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The Establishment of the Kingdom of God upon the Earth.
How will the kingdom of God be established? We have already shown
very clearly, that none of the means which are now used among men are
commensurate with the object designed, and that all the combined wisdom
of man must, and will fail, in the accomplishment of this object; that
the present forms of political and religious rule cannot effect it;
that philosophy is quite as impotent; and that as these have all failed
for ages, as a natural consequence they must continue to fail. We have
portrayed the world broken, corrupted, fallen, degraded and ruined; and
shown that nothing but a world's God can put it right.
The question is, what course will God take for the accomplishment of
this thing? and as this is a matter that requires more than human
reason, and as we are left entirely to Revelation, either past,
present, or to come, it is to this only that we can apply. We will
enquire, therefore, what the Scriptures say on this subject. It is
called the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven. If, therefore, it
is the kingdom of heaven, it must receive its _laws, organization,_
and _government,_ from heaven; for if they were earthly, then would
they be like those on the earth. The kingdom of heaven must therefore
be the government, and laws of heaven, on the earth. If the government
and laws of heaven are known and observed on the earth, they must be
communicated, or revealed from the heavens to the earth. These things
are plain and evident, if we are to have any kingdom of heaven, for
it is very clear, that if it is not God's rule, it cannot be his
_government,_ and it is as evident that if it is not revealed from
heaven it cannot be the _kingdom of heaven_. That such a kingdom will
be set up is evident from the following, "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." Dan. ii.
44; and again, "I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son
of man came with the clouds of Heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days;
and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion,
and glory, 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."
Dan. vii 13, 14. From the above we learn two things: First--that God
will set up a kingdom which shall be universal; and, that that kingdom
shall not be given into the hands of other people; and secondly--that
the Saints of God shall take possession of that kingdom. The Angel
which announced to Mary the birth of Jesus said, "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; and he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
Luke i. 32, 33.
It may not be improper here to notice an opinion that has very
generally prevailed throughout the Christian world, that Christ's
kingdom was a spiritual kingdom; that it was set up at the time our
Saviour was upon the earth; and that Christianity as it now exists,
is that kingdom. After what I have already written on the subject of
a literal reign and kingdom, this would seem superfluous; but as this
opinion is almost universal in the Christian world, my readers must
excuse me, if, in this instance, I digress a little. Several writers in
the Catholic church, as well as the Rev. David Simpson, M. A., Bishop
Burnett, the Rev. John Wesley, and many others among the Protestants,
have advocated the above opinion. The substance of their ideas is as
follows: that Daniel, by the figure of an image of gold, silver, brass,
iron, clay, in chap. ii.--and by the figures of the four beasts, in
chap, vii., represented a spiritual kingdom; that this kingdom was set
up in the days of the Saviour, and his disciples; that Christianity, as
it now exists, is that kingdom, and that it will become universal over
all the earth. They state that the four great empires, the Babylonian,
Persian, Grecian, and Roman, are represented by the head, breast,
belly, and legs of the Image, and by the four Beasts, in chapter vii;
and that the kingdom of God was to be set up under the dominion of the
fourth, which, as they correctly state, was the Roman. They state,
moreover, that the declaration and prophecy of the Angel to Mary,
above quoted, were also fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah;
in his preaching, in his gospel, and in the organizing of the church,
etc. Many other passages are made to bear the same signification,
which it would be foreign from my present purpose to notice. I have
referred to the above, as some of the most prominent. Now, with all
deference to the gentlemen who have written on this subject (and
education, respectability, and talent, entitle their opinions to some
respect) I must beg leave to differ from them, and consider, that in
trying to support a favorite dogma, they have been led into error;
for it seems to me that nothing can be more foreign to the meaning
of these scriptures than the above interpretation. Now concerning
the four great monarchies being represented as above, I consider it
is perfectly correct; but to state that the kingdom was to be set up
under the fourth monarchy, or under the dominion of the fourth beast,
is stretching the thing too far; and putting a construction upon it
which it evidently will not bear. The text reads, "in the days of those
kings shall the God of Heaven set up a kingdom." The question is, What
kings? I am answered, during the reign of one of the four; and that
as Christ came during the reign, and dominion of the Roman empire, it
evidently refers to that. But let me again ask a question, Under the
reign of what kings was this kingdom to be set up? Under the reign of
the fourth? Verily, No. Let Daniel speak for himself. After describing
the fourth kingdom, which was the Roman, which is compared to iron,
and which in the Image was represented by the legs, he then refers to
other kingdoms and powers, as being compared to iron and clay. There
were also feet and toes, as well as a _body_, which were compared to
powers or kings. This is clearly exemplified in the seventh chapter of
Daniel, for after speaking of the four kings, he describes ten horns,
of which the ten toes in the Image above referred to, are typical.
