Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874
Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, page 621
Establishing the Kingdomapos
“But now we are in the end of this Gospel age, and the Kingdom is being established or set up. Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A.D., according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear; and the formal inauguration of his kingly office dates from April 1878 A.D.,” (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 4, p. 621).
Text:
“lated out of the power of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.–Col. 1:13.
This submission for over eighteen centuries to the violence of dominant evil has not been because of lack of power on the part of our risen, ascended and glorified Lord to protect his people; for after his resurrection he declared,–“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18.) The exercise of the power is delayed for a purpose. In the Father’s plan there was a “due time” for the great sacrifice for sins to be given, and another due time for the Kingdom to be set up in power and great glory to rule and bless the world: and these were far enough apart to permit the calling and preparing of the “elect” Church to be joint-heirs of the Kingdom with Christ: The evil influences and opposition of sinners have been permitted for the purifying, testing and polishing of those “called” to be members of the Kingdom class. As with the Head, so with the body, it is God’s design that each member shall as a new creature be “made perfect through suffering.”–Heb. 5:9.
But now we are in the end of this Gospel age, and the Kingdom is being established or set up. Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874, A.D., according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear; and the formal inauguration of his kingly office dates from April 1878 A.D.: and the first work of the Kingdom, as shown by our Lord, in his parables and prophecy (the gathering of “his elect”), is now in progress. “The dead in Christ shall rise first, “explained the Lord through the Apostle; and the resurrection of the Church shall be in a moment* Consequently the Kingdom, as represented in our Lord, and the sleeping saints already fitted and prepared and found worthy to be members of “his body,” the “bride,” was set up in 1878; and all that remains to be done
page 622
for its completion is the “gathering together unto the Lord’ of those of the “elect” who are alive and remain–whose trial is not yet complete.
