DL-2-Chapter II.

Chapter II. In the former chapter we showed that civil or human government originated among the rebellious portion of the human family; that it was recognized as the effort to live without God and his government; that a conflict was kept up through the entire period of the Old Testament dispensation; that the special commission of the children of Israel was to destroy these governments in the land of Canaan, and to establish in their stead the government of God; that in the destruction of these governments all who clung to and upheld them were to be destroyed. There was an irrepressible and perpetual conflict between the Divine and the human. A war of extermination was declared by God against the governments of earth. God ordained the human institutions to punish the rebellion of man. So long as man rebels, these institutions that arise out of the rebellion must perish. The subjects of the Divine government could not participate in the human, could not form affiliation or alliance with the subjects of the human, nor inject or dovetail the human into the Divine. They were necessarily and essentially antagonistic, and fealty to both could not be maintained by the same person. We showed that Daniel (2:42) in prophecy projected that conflict into the illimitable future and extended it to all the kingdoms of earth; that "the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed; it shall break in pieces and consume all these (human) kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. " These human kingdoms "shall be destroyed and consumed unto the end, " or to a complete and everlasting destruction. This idea of the essential antagonism and irrepressible conflict between these kingdoms was impressed by God, through the patriarchal and Jewish dispensations, indelibly upon the minds and lives of His people. Not only was it impressed upon the Jews, but it was accepted as true by the rulers and subjects of the human governments. The prophecies of the Old Testament caused the Jews to look forward to the coming of a Divine Deliverer to rescue them from the rule of the human power under which they were living and to re- establish the rule of God on earth. The rulers of the human government had accepted the truth of this coming of one sent from God, and instinctively felt the result of his rule would be the overthrow of their authority and rule, hence their effort to destroy him at his birth.

"Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod, the king, behold wise men came to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the East and are come to worship him. And when Herod, the king, heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ... Then Herod, the king, privily called the wise men and learned of them carefully what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search out carefully concerning the young child, and when ye have found him bring me word, that I also may come and worship him. ... They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshipped ... and being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country by another way. ... An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there until I tell thee, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. ... Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time he had carefully learned of the wise men. " (Matthew 2:1-16.)

Christ thus was recognized from before his birth as coming as the enemy of, and to make war upon the human government, and the rulers sought from his birth to kill him.

Christ came as the anointed of God to establish and build a kingdom that should break in pieces and consume all the kingdoms of earth, and that should fill the whole earth and stand forever. As in the beginning of the typical institution of Judaism, God sought favorable conditions for launching his kingdom, free from temptation to entangling alliances, and affiliations with human governments, so He now chooses a period when the human government adopted into Judaism, was destroyed and the nation with it. (Hosea 13:9.) The Jews themselves were in oppressive bondage to the Roman government. At this juncture the Gospel of the Kingdom of God as preached, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of God is at hand, " could only have been understood as referring to that kingdom which the God of Heaven should set up, whose mission was to destroy all other kingdoms, and to fill the whole earth. To him who thus claimed to be of God, the Jews, in their oppression, gladly gave heed as to one by whom they expected deliverance from Roman bondage. Jesus was acknowledged by God as "my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased."

He soon meets the Devil who had seduced man the ruler, and with him the world from its loyalty to God, and who held it in bondage to himself as the ruler of the world. The significant point of the advent of the Son of God into the world is that Christ and the devil met here in person to lead in the conflict for the mastery of the world. Christ came to rescue the world from the dominion and rule of the evil one into which it had fallen, and to bring it back to its primitive and pristine allegiance to God his Father. This was his mission to earth. Having received from his Father his commission he entered upon his work. The devil met him in person as the leader of the hosts. A test of power between the personal leaders is first made. The earth is the battlefield and on the result of this conflict depends the eternal future of the world. The devil was in possession of the world. It had been transferred to him by man to whom God had committed the rule, under himself, of the world. Christ came to rescue it from his dominion, to bring it back under the authority of God, and to restore it to its normal position in the universe under the rule of God and to bring it into harmony with laws governing the universe.

Jesus could accomplish this work only through a life of self- denial, of persecution and sorrow, ending in the shameful death of the cross. Then when the work should be completed, he must surrender the redeemed and regenerated kingdom up to the Father, and himself be subject to the Father, or he must be second in position in the rule of the kingdom he has rescued. The fierceness of the conflict, the cost to himself, the suffering and anguish of the cross, the anticipation of which made great drops of bloody sweat ooze from his brow and fall down to earth, he had fully foreseen and appreciated. He was "as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

"Who was verily foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last days for you who by him do believe in God. " (1 Peter 1:20.)

These sufferings and sorrows, the death of cruelty and shame had been fully laid open to him. His sensitive nature felt the shame and suffering and the degradation of the grave more keenly than any human being could feel it, and he recoiled from it with a keener sense of anguish, than human hearts, dulled and blunted by sin and fleshly lust and passion could ever feel, and in deepest humiliation and agony cried, "Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me." With a full realization of all this strife, sorrow and suffering, ending in the degradation of the grave, pressing upon his soul, in the beginning of his ministry he was led of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. The devil realizing the conflict before him, determined to seduce Jesus from his loyalty to God, and to induce him to enter his service. When Christ was hungered, depressed with bodily weakness, and the afflictions before him, overwhelmed with the herculean task he had undertaken,

"The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and saith unto him, all these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. " Jesus saith unto him ’Get thee hence, Satan, ’ for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve."

Then the devil left him, and angels came and ministered to him. Luke records, (4:5):

"The devil taking him up into a high mountain showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said unto him, all this power will I give unto thee and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If therefore thou wilt worship me, all shalt be thine."

It is needful to observe (1) the devil claims the kingdoms of the earth as his. They had been delivered into his hands, and to whomsoever he willed he could give them. That the devil possessed the kingdoms of the world is often denied. He here says, "they were delivered unto me. " This was done certainly when man, having been entrusted with the rule and dominion of earth, betrayed the trust, hearkened to and obeyed the devil instead of God. Man the ruler transferred his allegiance, and with his own, that of the earth he ruled, from God to the devil. Satan was in possession, then, of these kingdoms and the glory of them, he claimed the power to bestow them upon whom he would; he proposed to give them to Christ Jesus, if he would fall down and worship him. The mission of Jesus Christ proves this claim of the devil to be true. He came to rescue the world from the possession and rule of the devil and to destroy the power of the evil one. It is objected.

"God made no attempt to abolish civil government; he attempted to be the law-maker for one nation, and made his law their civil law. He never tried to force those laws upon other nations, or to legislate for them. There is not one word of condemnation of any civil government in the Bible unless that government enacted laws contrary to natural equity, or was led by an unprincipled ruler."

God never attempts to do any thing. He always does it or he does not do it. He did make laws and hence was the LAW-MAKER for his people, the Jewish nation. He neither attempted nor forced his laws upon any people, neither the Jews nor other. All must voluntarily accept them or he will not be their God and law-giver. God was no respecter of persons. He revealed himself and his will to all alike in the beginning and as Paul, Romans 1:21, says,

"Because when they knew God they glorified HIM not as God neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, ... professing themselves to be wise they became fools ... and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator."

Imagined they could make governments better than God, and served the creature by honoring their own in preference to God’s government. Every one who honors and serves the human government and relies upon it, for good, more than he does upon the Divine government, worships and serves the creature more than he does the Creator. For THIS cause God gave them up to be a law unto themselves, or to make their own governments and to work their own ruin. In the beginning, God gave his law to all alike. When all save one family turned away, he gave his law to this family. No nation with a human government was ever accounted the people of God. And his children were forbidden affiliation with them. But any and all persons of every national and family could become of his people by submission to his government. The first fundamental principle of natural equity, was and is, that people created and preserved by the God of Heaven and earth, should submit to the government of their Creator and preserver. To establish another government is to violate this, hence all who established other governments violated the principles of natural justice, and are condemned by God, to destruction unless they repent. God has at no time in the world’s history accepted a people with a human government as his people, save the Jews who added the human to the Divine. This was recognized as a rejection of God as their ruler that resulted in their rejection by God and their destruction as the people of God.