Those ten horns, he says, are ten kings. It was, then, in the days of
those kings, or while those kingdoms should be in existence, that the
God of Heaven should set up a kingdom; and not during the power of the
fourth kingdom; to which, with any degree of truthfulness, the figure
could not apply in either case. But again, it could not apply to the
first coming of our Saviour for the following reasons:--
First.--The stone hewn out of the mountain without hands was to smite
the Image on the toes; whereas, according to the interpretation of the
divines before referred to, the toes were not yet in existence, for
they state that this kingdom was set up during the fourth monarchy,
which was the Roman, and which is represented in the legs of the Image.
Now, as the powers composing the feet and toes were not yet formed,
how could the little stone smite that which was not in existence? For
it will be observed that after the whole Image was made, the stone was
hewn out of the mountains without hands which smote it.
Secondly.--When this kingdom is set up, it is stated "it _shall not be
left to other people;_" but we are told in Dan. vii. chap., that after
the fourth monarchy which was the time, according to the aforesaid
interpretation, for the setting up of the kingdom of God, a certain
"horn," or king, should make war with the Saints, and prevail against
them; and that "he should think to change times and laws--and that
they should be _given into his hand_." Nothing can be more obvious than
this; for this power, after the first coming of the Messiah, not only
thinks to change times and laws, but "they" are actually "given into
his hand," which will not be the case, when the kingdom above referred
to is set up.
Thirdly.--When the kingdom of God was to be set up, it was to be
"given to the Saints of the Most High;" and all nations, kindreds,
people, and tongues, were to obey the Lord, which has not taken place,
and never can under the present state of things.
Fourthly.--There is no more similarity between Christianity, as it now
exists, with all its superstitions, corruptions, jargons, contentions,
divisions, weakness, and imbecility, and this KINGDOM OF GOD, as spoken
of in the Scriptures, than there is between light and darkness; and it
would no more compare with things to come, than an orange would compare
with the earth, or a taper with the glorious luminary of day.
Fifthly.--The kingdom of God, as spoken of by Daniel, was to become
universal, which Christianity has not, and cannot, as it now exists.
Sixthly.--The Angel's testimony to Mary has not yet been fulfilled. It
is stated, that "The Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father
David, and he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever, and of his
kingdom there shall be no end;" whereas he did not sit upon David's
throne, nor does he now; he did not reign over the house of Jacob, nor
does he now, for the ten tribes are yet outcasts; "the house of Judah
is scattered and without a king," and Jesus himself, when asked to
divide an inheritance, demanded, "Who made me a ruler or king." He,
indeed was a king; "but in his humiliation his judgement was taken
away."
From the whole of the above it is very evident that the kingdom, of
which these divines speak, was not, and could not be the one referred
to by Daniel, or by the angel to Mary; as we have before stated, it was
a literal kingdom, and not a spiritual one only. I would further remark
here, that a certain power was to "make war with the Saints, and to
prevail against them until the Ancient of Days came;" and then, and not
till then, was "judgement given to the Saints of the Most High."
