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THE JEWS?" were intentionally recorded by Matthew as being entirely in line with his
purpose in writing. The writer of G.P.K. however, while agreeing that the title Son of
David in Matt. 1: 1 is indicative of the theme of the Gospel, denies that Christ came as
King or came to occupy an earthly throne. According to this writer David is not to be
connected with the idea of a King and Kingdom, but with a house, which house is the
Church of Matt. 16: and of Eph. 2: 22. The promise made by God to David in
I Chron. 17: is, according to this writer, fulfilled in the "Church". The following
quotation from G.P.K. is given with the author's own italics:--
"And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy
fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will
establish His kingdom. He shall build Me an house, and I will establish His throne
forever. I will be HIS FATHER and He shall be MY SON--see the express application
of these words to CHRIST in Heb. 1: 5--and I will not take My mercy away from Him as
I took it from him that was before thee. But I will settle Him in Mine house and in My
Kingdom forever; and His throne shall be established for evermore."
"These words settle in the clearest way (and other Scriptures furnish a great mass of
concurring testimony) certain matters touching which various eminent expositors in our
day have contrived to produce extraordinary uncertainty and confusion. Our immediate
purpose has to do with the fact, first, that the principal thing foretold of David's SON was
the building of the HOUSE OF GOD; second, that in the order of events as clearly
predicted, the SON OF DAVID was first to build GOD an house, and then GOD was to
establish His--the SON'S--throne."
"M." finds the Key to a right understanding of the character of Matthew's Gospel in
the words which higher up the page he lifts out of their context and prints thus:--
"He shall build Me an house, and I will establish His throne forever."
Nothing can be clearer if the reader will only allow "M." to guide his study of the
Word. As he says, the order of the events is clearly predicted, and so that there shall be
no doubt about it, he will number them for us, so saving us all trouble and responsibility.
"M.'s" order is:--
1.
The House.
2.
The Throne.
and the idea developed from this order is the main feature of the book. We however
prefer God's order unedited and find it as follows:--
1.
I will establish HIS KINGDOM.
2.
He shall build an HOUSE.
3.
I will establish HIS THRONE.
In case any should refer to the closing words, "I will settle Him in Mine house and in
My kingdom forever and His throne shall be established for evermore" as giving a
different order, we must point out that the subject matter differs. In the first quotation the
subject is the BUILDING of the house by the SON. In the second it is the SETTLING of
the Son in the house by the FATHER, which of course must be subsequent to the
building of the house. We cannot help feeling that "M." has been unfortunate in the