should be the determination to realize the present purpose of GOD. The servant, at best, will be

as his Lord, and thus be intelligently aiming at the immediate divine objective, knowing that the

ultimate blessings can be seemed by no other program.



There is to be a Kingdom of righteousness in the earth: it does not follow, however, that its

establishment is the present purpose of GOD, or that the saved ones of this age are to form its

subjects. Such a conclusion might be gained from human guesses, or superficial reading, but

could hardly be the result of careful study of "present truth" as presented in the New Testament.



There will be no establishment of an earthly Kingdom apart from the coming and presence of the

King and that event, in turn, must await the accomplishment of all divine purposes in this

mystery age. To be intelligently adjusted to the present divine undertakings is to be committed to

a very special form of service and to be working toward a very different goal than the bringing in

of a Kingdom by undertaking world-wide conversion.



It is a matter of obedience to the more simple direction to evangelize all nations, which is not to

be done once for all as an objective, but must be done anew with each succeeding generation

until the real objective is accomplished,- the out-calling of the church. Apart from the question

of divine command, the earthly blessings will be conceded to be nearer when depending on His

imminent return than when resting upon any approach to world-wide conversion that has yet

been displayed.



Is not the testimony of nineteen centuries sufficient witness to the divine purpose in this age

apart from revelation? If we believe that GOD is able to realize His own will and purpose at a

given time, we must conclude that world-wide conversion has not been His present age purpose.

It is needless to add that He is suffering no such defeat, but is faithfully following the exact plan

He has disclosed in His Word. It is for every child of GOD to know the exact plan. He has

disclosed and to be wholly subject to it, else his ignorant service may but play into the hands of

the enemy of GOD and add to the final bonfire of wood, hay and stubble.



In the Scriptures the return of CHRIST is presented as a full development of the purpose of

GOD:



First, It accomplishes the cessation of much of the present form of evil.



A theory that evil will grow less and less until it vanishes from the earth is not a doctrine of the

Scriptures. There sin is faithfully traced from its beginning in the fall of Satan, and is seen to run

its course and to be suddenly terminated in the hour of its fullest manifestation; and all this is in

the permissive will and restraining power of GOD. The following Scriptures show that the return

of CHRIST will terminate the sin and confusion of the earth: 2Th_2:7-10; Dan_1:1; 7:13, 14; Mal_4:1; Jud_1:14-15; Mat_24:15-30; Rev_11:7-13:18; 19:11-20:3.



Second, As certainly as the saved ones of this dispensation have all their hope and blessing in

the heavenly glory so certainly it all awaits His coming to claim His own.



Even those who have fallen asleep in JESUS await their immortal bodies and that blessed

marriage to Him. All saints await His coming to receive His Bride (Joh_14:1-3). Their rewards

will then be bestowed (2Ti_4:8; 2Co_5:10). Their marriage bliss awaits His call

(Revelation 19:7, 8). So, also, the appointments to authority as co-reigners with Him (Rev_2:26-27; 20:6). How can the church, if she be true to the spiritual vision: do otherwise than to

pray, "Amen, oven so, come Lord Jesus"?



Third, The final Gentile blessings await His return, as well as their judgment as nations.



Two Gentile purposes are now revealed: first, He is visiting the Gentiles to call out a Bride; and

second, there will be universal Gentile blessing when the Kingdom is finally manifested in the

earth (Act_15:14-18; Rom_15:8-12; Mal_1:11; Jer_16:19; Isa_11:10).



Fourth, Creation must groan and travail until His return:



"For the earnest expectation of creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God," -

but when will they be manifested?



-"When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we appear with him in glory,"

-"For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who

subjected the same in hope. Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the

bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. For we know that the

whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but

we ourselves, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of

our bodies" (Rom_8:19-23).

This, too, is a well defined time, "For our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look for

the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change this body of our humiliation that it

may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." All creation, then, awaits the deliverance and

blessing that will be wrought by His return.



Fifth, His return in glory ushers in the earthly Kingdom and ends the long night of Israel's

affliction.



