Page 80 - The Divine Unfolding of God's Plan of Redemption

and victorious resurrection and that would be inconsistent with the divine love and
grace and would fail to vindicate the righteousness of God. The exact time of the
setting up of the kingdom is not for you to know, but is locked in the counsels of God,

but you have the task of witnessing to Me and My salvation and may rest assured that
when the nations have had an opportunity to know, then will I thoroughly purge My
floor, gathering the wheat into the garner and burning the chaff with unquenchable
fire!”

The calling out of a people from among the nations unto His name is the thing upon
which the setting up of the kingdom and the coming of Christ in glory, preeminently
depends. The number of the elect must be filled up before the final blow falls. The

ultimate and final sign of His coming as set forth by the Savior was, “This gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all the nations; and
then shall the end come.”
The final commission of the Savior before His ascension was for His disciples to

occupy themselves with being His witnesses at home and abroad. The thing which
was nearest to His heart was the parting injunction of our blessed Lord before He went
up through the clouds and the angel choruses burst out in a paean of welcome, “Lift
up your heads, oh, ye gates, even life them up ye everlasting doors, and the King of

glory shall come in!”

The nobleman has betaken Himself into a far country to receive for Himself a
kingdom and to return (Luke 19:12). He is King by right of inheritance and by right of

redemption. He needs to be formally invested with the dominion that He has redeemed
and to receive the title deed. The scene of this investiture is portrayed in the seventh
chapter of Daniel and in the fifth chapter of Revelation.

In the Parable of the Nobleman it will be recalled that his ten servants were given a
pound each and commanded to “occupy” until He came. It is significant that the mass
of the citizens hated Him and sent a message after Him, saying, “We will not have this
man to reign over us.” Though they hated Him and denied His rule, yet are they called

“His citizens.” They were citizens of the world that He had redeemed; therefore
whether they recognized it or not they were “His citizens,” because inhabitants of a
domain which He had purchased. The servants were called to account as to how they

had administered the Master‟s gift, and the citizens, His enemies, were gathered and
slain. Every disciple of this age is a steward to whom has been committed “the
mysteries of God” and we shall all be asked at the judgment of believers‟ works (I
Cor.3:12-15), what we have done with this wondrous deposit.

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