The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

The Kingdom Overturned

This kingly rule continued until the Chaldeans burned Jerusalem, took the vessels of the temple, and carried Judah captive to Babylon, where they remained for seventy years, as predicted against them. At the cessation of this monarchical ruling, the Lord said by the prophet Ezekiel, to Zedekiah, their last king, “Thou profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus the Lord God: Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low [the ruler of Babylon], and abase him that is high [this highly self-exalted ruler of the tribe of Judah]. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” ³⁸ GSAM 47.1

This rightful ruler, the true Seed, is Christ. Of him the prophet Micah wrote, “Thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion [dominion over the earth, restored in Christ]: the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” ³⁹ GSAM 47.2

When Israel lost the scepter, it passed into the hands of the king of Babylon. As they were successively under the rule of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, the kingdom was three times overturned. In the reign of Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome, Christ, the rightful heir to the throne of David,—the true Seed of the woman, of Abraham, and of David,—was born, and in the manner predicted. GSAM 47.3

That the people might know that the rightful Ruler, the true Seed, was more then an ordinary mortal man with a short-lived kingdom, the Lord moved the psalmist thus to write: “I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.” “His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. I shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.” ⁴⁰ GSAM 47.4

In the prophecy of Isaiah we read further of this Ruler as follows: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice form henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” ⁴¹ GSAM 48.1