It was the hope of every Israelite (Luke 3:15) that as a people God would exalt their nation under Messiah; and when the Lord came to them, it was as their King, to establish the long promised Kingdom of God upon the earth.

John the Baptist,
the Forerunner
of Jesus

     The majority of his parables were either illustrations of the kingdom from various standpoints, and in different features, or else served to point out entire consecration to God as essential to a share in the kingdom, and to correct the Jewish misapprehension that they were sure of the kingdom because natural children of Abraham, and hence natural heirs to the promises.

Jesus healing,
a foretaste
of his kingdom
on earth

Walking
to Emmaus

"I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging [ruling] the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29,30

And, again, "Fear not, little flock; it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Luke 12:32 

     And when, instead of being crowned and enthroned, their recognized king was crucified, his disciples were sorely disappointed. As two of them expressed it to the supposed stranger on their way to Emmaus after his resurrection, they had "trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel"-- delivering them from the Roman yoke, and making of Israel the Kingdom of God in power and glory.

     But they were sadly disappointed by the changes of the few days previous. Then Jesus opened their understanding by showing them from the Scriptures that his sacrifice was needful first of all before the kingdom could be established. Luke 24:21,25-27

     Such a kingdom could have brought blessings which, however good, could have been of only a temporary character, since all of mankind were under condemnation to death. To make the blessings of his kingdom everlasting and complete, the race had first to be ransomed from death and thus legally released from the condemnation which passed upon all in Adam.

"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

     His answer, though not explicit, did not contradict their hopes. He said,

"It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power."
Acts 1:6,7

"Thy kingdom come; thy will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven."

Jesus taught that his kingdom was not of this world and would not be established until after his suffering and death.
But zealot Jews rebelled against Rome, endeavoring to set up their kingdom prematurely.

The spiritual kingdom
is being set up first
and will be
for a time
unrecognized.

"He answered them, and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation [outward manifestation]; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for the Kingdom of God is [to be] in your midst."*

     In a word, he showed that when his kingdom should come, it would be everywhere present and everywhere powerful, yet nowhere visible.

*The Diaglott and Rotherham's translation render this "among you," which is synonymous with "in your midst." It certainly would agree with no theory to insist that the kingdom which Jesus claimed to be about to establish would be within the hearts of the Pharisees, whom he styled hypocrites and whited sepulchres. But this kingdom, when established, will be "in the midst of" or "among" all classes, ruling and judging all.

     The privilege of heirship in this spiritual phase of the Kingdom of God was the only offer then being made, and has been the one hope of our calling during the entire Gospel age, which then began. Hence Jesus referred to it exclusively. Luke 16:16 This will be more clearly seen as we proceed.

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, ‘Rabbi, we know that thou art from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.’" John  3:1,2

Jesus healing

Conversation between
the Lord and Nicodemus

Nicodemus--  

"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." Yet some of your statements seem very inconsistent to me, and I come to ask an explanation.

For instance, you and your disciples go about proclaiming, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"; but you have neither an army, nor wealth, nor influence, and to all appearance this claim is untrue; and in this you seem to be deceiving the people.

The Pharisees generally regard you as an impostor, but I am sure there must be some truth in your teachings, "for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."

The object of my visit is to inquire of what sort, when and whence is this kingdom you proclaim? and when and how is it to be established?"

Your request to have a full understanding concerning the kingdom of heaven cannot now be answered to your satisfaction; not that I do not know about it fully, but that in your present condition you could not understand or appreciate it, if I would fully explain. "Except a man be begotten* from above, he cannot see [Greek, eidon,+ know, or be acquainted with] the kingdom of God."

How can a man
be begotten
when he is old?

Repentance
is not the
new birth.

Spiritual begettal precedes
spiritual birth.

Even my disciples have as yet very indistinct ideas of the character of the kingdom they are proclaiming. I cannot tell them, for the same reason that I cannot tell you; and they could not understand, for the same reason.