We will now return from our digression, and after stating that the
kingdom of God is a literal kingdom; that it will be great, powerful,
glorious, and universal, and that it will extend from sea to sea, and
from the rivers unto the ends of the earth; that all kingdoms will
be in subjection to it, and all powers obey it, we will proceed to
examine how it will be established. It is compared to a small stone
"hewn out of the mountain without hands," and yet the God of Heaven
is to set up this kingdom. Isaiah, in his eleventh chapter, to which
I refer my readers, in speaking of the establishment of this kingdom,
says, "In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand
for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his
rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the
Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant
of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and
from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from
Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign
for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather
together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."
10-12. From the above it would seem, that an ensign or standard is to
be raised to the nations; that the Gentiles shall seek to it; and that
the ten tribes return, as well as the Jews to their land; that the
dispersed of Judah, and the outcasts of Israel are to return. Now, a
standard, or ensign, is a nation's colours, flag, or rallying point;
it is one of those appendages to a kingdom that is always respected by
its inhabitants. It is used in a variety of ways, and for different
purposes; sometimes by the emperor, king, governor, or general, to
signify his presence; sometimes by vessels to specify their nation;
and sometimes by estates, cities, corporations, or clubs: and always
by armies and navies, to represent whom they belong to. If a king had
a proclamation to make, and wished to rally his subjects, or try their
fidelity, he might send a flag, or standard, and all that rallied to it
would be considered his liege subjects.
But here the God of Heaven sets up a standard. The world, as we have
before stated, is his; it is his right to possess it. Satan has held
the dominion for some time, and the Lord now comes to dispossess
him, to take possession of his rightful inheritance, and to rule
his own kingdom. In order to do this, he issues his mandate, makes
a proclamation, lifts up a standard, and invites all to join it.
Those who do may be considered as his servants, as the citizens of
his kingdom; those who do not, as being in opposition to him, his
government, and laws. As the Father of the human family, as the prince
and king, he lifts up an ensign, and calls the world's attention. Now
the only rational way for the Lord to accomplish this, is to form a
communication with man, and to make him acquainted with his laws. We
cannot conceive of him thundering from the heavens and terrifying the
inhabitants of the earth, nor yet sending angels with flaming swords
to coerce obedience. This would be using physical power to control the
mind; but as man is a free agent, he uses other means to act upon his
mind, his judgement, and his will; and by the beauty and loveliness
of virtue, purity, holiness, and the fear of God, to captivate his
feelings, control his judgement, and influence him to render that
obedience to God which is justly his due; not until these means fail,
will others be exercised.
As the world are ignorant of God and his laws, not having had any
communication with him for eighteen hundred years; and as all those
great and important events must transpire, and as the Lord says he
will "do nothing but what he reveals to his servants the Prophets,"
it follows, that there must be revelations made from God; and if
so, as a necessary consequence, there must be prophets to reveal
them to. How did God ever reveal his will, and purposes to Enoch,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, Jesus, and his Disciples, and
they to the people? God's messengers made known his will, and the
people obeyed, or rejected it. If they were punished by floods, fire,
plagues, pestilence, dispersions, death, etc., it was in consequence
of their disobedience. As God has dealt in former times, so will he
in the latter, with this difference, that he will accomplish his
purposes in the last days; he will set up his kingdom; he will protect
the righteous, _destroy_ Satan, and his works, purge the earth from
wickedness, and bring in the restitution of all things. The above,
while it is the only rational way, is evidently the only just, and
scriptural way. Some people talk about the world being burned up, about
plagues, pestilence, famine, sword, and ruin, and all these things
being instantaneous. Now it would not be just for the Lord to punish
the inhabitants of the earth without warning. For if the world are
ignorant of God, they cannot altogether be blamed for it; if they are
made the dupes of false systems, and false principles, they cannot
help it; many of them are doing as well as they can while, as we have
before stated, it would be unjust for the world to continue as it is.
It would at the same time be as unjust to punish the inhabitants of
the world for things that they are ignorant of, or for things over
which they have no control. Before the Lord destroyed the inhabitants
of the old world, he sent Enoch and Noah to warn them. Before the Lord
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he sent Lot into their midst. Before
the Children of Israel were carried captive to Babylon, they were
warned of it by the Prophets; and before Jerusalem was destroyed,
the inhabitants had the testimony of our Lord, and his Disciples.
