Church of God, Carmichael, CA
H. M. Riggle, 1899
[Original Page Numbers]
The prophets with one accord pointed to the first ad vent of Christ, as the time when the kingdom of God would be established. All the prophecies which related to its establishment reached their fulfillment at that time. We will begin with Daniel's prophecy. In the second chapter we read that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, dreamed a dream. This dream was afterwards made known to him by Daniel the prophet. In the dream he saw a great image. "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."—Verses 31 33. He also saw a stone cut out without hands, which smote this image upon his feet, and broke them to pieces, and the stone became a great mountain which filled the whole earth. Verses 34, 35.
This great image represented four great universal monarchies that reigned one after another in ancient times In Daniel's interpretation of the dream, he told King Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head of gold."—Verses 37, 38 By this we are to understand that the Babylonian empire is what the head of gold represented. Gold being the most precious metal of the four, proves that the Babylonian empire was the richest and greatest of earthly kingdoms History proves this to be true. This kingdom arose 2300 years before Christ. In the time of Nebuchadnezzar it was in the height of its power and glory. But Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: "After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee."—Ver. 39. This second kingdom was the Medo Persian, which during the reign of Belshazzar took the Babylonian kingdom. This occurred 538 B. C This kingdom was what the "breast and arms of silver" represented. The "belly and thighs of brass" was interpreted by Daniel to be a "third kingdom.... which shall bear rule over all the earth."—Ver. 39. This was the Grecian empire, which conquered the Medes and Persians 286 B. C., and fell 146 B. C. The "legs of iron," and "feet part of iron, and part of clay," Daniel interprets to be the [20] "fourth kingdom," in its strong and divided condition. This was the Roman empire, which fell A. D. 476.
Here then we have four universal kingdoms—Babylonian, Medo Persian, Grecian, and Roman. (Verses 37 43.) "And in the days of these kings [kingdoms] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."—Ver. 44. This is clear. Daniel said that some time during the reign of these four kings, or kingdoms, the God of heaven would set up his kingdom. When Rome, the fourth of these kingdoms, had reached the summit of its glory and power; when its domain was so large that it was denominated "all the world," (Luke 2:1); and Augustus Caesar was an absolute sovereign ruling over | three hundred millions of people, Jesus Christ appeared , here among men and established the kingdom of God. Little did the Roman emperor think as he sat proudly on his throne, that a little babe, Iying in a manger in the town of Bethlehem of Judea, would establish a kingdom, before which the powers of the Caesars would dwindle into insignificance. But it was so. "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand."—Mark 1:14, 15.
Dear reader, if you will accept the testimony of divine truth, you must admit that Daniel locates the establishing of God's kingdom during the reign of those four universal kingdoms; and that it had its fulfillment in the coming of Christ, during the reign of Rome. When Jesus came the time was "fulfilled," the kingdom of God was "at hand." "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet.... 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 thrashing floors; . . . and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."—Dan. 2 :34, 35. This stone is the kingdom of God. It never came with human hands. It is a divine institution; was established by Christ himself. Matt. 16:18. It began with the preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2; [21] Luke 16:16), and was fully set up on the day of Pentecost. Mark 9:1; Acts 2:1 4 Rom. 14:17. The heathen kingdoms of' darkness were ' broken to pieces" and "consumed" before its march. Earthly kingdoms have arisen and fallen, but this one stands unshaken upon the rock of eternal truth. It has come down through martyrdom, waded through blood, and has stood the storms of ages. When time will have run its course; when all earthly kingdoms will have crumbled into dust; when the earth will be wrapped in a mighty sheet of flame; yea, when the sun and moon will no longer shine, this kingdom will continue to shine in the glory of the Father. Although it has been largely hid away under the human rubbish of men for centuries past, it is I again mounting up, and shining forth in power and unity. I Yea, that stone has become a "great mountain," which today is filling the whole earth. Glory to God! Jesus Christ is "Prince of the kings of the earth." In the kingdoms of the earth today, kings and rulers bow before him and give him homage.
In Dan. 7:2 7 we read that Daniel saw in a night vision four great beasts. The first was like a lion; the second like a bear; the third like a leopard; and the fourth was dreadful and terrible, diverse from all the rest, having great iron teeth. Verses 2 7. This vision troubled Daniel; so he asked an angel its meaning. The answer was: "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings [kingdoms], which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever."—Verses 17, 18. Here are the same four universal kingdoms that are brought to view in the second chapter; namely, Babylonian, Medo Persian, Grecian, and Roman. Now mark you; immediately after speaking of these four kingdoms, he says, "But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom." By this we are to understand that some time during the reign of these four kingdoms, the kingdom would be given to the saints of the Most High. As we before observed, this was fulfilled during the reign of Rome, by the coming of Christ, and the establishing of his kingdom in the hearts of men.
