The prophets with one accord pointed to
the first ad vent of Christ, as the time when the kingdom of
God would be established. All the prophecies which related to
its establishment reached their fulfillment at that time. We
will begin with Daniel's prophecy. In the second chapter we
read that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, dreamed a dream.
This dream was afterwards made known to him by Daniel the
prophet. In the dream he saw a great image. "This image's
head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his
belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part
of iron and part of clay."—Verses 31-33. He also saw a
stone cut out without hands, which smote this image upon his
feet, and broke them to pieces, and the stone became a great
mountain which filled the whole earth. Verses 34, 35.
This great image represented four great
universal monarchies that reigned one after another in ancient
times In Daniel's interpretation of the dream, he told King
Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head of
gold."—Verses 37, 38 By this we are to understand that
the Babylonian empire is what the head of gold represented.
Gold being the most precious metal of the four, proves that
the Babylonian empire was the richest and greatest of earthly
kingdoms History proves this to be true. This kingdom arose
2300 years before Christ. In the time of Nebuchadnezzar it was
in the height of its power and glory. But Daniel said to
Nebuchadnezzar: "After thee shall arise another kingdom
inferior to thee."—Ver. 39. This second kingdom was the
Medo-Persian, which during the reign of Belshazzar took the
Babylonian kingdom. This occurred 538 B. C This kingdom was
what the "breast and arms of silver" represented.
The "belly and thighs of brass" was interpreted by
Daniel to be a "third kingdom.... which shall bear rule
over all the earth."—Ver. 39. This was the Grecian
empire, which conquered the Medes and Persians 286 B. C., and
fell 146 B. C. The "legs of iron," and "feet
part of iron, and part of clay," Daniel interprets to be
the "fourth kingdom," in its strong and divided
condition. This was the Roman empire, which fell A. D. 476.
Here then we have four universal
kingdoms—Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman.
(Verses 37-43.) "And in the days of these kings
[kingdoms] 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 forever."—Ver. 44.
This is clear. Daniel said that some time during the reign of
these four kings, or kingdoms, the God of heaven would set up
his kingdom. When Rome, the fourth of these kingdoms, had
reached the summit of its glory and power; when its domain was
so large that it was denominated "all the world,"
(Luke 2:1); and Augustus Caesar was an absolute sovereign
ruling over | three hundred millions of people, Jesus Christ
appeared , here among men and established the kingdom of God.
Little did the Roman emperor think as he sat proudly on his
throne, that a little babe, Iying in a manger in the town of
Bethlehem of Judea, would establish a kingdom, before which
the powers of the Caesars would dwindle into insignificance.
But it was so. "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is
fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand."—Mark 1:14,
15.
Dear reader, if you will accept the
testimony of divine truth, you must admit that Daniel locates
the establishing of God's kingdom during the reign of those
four universal kingdoms; and that it had its fulfillment in
the coming of Christ, during the reign of Rome. When Jesus
came the time was "fulfilled," the kingdom of God
was "at hand." "Thou sawest till that a stone
was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his
feet.... Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver,
and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the
chaff of the summer threshing floors; . . . and the stone that
smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole
earth."—Dan. 2 :34, 35. This stone is the kingdom of
God. It never came with human hands. It is a divine
institution; was established by Christ himself. Matt. 16:18.
It began with the preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2;
Luke 16:16), and was fully set up on the day of Pentecost.
Mark 9:1; Acts 2:1-4 Rom. 14:17. The heathen kingdoms of'
darkness were ' broken to pieces" and
"consumed" before its march. Earthly kingdoms have
arisen and fallen, but this one stands unshaken upon the rock
of eternal truth. It has come down through martyrdom, waded
through blood, and has stood the storms of ages. When time
will have run its course; when all earthly kingdoms will have
crumbled into dust; when the earth will be wrapped in a mighty
sheet of flame; yea, when the sun and moon will no longer
shine, this kingdom will continue to shine in the glory of the
Father. Although it has been largely hid away under the human
rubbish of men for centuries past, it is I again mounting up,
and shining forth in power and unity. I Yea, that stone has
become a "great mountain," which today is filling
the whole earth. Glory to God! Jesus Christ is "Prince of
the kings of the earth." In the kingdoms of the earth
today, kings and rulers bow before him and give him homage.