And so will it be in the last days; and as it is the world that is
concerned, the world will have to be warned. We will therefore proceed
to examine the scriptural testimony on this subject. John says in the
Revelations, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of Heaven,
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them, that dwell on the
earth; and to every nation, and kindred, tongue, and people, saying
with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of
his judgement is come, and worship him that made heaven and earth, the
sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel,
saying, Bahylon the great is fallen." xiv. 6-8. Here, then, a light
bursts forth from the heavens; a celestial messenger is deputed to
convey to men tidings of salvation; the everlasting gospel is again
to be proclaimed to the children of men; The proclamation is to be
made to "every nation, kindred, people, and tongue." Associated with
this, was to be another declaration, "Fear God, and give glory to him,
for the hour of his judgement is come." Thus, all were to have a fair
warning, and afterwards Babylon falls--not before. From the above it is
evident, that the everlasting gospel will be restored, accompanied with
a warning to the world. Now, if the everlasting gospel is restored,
there must be the same principles, laws, officers, or administrators,
and ordinances. If, before, they had Apostles, they will again have
them; the same laws and ordinances will be introduced, and the same
method for receiving members into the kingdom. They will also have
Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists. If they baptised by
immersion for the remission of sins, and laid on hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost, they will again do the same things. If the gift of the
Holy Ghost formerly brought things past to the saints' remembrance, led
them into all truth, and showed them things to come, it will do the
same again, for it is the everlasting gospel. If formerly it caused
men to dream dreams, and to see visions, it will do the same again; if
to one was given the gift of tongues, to another the gift of healing,
to another power to work miracles, to another the gift of wisdom, the
same will exist in latter days, for it is the everlasting gospel which
is to be restored. If it put men in possession of a knowledge of God,
and of his purposes, and brought life and immortality to light in
former days, it will do the same again. If it dispelled the clouds of
darkness, unveiled the heavens, put men in possession of certainty, and
gave them a hope that bloomed with immortality and eternal life, it
will do the same again. If it caused men to know the object of their
creation, their relationship to God, their position on the earth, and
their final exaltation and glory, it will do the same again, for it
is the everlasting Gospel. In short, it is the will of God to man,
the government of God among men, and a portion of that light, glory
and intelligence, which exist with God and angels, communicated to
mortals, and obtained through obedience to his laws and ordinances. If
the Gospel formerly was to be proclaimed to all nations, so it is now,
with this difference associated with it, there is to be a cry, "Fear
God, and give glory to him, for the hour of His judgement is come."
From this, then, we may expect a proclamation to be made to all people;
messengers to go forth to every nation, and the same principles which
once existed to be again restored in all their fulness, power, glory,
and blessings. The above is the way pointed out in the Scriptures, and
is the only just and rational way to deal with rational, intelligent
beings; for intelligence must be appealed to by intelligence, and it
would be unjust to punish the world indiscriminately, without first
appealing to their reason, judgement, and intelligence. But not only
will the everlasting Gospel be again restored, and be preached in
its fulness as formerly, and go as a messenger to all the world; not
only will there be a spiritual kingdom and organization; but there
will also be a literal kingdom, a nation, or nations, a Zion, and the
people will gather to that. We will here insert a prophecy of David
on this subject: "But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy
remembrance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon
Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy
servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. So
the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the
earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in
his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise
their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and
the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath
looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord
behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those
that are appointed to death; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem; when the people are gathered together, and
the kingdoms to serve the Lord." Psalm cii. 12-22. Here we find, First,
that a literal Zion is to be built up; Secondly, that when that Zion
is built up, the Lord will come--will appear in his glory; Thirdly,
that it is something which concerns the nations of the earth, and the
whole world, for there shall the people be gathered together, and the
kingdoms to serve the Lord.
