2. Tlie prophets had predicted that Jehovah would again be united to his restored people, would dwell among them, and no more give up the theocratic relation. This also Jesus fultilletl in a higher sense. He found mankind in a state of estrangement from God, arising from tliiir lying in sin, and he viewed it as his vocation to bring tlicm back to (iod. He reconciled men to (iod — gave tiieni access to God — united them to him as his dear children, and made his people one with God as he himself is one. 3. The prophets had declared that Je- hovah would make his people, thus redeemed and re- united to him, supremely blessed in the enjoyment of all earthly pleasures. To communicate such blessings in the literal acceptance of the words was no part of the work of Jesus ; on the contrary, he often tells his follow- ers that they must lay their account with much suffer- ing. The blessings which he offers are of a spiritual kind, consisting in internal and unending fellowship \vith GocL Tills is the life, the life eteriuil. In the passages where he seems to speak of temporal blessings (e. g. jMatt. viii, 11 ; xix, 27, etc.) he cither speaks met- aphorically or in "reference to the ideas of those whom he addressed, and who were not quite emancipated from carnal hopes. 4. The prophets had predicted, in gen- eral, the re-establishment of their people into a mighty state, which should endure upon the earth in imperish- able splendor as an outward community. This prospect Jesus realized again in a higher and a spiritual sense by establishing a religious invisible community, internally united by oneness of faith in God and of iiure desire, Avhich ever grows and reaches its perfection only in an- other life. The rise and progress of this man cannot observe, for its existence is in the invisible life of the spirit (Luke xvii, 20), yet the opposition of the wicked is an evidence of its approach (Matt, xii, 28). It has no political designs, for it ' is not of this world ;' and there are found in it no such gradations of ranJc as in earthly political communities (Matt, xx, 25). What is external is not essential to it ; its prime element is mind, pious, devoted to God, and pleasing God. Hence the kingdom of Jesus is composed of those who turn to God and his ambassadors, and in faith and life abide true to them. From this it is clear how sometimes this king- dom may be spoken of as present, and sometimes as future. Religious and moral truth works forever, and draws un- der its influence one after another, until at length it shall reign over all. In designating this communitj-, Jesus made use of terms having a relation to the ancient the- ocracy; it is the Jciur/dom of God or of heaven, though, at the same time, it is represented rather as the family than as the state of God. This appears from many other phrases. The head of the ancient community was call- ed Lord and King; that of the new is called Father; the members of the former were servants, i. e. subjects of Jehovah ; those of the latter are son,'? of God ; the feeling of the former towards God is described as the fear of Jehovah ; that of the latter is helievinfj confi- dence or love ; the chief duty of the former was righteous- ness ; the first duty of the latter is love. All these ex- pressions are adapted to the constitution of the sacred community, cither as a divine state or as a divine familij. It needs hardly to be mentioned that Jesus extended its fullilmcnt of these ancient prophecies in this spiritual sense to all men."
Kcferring to the Old-Testament idea, wc may there- fore regard the '• kingdom of heaven," etc., in the New Testament, as designating, iu its Christian sense, the Christian dispensation, or the community of those who receive Jesus as the Jlcssiah, and wlio, iinitod liy his Spirit under him as their Head, rejoice in the truth, and live a holy life in love and in communion with him (Matt, iii, 2; iv, 17, 23; ix, 35; x, 7 ; Mark i, 14, 15; Lukex, !», 11; xxiii, 51 ; Acts xxvii, 31). This spirit- ual liingdom has both an intermd and external form. As internal and spiritual, it already exists and rules in the hearts of all L'liristians, and is therefore ]irescnt (Koin. xiv, 17; Matt, vi, 33; Mark x, 15; Luke xvii, 21; xviii,
17; John iii, 3, 5; 1 Cor.iv,20). It " suff"ereth violence," implying the eagerness with which the ( Jospel was re- ceived in the agitated state of men's minds (ilatt. xi, 12 ; Luke xvi, G). As external, it is either embodied in the visible Church of Christ, and in so far is present and progressive (Matt, vi, 10 ; xii, 28 ; xiii, 24, 31, 33. 41, 47 ; xvi, 19,28; Mark iv,30; xi, 10; Luke xiii, 18, 20 ; Acts xix, 8 ; Heb. xii, 28), or it is to be perfected in the com- ing of the Messiah to judgment and his subsequent spiritual reign in bliss and glory, in which view it is fu- ture (Matt, xiii, 43; xxvi,29; Mark xiv, 25; Luke xxii, 29, 30 ; 2 Pet. i, 11 ; Kev. xii, 10). In this latter view it denotes especially the bliss of heaven, eteiticd life, which is to be enjoyed in the Kedeemer's kingdom (Matt, viii, 11; XXV, 34; Mark ix, 47; Luke xiii, 18, 29; Acts xiv, 22; 1 Cor. vi, 9, 20; xv, .50; Gal, v, 21 ; Eph, v, 5; 2 Thess. i, 5 ; 2 Tim. iv, 18 ; James ii, 5). But these dif- ferent aspects are not always distinguished, the expres- sion often embracing both the uitcrnal and external sense, and referring both to its commencement in this world and its comjiletion in the world to come (Matt, v, 3,10,20; vii,21; xi. 11; xiii, 11,52; xviii, 3,4; Col. i, 13 ; 1 Thess. ii, 12). In Luke i, 33, it is said of the king- dom of Christ " there shall be no end ;" whereas in 1 Cor. XV, 24-26, it is said " he shall deliver up the king- dom to God, even the Father." The contradiction is only in api)earance. The latter passage refers to the m«/M//on'r(^ dominion of Christ; and when the mediato- rial work of the Saviour is accomplished, then, at the final judgment, he will resign forever his mediatorial office, Avhile the reign of Christ as God supreme will never cease. " His throne," in the empire of the uni- verse, " is forever and ever" (Heb. i, 8).