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Patriarchs and Prophets
to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.”
Luke 19:12
. And He
Himself has told us when He will sit upon the throne of His glory:
“When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels
with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before
Him shall be gathered all nations.”
Matthew 25:31, 32
.
To this time the revelator looks forward when he says, “The king-
doms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His
Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11:15
. The
context clearly shows when this will take place: “The nations were an-
gry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should
be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the
prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and
great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.”
Verse 18
.
It is at the time of the final judgment, the reward of the righteous, and
the punishment of the wicked that the kingdom of Christ will be set up.
When all who oppose the sovereignty of Christ have been destroyed,
the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of
His Christ.
Then Christ will reign, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”
Revela-
tion 19:16
. “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the Most High.” And “the saints of the Most High shall take
the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”
Daniel 7:27, 18
.
Until that time the kingdom of Christ cannot be established on
the earth. His kingdom is not of this world. His followers are to
account themselves “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Paul says,
“Our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 11:13
;
Philippians 3:20
, R.V.
Since the kingdom of Israel passed away, God has never delegated
authority to any man or body of men to execute His laws as such.
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
Romans 12:19
. Civil
governments have to do with the relations of man with man; but they
have nothing whatever to do with the duties that grow out of man’s
relation to God.
Except the kingdom of Israel, no government has ever existed on
the earth in which God by inspired men directed the affairs of state.
Whenever men have endeavored to form such a government as that of