But, Nicodemus, one peculiarity of God's dealings is that he requires obedience to the light already possessed before more light is given; and in the selection of those who shall be accounted worthy to share the kingdom, a manifestation of faith is required. They must be such as are willing to follow God's leading, step by step, often seeing only the one advance step clearly. They walk by faith and not by sight.

Nicodemus--

But I do not understand you. What do you mean? "How can a man be begotten when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

Or do you mean that the repentance preached by "John the Immerser," and signified by baptism in water, is somehow a symbolic birth?

I notice that your disciples preach and baptize similarly. Is this the new birth necessary to those who would see or enter your kingdom?

Jesus--

Our nation is a consecrated nation, a covenant people. They were all baptized into Moses in the sea and in the cloud when they left Egypt. God accepted them in Moses, the mediator of their covenant, at Sinai; but they have forgotten their covenant, some are openly living as publicans and sinners, and many others are self-righteous hypocrites.

Hence John's preaching and that of my disciples is repentance--a return to God and to a recognition of the covenant made; and the baptism of John signifies this repentance and reformation of heart and life, and not the new birth.

But unless you have more than this you will never see the Kingdom. Except in addition to the reformation symbolized by John's baptism you receive a begetting and birth of the spirit, you cannot see my Kingdom.

Repentance will bring you back to a justified condition; in that condition you will be able readily to recognize me as Messiah, the antitype of Moses; and thus consecrating to me you will be begotten of the Father to a new life and the divine nature, which, if it develop and become quickened, will insure your being born a new creature, a spirit being, in the first resurrection; and as such you shall not only see but share the Kingdom.

The change to be wrought by this new birth of the Spirit is truly great, Nicodemus; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Wonder not, then, at my first statement, that you must be begotten from above ere you can understand, know and appreciate the things of which you inquire. "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

The difference between your present condition, born of the flesh, and the condition of those born of the Spirit, who shall enter into or constitute the kingdom I am preaching, is very great.

Let me give you an illustration by which you will gain some idea of the beings who, when born of the Spirit, will constitute this kingdom:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth--so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

As the wind blows here and there, you cannot see it, though it exerts an influence all about you. You know not whence it comes nor where it goes.

This is as good an illustration as I can give you of those born of the Spirit in the resurrection, those who will "enter into" or constitute the Kingdom which I am now preaching. 

They will all be as invisible as the wind, and men, not born of the Spirit, will neither know whence they came nor whither they go.

How can this be?--invisible beings!

Jesus--

"Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?"--that spirit beings can be present, yet invisible? Have you, who attempt to teach others, never read about Elisha and his servant, or about Balaam's ass? and the many instances in the Scriptures which illustrate this principle, that spirit beings can be present among men, yet invisible?

Elisha and his Servant

Furthermore, you are of the Pharisees, who professedly believe in angels as spirit beings. But this illustrates what I told you at first: Except a man be begotten from above, he cannot see [know, become acquainted with, or understand as reasonable] the Kingdom of God and the various things connected with it.

What is
spirit begettal?

If you would enter into and become a joint-heir with me of that kingdom which I am announcing, you must follow the light, step by step. As you do so, more light will come, and this as rapidly as you will be prepared for it.

I have been preaching these things now due which you can understand, and performing miracles, and you acknowledge me to be a teacher come from God, but you have not acted out your faith and openly become my disciple and follower. You must not expect to see more, until you live up to all you do see; then God will give you more light and evidence for the next step.

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen, and ye [Pharisees] receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"

It would be useless for me to attempt to tell you of heavenly things, for you would not be convinced and my preaching would seem the more foolish to you.

If what I have taught, which has been of an earthly character, or illustrated by earthly things, which you could and do understand, has not brought conviction enough to your mind to lead you openly to become my disciple and follower, it would be no more convincing to you if I were to tell you of heavenly things, of which you know nothing; for no man has ever ascended into heaven, hence none could corroborate my testimony.

I, who descended from heaven, alone understand heavenly things. "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man."* A knowledge of the heavenly things can be received only after the begetting of the Spirit; and the heavenly things themselves, when born of the spirit, spirit beings.

