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"The words we have quoted from I Chron. 17: 11-14 sweep away completely the
idea that the Son of God and Son of David came to announce an earthly kingdom, or to
seek acceptance of Himself as Israel's King. No such UNWORTHY THOUGHT as that
can be read out of any part of the Word of God . . . . . To dispel that UNWORTHY and
UNWARRANTED idea is one of our objects in writing these pages."
Surely students of prophecy will not need details to convince them that "M.'s"
conception of the earthly kingdom is as UNWORTHY as it is UNWARRANTED. "M."
further writes:--
"No trace, we repeat, not the slightest trace, of such an offer is found in any of the
recorded utterances of the Apostles."
Let the reader compare Acts 1: 6 with Acts 3: 19-21 in the original, and then say
whether "M." is warranted in making such a statement. "M." makes much of the Sermon
on the Mount. Does he fail to see that "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" must be read
with "they shall inherit THE EARTH"? "M." further writes:--
"Moreover, had the Lord stated to Nicodemus that he was offering or announcing the
promised earthly kingdom to Israel, and that He would immediately establish it if
acceptable to the people and their rulers, Nicodemus would have had no difficulty at all in
understanding what was meant."
Nicodemus and our brother however are both in the same error. Both looked upon the
earthly kingdom as being not spiritual, whereas when the kingdom does come, "all Israel
shall be saved"; "ungodliness shall be turned away from Jacob"; the very pots in the
houses of Israel in that day shall be "Holiness unto the Lord"; and a "nation shall be born
in a day"; "they shall all be righteous". What as "unworthy and unwarranted"
conception "M." has of that kingdom for which David so yearned in Psa. 72:, and
concerning which he could say, "The prayers of David the Son of Jesse are
consummated!"
With regard to the question as to the relationship of the Kingdom of Heaven and the
Kingdom of God "M." makes the following statements:--
"The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God which the Lord was announcing,
and for which He was preparing His disciples, ARE ONE AND THE SAME" (page 136).
On page 149 is a most involved argument which when analyzed results in the
following:--
1. "The children of the kingdom" (Mat.. 8: 12) does not refer to the kingdom of
heaven.
2. That this same kingdom is intended by Peter when he spoke to unconverted Jews
in Jerusalem (Acts 3: 24) and with this agrees the Lord's words to the
Pharisees, when He said
3. "The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof" (Matt. 21: 43).
4. "It is particularly to be noted in this connection that the Lord does not say in
Matt. 8: 12 that the Israelites are the `children of the kingdom of heaven'."