Untitled article by M. Hull

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 12, 1860

REVIEW OF ELDER RUSSELL.—No. 2.

By M. Hull

BY M. HULL.

Having in my last, thrown some insurmountable barriers in the way of elder R.'s pentecostal kingdom, I will now examine Col. i, 13, and Heb. xii, 28, and see if they prove that the "kingdom of God spoken of by Daniel ii, and vii, was established in the days of the Roman Cæsars."

Col. i, 13 says, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."

1. We hazard nothing by admitting that there is a sense in which the children of God were in the kingdom of God at the time Paul wrote this letter; for there is a sense in which God always has had a kingdom "among men." See—Dan. iv, 32–37; Ps. x, 16; xxix, 10; cxlv, 9–14; 1 Sam. viii, 7.

But this will not help the elder to sustain his proposition. We have on several occasions publicly asked Mr. R. to show that there was any "kingdom set up in the days of the Roman Cæsars" as his proposition affirms. The fact that Mr. R. can find a few expressions in the epistles from which it is possible for him to infer that there is a sense in which God has a kingdom at present, will not help him; for I will find as many expressions of that kind before the day of pentecost, as he will after it. For example see Matt. xi, 12; xii, 28; xxi, 43; Luke xvi, 16.

The same rule by which Mr. R. will harmonize the above scriptures with his kingdom established at pentecost, will harmonize his imaginary difficulty in Col. i, 13, with the fact that the Lord, when he comes, "shall sit upon the throne of his glory." Matt. xv, 31.

2. If Mr. R. had learned that the Scriptures often speak of future things as though they really existed, it would have saved him the trouble of seeking refuge under Col. i, 13. That this is the case I will now show. (1.) Paul in speaking of Christ, says, "Who hath (past tense) abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Tim. i, 10. At the time Paul wrote the above, death was abolished in the same sense that the kingdom was established in the scriptures to which I have referred. Death is not yet really abolished. This being the fact, we must understand Paul as referring to the future. Death was only abolished prospectively. (2.) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." Isa. ix, 6.

This declaration was made 700 years before the birth of the child spoken of. (3.) Christ says, "Now that the dead ARE raised, even Moses showed at the bush." Luke xx, 37 Who would think of inferring from that language that the dead were actually raised at that time. This language certainly refers to the future. Such language is of frequent occurrence in the Scriptures. (4.) In Jno. xvii, 4, the Saviour says, "I have finished the work thou gavest me to do;" but he had not yet died and risen again. (5.) Jno. v, 3, 11, he says, "And now I am no more in the world;" but he had not left the world yet. (6.) Paul in speaking of Christ [1 Cor. xv, 27], says, "For he hath put all things under him;" but by reading the connection we find it is only done in prospect: "We see not yet all things put under him." (7.) God says to Abraham, "A father of many nations have I made thee." Gen. xvii, 5. Was it not just as easy to say, A father of many nations will I make thee? But God chooses sometimes to "call these things which be not as though they were." Rom. iv, 17.

According to the above scriptures the Colossians may have been translated into the kingdom in prospect. This Mr. R. is bound to admit; but I apprehend that such an admission will shrink the staves of his kingdom so that it will fall down of its own accord.

The Colossians were actually delivered from darkness, but not from the power of darkness. They were walking in the light of God's holy Spirit, and yet contending with the powers of darkness, or they were not like other Christians. Eph. vi, 12. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." I cannot conceive how a person can be delivered from a power, and contending with it at the same time. Hence they were only delivered from the powers of darkness prospectively; and that being the case, they may in prospect be translated into the kingdom of his dear Son.

Col. i, 13 must be so construed as to harmonize with the positive testimony which has already been given to show that "the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ" at the sounding of the seventh trumpet [Rev. xi, 15–18]; and that an entrance will be administered unto us into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. See 2 Pet. i, 11.

3. According to Eld. R.'s position on this text, the children of God are really and literally in the kingdom of his dear Son. They actually have been delivered from the powers of darkness, and really have received the inheritance of the saints. See verse 12. But this is not true; for it is not until the coming of Christ that he says, "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. xxv, 34.

Paul thinks that at the present time we receive "the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession." Eph. i, 13, 14. But he had no idea that "flesh and blood" could "inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. xv, 50. Those "who are called," have not yet received an eternal inheritance, but they have received the promise of it (Heb. ix, 15), and will get the inheritance after the wicked are cut off. Ps. xxxvii, 34. From the foregoing we learn that the saints have not yet received their inheritance. Therefore we must understand Col. i, 12 to refer to the future. But if verse 12 refers to the future (and we have shown that it does), it is not possible to refer verse 13 to the past without doing it violence.

We now pass to an examination of Heb. xii, 28. "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably." Here the saints of the Most High have received a kingdom, either in fact or in appointment. If they received it in fact, they had "thrones and sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." Rev. xx, 4. But this was not the case; for it is not until the Lord comes that they are told to "inherit the kingdom." Matt. xxv, 31–34. At that time he will give one the privilege of reigning over ten cities and another over five. Luke xix, 11–19.

No Protestant will deny that the "little horn" spoken of in Dan. vii, 8, is the Papal power, (if any are not satisfied that the Papal power is the power there spoken of, I refer them to A. Campbell's debate with Bishop Purrell, where this truth is most clearly and ably demonstrated.) But that power prevails against the saints "a time times and the dividing of time" (1260 years) before the saints take the kingdom. This being true, the saints could not actually have been in the kingdom in Paul's day.

Every officer in an earthly government receives his office in appointment before he gets it in fact. So it is with the kingdom of God. Luke xxii, 29. "And I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me, that you may eat and drink with me at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Here Christ and the apostles have received the kingdom in appointment before it was set up, Mr. R. himself being judge. In this sense the saints had received the kingdom of which Paul spoke in Heb. xii, 28.

This examination has been lengthy, but we will endeavor to be more brief in others.