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Chrisl is 1ha1 '"nobleman.·· He is
speak ing of His
asccn~ion
lO lht:
t h ro ne of Gotl H is Father. in
hean:n. '\Jotict:. ! le ' 'ent there to be
gil'en
rule r~hip
or thc Kingdom -
l O
recei' e th e Kingtlom. otice. too.
He
i~
to return. "hen He has re–
cei,etl it!
/le has nor \'ef relllrned!
OLher
scripturc~
expl itin this. We
willturn to thcm a little la ter.
Continuing the parable. spoken
because
~omc
thought the Kingdom
of God was immed iately. th en. in
the first century. to appear: ..And it
came to pass. that when he was rc–
turnetl. havi ng n.:ccived the king–
dom. thcn he commanded these
servan ts to be called unto him.
lO
whom he had given thc money. that
he mi ght know hO\\ much everv
man
h~d
gainetl by trading..
(vers~
15). When Chri t returns. wc shall
all be calleo before the j udgment
seat
of Chri~t
to give accoun t!
Now noLicc in verse 17. th e onc
who hatl gained ten pounds is given
auth ority
lO RULE
C ITI ES -
'"have
thou auLhority over ten ci ti cs" ! To
thc one who had e.a ined fl ve
pounc.b. he
~aid.
"Be thou a lso over
flve citi cs."
This
ÍS
speak ing of th e
SECO D
COMING
OF C IIRIS"I -
and of His
dekga ting
aurhoriry ro rule
lo sa ints
convcrted during thi:. Christ ian era .
between Christ\ flrst and second
appca rings on earth.
This parable. then.
\\HS
spoken lo
make clear to u that the Kine.dom
or Gotl is a literal
GOVI::R:-IMENT. lO
be se t up
A l
C t !RIST"s
SECOND COM–
ING-
011(/ IIOf
be.fore!
The
C HU RC H.
th en.
cannor
be the Kin e.dom of
God. But the true Ch urch
2;r
God is
to be
changed.
by a rcsurrection and
instnntancous changc from mortal
to immortal.
IN
ro th e Kingdom of
GoJ. The church. wh en a ll its mem–
bers have bcen changed Lo immor–
ta lity. sha ll
BFCOMt
the Kingdom of
God. But it
i~
nol, now. the King–
dom!
Saints to Rule
Now read the dcscription of Chrisrs
actua l
receivi11g
authority to
RULE
th e Kinguom. ll e
i~
the nobleman
who
v~.·ent
to hcaven Lo receivc this
kingship. and to return.
We have already !>een how the
prophet Daniel rccorucd the seuing
up of th e Kingdom or God -
ar
The
PLAIN TRUTH July 1976
The church of God, when
all its members have been
miraculously changed to
immortality, shall become
the Kingdom of God. But it
is not, now, the Kingdom.
Chrisrs coming
to consume all
present nation a l gove rnmcnt on
earth. and sct up th e world-ruling
Kingdom of God. This was re–
corded in the sccond chapt cr. Notice
now chapter sevcn:
"] sa" in the night visions, and.
beholtl. one like th e Son of man
[Chrisl] came \\ith the clouds of
heaven. and came
lO
the Ancien t of
da) S. and th ey brought him near
bef"orc him" (verse 13). Jcsus contin–
uall) refe rred to Himse lf as the
··son of man·· - a ll through Mat–
thcw. Mark. Lukc. a nd Joh n. Christ
ascended to heavcn in clouds (Acts
1
:9).
He a cended to the very throne
of God in heavcn (Ma rk 16:1 9).
Now con tinuc:
"And there was given him domin–
ion . and glory. and
a
kingdom. tha t
all people, na ti ons. and languages,
should se rve him: his dominion is
an eve rl as t ing domin ion. whi ch
shall not
pa~s
away.
and bis king–
dom that \\hich shall not be dc-
t royed" (Dan. 7: 14).
That is plai n! Chrisl a ccnded to
the throne of Gotl in hcave n. God is
sovereign over the entirc un ivcrse.
This vision shows God Almighty.
FaLh er of the resurrectcd li ving
Christ. confe rring on Christ domin–
ion. Dominion mea ns sovereign or
s upreme rul ing a uth o rity. Also
given to Him was "a kingdom.'"
Where is tha t Kin e.dom to be? l t
says ··a kingdom th;t a ll people. na–
tion ·. and languagcs. should serve
him." The people. and the na tions
speaking diO"erent language . are
here on ea rth. He i e. ivcn dominion
over
ALL NA
II ONS
~ -
the who le
" ·orld!
lmportant Word "UNTIL"
ow will you read. in your own
Bible. Acts 3:21? lt sav th e heavens
ha ve receivcd Jesus éhrist
UNTIL–
not permane ntly. j ust
unril
a cena in
time. Until
1rhe11?
Unt ilthe time of
RESTITUTION
of a l! th ings. Rest itu–
tion means restoration to a forme r
state or condition. l t is speaking of
res toring God's laws. God's govern–
ment - of restOring ha ppiness and
unive rsal
PEACE.
In this 7th chapter or Danie l. the
prophct had experienced a dream.
and visions. He had scen f"ou r wild
animals. oti cc verse 16;
rhe inrer–
pretmion
begins ve rse 17. This is
Goo's inspired interpretation - not
mine: "These great bcasts. wh ich
are rour. are rou r kings. which shall
arise out of the ean h. But thc sa ints
of the most High shall take the
KINGDOM.
and possess the kin gdom
forever. even for evcr and ever"'
(Dan. 7: 17-18).
ot ice it!
ot
on/¡•
is Christ to
rule - but the
sainrs
-_
that is. con–
ve rted true Christian - those be–
gotlen
a
sons of God - are to take
and
posses~
the Kingdom! They a re
to rule undcr. and
wirh
Christ! In
th c New Te tament it is recorded
that convened sa ints a re co-heirs
wit h Ch ri st !
In this same 7th chap ter. Dani el
expla in ed a no t her power. Th e
f"ounh beas t o f his drcam - the
l"ourth empire (the Roma n Empire)
- was pictured asa n anima l hav ing
ten horns. expla incd here a nd in
Re,ela tion 13 a nd Revelation 17 a
ten reviva !. or resurrcctions of th e
Roman Empire. after its origina l fa ti
in A.D. 476. But among them -
after A.D. 476 - arose anothcr liule
horn - a religious kingdom. ac–
wally ru ling over the last even of
the othcr ··horns" or revived Roma n
ki ngdoms (verse 20) .
Now read about this "l ittle horn"
- the re ligious kingdom - ve rse 21:
" l beheld. and thc same horn made
wa r with the sain ts. and prcvailed
againsL th cm.
UNTIL
[no1e. anorher
"UNT!L ' l
th e Ancient of days
came. and judgmen t was given to
th e saints of thc most High; and the
time came that the sa in t possessed
th e kingdom. "
Th e saints - then no longer
flllman ftesh and blood. but immor–
ta l - are to possess lhe Kingdom. at
lhe econd com ing of Ch rist !
Jesus Chri st ma ke that plain. lt is
Chr i t who is speaking in Revela–
tion 3:21. a nd 2:26-27: "To him that
ove rcomcth "ill 1 gra nt to sit with
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