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In setting forth the Bible teaching on the Kingdom of God,
one is reminded very forcibly of the words of Luke 1:1,
"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in
order, a declaration of those things which are most surely
believed among us…it seemed good to me also…to write."
Many indeed, have endeavored to unfold the glorious mysteries of
the Kingdom of God, and yet the theme is not exhausted. It is
still vital and still new. For that reason there is no reason
for an apology in writing about the Kingdom of God.
The origin of nations. There is a significant contrast
between the secular history of nations written by men, and that
which is inspired by God. Profane history begins with chaos and
ends with chaos. The early history of every people is clouded
with mythology. The early Britons emerged from the forests as
sun-worshippers; the first Romans were supposed to be two boys
who were, according to the legends, raised by a she-wolf; the
early history of the Greeks is lost in mythology; the same is
true of the Egyptians and all other races. In contrast with
this, inspired history has a definite historic beginning and
moves upon a determined course to a definite purpose and end.
The farther back you go, the clearer it is. Notice, for
instance, that the human race began with the creation of Adam
and Eve by God. The 10th chapter of Genesis is the only
authentic record in existence that tells of the origin of the
earliest branches of the human family. Shem, the oldest son of
Noah, is the progenitor of the Semitic peoples, including the
Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians and the Hebrews. Japheth
gave rise to the white race, which was cradled chiefly in
Europe. The black races owe their origin to Ham, a word derived
from "Keme" which in Egyptian means black. It is also
interpreted "hum" meaning "hot" and is
applied to those people who settled in southern or hot climates.
The Hebrew race, of course, began with Abraham who was a
descendent of Shem.
Nor is this all, for the Bible also reveals the end of which
all mankind moves. Some future day the entire human family is
destined to stand before the judgment bar of God, to be rewarded
according to the deeds done in the body, and then eternity will
be ushered in. In this manner, the Scriptural history declares
that man came from God and that he moves to God. This also
implies man's fundamental dependence on God. Life without God
has no purpose; with God, it has a meaning. Without God there is
no prospect for the future; with God there is an assuring answer
for both.
Why Methuselah lived so long. Another very interesting
story shows how God observes even minute details in the course
of history. Take for example the record of Methuselah in
connection with the flood. Methuselah is best known as the man
who lived longer than any other person, but not many know why he
lived so long. Few would guess that his great age had anything
to do with the mercy of God, and yet, that fact is clearly
shown. In Gen. 5:24 we are told that "Enoch walked with
God." In Genesis 6:6 we read, "It repented the Lord
that He had made man upon the earth, and it grieved Him at His
heart." And the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I
have created from the face of the earth." The word
Methuselah means, "At his death, the sending forth of
waters." (Collin's Bible marg.)
It is quite apparent that God revealed His intention to
destroy the earth with a flood, to Enoch during one of His walks
with that patriarch. He also showed him that the flood would
come at the death of his son. Enoch, being a man of faith,
called the name of his son Methuselah, and thus he became a
living prophecy. By consulting the genealogy recorded in Gen. 5,
we note that Methuselah was 187 years old when his son Lamech
was born. Lamech was 183 years old when his son Noah was born.
Turning to Gen. 7:11, 12, it says, "In the 600th year of
Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the
month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep
broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain
was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." By adding
187 plus 182 plus 600, we get 969, or the exact age of
Methuselah. Thus, Noah knew that the flood would come when
Methuselah died, and the fact that Methuselah lived so long
bears testimony to God's mercy and forbearance, then as now,
that "God is not willing that any should perish," 2
Pet. 3:9. It shows also, the close relationship and harmony
between prophecy and history. Not least it shows the absolute
certainty of God's judgments being carried out even though long
delayed in execution.
The Mission of the Prophets. It is perhaps natural for
us to endeavor to draw back the veil of the future and to peer
into events yet to be. Prophecy for that reason creates an
instant appeal to most people. We must beware, however, of the
danger of using prophecy merely as a means to forecast future
events. According to Young's Analytical Concordance, a prophet
is a "public expounder." To prophesy is to expound
publicly. The original meaning of the word prophesy, was
preaching and a prophet was a preacher. A prophet was not so
much a "foreteller" as a "forthteller." See
Cruden's Concordance. The root meaning is that of one who utters
a message, that is, "he who speaks forth." Universal
Bible Dictionary, p. 398. In earliest times the prophets were
called seers. 1 Sam. 9:9. It literally means, "see-er,"
that is, one who sees. Under Divine inspiration they foretold
future events, especially as these events pertained to the
coming of Christ and His kingdom. On more than one occasion they
fearlessly confronted cruel and haughty tyrants with stinging
rebukes; they continually exposed the sham of idolatry, the
hypocrisy of false priests and they pronounced the judgments of
God on erring people. They were the messengers of God in their
day.
The foregoing explains the Bible definition of prophecy found
in Rev. 19:10, which says, "For the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy." The fundamental purpose of Old
Testament prophecy then, is the preaching and proclaiming of the
Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the central
figure and His message is the central theme. A further
limitation is placed on prophetic interpretation in 2 Peter 1:20
which says, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
Scripture is of any private interpretation." The Scriptures
themselves must interpret prophecy and when this is done the
verdict is final and conclusive. Any attempt to forecast the day
for the end of the world, or to call some living person the
Antichrist is private interpretation. Prophecy and mere
predicting must not be confused.
Inspired prophecy is truth uttered under Divine
guidance. So when the Bible does foretell an event we should
look for its fulfillment. "When a prophet speaketh in the
name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass,
that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the
prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid
of him." Deut. 18:22. There are frequent references to time
in Bible prophecy such as the seven good years followed by the
seven bad years in Joseph's time; the seventy years captivity
foretold by Jeremiah and the seventy weeks foretold by Daniel to
name a few examples. That the history of these events always
fulfilled the prophecy will be clearly demonstrated in the
Bible. The prophecies relating to the Kingdom of God constitute
one of the greatest themes in the Bible and they furnish us with
a most comprehensive knowledge of the Word of God. Abraham is
our first character study and his life is one of the most
important in the Old Testament.
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