The Kingdom of God Is Preached
By Francis Monroe Burg
Christ in His Supreme Conflict—His Signal Victory—His Kingdom Everlastingly Assured—
Hence the Kingdom Is Now the Theme
By FRANCIS MONROE BURG “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” Luke 16: 16. The paramount question from the beginning has been, Who shall reign and have dominion over God’s creation? Who is the rightful king? It was the will of God that in all things Christ should have preeminence. Col. 1: 18. Lucifer questioned this right, and instigated a rebellion against God and His Son. As a result, he was cast out of heaven. Rev. 12: 9. We are now waiting for the consummation of the great plan that was devised to vindicate the throne of God and to redeem a disaffected world, when “every knee” shall bow, and “every tongue” shall “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2: 10, 11. THE DEVIL CHERISHED A HOPE
When it was planned in heaven that the Son of God should become the Son of man,—that He should take upon Him the frailties of humanity, by His incarnation,—the devil began to cherish a hope that he might take advantage of Christ’s human weakness, and by overcoming Him, thwart His plan to save the world. So it is written that “the dragon stood before the woman, . . . for to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” Rev. 12: 4. In other words, Satan anticipated the coming of Christ into the flesh, hoping to overcome Him, and thus to triumph in the plot that he devised in heaven before he was cast down to earth. He was permitted to make this last futile attempt to overthrow the Son of God, that the venom of his spirit might be fully manifested, and all question concerning his assumed right to reign be dissipated forever. HIS ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY CHRIST
His first attempt was to destroy the Child that was born. To accomplish this, he inaugurated a wholesale slaughter of innocent children. But the manner of his frustration is familiar to all who have read the simple and pitiful story. Then the enemy sought to tempt the Son of God and lead Him into sin. Notice his artful and wicked tactics. More than once he insinuates a doubt as to our Lord’s relationship to Him with whom He had been from eternal ages,—“If Thou be the Son of God.” But though weak and emaciated, the Principal of this conflict in the desert withstood the temptations and the cunning of His wily foe, and His confidence in Him who had sent Him remained unshaken. Another and a last attempt was made to swerve Jesus from His allegiance to His Father. All the splendor of the world was caused to pass in panorama before Him, and was offered Him if He would acknowledge and worship the great usurper. O, the wickedness of this subtle plot to overcome and to overthrow the Son of God! Again Satan is defeated, and retreats before the words that were written, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Then the malicious and murderous spirit could no longer be concealed. The enemy laid a wicked plot to take the life of Jesus. He still hoped to triumph over the One who had been recognized as Prince of the heavenly host. The Son of God was murdered and laid in a stone sepulcher. The seal of the Roman Empire was put upon the mouth of the cave, and a Roman guard stood by. Thank God, in a few short hours the last spark of hope in the heart of Satan was to perish forever! It vanished with the triumphant coming forth of Him of whom it has been triumphantly said ever since, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev. 1: 18. All tension relaxes, and the triumphant shout goes up to heaven, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down”—is conquered. At this point, attention is called to the fact that the great dragon who awaited the birth of the Child is represented as having “seven crowns upon his heads.” As already noted, a crown signifies a kingdom. Seven means perfection, completeness, fulness. This symbol would suggest that when Satan encountered the Son of God in the flesh, he claimed all right to rule—all right to kingship. The seven crowns would suggest this fact. So the conflict at that time was identical with that in heaven when Lucifer said, “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: . . . I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14: 13, 14. The battle was fought, and the rightful Lord and Sovereign broke the fetters by which the enemy had bound Him, and came forth triumphant forever, with the “keys of the kingdom.”614 TRIUMPHANT, AND VESTED WITH POWER
On that resurrection morning, Mary would have worshiped Him as her Master—her King. But He forbade her, saying, “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20: 16, 17. He must be assured first that He is recognized in heaven as the rightful Sovereign. He ascends to God with a “multitude of captives.” As He approaches the gate of the city, His attendants command in clarion tones that the gates be opened and the everlasting doors be lifted, that the King of glory may come in. There comes back the question, as if no other in that intense hour engaged the attention of heaven’s inhabitants, “Who is this King of glory?” In clearest and triumphant accents the answer rings out, “The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” Ps. 24: 7, 8. He enters the city of Zion, her everlasting King. He is vested by His Father with all power—authority—in heaven and in earth. Matt. 28: 18. And to His servants His commission is given, and a full vestment of power, to go forth and win all nations to Him. To them He gave the “keys of the kingdom,” with the promise that the gates—authority—of hell should not prevail against them. When this work is completed, He will come, King of kings, and Lord of lords, to reign forever and ever. He is crowned with many crowns. Rev. 19: 12, 16. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24: 14. THE GOSPEL IN THE SETTING OF THE KINGDOM
So now the gospel message is preached in the setting of the kingdom of God. It is the proclamation of the same salvation that was preached by Moses and the prophets, through the same Christ whose charms inspired all the messages of these men of old. Since He is risen and holds the keys, the story of His redeeming grace is set in the framework of the proclamation of His soon-coming kingdom; and we are waiting and praying that His kingdom may come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In describing the church under the symbol of a woman who is to give all nations the good tidings of the coming kingdom of God; the revelator represents her as wearing a “crown of twelve stars.” A crown signifies a kingdom—a very fitting symbol of the authority that is now vested in the church, since the conflict of her Lord, and His triumph over the very last of His foes, when He came forth from the fetters of death; and also a fitting symbol of the victorious career of the church under the leadership of her triumphant Lord. In chapter six, the revelator again suggests the same thought. The gospel work is symbolized by a rider upon a white horse, and to him is given a crown; and he goes forth conquering and to conquer. THE KINGDOM AND THE GOSPEL ARE PREACHED
From the thoughts that have been presented, it is clear why John the Baptist, when he began his preaching in the desert, said to the people, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 3: 2. Jesus also gave the same admonition to those who came to hear Him. Matt. 4: 17. And in sending forth the twelve, He told them to say, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 10: 7. So the gospel heralds now preach the message of the coming King, the while telling the story of His redeeming love,—the same story of love and free salvation that prior to John was preached by and through the law and the prophets. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets.” Matt. 5: 17.