OPPOSITION TO CHRIST'S KINGDOM
[Fifteen-minute rauio lecture]
IlEN Jesus was on earth, nearly nineteen 11l1Ildn·J years ago, he never faileJ to call the attention of his hearers to his future king-Jom. In all his parables he spoke of that kingdom. In one parable he pictured himself as ., a certain nobleman who went into a far country to re('eiye for himself a kingdom, and to return". J esm was that young nobleman. I-Ie went into a far country neady nineteen hundred years ago. At his return, that is, at his second adwnt, he will set up his kingdom. 'rIlis is the kingdom for ,vhieh .Jesus taught his follmvers to Pl'~:~-, sa~-ing, ",Yhen ye pruy, suy, ... Thy kin~~(I()m (·ome." ~s stat('J in Rcwbtion :20: 6, thi~; kingdom will be one thons::ncl ye:u's lon!-!.'; mHl that is why men ca]] it the lJillennium. The y-onl "millennium" means a thons<J!Hl :w'ars. In unmista';able language tIl(' Srripture:.; te~;rh that this kin!~dDlll, when esta1Jlish~d, "'ill he right here on the e~lrth. 'i']Jey tearh llwt during t Lis kin:~'dom :-:ata n v,-i11 1)(' hound and CIll'd 'ill pl'oeeed to hless all the families of the earth, both the liying' and the ue~ld. rrhe Scriptures fmthcr teach that this blessin!' ,vill consist of an myahning from the sleep of death for all who an' in the graYes, and that these, togetlH'l' with all the ]lving' O11('S, will be deliwred from the POH'I' of Sat~;l1; dcli'cred from sin uml death; from sickness, pain and suflering' of all kinds; from powrty, from oppression, from ,'ars, and from all fear of the same; from ::11 f:::be doctrines and creeds, until everybody shall know the truth, as stated by Isaiah, who ,note: "The carth shall be full of the knowledg-r of the Lord, as the waters coyer the sea. "-Isa. 11: 9. ,Ye read that when this kingdom work is finisheu 'eH'n' knee shall how, and every tongue shall confess that .Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father'. (Phil. :2: 10, 11) ,Ye read also that every man sh,~ll sit 111'UCr his own yine and fig tree, with nothing to mol('st 01' make afraid. (iUir. 4: 4) Picture in ~'onr mind a pl'l'feet earth, filled with a rontented, perfert and sinless race, having' ewrlasting life, with pei;re, lil)(,J'ty ,md happiness, without a pain 01' ache OJ' tear or death. These happy rrsults ,vill be accomplished by the coming- kingdom of Christ. No wonuer that Jesus aI,-ays helu up the picture of the kinguom before his ~ldienC'es. This kingdom is the only hope of the world. ,Yhile Jesus often referred to this kingdom as "my l.. i'lUdo1i!", yet in most instances he called it the "kingdom of God". It is God's kingdom in the sense that Cou arranged for it before the world began, and it is Christ's kingdom in the sense that God has appointed Jesus, as his Son and heir, to do the work of the Ling-clom and has given him the power and authority to do it. But, some one might suggest, surely no one ,Yould
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resist and oppose the establishment of a kingdom which is to be a blessing to all, both living and uead. The Scriptures, however, show that there will be opposition to this kingdom. Speaking of its establishment, the psalmist says, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together. against Jehovah, and against his anointed." (Ps. 2: 2) .J dlOyah 's "anointed" is his Son; hence, in verses 10 and 12 we read: "Be wise now therefore, 0 ye kings: he iIJstructed, ye judges of the earth. Kif:s the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." Kotice the fact that this trxt says that it is th!' "kings of the earth", "the rulers," and "th" judges" that are mentioned us oppo::ing ,JellOv~dl',; anointed; and tlw other faet, that unll'ss they "kiss the Son" they will pl'l'ish because of the wrath of .Tl'1lOvah ag'ainst their stuhbornness and rebellion. Opposition to things righteous is mmally sLlpppseu to come from the lowl'r strata of soriety. Hence, ,yhen 'I'e reau of strikes, lockouts, riots, and bolsheyism, people are ever prone to charge the so-called "masses", "the labor deml'nt," etc" with being the trou1Jlebreeders. But according to the text just quoted, 01)position to the ('stablishmmt of Christ 's kin~):dom, the only gowl'llment that will give all the peo!,le universal blessin~,s, will come from the so-ralled "uPlJer stJ'ata" of life, from l:ings, 1'11lcrs and ,illdlJcs. To the majority of people this will seem altogrtlH'r incredihle, yet history shows that it hi;S always l)('('n the financial, political and religious clements of the world that have oPPosl'd ewrything' relating to Christ's kingdom. t-.'ineteen hundred years ago it ,ps the "bngs" and the "rulers ", meaning the lJOliticians and the" judges ", referring to the unjust one" who sat on the 1Jench of that day, who conuemned Jesus, an innocent man, to death without any proof of guilt; aIso the religious leaders, scribes, Pharisees, chief priests and elders, who claimed to lwlil'vc ill Jehoyah Cod and who were the appointed teachers of religious things, who were looking for anu expect insa coming Messiah; it was all these classes ,vho connived at the munler of the Son of Jehovah (Jod, 'Yhtl had come into the ,Yorld in oruer that the world through him mig-ht be saved. These financiers, IJol iticians and religious leaders devised the most wicked plot that was ever concocted to railroad an innocem man to dpath, and succeeded in their wicked designs. About fifty years ago the Intel'l1ational Bible Students began to announce the fact that the kingdom of Christ would be set up in great power and glory Oll this earth. They set forth the proofs from the Bihle, ,yhich no human being has been able to gainsay. They arc continuing this work now with redoubled energy and zeal. Nearly fifty million books and booklets in thirty odd languages have gone out all over the earth, 1DO
