The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-23
THE WHERE OF THE KINGDOM.


of heaven? This question was
partly answered in our last article.
In that it was shown that Christ
taught very positively that the king
dom of God is within us. That is, he
located this kingdom in the spiritual
world. While the Jews looked for a
kingdom in the material world Jesus
declared that his kingdom, the true
kingdom of God, was in the spiritual
world. But where is the spiritual
world? Is it on the other side of the
grave or on this side or on both sides?
Can men enter this kingdom while
yet in the flesh or must they die to
enter it? If they do not enter it
while in the flesh can they enter it
when out of the flesh? Evidently
the spiritual world must be the world
of spirits or souls. 1t is composed Of
God and all souls, or all created in
tslligences. The kingdom of God,
therefore, mus be where these souls
or spirits are. If they are in the
flesh it is or may be there; if they are
out of the flesh it is or may be there.
La fine it is or may be wherever there
ara human souls or created intelli-
gences. If there are such intelli-
gences far higher than man and they
are ruled by the spirit Of God there is
the kingdom of God; and if the souls
Of men in the flesh are ruled by bis
spirit, there is the kingdom of God.
Souls and sentiments we have
seen make this kingdom wherever 1T
may be- Souls imbued and swayed
by Christian sentiments, therefore,
would constitute the kingdom of God
wherever they may be. But there
are such souls in this world, in "the
life that now is" this side of what we
call death, therefore the kingdom of
God is in this world. 1t is in this
world in so much as it is in souls
who are yet in the tabernacle of the
flesh. 1t is in this world but not of
it. 1t is not of the flesh or of the
things of the flesh but in spirits who
are tabernacled in the flesh. Christ
came preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God. Some believed,
and as they believed they became
members of the kingdom and the
kingdom began to be realized in the
souls of men on earth. 1t had been
realized in some souls to some extent
before, but now began its realization
through Jesus Christ. The apostles
followed Jesus in preaching the
kingdom and more souls believed
and the kingdom grew, and SO from
that day to this the kingdom of God
has grown and enlarged it's bound
aries in the souls of men in this
world of time and sense through the
preaching of the gospel of the king
dom. The kingdom of God then is
in this world and men can and do
enter now and here.
But is this kingdom confined to
this world? Does it stop at death or
does it extend into the great world
beyond7 Evidently there is nothing
in the nature of the kingdom to pre-
vent it from so doing. 1t is spirit
ual kingdom and is not therefore
under the dominion of death. Death
has no power over it. Death is a
physical event and can therefore
neither arrest nor extend the king
dom. The kingdom is in the souls
of men and it is the souls of men
that enter the next world, therefore,
these souls may carry the kingdom
with them into that world. Indeed,
they must carry it with them. Having
the reign of God in their souls when
they die they must carry that reign
in their souls after death. Having
Christ formed within them before
death they must have the same Christ
in their souls after death. Being in
the kingdom before death they will
be in the kingdom after death. Or
put it the other way, having the king
dom within them before death they
must have it within them after de ath.
Death certainly has no power to
take soul out of the kingdom or 10
take the kingdom out of a soul.
Having the reign of God once in the
soul death is as powerless to destroy
that reign as it is to destroy the soul
itself. The kingdom of heaven
therefore extends into the "great
beyond" 1t in this world but not
OF it. Neither is it confined to it, but
extends beyond it and embraces all
souls "who know and believe the love
that God hath for them" All souls
in this world and the next who be-
lieve in and obey the law of love and
in proportion as they do so believe
and obey, are members of the king
dom of God.
n