The Kingdom of God by R. Rockwood

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 10, 1857

The Kingdom of God.

By R. Rockwood

"AFTER this manner therefore pray ye, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matt. vi, 9, 10. Christ, the great central truth, points our minds beyond all types and shadows to the end of our hopes, which cannot be realized this side of the kingdom of God. This is the end of the hopes of the Christian. Catholicism, Mormonism, Mahomedanism, Universalism, Protestantism and Spiritualism all have some great fingerboard pointing to this kingdom; but when and how we obtain it is the bone of contention. There would be no difficulty if we would leave this question to the Bible, but when we step aside and lose sight of the truth that points out how and when we obtain it, we find ourselves lost in the mist of conjecture. Thus men in the light of the nineteenth century have claimed and still claim, that it is already set up. Can this be true? Let us see when it is to be set up. Daniel ii, 44. "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." So Christ says, Matt. vi, 10. "Pray Thy kingdom come." It had not in Daniel's day, nor yet in Christ's day; for it was the deep inquiry of the apostles in their last meeting before his ascension, when the kingdom was to be restored. Acts i, 6. Now if the kingdom is set up, the saints are in possession of the kingdom, and the end of their hopes is realized. If the long desired kingdom has come, let us ask for its locality. Kingdom implies law, subjects and territory; and where do we find the law of God's kingdom obeyed? If we go to Africa, we find their barbarism as black as their skin. Turn to India and ask those deluded followers of the Juggernaut who reigns there. Turn to the Christian government of Great Britain, and see those lords and nobles rolling in luxury, while suffering Ireland cries for bread. Go into their lanes and highways, and see their suffering, while that which would save them from famine and starvation, is bestowed on pampered hounds and horses of young noblemen and lazy priests, to gratify their lusts for sport. Who reigns in these kingdoms? Does Christ? or are they under the control of the god of this world? But let us come nearer home, and search the records of our own model government, this land of liberty, and hear the groans of four millions of human beings driven to their toil by the lash of tyrants. Look into the halls of our government, see them legislating on the system of slavery, acting upon the principle of "let us do evil that good may come." I ask, Is this from heaven? Truth answers, no; and we should turn from these dark pictures with disgust, and pray in the language of Christ, Thy kingdom come. Again, who can think that any kingdom could exist when seven tenths of its inhabitants lived in open hatred to its laws? How long could any kingdom stand under these circumstances? Yet this is a true picture of this world. Seven tenths of the inhabitants trample God's law under their feet. No wonder Job said, The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. Job ix, 24. Paul says also that men are governed by the prince of the power of the air. Eph. ii, 2.

Again I ask, in whose hands rests the government of this world? Who rules? Let truth answer, let statistics tell. This earth is in the hands of Satan, and the great mass of its inhabitants are led captive by him at his will. But the day hasteth greatly when these kingdoms shall fall, when Jesus Christ shall put down all rule and all authority, and when

all shall bow to the mandate of the King of kings. Let watchmen who are proclaiming peace and safety from the pulpits of the land, tremble for fear, and for the things that are coming on the earth.

R. Rockwood.

Burr Oak, Mich.