Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Lesson Helps for the Week of June 13iSabbath SchoolLessonFor June 13,1971THE COMING MESSIANIC KINGDOMIsaiah 2:2-4; 9:2-7; 11:1,2Comments by John K. GaultThe first Scripture of this lesson isrepeated verbatim in the prophecy ofMicah 4:1-4. Living as these prophets didover 700 years before the birth of Christ, itwas indeed a "coming MessianicKingdom." They were enabled to look intothe future and see the coming of that time.But, for people living throughout the 1975years since the birth of Christ, it cannot besaid that there is a coming MessianicKingdom because the Messianic Kingdomis already in the world. Jesus came for thepurpose of establishing His Kingdom, andon the morning of the third day followingHis death on the cross, He rose from thedead and vanquished the last great enemywhich was death. Shortly before Jesusascended to sit on the right hand of God,He said to His disciples, "All power is givenunto me in heaven and in earth." In Hisrisen state He had this power at that time;consequently the Messianic Kingdomexisted at that time and has existed in theworld ever since.1: The Messianic Kingdom for thisWorld Began During the "Last Days."Isaiah said in the second verse, "Andit shall come to pass in the last day." He didnot mean the last days before the finaljudgment of this world. He meant the "lastdays" of the old Mosaic economy and ofthe city of Jerusalem. The time of typesand symbols was drawing to a close andsoon the "Lamb of God that taketh awaythe sin of the world" was to come and offerup Himself as the perfect sacrifice. AsJesus drew His last breath on the cross, Heexclaimed, "It is finished." The old orderhad ended, and the "vail of the temple wasrent in twain." It was also the "last days"for the city of Jerusalem. In about seventyyears after the crucifixion of Christ theRoman army under Titus leveled the cityto the ground and completely destroyedthe Temple. This was the fulfillment ofwhat Jesus had said would happen, "See yenot all these things? Verily I say unto you,there shall not be left here one stone uponanother, that shall not be thrown down."(Matt. 24:2).2: There Was the Exaltation oi theChurch in the "Last Days."Isaiah said in 2:2, "And it shall cometo pass in the last days that the mountain ofthe Lord's house shall be established in thetop of the mountains, and shall be exaltedabove the hills." Fifty days following thecrucifixion of Jesus, "when the day ofPentecost was fully come, they were allwith one accord in one place. And suddenlythere came a sound from heaven asof a rushing mighty wind, and it filled allthe house where they were sitting. Andthere appeared unto them cloven tongueslike as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.And they were all filled with the HolySpirit, . And they, continuing daily withone accord in the temple, and breakingbread from house to house, did eat theirmeat with gladness and singleness of heart,praising God, and having favor with all thepeople. And the Lord added to the churchdaily such as should be saved" (Acts 2).This occasion marked the beginning of theChristian Church under the dispensation ofthe Spirit. It occurred in the city ofJerusalem, which was located on the literaltop of a mountain. Abraham saw this placewhen he went to offer his son Isaac; "onthe third day Abraham lifted up his eyes,and saw the place afar off." The Psalmistsaid in Psalm 121, "I will lift up mine eyesunto the hills, from whence cometh myhelp." The Christian Church overtops allother competitive organizations in theworld, and the Gospel has been distributedthroughout the world. The ChristianChurch is indeed the mountaintop ofcivilization and there is no hill in allsociety that is so high.3: People of Every Nation CanUnite with the Church and Enter theKingdom of Christ.This is what Isaiah said would happenduring the "last days": "All nations shallflow unto it." A stream of water which isnot confined "flows" and is not forced. Thechurch is built up in such a manner.People, upon their own volition, unite withthe church and are not forced into it. TheChristian Church embraces all nations andis not restricted to racial or geographicalboundaries. This was the way it wasorganized on the day of Pentecost. Thepeople had come together from distantlands and they wondered how it was thatthey could understand what the apostleswere saying. "And how hear we every manin our own tongue, wherein we were born?Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, andthe dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea,and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and inthe parts of Libya about Cyrene, andstrangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,Cretes and Arabians, we do hear themspeak in our tongues the wonderful worksof God" (Acts 2:8-11). Isaiah, therefore.envisioned the time when the ChristianChurch would succeed the worship of thetemple where he "saw the Lord, high andlifted up." In the Temple no Gentile wasallowed to enter, but upon the death ofChrist this discrimination was removed andall who so desired could enter the holyplace of Christ's fellowship.4: Christians, in the MessianicKingdom, Should Give to Each OtherMutual Assistance and Encouragement.The dispensation of the Spirit whichthe world is in at the present time, eversince Pentecost, can be said to be the "lastdays." The Holy Spirit is the final appealwhich God makes to sinful man. It is notstrange, therefore, that Jesus should say,"And whosoever shall speak a word againstthe Son of man, it shall be forgiven him:but unto him that blasphemeth against theHoly Spirit it shall not be forgiven." So,during these "last days" which Isaiah talksabout, "Many people shall go and say,Come ye and let us go up to the mountainof the Lord, to the house of the God ofJacob; and He will teach us of His ways,and we will walk in His paths." Christiansshould invite unbelievers to attend churchfor it is the house of God. The church is aplace of instruction. "He will teach us ofHis ways." There are two realms ofChristian living: one is to come under theinstruction of Christ, who is the greatestteacher and who said, "Learn of me," andthe other realm is the practice of what hasbeen learned. To "walk in His paths"implies that people are to make a practicalapplication of their Christian learning intheir every day experiences. Learning anddoing are complementary interests inthe Messianic Kingdom of which thechurch is a mighty fortress.5: The Church Is the Capital of theMessianic Kingdom.Isaiah said, "For out of Zion shall goforth the law, and the word of the Lordfrom Jerusalem." The old law was givenfrom Mount Sinai, but the new law of theMessianic Kingdom was given by JesusChrist. Jerusalem was the center of Hisearthly activities andit was there that Hedied and rose again. The first ChristianChurch was established in Jerusalem and ithas come to represent the spiritual Zion,which is the headquarters of all spiritualactivity. Jesus said in regard to forgiveness,MAY 19, 1971 11