     As God had foreseen, through their unreadiness for it, and their failure to grasp and comply with the conditions presented, the privilege of sharing in Messiah's kingdom passed from them as a people, only a remnant of whom received it, and came to the Gentiles to take out of them also "a people for his name." And among these also only a remnant, a "little flock," appreciate the privilege and are counted worthy of joint-heirship in his kingdom and glory.

     True, there is a sense in which the Church is now the Kingdom of God, and a work of grace is now going on in the hearts of believers; but to consider this all, and to deny a veritable future Kingdom of God yet to be established under the whole heavens, in which the will of God will be done as it is in heaven, is to make void and meaningless the strongest and most pointed promises recorded by our Lord and the apostles and prophets, for our encouragement and help in overcoming the world.

Christ's earthly kingdom will reach the whole earth.

     But this fact by no means disannuls the promises that ultimately Christ's kingdom shall be "from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (Psalms 72:8); that all nations shall serve and obey him; and that unto him every knee shall bow, of things both in heaven and on earth. Daniel 7:27; Philippians 2:10 Rather, on the contrary, the selection now of the "little flock" confirms those promises.

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10

     From this it is evident that the kings who will reign with him will not be crowned nor reign as kings in this life.

     This, it will be observed, is true only of the real Church, and not of the nominal one. But the promise is held out that if now we (the Church, the embryo kingdom) suffer with Christ, we also, in due time, when he takes to himself his great power and reigns, shall be glorified and shall reign with him.

Parable of the Publican  and Sinner

"And again
I say unto you,
It is easier
for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24

"How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God." Mark 10:23

     It is evident that he does not mean the nominal Church, which is now reigning with the world; for the rich are pressed into it. Peter exhorts the heirs of the kingdom to patience, perseverance, virtue and faith, saying:

"Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:10,11

Needles Eye Gate -- Humans could pass through easily; but large animals, such as camels, had to be unloaded and kneel to get through.

Jaffa Gate -- Located at the west side of Jerusalem, the Jaffa Gate has a "needle’s eye," a small opening used as a security entrance at night when the large gate was safely shut.

     Let us not, by our liberty as to our food, ruin our brother for whom Christ died; but let us remember that the privileges of the kingdom, both now and in the future, consist of much greater blessings than liberty as to food; namely, in our liberty as to right-doing, our peace toward God through Christ, and our joy in participating in the holy Spirit of God. These liberties of the kingdom (now and ever) are so great that the minor liberty as to food may well be sacrificed, for the present, for our brother's good.

Christians must be
overcomers
to sit with Jesus in His Father's throne and reign over the nations of earth.

Overcoming  requires death in the Lord's service.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne"; and, "To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations."

     These are promises which could not reasonably be misconstrued to apply to a present work of grace in the heart, nor yet to a reign over the nations in the present life; since they who would overcome must do so by death in the service, and thus gain the kingdom honors. Revelation 20:6

Paul preached that
present suffering
would be followed
by future reigning.

"We [apostles and faithful servants] are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised."

     I do not write these things merely to shame you: I have a better and a nobler object-- TO WARN YOU; for the path of present honor leads not to the glory and honor to be revealed; but present suffering and self-denial are the narrow path to glory, honor, immortality and joint-heirship in the kingdom.

    Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me. Suffer and be reviled and persecuted now, that you may share with me the crown of life, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all those that love his appearing.
1 Corinthians 4:10-17; 2 Timothy 4:8

The Pope crowning Charlemagne

     Under this false claim (and they seemingly deceived themselves as well as others) Papacy for a time crowned and uncrowned the kings of Europe, and still claims the authority which it is now unable to enforce.

    They are really reigning with the world and are not in the line of preparation for sharing in the real kingdom which is to be set up by our Lord at his second presence.

     While it is true, as stated by our Lord, that the Kingdom of God cometh not--does not make its first appearance--with outward show, in due time it is to be made manifest to all by outward, visible and unmistakable signs. When fully set up, the Kingdom of God will be of two parts, a spiritual or heavenly phase and an earthly or human phase.

