2. That His reign over it is to come to an end. 1 Cor. xv. 24.

3. That its termination will synchronise with His Second Advent. Acts iii. 21. Ps. cx. 1. 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.

2. That it will endure for ever. Dan. vii. 27. Isai. ix. 7. Rev.

xi. 15.

3. That it will commence at His Second Advent. 2 Tim. iv. 1.

Now I submit that the above analysis of this important subject serves to remove every difficulty with regard to it; and, without doing violence to a single text, brings them all into harmony one with the other. How different this to the popular mode of viewing it, which so wrests many of the plainest and most ordinary expressions as to make them mean the very opposite to what they were evidently intended to convey, or passes them over as if they did not appear in the record! To bring all the passages that refer to the Messiah's reign into harmony with the theory of one spiritual reign—“Earth” is made to mean "heaven," or is passed over without notice, as the case may be. "Jacob" and "Israel" become believing "Gentiles" as well as Jews! Take, on the other hand, the theory of two kingdoms, as given above, and the different classes of texts relating to the reign of the Messiah naturally fall into their respective places, and range themselves under their

appropriate heads, and every expression taken in its plain, literal, and obvious sense, becomes replete with meaning.

As an illustration of the subject, the parable of the nobleman going into a far country to receive a kingdom and to return (Luke xix. 11–27) is invaluable, and is as clear and simple as anything that can be desired. It seems amazing how its obvious meaning and design could ever have been overlooked. But what will not preconceived views do in the way of blinding our minds to the plainest truths! We know what the expectations of the Jews were as to the kingdom of the Messiah in regard to themselves (Acts i. 6, 7): they, it seems, thought that His kingdom would at this time "immediately appear: and also because He was lem," the capital, be it remembered, around whose sacred name so many prophecies clustered!1 —our Lord spake this parable.2 In it, the "nobleman " evidently represents our Lord himself; his "going

to correct this notion, now "nigh to Jerusa

} e. g. "They shall call Jerusalem THE THRONE OF THE LORD!" Jer. iii. 17.

2 If we bear in mind the custom of the day, or the cases on which in all probability our Lord has founded this parable, it will be felt to be

into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return," shows that Christ must go into heaven to be invested with the kingdom which, on His return, He is to take rightful possession of, and to reign over in righteousness. But he must "return" to do this, for the nobleman's kingdom was not in the "far country," but in that from which He departed when He left in order to go to be invested with it.1 So will it be with Him who is "King of kings, and Lord of lords." He is " gone into heaven," "to receive the kingdom" (Dan. vii. 14), to which He was the rightful heir; but He will

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return," and He will then "sit on the throne of his glory," and, while He will be "King over the whole earth," He will, in an especial manner, "reign over the house of Jacob for ever." (Luke i. 33.)

It will be now necessary to enter more specifically than we have hitherto done into the question of the LOCALITY of Christ's own proper kingdom. We have

still more striking as an illustration of the views which it is here brought to exemplify. Three of the kings of Judæa, viz. Herod the Great, Archelaus, and Agrippa the Younger, went to Rome to have their right to the throne recognised and confirmed by the Roman Emperor.

See Trench on this parable, p. 514.

already seen, indeed, that it will be upon earth; but it will be necessary to confirm this view with a larger amount of proof than we have hitherto given, and with proof more direct in its bearing than has yet been produced. But it must be observed that the passages, which are now about to be produced, are not quoted as certainly referring to the eternal kingdom. Some of them, at least, we doubt not, relate to the millenial, rather than to the eternal period. But they show conclusively that this earth will be the locality of Christ's kingdom in some one or other of its phases; and it will afterwards be shown how this links us on to the eternal state.

The passages which speak of this earth as the locality of the Messiah's reign are so numerous, that all we can do is to make a selection. Among them Jer. xxiii. 5, 6, is perhaps one of the most striking and conclusive:-"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the EARTH. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." On this

we may remark that no shadow of doubt exists with regard to the person indicated. Jews and Gentiles alike understand the Messiah. He alone can be the

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righteous Branch of David," and can bear the incommunicable name of "JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU." Where, then, is it said He will reign? Again there is no room for doubt. In language that can admit of but one possible interpretation, we are told it will be upon "earth." And as to the notion that this prophecy is even now receiving its accomplishment in the spiritual reign of Christ in the hearts of His people who are now upon earth, though He himself is in heaven, it may be replied, that this is so far from corresponding to the terms in which the predicted reign is expressed, that it seems truly astonishing that so loose a mode of interpreting them could ever have found a single advocate. Nor is this all. That the reign is yet future is conclusively proved from what follows in the seventh and eighth verses, where the recall of the Jews from "ALL the countries whither the Lord had driven them" is foretold; and where it is moreover declared that this restoration to their " own land" shall be so illustrious and signal as utterly to throw into the shade their exode out of Egypt. No