[22]We will now turn to the prophet Micah. In Micah 4:1 7 we read: "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; | and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their I spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.... For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; . . . and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even forever." Here is another clear prophecy of the establishment of God's kingdom, and one often referred to by the Millennium advocates. Reader, observe that all contained in this prophecy was to come to pass "in the last days." Ver. 1. Now if we can locate the last days, then we will have the exact time of its fulfillment. Turn to Heb. 1:1, 2—"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." "These" then are the days of the fulfillments of that prophecy. Here, again, the word of truth cuts off the Millennial theory.
We will now briefly review the prophecy, and prove its fulfillment in this gospel age. The "mountain of the Lord" clearly applies to Mount Zion. See Ver. 7. The Hebrew brethren had "come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22, 23), which Paul denominates "the general assembly, and church of the first born." Jesus called his church in this dispensation "a city that is set on a hill."—Matt. 5 :14. The "house of the God of Jacob" is "the church of the living God. the pillar and ground of the truth."—1 Tim. 3:15. The [23] flowing of many nations into it has been fulfilled from the day of Pentecost on. Under the law the true God was known only to Israel. The Jews were his chosen people, But now salvation is for "all people." Luke 2:8 10. The gospel privileges are extended to "every creature" among "all nations" in "all the world." Matt. 28 :19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16. And "in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people" they are now "called the children of the living God."—Rom. 9 :24 26. People out of all nations of the earth are today saved in the family or kingdom of God. The "law" that is to govern in these last days is not that which came forth from Sinai, but that which came "out of Zion," "The word of the Lord from Jerusalem." This is a clear prophecy of the fact that "repent-ance and remission of sins should be preached in his name | among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."—Luke 24:47. This began on the day of Pentecost. It is further stated that "he shall judge among many people." "Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world."—John 9 :39. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God."—1 Peter 4:17. The beating of "swords into plowshares," and "spears into pruning hooks," a time when they should "learn war no more," is a clear prophecy of the glorious unity, peace, and love which exist in God's church. The angel announced to the shepherds in the plain that a Savior was born into the world, who would bring "peace on earth and good will toward man." Through the sanctifying grace of God and obedience to the truth, the saved of all nations are brought into "one fold" (John 10:16); belong to but "one" organized "body," or church, the "church of God" (Rom. 12:4, 5; Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:24; Acts 20:28); are all "of one heart and of one soul" (Acts 4:31 33); "one mind" (2 Cor. 13:11); "all speak the same thing" (1 Cor. 1:10); all have "one faith" (Eph: 4:5); "one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17); all strive together (Phil. 1:27); rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:26); "assemble together" (Heb. 10:25); and "see eye to eye" (Isa. 52:8). God over all, in all, and through them all knits their hearts together in love. Eph. 4:6; Col. 2:2. Surely the prophet did not overdraw his picture of this. And the Lord shall reign over [24] them in Mount Zion from henceforth, even forever and ever.
Dear reader, this is a present truth, and one that it Is your privilege to enjoy. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel." "And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth."—Micah 5:2, 4. Here, the birth of Christ, and the glory of his kingdom is foretold. Surely none but such as are blinded by the "god of this world" can fail to see that this prophecy has had its fulfillment in this gospel age. Please turn and read Matt. 2:4 6 and John 7:42.
A sublime description of the peaceful kingdom of Christ is found in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah. "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and 8 branch shall grow out of his roots."—Ver. 1. This clearly refers to the first advent of Christ. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." "With righteousness shall he judge the poor."—Verses 2 4. Was this not true in the personal ministry of Christ? Did not the people say, "Never man spake like this man"?—John 7:46. "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."—Col. 2:3. "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins."— Ver. 5. Now, continuing the same description of Christ's peaceful kingdom, the prophet says: "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." "The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den."—Verses 6, 8. Here, the Millennial teacher thinks he has a strong point in his favor. He says: "When Christ comes in his second advent, this earth will be burned over and purified. Then Christ will set up his throne in Jerusalem, and reign a thousand years, etc., during which time all the wild
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