The final triumph of Christianity over all other religions
and faiths is assured in the Word of God. In Daniel 2 we
read of a "stone cut out without hands." This
refers chiefly to the church or kingdom of
God—Christianity. It did not come by human hands. Being
divine, it came from heaven. It is of a spiritual nature;
hence no worldly policy, human doctrine, nor military
force was employed in its establishment. 'Not by might nor
power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts.' This stone
smote the image and broke it to pieces. As observed in a
previous chapter, the great image represented four heathen
kingdoms that reigned in succession in ancient times.
These were the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian,
and the Roman. It was the Roman which held the dominion
when Christ appeared to set up the everlasting kingdom of
heaven.
At the time when this heathen
government, partaking of all the characteristics of the
preceding empire, was at its zenith of imperial splendor,
military glory, legislative authority, and literary
eminence, Christianity smote it at its very foundation, or
principles of support, and by destroying these brought the
whole to ruin. This stone began to smite the image when
the apostles went out into every part of the Roman empire,
pulling down idolatry and founding Christian churches.
Soon the saving gospel spread to every quarter. Pagans
were converted by the thousands. In A. D. 331, by an edict
of the emperor himself, all the heathen temples were
ordered destroyed, and Christianity became the religion of
the empire. In the very territory where paganism held full
sway during the dominion of the Babylonian, MedoPersian,
Grecian, and Roman empires, Christianity was now the
universal religion. You see that many of the
distinguishing marks and principles of all the preceding
empires remained in, and were compacted with, the Roman
government, not only as to their territorial possession,
but also as to their distinctive characteristics. Thus
when Christianity struck at the roots of pagan Rome, not
only the iron and clay, but also the brass, the silver,
and the gold, representing the former pagan systems and
governments, " were broken to pieces together. "
Christianity triumphed, and the pagan systems fell.
But mark well the fact that at the
very time when Christianity crushed the image and broke it
in pieces, it was only "a stone." That was the
blessed morning light age of the church. Christianity at
this time was represented by a stone, and yet that stone
filled the Roman empire, or the then known world; but it
was foreseen that this stone which smote the image became
a "great mountain and filled the whole earth"
(Dan. 2: 34). This shows that tile work of Christianity
was to be progressive. Beginning small, it was to continue
to enlarge and expand. Not only would the Roman empire and
a few countries clustering around the Mediterranean Sea be
brought under the influence of the gospel, but the
kingdom—the church of Christ —would enlarge from a
stone into a mountain, yea, "a great mountain, and
fill the the whole earth." Wherever it goes, it
breaks in pieces, consumes, and destroys idolatry out of
the hearts of man.
What was done in the morning light
age of the church throughout the Roman empire is what will
be accomplished in the evening light throughout the whole
earth. No law or principle in Christianity is directed
against the political code of any country, but against the
sin and idolatry therein. False religions and corrupt
systems of so called Christianity must give way to pure
Christianity revealed in the whole gospel now being
preached. That which in primitive times spread out and
filled the Roman empire shall in these last days spread
from sea to sea and fill the whole earth with its
influence. By this I mean that those countries which have
not as yet felt the powerful influence of Christianity
will yet feel it; for " the earth shall be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters
cover the sea."
Since the pure and redeemed church
of God in this evening time is destined to spread over all
the earth, it follows that God's saints will have the
dominion. Not that the temporal governments will be given
into their hands, for the reign and kingdom of God is
" not of this world." It is of a spiritual
nature. The idea is that in the very nations where
paganism and apostate Christianity rule and govern, there
pure Christianity will yet wield a mighty influence; and
since this triumphant reign is the enjoyment of the
saints, who will be distributed in every corner of the
earth, theirs is a universal dominion. "He that
overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will
I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be
broken to pieces. " Rev. 2: 26, 27. The reign of
Christ is a spiritual reign, and his kingdom is a
spiritual kingdom. He reigns in the hearts of his people.
But his dominion shall be to the
ends of the earth. "The uttermost parts of the earth
for thy possession"; that is, his truth and kingdom
will spread to the uttermost parts of the earth and
through its conquering influence will affect every nation.
