341
June 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
A panoramic view of the world’s governments is given by the Prophet Daniel. In chapter two, through the sym bol o f a man image, a very concise forecast is given of the history o f the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman Empires. These prophecies conform so closely to the facts o f history that many critics have sought to prove that the book was not written before, but after the per formance of history. I could take you to the great prophetic telescope and let you look through its wondrous lense and see some thing about Jesus. We are especially interested in what this book has to say of Him. Had the Jews of old known their book they would have welcomed their Messiah. He is heralded, prefigured, typified and proclaimed all through the Old Testament. In Genesis 3:15 He is to be the seed o f the woman; in Genesis 12 :3 He is to be the seed of- Abraham; in 2 Sam 7 :12 He is to be of the royal house of David; in Isaiah 7:14 He is to be born o f a virgin. These are all fundamental facts which have been fulfilled to the very letter. In addition to these there are various features of the life o f the Coming One that are prom inently displayed on the Sacred Page, which challenge our attention. It is not the exclusive province of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John to relate the life o f Jesus. His life story was told by the prophets long centuries before He was born of the virgin Mary, and with a detail that is compelling. R ema in ing P rophecies M ust S tand In view of the fact that all these and many more proph ecies have been fulfilled literally, can we not believe that the remaining prophecies, yet unfulfilled, can be fulfilled to the very letter? A strange way we have o f accepting some parts of the Word and rejecting others. There is a good story told to the effect that a Jew, being in the company o f a Christian, took up a New Testament,, open ing to Luke 1 :32, “ The Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.” Turning to his Christian friend, the Jew asked, “ How do you understand that Scripture?” The Christian answered, “ Oh, it’s figurative language; descriptive o f Christ’s spiritual reign over the church.” “ Then you do not take it literally?” asked the Jew. “ Cer tainly not,” replied the Christian. The Jew made this further remark, “ Then why should you expect me to take literally what precedes, where the Scriptures say that, this: ‘son of David shall be born of a virgin’ ? Do you believe that literally?” “ Surely,” answered the Christian. The Jew continued, “ Why do you accept verse 31 as literal, but explain verses 32 and 33 as figurative ?” “ Because,” an swered the Christian, “ verse 31 has become a fact, Jgsus was so born. It was indisputable evidence.” “ Ah,” said the Jew, “ I see! You believe the Scriptures when you see them fulfilled. I believe them because they are the Word o f God.” Who was right in principle? The same book that has told us of these various details at which we have been looking, tells of a great many other details regarding the future. A study of the “ has-beens” o f Scripture and history encourages us to believe Com pletely in the “ to bes” of the Word. The prophetic telescope tells us that Jesus is coming back again. There are 1,527 such statements in the Old Testament and 318 in the New Testament. His coming .back again is to be in two stages; first, for His bride, to take her away from the earth; second, to judge the nations and reign here on earth personally. 1 Thess. 4:15-17 tells o f the first event. 1 Cor. 15:51-52 also refers to the same event. At this time Jesus does not reveal Himself
A b s o lu te M o n a r ch y—Our N eed D r . G. C ampbell M organ W ITH all my heart and soul I believe that the only effective rule for humanity is an have never yet found the monarch. For a little while the heavens have received Christ, the only One worthy o f unlimited rule; but the King of men is coming back, in infinite compassion fo r the world which drove Him out. For His coming, not only the Church, but the whole creation waits. The Revised Version gives a far wider meaning and greater force than does the Author ized to Paul’s words in Rom. 8:19, “ The earnest expectation o f the creation waiteth fo r the reveal ing [the Apocalypse or revelation ] o f the sons o f God.” Today the sons o f God, as such, are un known, or despised and persecuted; but when the Master comes, they will be revealed with Him — and it is for this consummation that the earth is waiting. When H e comes to set up H is Kingdom and to judge, not with the hearing o f the ear or the seeing o f the eye, but with righteous judgment, then what solution o f problems, what healing o f w o u n d s , what blessing fo r poor, oppressed humanity! to the world. Those who are asleep shall be resurrected and the living shall be transformed, and together they shall be translated to the clouds where Jesus waits for them. Oh, what a day that will b e ! Do you fully appre ciate what it means? What a sensation when the graves where our loved ones lie will open and they come forth! What it will mean when these bodies that now suffer so much pain will be changed and glorified like His body! No wonder Paul urged the saints to comfort one another with this truth. T he I ntervening E vents In the heights with Jesús there will take place the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3 ) ; the rewards o f the saints will be distributed, and the crowns fitted to our brows; the marriage of the Lamb and the Church will take place (Rev, 19:7-8), and the Bride will be presented to the Father (Epíi. 5 :25-27). What a celebration it will b e ! What an exaltation and glorification it will be for the Bride at that day! In the meantime here on the earth, we discover from the prophetic telescope that) the Jews Will go back to their own land, and after making a covenant with the head of the political authority, will proceed to rebuild tfieir temple. This covenant will be broken by this head, who will thereby reveal himself to be the antichrist,, and the time of “ great tribulation” will begin and will rage severely for the period of three and one-half years. The penalty of death will be imposed upon all who refuse to worship the image o f the beast which will be set up in the-temple. The kings o f the earth shall gather their armies together to fight against the remnant of God’s people who are in Jerusalem. A great battle, known as the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16), will be fought, and then the heavens shall be opened and
absolute monarchy; but the trouble is, that we
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