The Kingdom of God

III. WHEN IT IS

I will now show when it is they will enter this kingdom and inherit it forever. Not in this present world; for in this world they are to suffer persecution; also, they are strangers and pilgrims in this world. 2 Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 1 Peter 2:11: “Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.” Hebrews 11:13, 14: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country.” Also, verse 16: “But now they desire a better country, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.” TKOG 15.1

But it is at the coming of Christ with power and great glory, when he shall come in the clouds and in his kingdom. See Daniel 7:13, 14: “I saw in the night visions: and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Matthew 25:31-34: “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; and he shall separate them one from the other, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12: “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, as at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” 2 Timothy 4:1: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.” Also verse 8: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” TKOG 15.2

After the resurrection; for when Christ comes he will reward his saints with his kingdom, as we have abundantly proved. Matthew 16:27: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Then the kingdom of God is not yet set up? No. But our text tells us it will be set up in the days of those kings. What kings? I answer, the ten toes, of which he had just been speaking, are a representation of ten kingdoms, into which the iron, or fourth kingdom, should be divided. Compare Daniel 2:41, 42, with Daniel 7:23, 24: “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay and part iron, the kingdom shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them: and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.” TKOG 17.1

Then our text more than implies that these ten kings are to be in existence until Christ shall come and dash them to pieces, and they be destroyed by the brightness of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” Also, Daniel 2:45: “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” These passages are as simple and plain as words can make them. And I am bold to say, that no one will, or can, consistent with common sense, deny but what these ten toes do denote ten kings; and I have never seen any but scoffers, skeptics or infidels, who would deny it. And if these toes do represent ten kings or kingdoms, as all good expositors do admit, there can hardly be a shadow of a doubt but we are on the very close of the kingdoms; for they have now existed more than 1300 years, and this is a greater proportion than other parts of the image have borne with reference to time. And had we no other rule, we ought to bear our watch-tower night and day, lest he, Christ, come and find us sleeping. TKOG 17.2