“IN THE DAYS OF THESE KINGS.”

(1) We have a number of general prophecies, indicating that we are living in the time of the Master’s second presence.

We have already referred to Daniel’s testimony respecting “the time of the end,” in which many will run to and fro, and knowledge will be increased, and the wise understand; and later, and as a result, will follow the great time of trouble foretold. Then we have the inspired dream of Nebuchadnezzar, and its inspired interpretation by Daniel, showing the earthly governments which would bear rule over the earth; – during the interim between the overthrow of the typical Kingdom of God, whose last king to sit upon the throne of David was Zedekiah, and the installation of the true King, Immanuel, in his Millennial Kingdom glory.

These different governments of earth are there pictured as a great image; Nebuchadnezzar’s government (the Babylonians), the first universal empire of earth, being represented by the head of gold; the Medo-Persian Empire, which, according to history, was the second universal empire, is there shown as the breast and arms of silver; the Grecian empire, which overthrew the Persian and became the third universal empire, is represented by the belly and thighs of brass; the Roman empire, which succeeded the Grecian and constituted itself the fourth universal empire of earth, was represented in the image by the legs of iron – strong exceedingly; and the later development of the same Roman empire, with the intermixture of papal influence, is represented in the image by the feet, which were partly iron (civil government), and partly of clay (ecclesiastical government – Papacy). These were to constitute the sum total of Gentile dominion; and “in the days of these kings” (represented by the ten toes of the image), Jehovah God himself would establish his Kingdom – the very Kingdom for which we pray, “Thy Kingdom come!“

We are all witnesses that the heavenly Kingdom has not yet come, – that we are still under the dominion of “the prince of this world” – the prince of darkness. All the efforts to prove to us that the greedy and bloody governments of Christendom, so-called, are the Kingdom for which we pray, and were taught to pray, could not prevail; we could never recognize these as Immanuel’s Kingdom; they are only the kingdoms established by Antichrist, and recognized by Antichrist, and named by Antichrist “Christendom.” The true Kingdom waits for establishment at the hands of him whose right it is; and he has promised that, when he sits upon his throne, all his faithful ones, the “little flock” of the Gospel age, shall sit in that throne with him, and be associates in the work and in the honor of blessing the world.

The Church is not neglected in the picture of earthly dominion given to Nebuchadnezzar, and interpreted by the Prophet Daniel. She is shown therein as a stone taken out of the mountain without hands (by divine power). This stone represents God’s Kingdom (Christ and the Church); and the inspired dream and explanation show that the disaster which shall come to the kingdoms of this world, represented in the image and in the toes of its feet, would come through the impact, or smiting of the image by the stone. Daniel says: “A stone was cut out, which, without being in hands, smote the image upon his feet….Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain [kingdom], and filled the whole earth.” Dan 2:34,35.

The explanation is that – “The great God hath made known to the king [and indirectly more particularly to the Watchers] what shall come to pass hereafter.” “IN THE DAYS of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people [it shall have no successors, for the others will all be destroyed]; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

Here is a prophecy which gives a full delineation of the empires of earth, to which God granted dominion during the interim between the removal of the typical crown from his typical kingdom, and the institution of the crown of righteousness and glory upon the true King, in the inauguration of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Even the surface evidences are that the human empire has nearly run its course, and that heavenly empire is needed to deliver the world from its own selfishness. But the sure word of prophecy, if carefully scrutinized by the Watcher, reveals still more. It shows that the next universal empire will be the Kingdom of God’s dear Son; and further the interesting fact that the total lease of power to the Gentiles is in the Scriptures known as “the times of the Gentiles;” and that these “times” are seven times, and that each of the seven times is a period of three hundred and sixty years, and that consequently the complete period of the seven times is 2520 years.

Hence the Watchers may reckon that Gentile rule will terminate and Immanuel’s rule begun to be set up 2520 years from the time the Lord removed the diadem from Zedekiah, saying: “Oh thou profane and wicked prince… take off the diadem, remove the crown; I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, until he comes whose right it is, and I will give it unto him.” – Ezek 21:25-27. The period of overturning of the Lord’s typical Kingdom and the removal of the crown must correspond to the period of the lease of empire to the Gentiles viz., 2520 years. And measuring this period, we find that 2520 years will expire with the close of the year 1914, A.D. and consequently that by that time *Gentile rule will be no more, while God’s Kingdom will then hold sway.

*The Pastor later amended this thought, explaining that although true “The Times of the Gentiles” ended in 1914 A.D. their lease having expired, nevertheless they have not yet been evicted as this awaits the completion of the Church.

The scrutinizing Watcher will readily perceive that it is one thing to (contemplate) the time when earthly dominion (Gentile rule) shall cease, and give place to the completed Kingdom of God, however it is a totally different matter to know when (exactly) the “stone” Kingdom (the Church complete, Head and body) would begin to smite the image upon its feet, preparatory to its destruction (eviction).

This period of smiting of the image (possibly the pouring out of the plagues?), which precedes its (final) destruction (in the last or seventh plague) must also precede the full establishment of God’s Kingdom (both the heavenly and the earthly phases of it) to fill the whole earth.

This smiting period is the period of the parousia; the period in which Christ is present, gathering his “jewels,” his “elect,” and in which he will smite the nations with the rod of iron and with the two-edged sword of his mouth, dashing them in pieces as a potter’s vessel, and preparing mankind for the royal majesty of the heavens. Let the Watchers note critically the Prophet Daniel’s explanation that it will be “in the days of these kings” (specifically the kingdom as represented in the feet and toes of the image – the divisions of Papal Rome) that the God of heaven will set up (complete and glorify His Church,) his Kingdom.

God began the selection of his Kingdom class in the days of Civil Rome – represented by the legs of iron: he has continued the selection ever since, and the setting up or bringing of his Church (Kingdom) into power comes toward the close of Gentile power, but before it ends (before its final destruction); for it is to be “in the days of these kings” (i.e., while they still exist,) and not after their days (after they’ve been destroyed).

Now note the similarity of the expressions “in the days of the Son of Man” and “in the days of these kings,” and give both the same significance and remember that, as we have proven, they will be the same days – days BEFORE the lease of Gentile power expires, in which the Son of Man will be present to “set up” his Kingdom, which shall a little later destroy all these Gentile Kingdoms.

Continued with next post.