It may be proper here to remark, that there will be two places of
gathering, or Zions; the one in Jerusalem, the other in another place;
the one is a place where the Jews will gather to, and the other a mixed
multitude of all nations. Concerning the house of Israel, Jeremiah
says, "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall
no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of
Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, the Lord liveth, that brought up
the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the
lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into
their land that I gave unto their fathers," xvi. 14, 15. According to
this passage, and many others, there will evidently be a great display
of the power of God manifested towards the house of Israel in their
restitution to their former habitations. Another Scripture says, that
"Jerusalem shall be inhabited in her own place, even in Jerusalem."
Here I would remark, that there was a Zion formerly in Jerusalem;
but there is also another spoken of in the Scriptures. Hence, in
the passage which we quoted from the Psalms, the Kingdoms are to be
gathered together in Zion, and the people to serve the Lord; and not
only the Jews, but the Heathens are to fear the name of the Lord, and
all the kings of the earth his glory. The law is to issue from Zion,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Again--"The Lord God that
gathereth the outcasts of Israel, says, yet will I gather others unto
me besides these." It is very evident from these passages that there
are two places of gathering, as well as from many others that might
be quoted. For example, Joel, in speaking of the troubles of the last
days, says, There shall in the last days be deliverance in Mount Zion,
and in Jerusalem. Now, he never could say with propriety in Mount Zion,
and in Jerusalem, if these were not two places. The ancient Zion was
in Jerusalem. It would not be proper to say in London, and in London;
but you could say in London and in Edinburgh, in New York and in
Philadelphia, in Frankfort and in Brussels; and so you can say in Zion
and in Jerusalem. But again, the Jews are to be gathered to Jerusalem
in unbelief, as spoken of in Zechariah; and when the Messiah appears
among them, being ignorant of Jesus, they shall ask, "What are these
wounds in thy hands?" Then he shall answer, "Those with which I was
wounded in the house of my friends." xiii. 6. And then a fountain shall
be opened for the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
they will enter into the covenant by baptism, xiii. 1. But the people
of Zion the Lord will take them one of a city, and two of a family,
and bring them there, and give them pastors after his own heart, that
shall feed them with knowledge and understanding. Jer. iii. 14, 15.
The people there are to be all righteous. It is the last Zion that we
wish more particularly to speak of at present, as associated with the
kingdom of God; and, as we are now searching out the manner in which
the kingdom of God will be established, it is to us a matter of great
importance. There are very great judgements spoken of in the last days,
as the consequence of man's departure from God; these we have already
referred to in part; but as we have mentioned, the Gospel must again
be preached as a warning unto all nations, and accompanied with it is
to be a proclamation, "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour
of his judgement is come." Rev. xiv. 7. But the people would very
reasonably be heard to enquire, what can we do? What hope have we?
If war comes, we cannot either prevent or avoid it. If plague stalks
through the earth, what guarantee have we of deliverance. You say you
have come as messengers of mercy to us, and as the messengers of the
nations. What shall we do? Let Isaiah answer: he has told the tale of
war, and defined the remedy. This shall be the answer of the messenger
of the nations, that "the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his
people shall trust in it." xiv. 32. Yes, says Joel, when this great and
terrible day of the Lord comes, there shall be deliverance in Mount
Zion, and in Jerusalem, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom
the Lord shall call. ii. 32. Yes, says Jeremiah, He will take them
one of a city, and two of a family, and bring them to Zion, and give
them pastors after his own heart, that shall feed them with knowledge
and understanding, iii. 14, 15. The proclamation to the world will be
the means of establishing this Zion, by gathering together multitudes
of people from among all nations. For there are multitudes among all
nations who are sincerely desirous to do the will of God, when they
are made acquainted with it; but having been cajoled with priestcraft
and abominations so long, they know not which course to steer, and are
jealous of almost everything. As it was formerly, so will it be in the
latter times. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and know me, and
follow me, and a stranger they will not follow, for they know not the
voice of strangers." Those who love truth, and desire to be governed by
it, will embrace it, and enter into the covenant which the Lord will
make with his people in the last days, and be gathered with them; they
will be taught of the Lord in Zion, will form his kingdom on the earth,
and will be prepared for the Lord when he comes to take possession of
his kingdom. For "when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear
in his glory," and not before. But if Zion is never built up, the Lord
never will come, for he must have a people, and a place to come to. The
prophets hailed this day with pleasure, as the ushering in of those
glorious times, which were to follow. Micah says, "But in the last days
it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall
be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted
above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall
come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and
to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem." iv. 1, 2. Isaiah with rapture gazed
upon the scene, and in ecstacy cried out, "Who are these that fly as a
cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait
for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from afar,
their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy
God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And
the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall
minister unto thee." lx. 8-10. You will find by reading the 14th verse,
that this place is to be called "The City of the Lord; the Zion of the
Holy One of Israel." Here then we find, that the Lord will have a house
built; that it shall be upon the tops of the mountains, and be exalted
above the hills; that many nations shall go there, to learn the will of
the Lord, and that the law shall go forth from Zion. That the people
shall come as clouds to it; that they shall take their silver and gold
with them. That God's worship will be known, and the religion of the
Lord will lose its forbidding aspect. And God, and his religion, be
popular among the nations of the earth.
