II

Let us look now into a few New Testament previews of the continuing future of Christ's kingdom. His kingdom was repeatedly said to be a present, active reality when Christ was here on earth. (Matt. 5:3 and 10, Mark 8:1, Matt. 3:2) (Compare 4:17 and Mark 1:14, and Luke 4:43). See also Luke 12:20 and 21. It did not consist of meat and drink. (Rom. 14:17) It was not of this world, or order of things. (John 18:36) It was to grow from small beginnings from spoken words and Divinely planned lives. (Matt. 13:31-35 and Luke 13:18-30).  As we consider this phase of our study, we shall try to bear two things in mind; namely, that the New Testament is God's interpretation of the Old Testament and it is His final word, so far as time is concerned. Most Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled and it gives added detail to explain and implement those which are yet to be fulfilled. If, for instance, the New Testament identifies the ministry of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, the events of Pentecost and the obstinate rebellion of the Jews as the fulfillment of specific Old Testament predictions, we must accept these references as final and must not allow any concepts of ours or of anyone else to override these by insisting that these New Testament explanations did not give us the full truth.

In the predictions of Christ's birth to both Mary and Joseph His royalty was indicated. To Mary, the word was that the promised Babe was to be "The Son of the Highest", He was to occupy "The throne of David" and was to rule the house of Jacob forever, as part of a Kingdom that is to have no end. (Luke 1:32 and 33). To Joseph, God said that the coming One, Whose approach had filled Joseph's heart with trouble, was "Immanuel", was the Saviour of His people from their sins and the One Who would fulfill all the prophetic forecasts concerning the promised Messiah. (Matt. 1:18 to 25). In His introductory summation of His manifesto for blessings in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus certainly spoke as King. He could fill up the Law and the Prophets, He could demand unconditional allegiance and guarantee all kinds of benefits from both earth and heaven. Response to His Word was to determine whether men were to be dealt with as wise men or fools. His claims were to have priority over every other interest. In fact, they were to have such priority that nothing else is to cause us any thought or concern. If He were not the King of kings on that mountain seat, He was a presumptuous usurper for sure. No, it will not do to say that He was talking to some far away millennial age, as one might do in a dream. He was laying claims and making promises which directly affected all there or anywhere else who would know the real meaning of being members of His kingdom.  John the Baptist did not see Christ's kingdom as being either remote in its beginning or limited in its scope or duration. It was already in existence, it was to determine the lines between death and life, it was to execute judgement now and hereafter it was to increase and never diminish.  We can look only briefly at the parables of the Lord but we start with a few questions. Does He sound in these like one whose hopes and aspirations, whose plans and promises are contingent upon the whims and attitudes of a few rebellious Jews? Look at the parable of the net (Matt. 13:47-50). Is He a fisherman who must stand, net in hand, for nineteen hundred years, because there is a big dragon out there in the water and He dare not cast the net until the dragon is first tied and caged? Is that the kind of Instructor that promised to make others to be fishers of men? If the kingdom of Matt. 13 is a future millennial reign on earth, who is the enemy of verses 37 to 43, who sows his children in every part of the Lord's field? The Lord Jesus said that he is the devil, but millennialists have him far away in the kingdom age. Do not all these kingdom parables indicate that the Kingdom was even then in existence, that it would continue to exist and function in a hostile world, when three kinds of unfruitful ground refuse to produce spiritual returns from the Word, where the mustard seed plant stands in contrast with all around it, where the priceless treasure is hidden from most eyes, or is found only after diligent and prolonged search? Does He hold out some fond and forlorn hope for the prodigal's brother, or for his counterpart, the rich man in hell of Luke 16? Or look at Him in the first part of Luke 16. He seems to have read some signs of fear in His disciples, to have noted in them a wish that He would not hit the Jewish race so hard, so He told the disciples a story in the presence of His enemies. The parable seems to have had two points and they were both sharp. The application to the disciples is found in the sarcastic words of verse 9, where He says in effect, "If you want to cling to their esteem, go and buy what favour you can from them and see what eternal advantage it will get you." He followed this by telling them that they could not be on both sides of the fence and then, in that strangely placed statement of verse 18, He reminded them that the whole unfaithful outfit was unclean and to take them into one's bosom, then was to commit spiritual adultery. To the Pharisees, He directed the more obvious charge about their covetousness and, in that connection, He reminded them that there was a daily and growing defection of determined defectors from their ranks into the Kingdom of which He was Head.

