Our Statement Of Faith – Part twenty one

“That God set up a Kingdom in the Earth, which will Overthrow all others and change them into the ‘Kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ’.” Article XIX

That God will indeed set up a kingdom upon this earth is the subject matter of a great deal of the prophetic word. The very nature in which the events in connection with its establishment are described necessitates it’s being set up on the earth. The kingdom preached by Jesus and His apostles involved the restoration of the ancient kingdom of Israel (a subject to be dealt with in greater detail in future issues), thus demanding it’s being set up right here on the earth. The following points supported in every important detail by Scripture references, amply prove the foregoing statements.

“Thy Kingdom Come . . . “

The model prayer set forth by Jesus in the sermon on the mount and later repeated to His apostles, in which petition is made for the establishment of God’s Kingdom clearly indicate that it is to be set up on the earth. When the prayer is finally answered (“thy kingdom come”) God’s will shall be done in earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10) This could only come about through the kingdom’s being established on the earth. It is God’s purpose to fill this earth with His glory. The Kingdom of God is the instrument by which this will be accomplished.

“The Mountain of the Lord’s House”

In the second chapter of the book of Daniel is recorded a dream, experienced by king Nebuchadnezzar, and its interpretation by the Spirit of God through Daniel. The king had dreamed of a towering image standing upright before him. It was metallic, and reflected brightly the various hues of the different metals. It’s head was of gold, its chest and arms of silver. The belly and thighs of the image were of brass, its legs of iron, and its feet, part of iron and part of clay. As the king gazed upon the luminous figure, another object caught his eye. A stone, mysteriously hewed out of the mountain, was seen to hurl through the air and strike the colossus, not upon the head or chest as one might suppose, but upon the feet. So great was the impact caused by the flying stone that the gold, silver, brass, iron and clay that comprised the image were ground to dust. Everything that formerly made up the image became “like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away. that no place was found for them” (Dan. 2:35) The object that had caused the disintegration of the figure grew to immense proportions and took on the appearance of a great mountain which ultimately filled the whole earth.

Daniel explained to the king that the various elements comprising the image represented different phases of the kingdom of men. The figure of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream served to illustrate the history of man’s rule from the time of Babylon through our present era and on into the kingdom age. The head of gold represented the Babylonian empire over which Nebuchadnezzar reigned. The silver, brass and iron stood for Medo Persia, Greece, and Rome respectively. The toes, containing a mixture of iron and clay represented the divided state of the territory formerly occupied by the Roman empire after its fall in A.D. 476.

Daniel called attention to the stone which the king had seen cut out of the mountains without hands, and which descended with great force upon the feet of the image, and which subsequently “became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” The significance of the stone must be recognized before one is able to grasp the true nature of the Kingdom of God. Daniel gives a clear and definite expression of God’s purpose in regard to the earth as he expounded to the king its symbolism. “And in the days of these kings 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 break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Dan. 2:44) This is the divine explanation as revealed to Daniel in a “night vision” prior to his audience before the king. The words of this verse are not couched in figurative language, for they are intended to be an explanation of the preceding events of the dream. It relates to us God’s plan to set up a universal kingdom in the earth during the existence of the ten-toed phase of man’s rule. It is a system that is to be inaugurated, not by the slow, methodical preaching of the gospel, but rather through the violent and sudden overthrow of all existing powers. The precip­itance and fury with which the kingdoms of men are to be set aside could not more lucidly be illustrated than by the violent destructiveness and suddenness of the stone’s descent upon the feet of the image.

The stone, illustrating the initial phase of the Kingdom of God, after smiting the image was seen to grow into a huge mountain which ultimately “filled the whole earth”. It is quite obvious that the symbolism employed in the dream can only be understood in relation to events transpiring on the earth. The mountain filled the “earth”, not heaven, demonstrating God’s intent of setting up His kingdom on the earth.

Though there will be, of necessity, a certain amount of violence associated with the subjugation of the nations of the world who resist His will, there will also be a setting up of a kingdom. The mountain which finally filled all the earth symbolized the Kingdom of God. The figure occurs elsewhere in the Scriptures, with the same prophetic significance. In the book of Isaiah, we are told of the establishment of the Kingdom of God in the “last days” (a phrase often used in the Bible to describe the closing days of human affairs). The prophet declares, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isa. 2:2) “Mountains” in the language of prophecy stand for earth powers. The mountain of the LORD’S house is descriptive of the Kingdom of God, and its elevation above all other powers or kingdoms. The words of Isaiah which follow can only be intelligently comprehended when the fact of God’s Kingdom being established on the earth is kept before us. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (VV3, 4)

“From Sea to Sea . . . “

Since the kingdom is to be set up on the earth we should expect the language of Scripture to accommodate this idea. This is precisely what we do find as the following texts outlining its boundaries bear witness: Psalm 72:8, 11, 19

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him . . . And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory, Amen and Amen.” Psalm 2:6-8

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Psalm 46:9, 10

“He maketh war to cease unto the ends of the earth: he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

These should prove sufficient to the honest mind that the “kingdom beyond the skies”, preached by the many different denominations is nothing more than a figment of man’s imagination. The truth lies in a humble acceptance of divine teaching concerning the Kingdom of God which is found in such great abundance in both the Old and New Testaments .

