THE SAINTS SHALL TAKE THE KINGDOM.
In Daniel 7:18, we find the following statement: “But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.” The question suggests itself how this declaration can be made to fit the idea of the spiritual kingdom, which so many think is the kind of kingdom here intended; and we propose this query to those who think that all the kingdom which Christ is to have, and all the one that is described by the pens of the prophets, is a kingdom of grace in the hearts of believers, a church kingdom set up on the day of Pentecost, or some manifestation of the work of the gospel among men. “The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom.” Who are the saints of the Most High? They are the ones who already have this work of grace in the heart, the ones who already constitute the church of God on the earth. If they were not people of this kind, and had not this work of grace in the heart, they would not be the saints of the Most High. But they are the saints of the Most High when it is said of them that they shall take the kingdom. They have all the work of grace in the heart, and sustain all the relations to each other necessary to constitute all that makes a spiritual kingdom, and yet they are not in possession of the kingdom which the prophet brings to view, and it is said of them that they shall take that kingdom. Now we ask, Is this a spiritual kingdom? If so, how could they take it? How can those who have the work of grace so far developed in their hearts that they are saints of the Most High, and members of his spiritual kingdom, then take a spiritual kingdom, which consists of the same things which they already possess? They could not. Then it was not a spiritual kingdom to which the prophet referred. Amen. But the saints shall take the kingdom—such a kingdom as they can take—not a spiritual kingdom, but the kingdom of God which he shall establish under the whole heavens.