Thy kingdom come. Let Thy will come to pass, as in heaven, on the earth also
(Matthew 6:10).
IT CANNOT be gainsaying that God, in His "purpose of the eons which He makes in
Christ Jesus, our Lord," has proposed to "set up," or
"establish," a kingdom on the earth in which His "will is to be done
as it is in heaven." But as to the character of this kingdom, its establishment,
capital city, ruling people, law, subject lands and peoples, there is untold confusion
and controversy. The literature of Christendom is groaning under the weight of the
tremendous mass of expositions which have been written and published on the subject. I
wish to assure my readers, immediately, that I do not propose to criticize or correct what
has been taught, but simply desire to set forth some constructive teaching gathered from
God's Word that clarified the subject for myself, suggesting it for the consideration of
truth lovers.
CHARACTER OF THE KINGDOM
Under this heading we propose to ascertain from the Scriptures the character of
the kingdom God has purposed to establish on the earth. That is, to see whether it
is to be a literal kingdom in the common use of the term, as applied to earthly dominions,
or whether it denotes simply an invisible, spiritual sovereignty.
We are aware that little can be accomplished by theorizing, therefore we propose to
appeal to the Sacred Scriptures for all evidence, insisting that what God has revealed is
final and conclusive.
In the Scriptures, we have the term "kingdom" used some two hundred and
twenty times relative to earthly dominions like that of Israel, Judah, Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, Egypt, Assyria, etc. All are agreed as to the meaning of such kingdom
expressions. But when such phrases as "the kingdom of the heavens" and "the
kingdom of God" are used, immediately we are face to face with a fog of confusing
opinions.
Take, for example, the expression "the kingdom of the heavens." It occurs thirty-two
times in Matthew's account, and is found nowhere else in the Scriptures. We are asked to
believe that it refers to the "church" and our destiny "in heaven."
Yet I insist that patient, sober-minded consideration of the spirit of prophecy will
reveal the matter to be entirely otherwise. By going to the second and seventh
chapters of Daniel, we will find the divine explanation of the phrase, showing why it has
been so easy to err, ignoring these Scriptures.
In the second chapter of Daniel, four great world kingdoms are typified by a
great image, and after Daniel has interpreted its meaning, we have this significant
statement:
"In the days of those kings the God of the heavens is setting up a kingdom which
shall not be pawned for the eon. And the kingdom shall not be left to another people. It
is crushing and terminating all these kingdoms, and it shall rise for the eons"
(Dan.2:44).
To sum up the evidence of this passage so as to clearly grasp its full meaning, at
once, relative to the character of the "kingdom" the God of heaven is
going to set up, we get this:
1. The four kingdoms typified in the image are world-wide dominions;
2. The fourth kingdom shall be divided;
3. And in the days of those kings (the ten-toe divisions) of the divided fourth
world
kingdom,
4. Shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom.
5. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
6. And it shall rise for the eons.
Here we have the assurance that the God of heaven has purposed to set up a kingdom,
that it is to break in piece and consume all other kingdoms, have world dominion
and stand for the eons. With this much evidence secured, let us study the seventh chapter
of Daniel.
THE SEVENTH CHAPTER OF
DANIEL |
Notes on the
translation |
| 1 In year one of Belshazzar, king of Babylon,
Daniel perceives a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he writes the dream,
summarizing the declarations. 2 Daniel responds and says: |
Although the Concordant Version
remains a tentative translation a further contribution is now available from the
publishers in their 1968 Version of Daniel.
1. The LXX for Babylon has Chaldeans and omits summarizing the
declarations. 2 The LXX omits responds and says, has heaven for
heavens. |
| "I come to perceive in my vision by night,
and behold! four winds of the heavens rushing forth to the vast sea, 3 and four monstrous
animals coming up from the sea, differing from one another. 4 The foremost is as a lioness
with a vulture's wings. I come to perceive further that her wings are scraped smooth and
she is lifted up from the earth and is set upon her feet as a mortal and the heart of a
mortal is being granted to her. |
3 The LXX has wild beast for
animal throughout. Both the Chaldee and the Greek speak of the animals as
feminine throughout. 4 The LXX has human for mortal throughout.