“Wilt thou at this time Restore Again the Kingdom to Israel?”

The teaching of Jesus in this respect was so explicit that His followers expected Him to establish His kingdom immediately after His resurrection. After testifying to His apostles for forty days “of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God”, Jesus instructed them not to “depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father ,which, saith he, ye have heard of me”. (Acts 1:3, 4) Jesus was referring, of course, to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which he had promised them prior to His death, and which was fulfilled 10 days after His ascension to the Father’s right hand. When the apostles were reminded of the promise of the Spirit they mistakenly supposed that it would be at that time that the kingdom would be set up. It was in anticipation of this that prompted their approach to Jesus with the question, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (V6) Had they been wrong in their understanding that the kingdom was to be restored to Israel (and thus be set up on the earth), now would have been the opportune moment for their Master to have corrected them. But, how could they be in error as to the nature of the kingdom? Had not Jesus spent several weeks “testifying” to them of the essentials of the Kingdom of God? Indeed He had! Neither His teaching nor their learning was faulty. The kingdom would surely be restored to Israel, but, as always the matter of the exact time of its establishment was to remain with the Father. Obviously, during the period of His instruction, the Master had made no allusion as to the “time” of the kingdom. Thus, He replies to His disciples, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power.” (V7) Jesus then repeated His promise of the Holy Spirit soon to come upon them at Jerusalem.

“Rule thou in the Midst of thine Enemies.”

It follows naturally, that if the kingdom is to be set up on the earth, its king would reign here. When Jesus had spoken above, Luke records His ascension into heaven: “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven! This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (VV10, 11) The Lord is still at the right hand of God, awaiting the command that will send Him back to the earth to finish the work assigned to Him. David, in the 110th Psalm speaks of this phase of Christ’s work, and shows that when He does return to establish His kingdom He will be reigning amidst hostile foes: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of th) strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” (VV1. 2)

The only way that Jesus could possibly be reigning in the “midst” of His enemies is for Him to take up His crown and sovereign rights on the earth.

“The Branch”

The deduction drawn from the particulars of the 110th Psalm find ample support from the inspired writings of the prophets. Jeremiah speaks of the fulfillment of God’s promises in connection with the “Branch”. This term, the “Branch” is a Messianic title indicating the son, promised to David who would establish his throne and kingdom forever. The title occurs in Isaiah, chapter 11, where the prophet, in glowing terms foretells the benefits accruing from Christ’s reign: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:” (V1) After enumerating some of the blessings His sovereign grace will bring to mankind, the Spirit in Isaiah declares, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (V9) It is easy to see the relevance of the “holy mountain” here and the “mountain of the LORD’S house” in Isa. 2:2. Its establishment will ensure the knowledge of the LORD filling the earth. Now, to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the Branch: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness.” (Jer. 23:5, 6) There is no possibility of missing the significance of the title, “the Branch”. since Jeremiah further identifies him as “The Lord our Righteousness“. His sovereignty will be exercised, and shall prosper “in the earth.” A more lucid description of the actual site of His domain could not be desired. In Isaiah 24:23, the prophet speaks of the same event with similar clarity and precision: “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion. and in Jerusalem. and before his ancients gloriously”.

“The Kingdoms Of This World”

What then, is to happen to the nations after the return of Jesus, and after being reduced to the “chaff of the summer threshing floor”? Though this particular theme is covered under Articles 23 and 27 of the Statement of Faith, we should like to briefly remark on the change that will take place in their political structure.

The impact and destructive power of the Kingdom of God is to be directed against the leaders of the nations who resist His will. Should they refuse the invitation in Psalm 2 to “put their trust in Him”, they will surely “perish when his wrath is kindled but a little” (V12). As a consequence of their refusal to submit peacefully, the Lord will find it necessary to “wound the heads over many countries” (Psalm 110:6, 68:21). However, as far as the political structure and the military capabilities of the nations are concerned, they shall be utterly broken in pieces. Rendered powerless by the Spiritual prowess of the LORD of Hosts (Yahweh of Armies), they shall undergo moral regeneration and be annexed to the Kingdom of God. As John so concisely described their political change, “The kingdoms of this world are become the king- he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11 :1 5 )