In Dan. 7:2-7 we read that Daniel saw
in a night vision four great beasts. The first was like a
lion; the second like a bear; the third like a leopard; and
the fourth was dreadful and terrible, diverse from all the
rest, having great iron teeth. Verses 2-7. This vision
troubled Daniel; so he asked an angel its meaning. The answer
was: "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings
[kingdoms], which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints
of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom forever, even forever and ever."—Verses 17, 18.
Here are the same four universal kingdoms that are brought to
view in the second chapter; namely, Babylonian, Medo-Persian,
Grecian, and Roman. Now mark you; immediately after speaking
of these four kingdoms, he says, "But the saints of the
Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom." By this we are to understand that some time
during the reign of these four kingdoms, the kingdom would be
given to the saints of the Most High. As we before observed,
this was fulfilled during the reign of Rome, by the coming of
Christ, and the establishing of his kingdom in the hearts of
men.
We will now turn to the prophet Micah.
In Micah 4:1-7 we read: "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. And he shall judge among many people,
and rebuke strong nations afar off; | and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their I spears into
pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.... For all people will
walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the
name of the Lord our God forever and ever. In that day, saith
the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather
her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; . . .
and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from
henceforth, even forever." Here is another clear prophecy
of the establishment of God's kingdom, and one often referred
to by the Millennium- advocates. Reader, observe that all
contained in this prophecy was to come to pass "in the
last days." Ver. 1. Now if we can locate the last days,
then we will have the exact time of its fulfillment. Turn to
Heb. 1:1, 2—"God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son."
"These" then are the days of the fulfillments of
that prophecy. Here, again, the word of truth cuts off the
Millennial theory.
We will now briefly review the
prophecy, and prove its fulfillment in this gospel age. The
"mountain of the Lord" clearly applies to Mount
Zion. See Ver. 7. The Hebrew brethren had "come unto
Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22, 23), which Paul denominates
"the general assembly, and church of the
first-born." Jesus called his church in this dispensation
"a city that is set on a hill."—Matt. 5 :14. The
"house of the God of Jacob" is "the church of
the living God. the pillar and ground of the truth."—1
Tim. 3:15. The flowing of many nations into it has been
fulfilled from the day of Pentecost on. Under the law the true
God was known only to Israel. The Jews were his chosen people,
But now salvation is for "all people." Luke 2:8-10.
The gospel privileges are extended to "every
creature" among "all nations" in "all the
world." Matt. 28 :19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16. And "in
the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my
people" they are now "called the children of the
living God."—Rom. 9 :24-26. People out of all nations
of the earth are today saved in the family or kingdom of God.
The "law" that is to govern in these last days is
not that which came forth from Sinai, but that which came
"out of Zion," "The word of the Lord from
Jerusalem." This is a clear prophecy of the fact that
"repent-ance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name | among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem."—Luke 24:47. This began on the day of
Pentecost. It is further stated that "he shall judge
among many people." "Jesus said, For judgment I am
come into this world."—John 9 :39. "For the time
is come that judgment must begin at the house of
God."—1 Peter 4:17. The beating of "swords into
plowshares," and "spears into pruning-hooks," a
time when they should "learn war no more," is a
clear prophecy of the glorious unity, peace, and love which
exist in God's church. The angel announced to the shepherds in
the plain that a Savior was born into the world, who would
bring "peace on earth and good will toward man."
Through the sanctifying grace of God and obedience to the
truth, the saved of all nations are brought into "one
fold" (John 10:16); belong to but "one"
organized "body," or church, the "church of
God" (Rom. 12:4, 5; Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:24; Acts 20:28); are
all "of one heart and of one soul" (Acts 4:31-33);
"one mind" (2 Cor. 13:11); "all speak the same
thing" (1 Cor. 1:10); all have "one faith"
(Eph: 4:5); "one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17); all strive
together (Phil. 1:27); rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:26);
"assemble together" (Heb. 10:25); and "see eye
to eye" (Isa. 52:8). God over all, in all, and through
them all knits their hearts together in love. Eph. 4:6; Col.
2:2. Surely the prophet did not overdraw his picture of this.
And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from
henceforth, even forever and ever.
