[This is the second in a series of articles by the editor on "The King" and cognate themes. It is suggested that the article in the October issue be re-read in connection with the present article. A chart appears in this issue, the purpose of which is to condense the truth and bring the great sweep of God's plan concerning the Kingdom before the eye of the reader at a glance. The importance of a scriptural apprehension of "The Kingdom" is far greater than is generally recognized.]

THE most wonderful fact of prophecy is that the poor old earth, which is to-day reeling under its burden of unnameable sin, is some day to be the scene of the setting up of the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ. True it is, God will always be compelled to say to the kingdoms of the earth, and every work of man, "I will make thy grave, for thou art vile" (Nahum I:i4), but to the same earth He comes with the thrilling words, "The knowledge of Jehovah shall cover the earth as the waters over the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

Hence if God be true, the Kingdom shall come. The knowledge of Jehovah shall yet pervade the whole earth.

The story of the world's history is a panorama of the scenes of confusion wrought by sin, ever going on from anti-climax to climax, from bad to worse. But over this horrid prospect of chaos, the prophets of God have, throughout the Old Testament, held aloft a gleaming torch, the light of which has become the only hope of Israel and all mankind. In the midst of man's continued failure and sin, these men who spake "not by the will of man, but by the will of God" have unwaveringly declared, "The King shall come," — "The Kingdom shall come," — "The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts shall perform it." Yes, the day shall yet come when the Christ shall reign over the whole earth, and God shall fulfill His promise to Him, "I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (Psa. 2:8), and then shall be answered the prayer of our Savior, "Thy Kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10).

There is a question concerning the Kingdom to which God has not given the answer. It is, "When will the Kingdom come?" When the apostles asked the question of Jesus, He told them it was not for them to know.

They asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the KINGDOM to Israel?

And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power (Acts 1:6-7).

While no one knows the date of the coming Kingdom, because God's Word declares that to be out of the question, it is not difficult for us to know the position of the Kingdom as it stands in relation to other events of prophecy.

We will study the Kingdom as it is set forth by the Scriptures during the various ages, past, present, and future. We will first see

THE KINGDOM PROPOUNDED.

From the very foundation of the world it has been the plan and purpose of God that His Kingdom should at last overthrow the kingdoms of earth and stand forth in complete and solitary power.

He did not purpose to permit man to grovel in sin forever. That He planned this Kingdom from the foundation of the world is plainly declared:

Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the KINGDOM prepared for you from the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Matt. 25:34).

But while God intended from the beginning that the earth should finally behold the wondrous glory of His Kingdom, yet His purposes for man were so manifold and His grace so long-suffering, that as we study this great theme in His Word, beginning at the "foundation of the world" and tracing the Kingdom down the ages, we shall find that it passes through many vicissitudes before it is at last manifested in perfection. At the next step we see

THE KINGDOM IN PROPHECY.

Throughout the ancient ages Psalmist, Lawgiver, and Prophet join with one another in ascribing glory to the coming Kingdom. It is the hope of Israel. Moses tells of the time, after a long dispersion, when Israel shall again dwell in peace in the land of promise; the Psalmist sings of coming days when the glory of Jehovah shall shine forth from Mount Zion; and the Prophet flings back the curtain of the ages and reveals to us the Messiah stepping forth from heaven to rescue His people, thwart His enemies, and in unparalleled glory establish the Kingdom.

Prophecy plainly declares that the setting up of the Kingdom will witness the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and will be accompanied by peculiar manifestations of the grace of God toward the Israelites, with whom He will deal as He never dealt with any other nation.

The Lord DOTH BUILD UP JERUSALEM. He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Praise the Lord, O JERUSALEM; praise thy God, O ZION.

He hath not dealt so with any nation . . . , praise ye the Lord (Psa. 147:2, 3, 12, 20).

But the question may be asked, Why this restoration of Jerusalem? What is the meaning of this emphasis on the Holy City and on Mount Zion? The answer of prophecy is plain. It is because Jerusalem is to be the capital city of the Kingdom which is to come, in which the Lord of Hosts, our blessed Christ, shall reign in such glory as to cause the sun and moon to slink back abashed at the vision of His splendor. Hear the words of inspiration,

Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall REIGN IN MOUNT ZION AND IN JERUSALEM and before His ancients gloriously (Isa. 24:23).

Not only will Israel worship the King who shall come, but likewise the nations of the earth shall turn to Him as the King of Kings.

And the ends of the earth 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 (Ps. 22:27-28).

But despite the clearness of these, and many more passages, there has arisen complete confusion in the minds of some of God's children. They declare the Kingdom is the Church. Just how this is possible is puzzling.

What rule of interpretation could lead a man to the conclusion that when the Holy Spirit wants to talk about the "Church" He says "Kingdom"?

There is none! It simply cannot be proved that "Kingdom" means "Church." But in addition to the fact that it cannot be shown that "Kingdom" means "Church," there is direct proof in the writings of Paul that the Church is not so much as mentioned in the Old Testament.

There is an expression used frequently by Paul which means the Church. It is "The Mystery." The impossibility of the church appearing in the Old Testament will be seen from a glance at a few of the passages concerning the subject. The first quotation below is from the first chapter of Colossians. The reader will notice that the twenty-fifth verse is omitted. This is done to make the meaning clearer, because the entire verse is parenthetical.

I, Paul . . . now rejoice . . . for His body's sake, which is the church: even THE MYSTERY WHICH HATH BEEN HID FROM AGES AND FROM GENERATIONS, but now is made manifest to His saints (Col. 1:24, 26).

Another passage from Paul's letters dealing with this interesting subject, "The Mystery," will help us greatly in learning God's answer to the question, "Is the Church in the Old Testament?"

How that by revelation HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME THE MYSTERY, which IN OTHER AGES WAS NOT MADE KNOWN unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

UNTO ME who am less than the least of all saints in this grace given (Eph. 3:3, 5, 8).

From these passages there are at least two conclusions which are inevitable:

1. The Church was hid from other ages and generations.

2. The Church was revealed by the Spirit through Paul.

Hence the Church is not to be found in the Old Testament.

We may now safely conclude that when the Prophets speak of the Kingdom, they mean Kingdom, — not something else.

What, then, is the Kingdom? — or, What condition will prevail when the Kingdom is at last manifested?

From the passages of prophecy which we have quoted, the answer may be easily made. The Kingdom will have come when earth has passed into a blessed condition of rest and righteousness because of the presence of the Lord; when the Messiah shall rule from the throne of David at Jerusalem; when all the nations of earth shall come worshipping Him; and when Israel has been restored to his own land and city with shoutings of glory unto God.

The Kingdom cannot come until the King has come, — personally, — visibly, — to reign.

May God speed the coming King!

(To be continued.)