The word for scrape smooth is used of the burnishing of weapons, the
shaving of the head and beard. |
| 5 And behold! another animal, a second, like a
bear. And one part is set up. And three ribs are in her mouth between her teeth. And so
they say to her `Rise! Eat much flesh!' |
5 The word part is taken from
the LXX. The Chaldee occurs only here. In Hebrew it would mean superintendency. The
word ribs is also taken from the LXX. In Hebrew it would mean a sup. It
seems related to a Hebrew word which means a cell. |
| 6 In place of this I came to perceive, and,
behold! another, as a leopard, and she has four flier's wings on her arched [back]. And
the animal has four heads, and authority is granted to her. |
6 After another the LXX adds
wild beast, and has over her for on her arched [back]. |
| 7 In place of this I come to perceive in the
visions of the night, and behold! a fourth animal, terrible and awful, and excessively
forceful, and she has monstrous iron teeth, eating and pulverizing, and she tramples the
remainder with her feet. And she is different from all of the animals before her, and she
has ten horns. |
7 The LXX omits in the
visions of the night. |
| 8 I come to consider the horns, and lo! another
bit of a horn comes up between them, and the three foremost horns are felled to stumps
from before it, and lo! in this horn are eyes as the eyes of a mortal, and a mouth
declaring monstrous things. |
|
| 9 I come to perceive further that the thrones
are placed, and the Transferrer of Days is sitting, Whose clothing is pale as snow, and
the hair of His head as immaculate wool. His throne is as flaring flame, His rollers
flashing flame. 10 In front a river of flame is issuing before Him. Thousands of thousands
are officiating before Him and ten thousand ten thousands are rising before Him.
Adjudication is sitting, and the scrolls are opened. |
9 Placed is literally cast, for
oriental thrones consisted of cushions cast on the floor. There is no thought of age in
the word usually rendered Ancient. Its Hebrew equivalent is translated durable,
drawn from, arrogance, grievous things, stiff, hard things. The verb is usually
remove, and once copied out. The central thought seems to be TRANSFER. The
Transferrer of Days seems to denote the One Who transfers earth's dominions from
Man's Day to Jehovah's Day and the Day of God.
10 The LXX has to him for before Him, and present for rise. |
| 11 I come to perceive then the sound of the
monstrous declarations that the horn is declaring. I come to perceive further that the
animal is despatched and her body destroyed and granted to the glowing fire. 12 And the
remainder of the animals have their authority taken away and a lengthening of life is
granted to them till the stated time and season. |
11 The LXX has great
words for monstrous declarations, and talking for declaring, and
omits I come to perceive.
12 The LXX has season and season for stated time and season. |
| 13 I come to perceive in the visions of the
night, and behold! with the clouds of the heavens, He arrives as the son of a mortal. And
further, He reaches the Transferrer of Days, and they bring Him near before Him. 14 And to
Him is granted authority, and esteem, and a kingdom, and all the peoples, the races, the
languages are serving Him. His authority is an eonian authority which passes not away, and
His kingdom that is not pawned. |
13 The LXX has heaven for heavens, and
coming for arrives.
14 The LXX has tribes for races, and slaving for serving, and paralyze for pass away. It
has decay for be pawned, which is used for want of a better term. The root means PLEDGE,
and suggests that the kingdom will not be under obligations to other realms or the powers
of evil. |
| 15 My spirit shudders in its body sheath--I,
Daniel--and the visions of my head flurry Me. 16 I approach one of those who rise, and I
petition him concerning the certainty of all this. And he says to me, making me know the
interpretation of the declarations: |
16 The LXX has stand firm for rise,
and seek to learn the exactness for petition concerning the certainty, and comparison of
the words for interpretation of the declarations. |
| 17 `These monstrous animals--they are four--are
four kings which shall rise from the earth. 18 And the saints of the supremacies shall
receive the kingdom and shall safeguard the kingdom for the eon and for the eon of the
eons.' |
17 The LXX omits monstrous,
and has kingdoms for kings, which seems the better reading, and adds
which shall be taken away.