Dear reader, this is a present truth,
and one that it Is your privilege to enjoy. "But thou,
Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is
to be ruler in Israel." "And he shall stand and feed
in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the
Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great
unto the ends of the earth."—Micah 5:2, 4. Here, the
birth of Christ, and the glory of his kingdom is foretold.
Surely none but such as are blinded by the "god of this
world" can fail to see that this prophecy has had its
fulfillment in this gospel age. Please turn and read Matt.
2:4-6 and John 7:42.
A sublime description of the peaceful
kingdom of Christ is found in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah.
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and 8 branch shall grow out of his roots."—Ver.
1. This clearly refers to the first advent of Christ.
"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." "With righteousness shall he judge the
poor."—Verses 2-4. Was this not true in the personal
ministry of Christ? Did not the people say, "Never man
spake like this man"?—John 7:46. "In whom are hid
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."—Col. 2:3.
"And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and
faithfulness the girdle of his reins."— Ver. 5. Now,
continuing the same description of Christ's peaceful kingdom,
the prophet says: "The wolf also shall dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calf
and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little
child shall lead them." "The sucking child shall
play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put
his hand on the cockatrice' den."—Verses 6, 8. Here,
the Millennial teacher thinks he has a strong point in his
favor. He says: "When Christ comes in his second advent,
this earth will be burned over and purified. Then Christ will
set up his throne in Jerusalem, and reign a thousand years,
etc., during which time all the wild animals will be tame.
Also, this fire that shall sweep over the earth will burn up
the wicked, root and branch, and the righteous will tramp on
their ashes," etc. Oh, what blindness! How Satan has
perverted the minds of men!
Mark you, dear reader, nothing is said
in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah about Christ's second
coming. Each time personal mention is made of Christ, clear
reference is made to his first advent. See verses 1 and 10. If
you are a believer in that theory, let me ask you a question.
While the fire is sweeping over the earth, purifying the same,
burning up the wicked (as you say), what will become of the
animals? Will they be translated and held in mid heaven until
the fires have swept over the earth, and then let down again?
or will they be consumed in the fire, and afterward
resurrected? Such doctrines are too ridiculous to receive
attention. Yet some men are so thoughtless as to believe in
them. Here is the secret.
"The natural man understandeth not
the things of the Spirit." The redeemed understand these
things. The various animals are used in the word of God to
show different characters of men. For example—Jesus said to
his disciples, "Be ye harmless as doves ;" and to
Peter he said, "Feed my lambs." Concerning Herod he
said, "Go ye, and tell that fox."—Luke 13:22.
False teachers are compared to "ravenous wolves,"
"grievous wolves."—Matt. 7 :15; Acts 20:29. Paul
said, "Beware of dogs."—Phil. 3:2. Speaking of the
characters of the damned, it is said, "With out are
dogs," etc.—Rev. 22:15. Hypocritical professors are
called "serpents," and "generation of
vipers." In Matt. 25 God's people are called
"sheep," and the unsaved, "goats." So in
Ezek. 34 God's people are compared to "sheep,"
"fat cattle," etc. This is the sense in which we are
to understand Isa. 11:6-8. It teaches how the grace of God in
this glorious dispensation would destroy the serpent like,
devouring, natures of men, and make the most lion-hearted
sinners, the most ferocious characters, docile and harmless,
even so meek that a "little child" can teach and
"lead them." Hallelujah! It also teaches the
glorious love and unity which exists among the redeemed in
God's kingdom. No wrangling, backbiting, deceit, or devouring
one another: but peace which nothing offends; "helpers of
each other's joy;" "workers together." And the
prophet adds: "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain"—church of God. Ver. 9. All in this fold
are "harmless as doves." In the thirty fifth chapter
of Isaiah, the prophet speaking of the "highway of
holiness" upon which the "redeemed" in this
gospel dispensation were to walk, says, "No lion shall be
there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall
not be found there."— Verses 8 9. You see that domestic
animals were used to represent the beastly natures of men,
which are destroyed in holiness; and also, that no ferocious
character is on the way to heaven. The devil himself would be
ashamed to affirm that literal wild animals could walk on a
spiritual way, the road to heaven, which is the highway of
holiness
But we are not yet through with the
eleventh chapter of Isaiah. "And in that day [the age
when all this would be fulfilled] there shall be a root of
Jesse [Christ], which shall stand for an ensign of the people;
to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be
glorious."—Ver. 10. This is so plain that it needs no
comment. It clearly applies to the coming of Christ and the
present blessings of his kingdom. In full salvation we
experience a more glorious reign of peace and blessedness in
this life, than all the vain dreams of Millennial glory. The
prophet continues: "For the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."—Ver.