Jesus knew who held possession of the kingdoms of the world and whether he had the power to bestow them. Unless the devil possessed these kingdoms and had power to bestow them, the offer could have been no temptation to Christ. It was a temptation, and he "suffered being tempted."

It is objected that if the statement of the Devil be true,

"The devil had possession by the will of God, the language demands this, for it hath been delivered unto me. And Christ came to rescue it from his dominion by the will of God. A seeming conflict in the purpose of God." The language "it hath been delivered unto me" does not demand that it should have been delivered by the will of God. The history shows man delivered it at the suggestion of the devil and God punished him for it. But it is true it was and is God’s will that when man sinned he and the world which he rules should be given over to the rule of the devil to punish him for his sins. God uses the devil to rule and punish sinners. Just as it is God’s will the persistent sinner shall be given over to the rule of the devil in hell forever. It is also true that God desires Jesus Christ should deliver man and with man the world committed to his rule from the rule of the devil, both in this world and in the world to come. But not that he should deliver them while yet in sin. But that he should turn them from sin, and so rescue them from the devil. There is not even a seeming conflict in the purposes of God. Again it is objected,

"If it be meant that civil government and nations were under the control of the devil, and that Christ come to rescue them from him, then Christ has failed, because we all know, civil government and nations are now more nearly universal than ever before, and that every disciple of Jesus is a subject of some nation and is subject to civil government."

How civil government is now more universal than heretofore we do not understand, inasmuch as from the days of Nimrod civil government has extended over all the families of the earth. Rebellion against God has been universal from the beginning, civil government has been co-extensive with it. But it is not true that civil government is honored and feared and that men stand in awe of it and reverence its rule as they did in past ages. They now under the enlightening rays of Divine truth understand government is for the people and not the people for the government and that rulers are men - selfish, wicked, corrupt men, with no more rights than others and human government is losing its hold on the affections of men. But this objection is made in a misapprehension of the order of God. Suppose we were to say God declared a war of extermination against sin six thousand years ago and sin is as universal now as it ever was, therefore God has failed in his war upon sin. This is just as true as that the war against human government has failed. The infidel can set aside the whole idea of Divine rule with this very argument. But the truth is this. It is God’s will that human government shall exist so long as man or considerable portion of the human family refuses to be governed by God. He ordained human government as a punishment for rejecting his government. Wherever and so long as man rejects God’s rule, he must be ruled by men, or as here developed he must be ruled by the devil. But Christ came to destroy human government by calling man back from sin to the rule and service of God. Man must come voluntarily at the call of Christ. Then Jesus proposed to destroy human government only as he destroyed sin and rebellion against God. If there has been a failure it is not in destroying human government, but in destroying sin and rebellion since he proposed to destroy that only as these were destroyed. "The soul that sinneth it shall die. " He wishes human government to continue so long as man continues to sin. It is not wrong for the government of the devil to exist so long as men rebel against God and prefer to serve the devil. The wrong is in the rebellion that produces these governments and then, that those who have ceased to rebel against God and have taken the oath of fealty to him, should still support and strengthen these governments that have grown up as the fruit of this rebellion. Jesus Christ desires to destroy these governments only as he destroys sin which necessitates them. Only as his own government increases to fill the earth, just as God desires hell to exist so long as sin exists. It is right hell should exist so long as sin is in the universe to punish sinners and deter from sin. But it is wrong for the servants of God to enter into, become subjects and managers of the institution of hell.

Then Christ recognized the claim of the devil to the possession of the kingdoms of the world as true, and the devil is henceforth called in the Bible the Prince or ruler of this world. The special point of the temptation is this: Christ had come to rescue the world from the dominion of the evil one, and to bring it back to God.

He is to rescue it through suffering, persecution, reproach, the death of the cross, the degradation of the grave, and after it shall be rescued he must surrender it up to God and himself occupy a secondary place in the rule of the world. Now, says Satan, but worship me, do obeisance to me, acknowledge my supremacy, instead of God’s, and without suffering, persecution, sorrow, the cross or the grave, all shall be yours, and you will then have the same dignity and honor under me without suffering, as you will have under God, when you shall have endured all. Christ felt the temptation most keenly. The condition of the world proclaims the evil rule of the world, the degraded condition of humanity, the suffering, sorrow, death that reign here all proclaim that he who reigns is not the All wise Creator and ruler of the universe.

God created the world free from sin and from evil.

"The Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden." In this earth-home of man there was nought to mar his happiness, to disturb his peace, or to detract from his full enjoyment of life. No briars, no thistles, no thorns, no noxious weeds grew. The Spirit of God brooded over all, and impregnated every breath of air with his own life-giving, life-perpetuating and health-inspiring tonic. Sickness did not enter, nor death spread its dark pall over this paradise of God; but perennial youth, drinking fresh vigor, from life-giving fountains, and inhaling exhilarating breezes from the throne of God, was the heritage of every living creature. With God’s Spirit brooding over all, and pervading every breeze, no fierce passions raged, no venomous serpent hissed, no beasts of prey prowled through this garden of love, no pitiless storms beat, no fierce tornadoes desolated this joyous and peaceful abode. To man, a prince of his realm, bearing his own image, God entrusted this fair dominion, as a home and a possession, to be ruled in the interest and for the honor and glory of God. To promote the honor of God - the ruler, was to increase the good and glory of the whole universe and of every being in this universe. In this beautiful home, man knew no toil, no weariness, no care, no anxiety, no pain, no sickness, no sorrow. In this home no envious spirits, nor evil desires dwelled, no wicked passions raged in human hearts. This earth of ours was the outer court of the Heaven of Heavens, the home of God, the Father of the universe.

God had entrusted this world with the power and glory of it, to man as his servant. Man betrayed the trust, rejected the rule of God and transferred his allegiance and the allegiance of the world from the God of Heaven to the devil. Hence the Devil said, "It has been delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it." The result of this treason and transfer was, God ceased to be the ruler and the devil became the god of this world. The Spirit of God refused to dwell in the defiled temple on the polluted earth and withdrew in grief to the home of God in Heaven. The devil as the Prince of this world, infused his subtle spirit and poison of death into the fountains of waters and into every breeze that floated over land and sea. This earth was changed from a nursery of life and joy into a charnel house of death and sorrow, a whited sepulcher without, "within full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. " Briars, thistles and thorns grew spontaneously from this garden of God. The paradise of God became a dried and parched waste - a desert of noxious weeds. Toil, pain, sickness, anxiety, care, sorrow, mortality and death became the heritage of humanity. By this treason of man the evil one became the ruler; "the god of this world, " "the prince of the power of air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2) showing that the evil spirit took up his abode in and so tainted the air we breathe, that the spirit of rebellion and the poison of death are inhaled with every breath we draw. Man was separated from God, "became carnal, sold under sin."

He found "another law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members. " Man was helpless under this bondage to sin and sank downward to continually deeper depths of woe.

Mental decay and inactivity quickly followed spiritual stupor. With spiritual and mental torpor came the degrading rule of unbridled lust and passion. Paul drew a fearful picture of the depths of degradation to which man bearing the image of God descended, under this transfer of his allegiance from God to the evil one.

"Because that knowing God they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless (insensate) heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use unto that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And even as they refused to have God in THEIR knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, back-biters hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful; who knowing the ordinance of God, that they which practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practice them. " (Romans 1:21-32.) This is given as the result of man’s transfer of his allegiance from God to the devil. With this torpor of the soul and stupor of the mind and reign of lust, the body is enfeebled, diseases preyed upon the body, and plagues and pestilences swept the human family from the earth. War with its desolation and bloodshed and bitter cruelty, was the normal condition of humanity, thus distorted and perverted by the spirit of the devil. With this degradation of man, the entire under creature subject to his rule sympathized. "For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same, in hope", and "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now." The earth shared the curse of this rule of the devil. It became barren and desolate, producing only briars, thistles, thorns and noxious weeds, and became "a hold for unclean beasts and foul birds."