18 The word rendered Most High in this chapter (verses 18,22,25,27) is
plural. As the singular is Supreme, this suggests a reference to the supreme positions
belonging to Israel s saints in the kingdom. The LXX has highest, and
retain for safeguard, and omits for the eon. |
| 19 Then I would have the certainty concerning
the fourth animal, that comes to be different from all [the others], excessively
terrifying, her teeth of iron, and her claws of copper, eating, pulverizing, and trampling
the remainder with her feet, 20 and concerning the ten horns that are in her head, and
another that comes up, and the three before it fall, even the same horn with eyes and a
mouth declaring monstrous things, and its appearance is larger than its partners. |
19 The LXX has seek
exactly for have the certainty and adds wild beast after all.
20 The LXX has shakes off the first ones (Alex. ms. adds three
of..that horn) for the three preceding fall, even the same horn, and has
great words for declaring monstrous [things], and has the rest for
its partners. |
| 21 I come to perceive, and the same horn is
making an attack on the saints, and is able to [defeat] them, 22 till the Transferrer of
Days arrives, and adjudication is granted to the saints of the supremacies, and the stated
time is reached, and the saints safeguard the kingdom. |
21 The LXX has battle for
attack.
22 The LXX has Old for Transferrer, and highest for supremacies, and season for stated
time, and retain for safeguard. |
| 23 So he says, `The fourth animal is the fourth
kingdom coming on the earth, that is different from all [other] kingdoms. It shall eat all
the earth, and thresh it, and pulverize it. 24 And the ten horns from this kingdom are ten
kings who will be arising, and another shall be rising after them, and it is different
from the preceding, and he shall abase three kings, 25 and shall declare a declaration to
set aside the Supreme, and shall wear out the saints of the supremacies, and he shall mean
to alter stated times and edict[s]. And they are granted into his hand for a season and
[two] seasons and the distribution of a season. 26 And the adjudication sits and they take
away its authority, to exterminate and to destroy until the termination. |
23 The LXX has superior for different,
and trample for thresh, and gash for pulverize.
24 The LXX omits from this kingdom, and reads is exceeding in evil all those in front of
it for it is different from the preceding.
25 The LXX has is talking words against the Highest, for shall declare a declaration to
set aside the Supreme, and has Highest for supremacies, and has seasons and law for stated
times and edict[s], and has half for the distribution.
26 The LXX has sovereignty for authority, and consummation for termination. |
| 27 And the kingdom and the authority and the
majesty of the kingdom under all the heavens is granted to the people of the saints of the
supremacies. The kingdom is an eonian kingdom, and all authorities shall serve and hearken
to it. |
27 The LXX has heaven for heavens,
omits people of, has Highest for supremacies, has sovereignties for authorities, and
slaving for serving. |
| 28 Thus far is the termination of the
declaration, I, Daniel--my thoughts flurry me much, and my aspect is altering on me, and I
preserve the declaration in my heart." |
28 The LXX has word (or matter) for
declaration, and reasonings for thoughts, and form for aspect. |
The helpful evidence that may be summed up from this long passage is as
follows:
1. The four large animals, coming up out of the great sea, typify kings (v.17)
and kingdoms
that shall be in the earth (v.23).
2. The fourth animal shall be diverse from all the animals that were before it (with
reference to
position, not time) and had ten horns (v.7).
3. The ten horns of that kingdom are ten kings that shall arise
(v.24).