Their Messiah truly cometh, but in His own time. From the following passages, which might be

greatly multiplied, it may be concluded that there is no divine expectation of the long awaited

earthly Kingdom a part from the return of the King as He comes in power and great glory:

Deu_30:3; Psa_1:1-6; Dan_2:4-44, 45; 7:13, 14; Zec_2:10-12; 14: 4-8;

Mal_4:1-4; Mat_24:30-31, 34; Rom_11:25-27; Rev_12:9-10; 19:11-20:6.



Three accounts are given in the Scriptures of the transfiguration, and each is preceded by the

significant words: "There be some standing here, that shall not taste of death, till they see

the Son of man coming in his Kingdom."



The meaning of the transfiguration is given by Peter, an "eyewitness": "For we have not

followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of

our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the

Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This

is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which cane from heaven we

heard, when we were with him in the holy mount" (2 Peter 16-18).



Here Peter affirms by the Spirit that the scene on the holy mount was a revelation of the "power

and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." The essential elements of the future earthly Kingdom

were all represented in this scene. CHRIST appears in His heavenly glory; two were with Him,

sharing in the glory. One had gone to be with the Lord by death, and one by translation; but both

were equally glorified together with the Lord. Upon the earth were representatives of the chosen

nation. These were not in the transfiguration glory, but were in such blessing that one could say,

"It is good for us to be here." So shall it be in the final manifestation of the Messianic Kingdom

in the earth. The church will be with Him and share His glory and reign. The nation, and through

them all nations, will live in His millennial blessing and reign. There were some standing there

who did not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.



To fully outline the character and blessedness of that coming age would require the quotation of

a great portion of the messages of the prophets in which language seems to fail them to fully

paint the glory of the transformed earth. A selection of passages, indicating the character of the

Messianic Kingdom, has been given in Chapter Three.



By these Scriptures this Kingdom is seen to be:



1. Theocratic. The King will be Immanuel and by human birth a rightful heir to David's throne.

Himself born of a virgin in Bethlehem of Judea.

2. Immanuel's Kingdom will be heavenly in character in that the GOD of Heaven will rule in the

earth. His will to be done in earth as it is done in Heaven.

3. Immanuel's Kingdom will be in the earth, rather than in Heaven, and centered at Jerusalem.

His blessed reign will be over regathered and converted Israel and extend through them to the

nations.

4. Immanuel's Kingdom will be realized only by virtue of the power and presence of the

returning King.

5. Immanuel's Kingdom, though material and political, will be spiritual in that its subjects will

walk on the earth in the undimmed light of GOD.

The animal Kingdom will be subdued:



"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. And

the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall

eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the

weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in

all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the

waters cover the sea" (Isa_11:6-9).



So, also, the physical creation shall be changed:



"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall

break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the

myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not

be cut off" (Isa_55:12-13).



"When the poor and the needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for

thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open

rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a

pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the

shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the

pine, and the box tree together. That they may see, and know, and consider, and

understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel

hath created it" (Isa_41:17-20).



"For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters

cover the sea" (Hab_2:14).



"The meek shall inherit the earth" (Mat_5:5).



"And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall

beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift

up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Mic_4:3).



"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the

wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert" (Isa_35:5-6).



"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,

saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and

will be their God and they Shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his

neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me,

from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their

iniquity, and will remember their sins no more" (Jer_31:33-34 :).



"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, Counsellor, 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 for ever. The zeal of the

LORD of hosts will perform this" (Isa_9:6-7).



"He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isle shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall

offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him, His name

shall endure for ever: his name shall he continued as long as the sun: and men shall be

blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of

Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let

the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen" (Psa_72:8-11,17-19).

Such is Immanuel's Kingdom in the earth. Such is the covenant of peace with Israel for ever.

At the close of this millennium of peace and righteousness there is the dark picture of the final



testing of all willing separation from GOD in the loosing at Satan for a "little season" and the

war that follows.

The Great White Throne is set; its judgment is past; and lo, the new heavens and new earth



wherein dwelleth righteousness. The revolt of earth and the powers of darkness against the



sovereignty of GOD is for ever past.

"Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the

Father; when he shall have put down all rule and authority and power. For he must reign,

till he hath put all enemies under his feet."





"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

~ end of book ~



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