It is a slander upon Almighty God to say, his rule and dominion of the world, brought this condition of affairs. The devil’s rule and dominion brought these terrible evils to man and to all that is subject to him. To deliver the world from the rule of the devil and from this terrible condition produced by his rule, was the end and purpose of the mission of Christ Jesus, into this earth.

If the world is not under the rule and dominion of the devil the mission of Christ is meaningless. He came to rescue and redeem the world and to destroy the Devil and all his works.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil. " (Hebrews 2:14.) The point fully and clearly developed in this, is, that Christ Jesus recognized the kingdoms of this earth and the glory of them as belonging to the devil. The earth had been delivered unto him as ruler and prince, and all these institutions, kingdoms, governments, had grown up under his rule and authority, and they constitute the institutions and organizations through which he has governed man and the world, and in which he rewards his servants. The devil is the "prince of the world,"

"Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. " (Jno. 12:31.)

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. " (Jno. 14:30.) Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. " (Jno. 16:11.)

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. " (Ephesians 2:2.)

He is the prince of the world because they have been delivered into his hands, and he has builded up the kingdoms of the world that he may rule through them.

Christ having resisted successfully these tempting offers of the devil, and having shown his true loyalty to God, the angels of God came and ministered unto him. He then lays down the principles that must govern in his kingdom. They are epitomized in 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of Matthew. These principles are diverse from and antagonistic to the principles that have obtained and must ever obtain in all human governments. No human government can possibly be maintained and conducted on these principles laid down for the government of Christ’s subjects in his kingdom. The spirit that prompts the practice of the principles is opposed to the spirit needful for the maintenance of human governments. The two spirits cannot dwell in the same heart, nor the same temple, or institution. A man cannot be gentle, forgiving, doing good for evil, turning the other cheek when one is smitten, praying "for them that despitefully use and persecute" him, and at the same time execute wrath and vengeance on the evil-doer, as the human government is ordained to do, and as it must do to sustain its authority and maintain its existence. In recognition of this antagonism Christ, in giving the platform of principles, (Matthew 6:21,) says:

"No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."

Mammon as the God of this world rules in the kingdoms of the world. God can be served only in the "kingdom which the God of heaven shall set up. " The God of this world is served in the kingdoms of this world. Christ plainly declares a man cannot serve in both. He concludes this platform of principles by the warning,

"He who hears these sayings of mine and does them shall be likened unto a wise man who built his house upon the rock."

It shall stand forever. He who hears these sayings and does them not, builds on the sand, to be overwhelmed in destruction. This carries the idea that the institutions ordained of God will stand forever; those not founded in his word, hence of human origin, must be destroyed and will engulf in the same destruction, those who serve in them. The Kingdom Of Heaven.

Christ, from this time onward, preached the coming kingdom. It was the burden of his thought, the theme of every discourse. His disciples were taught to pray that it come. His parables, his teachings, all presented some thought, some feature, or relationship of that kingdom. Its spirit toward its own subjects, the faithful and unfaithful, toward the subjects of human governments; the time of its complete organization, its mission, its relationship to human government, its end, final destiny, and its relation to himself and to God, the Father, are carefully presented, exemplified, and enforced. It is true that when Christ was in person here on earth, the devil was also here. It is true that when God has exercised wonder-working power on the earth, He has permitted the same character of manifestation to the devil. When Christ bestowed miraculous power on others, the devil did the same. There was always the clear line of distinction kept up between the Divine and the demoniac. The Divine spirit dwelling in man uplifted and blessed him and made him a blessing to others. The demoniacal possession afflicted and cursed the possessor, and made him a curse to others. Jesus, in his work, showed his power over the evil one by casting out demons and relieving those afflicted by them. All disease, sickness, mortality and death came upon man as the result of the transferred allegiance of man and the world, from God to the devil. Christ, in healing the maladies and afflictions of humanity, and in restoring life to the dead, manifested His power over the devil. In this was a conflict between Christ and the devil. But it is of his teaching in reference to the relations and contact of His kingdom with the kingdoms of earth that we desire to inquire. (Matthew 15:13.) In speaking of practices not ordained of God he lays down this broad truth:

"Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." This is a declaration that all institutions and organizations not planted by God shall be destroyed. This truth is far reaching. The material, moral and spiritual world have all been blighted by the rule of the devil. The poison of death and ruin has infected the whole realm of nature. The declaration is that every evil - material, moral, or spiritual, every influence that has been put in operation by the devil, shall be antagonized and counteracted and destroyed by Christ Jesus. Especially is it true that every institution, organization or kingdom established under the rule of the evil one shall be rooted up and destroyed. Christ’s mission is to destroy the works of the devil, and all these kingdoms and governments of earth are the works of the evil one.

(Matthew 16:13.) When Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, Christ responded,

"Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father, who is in heaven, and I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Undoubtedly this is a repetition of the prophecy of Daniel,

"In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. It shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."

Here it is called a church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, the kingdom of heaven, the terms of entrance into which shall be ratified in heaven. But Jesus in declaring that the gates of hell shall not prevail against this kingdom or church, implied that they must prevail against every other kingdom or institution of earth. If there are other institutions or kingdoms against which "the gates of hell shall not prevail, " there is neither point nor force in saying they shall not prevail against this kingdom or church built by Christ. Whatever else may be meant by "gates of hell prevailing against, " it carries the idea of the destruction of what is prevailed against. The expression necessarily declares that every institution, kingdom, and organism of earth, save this kingdom of the God of heaven, this church builded by Jesus Christ, shall be engulfed in the vortex of everlasting ruin. This church or kingdom alone shall never perish. All these kingdoms of earth shall be broken in pieces and consumed by the kingdom of God which alone shall stand forever. Jesus spent his life after his recognition as the Son of God, in thus teaching and manifesting the superiority of his kingdom over the earthly kingdoms. His life was a continual conflict. The rulers of the earthly governments came in contact with him only to persecute. But he saw the final conflict must come.

"The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed." When he turned his face toward Jerusalem for the last time, he realized that the final fierce conflict was at hand. He exclaimed (John 12:23-27.)

"The hour has come that the son of man should be glorified. ... Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose came I unto this hour. Father glorify thy name. Then came a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people who stood by said it thundered; others said an angel spoke to him. Jesus answered, ... Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out, and I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men after me. This said he signifying what death he should die." In the final conflict between the Savior and the devil, Jesus felt sure of triumph, the casting the devil out of his position as a ruler of the world. Yet the conflict, the anguish, the lifting up on the cross, oppressed him sorely. The prince of this world was coming in the person of the rulers of human governments. Again, in Jno. 14:30.

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me."

He was coming in the person of the ruler his earthly kingdom, had nothing in Jesus or his work, hence would so persecute him that Jesus would not have opportunity to talk much with his disciples. Again, (John 16:13), in declaring the mission of the spirit, "he will convince the world of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. " In judging the ruler of this world, and overcoming him, he would show the world that all his subjects and institutions would be overthrown. The conflict with the devil, ending in the triumph of Jesus Christ, was a judging, a condemnation, an overthrow of the devil, an assurance that he would be destroyed and all his servants judged and condemned. But the truth clearly revealed in these things, is, that the civil power and the rulers engaged in the work of persecuting the Son of God, are the ministers of Satan, doing his work. Through these, his ministers, Christ is arrested, buffeted, scorned, spit upon, beaten, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross and killed; He was carried down by these powers of darkness to the grave, the prison-house of the devil, the ante-chamber of hell, where the devil held undisputed reign. Bound in the fetters of death, in the dark dungeon of the grave, betrayed of man and forsaken of God, within the personal power and domain of the devil he makes the final struggle with "him that hath the power of death, that is the devil. " In the grave the battle was fought, in the grave the victory was won for man’s redemption. Jesus overcame the devil in his own home, triumphed over death, hell, and the grave, and came forth the glorious conqueror. In this conflict, reaching from the cradle to the grave, between Jesus and the devil, the civil power was the minister and instrument of the devil. The rulers sought his life at his birth, desolated the homes around Bethlehem by the destruction of every male child "two years old and under. " The civil power dogged his pathway through life and nailed him to the cross in his death. "The prince of this world hath nothing in me." The Church And The Civil Power. The appetite for blood being whetted by the death of the Master, the blood of his followers is demanded to satiate its greed. Stephen soon falls a victim, and the first church, both men and women, are scattered abroad everywhere by the bloody hand of the civil power. Saul, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, made havoc of the church, and is commissioned to "hale any he found of this way, men and women, to prison."

