Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/314

 3 o The Plan of tht Ages*

shall be recognized and owned by all as King of kings. Thus it is presented by the prophets as Jehovah's work to set of Christ's dominion : "I will give thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." (Psa. 2:8.) "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." (Dan. 2 : 44.) The Ancient of days did sit, and there was brought before him one like unto a son of man, and there was given him a dominion, that all kingdoms should serve and obey him. (Dan. 7:9, 13, 14, **, *7-) Added to these is Paul's statement that, when Christ shall accomplish the object of his reign, "then shall the Soa also himself be subject unto him [the Father] that PUT ALL THINGS TJNDER HIM/* i Cor. 15 : 28.

This period is called the "Day of Vengeance of our God," anda "Dayof Wrath." (Isa. 61 : 2; 63 : 1-45 Psa. no : 5.) And yet the mind that grasps only the idea of anger, or supposes divine malice, seriously errs. God has established certain laws, in harmony with which he operates, and those who from any cause come into conflict with these reap the penalty or wrath of their own course. God's coun- sel to mankind has been continually rejected, except by the few; and, as we have shown, he permitted them to have their own way and to drop him and his counsels from their hearts. (Rom. i : 28.) He then confined his special care to Abraham and his seed, who professed to desire his way and fa's service. Their hardness of heart as a people, and the insincerity of their hearts toward God, not only natur- ally prevented them from receiving Messiah, but just as naturally prepared them for and led them into the trouble which terminated their national existence.

And so the light borne in the world during the Gospel age by the true Church of Christ (the class whose names are mitten in heaven) has borne witness to the civilized world

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