Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-01
THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST
LESSON |, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. 8, 1892.

DRY Verses. e-4-Golden Text. rs. Xxi,
documentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
|. And there shall come forth rod out
If the stem of Jesse, and Branch shall
ROW out of his roots" The prophets were
The messengers of Jehovah to the people to
Turn them back to God that they might
serve Him in sincerity, and manifest the
only living and true God to other nations
They showed Israel her sins, warned them
of coming judgment If impenitent, re-
minded them of Gods love to them, and
always pointed forward to a restoration
and glorious kingdom The Rod or Shoot
and Branch of Jesse is the same that was
promised to David in II Sam. vii, IL, ID.
He is the Son mentioned in lisa. vii, IA; tx,
g. T. See also Math. /, |; Rev. v, 3.
2. "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, the spirit Of wisdom and under
standing, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of
the Lord" Here is the fullness of the Di
vine power See Col. /, Is; ii, 8; John iii,
81. He is the wisdom of God and the
power of God q Cor. i, 24. In these seven
statements concerning the Spirit in this
verse we see the righteousness of Jehovah,
/ the power to discern the nature of things,
and the difference of things (wsdom and
understanding, the power to form right
conclusions and carry out right purposes
counsel and might, a thorough acquaint-
nnce with God and sincere alteration of
Him knowledge and fear). All fully found
in the coming King
g. "And shall make Him of quick under
standing in the fear of the Lord and He
shall not judge after the sight of His eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of His
ears" The r. V. says, His delight shall
be in the fear of the Lord, or, according
to Delitsch, "The fear of Jehovah is fra
GRANGE to Him" In Ps. Xl, s, John viii %,
the light shines upon the first clause. And
in John vii, "a, He himself seems to refer
to the last part of the verse, when He tells
them to Judge not according to the APP
pearance" What glorious administra-
ton of earth's affairs there will be when
such king shall sit on David's throne and
be king over all the earth. See Zech xiv,
0; Jer. iii, II.
4. But with righteousness shall He
Judge the poor and reprove with equity for
the meek of the earth; and He shall smite
the earth with the rod of His mouth, and
with the breath of His lips shall He Stay
the wicked" He will be incorruptibly
righteous to all; the unfortunate and heart
broken will find in Him a true friend. On
the first half of this verse read Ps. Xxi
PA. The last half of the verse makes it
very clear that this kingdom of righteous
ness on earth will not be till after the
second coming of Christ, for it is only then
that He will smite the nations and destroy
the Antichrist. See Ps. ii, S, 81 II Thess H.
S, in connection with Rev. ii, 26, 81; xix
11-16.
g. "And righteousness shall be the grdle
of His loins and faithfulness the girdle OF
His reins." All His doings shall be bount
up in righteousness and faithfulness, and
the fruit thereof shall be peace, quetnes:
and assurance forever lisa. xxi, 1919
When God shall make His irstborn higher
than the kings of the earth, then shall
mercy be built up forever and faithfulness
be established Cps. lXxxix, 2, 80. 1t is tn,
privilege of every true believer to antedat'
the kingdom by enjoying this peace ever
now.
6. "The wolf also shall dwell with tn,
lamb, and the leopard shall lie down witt
the kid; and the calf, and the young lion
and the failing together; and IA little chile
shall lead them" There is no need t,
spiritualize this and the next two verses
as so many do. The simple statement il
that the animals here mentioned, whicl
now devour each other, shall in the days o
the kingdom live in perfect peace together
us no doubt they did before sin entered thi
world. See lisa. XIV, II, 25; Rom. viii, 81.
Z, 8. And the COW and the bear shall
feed; their young ones shall lie down to
gether; and the lion shall eat straw lik
the OK and the sucking child shall pla
= on the hole of the asp, and the weaned chill,
shall put his hand on the cockatrice den.
Einrpa nd irStv MI ots a.
among all creatures, rational and irrational
but the peace of Paradise shall be restored
and this prophecy shall be realized on thi
earth, for, although we are taught to eX
pect great burning and shaking, never
theless we look for Il new heaven and cart
wherein dwelleth righteousness Heb XII
%, %; III Pet. iii, l3). Then shall man hav
the dominion first given him in Eden, an
promised to be restored to him Gen. i, q
Dan. vii, 90.
o. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in al
my holy mountain; for the earth shall b
full of the knowledge of the Lord, as tn
waters cover the sea-" Jerusalem shall b
n city of truth and holiness; Israel, rs
, people, shall be all righteous, and Palestin
|, shall be the happy and honored center c
- the whole earth Czech. viii, 3; lisa. TX, q
xvii, O.. In those days, as completely II
Cne waters cover Une sea, leaving not
crevice untitled, so shall the glory of tin
: Lord fill the whole earth (Num. xiv, q
Hab. ii, IA; Ps. Xxi, 1920. Then sha
e Gods will be done on earth as in HEAVIER
n and the kingdom come.
TO- "And in that day there shall be
root of Jesse which shall stand for an CT
!, sign of the people; to it shall the Gentle
/. SEEK and His rest shall be glorious" Tn
t. expression, that day." wherever found i
e Scripture, has its own peculiar Significance
:. See it seven times in chapters to xii Tn
+, coming King is not only branch fror
g Jesse, but also the root of Jesse; the roc
- and offspring of David (Rev. xxi, is
n David's son and David's Lord; the Goo
J. man, truly God and truly man. He is tn
9 ION of Mary, son of David, son of Abrf
e ham, son of God, to sit on David's throne
e draw all nations unto Him, and give ther
I, the rest of His glory (Math. i, |; Luke
~ B2-35; lisa. ii, 10 If we are now redeeme
n by His blood, and overcoming by the sam,
d we shall reign with Him in His kingdor