"King Herod stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church, and killed James, the Lord’s brother, and because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also and cast him into prison, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people."

God opened the prison doors, and delivered him. Paul and Barnabas were assaulted at Iconium, stoned at Lystra, fled through Derbe and the cities of Lycaonia, were beaten and cast into the dungeon and their feet made fast in the stocks at Philippi, and persecuted at Thessalonica. The remainder of the Acts of the apostles tells of the persecutions, trials, strifes, stonings, bonds and imprisonments of Paul to the end. He had the testimony continually with him that "in every city bonds and afflictions abide me. " His prison was often his church-house, the prison-box his pulpit, and much of his evangelistic labor was done wearing a chain. This life of strivings, conflicts, and persecutions was ended by death at the hands of the civil rulers. The other apostles had much the same history. All, it is believed, like the Master, ended their lives by the sword, the stonings, the cross, the fire and fagot of the civil power. Every inch of ground gained and held by Christ and his apostles was gained and held against the fierce persecutions or more hurtful temptations of the civil power. The civil power sought to throttle the church, as it sought to destroy its founder, in its infancy. The life of his physical body was a type of the life of his spiritual body, the church. The relationship of Christ and his church to civil power is plainly declared in his own teachings and actions.

"When they came to Capernaum they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth not your Master pay tribute? He saith yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented [anticipated] him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, of their own children or of strangers? Peter saith to him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free? Notwithstanding lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook and take up the first fish that cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a piece of money, that take and give unto them for me and thee." This indicates that Christ’s teaching had raised the doubt with the Jews, whether he would count himself a child or a stranger under the civil government. Although born a citizen, Jesus apprehending the questionings of their mind, solved it, refused to claim the exemption of a child, and once and forever places himself and his disciples among the strangers to these governments. Some may think this hardly required by the context. A pondering of all the parts necessitates the conclusion.

Besides one of the oldest manuscripts has added as the close of the last sentence, "seeing we are strangers to the kingdoms of earth, " as a reason why they should pay it. While we do not hold this as a part of the genuine text, it shows us that this was understood from a very early date to be the meaning of the passage. And this meaning was much more likely to have come down from the early apostolic age, when the cruel rulers were persecuting Christians, than to have been added at a later date when the church was in affiliation with civil government. Then it must be construed to mean that Christ intended to teach, that he and his servants were not children of civil government. He and his servants constituted the government of God in contradistinction to the human governments of earth, which the Savior clearly teaches were the governments of "the prince of this world, who hath nothing in me." No clearer evidence could be furnished that it was well understood by the enemies as well as the friends of Christ, that his mission was to destroy the governments of earth than the record, Matthew 22:15, Mark 12:14, Luke 20:20. Knowing this they sought to commit him against the lawfulness of giving tribute to Caesar and thus find ground for accusation to secure his condemnation.

"Then went the Pharisees and took counsel against him how they might entangle him in his talk, and they sent unto him the lawyers with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of man. Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money, and they brought him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. When they heard these words, they marveled, and left him and went their way." This clearly shows that it was well understood that Christ was to destroy the kingdoms of earth. These lawyers under the guise of friendship sought to entrap him into expressions that would convict him of treason, that they might secure his condemnation. He not only thwarted their purpose, but taught the lesson in an empathic way of the Christian’s duty to human kingdoms. Tertullian, who was probably born within a half century after the death of the apostle John, gives this explanation of this saying of the Savior:

"The image of Caesar which is on the coin is to be given to Caesar, and the image of God which is in man is to be given to God. Therefore thou must indeed give thy money to Caesar, but thyself to God, for what will remain to God if all be given to Caesar?" No better explanation has ever been given of the Savior’s words. It teaches what the Savior taught: pay your tax, but you are not children or servants of the earthly governments. Give your personal service and your bodily powers to God. Tertullian not only gives this as the meaning of the Savior, but he shows what was the prevailing impression of the teaching of the Savior and the apostles, within the first century after the establishment of the church. These ideas must have come down from the days of the apostles. They could not have originated after the church found favor with the civil power.

John 18:33, Pilate asked Jesus,

"Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now is my kingdom not from hence."

Christ disavows the earthly character of his kingdom; declares that it is of a nature so different from all worldly kingdoms, that his servants could not fight for his kingdom; if they could not fight for his kingdom, they could not fight for any kingdom, hence in this respect could not be members and supporters of the earthly kingdoms. This is also a declaration that he does not belong to the Jewish nation. He was born a Jew, and the Jewish people anxious to regain their nationality, were willing to follow any leader that would promise them freedom from the Roman yoke, and a restoration of the earthly kingdom of Judaism. The Roman governors were sensitive toward all such, as disturbers of the peace and quiet of the people, and exciters of insurrection. Hence Pilate, the representative of the Roman government, asked Jesus, "Art thou the king of the Jews?" He replies, "Do you ask this of yourself, or did others make the charge?" Pilate refers him to his own Jewish nation and the priests. He responds, "my kingdom is not of this world. " I am not a member of the Jewish worldly government. I seek no earthly throne. My subjects cannot fight. This candid answer quieted the fears of Pilate, and he testified, "I find no fault in him. " Yet to please the Jews he scourged him and delivered him to them to be buffeted and abused. They demand his death because he claims to be the Son of God. Pilate trembles with fear at such an idea, and seeks to let him go. The Jews cry, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend. " Pilate fearing to be charged with treason to Caesar, signed the death warrant of the Son of God and delivered him to be crucified. All showing that he claimed, and that his enemies recognized that he claimed, to be a child of no earthly kingdom, but that the kingdom he came to establish was unlike and separate from any and all earthly kingdoms. Yet that he was in antagonism to Caesar, was the ground on which his death warrant was extracted from Pilate. The Savior said to his disciples,

"He that hath no sword let him sell his garments and buy one. ... They said Lord here are two swords, and he said unto them it is enough. " (Luke 22:36.) This is seemingly out of harmony with the Savior’s teaching. What does it mean? We can only tell what was done with the swords. Judas and his band came against the Savior,

"With lanterns and torches and weapons. ... Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it and smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ... Then said Jesus unto Peter: Put up thy sword into the sheath; the cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink?" (John 18:3-10.)

He here taught his disciple could not use the sword of violence to prevent the suffering brought on us through obeying the will and fulfilling the commands of God. Matthew 26:52, Jesus says, "Put up again the sword in its place; for they that take the sword shall perish by the sword." The only use made of it was to teach these lessons, both seeming to prohibit the use of the sword, and this last teaching, not that every individual who used a sword would necessarily perish by the sword, but that all institutions builded by the sword or by violence, must perish by the sword or violence. All human governments are builded by the sword, therefore must perish by the sword. Christ’s church must be so builded as to stand forever, therefore it cannot be built by the sword. It would seem that the sword was used to teach, that even though in the power and possession of the children of God they are not permitted to use it. The apostles were imprisoned and punished for preaching the gospel, and were forbidden to preach any more in the name of Christ; they respond:

"Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." And this was the spirit that guided the apostles in all their preaching. They paid taxes and treated the human rulers with respect, when they did not interfere with their duty to God. When they did this, all Christians, as Christ had done, disobeyed the human ruler and obeyed the God of heaven. They showed in this that they were subjects of the kingdom of God and only in a secondary sense of a human ruler.

