The Church and the Kingdom

• 2 min. read • grade level: 12

The eternal purpose of God embraces Christ and the Church. Election secures the persons who were individually chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4).) Predestination connects itself with the character of and makes sure of the blessing (Eph. 1:5⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5).) Thus the eternal blessedness and glory of the saints in association with Christ are divinely pledged. As they formed the subject of purpose long before creation, so the full and final result of that purpose will only be fully displayed in the eternal state after the existing heaven and earth have passed away.

In the fullest Scripture upon the eternal condition (Rev. 21:1-5,¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ²And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ⁵And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21:1‑5)) we have the relation of the Church to the Lamb as His wife, and to God as His tabernacle among men. Israel and the nations, as such, have no distinctive place, but all who are then living on the new earth (except the Bride) are merged in the expression "His people.”

Ephesians develops the Church's unique place of blessing, privilege, glory and responsibility. Colossians unfolds the pre-eminent glory of Christ, the Church's head, in the spheres of creation, providence, resurrection and redemption.

The time purposes of God refer to Christ and Israel, and subordinately the nations. Israel's place of blessing on the earth was the subject of counsel from the foundation of the world and not, as with the Church, before the foundation of the world. God in creating and arranging the mountains and valleys, the seas and rivers, did so in special reference to His ultimate design—to make His people and His land the center of all His earthly dealings. (Deut. 7:6⁶For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6).)

When the sons of Adam were separated and formed into families and then into nations (Gen. 10), their inheritance was not to be won by strength or numbers or power of the sword, but was carefully allotted according to the number of the children of Israel (Deut. 32:8⁸When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 32:8).) When the great assize of the nations takes place, introductory to millennial blessedness, "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (Matthew 25:34). In this blessed kingdom, prepared from the founding of the world, the Israelites will occupy the chief place, then the saved Gentiles, as it is written, "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people." Rom. 15:10¹⁰And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. (Romans 15:10). The new birth is an absolute necessity for all who would enter the kingdom in its reality, whether in its heavenly or earthly departments (John 10.) The Church united to Christ in heaven and Israel blessed under Messiah on earth, form the great centers of all God's dealings with man. Oh, it is blessed to discover the glory of Christ in every page of the Word of God. Church glory, Israelitish glory, creation glory, redemption glory, all unite in having Him as their one blessed center. W. Scott

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