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those who have troubled the Church11 and "sit in the throne of His glory."12

Then the Kingdom, which, for these centuries, has been hid in mystery,13 shall be manifested in power and glory.14 Then shall "the kingdom of the world become our Lord's and His Christ's," "15 and then shall the Kingdom be given

(11) 2 Thes. 1:6-10. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.

7. And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

8. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Also Luke 19:27.

(12) Mat. 19:28. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

(13) Mat. 13:11. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Also Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10.

(14) Mat. 13:43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath cars to hear, let him hear.

Also Luke 13:25-29.

Rom. 8:17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and

joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope;

21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until

now.

23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

(15) Rev. 11:15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,

The kingdom of the world
is become the kingdom of
our Lord, and of his Christ:
and he shall reign for ever
and ever.

Dan. 7:14. And there was given him dominion, and glory,

unto the Saints of the Most High.16 Therefore we pray, as Jesus taught us,

"Thy Kingdom Come."

The Church militant, which was begun on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) ends at the Rapture, before the Tribulation.

The Kingdom begins with the Revelation, at the close of the Tribulation.

It is the personal reign of Christ on earth.

He was prophesied to be king of the Jews. Isa. 9:6.

He was born King of the Jews. Mat. 2:2.

He said he was the King of the Jews.

Mat. 27:11.

He was crucified as King of the Jews. Mat. 27:37.

He came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, saying, "The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand." Mark 1:14-15.

He said the Kingdom was among them. margin.

Luke 17:21,

He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. John 1:11.

He would have set up the Kingdom (Mat. 23:37-39), * but they rejected and crucified Him.

However, God raised Him from the dead and set Him on high.17

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.

(16) Dan. kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

7:27. And the

(17) Heb. 10:12. But this man, after he had offered one

sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

Acts 2:34. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35. Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Also Mat. 22:44.

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He sent the Holy Ghost into the world, and under His power and guidance the apostles went out preaching the good news of the Kingdom (Acts 2, etc.) to the Jews first,18 but they rejected it, and the disciples turned to the Gentiles.19 Thus the Kingdom came nigh unto the Jews, who spurned it, and while it waits*20 God visits "the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14), breaking down the middle wall of partition to make of twain (all Jews and Gentiles who believe in His name) one new man,21 that is, the Church, or Mystical Body of Christ.22

*This we believe is the true explanation of this subject. The Kingdom did come "nigh" when Christ came, and had they received Him, it would have been manifested, but now it is in abeyance, or waiting until He comes again.

However the Greek word éyyísw = engizo, which is translated at hand in Mat. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7, and is come nigh in Luke 10:9-11, does not necessarily mean immediately near. For we find the same word used in Rom. 13:12: "The day is at hand," and in Heb. 10:25, "as ye see the day approaching" and in James 5:8, "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh," and in 1 Pet. 4:7, "the end of all things is at hand," each of which passages are yet unfulfilled.

So we see that the word engizo (is at hand) covers a period of more than 1800 years, and reaches unto the second coming of the Lord.

(18) Acts 3:26. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Rom. 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Also Mat. 10:6.

(19) Acts 13:46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

Also Acts 18:6 and 28:28.

(20) Mat. 23:39. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

(21) Eph. 2:14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.

(22) Eph. 4:12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Mystery.

Thus the Church came in as a mystery, and was but rarely, if at all, spoken of in the Old Testament prophecies. For we read in Rom. 16:25 that it is a "mystery, which was kept secret since the world began," and in Eph. 3:3-6, "The mystery which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men," and in Col. 1:2427 "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest the riches of the glory of this mystery among the

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It was this mystery of the Church which so puzzled the prophets and caused them to inquire and search diligently what the Spirit meant when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ. See 1 Pet. 1:10-12.23 They could un

13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph. 5:23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church; and he is the Saviour of the body.

24. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

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30. For we are members of his body.

31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

(23) 1 Pet. 1:10. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11. Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

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27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or it any such thing; but that should be holy and without blemish. 28. So ought men their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nour

ported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

derstand the glory of the Kingdom, which should follow, but could not understand the mystery, which has been revealed unto us, and which interested the angels; to-wit, a suffering Messiah and a persecuted Church.

The Church is to be the Bride of Christ, which He is going to present unto Himself. Eph. 5:23-32.

But now she is a Virgin of sorrow and affliction, a companion in suffering with her espoused Husband-the Lord Jesus Christ.24

He said: "Because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you," and "if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:19-20), and "in the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33), and the apostle says, "yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12. See also John 17:14; 1 Thes. 3:3,25

And this is perfectly consistent. For this world has murdered the Son of God, and is guilty of His blood, but the Father bears this insult to His matchless love and grace, patiently staying the day of vengeance, being long suffering and not willing that any should perish.26

If He thus bears with the murderers of His Son, will He not bear with the persecutors of His Church?

And this persecution will continue until Jesus comes and takes the Church away,27 and saves her from the great hour of temptation (or trial), which shall come upon

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is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

(27) 1 Thes. 4:16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

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