"No man can serve two masters. He will love the one and hate the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." The first of all commandments is, "Shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy mind and with all thy body." To love a ruler is to serve him from the heart. Ye cannot serve God and the ruler of this world. All the powers of the soul, mind and body must be devoted to the service of God. The letter to the Christians at Rome was written by the apostle Paul, during the reign of Nero, the most cruel and wicked persecutor of the church of God, as well as the most depraved in personal character, that ever sat upon the throne of the Roman empire. His residence was in Rome where these Christians dwelt. They were the special objects of Nero’s hatred. He accused them of setting fire to the city as an excuse for gratifying his own ferocious spirit. Renan says:

"Never before had such refinements of cruelty been witnessed. The usual punishment of such unfortunates was to be thrown to wild beasts, or to be burned in the amphitheater, with an addition of cruel scourging. " "Poor, timid maidens, with modest gestures veiling their nudity, were tossed by a bull and torn in pieces on the pebbles of the arena."

They were put to death, not for the public good, but to gratify the cruelty of one man. These Christians at Rome, enduring these things, were liable to be excited to take vengeance in their own hands and rise up and slay or burn out their cruel persecutors. But Paul writing to them admonishes them,

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him, if he thirst give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation, for rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil. Wilt thou not then be afraid of the power. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are God’s ministers attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all, therefore, their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." This is the most complete statement of the Christian’s relation to the civil government found in the New Testament, accepting as we do that the higher powers here refer to the civil government.

Many hold that this passage refers to church authorities, but this application involved difficulties to my mind inexplicable. So I believe that the higher powers refer to civil government. The Holy Spirit then warns these Christians that they must not avenge themselves, they must suffer wrong, for it is written: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. " Christians are forbidden to take vengeance, God will avenge their wrongs. The higher powers are immediately introduced as God’s agency through which he will take vengeance and execute wrath.

We found that he so used the wicked nations under the Old Testament dispensation. This higher power is a revenger to execute wrath on him that doeth evil. The Christian has been clearly forbidden to take vengeance or execute wrath, but he is to live peaceably with all men, to do good for evil. Then a Christian cannot be an officer or executor of this higher power. Human governments, we found in the Old Testament, as Babylon, Assyria, and others, were ordained of God, and used to punish other wicked nations. Kings and rulers were used as "my servants" to punish wicked people.

"But God maketh the wrath of man to praise him; the remainder of wrath will he restrain. " (Psalms 76:10.) God uses the wrath of man to promote his own praise, for the greatest good of his people.

Wrath that would go beyond this, God will restrain. With these thoughts, this higher power is ordained of God as all human government is, to punish those who refuse to obey God. The civil ruler is a minister of wrath, whom God uses to punish wickedness and rebellion. The government which he here calls his ordinance, is the Roman, in direct line of descent from that of Babylon, through that of Medo-Persia, and of Greece. He whom he calls the minister of God is the vile persecuting Nero, with his subordinates. How can he be said to be a "minister to thee for good?" In the same sense that "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord;" in the same sense that he makes the wrath of man to praise him, while the remainder of wrath, which would inflict more punishment than would redound to his praise, he restrains. So much of wrath as promotes the true good of God’s children, he permits to come upon them; all that would go beyond that, God restrains. In the same sense that Nebuchadnezzar was his servant - that Babylon was his battle axe. Then all the persecutions that came upon the Christians, even in the days of Nero, were needed by the children of God, to promote their true and eternal welfare. All the afflictions that were to come upon them were for their good. They are for their good in the courses they pursue - in the position in which they place themselves. In different courses, they would not be needed for their good. One chief good was to wean them from love of the kingdoms of the world. How can this wicked ruler be a terror to evil works and not to good? Because if God permits only so much punishment to come upon his children as will promote their true good, all the evil that comes upon them is intended by God, to restrain and deter them from sin, and to encourage them to do good. Besides it is true that the essentials to all quiet, stable government are such as to make even evil men in authority prefer goodness, forbearance, quiet and industry, The qualities inculcated by the Christian religion, to the turbulent, disorderly and rebellious spirit, the concomitant of sin and godlessness. And it is only when there is animosity toward good men on account of fidelity to principle, or to parties that are offensive, and that are persecuted for their principles, that even wicked and tyrannical rulers would not encourage and reward the orderly, quiet spirit in preference to the disorderly and wicked. And God overrules the most wicked government to the destruction of the wicked. All government then is a terror to evil-doers and not to good. This is true of hell itself.

God’s Ordinances.

Hell, in our former essay we found, was an ordinance of God to punish wickedness. The devil, the ruler over hell, is God’s minister to execute wrath and vengeance in the unseen spirit land. Ruled by the devil who seduces men to sin, it is overruled by God to punish sin and sinners, and so to deter from sin, and encourage to good. It is a terror to evil-doers. Hell itself ministers good to the obedient servant of God. To seek to resist or overturn hell as the institution of God for punishing sinners and destroying sin, would be to resist the ordinance of God, and would bring swift damnation to the inhabitant of the spirit land that would dare such a thing. So, too, human government is God’s ordinance to punish sinners. So long as sinners are in rebellion against God and his authority and refuse to be his servants, so long would it be resisting the ordinance of God to resist the human government and seek to overthrow or destroy it. It is God’s ordinance for punishing sin and sinners, and as such it is right and good for the end for which God ordained it.

Because hell is an ordinance of God is no reason that his true servants, the angels, and "spirits of the just made perfect, " should seek to enter it, guide and direct its operations and partake of its spirits and its rewards. No more is the fact that civil government is an ordinance of God, a reason why his children on earth should enter into and carry forward the operations of civil government; drink into its spirit and partake of its rewards. It was not ordained for them, but for the "lawless and disobedient."

God’s Servants. In the spirit land there are two institutions or ordinances of God, heaven and hell. They are equally ordained of God. One to foster and reward fidelity to God, the other to punish sin and rebellion against God, and in doing this be a terror to evil-doers and not to the good. They are ruled over by two different beings, both ministers of God. One his own son, who so rules in heaven as to encourage and reward fidelity to God. The other, Satan, rules in hell, so as to punish sin and rebellion against God, and in doing this to deter from evil works. These two institutions have their counterparts in this world. The church of Jesus Christ embodying the true servants of God, and so ruled, as to promote fidelity in God’s children, by the Lord Jesus Christ. The other, human government, the embodied effort of man to rule the world without God, ruled over by "the prince of this world, " the devil. Its mission is to execute wrath and vengeance here on earth. Human government bears the same relation to hell that the church bears to heaven.

God always selects servants or ministers to do his work, that in character are fitted for the work to be done. For example, Christ must needs die. God selected the money-loving, cold-hearted, calculating, Judas Iscariot, to betray him, because he was in character suited for the diabolical work. When the mother of our Lord was to be cared for, He chose the gentle, tender, loving John. God without doing violence to his own character and the eternal harmony of his laws, could never have selected John to betray the Savior. He was unfitted for it. He could not choose even Peter. Peter, impulsive and rash, could rush forward and involve himself in difficulties, that would lead him to deny his master, but there was nothing of the cold-blooded traitor in his character. So in the unseen state he selected Jesus to rule over heaven and receive the fullness of its joy in bestowing joy and happiness on others. God could not choose Christ to minister wrath in hell. Recognizing fully the righteousness and justice of the punishment of the rebellious in hell, it would yet have been inflicting the torments of hell upon Jesus to require him to stir up the fires of wrath, and execute vengeance in hell on the wicked. God chose the devil, one fitted in character for this work, and so overrules that in inflicting wrath on others, the devil as the chiefest sinner, suffers the most excruciating horrors of hell. So in the institutions here on earth. In his church or kingdom, the best, truest, most faithful men are chosen to encourage and promote virtue and loyalty to God. And it is of his kingdom of loyal subjects that it is said,

"When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice, but when the wicked bear rule the people mourn. " (Proverbs 29:2.) This is spoken of God’s people, those under his government, not of human governments. Abraham, Moses, David, Hezekiah, Samuel, Daniel, Peter, James, John and Paul, are samples of those chosen to rule in God’s kingdom, who always brought gladness of heart to the people. The wicked who attained the rule among God’s people brought sorrow. Oh the other hand, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Darius, Nero, are the ministers of God to rule over the kingdoms of this world, to execute wrath on the evil-doer. Daniel said,

