Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-08-01
rnE KlnapoM or n1EAyEN.
Chrlstians nave for centuries bee

Heaven or Kingdom Of God. Is 1t al
ready set upp If so what is itY And
where is itp Many believe 1t to be the
place Of the blessed after death, a place
| far beyond the clouds, where God re-
sides and rules with Jesus and the
Holy Spirit, three persons in one God,
seated upon one throne and ruling the
whole universe. This throne is to be
surrounded by vast multitudes Of Chris
tians redeemed by the blood Of Christ
from this evil world, and they are to
forever continue to worship and praise
God and sing songs OF His redeeming
love.
But there are others who believe that
the church is what is meant BY this
kingdom, and that the church members
are the subjects Of this kingdom, that
the time is coming when every living
Ipersen will be converted and join the
ichurch and that Jesus will reign
through the church for a thousand
years. What after that is to take
place has not yet been decided on.
| Nor has il been decided what church
is to be triumphant or whether they
are all to be recognized and given a
share in the government.
But another class Of christians sim
plify the whole business by quoting
Luke II, 81: Neither shall they say,
10 herel nor 10 there for, behold the
kingdom of God is within you" In
the Greek the word "behOld" is the
! the same as is translated twice in the
verse So" This verse is quoted as
teaching that Jesus taught that the
kingdom of God was state Of feeling,
a mental condition, a happy state of
mind and that it was to have no out
ward manifestation, no outward show.
The word kingdom" implies plur-
atty, and is similar to the words order,
society, association or flock, and it
would seem very absurd to say that the
masonic order was in any one person
or that the temperance society was in
any one person or that flock Of pig
cons were all concentrated in any one
pigeon. On the same principle it
would be- absurd to say that che king
dom of God was in any one person.
On examining the above text it will be
seen to teach nothing CT the kind.
There is nothing to show that the
word ''say" does not govern to the end
of the verse. Jesus meant, Neither
shall they say, Lo here! nor 10 therel
for behold the Kingdom Of God is with
in you" If he had meant to teach the
other it should have read, Neither
, shall they say, Lo herel nor 10 there!
for 1 say to you the kingdom of God is
within you"
All this stupidity has been brought
about by not understanding that
Jesus was teacher of social science,
and that the kingdom Of Heaven or
kingdom of God is a social condition.
1t is our ideal Of perfect social condi-
tion.A peopleruled justly and rightly 1t
is social condition in which right
eousness or right doing is the order of
the day.
Jesus taught his disciples to pray
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done
7 on earth as it is in heaven" What is
this but a prayer for just and right
eous governmental Then he admon-
ishes them to "Seek first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness and al
other things will be added unto YOU
Seek to establish, pray for the estab
lishment of, the kingdom of God and
his righteousness. Help to establish
good and just government on earth
Under just conditions every person
could make living easily. Poverty
is the result of unjust social conditions
conditions in which men are treated
WOIb6 luhu blO VI ulCos uV AOAS'
have holes and the birds Of the ali
have nests but the SON Of man hatl
not where to lay his head" This il
the condition of about 40, 0OO,0 900 of on
population today. Let us pray for tn
removal of this unjust condition, lie
us seek for its removal and work 70
its removal.
Jesus taught that the kingdom o
God was to be like the shining of tn
light from the east unto the west. [
is to be work of education and en-
lightment. You are not to hunt TO
it il the wilderness or in empty garrett
or under beds or in peoples hearts o
heads or stomachs. 1t is to be likt
the light of the rising sun. You will
not have to say to your neighbOr, loOl
here! or look there for it, or it is il
your inside, The kingdom of God il
the elevation of the masses to Z
higher social plane and the establish
men of just social conditions.
Paul says, "The kingdom of heaven
is not meats and drinks, but riL hteous