The Kingdom Of Christ
The different parties which hold that the kingdom of the Lord has not yet come all make the same mistake — that of imagining that the kingdom is material in its nature. Some idea of a personal return of Jesus to the earth to reign from a material throne in the city of Jerusalem has possessed many sincere but mistaken souls, and has led to the development of various speculations. What we need to realize is that Christ's kingdom is already here, but it is spiritual in its nature. Its ordinances are those of a spiritual service, not of worldly pomp. It is the reign of the Son of God over the affections and lives of those who voluntarily become his subjects.
Many people look around them and observe the downtrodden condition of the Jews and immediately leap to the conclusion that the kingdom is not here. They evidently are under the impression that when Christ comes he will restore Israel to the full height of its Solomonic glory. This is in keeping with their materialistic concept of the kingdom. In view of this misconception, perhaps it would be in order to examine and call attention to several Bible proofs of the fact that the Lord's kingdom is neither national nor material, but is spiritual and universal.
Christ is to reign from the throne of David as the Bible clearly teaches. (2 Sam. 7:12-17, Lk. 1:32.) All of the speculators admit this; in fact they make much of the throne of David. But what they fail to understand is that the throne of David, as the Bible speaks of it, is not a material throne. The throne of David is simply his position of authority. God gave the kingship to David, thus establishing his throne on the earth. (I Sam. 16:1.) Later he took the kingship away from the house of David (Jer. 22:30), thus returning the throne to heaven. This passage bears testimony against the idea of any descendant of David ever occupying his throne on the earth. But it was to remain forever in heaven (Psa. 89:37), where the Son of David, Christ, should occupy it. Jesus has now sat down on the throne, received a position of authority, and is reigning. (Acts 2:30-32.) It follows, then, that the throne not being material, the kingdom is not material in its nature.
If the kingdom of Christ were material is nature, it would be in competition with the political kingdoms of the world. Yet those who testified that Jesus came to overthrow the empire of Caesar were called false witnesses. (Mark 14:56, John 18:34.) Jesus himself said, 'My kingdom is not of this world ... Now is my kingdom not from hence." There can be no doubt that, if he had wanted it, the Lord could have set up His kingdom on the earth when he was here. (John 6:15.) Future kingdom theorists claim that Christ came to establish his kingdom, but the Jews rejected him. However, it is not true that the Jews refused to make him an earthly king. Indeed, they attempted to make Christ that kind of king. They only rejected him when he refused such a kingdom and would not fall in with their plans. They made the same mistake that is made today by those who turn away from the kingdom that our Lord did establish and insist on His returning to inaugurate a material one.
Such folks should get away from their materialistic point of view and take what the Bible says about the spiritual nature of the kingdom, and of its present existence. (1.1c. 17:20,21; Rom. 14:17; Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:28.)