The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-10-02
THE JEWISH IDEA OF THE KING.
DOM.

The kingdom of God or of Heaven
or simply the kingdom are phrases
that occur very frequently in the
New Testament. They ali mean the
same thing, viz, the kingdom or
reign of the Messiah. Jesus selected
these words from the common Ian
guage or speech of his day. 1t set
forth his work and mission in the
world. He came to establish the
kingdom of God among men.
But if Jesus selected these words
or phrases from the common speech
OF his time what meaning did they
have in that speech? What did the
people of his time mean by them?
In other words what did the Jews
mean by the kingdom CT God? In
their mouths what did it signify?
When they spoke of this kingdom
what idea was in their minds? If
we can ascertain this we shall be
helped in ascertaining it's meaning
in the language of Jesus. Ii we
knew how the Jews used these
phrases we can see more clearly how
Jesus used them. What then was
the Jewish idea of the kingdom of
heaven or of God? Let us take up
our investigation in the following
order: What, where, when, how
was the kingdom of heaven as seen
by the Jews in the Saviour's time?
l. What was it, Evidently it was
the kingdom of the Messiah. When
the Messiah came he would establish
the kingdom of God. This was the
first thought of the kingdom in the
mind of a Jew. He associated it
with the coming of the Messiah.
When the Messiah should come then
the kingdom of God would be estab-
lished. But the Mess. an in the Jew
ISL mind must be great temporal
or earthly monarch. He was to be a
great king like the kings of this
world only surprising them in the
extent, greatness and splendor of his
reign. Hence his kingdom was to be
a temporal, earthly kingdom. 1t was
to be not only in the world but of it.
! Its form, spirit, temper was to be of
this world. 1t was to conquer, sub
due and bring under its rule all other
kingdoms. Jerusalem was to be it's
capital and be city of such size and
magnificence as the world never
dreamed of. Here the Messiah was
to reign in such glory as would pale
all the glory of Solomon. His king
dom was to extend to the ends of the
earth and all nations were to serve
him. The Jewish people were to be
exalted to the height of earthly great
ness and all other people were to be
their servants.
Such was the kingdom of God sit
lay in the mind of the Jew at the
advent of Jesus. Its ruling thought
was that of earthly greatness and
grandeur, Its glory was to be of this
world. Its JOY was to be outward and
external. Its splendor was to be of
the earth, earthly. It's blessedness
was to be in life of sensuous
pleasure and worldly comfort. What
ever thoughts OF spiritual reformation
and inward glory there might have
been in the better class of minds,
they were subordinate to this of
great, glorious earthly kingdom. A
spiritual renovation might be nec-
essary to the introduction of this
kingdom, but it was only that it's
external glory might be enhanced.
A great, grand earthly kingdom of
untold riches, untold power and UNI
told magnificence and outward bles-
sedness was in the mind of the Jew
when he thought of, looked forward
to with burning hope and prayed for
the coming of the kingdom of God.
2. Where was this kingdom to be-
This question is answered in the
answer given to the previous one.
The character of kingdom deter
mines its location. An earthly king
dom must be in the earth. A king
dom of this world must be in this
world. So the Jewish kingdom of
God was located on earth. Itbelonged
to this world and to no other. 1t did
not extend beyond the confines of
time. 1t was millenial glory in this
world exclusively. There was no
heaven beyond it. Good Israelites
were to be raised from the dead in
order to enjoy it. 1t filled all the
heavenly hopes of the Jewish minds.
3. When was this kingdom to
appear9 This is partly answered in
what has already been said. All
earthly kingdom must be a temporal
kingdom and a temporal kingdom
L =