The Mediatorial Kingdom will center in the Messiah as King
In most singular fashion this is
set forth in the Book of Daniel. In the metallic image the progress of empire
is set forth from the time of Babylon to the end. Then a stone cut out of the
mountain without hands falls with crushing force across the feet and toes of
the image. This stone is the Lord Jesus Christ at His Second Coming. Then the
stone increases until it becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth.
In this way the theocracy in Israel
and the theocracy of the Messiah is to be distinguished. God was forced to rule
through fallible and failing men in Israel. But in the final theocracy He will
rule through the perfect and infinite Son. That will explain why on more than
one occasion our Lord referred to this coming Kingdom as His kingdom. "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 the twelve tribes of Israel" (Luke
22:29-30). "My kingdom is not of
this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from
thence" (John 18:36).
But this is not to suggest that the
coming Mediatorial Kingdom is not the kingdom of Jehovah administered through
the Son upon whom delegated authority has been conferred. He Himself declares
that "All authority hath been given
unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:19 ASV). And again, that “The Son of Man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which
do iniquity: and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of
their Father" (Matt. 13:41-43).
Inasmuch as reference is made
throughout the Book of Matthew to the Kingdom of heaven, it needs to be pointed
out that this expression arises in the Book of Daniel. In making reference to
the coming Mediatorial Kingdom it is declared that "the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven . . .and there was
given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages, should serve him" (Dan. 7:13-14). This indicates that the
expression, "the Kingdom of
heaven" does not ever point to the sphere of its exercise, but to the
place of its origin. The God of heaven sets up this kingdom in the earth (Dan.
2:44). Christ clearly interpreted this in His parable of the nobleman. He, the
nobleman, was to go into a far country, that is, into heaven, and there he was
to receive a kingdom and to return with it to the earth (Luke 19:12).
The prophets of the Old Testament
and the writers of the New Testament understood this. Isaiah declares that upon
a virgin born, heaven sent Savior, government would be delegated. And of the
increase of His government and peace there would be no end upon the throne of
David and upon his kingdom (Isa. 9:6-7), When finally seated upon the throne of
His glory, He will exercise all the prerogatives of a king. He shall sit in
judgment upon the nations and determine their final destiny (Matt. 25:31-46).
He will divide them on the basis of their nature into two classes: sheep and
goats. "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" (Matt. 25:34). And
to the goats on the left hand He shall say, "Depart
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels" (Matt. 25:41).
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