This brings us to another means that will be made use of, for the
establishment of the kingdom of God; for, before this, he will rebuke
strong nations that are _afar off. And before they "beat their swords
into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and nations
shall have war no more._"[A] there will be a time of terrible trouble,
and distress, of war and calamity, such as never has been before on
the earth. Having noticed in the above that a standard will be raised
to the nations, that the Gospel will be preached again to all people
and a proclamation be made to all nations; that a literal Zion will be
built; that the righteous will flock to that Zion, and be taught of
the Lord, and be prepared for his coming; that great multitudes will
flow to Zion, and the blessing of God dwell there; we now come to point
out another way that the kingdom of God will be established, viz.,
by judgements, that the nations may be purified and prepared for an
universal reign.
[Footnote A: If any one wish further information on this subject, I
refer them to O. Pratt's "New Jerusalem."--Liverpool: S. W. Richards.]
Before the Lord destroyed the old world, he directed Noah to prepare an
ark; before the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, he told
Lot to "flee to the mountains;" before Jerusalem was destroyed, Jesus
gave his disciples warning, and told them to "flee out of it;" and
before the destruction of the world, a message is sent; after this, the
nations will be judged, for God is now preparing his own kingdom for
his own reign, and will not be thwarted by any conflicting influence,
or opposing power. The testimony of God is first to be made known, the
standard is to be raised; the Gospel of the kingdom is to be preached
to all nations, the world is to be warned, and then come the troubles.
The whole world is in confusion, morally, politically, and religiously;
but a voice was to be heard, "Come out of her, my people, that you
partake not of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." John
saw an angel having the everlasting Gospel to preach to every nation,
kindred, people, and tongue. And afterwards there was another cried,
"Babylon is fallen." Isaiah, after describing some of the most terrible
calamities that should overtake that people, says, "The noise of a
multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous
noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts
mustereth the host of the battle .... Pangs shall take hold of them,
and they shall be in pain, as a woman that travaileth." That "the day
of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the
land desolate, and shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it; for the
stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, shall not give their
light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth; and the moon shall
not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their
evil, and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy
of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the
terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold." xiii. 4-12.
After enumerating many other things concerning Babylon and Assyria,
as types of things to come, he says, "This is the purpose that is
purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched
out upon all the nations." xiv. 26. He says again, "Behold the Lord
maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside
down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be,
as with the people so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his
master.... The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for
the Lord hath spoken this word... The earth also is defiled under the
inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed
the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." xxiv. 1-5. From the
above, it would seem that terrible judgements await the inhabitants of
the world; that there will be a general destruction; the world will be
full of war, and confusion, the nations of the earth will be convulsed,
and the wicked hurled out of it. Jesus said, when on the earth, "For
nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and
there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers
places; men's hearts shall fail them for fear of those things that are
coming on the earth." Jesus came first as the babe of Bethlehem; he
will come again, "and rule nations with a rod of iron, and dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel." Isaiah says, "There shall come forth
a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his
roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; and shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the
sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears; but
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for
the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked, and
righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the
girdle of his reins." xi. 1-5. The first of this was fulfilled when our
Saviour came on this earth before; the second will be when he comes
again, "he will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the
breath of his lips will he slay the wicked." The spirit of the Lord
will be withdrawn from the nations, and after rejecting the truth, they
will be left in darkness, to grope their way, and being full of the
spirit of wickedness, they will rage and war against each other, and
finally, after dreadful struggles, plagues, pestilence, famine, etc.,
instigated by the powers of darkness, there will be a great gathering
of the nations against Jerusalem, for they will be infuriated against
its inhabitants, and mighty hosts will assemble, so that they will be
like a cloud to cover the land, and the Lord will appear himself to the
deliverance of his people and the destruction of the wicked. Zech xiv.