Still more distinct are His words to His enemies when He clearly forecast His glorious coming to judgement and the wedding feast, that they will see all sorts of Gentiles and despised outcasts elevated to sit with Him in the Kingdom, while they and their fellow Jews will be cast out. (Matt. 8:11 and 12, 22:11-14, 25:24-30, and John 15:6) Take too. His words to Pilate. He was charged with being a King and as such, with being in competition with Caesar. How did He answer the charge? Did He meekly tell that He was just an Heir-apparent, that His Kingdom was thousands of years away, or that in His own time, He would sit with real power where Pilate now sat as a puppet? No, He said He was then a King, that He had servants who

could fight, that His Kingdom determined even what power Pilate had and that, though His Kingdom was not of this world. He was taking account of the measure of each man's guilt as the fateful moments passed away. There is no mention then of a future for Jerusalem, an era for the Jews, or a thousand years of "peace" which neither God nor man could enjoy. Rather, He is then the King, He is in complete control of all. He receives all who respond to the truth and He will judge all according to His own terms. (Acts 17:31, Rom. 2:16, 14:12, 2 Cor. 5:10 and Rev. 20:12) Reading these records, one is made to ask how anyone can possibly conceive of there ever being a time, a place or a circumstance when Christ will be either more or less, the King than He was then. The wicked were doing then only what Divine sovereignty had ordained to permit them to do. Clearly, He shows that thus it will always be, yes, even in Hell it will always be so, for He is the One Whose righteous control determines who will get few stripes and who will get many. (Luke 12:42-48).   You tell me that the thousand year reign on earth, over saints and sinners, over children of heaven and children of earth, over some saints in immortal bodies who no longer are related to each other along earthly lines as husband and wife, etc., and over others who will still be in corruptible bodies and will live as ideal home builders, you tell me that this reign will vindicate Christ's claims ship and prove His authority and power. Is that the best you can see? Has He not repeatedly told us that there is a Judgement Day coming that will have all the hosts of men of all ages that ever were, in attendance? Does He not say that the books will then be opened, that the record of all the course of history will be reviewed, that He will then be proven to have been just in all His doings of grace and of justice? Is it not of the Judgement Day that He speaks when He tells of futile pleadings and excuses being silenced forever, (Matt. 25:10-12, and 41-46) of saints judging angels (1 Cor. 6:3) of "every idle word" being acknowledged and dealt with, of His awful word, "Depart" and of every knee of things of earth, in heaven and in hell being bent to Him, while all will admit by silence and obedience that He has proven His rights and claims beyond all dispute or questions? (Matt. 12:36, Phil. 2:10-11, Rev. 5:11-14 and 11:15-18). I read of fanciful distinctions between the judgement of "The Great White Throne" and the "Judgement Seat of Christ", of saints only being present at one and men of earth only at the other; but I read in His Word that I am to be with Him forever, that I am to sit with Him on His throne, that I am to go with Him from "The Judgement" into the new heavens and the new earth which have been in process of preparation from the foundation of this world. (Matt. 28:20, Rev. 3:21, Matt. 25:34, and Rev. 21:3-7) I believe that He teaches that if I am faithful in ruling well here and now, ruling my body, my mind, my words, my home, my church; I shall go to join Him in heaven to reign with Him there in exercise of authority the measure or extent of which will depend upon the degree of my obedience and faithfulness now day by day. He tells me that I shall come back with Him to exercise the same lifegiving authority over my lifeless body as He did over His, that I am to ride with Him in glory and splendor as He marshals His foes and His friends for the awful assize, that I shall both judge and be judged, that His justice will turn back each Satanic dart that would injure or damn me, that I shall admit my sad failures and sins, but will take with both wonder and joy the blessing He graciously, righteously gives. The scenes of time close with the sight and the sounds of His coming to take and to judge. The curtain drops down on the farthest revealed views of eternity's space, at the point when crescendos of praise from the saved and the sobs and shrieks of the lost will all tell that He worked through all time and all space every detail of things good and bad, worked always as King, doing only and always that which was right, making all to conform with counsels to which He in covenant committed Himself, before ever a spectrum or spectre of earth had existence or form.

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