SOME THINGS BECOME OBVIOUS

SOME THINGS BECOME OBVIOUS

“And to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.” Eph. 3:10

 

If you ponder deeply the original Theocratic conception, retaining its original meaning then associated in external manifestation through David's Son, you will see the reason why passages which in the Old Test. are applied to God are in the New Test, unhesitatingly applied to Jesus (as e.g. Isa. 45:20; comp. with Rom. 14:10, 11; Isa. 40:3 with Matt. 3:1, 3; Zech. 12:10 with John 19:34, 37, etc., etc.); why divine worship which belonged to God as the Theocratic Ruler is also claimed for Jesus Christ (as e.g. John 5:3; Matt. 28:19 ; Phil. 2:11 ; Rev. 5:13 ; Luke 24:52, etc.) ; why perfections which exclusively belong to God are without the least scruple attributed to Jesus (as e.g. John 5:21; Col. 1:17; Heb. 13:8, etc.) so that the declaration is made (John 16:15), "all things that the Father hath are mine." It was under the influence of this Theocratic conception, viz., that the same Lord God who once acted as earthly Ruler would be inseparably identified with the person of Jesus, David's Son, that even creation (John 1:3, 10; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2, etc.) is ascribed to Him; that pre-existence is postulated (John 8:58; John 1:1; Col. 1:17, etc.) of Him; that the love, etc., Tendered to Him are at the same time bestowed upon the Father (John 5:23, etc., 1 John 2:23) ; that no one could know the Father saving the Son and him to whom the Son revealed Him (Matt. 11:27, etc., John 1:18); and all this and more because (John 14:10) "I am in the Father and the Father in Me." The least reflection will show, that the Theocratic idea so impenetrate the New Testament portraiture of Jesus bringing forth such a union of the Theocratic God with David's Son-forming the one Theocratic King with one will, power, work, love, etc. (John 5:19-38, etc.) and yet consistently placing the Son in view of the incorporation of David's line and descendant subordinately to the Father (John 5:19; John 14:28, etc.), that it demands unreasonable credulity to imagine that the apostles through their own reason and to sub-serve their own purposes, created such a matchless Theocratic likeness, which, without a single flaw, combines the original Theocratic Ruler with the promised Theocratic King in David's line; and, without sacrificing the humanity or exalting it above the Fatherhood, blends the two together into an inseparable Oneness, forming the One Person Jesus the Christ; that in this unity, whoever sees the Son beholds also the Father. Such a conception, so harmonious in all its details, so forcibly adapted to secure the end contemplated, and so perfectly in accord with God's Theocratic Purpose, is, as the Bible justly claims a divine one. Let the reader test this by contrasting it with those plans originated by man, as e.g. Plato's idea of an ideal government and more recently the notions entertained respecting a "Universal Republic" or a "Universal Monarchy." Our opponents themselves concede (leaving out the moral and only looking at the results) that if this portraiture is true, if it could be realized as expressed, it would undoubtedly bring forth the effects attributed to it. We know it to be true for the reasons, already assigned; flowing from the doctrine of the Kingdom, and which in every heir of this Kingdom and co-heir of this Theocratic King is confirmed by the experience of faith, and by the constant and continued fulfilling of events foretold by this Messiah.