     The spiritual will always be invisible to men, as those composing it will be of the divine, spiritual nature, which no man hath seen nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16; John 1:18); yet its presence and power will be mightily manifested, chiefly through its human representatives, who will constitute the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God.

     The great work before this glorious anointed company--the Christ– necessitates their exaltation to the divine nature: no other than divine power could accomplish it. Theirs is a work pertaining not only to this world, but to all things in heaven and in earth--among spiritual as well as among human beings. Matthew 28:18; Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 1:10; Philippians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 6:3

A spurious passage of Scripture:

*In this verse the words

"But the rest of the dead lived not
again until the thousand years were
finished"

are spurious. They are not found in the oldest
and most reliable Greek MSS, the Sinaitic,
Vatican Nos. 1209 and 1160, nor the Syriac MS.

We must remember that many
passages found in the modern
copies are additions which do
not properly belong to the Bible.

Since commanded not to add
to the Word of God, it is our
duty to repudiate such additions
as soon as their spurious
character is established.

The words indicated probably crept
into the text by accident, in the fifth
century; for no MS of earlier date
(either Greek or Syriac) contains
this clause. It was probably at first
merely a marginal comment made by
a reader, expressive of his thought
upon the text, and copied into the body
of the text by some subsequent transcriber
who failed to distinguish between the text
and the comment.

However, the repudiation of this clause
is not essential to the "Plan" as herein
set forth; for the rest of the dead--the
world at large--will not live again in
the full sense, in the perfect sense that
Adam lived before he sinned and came
under the sentence "dying thou shalt die."

Perfect life without weakness or dying is
the only sense in which God recognizes the
word life. From his standpoint all the world
has already lost life, is dying, and might now
be more properly described as dead than
as alive. 2 Corinthians 5:14; Matthew 8:22

The word resurrection (Greek, anastasis)
signifies raising up. As related to man, it signifies
raising up man to that condition from which he
fell, to full perfection of manhood--the thing lost
through Adam.

The perfection from which our race fell is the perfection
to which they will gradually rise, during the Millennial
age of restitution or resurrection (raising up).

The Millennial age is not only the age of
trial, but also the age of blessing, and through
resurrection or restitution to life all that
was lost is to be restored to all who, when
they know and have opportunity, gladly obey.

The process of resurrection will be a gradual
one, requiring the entire age for its full
accomplishment; though the mere awakening
to a measure of life and consciousness, as at
present enjoyed, will of course be a momentary
work. Consequently it will not be until the thousand
years are finished that the race will have fully
attained the complete measure of life lost in Adam.

And since anything short of perfect life is a
condition of partial death, it follows that,
although the above words are no part of the
inspired record, it would be strictly true to
say that the rest of the dead will not live again
(will not regain the fullness of life lost) until the
thousand years of restitution and blessing are
complete.

What does "resurrection"
mean?

"Marvel not at this: for the hour
is coming, in the which all that are
in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;

"They that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done
evil unto the resurrection
of judgment (Greek "krisis")."
John 5:28,29

The kingdom work of Jesus
and the Church

Abraham

    The work of the earthly phase of the Kingdom of God will be confined to this world and to humanity. And those so highly honored as to have a share in it will be the most exalted and honored of God among men. These are the class referred to in Chapter VIII (page 145), whose judgment day was previous to the Gospel age.

     Having been tried and found faithful, in the awakening they will not be brought forth to judgment again, but will at once receive the reward of their faithfulness--an instantaneous resurrection to perfection as men. (Others than these and the spiritual class will be gradually raised to perfection during that Millennial age.) Thus this class will be ready at once for the great work before it as the human agents of the Christ in restoring and blessing the remainder of mankind.

     As the spiritual nature is necessary to the accomplishment of the work of Christ, so perfect human nature is appropriate for the future accomplishment of the work to be done among men. These will minister among and be seen of men, while the glory of their perfection will be a constant example and an incentive to other men to strive to attain the same perfection. And that these ancient worthies will be in the human phase of the kingdom and seen of mankind is fully attested by Jesus' words to the unbelieving Jews who were rejecting him. He said,

"Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God."

