Doctrinal by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 4, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 43.

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Doctrinal.

By Editor

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God."—John 7:17.

CHRIST AS KING.

BY THE EDITOR.

HIS RELATION TO RELIGIOUS LEGISLATION.

In our last two issues was considered Christ as prophet or teacher, and Christ as priest. It was shown from the Scriptures that in neither of these relations to the world does Christ or his people, according to the Scriptures, have any part in moulding or controlling the world through civil government; that is, the power of civil government is not to be appealed to nor used for the propagation of truth, for the support or promotion of religious institutions, nor for the maintenance of the servants of God.

The mission of Christ as prophet and teacher extended to the time when he ascended to heaven after his resurrection. His work as teacher since that is carried on through his church endowed by his Holy Spirit.

Christ's work as priest will continue till the whole spiritual house or church of God is built, and the last soul is gathered in. While engaged in this work he sits upon the throne of his Father (Heb. 8:1), and when the last soul of man which will receive him, has received him, then Christ will take his own throne with the overcomers (Rev. 3:21). His own kingdom therefore lies beyond his priesthood. In fact, his kingdom is not set up, he does not possess the throne of his glory, till he comes the second time; for thus he himself declares:—

"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.

In 2 Tim. 4:1 the same truth is expressed by the apostle. He gives his charge to ministers to preach the word, in view of the following great events: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." The two events are connected; the kingdom is set up at Christ's appearing.

Another vital proposition connected with this is that Christ's kingdom will be on this earth. The earth was made for the home of man (Genesis 1 and 2); and the curse of sin upon it did not destroy the design of God that the earth should be inhabited by a people that are "all righteous" (Isa. 60:21); "for thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he has established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else" (Isa. 45:18). God's very existence is pledged to do just what he designed to do in the beginning. Man refused to obey God in the beginning, and sold himself under sin (Rom. 7:14) to the lord of sin; Satan in this way usurped authority and became "prince of this world." See John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4; Luke 4:5-7. This power of Satan is broken by Christ. Rev. 12:10; Heb. 2:14.

These two truths,—that the kingdom of Christ is this world and that it will not be set up till the end of this age,—are plainly set forth in the great symbolic lines of prophecy in the second and seventh chapters of Daniel and elsewhere. The four great successive empires of the world are presented before us,—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome,—and then, in the very last days of the Roman Kingdom, "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, . . . but it shall stand forever." Dan. 2:44. The same truth is declared in the seventh chapter. After depicting the rise and fall of the four great empires above named, the prophet says: "And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven [including all the earth], shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." Verse 27.

Jesus said to those who thought that his kingdom was soon to be set up:—

"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come." Luke 19:12, 13.

The receiving of the kingdom is set forth in connection with the judgment in Daniel 7. After presenting before us the solemn scenes of the investigative judgment (verses 9, 10), the prophet says in verses 13, 14:—

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

All these passages of Scripture and many more teach that this world is Christ's kingdom, and that it will be set up at the close of all earthly kingdoms, at the coming of Christ in his glory.

The next question which we ask is, How will this kingdom be set up? How will it come to Christ? Our National Reform friends tell us that these kingdoms, the nations of earth, will be converted, will submit to God in a political way, and will become a part of the kingdom of Christ. Miss Frances Willard says that the kingdom of Christ must come to the world through "the gateway of politics." But what saith the Scripture? Is it by earthly laws? is it by the politics of nations? is it by the manipulation of votes? is it by any or all of these that the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of Christ?—Nay, these are not God's way. In the very nature of the gospel of Christ it cannot thus come in. But this we will not discuss at present. What are the plain statements of Scripture as to the way in which the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of Christ?

In a passage, a part of which we have before quoted, in Daniel 2, we are emphatically told just how the kingdom of God succeeds the kingdoms of earth. In the symbol, the stone (Christ) smote the image (earthly kingdoms) upon the feet, and the parts of the image were "broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Verse 35. In verse 44 the interpretation declares: "In the days of these kings [the last kingdoms upon earth] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people [as are earthly kingdoms], but it shall break in pieces and consume [not convert] all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Certainly this does not indicate a converted world.

The second psalm bears a testimony of like import. The Father says to the Son: "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." How could language more plainly indicate utter destruction?

The same thing is taught over and over again in the New Testament. In the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13) we are taught that no human power is to be used to root out the tares, but both are to grow together till "the harvest," "the end of the world," and then God destroys the tares. They never become wheat. In 2 Thessalonians 2 the great apostasy, the man of sin, is presented. That mystery of iniquity, with all its adherents, continues till Christ comes the second time; and it is just before that great event that all its wickedness is revealed. When Christ appears all not of him will be consumed "with the spirit of his mouth" and destroyed "with the brightness of his coming." Verse 8. See also Rev. 11:15, 18; 19:11-21.

From the above and many other scriptures we can come to no other conclusion than that the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of Christ by the destruction of all these kingdoms, destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming when he comes to execute the judgment committed to him. See Isa. 59:17, 18; John 5:27.

The reign of Christ upon the Father's throne as priest will come to an end. Says the apostle:—

"Then cometh the end [of Christ's reign as priest], when he [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom [of his priestly rule] to God, even the Father; when he [the Father, according to the promise, Ps. 110:1] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he [Christ] must reign [as priest-king], till he [the Father] hath put all enemies under his [Christ's] feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he [the Father] hath put all things under his [Christ's] feet. But when he [the Father] saith all things are put under him [Christ], it is manifest that he [the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Christ]. And when all things shall be subdued unto him [Christ], then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [the Father] that put all things under him [Christ], that God may be all in all." 1 Cor. 15:26-28.

But his reign upon his own throne, upon the throne of David, will never come to an end (Luke 1:32, 33); and it will not be by human power or means that it will be obtained; "the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isa. 9:7). Everyone who will now embrace the Son, who will receive the gospel of Christ, will have a part in that kingdom as one of the heirs of the promise. Gal. 3:29. But those who do not have Christ formed within, who identify themselves with sin, will be destroyed before the glory of God's grace when Christ comes. Therefore in the setting up of that kingdom politics can have no part, human expediency has no part, human policy has no part, human rule, human shaping or moulding of plans, do not enter into it. It is not of human might or power, but by "my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts." We may therefore leave the setting up of Christ's kingdom to God. Our work, the work of all Christians, the only work for Christ of all, is to hold up Christ a sin-pardoning, all-healing Saviour, to live Christ, talk Christ, and to minister the power and blessings of Christ to all.