The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-06-04

I. The Kingdom Present, w. 20, n.
The Pharisees held some peculiar
ideas about the coming Of the king.
dom. Contrary to their ideas there
are no special outward signs to herald
its coming. The word observation"
v. 20, 10 an astronomical one and sug-
gests that the kingdom was to come
in q bodily shape from the sky. q cur
rent expectation on the part OF the
Pharfsees
In answer to the boastful Pharisees
| ". 20) Jesus plainly told them that
he himself is the kingdom, and that
that kingdom was in their midst or
among you" see ". 21) margin.
Their question was q fippant one. one
OF unbelief, and to It Jesus makes .
Enthusiastically brief. but clear re-
ply, that partook Of the nature Of o
rebuke. The kingdom would not
come with trumpets and drum. They
could not say, 10 here! 10 there!"
Its coming was not to be spectacular.
arresting the attention Of some who
in turn brought II to the attention OF
others. The authorized rendering
within you" does not imply that the
kingdom already existed in the indi-
vidual lives OF his questioners. Sub
sequent teaching Of Jesus shows that
he here refers to another and a final
coming Of the kingdom, at the time OF
the final coming of the son Of man.
What he desired to teach these Phart-
sees was that the kingdom Of which
they spoke had already appeared due
to the fact OF his presence in their
midst. The carping Pharisees with
draw and Jesus speaks openly to his
disciples Of the days that will come.
a time of persecution when they will
long for comfort.
Prophecy Fulfilled.
~. Tho Visible Son Of Man, w.
1924. The kingdom in its outward
form was rejected by the Jews, John
1:26, 81. In its spiritual form 1t IL
now in the hearts of believers (Rom.
14:17), but he who was rejected with
contempt will one day be sought after.
though In vain, Matt. 23:37-39. Dur
ing the time Of his absence many shall
claim to be Christ ". 23). but we
are~not to believe such claims. His
tory has abundantly proved and full
filled this prophecy. When he really
comes there will be a sudden publicity
". a4), that shall flash from one cor
ner to the other of the heavens, Matt
24:27; then every eye shall behold
him" $50 shall the son OF man be
in his day" This instruction Jesus
gives to his disciples. Men shall
search for him. a time when he shall
not be present as he then was. After
the false ones will come a day OF
revelation when the whole heavens
will reveal him and all will know It.
Finally Of Events.
~. The Day Of the Son Of Man, w.
1857. Before that day comes, how
ever he must suffer and be rejected.
but following that rejection men will
marry, carry on merchandising and
merriment as In the days Of Noah
and those OF Lot. In the days Of Noah
and of Lot there came a sudden halt
In these activities and Judgment OF
flood and fire, even so after the same
manner shall It be in the day that the
son of man is revealed" v. 80. This
refers to the finality of events when
the kingdom OF God comes by way OF
judgment Here Jesus sets his seal
upon the truthfulness OF these two
events which preceded his first adj
vent II they be not true then he Is
false teacher. Like as men dis
credit those events they likewise would
set aside his teaching about his SEQ
ond advent. Many claim that verse 81
refers to the destruction of Jeru-
salem; the context to US clearly dis
proves any such Interpretation.
Verses 32 and 80 must be taken to-
gether
Summary. Quite emphatically this
passage is a teaching on the subject
OF the coming of the kingdom Of God
That kingdom came when Christ came
In grace. II will come when he comes
in Judgment. II is coming constantly
between the two advents Remember
his reading OF Isaiah's prophecy Luke
4:1S, 10; CT. lisa. 61:1-9. In his first
advent he did come to preach the 40
ceptable year. the year OF grace. That
day Is still with US. In his second
advent he will proclaim the day Of the
vengeance OF God. He will establish
the kingdom, will build the waste
places and raise desolations. Today
the kingdom Of God is among US In
; power through the presence OF Christ
by the spirit in the living church.
To the Pharisees he said: Neither
shall they say. 10 herei 10 therel for
the kingdom is IN your midst" To
his disciples he said: They shall say
10 therel 10 herel go not away nor
follow them We cannot localiEe the
kingdom. On an ancient Syrian fras-
ment the words Of Luke 1:SS read.
"and to his kingdom there shall be
no frontier" On the lips OF the Phari-
sees. kingdom meant a political or
ganization and empire. With Jesus Il
means a spiritual realm universal In
extent q rule of righteousness. and
peace and Joy In the Holy Spirit
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