HAS earth a king?

For generations back we have seen hearts torn asunder, hopes blighted, and whole nations plunged into revolutions by the question of the "divine right of kings/' The decision of the world has been that this ancient tradition is empty, vain, and groundless. But may not the same question be put in another way? Is there any where a king who has the "divine right?" Has God a king for earth? For the answer to the question, thus stated, there is but one place to turn — the Bible.

In dealing with this subject we will observe that the Holy Spirit first holds before us

THE KING IN PROPHECY

The Jews had long looked for the king, their Messiah, whom they believed would some day rule from the throne of their father, David. To them in their simple trust that God's word was true, there seemed no other alternative. It has remained for the "wisdom of man" to discern that the poor untutored Jew immersed, as we are glibly told, in ignorance and superstition, was mistaken. He was so unfortunate as to take the ancient writings (which we call the Bible) a little too seriously. He actually believed what they said. He, poor fellow, was a literalist! When he read of a coming king, he at once proceeded to wait and look and long for that king. He believed with childlike faith the promises of his God. May God in His grace give to us just such a spirit of abandonment to His Book and its teaching as we enter into this study of "The King." Were the Jews justified in expecting a king? Were their scriptures of such a nature as to give them ground for their belief that a king should yet reign over them in righteousness, — a king sent from God? what say the prophets?

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness (Isa. 32:1). Thine eyes shall SEE THE KING in His beauty Isa. 33:17). Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our KING; He will save us (Isa. 33:32). The wilderness and dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing; they shall SEE THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH, the excellency of our God. (Isa. 35:1,2).

Here we find the promise of a coming king so plainly given as to send the hot blood of anticipation thrilling through the veins. God promises the Jew that the king shall reign in glory and shall be visible to all. He declares that Jehovah Himself will be the king and the setting up of the kingdom will bring universal blessing. How could the Jew believe in aught else than a literal, visible kingdom? — Indeed in the light of such irrefutable scripture how can we believe in aught else? God's word shall be fulfilled.

These promises of a king that would come to rule forever, first took definite form in God's covenant with David, consequently in some passages the Coming One is called "David," in others the "son of David," while He is frequently referred to as ruling from the throne of "His Father David. " He is none other than our Christ. Hear the prophet speak,

Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one KING shall be king to them all (Ezk. 37:21-22); and my servant DAVID shall be king over them (Vs 24), and DAVID my servant shall be their prince forever (Vs 25).

Ah, despised children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, here is thy hope — God will yet restore Israel to her ancient possessions and "David, the Christ, God's king" shall come back from heaven to reign.

But the question may be raised, "may not God annul His covenant with David concerning the king and the kingdom?" To which question God has a ringing answer.

My covenant will I not break,

Nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips.

Once have I sworn by holiness:

I will not lie unto David;

His seed shall endure forever,

And his THRONE as the sun before me (Ps. 89:34-36).

This subject, "The King" is the one which engages the attention of Psalmist and Prophet alike. This subject which many men of today have tabooed is the one which plunged Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, David, Zephaniah, Zechariah and Joel into the raptures of prophetic song. Having briefly seen from only a small portion of the passages the trend of the prophesies of the king, we turn to

THE KING IN LOWLINESS

The prophets had fallen asleep with the fathers, the Maccabees had passed through their stormy day, and Rome had become the mistress of the world, when one morning the court of Herod in the old Jewish city of Jerusalem was electrified by the report that out side the city were three men making the inquiry,

Where is He that is born King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2)?

The chief priests knew at once the answer to this question for God had told them in their Scriptures that the king would be of the line of David and born in Bethlehem, the City of David. But in one thing they failed, they knew quite well all the prophesies concerning the glory of the king, but had utterly ignored -every prediction of His ignominy, poverty, and lowliness.

He was boor a king, but His parents fled with Him to Egypt; He was born a king, but He lived the life of a poor carpenter's son; He was born a king, but He was without money to pay tribute; He was born a king, but He had not where to lay his head; He was born a king, but He was manifested to the eyes of men as a servant, and not knowing the Scriptures they did err, — they failed to recognize the king. They were right in believing that the king would finally come in glory. They were wrong in not seeing that the king must first come in humility.

He leaps for a brief period into popular approval, but the crowd is fickle and when we see him again He is

THE KING REJECTED

It is early in the morning before the passover. An excited mob surrounds the Porch of Judgment. Standing at the Judgment Seat and facing the crowd are two men, — one is the Roman Governor, Pilate, the other is the Wondrous Man who some thirty years ago was "born king of the Jews/' Pilate (in whom is vested the authority of the Roman Empire) speaks to the mob.

Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover; will ye. therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews (Jno. 18:39)?