"The MOST HIGH ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of men." So in the kingdoms of the world, God often chooses as his ministers to execute wrath, the basest of men; those in character fitted to perform the work of vengeance to be done; and to resist them as rulers of the kingdoms of earth would be to resist the ministers of God. To return to the Scripture quoted: In view of the fact that civil government is an ordinance of God, even the infamous Nero, a minister of God, we must be subject, not only for wrath (fear of punishment) but also for conscience sake. That is, as a duty we owe to God, we must submit to them in the place, God has put them. "For this cause [as a duty you owe to God] pay ye tribute also;" for they are God’s ministers attending continually upon this very thing - "executing wrath. " This is exactly what Christ did; paid tax, although in doing so he classed himself as a stranger and not a child of human government - the same government concerning which Paul now writes to the Christians at Rome. As God appoints ministers having characters fitted to do the work for which he appoints them, and Nero was a chosen minister to do this work, it is clear that a true humble faithful Christian could not be chosen to do the same work. The relation Christians bear to this government is expressed by the words "be subject. " The same relationship and the duties required by it are presented in (1 Timothy 3:1,)

"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work."

Again, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake; whether it be to the king as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to shame the ignorance of foolish men. As free and not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. " (1 Peter 2:13.)

Here the end for which human government was ordained and the special conditions of the people under these governments are kept constantly in view by the apostle. When writing to those at Rome directly under the rule of the king he told them to be subject to the king as supreme; in the provinces distinct from Rome, to which governors were sent he says to them "be subject to governors as unto them sent for the punishment of evil-doers. " The human governments of the New Testament dispensation were but a continuance of those of the Old Testament, and of precisely the same nature. The people of God must needs occupy something of a different position to them, now, as their existence under the old dispensation was national and limited to certain territories, hence the limits were local and territorial lines. Now God’s kingdom is spiritual and universal. It can exist in and under any and all the kingdoms of the earth, but it is of none. While existing in them it is as essentially distinct and separate from all as the kingdom of Israel was distinct and separate from the human governments by which it was surrounded and whose destruction it sought.

"Be subject to, " "submit to, " both translated from one word are the terms that the spirit of God uses to define the Christian’s connection with, and prescribe the duty he owes to these governments. Submit means "to yield one’s person to the power of another, to give up resistance, to surrender. " It carries the idea that the person or body that submits, is entirely distinct and separate from and in antagonism to the person or body to which it submits. The Christian then is not part of the body to which he submits, or to which he brings himself under subjection. He is distinct and separate from it. We cannot be said to submit to ourselves, or to a body of which we are a part and parcel, and with which we are in harmony, and which we aid to conduct or manage. Submission carries the idea of antagonism and opposition which are restrained and held in abeyance. This is the relationship everywhere defined as that which connects the Christian with the governments under which they live. They are to submit to the powers that be, not the powers they prefer, not the powers they may believe constitutional or best, but those they are under. It is argued against this, that we are commanded to submit to God - children to their parents, wives to their husbands, and the members to the elders. Therefore antagonism is not involved in the expression. Antagonism in all these relationships is the ground of the admonition. Were there none, there would be no need of the admonition. And the admonition requires only a submission without active participation. But in these relations to God, to the parents, to husbands, to elders, still other terms as love, honor, are added. To submit is to restrain that antagonism that it shall not grow into active resistance by the party in subjection. If no further command was given to regulate these relations than to submit, all that could be required, would be, not to let this difference and the antagonism grow into active conflict. But we are told not only to submit to God but to love him with all the soul and the mind and the body, this leads to active, hearty, soul-felt participation in carrying forward his government. So the child is commanded to love the parent, the wife her husband, and all the members of the church must have a care one for another, they were to be members one of another, and to labor together for their mutual good, the advancement of their common cause, to love as brethren and be true children of God. When in a state of separation and rebellion the command, first is, submit, do not actively antagonize or rebel, then from that they are to grow up in these closer relations and work to full-hearted participation, fellowship, oneness in each of these relations. It is the obligation of oneness in these higher relations, that require and involves the joint support and participation. But as no higher or closer relation than submission is required toward civil government, all the Christian can do in that relation, is to refrain from active antagonism and conflict, and to quietly and passively submit within the prescribed limits, but no intimation of obligation or license to participate in or in anywise fellowship and support is found. This rule affords the Christian the only safe guidance amid the strifes and conflicts of the kingdoms of earth for supremacy. He is to submit to whatever one he may fall under; he is to become the partisan, the supporter, the defender, of none. Daniel clearly acted on this principle. When under the government of Babylon he submitted to Nebuchadnezzar and was faithful and true to him as his slave. When Babylon was overthrown by the Medo-Persian he submitted to Darius, and served him with equal fidelity. This submission to the human was always modified and limited by the highest obligation to obey God. Hence Daniel, trustworthy as a slave in all things that did not conflict with duty to God, went into the lions’ den rather than disobey him. So with Christ, so with Peter, James and John, and all true Christians. But they are to submit - be subject to, - not participate in the governments under which they live. Luke 22:24, Christ, when there was strife among the disciples, said:

"The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth. Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as one that serveth. Ye are they that continue with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." His disciples certainly could not serve in the earthly kingdoms, where the principles of service were in direct antagonism to the principles that must govern his servants in his kingdom. He places in contrast to the earthly kingdom, this kingdom he appoints to them, as his Father had appointed to him. This kingdom would be governed by the principles he proclaimed.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood; but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places!"

Here the human governments are placed among the powers of the wicked one, and their entire work was against the church, and the Christian must needs clothe himself with the whole armor of God, that he might withstand them and fight against them as enemies of God.

"The friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. " (James 4:4.) Friendship to the world means friendship to its institutions and governments.

"I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lad quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty." This Scripture admonishes us to pray for kings, for rulers and those who have authority over us, and the question comes in, Can we pray for the rulers, if these kingdoms are organized in opposition to the kingdom of God, and by those in rebellion against God? Again it is said, what we pray for, we must work for. If we pray for rulers, and for good rulers we must work to obtain them, encourage and sustain them. It is true, that we should work for that for which we pray. Look at the teaching of this Scripture again. Prayers, supplication, thanksgiving, for rulers and all that are in authority; - for what? That they may be strong and prosper, and be permanent as rulers? Nay! but that we Christians, within the domain of those in authority, "may be able to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. " Not that their kingdoms may be blessed, prospered, strengthened or built up, but that God’s children may be blessed. The prayer is not for the good of the human ruler, but of the Christian subjects. We find precisely a similar case in Jeremiah 29:7. The Jews were in captivity in Babylon, were sent there on account their wickedness. God intended, as was shown in a former article, in a few years, to destroy Babylon as the most corrupt and wicked of all nations of earth. It was to be cursed, blighted forever on account of its wickedness. Yet Jeremiah writes to those Jews in Babylon,

"Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray the Lord for it, for in the pace thereof ye shall have peace."

There was no thought of good to Babylon, but of destruction and ruin, yet while you are in the wicked city seek the peace of the city because in its peace ye shall have peace. In seeking the peace of the city, they were not to strengthen or build it up or identify themselves with Babylon. Jeremiah the prophet warned the people to do no violence in order to be freed from a hated rule, but if they would pursue that course of submission, that will bring peace to the wicked and doomed city, while it remains, their own peace and quiet will be promoted. Again, this teaches that servants of God need not do violence to deliver themselves from the power of wicked rulers, for if they will live quietly, use no violence, they will find favor and peace, and God will use other wicked nations to overthrow their oppressors and so bring deliverance to them. "The wicked are the sword of the Lord. " To pray for rulers that we many lead peaceable lives does not involve a participation in the affairs of government. This would destroy the peace and quiet of life, the thing to be sought.