4. Another horn shall arise after them having eyes and a mouth declaring
monstrous things
against the Supreme (v.25).
5. He shall make war (v.21) and wear out the saints (v.25).
6. The Transferrer of days came (v.22).
7. And with the clouds of heaven one like the Son of Man came (v.13).
8. Adjudication is sitting and the scrolls are opened (vss. 10,26).
9. The horn speaking great things had his dominion taken away and consumed to the end
(vss.11,26).
10. And unto Him [the Son of Mankind] was given dominion and glory and kingship,
that
all peoples, races and languages should serve Him (v.14).
11. And the time arrived that the saints should possess the kingdom
(v.22).
12. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the
heavens shall be given to the people of the saints and
the kingdom is an eonian kingdom
and all dominions shall serve and obey it (v.27).
Now, by summarizing the evidence gained from our study of these two chapters, relative
to the character of the kingdom, we have the following:
1. The God of the heavens has purposed to set up a kingdom (2:44).
2. In the days of those kings (2:44), the ten-toe divisions of the divided fourth
world kingdom
(2:41,42).
3. The ten horns of that kingdom are ten kings that shall arise (7:24).
4. Another horn shall arise after them having eyes and a mouth speaking against the
Supreme
(7:20-25).
5. He shall make war and wear out the saints (7:25).
6. The Transferrer of days comes (7:22), and with the clouds of heaven one like a Son
of
Man came (7:13).
7. Adjudication takes its seat and the horn declaring monstrous things had his dominion
taken
away and consumed unto the end (7:11,26).
8. And to the Son of Mankind was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all
peoples, races and languages should serve Him (7:14).
9. And His kingdom shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms (2:44).
10. All dominions shall serve and obey Him (7:27), and His kingdom shall rise for the eons
(2:44).
11. The time arrives for the saints to safeguard the kingdom, and adjudication is
granted to
the saints of the supremacies (7:22).
12. And the kingdom and authority and the majesty of the kingdom under all the heavens
shall be given to the people of the saints (7:27).
Surely no one need to err in the face of all this evidence as to the expression
"the kingdom of the heavens" used by Matthew. It is a literal kingdom to
be set up by the God of heaven and will embrace all the kingdoms under the whole heaven.
The expression calls attention to the source from whence the kingdom comes--the heavens,
and the sphere where it is to operate--under all the heavens, that is, on
the earth.
May it be noted that the expression "the kingdom of the heavens" lays
emphasis on the physical and political aspects of the kingdom, while the expression
"the kingdom of God," though spiritual and universal in its full and complete
sense, is oftentimes used in speaking of "the kingdom of the heavens" to
emphasize the God of the heavens Who sets up the kingdom, and to Whom authority
and sovereignty must be acknowledged by all who enter and enjoy its blessings. It
emphasizes the spiritual aspects of the kingdom on earth in which the will of God
is to be done as it is in heaven.
ITS ESTABLISHMENT
Under this heading--the establishment of the kingdom--much confusion reigns as to when
it is to be set up. Some claim it has already been set up, while others do not. Again we
appeal to the Scriptures concerning the matter.
In the second and seventh chapters of Daniel, which we have been studying, the
following evidence may be gathered relative to the "setting up" of the kingdom.
1. The God of heaven has purposed to set up a kingdom (2:44).
2. In the days of those kings (2:44), that is, the divided kingdom of the ten toes
(2:41,42).
3. Which is the fourth animal kingdom in the earth, the ten horns of which
are ten kings that
shall arise (7:23,24).
4. And another (horn or king) will arise after them, and he will be diverse
from the former
ones (7:24).
5. He will speak great words against the Supreme (7:25).
6. And he will wear out the saints (7:25).
7. But with the clouds of heaven one like the Son of Mankind came (7:13).
8. And to Him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, races,
and
languages should serve Him (7:14).
9. And his dominion (the horn king that arises after the ten and speaks great words
against the
Supreme) will be taken away, to consume to the end (7:26).