Thus Christianity will become the universal religion of
earth. All other religions are of a local nature and apply
only to certain nations and peoples, but pure Christianity
will apply to all nations, and the prophet said that
"all nations shall flow into it." The
universality of Christianity in the earth at the time when
Christ comes again, its final and glorious triumph, is
clearly seen in many scriptures
Turning to the seventh chapter of
Daniel, we find the same four heathen
monarchies—Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and
Roman— brought to view under the symbols of four beasts
(verses 2, 8, and 17). Following their reign, the saints
of the Most High were, it is said, to " take the
kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and
ever " (verse 18). Unlike the heathen kingdoms that
preceded it, the kingdom of grace and righteousness
possessed by the saints was to continue forever. All these
governments, being imperfect in their nature, contained in
them the seeds of their own destruction. Kings die;
ministers change; subjects pass away; new relations arise;
new measures and new projects are originated; and these
produce political changes and often political ruin. All
former empires have changed, and the very names of the
peoples have changed with them. The Assyrians were lost in
the Chaldeans and the Babylonians; the Babylonians were
lost in the Medes; the Medes in the Persians; the Persians
in the Greeks; and the Greeks in the Syrians and
Egyptians; these in the Romans; and the Romans in the
Goths and a variety of other nations. Nor do the names of
those ancient governments or the people who lived under
them remain on the face of the earth at the present day.
They are found only on the pages of history. Even every
dispensation of God prior to Christianity opposed another
by which it was to be succeeded. But every principle of
Christianity is eternal—the everlasting gospel, the
eternal Spirit, the eternal God, the eternal Christ, his
everlasting love, everlasting joy, everlasting
righteousness, and everlasting peace. All these constitute
the everlasting kingdom of grace; and since the saints
possess these elements in their hearts, theirs is an
everlasting reign, an everlasting possession.
Following the setting up of the
everlasting kingdom, came the reign of the little horn and
great apostasy (verses 19-21; 24, 25). During this long
period the saints were martyred by the millions. This
power prevailed against them. This was to continue until
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and
this judgment executed was to take away the dominion of
the horn, to "consume and destroy it to the end"
(verse 25). This began with the Reformation of
Protestantism and reaches its grand climax in the evening
light. The consuming here spoken of evidently refers to
the executing of the flaming judgments of truth against
false worship and false systems of religion. The fire of
salvation and holiness has a consuming, effect upon
corrupt systems of religion. For example, the preaching of
Luther and other reformers in the sixteenth century could
well be illustrated as setting fire to the whole system of
papal religion. "I will make my word in thy mouth
fire and this people wood, and it shall devour them."
Of course, we are not to understand this literally, but
such figuratively was the effect of the preaching during
the Reformation. The power and dominion of Rome was
largely taken away, and honest souls held within her
deceptive fold were led out into clear light. And so in
this evening time, as the judgments of truth that were
executed in the clear morning of the Christian era are
restored to the church, and the saved execute these
against every false system of religion and even against
false worshipers, the effect is the same upon these as the
preaching of the reformers was upon Rome. And as honest
souls accept the preaching of the pure gospel, they will
be led to renounce the false and corrupt systems in which
they have been held and come out into clear light.
This consuming and destructive work
against false religions has been going on for some time,
and the whole realm of sectism has to some extent felt its
withering effect; but I am sure that in a deeper and
broader sense will the whole realm of apostate religion be
made to feel the burning effects of the pure gospel of
Jesus Christ. Not only will apostate Christianity be made
to feel this, but as the pure gospel goes to all nations,
false religions of every kind will be affected by it; and
as people renounce these and accept Christianity, in this
sense the dominion of false religions will be taken away.
This blessed work will continue " until the end.
"
We have reached the evening
light—the restoration of the whole truth, and in this is
comprehended full salvation from all sin and false
religion, a pure church restored and an enjoyment of all
the rich blessings of the kingdom of Christ. "And the
time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. "
Verse 22. Thank God! we have reached that time. In the
morning light age the kingdom of God, as we have seen,
spread over the entire Roman empire and Christianity
conquered paganism therein. That was the then known world.
But after the great apostasy, when we reach the evening
light age of the church and the saints again possess the
kingdom, "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness
of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to
the people of the saints of the Most High" (verse
27). Yes, "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that
al] people, nations, and languages should serve him.
" Verse 14. That is, in all the earth in all nations
where the gospel is destined to go, there will be found
disciples of Jesus offering praise and honor and glory to
his matchless name. Here, then, we have the glorious
triumph of Christianity set forth. It becomes universal.
In this sense the church of God, the saints, the beloved
city, shall have the dominion under the whole heaven.
Christ will have true disciples among all people, nations,
and languages; and they shall serve him. This state of
things shall continue until the end.
