32, 33. These are the words of a messenger direct from Heaven, and may not lightly be passed over. And with all these scriptures before them, and having so long enjoyed the personal instruction of the Prince himself "of the things pertaining to the kingdom," we think it is altogether unwarranted to assume that the disciples were laboring under "prejudice in favor of an erroneous opinion."

This text last quoted settles the question that the throne and kingdom which he now occupies is not that to which reference is made in the prophecies which have been examined. For, as shown by 1 Cor. 15:23-28, and other texts, there will be an end to this reign; his priestly reign will cease. And the throne which he now occupies is not "the throne of his father David." That throne he will occupy in the future; and his reign upon that will have "no end." And so far from the disciples having their errors corrected by the inspiration which they received on the day of Pentecost, as intimated by Dr. Barnes, Peter confirmed their belief, in his sermon on that day. Speaking of David he said: "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." And one of the most decisive evidences that Jesus is not yet sitting on the throne of David, the throne which is his by right of his birth, is found in his own words in Rev. 3:21: "To him that overcometh will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." His Father, upon whose throne he is now sitting, is not his father David. That throne upon which he is now, is not and never was the throne of his father David. This proof is absolutely incontrovertible. But, as surely as the "Scriptures cannot be broken," he will yet sit upon the throne of his father David; upon that throne will he rule over the house of Jacob forever; of that kingdom and reign there will be no end. And only in this manner can the oath of the Lord to David be fulfilled.

The Scriptures inform us that the position which the Son of God now occupies is one of expectancy. The apostle says he is set down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. Heb. 10:13. This expectation is based on the promise made in Ps. 110:1: "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." His enemies were not put under his feet at the beginning of the period of his sitting at the right hand of his Father. Had that been the case, Paul's statement in Heb. 10:13 would not have been correct. But they will be put under his feet when the time comes for him to leave that throne, to resign his priestly office, and to come to destroy his enemies. Ps. 2:7-10 informs us what disposition he will make of them when they are given to him. "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. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." And 2 Thess. 1:6-10, already quoted, shows that it will be at his second coming that he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel. And this again is in harmony with Rev. 11:15-18, where it is shown that under the seventh trumpet, which closes this dispensation, the kingdoms of this world are given to Christ. And in connection with this gift it is said: "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy [corrupt] the earth." It seems needless to repeat that the reward of the saints will be given when Jesus comes again. Matt. 16:27; Luke 14:14; Rev. 22:12.

It has been fully noticed that the Judgment of the saints must be completed before Christ leaves the throne of his priesthood. But not so of the Judgment of the wicked. In the Judgment which takes place during his priesthood, it will be determined whose names shall have no place in the book of life; but their cases must come up for review that the measure of their punishment may be determined. To properly locate this work has been one object of the present argument, in distinguishing between the two thrones. There is still a work of judgment after Christ resigns his priestly office on the throne of his Father; after his enemies are given to him, and he has dashed in pieces the nations and kingdoms of the world.

An order of events is laid down in Dan. 7:21, 22, from which we gain important instruction on this subject. Speaking of that persecuting power, already noticed, which wore out the saints of the Most High, the prophet said: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." In regard to the time when the saints shall possess the kingdom, we further quote as follows: "In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matt. 19:28. These are the words of the Lord himself to his twelve disciples. And by the words of Paul we readily locate the time of this judgment, if, indeed, any further proof can be asked. He said "the saints shall judge the world" (1 Cor. 6:2), but he said also: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come." 1 Cor. 4:5. Rev. 20:1-6 introduces the coming of Christ, the binding of Satan, the resurrection of the blessed and holy—the first resurrection, which is at Christ's coming—and thrones of judgment given to the overcomers.

And it is further a matter of proof that the saints do not and cannot enter upon this work of judgment in the present life or the present state. In 1 Cor. 6:1-4 the apostle reproves the brethren for going to law, and that before the unbelievers, as though they were not competent to settle their own temporal difficulties. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?" Observe that the judgment of which he speaks, that of the world and of angels, is not in "this life." And there is reason for this. In this life we cannot discern motives and so understand the lives and hearts of the world as to be able to judge them correctly. Much less can we now judge angels. The fallen angels, who sinned, are reserved unto the Judgment of the great day. 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6. Even over them shall the saints sit in judgment. But no saint, however faithful and exalted, is qualified to judge them in this life. There is a time coming, however, when our partial knowledge shall pass away; when we shall know even as we are known. 1 Cor. 13:8-12. Paul had the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of prophecy; but only so as "to know in part" and to "prophecy in part." But a clearer light is to burst upon his vision when the Lord comes; when this mortal puts on immortality. "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; then shall I know even as also I am known." All these scriptures leave no room for doubt that the work of the judgment of the world, in which the saints shall take part, is after the priesthood of Christ is ended; after his second coming; after the saints are immortalized and glorified.

But the question may still be asked: If it shall already have been decided who are the lost ones; if their names are not in the book of life, wherefore a further judgment in their cases? To this question the Scriptures afford an easy solution.

In the rewards of the righteous there will be degrees of glory. "For star differeth from star in glory; so also is the resurrection of the dead." 1 Cor. 15:41, 42. One is made ruler over ten cities; another over five cities. Luke 19:17-19. "They that turn many to righteousness [shall shine] as the stars forever and ever." Dan. 12:3. And so in the punishment of the wicked, there will be recognized degrees of demerit. Some shall be beaten with many stripes, and others with few stripes. Luke 12:45-48. For some it will be more tolerable in the day of Judgment than for others. Matt. 10:15; 11:22-24.

Dr. Bloomfield says of 1 Cor. 6:2:—

"Upon the whole, there is, after all, no interpretation that involves less of difficulty than the common one, supported by some Latin Fathers, and, of modern divines, by Luther, Calvin, Erasmus, Beza, Cassaubon, Crellius, Wolf, Jeremy Taylor, Doddridge, Pearce, Newcome, Scott, and others, by which it is supposed that the faithful servants of God, after being accepted in Christ, shall be in a certain sense, assessores judicii, by concurrence, with Christ, and being partakers of the judgment to be held by him over wicked men and apostate angels; who are, as we learn from 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6, reserved unto the judgment of the last day."

And Dr. Barnes observes:— "Grotius supposes that it means that they shall be first judged by Christ, and then act as assessores to him in the judgment, or join with him in condemning the wicked."

Certainly this view has a most respectable array of authors in its favor; and well it may have, for we cannot see how any other view of the text can, with any show of reason, be taken. In speaking of the judgment of the righteous, it was remarked that when Christ comes his elect will be translated or raised to immortality in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. And this act of glorifying them will prove that they have already been judged and acquitted; accepted of the Judge of all. But as there are two resurrections, one of the just and one of the unjust, the fact that the unjust are not raised at that time is conclusive proof that they will have been already rejected, or judged unworthy of eternal life. But it is one thing to determine that a person is guilty, and quite another thing to determine the degree of his guilt and the measure of punishment which he should justly receive; whether he should be beaten with few or many stripes. The first is done before the throne of the Most High while Jesus, as Priest, is blotting out the sins of his people, as he passes by those who are unjust and unholy. The second is done by Christ and the saints, who, as Bloomfield says, act as assessores judicii. (To be concluded.)