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Will God's Kingdom Be a Literal or a Spiritual Kingdom?
It would be almost unnecessary to answer such a question as the
above, were it not for the opinions that are entertained in the world
concerning a purely spiritual kingdom, particularly as in a preceding
chapter I have clearly pointed out a literal kingdom, rule, and reign.
But I have introduced this merely to meet some questions that exist
in the minds of many, relative to a spiritual kingdom, arising from
certain remarks of our Saviour's, where he says, "My kingdom is not of
this world;" and again, the "kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink,
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost;" and again,
"the kingdom of God is within (or among) you."
The kingdom of God, as I have already stated, is the government of
God, whether in the heavens, or on the earth. Hence Jesus taught his
disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as
it is done in heaven." And when the kingdom of God is established on
the earth, and prevails universally, then will the will of God be done
on earth, and not till then; then will the reign of God exist on the
earth, as it now does in heaven. It is this reign we are speaking of,
a reign of righteousness. But whenever God's laws are established,
or his kingdom is organized, and officers selected, and men yield
obedience to the laws of the kingdom of God; to such an extent does
God's kingdom prevail. John preached the kingdom of God, or, heaven
nigh at hand. Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is within you. Jesus
compared the kingdom of heaven to a husbandman who sowed wheat, and
when he went to his field, he found tares also. Matt. xiii. Now what
was this field? The field was the world, or in other words, God's
rightful possession, where he ought to govern; the good seed are the
children of the kingdom, or those who receive and obey the laws of the
kingdom of heaven. The tares are the children of the wicked one; or
those who rebel against God and his laws. The tares are to be gathered
out of his kingdom, and burned; and then are the righteous to shine as
the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Again, the kingdom of Heaven
is likened unto a treasure that a man found in a field, and sold all
his possessions, in order that he might possess himself of that field
and treasure; and a pearl of great price, for which a man did likewise;
thus Abraham, Noah, Lot, Moses, and many of the Prophets purchased this
treasure at the sacrifice of all things. And why? They discovered the
pearl, the treasure, and had respect unto the recompense of reward;
enduring as seeing him who is invisible. And what was it all for? For
the purpose of obtaining present blessings, earthly enjoyments, the
pleasures of sense? No! they all died in faith _not having_ received
the promises; but having seen them afar off; they knew of the treasure,
and sold all for it; they "looked for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God." Wherefore it is said, God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city.
They looked for a reign of righteousness--the government of God--they
were inspired with the same hope as that of all the Prophets who had
prophesied since the world begun, viz., the hope of the restitution
of all things. John the Baptist, and Jesus would have introduced the
kingdom; but the people would not have it; still, as the apostle John
says, to as many as did believe, "to them gave he power to become the
Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John i. 12. They
became sons of God. Yes, say some spiritually, and I say literally
too. They made a literal covenant with God to keep his laws; they were
administered to literally by officers of the kingdom of God; they
believed literally; were baptised literally, and received the gift of
the Holy Ghost literally; and became literally the servants or sons of
God. But what was their hope? Was it in this world? Yes, but not at the
present. They expected the promise of Jesus to be fulfilled to them:
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." And they
looked, with Peter, and all the ancient Saints, for a new Heaven and a
new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. They looked with Paul, and
the Saints to whom he wrote, for a kingdom, not ariel or visionary, but
one "which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
The world, as we have before stated, although it belongs to God, has
never been under his control. His vineyard has brought forth briars
and thorns; tares have been sown in his field; but there has been some
wheat, and that wheat represents the children of the kingdom, who
have kept his laws and observed his ordinances; and wheresoever the
laws of his kingdom have been observed, in the same proportion has
his kingdom prevailed. Christ, therefore, organized his kingdom with
Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists, etc.; officers and
administrators of his laws, which laws were given by the Lord; they
baptized for the remission of sins, laid on hands for the gift of the
Holy Ghost, and introduced members into the kingdom of God on earth,
and as they were empowered to bind on earth, and in heaven, to seal on
earth, and in heaven, these persons, not only became members of the
Church here, but also of the kingdom of heaven, and participators in
all its blessings here and hereafter. They were now Sons of God; but
it did not fully appear yet what they should be, only they should be
like him. If he conquered death, so should they; if he overcame, so
should they; if he sat down upon his Father's throne, he would give to
them that overcame, power to sit down upon his throne, as he overcame
and sat down upon his Father's throne. And if Jesus comes to reign on
the earth, he will also bring his Saints with him, and they shall live
and reign with him. These things are spiritual, but they are literal;
they are temporal, but they are also spiritual and eternal. Hence with
God all things are temporal; all things are spiritual; and all things
are eternal. These are only our phrases to specify certain ideas,
which ideas in themselves are very often incorrect: we have bodies and
spirits, but it takes both to be a perfect man. We talk about time and
eternity,--what is time? A portion of eternity; eternity was, before
time was, and will continue to exist when time shall be no more.
Spiritual and temporal things are only so, as we form ideas of them.
What is our body?--temporal, material? Yes, matter; but the matter of
which it is made is eternal, and it will yet be spiritual like unto
Christ's glorious body. What is our spirit?--material, spiritual and
eternal also? But more subtle and elastic than our corporeal bodies.
Having said so much on this subject, we now come to some of our
questions. "The kingdom of Heaven is not meat and drink, but
righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost." What are
we to understand by this? that righteousness composes a kingdom?