Paul says, Colossians 2:13,

"And you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

Here his resurrection from the dead and the open and declared triumph over the devil in the resurrection, is called, the spoiling and triumphing over the powers and principalities of earth. It is a recognition that to triumph over the devil, was to triumph over, spoil and destroy his kingdoms or principalities on earth. Christ triumphed over him in the grave.

"For as much then as the children are partakers of the flesh and blood, he also, himself likewise took part of the same, that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage. " (Hebrews 2:14.),

It may be questioned, if Christ triumphed over the devil, overcame him in the grave, how is it that he still exerts an influence and dominion over earth? God committed the rule of the world to men. "The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. " That is, God having committed to man the rule of the world, he will not turn from it and destroy man or take from him the rule of the world and give it to another class of beings. Hence the world and the whole under-creation must share man’s destiny, whatever that may be. God does not force man to follow him. He showed to man his superiority to the devil, conquered him in his own dominion, "led captivity [death] captive and gifts unto men. " Yet man slowly, reluctantly accepts the rule of God, and although death was conquered, and the way of man’s escape made plain, deliverance can come to the world only as man chooses to resist the devil and obey God. He still has the power to serve the devil and in face of all that God has done to deliver him from the evil dominion, the world is still under bondage; still refuses freedom from sin. Deliverance comes, but it comes slowly. Because man is unwilling to serve God, he still serves in the human kingdoms instead of the kingdom of God. The End.

Christ’s mission into the word is presented in 1 Corinthians 15:24,

"Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father. When he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him. Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, that God may be all and in all." This declares that everything that is in the world, that exercises rule, authority or power, save as that rule, authority and power come directly from God, and are used under his direction, to promote the rule and dominion of God, is an enemy of God, and his Son Jesus Christ, and must be destroyed by the rule and dominion of the Son before the kingdom and dominion of the world can be delivered up to the Father. Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfill the law, to take it out of the way, to offer it up to God on the cross, a fulfilled law. His first work was, with his winnowing fan to purge out all the corruptions of the law and all additions thereto, and then to fulfill the pure perfect law as it came from God. This he did. So now he came to rescue the world from the dominion of the evil one, and to destroy everything that exerts power or authority or dominion in the earth, and to establish the kingdom if God on earth. When that work is done he will deliver the redeemed kingdom up to God the Father, and himself be subject to the Father, that God may be all and in all, the only sovereign and ruler of the universe. Every being then will render homage and obedience to God. Then, and only then, will peace and harmony and good will dwell among men, and then every being in the universe will realize that his happiness will be promoted, by promoting the happiness of every other being, and all guided by one law will work in unison and harmony to the promotion of the glory of God and the good of men. But before that consummation can come "every plant not planted of God shall be rooted up. " Every institution or organization of earth that exerts rule or authority or power must be destroyed. This earth in the material, moral and spiritual world must become again a garden of God’s own planting. Not a brier, or thistle, or thorn, can grow in the material, moral, or spiritual world. Only those plants planted by the Father’s hand and nurtured by the Father’s love will grow in that redeemed and rescued Eden of God. Jesus Christ must put down and destroy all the powers and dominions of earth. He must reign until this is done. He reigns in his church; and his church is the kingdom established by God, which shall break in pieces and consume all earthly kingdoms, and which shall fill the whole earth, and itself stand forever.

Christ’s mission - the mission of his kingdom - is to put down and destroy all these kingdoms, and to destroy everything that exercises rule, authority or power on earth. How can the servants of Christ and the subjects of his kingdom, enter into, strengthen, and build up that which Christ and his kingdom are commissioned to destroy. How can a Christian enter into and serve the human, how can he divide his fealty, his love, his means and his time, his talent between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the evil one? Death came with the rule of the devil. All that came with him must be destroyed by Christ; must be rooted out as not planted by the hand of God.

"Jesus conquered death. Why then does he permit it to run riot on all that pertains to earth?"

Death came as a result of sin. It results from sin, yet is the boundary line of sin. Beyond death active sin cannot go. Death must remain then until man ceases to sin, else man would be a sinner on earth, forever. But when all sin and rebellion, all the institutions of the evil one have been destroyed, then death as the last enemy itself shall be destroyed. When death is destroyed the mortal will be "clothed with immortality and death will be swallowed up in victory. " This passage from 1 Corinthians 15 : is so in harmony with the prophecy of Daniel, the teaching of Christ, and the constantly declared end of Christ’s mission on earth, that its meaning cannot be mistaken. Christians cannot support, participate in, be a part of that which Christ commissions them to destroy.

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, [Moses] much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven; whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised saying: Yet once more I shake not earth only but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore, we, receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire. " (Hebrews 12:25.)

Here is a promise of removing all things save the true kingdom which cannot be moved or destroyed. Our God is a consuming fire, - to consume what? Not his own kingdom that cannot be moved; but all these earthly kingdoms that have grown up under the dominion of the evil one. These will be destroyed by the consuming fire of Divine wrath. The exhortation of the apostle is, seeing these things are true, "let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. " The ground of this exhortation is, if we serve these earthly kingdoms we shall be destroyed with them. We must share the destiny of the kingdom we serve. If a man identifies himself with an earthly kingdom, sustains and upholds it he must share its destiny. Of the same purport precisely is the language, 2 Peter 3:5,

"For this, they are willingly ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and Godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, in which dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing ye look for such things, be diligent that ye be found of him in peace without spot and blameless." The earth and the works therein "shall be burned up. " What works? Not God’s works. Not the kingdom which cannot be moved, and that shall stand forever; but the works, the institutions that have grown up under rule of the devil in this world. They are to be destroyed, to be burned up, while the kingdom of God as the ark of safety will ride the sea of fire, bearing all committed to its keeping into the new heavens and to the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