What a question! Surely this Roman governor speaks at the dictation of God Himself. When the voice of Pilate rang into the ears of that mob of Jews asking them if he should release the "King of the Jews," he brought them face to face with the fact of the ages — Christ is king. To reject Christ is to reject the king. They rejected Him. No sooner had Pilate's question gone forth than there rose from the multitude as one voice, the blood-curdling cry, "Crucify Him, crucify Him."

Then they crowned Him with thorns and with curling lips said, "Hail King of the Jews." Then bye and bye when their rejection had reached its climax and they had hung the king on a cross there was put over Him the words

Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. (Jno. 19:19).

The king had been murdered. The Jews who for years had been waiting for their Messiah, killed Hrm when He came. They had ardently longed for the promised king, and when He stood before them they rejected Him. He came aiaito His own, and His own received Him not (Jno. 1:11). But how wonderful, how glorious this death scene becomes when we remember that this king, holy, spotless, and satisfying to God was bearing in his body the sins of fallen men. Here indeed do the extremes meet. The rejected king and the voluntary Sin-Bearer are one and the same. Thank God, the King of the Jews is the Saviour of the world.

A king with mercy boundless,
     A king whose grace is free,
A king who bore rejection
     For love of you and me.

He died, He miraculously rose from the dead, He ascended into heaven and we see Him during this age

THE KING IN A FAR COUNTRY

When the Jews rejected their king, they postponed His kingdom. He predicted this postponement in His parable of the pounds,

A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for Himself, a kingdom and to return (Luke 19:12).

Christ is the nobleman. He has gone into heaven, the far country. His own people, the Jews, have said, "We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). He will yet return to establish the kingdom which He has received from the Father. Whilst he is away the manifestation of the kingdom is in abeyance or postponement, the Jews are scattered far and wide in accord with prophecy, and a usurping king whom the apostle Paul calls the "god of this age/' the Devil, exercises his warning opportunity with tremendous vigor. But this state of things is only paving the way for the second coming of the Christ, when we shall see

THE KING IN WRATH AND VICTORY

When at last the Jews have been brought back to their land thus fulfilling the many clear predictions of the Old Testament, they will enter into a compact with the Anti-Christ, that masterpiece of Satan, who will become the ruler of the kings of the earth for a very short time. The Anti-Christ will break his compact with the Jews and finally make war against a mere remnant of them who will defend the city of Jerusalem. He will march the army of the kings of the earth against the practically helpless city with its little garrison of faithful Jews and lay seige. In the first attack half the city will be taken. The remainder of the defenders in desperation will lift a prayer to God for help, — and lo, the long anticipated moment will be: at hand. The king will come from heaven and fight victoriously for His own. Listen, as God describes,

For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and half the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then shall Jehovah go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle.

And Jehovah shall be king over all the earth (Zech. 14:2, 3, 9).

When the king comes back, the day of wrath will be at hand. He will terribly crush the army of Anti-Christ as grapes are crushed in the wine-press until the blood of His enemies flows forth even to the horses' bridles (Rev. 14:20). He will wreak His righteous vengeance.

Hear the words of the king Himself.

I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my wrath and their life blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my raiment, for the day of vengeance is in My heart (Isa. 63:3).

When the king comes back, the postponement of the kingdom will be at an end. The long anticipated universal kingdom will then be set »up with shoutings of victory. Set up, not by the multiplied energies of a lukewarm church, but by the personal, visible reappearance of the king who long ago went into the far country to receive His kingdom.

The prophet's testimony concerning the glories of the coming reign is indisputable.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Jehovah of Hosts will reign in Mount Zion in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him (Isa. 24:23; 25; 9).

When the king comes back and enters into His great reign of Peace and Righteousness, He will open the way for the consummation of all things when He will hand the kingdom back to God and God shall be All in All. On this point the record is very plain.

Then cometh the end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have abolished all rule and authority and power, and when all things have been subjected unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subjected to Him that did subject all things unto Him, that God may be All in All (1 Cor. 15;24 28).

O wondrous moment, — the moment when the king will come. Angels and arch-angles will we with one another in ascriptions of glory; the living creatures who minister at the presence of God will fall before the throne crying out, "Worthy art Thou, for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with they blood men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev. 4:9); from the depths of the underworld will come forth the startling admission, "Unto Him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever" (Rev. 4:13); and out from the suffering remnant of God's people the Jew, shall at last be wrung the words "Blessed is the king that cometh in the name of the Lord." Yea, earth, heaven, and hell will blend their voices, either in joyful praise or tardy and reluctant confession, saying, "The King, the King!"

And He shall have on His garment and on His thigh a name written,

KING OF KINGS
AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Rev. 19:16.