Righteousness is an attribute, a principle, a state of being, not a
government; peace and joy are the result of this attribute. God is
righteous, and consequently righteousness flows from him. There may
be also a righteous man; but we do not say that God is a kingdom,
or that a righteous man is a kingdom, but that the kingdom of God
is a righteous kingdom. You can say a righteous kingdom, a kingdom
of righteousness; but you cannot say righteousness is a kingdom. A
kingdom may be governed by righteous laws; its laws may be righteous,
its administrators righteous, its people righteous; but to say
righteousness is a kingdom, is nonsense. The kingdom of God is a
righteous kingdom; it is made up of higher enjoyments than eating
and drinking; it is more refined and elevated; it is a kingdom of
holiness, virtue, purity; of "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost,"--principles that exist in part now, as far as the kingdom
extends. When the kingdom of God is universal, it will, like the
kingdom in the heavens, be all "righteousness, peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost;" yet, it will have its laws, officers, and administrators,
and will be a literal, tangible thing. The Spirit of the Lord shall be
poured upon all flesh; the will of God will be done on earth as it is
in heaven, and the joy and peace which result from righteousness, will
be experienced by all the world. What did Jesus mean, then, when he
said, "The kingdom of Heaven is within you," or "among you" (marginal
reading.) Luke xvii. 20, 21. There certainly must be some mistake
here, for Jesus was speaking to Pharisees, whom he had denounced as
corrupt men, hypocrites, whited walls, painted sepulchres, etc. Now,
who will say they had the kingdom of God within them? The kingdom of
God was among them. And it did not come with observation, nor with
ostentation or pomp; they might have seen it, but their eyes were
blinded, that they could not see; their ears were stopped that they
could not hear. Many of us suppose that if we had lived in their day,
we should have recognized it among the miracles, signs, and powers that
were manifested by him. But Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and
know me, and follow me, but others do not." If any man do his will,
says Jesus, "he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself." John vii. 17. But if they do not, what
then? They have eyes, but see not; ears, but hear not. The God of this
world blinds their eyes, lest the light of the gospel should shine in
upon them. Jesus says, "Except a man be born again; he cannot see the
kingdom of God." And "except he is born of water and the spirit, he
cannot enter into it." John iii. 3 and 5. It therefore cometh not with
observation; the Scriptures are clear on the point, and show to the
last that when God's kingdom shall be more fully established on the
earth, the inhabitants of the earth will be as ignorant of it as the
Jews were, that Jesus was the Messiah; for the nations of the earth,
with their kings, will yet be gathered together against the people of
the Lord, to battle, when the Lord himself will go and fight against
them, and there will be one of the most terrible slaughters that ever
took place on the earth. It cometh _not with observation_. It is a
righteous kingdom, and righteous men can see it, and appreciate it, and
those only.
I have demonstrated, in a preceding chapter, to which I refer my
readers, more fully on this subject, that the kingdom of God would be
literally established on the earth; it will not be an ariel phantom,
according to some visionaries, but a substantial reality. It will be
established, as before said, on a literal earth, and will be composed
of literal men, women, and children; of living saints who keep the
commandments of God, and of resurrected bodies who shall actually come
out of their graves, and live on the earth. The Lord will be king over
all the earth, and all mankind literally under his sovereignty, and
every nation under the heavens will have to acknowledge his authority,
and bow to his sceptre. Those who serve him in righteousness will have
communications with God, and with Jesus; will have the ministering of
Angels, and will know the past, the present, and the future; and other
people, who may not yield full obedience to his laws, nor be fully
instructed in his covenants, will, nevertheless, have to yield full
obedience to his government. For it will be the reign of God upon the
earth, and he will enforce his laws, and command that obedience from
the nations of the world which is legitimately his right. Satan will
not then be permitted to control its inhabitants, for the Lord God
will be king over all the earth, and the kingdom and greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven will be given to the saints. This may
properly be called the day of reckoning, the time when the world's
accounts will be settled; when things that have been going wrong for
ages, will be put right; when injustice and misrule will no more be
permitted; when the usurper shall be cast out; when the rightful heir
shall possess the kingdom; when unrighteousness will be banished, and
justice and judgement bear sway; when the wicked shall be rooted out
of the earth, and the saints possess it; when God's designs shall be
accomplished on the earth, and men resume their proper position. It
is the fulfilment of the promises of the Lord to his people, or in
scriptural words, "The dispensation of the fulness of times, when God
will gather together all things in one." Satan has had his dominion,
and has deceived, corrupted, and cursed the human family; but then his
dominion will be destroyed, and he will be cast into the bottomless
pit; men will no longer be under the influence of his spirit, be
decoyed by his wiles, or imposed upon by his deceptions. Religion, and
the fear of God, will no longer be painted in dismal colours, or be
dressed in the sable drapery of sanctimonious priests, or sacerdotal
gloom; nor yet in the forbidding costumes of hermits, monks, and
nuns. But, stript of all this religious masquerade, and superstitious
mummery, the fear of God, and the observance of his laws, will be
looked upon in their proper light. God will be seen, feared, and
worshipped as our Father, Friend, and Benefactor; his laws will be kept
as being those framed by infinite wisdom, and the most conducive to
the happiness of the human family. Virtue, truth, and righteousness,
will appear in their native loveliness, beauty, simplicity, glory, and
magnificence, for God alone will be exalted in that day.