10. And the kingdom and the authority and the majesty of the kingdom under all the
heavens
shall be given to the saints (7:22,27).
11. His kingdom is an eonian kingdom and all the dominions shall serve and obey it (7:27).
From this summary we see that the "kingdom" which the God of the heavens has
purposed to "set up" is still in the future. Because "the days of those
kings"--the divided ten-toe kingdom, the fourth world-wide animal kingdom with
its ten-horn kings, and the other horn king which arises after them, speaking great things
against the Supreme, making war and wearing out the saints, Daniel's people, Israelites
(Dan.9:24) has never occurred.*
| * We are fully aware of the current notion and arguments which try to
identify Rome as the fourth beast kingdom of the image in the second chapter of
Daniel. But let us remember Daniel is setting before us world dominions, and Rome,
in its widest extent, never realized the boundaries of Alexander: it never possessed world
dominion. It did not hold Babylon. The Euphrates practically marked its eastern boundary.
Rome also began as a republic, and not a monarchy. Furthermore, the fourth wild
beast kingdom of Daniel's image arises with ten horns, hence all attempts to
adapt it to Roman history are futile. For further information on this point of the
subject, we recommend the 464-page book CONCORDANT STUDIES IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL,
published by the Concordant Publishing Concern. |
Neither has "One like the Son of Mankind come with the clouds of
heaven," taking dominion from a world monarch. Neither have the kingdoms under the
whole heaven been broken to pieces and consumed to an end. Neither has the time arrived
for judgment and dominion to be given to the saints of the people of the Supreme, when
they possess the kingdom. The saints of the Most High, spoken of by Daniel, should ever be
borne in mind as referring to Daniel's people, Israelites (Dan.9:24; 12:1). Daniel knew of
no other saints, and no other people have been promised the dominion and the greatness of
the kingdoms under the whole heaven as the royal priesthood of Jehovah. This we
will enlarge upon later.
So that, with the evidence before us, there is no other conclusion at which we may
arrive, in harmony with the Scriptures, but that "the kingdom of the heavens"
has not as yet been established on the earth. Instead of following traditional and
erroneous teachings contrary to the Mind of inspiration, may God grant us the grace to
follow what has been revealed, and seek the solution to all these problems in the Sacred
Scriptures and rectify our teaching accordingly.
THE CAPITAL CITY
When the God of heaven sets up His kingdom on the earth, there will of necessity be a capital
city, from which the King's laws and decisions will be given forth, affecting all
mankind on the earth. The Scriptures abound with evidence that Jehovah has chosen Jerusalem
to be the capital city of "the kingdom of the heavens" on the earth. It is to be
rebuilt on the site of the old and made resplendent with all His glory (Jer.30: 18-22;
Ezek.43:2-9).
It will be the seat of government, for "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem" (Isa.2:2, 3; Joel 3:16). Ezekiel tells us that
the name of the city in that day will be JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, that is, "the LORD
[Jehovah] is there" (Ezek.48:35), while Zechariah calls it "the city of
truth" (Zech.8:1-7). Then shall many peoples and strong nations come to seek and
worship--Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem" (Zech.8:22).
THE RULING PEOPLE
As far back as Exodus 19:5,6, we find Jehovah proposing to make the sons of Israel
"a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." They are to be a royal
priesthood--kings to rule the nations for Him, and priests to bring the nations to
Him. And be it remembered that to no other people has such a promise ever been
made!
Telling His word to Jacob,
His statutes and judgments to Israel.
He does not so in every nation
And they know naught of His judgments.
(Psa.147:19,20).
"(for I myself wished to be anathema from Christ) for my brethren, my kin
according to the flesh, who are Israelites, whose is the sonship, and the glory and the
covenants and the legislation and the divine service and the promises" (Rom.9:3,4).
"and the stated time is reached, and the saints safeguard the kingdom"
(Dan.7:22).