Let any one compare this chapter with Ezekiel xxxviii. and xxxix., and
he will find one of the most terrible destructions described, that is
possible to conceive of; and then turn to the second Psalm, where David
describes the kings of the earth taking counsel against the Lord, and
against his anointed. He says, He that sitteth in the heavens shall
laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision.... That he will set his
king upon his holy hill in Zion, that he will give him the heathen
for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his
possession.... That he will break them with a rod of iron, and dash
them in pieces like a potter's vessel; and then he concludes by saying,
Be wise, therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth,
serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling; kiss the son,
lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled
but a little.
In making a brief summary of what we have said before in relation to
the means to be employed for the establishment of the Kingdom of God,
we find the following:--
1st.--That it will be not only a spiritual kingdom, but a temporal and
literal one also.
2nd.--That if it is the Kingdom of Heaven, it must be revealed from the
heavens.
3rd.--That a standard is to be lifted up, by the Lord, to the nations.
4th.--That an Angel is to come with the everlasting Gospel, which is
to be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, people, and tongue; that
it is to be the same as the ancient one, and that the same powers and
blessings will attend it.
5th.--That not only will the Ancient Gospel be preached, but there will
accompany it a declaration of judgement to the nations.
6th.--That there will be a literal Zion, or gathering of the Saints to
Zion, as well as a gathering of the Jews to Jerusalem.
7th.--That when this has taken place, the Spirit of God will be
withdrawn from the nations, and they will war with and destroy each
other.
8th.--That judgements will also overtake them, from the Lord, plague,
pestilence, famine, etc.
9th.--That the nations, having lost the Spirit of God, will assemble
to fight against the Lord's people, being full of the spirit of
unrighteousness, and opposed to the rule and government of God.
10th.--That when they do, the Lord will come and fight against them
himself; overthrow their armies, assert his own right, rule the
nations with a rod of iron, root the wicked out of the earth, and take
possession of his own kingdom. I might here further state, that when
the Lord does come to exercise judgement upon the ungodly, to make an
end of sin, and bring in everlasting righteousness, he will establish
his own laws, demand universal obedience, and cause wickedness and
misrule to cease. He will issue his commands, and they must be obeyed;
and if the nations of the earth observe not his laws, "they will have
no rain." And they will be taught by more forcible means than moral
suasion, that they are dependant upon God; for the Lord will demand
obedience, and the Scriptures say, time and again, that the wicked
shall be rooted out of the land, and the righteous and the meek shall
inherit the earth. The Lord, after trying man's rule for thousands of
years, now takes the reins of government into his own hands, and makes
use of the only possible means of asserting his rights. For if the
wicked never were cut off, the righteous never could rule; and if the
Devil was still suffered to bear rule, God could not, at the same time;
consequently after long delay, he whose right it is, takes possession
of the kingdom; and the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heavens, shall be given to the Saints of the Most High God;
and the world will assume that position for which it was made. A King
shall rule in righteousness, and Princes shall decree judgement. The
knowledge of the Lord will spread, and extend under the auspices of
this government. Guided by his counsels, and under his direction, all
those, purposes designed of Him, from the commencement, in relation to
both living and dead, will be in a fair way for their accomplishment.