CHAPTER I.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THERE is no subject in the whole circle of Christian literature which is more important in its bearings on the right understanding of the Bible, than the meaning of the term "THE KINGDOM OF GOD." This term is sometimes used, perhaps, in reference to God's universal kingdom or government over all worlds and beings; but generally, as used in the Scriptures, it refers to a dispensation of God among men, on earth. In this work it will be my object fully to present and discuss this subject.

I. ADAM AND HIS RACE, KINGS-THIS EARTH THEIR

KINGDOM.

That God made this earth for man, and man for the earth, is very clear from the account given of the creation, in the first chapter of Genesis. After the creation of all things, God saw that there was not a man to till the ground. "And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let THEM have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over ALL THE EARTH, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. i. 26.

The evidence is here distinct, taken in connec⚫ tion with Gen. ii. 5-8, that the world was made for man, and man for the world. The dominion given to them constituted them kings. The territorial dominion of Adam and his progeny, was “all the earth,” and all that was in earth, air and sea. All was subject to him while he was subject to God; but when he rebelled against God, the whole animate creation rebelled against man; and even the elements of nature themselves, have become his enemy. Man lost the kingdom, and the devil obtained it.

Two causes concurred to deprive man of the kingdom and dominion of the world. 1. The revolt of all creatures from his authority when he sinned; and 2. His own mortality. For, had the inferior creation remained in perfect obedience, he could not continue in authority because of death. But death was not in the original plan. Death entered the world by sin. "So death passed upon

all men."

II. JESUS CHRIST IS TO FILL THE PLACE OF THE FIRST ADAM.

"The first man, Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam, a quickening spirit." "The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." 1 Cor. xv. 45, 47. The first Adam having lost the earth, together with his life, the second Adam came to purchase and restore both the one and the other. Thus the apostle, in Eph. i. 13, 14: "In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy

spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the PURCHASED POSSESSION." Heaven, the heaven of heavens, was never under the dominion of any other but the God of heaven, that it should be purchased. But this earth was lost, and Jesus Christ has purchased and will redeem it. Adam's race were dead in law; Jesus Christ has tasted death for them, that he might bring them forth into second life from the grave; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation." The one class will come forth to "everlasting life," the other to "shame and everlasting contempt." the dominion of Christ shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

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Then

III. THE GENTILES NOW HAVE THE DOMINION OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

In the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, (Jer. xxv.) began the famous 70 years'. captivity of the Jews in Babylon. In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar, he had a dream, (Dan. ii.,) which none of his wise men could either tell or interpret. But Daniel, being divinely instructed, did both. He said, "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

"This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." Dan. ii. 31-38. "The universality of a kingdom could be no more strongly asserted in human language than is this dominion of the king of Babylon. No spot on the round globe, where an animate being dwells, that is not included in his ample dominion. The Jews had previously enjoyed an independent government from the world; but then the Jewish and all other governments were merged in this one government. Whatever historians may say to the contrary, it is certain that, according to inspiration, God looked on that monarchy as being the head and representative of all governments on the globe. The church has never, from that hour to this, either in her Jewish or Christian form, enjoyed an independent government, free from dependence on, or tribute to the Gentiles, Nebu chadnezzar was only the beginning of a series of just such universal monarchies.

"Thou art this head of gold." "After thee shall arise another kingdom (the breast and arms of silver) inferior to thee;" (Medo Persian ;) "and another third kingdom of brass, that shall bear rule over ALL THE EARTH." This was the Macedonian kingdom, under Alexander the Great and his successors. Here is the same universality again declared as in the Chaldean kingdom.

"The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." This fourth kingdom is the Roman empire, and was to succeed to the same great government of the world which its predecessors had enjoyed. And to gain that empire, it was to break in pieces and bruise all the former kingdoms. The latter part of the kingdom, shadowed forth by the feet and toes which were to be of iron and clay, was to be of a divided character, partly strong and partly broken. But even in this divided and weakened state, it was to be the great leading government still.

In its last extremity, while its feet were in existence, a stone, cut out without hands from the mountain, was to smite the image on his feet, that were of iron and clay, and grind them to powder; iron, clay, brass, silver and gold together, like the small dust of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind carry them away, and no place be found for

them.

The image is to be annihilated before the stone and wind; for that which has no place cannot ex1st. To exist, a thing must have place. Hence, that which has no place cannot exist. The governments of this globe, all of them being in