divine origin of the Bible, and of Christianity in particular, than the work of the
prophets of old. Only the majestic finger of God Almighty can account for the
specificity with which great men of God prophesied with regard to future events and
their ultimate fulfillment. While their prophecies focused primarily upon events and
attributes relative to the then coming Messiah, they also contained visions of the
Christian Kingdom, the church over which Christ reigns as supreme Head and Lord.
It is to this kingdom, this church, and the prophecies made regarding the same, that
we wish now to turn our attention.
At least two facts as regards the kingdom are avowed in most of the prophecies
contained in the Old Testament. 1) The coming kingdom or church would be erected
by the seed of David. 2) The kingdom, once established, would last forever and would
wield greater power and authority than all the kingdoms of earth combined (cf. II
Sam. 7:12-17; I Chron. 17:11-15). In addition to these, Isaiah offers at least four other
significant facts surrounding the kingdom of God.
1. The Time - Isaiah writes that the Lord's house would be established "in the last
days" (Isa. 2:2). This phrase alludes to the final dispensation of time encompassing
the ages of men on earth. That is, the kingdom would be established during the
Christian age. We find fulfillment of this in Acts 2.
2. The People - Isaiah also said that "all nations shall flow unto it". The coming
kingdom, then, would inhabit more than just Jews. It would include many people of
both Jewish and Gentile descent.
3. The Law - A new law would govern the new kingdom. And instead of being born
into the kingdom, as was the case under the Mosaic age, in the new age, men would
first be taught the ways of the Lord, and then would have the privilege of becoming a
citizen in this new kingdom (cf. Heb. 8:8-13; 10:9-10; 9:16-17).
4. The Place - Jerusalem was selected as the place from which the law of Christ
would be emanated. It was here that the church of Christ had its beginning.
Daniel likewise contributed to the list of prophecies concerning the kingdom. Six
hundred years before the Lord lived, Nebuchadnezzar, king of ancient Babylon,
dreamed a dream. Desiring to know the interpretation thereof, he sent for Daniel,
the man of God who would not only tell him the interpretation of the dream, but
also the dream itself. The interpretation had to do chiefly with the time in which the
kingdom would be established, though it contains several other important
statements as well.
There were five kingdoms under consideration in the dream, four of which were
temporal in nature, and the fifth would be spiritual and eternal. The Babylonians,
then in power during Daniel's lifetime, would one day fall, being succeeded by an
inferior kingdom, which history records as being the Medo-Persian empire. Next,
Alexander the Great would lead the Macedonians, the "third kingdom of brass"
(Dan. 2:39), to world power. Finally, the fourth kingdom, the Romans, would
eventually press itself into world supremacy, sweeping the scepter from her city of
seven hills. It would be during the reign of these kings, the Roman kings, that the
"God of heaven [would] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed" (Dan.
2:44). Accordingly, any church or kingdom that was not established at this time,
cannot be the church of which the prophets long ago wrote.
There is yet another point to be made in connection with Daniel's prophecy. He
describes this kingdom as being made "without hands" (Dan. 2:45). This shows the
divine origin of the kingdom and, even more to the point, the fact that man did not
build the church. If a man did build a church, then that church is not the kingdom of
God, for His kingdom was made "without hands".
All of these prophecies envision a glorious kingdom as existing in a glorious age.
The church, as described in prophecy, would be established by the seed of David,
stand forever, be established during the Roman Empire in the last days, include Jews
and Gentiles, have a new law, be established in Jerusalem, and would be made
without hands. Indeed, there are many wonderful and enlightening lessons to be
learned from the prophets of old, but at the center of them all is the fact that God is
still in control.
Accordingly, the prophecies demonstrate not only the divine origin of the Bible,
but also that the church has always been an integral part in God's scheme of
redemption.
NEXT ARTICLE: "THE CHURCH IN PREPARATION"