"And the kingdom and the authority and the majesty of the kingdom under all the
heavens is granted to the people of the saints of the supremacies" (Dan.7:27).
These Scriptures clearly designate the people of the saints of the Most High to be the
"ruling people" of the kingdom. They are "Israelites in whom there is no
guile," "the little flocklet," "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a secured people." To them is the kingdom, dominion and greatness of the
kingdom under all the heavens promised (Luke 12:32; 1 Peter 2:9).
THE LAW
"Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from
Jerusalem" (Isa 2:2,3). The inflexible law of righteousness will characterize the
kingdom reign, in which judgment will be immediate and summary. Righteousness will reign
and sin will be suppressed.
The "Sermon on the Mount," instead of being misapplied, spiritualized and
formalized as is done in Christendom today, will be the Kingdom Code in the day of
Jehovah, when the kingdom of the heavens is established on the earth. It is then that
Israel will fulfill the "Royal Law" as Jehovah has ordained they should (James
2:8-13; Lev.19:18; Jer.31:23-40; Heb.8:6-12), and "teach all nations as He directs
them" (Matt.28:18,20).
SUBJECT LANDS AND PEOPLES
Palestine will be "made like the garden of Eden" (Ezek.36: 35) and inhabited
by the sons of Israel, made one nation in the land of their fathers, to dwell therein,
they and their children, and their children's children for the eon, when Jehovah shall
hallow them, setting His tabernacle in the midst of them, and be their God and they shall
be His people (Ezek.37:21-28; 39:21-29). The royal grant of land given unto their father
Abraham is more than eight times larger than that which was formerly occupied by the
twelve tribes. It extends from the "river of Egypt" to the Euphrates
(Gen.15:18). Ezekiel fixes its northern boundary at Hamath, about 100 miles north of
Damascus, and its southern boundary at Kadesh, about 100 miles south of Jerusalem
(Ezek.48:1-28).
With Israel established in their land as the royal priesthood to Jehovah, "the
kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens"
shall be given to them (Dan.7: 26).
Thus says Lord Jehovah:
Lo! I
shall lift up My hands to the nations,
And I
shall raise My ensign to the peoples,
And
they shall bring your sons in their bosom pouches,
And
your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders,
And
kings become your foster fathers,
And
their chiefesses your wet nurses,
They
shall bow down to you, face to the earth,
And
shall lick up the soil of your feet. (Isa.49:22,23).
And aliens stand and feed your sheep,
And
sons of a foreigner are your farmers and vineyardists.
And
you shall be called priests of Jehovah
And
shall be termed ministers of our God.
You
shall eat the estate of the nations
And
by their glory you shall be changed.
(Isaiah 61:5,6).
All this gives us a vivid glimpse of the time when all kingdoms, dominions, peoples,
and nations will be made subject to Israel as the royal priesthood of Jehovah, when they
will dispense His blessings till the "knowledge of the glory of Jehovah shall fill
the earth as the waters form a covering for the sea."
SUMMARY
This chapter is not intended as an exhaustive treatment of the subject under
consideration, but a suggestive outline of scriptural declarations, that the God of heaven
has purposed to set up a literal kingdom on the earth, Jerusalem to be the capital city,
and Israel as the royal priesthood, dispensing justice by His inflexible law of
righteousness set forth in the Sermon on the Mount, with all kingdoms, dominions, people,
and nations as subjects.
Further evidence for each heading of our subject may be gathered from the Scriptures by
those desiring it. However, we deem what has been given as sufficient, believing that when
God speaks, He will perform.
Now the question arises, In the fullness of time, Messiah, the King of Israel, came,
and "the kingdom of the heavens" was proclaimed as having drawn near. Why
was it not "set up?" Why was the kingdom not restored to Israel according
to the promises? But we are anticipating! The answer must await our next
installment--"The Adjustment of the Eons."