     It should be noticed also, that the Master does not mention that he or the apostles will be visible with Abraham. As a matter of fact, men will see and mingle with the earthly phase of the kingdom, but not with the spiritual; and some will, no doubt, be sorely vexed to find that they rejected so great an honor.

Moses

      And this noble work of thus elevating the race by sure and steady steps (under the direction of the unseen spiritual members of the same kingdom) is the high honor to which the ancient worthies are appointed, and for which they will come forth prepared soon after the final wreck of the kingdoms of this world and the binding of Satan, their prince. And as the divinely honored representatives of the heavenly kingdom, they will soon receive the honor and cooperation of all men.

    Their work and labor of love will never be forgotten by their grateful fellowmen. They will be held in everlasting remembrance. Psalms 112:6

    The honors of heaven as well as of earth shall be laid at the feet of the Christ. The human mind can approximate, but cannot clearly conceive, the glory to be revealed in the Christ through the countless ages of eternity. Romans 8:18; Ephesians 2:7-12

"In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

"Thy seed shall be as the sand of the sea, and as the stars of heaven"

-- an earthly and a heavenly seed, both God's instruments of blessing to the world. Both phases of the promises were clearly seen and intended by God from the beginning, but only the earthly was seen by Abraham.

    And though God selected from the natural seed the chief of the spiritual class (the apostles and others), and proffered the chief blessing, the spiritual, to all of that nation living in the due time for that heavenly call, this was just so much beyond what Abraham ever saw in the covenant--favor upon favor.

     In order of development it was first the natural (earthly), afterward the heavenly rulers; but in order of grandeur of position and time of installment, it will be first the spiritual, afterward the natural; and so there are last which shall be first, and first which shall be last. Matt. 19:30; Luke 16:16

This gate is traditionally
the location
where Stephen
was stoned
while giving his
sermon of  Acts 7.

"Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered.

Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." Genesis 13:14-17

     Stephen shows that this promise must yet be fulfilled; for he declares that God gave Abraham "none inheritance in it [in the land], no, not so much as to set his foot on."

Stephen’s Gate -- On the east side of Jerusalem is Stephen’s Gate, also called "The Lion’s Gate" because of the carvings of lions in the stones above.

Tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
in Hebron

"These all died in faith, not [i.e., without] having received [the fulfillment of] the promise, God having provided some better thing for us [the Christ], that they without us should not be made perfect." Hebrews 11:13,39,40

    Thus is shown again that the Redeemer and Restorer is spiritual, having given up the human a sacrifice for all, and that from this spiritual class when highly exalted all blessings must proceed, whoever may be honored as its instruments or agents. Romans 12:1; Galatians 3:29

Israel's promises
will be fulfilled
in Messiah's
earthly kingdom.

     Natural attachment, as well as a still surviving measure of trust in the long unfulfilled promises, and all their natural prejudices, will be favorable to Israel's general and speedy acceptance of the new rulers; while their habits of measurable obedience to the law will also be favorable to their speedy harmony with the principles of the new government.

     There will not be two cities (governments), but one city, one heavenly government, the one for which Abraham looked, "a city which hath foundations"--a government established in righteousness, being founded upon the sure rock foundation of the righteousness of Christ the Redeemer, the value of man's ransom which he gave, and the firmness of divine justice, which can no more condemn the redeemed than it could previously excuse the guilty. Romans 8:31-34; 1 Corinthians 3:11

*The following words are omitted from this verse by the most authentic ancient manuscripts, viz., "of them which are saved," also "and honor."  The latter words are also lacking from verse 26.

"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you."

Out of Zion Shall
Go Forth the Law
and the Word of the LORD
from Jerusalem

     It should be remembered, then, that though undoubtedly the literal city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and though probably it will become the capital of the world, yet many prophecies which mention Jerusalem and its future glories refer, under that as a symbol, to the Kingdom of God to be established in great splendor.

Samaria
"...plant them
upon their land..."