We think to those who will study these things, there can be no possible doubt but that the kingdoms of the world, the human kingdoms, were formed by man in rebellion against God. That God determined to destroy these governments, and that in destroying them he will destroy all those who sustain and uphold these governments and become identified with them. Daniel declared that the kingdom of God should break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and that it should fill the whole earth and stand forever. Christ recognized the kingdoms of the earth as the kingdoms of the devil, and that they should all be rooted up, that all the institutions of earth, save the kingdom of heaven, should be prevailed against by the gates of hell. Paul declared the civil ruler was ordained of God for the punishment of evil-doers; a work which he expressly declared Christians could not do but which the kingdoms of the evil one were ordained to do. He declared the exercise of the civil authority, to be a bearing the sword to execute vengeance and wrath, he told the disciples they could not execute vengeance, and that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds, " 2 Corinthians 10:4, showing clearly that the Christians could not use these civil powers to promote righteousness, morality, or good to humanity. Christians cannot use them? They are to serve God in earnestness and loving loyalty and in the spirit of meekness and love to obey him, and he will so bless us.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect; thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Under this Scripture we may expect, if not specific precepts, at least general directions for man’s guidance in all the relationships of life. We do find directions for guiding Christians, as parents and children, as husbands and wives, as masters and servants, as neighbors and strangers as friends and enemies, as those who do wrong and those who suffer wrong, guidance is given Christians in every possible relationship into which a Christian may enter, except that of civil ruler or manager of the affairs of the governments of earth, if it be admissible for him to be this. The Christian’s duty, as subject of earthly governments, is definitely revealed; but not a word, nor an example is given as to his duty, or the rules that should govern him as a manager or ruler in human governments. And yet this is the most important relationship, involving the weal or woe of a greater number of human beings than any other relationship into which he may enter, if it be lawful for him to enter this. Why this failure to prescribe duty here, except on the ground that these earthly kingdoms are of the evil one, and have grown up in rebellion against God, and the mission of the church and the children of God is to displace and destroy them with the Divine government? They are ordained of God to punish evil, to execute wrath and vengeance, and for the government and punishment of those who refuse to be governed by God. Themselves in turn to be destroyed together with those who are indissolubly wedded to them. It is the duty of the Christian to submit to the human government in its office and work and to seek its destruction only by spreading the religion of Christ and so converting men from service to the earthly government to service to the heavenly one, and so, too, by removing the necessity for its existence and work. No violence, no sword, no bitterness or wrath can he use. The spread of the peaceful principles of the Savior, will draw men out of the kingdoms of earth into the kingdom of God. But "no man can serve the two masters. He will love the one and despise the other. " Two distinct and antagonistic spirits dwell in the two institutions. A man must drink of the spirit of the institution which he serves. The great weakness of the church to-day is that the children of God enter into the kingdoms of this world, imbibe the spirit of those kingdoms, bring that spirit into the church of God, defile the church and drive out the spirit of Christ. The spirit of self- aggrandizement, reliance upon human wisdom, human devices, and institutions, ambition for worldly honor and glory, bitterness and wrath are as prevalent in the church as in the world. The spirit of gentleness and meekness under trials, insults and persecutions, is as seldom found in the church as in this world. The reason is that Christians enter the human governments, imbibe their spirit, participate in their works, and bring this spirit into the church of God. The spirit of Christ is driven out of the church and the distinction between the church and the world is destroyed. The talent to which the church is entitled is now devoted to the service of the civil government. Nine-tenths of those devoted to the support and upbuilding of the human governments in civilized nations, are men, or children of men, claiming to be citizens of the Divine kingdom. Nine-tenths of those who, in civilized countries, engage in war and shed the blood of their fellow-men, are of the same class; those who have pledged themselves, their lives, their talents, their all to the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. Nine-tenths of the rulers and officers of all the civilized governments of the world, are citizens or children of citizens of the Divine government. Nine members of the church of Christ seek service in the human government where one devotes himself to the service of God in the Divine government. The citizens of the Divine government give nine dollars to advance the honor and glory, and the building up of parties to control the governments of the evil one, where they give one dollar to carry forward the work of the Divine government. J. M. Barnes, in a little church in Alabama, found five candidates for civil offices - but not one desirous of doing the work of a bishop in the church of God. This is a fair sample of the spirit of those who enter the church, to say nothing of the thousands raised by the church who for the sake of earthly glory never enter it. The young, the children of the church, saved by the moral and religious training of the church, from wrecking their ability and their talent in paths of dissipation and degradation, give their talent, their strength, and their life to the upbuilding of the earthly kingdoms, while God’s kingdom languishes and suffers for want of true, earnest faithful men to carry forward the work God has committed to it. As in all compromises between right and wrong, wrong is benefited, and right suffers, the kingdoms of the evil one are built up by the material prepared by the church of God. The kingdoms of the world originated in rebellion against God. For four thousand years God constantly schooled his children against reliance upon or affiliation with these human governments or their subjects in any way. Every act of affiliation, partnership, friendship or treaty with them was regarded and punished as treason against God. The spirit of complete antagonism, and the wide separation between the two, were marked, emphasized and fostered by Almighty God. At the end of the Jewish age, Christ, commissioned from heaven, came to earth in person to lead in the final conflict. The devil in person takes command of the opposing hosts. The kingdoms of the world are recognize by Christ as the kingdoms of the devil. Christ’s subjects are in the world but not of it. His kingdom is not of this world; his subjects cannot fight with carnal weapons. Their citizenship is in heaven, the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. His children are pilgrims and strangers in the earthly kingdoms. They seek a city which hath foundations, whose maker and builder is God. They are not to seek for earthly honors; not to fear him who is able to destroy only the body; but to fear him who hath power to destroy both soul and body in hell. They are to "submit, be subject to, the powers that be. " This line of connection with and separation from the human government, is carefully defined, but in all the Book of God, we fail to find a single expression or example indicating that the child of God may engage in, carry on, upbuild or uphold a kingdom of earth. How can God’s children uphold and upbuild that which is in rebellion against God, and which God has especially commissioned his Son and his church to destroy.

None can doubt that the final end will be the destruction of all earthly kingdoms, that they may give place to the reign of the Divine kingdom. How can this be when the children of the Divine kingdom give their lives to uphold the earthly kingdoms? As things now go, every individual in the world might be converted to Christ and yet the earthly kingdoms would remain in all their present strength and vigor, and the spirit of the world would be cherished in the church of God. But if every man converted to Christ withdrew from the support of the earthly kingdoms, these kingdoms would weaken and fall to pieces, for lack of supporters; "little by little" giving way before the increase and spread of the kingdom of God. It would no more do to destroy them suddenly, lest the wild beasts of ruin and destruction and anarchy possess the land, than it would have done to suddenly destroy the inhabitants of Canaan on the advent of the children of Israel lest the wild beasts multiply in that land against the people of God. God must in the police regulations of the world retain his institutions ordained to execute wrath until his own children possess the earth. God has two processes continually going forward, by which he world is to become the possession of the "saints of the most high."

1. The work of conversion goes forward taking men, one by one, out of the service of the earthly kingdoms and transferring them to the service of the Divine kingdom.

2. He uses one wicked nation, one earthly government to destroy another nation or people, hopelessly given over to sin and rebellion. The compromises of the children of God with the human governments, that obtain now, thwart both these processes.

1. Conversion to Christ does not take the person out of the kingdoms of the evil one. It does not weaken the kingdoms of this world. It does not consecrate the talents, the means, the strength, the life of the converts to the support and spread of the kingdom of God. It does not separate them from the spirit of the kingdoms of the world, it does not bring them under the guidance of the kingdom of Christ. Conversion to Christ now does not weaken the kingdoms of the devil. It does not strengthen the church of God, but oftener, by bringing in an evil spirit, weakens it.

2. The children of God are so mixed and mingled with the kingdoms of the world, that God cannot destroy the wicked kingdoms, without destroying his own children. Hence the call of God is:

"Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues. " (Revelation 18:4.) This is spoken of the Babylon of human government. We cannot find one word of ground, in all the New Testament, for the children of God participating in the kingdoms of the evil one. The practice weakens the church of God; deprives it of the service, the talent, time and devotion of its children, gives its strength to the building up of what God proposes to destroy. It brings the spirit of the world kingdoms into the church of God, corrupts the church, drives out the spirit of God, destroys the sense of dependence upon God, causes the children of God to depend upon their own wisdom and devices, and the arm of violence, and the institutions of earth rather than upon God and his appointments; weans them from trust and faith in God, and from service in his kingdom, diverts their minds, means and service from the church to the kingdoms of the world, and so defiles and corrupts the church that God cannot bless that church.

What the church needs now is a consecrated membership that will sanctify the man, - soul, mind and body, to the service of God. That will consecrate the talent, the time, the means of God’s people to the service and advancement of God’s kingdom; that will cause every Christian father and mother, like Hannah of old, to accept children as the gifts of the Lord, to be consecrated to his service from childhood. Now the mothers and fathers in Christ, oftener than otherwise, object to their children devoting themselves to the service of God. They prefer that they should do service and gain honor in the earthly governments. It is all folly and delusion to think of converting the world to God, with the present affiliation between the church of God and the kingdoms of the devil, and this giving the means and service due the church, to strengthen and upbuild her enemy. There can be no hope for the conversion of the world, until these two kingdoms be recognized in their true, antagonistic spirit, mission and destiny. On the passage Matthew 17:24, (see page 64) in reference to the tribute money the Diatessaron of Tatian which is usually credited to the latter part of the second century, gives the following translation:

"And when Cephas had entered the house, Jesus prevented him, saying to him: What seems to thee Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive tribute and custom: from their own sons, or from aliens? Simon said to him, From aliens. Jesus said to him, Therefore the children are free? Simon says to him, Yea. Jesus said to him, Then do thou also give as being an alien to them. But lest we be brought into straits go thou to the sea and cast a hook."

While we do not even claim with assurance that this work belongs to the second century, it does undoubtedly belong to a very early date. Whether the expression "as an alien to them" is a part of the original text or not, it shows beyond a doubt what was the prevailing understanding of the meaning of this text at the date of the publication of this work. It is also much more probable that this idea came down from the days of the apostles than that it originated after civil offices were opened to the Christians and many of them were holding them.