9. This began with the gospel dispensation. It was fulfilled
in the general diffusion of light and truth among all nations
in the apostolic days, and still more fully in this glorious
evening time. Daniel speaks of it thus: "Many shall run
to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."—Dan.
12:4. These texts do not teach, as many suppose, that there
will be a time when all the world will be righteous, but the
"knowledge of God shall be increased," until the
earth shall be full of it. By the aid of modern inventions,
such as the power of steam, the printing press, etc.,
thousands upon thousands of tons of pure gospel literature are
being sent to all nations of the earth; while a holy ministry
is "running to and fro," "having the
everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the
earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and
people." Thus the earth is rapidly being filled with the
knowledge of God. The result was foretold in Dan.
12:10—"Many shall be purified, and made white, and
tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the
wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."
"Many must be tested, and thoroughly whitened, and tried
with fire, and sanctified."—Septuagint. Let the reader
observe that at the very time the knowledge of God was to fill
the earth, and many be thoroughly whitened, and sanctified, as
a result of the same, the wicked were to "do wickedly:
and none of the wicked shall under. stand." The same is
taught in Habakkuk 2:12-15, 18-20. This fact is utterly fatal
to the Millennial theory.
The following text is often quoted by
Millennium teachers: "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 judgment and
justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be
saved."—Jer. 23 :5, 6. Nothing is here said about
Christ's second advent. Clear reference is made to the birth
of Christ, who was "the root and offspring of David
;" also, to his present reign in this dispensation of
grace, and the execution of his righteous judgments against
the works of darkness. "In his days Judah shall be
saved." And, "Behold, now is the day of
salvation." Isaiah clearly locates the establishing of
the kingdom at Christ's first advent, in chapter 9, verses 6,
7—"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, 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 forever."
We will now take up some of the
principal texts used by those who believe in a future kingdom
where superior means of grace will be offered to mankind, and
prove their fulfillment in this gospel age. Thus, one by one,
the props of the Millennial heresy fall, under the hammer of
eternal truth.
PROPHECY
"The Lord hath sworn in truth unto
David; he will not turn from it, Of the fruit of thy body will
I set upon thy throne."—Ps. 132:11.
FULFILLMENT
"Men and brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead
and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.
Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with
an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to
the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; . .
. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, . . . he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."—Acts
2 :29-33.
"Which he had promised afore by
his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according
to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness."—Rom. 1:2-4.
The angel said unto Mary, "And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 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 forever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end."—Luke 1:31-33.
"But we see Jesus, who was made a
little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor."—Heb. 2 :9.
"Unto the Son he saith, Thy
throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of thy kingdom."—Heb. 1:8. Read also 2
Tim. 2:8 and Acts 13:22, 23.
PROPHECY
"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou at my right hand, until I make shine enemies thy
footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of
Zion: rule thou in the midst of shine enemies. Thy people
shall be willing In the day of thy power."—Ps. 110:1-3.
"Yet have I set my king upon my
holy hill of Zion. . . . Thou art my Son; this day have I
begotten thee Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for
shine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for
thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou
shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." —Ps.
2 :6-9.
"In his days shall the righteous
flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the
river unto the ends of the earth."Ps. 72:7, 8.
"All the ends of the world shall
remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the
nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the
Lord's; and he is governor among the nations.... All they that
go down to the dust shall bow before him.... A seed shall
serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
They shall come, and declare his righteousness unto a people
that shall be born."—Ps. 22:27-31.
FULFILLMENT
' The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou
on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord
and Christ."—Acts 2 :34-36.
"Who is gone into heaven, and is
on the right hand of God: angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him."—1 Peter 3:22.
"God hath fulfilled the same unto
us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as
it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this
day have I begotten thee."—Acts 13:33.
"God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and
the express image of his person, and upholding all things by
the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high; being made
so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance
obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of
the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have
I begotten thee? . . .When he bringeth in the first-begotten
into the world, he said, And let all the angels of God worship
him.... Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy
kingdom." —Heb. 1:1-8.
