Among all the sweet songs of the Spirit there is none more majestic than Psalm 45. Christ's throne is described there as eternal, His dominion is over all the Universe, He is already anointed of God and is riding in complete and irrestistible power over all creation. Yet, the psalmist sees a still more thrilling future for his glorious King, as he views His triumphs of grace among all nations and sees the obstinate Jewish fathers replaced in His positions of highest favours by the obedient and glorified bridal saints from all nations. This reminds us of such other visions as we find in Isaiah 49, when again we hear even the Saviour expressing surprise at the variety and responsiveness of those whom He is to receive after Israel would finally and forever reject Him. All these are Gospel promises and refer to Christ's position and power now, as do also such predictions as Psalm 89 and the oft-quoted words of Psalm 110. The last psalm ties the Saviour's kingship up with His eternal priesthood and clearly indicates that the two offices are co-existent and co-extensive. Surely there is a tragic lack of logic in our dear fellow-believers who talk about the Lord Jesus as being out of place, the church being out of place and the Jews being out of place during all this present dispensation. Those who talk thus believe that Christ is our Great High Priest, that He is the one and only Mediator between God and man; but they insist that He is still deprived of His proper place, the throne of David in Jerusalem. They fail to see that the Holy Spirit plainly says in Acts 15:16 that the house of David finds permanent re-establishment in the conquering work of the Gospel.

Volumes could be written on Isaiah's prophecies in the kingship of Christ. His pictures in chapter 6 give a view of Christ's glory at that time. His vision of chapter 9:6 and 7 shows faith appropriating the Christ of the future as a present reality to the prophet. The One on Whose shoulders the government was to rest forever, the One Who was to make His dominion and peace to go on increasing eternally, was already in Isaiah's possession, as the Child Who was born and eternal Son Who was given. Isaiah 55 shows Christ again as King, but reveals Him as using His Word as the invincible instrument for the perfect carrying out of His unchangeable purposes. Likewise, chapter 63 looks beyond the period when the Gospel accomplishes its triumph and sees Christ again as King, but as King now coming as Judge to execute upon His rejectors the punishment which will express the feelings of God toward those who shed or trampled upon the precious blood of His Son.

Was Daniel's concept of Christ's kingdom the idea of a dominion that was limited either in respect to time or scope? In chapter 2 he anticipates the manifestation of Christ's kingship, and refers to the mystery of its origin, (cut out without hands) the crushing force of His power, (He breaks all other kingdoms to powder) His independence of human assistance or successors, (it shall not be left to other people) the endlessness of its existence (it shall stand forever) and the fact that this is the Kingdom of the God of Heaven. Chapter 4 does not reach out so far either into time or space, but it does make Nebuchadnezzar confess that there is a King in heaven Who does and will do as He plans among all nations and peoples of earth. Chapters 7, 8 and 9 tell the same truth and in chapter 9:24 to 27 especially, we have God giving Daniel the promise of that eventful seven year period that was to span the time from Christ's baptism until the fury of Judaism scattered the Gospel witnesses to the far corners of the world. There Daniel saw Christ sovereignly renewing the covenant of special privileges to the Jewish nation, the covenant which He so scrupulously observed as He laboured among the lost sheep of Jacob's fold and as He commanded His

disciples to begin at Jersualem as they made use of the almighty power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Again chapters 11 and 12 show Christ away in the future, carrying out His Father's plan, raising the just and the unjust, sending some to everlasting contempt and taking some to shine as the stars forever and ever.

These are but smatterings of Old Testament prophecies about Christ's kingship, but they represent something far better, far greater and more glorious than anything which the Judaistic, limited, millennial concepts envision. They, none of them, make

any thousand year period to be the real proof or glory of His kingship. They recognize His absolute control over all things there. They exult in the glory of the Gospel power and accomplishments. They see the work which starts with conviction and conversion of individual sinners, growing and continuing in believers without any limit or end. They see the age of grace followed by the time of judgement, but show always that grace will prevail where God ordains that it should, in spite of constant, unabating opposition, right up until the execution of that sentence which will forever break the power of sin and rid the earth of its presence.

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