Page images
PDF
EPUB

No. II. It Discourages Work.

This is most

It is objected that it discourages work. inconsistent and untrue, for the very essence of the doctrine is to WATCH, WORK AND WAIT, and to work Now for the night cometh when no man can work.2

No. III. So Many Unsaved Friends.

Some object that they have so many unsaved friends, they cannot wish Jesus to come.

WORK THEN, for we read "all that my Father giveth me shall come to me" (John 6:37-39), and whosoever will may come. Knowing the terror (fear) of the Lord, let us persuade men. 2 Cor. 5:11.

The Antedeluvians would not heed the preaching of Noah, and even Lot's kindred (his sons-in-law) would not go with him out of Sodom. So there will be those who will not accept of Christ. But of all who believe in Him* not one will be lost.5 The Israelites were often led to repentance, in the midst of adversity and calamity, and so if our friends will not be entreated to accept of Christ now, it is perhaps possible that they may do so under the visible judgments of God, during the Tribulation.

But whether they will or not, let us consider, that the great mass of humanity are engulfed in the maelstrom of sin, which is sweeping its millions down to graves of de

Jas. 5:20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

(2) John 9:4. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

See also page 143.

(3) Rev. 22:17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

(4) John 1:12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

(5) John 10:27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Mat. 7:13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.

struction (Mat. 7:13), and compared to them, in numbers, the true believers are but a handful. In the Millennium all this will be changed, "for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9), and all men shall bow to the righteous scepter of King Immanuel.6

We would not sacrifice the hundreds of lives upon a passenger train, to save the life of even a FRIEND who willfully exposed himself to danger upon the track; and are not all men our brothers? and shall we not yearn to save them from the tide of spiritual death? Oh! then, let us cry with the Holy Spirit: "Even so come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20. For when He comes the work will be cut short in righteousness."

No. IV. My Kingdom Is Not of This World.

It is objected that Jesus said: "My Kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36. True! not of the spirit of the world (1 John 2:15-17); just as believers are not of the world. John 15:19. The correct rendering of the passage is, "My Kingdom is not (EK) out of this world.” That is, it does not emanate from this world. He is not (ex) out of this world. Both He and His Kingdom are from above. But it will be set up on this earth, in accordance

9

(6) Isa. 45:22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

23. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Phil. 2:10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 1:32. He shall be great,

and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Also Rom. 14:11; Mic. 4:1-7. (7) Rom. 9:28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

(8) John 8:23. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

(9) Col. 3:1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those

with the prayer which He taught us "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth." Luke 11:2.10 Earthly kingdoms are corrupted by the deception of Satan. But in the Millennial Kingdom he will not deceive them, for he shall be bound.11

There is nothing essentially sinful in matter. Adam was sinless before his fall and he had a material body. Christ The earth was has a material body and is without sin. cursed because of sin and the spirit of the world clings to 13 and all things sin.12 But when the curse is removed,13 that offend are gathered out of the kingdom,14 then shall

[blocks in formation]

Gal.

4:26. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

(10) Dan. 2:44. 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 for ever.

Dan. 7:18. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and

ever.

Jer. 23:5. 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 in and justice judgment the earth.

6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwel?

[blocks in formation]

the 2. And he laid hold on dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

(12) Rom. 1:32. Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

(13) Rev. 22:3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.

[blocks in formation]

all creation have that for which it groans,1 15 and the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.16

No. V. The Kingdom Within You.

It is objected, that the kingdom of God is not material and visible, but that it is spiritual and invisible. In support of this the following words of Jesus in Luke 17:20-21 are cited: "When He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, lo, here! or lo, there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Observation should be translated "careful watching," see Dr. Adam Clarke, or "narrow watching," see Rotherham. The marginal, and better reading for "within you" is "among you," see Rotherham, Wilson, Prof. Whitting, and others. He did not say that the kingdom of God was within, or in the hearts of those wicked Pharisees, but that it was among them, viz.: within the Jewish nation. As Bengel states it, "within is here used, not in any respect of the heart of individual Pharisees, but in respect to the whole Jewish people. The King, Messiah, and therefore the kingdom is here: ye see and ye hear."

[ocr errors]

The sense, then, is as follows: The kingdom of God cometh not with "careful watching." That is, not in such a way as to be discerned only by sagacious critics, nor is it

[blocks in formation]

to be seen only by those who are scrupulously watching for it. They shall not say, Behold here or there, for the king dom of God is among you, to-wit: it was then visibly present among them, in the person of Jesus the King. And so it will be visibly present when He comes again.17 It did not, and will not, need scrupulous watching to discern it, Had they received Him with faith,-instead of (narrowly) watching Him with deceitful spies,18 they might have realized that their King was then visibly present, and ready to usher in the universal manifestation of the kingdom, which had been seen by the favored disciples of the Mount,19 How gladly He would have then fully manifested Himself as King, and established His Kingdom among them, is shown by His words of tender yearning in Mat. 23:37-39:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 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."

He came in His Father's name; but the Israelites to whom He spoke would not receive Him.20

(17) Rev. 6:16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb;

17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

(18) Luke 20:20. And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the gov

ernor.

(19) Mat. 17:9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man,

until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

2 Pet. 1:16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

(20) John 5:43. I am com. in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall

« PreviousContinue »