The Washington herald., 1915-01-04

,,t all enemies uh-
5or his feet" q Co.
SiDtb,ans 15:25D He
said in paFl. ,,,,e
Many OF US nave
,oorned to appreciate
R4d0R RUSSELD a republican fo5m as the ne
very highest type of civil administra-
tion. I trust that l am not one Whlt
behind the most patriotic Of you In my
appreciation of the great government
Of these United States, which many OF
us believe is the nOblest that has yet
risen amongst men. Nevertheless, inc
Bible teaches that Messiah's Reign Will
be that of a monarchy: and that it Will
be very exclusive and aristocrauC ADJ
tionally, it will be most autocrauc-
theocratic: for the will Of its subjects
will not be consulted in the slightest
particular
At first, in alarm, We are ready &c
say, Would not that be a most danger
Gus condition Of things: Could any
royal family, however noble and gen
erous, be entrusted with such auto
cratic power without fear Of its being
rnisused for the enslavement of the
rulers? Have we not learned TINS IN
the history Of the past six thousand
years? DO we not SEQ the necessity
for curtailing and controlling the powers
of kings and governors? Are We not
more and moro brought to realize the
necessity that the people shall rule
whether in Congress or in Parliament, IN
Doumas or in Chambers of Deputies?
Yes, nv dear friends. ] heartily accede
to all this; but when ] describe the ma
ture of the Kingdom and its personnel
all fears will assuredly fee, and you Will
rejoice exceedingly that the Divine ar
rangement is what it is in respect TO the
theocratiC Kingdom shortly to be estab-
lished and to take over the government
of the world.
Scripturally it is described as the
Fifth Universal Empire OF earth. ! remind
you of King Nebuchadnezzar's Divinely
inspired dream. as interpreted by the
Prophet Daniel. 1t was of an image ma
jestic. grand. The head Of the image was
NebuChadnezzar' own kingdom of Baby
lon. the first to rule the earth. Next
represented in the breast and the arms
OF silver. came MedO-Persia, the second
Universal Empire of earth, conquerer OF
Babylon. Next represented in the belly
end thighs Of the image. came Grecia, the
third Universal Empire Of earth, which /,
conquered MedO- Persia. Next, repre-
sented in the legs Of iron, came Rome,
the fourth Universal Empire. cOnqueror
Of Greece. There are to be no more un-
til Messiahs kingdom; it will be thef
fifth
Meantime We have had two attempts |
at a fifth monarchy. both unsuccessful |
One was by the PapaCy: the other was |
that Of Napoleon ]. During this time the |
present divisions, which resulted from |
the breaking up of the Roman empire |
are represented by the feet Of the image |
with their ten toes.
Shifting the Images Feet.
The prophecy declares Daniel 2:4D |
that in the day, of these kings, repre- |
scented by the toes of the image, the God |
Of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which |
shall subdue all kingdoms and which |
shall never be Ovcrthrown. 1t shall be /
given to the people, saints, Of the Most |
High God. and thcy-Shall take the King /
dom and possess it forever" Daniel /
7:1>,g7D In the pi.turc Gods Kingdom is :
symboliCauy represented as a great +;
stone. hewn from. the mountain without /
nds-supernatuTally. 1t shall smitc
the image in its feet; and forthwith the
iron the brass the silver and the gold |
shall become like the chaf of a summer
thrcshing floor, and the wind shall carry
it away" but the mountain shall in
crease until 1t shall fill the whole
earth.
Thus God pictures things now shortly
10 come 10 pass. II MS CTuSnlnS Oh lue |
feet of thr image was to come in the end
or the Age preparatory to the esta ablish-
ment of Messiahs Kingdom. So long as
these governments would be here. they
and Messiahs Kingdom could not CO.
operate. TIL" Gentle governments are
based on selfishuess and coercion:
Christ's Kingdom will be based on jus
tice, love, mercy, under the Prince of
Peace. The two could not rule at the
same time.
Rome and Constantinople represent the !
two legs Of the image which King Nebu-
chadneZzer saw: for each in turn was
Ihe Roman Capital and representativ- of
the image. We are certainly justified in
watching with considerable interest the
present war and what it may lead TO In
the way of involving all of the ten king {
iOms represented in this prophecy. Our
thought is that this great war will {
weaken the nations cripple the world l
and disCredit the rulers in
the eyes of their peoples. Thus it will
open the way for Socialism. which will
eventually lead on to anarchy.
The present terrible war is not the
foretOld destruction in the fullest sense
n the word. but merely its fOrerunner.
The Scriptures foretell a great Time Of
Trouble, to be brought on by anarchy l.
he general uprising OF the people Every
mans hand against his neiGhbor, no
peace to him that gOeth out or to him
hat cometh in" CZechariah $40: l4:13) d
But that is not the special point Of inter
EST in my subject; rather..I am discuss
ng the character of Messiah's Kingdom,
which Is to rule the world, overthrow /
Sin and Death, and upllft humanity from
ignorance, superstition, sin, weakness.
Ind death. The declaration is that Mes I
siah shall reign until He shall have put ;
iown all characterization. and that the
ast enemy to be destroyed will be death.
! Corinthians l5:25-26
This is the Kingdom for which the
Master Himself taught His followers to
,ray. Nothing insignificant will be the ,
Of that glorious Reign of a
thousand years At its very beginning
;atan win be bound, with all that this
lgnifies-the repression OF evil and
darkness. For a thousand years the
Jun OF Righteousness shall pour forth
HchN %