Chapter 2
THE KINGDOM IN THE BIBLE
THE story
of the coming of the Kingdom runs through the whole Bible. It is the climax and
consummation of God's grand redemptive scheme. The attainment of the Kingdom at
the end is promised in the beginning, and gives to the Bible its note of
confident expectation, of success and triumph.
Jesus made mention of Noah and Abraham as Divine Prophets
and Revelators in the succession of those Who had guided mankind towards the
Kingdom; but their teachings apparently have been lost and are not given in the
sacred text.
It is, therefore, not until the wonderful and famous
prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 30
that the real story of the coming of the Kingdom of God to earth begins in the
Bible. A prophecy in the full sense of the word means much more than any mere
prediction. It refers to-a foreview of the future seen by an inspired Prophet
by the light of eternity and is a vision of the future purpose of God laid up
beyond mortal ken.
Abraham had already been told of the coming of one of His
descendants in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed and Jacob
similarly had foretold (Gen. 49) the
coming of Shiloh. Moses' prophecy was more full and more exact. He foretold
that, in the distant future, the
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Israelites whom He was now leading from Egypt towards the Promised Land would,
for a dreadful crime, be plucked out of that land, and be utterly dispersed
among the nations. They would live in misery and humiliation until, in the
fullness of time, the Lord God, moved with compassion, would “return and gather" the Israelites
and restore them as His converted subjects, to the ancient land of their
fathers, there to live in lasting peace.
"And it shall
come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the
curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all
the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee,
"And shalt
return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all that I
command this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul,
"That then the
Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will
return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath
scattered thee." (Deut. 30)
Moses' prediction provided the Jewish Prophets with one of
their favourite and most famous themes. It was the chief subject of the
greatest of them all, Isaiah, of which he wrote in his most exalted and
powerful manner. Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk,
Zephaniah shared his enthusiasm and filled out the enraptured picture which he
gave of the future restoration. Moses' prophecy of the return
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became synchronized with the final coming of the Kingdom of God through the
appearance of the Supreme World Redeemer, the Lord God, the Lord of Hosts. The
world was to be unified and the Jews in the Holy Land were to hold a central
place which would give them a position of honour and make them the envy of
mankind. The world in that day would be, as the Prophets saw it, transformed
inwardly and outwardly; human character would be changed and uplifted.
"I will give them one heart, and I
will put a new spirit within you . . . that they may walk in my statutes . . .
and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." (Ezekiel xi 19-20)
"I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh . . ."
(Joel ii 28)
"I will put my law in their inward parts, and write
it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah xxxi 33)
" . . . the earth shall be full of the knowledge of
the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah xi 9 and Hab. ii
14)
"And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in
that day shall there be one Lord, and His Name one." (Zech. xiv 9)
Peace will reign everywhere through the earth. Men shall
learn war no more. Security, tranquillity of mind and
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plenty will follow peace. (Isaiah ii
4; Micah iv 4-5; Isaiah xxxv 1-2; Joel iii
18).
"He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong
nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruning-hooks; . . ." (Micah
iv 3)
"Righteousness and peace have kissed each other"
adds the psalmist. (Psalm lxxxv 10)
The character of men shall be
recognised for what it truly is:
"The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor
the churl said to be bountiful." (Isaiah
xxxii 5)
In the midst of this community of peaceful and friendly nations
the Prophets placed the Holy Land in a position of privilege pre-eminent. In
legislation, in religious instruction and in the execution of government and of
justice she stands unique.
". . . out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah
ii 3)
And again
". . . 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 . . . and he shall judge among the nations and
shall rebuke many people . . ." (Isaiah
ii 3-4)
". . . and the government shall be upon his shoulder;
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
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The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
"Of the increase of his government and peace there
shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for
ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah ix 6-7)
Little wonder indeed that the Jewish people from the time
of Isaiah till the present hour should find solace and pride in the thought of
the restoration of their people at the time of the coming of the Kingdom, and
should read and re-read with happiness the prophecies of the coming of the Lord
of Hosts.
Another great picture of the glory of the Kingdom is given
in the Bible in the Revelation of St. John the Divine, bringing the Bible to
its climax and its end. Belonging to the Revelation of Christ this naturally is
of a highly spiritual order. It promises the presence of God as actually
present in the Kingdom and dwelling among men.
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away . . . And they
shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall
be no night there; and they need no
1. see pages 27-8.
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candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light; and they
shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation
xxi 3-4, xxii 4-5)
Since it is written (Rev.
xxi 24)
"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk
in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour
into it",
one must infer that the reference to God's presence alludes to the earthly
Kingdom and the Holy Land.
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