--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Paul, J. H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 7 published: 1900-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'J. H. Paul, "The Kingdom of Heaven—II (Concluded)," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 7 (May 1900): 496–502.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera37unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera37unse start_page: 496 end_page: 502 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera37unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Kingdom of Heaven—II (Concluded) THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN VIEW COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS. BY PROF. J. H. PAUL, PRESIDENT OF L. D. S. COLLEGE, SALT LAKE CITY. II. XL This kingdom shall finally extend over all the earth. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (Psalm 2.) He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72.) XII. And will be everlasting. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. (Psalm 72.) His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. (Psalm 89.) XIII. The kingdom of heaven was brought unto the Jews and they rejected it. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. (Luke 19: 41, 42.) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23: 37.) — THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 497 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him, Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19: 15.) XIV. The kingdom was taken from them; but there was given the promise of a happier day when he shall come again. Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matthew 21: 43.) Behold your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say. Blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23: 38, 39.) XV. That day was to be preceded by apostasy, betrayal of the truth, and persecution. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10: 22.) Blessed are ye when men shall hate you * * * for the Son of man's sake. * * * Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you. (Luke 6: 22-26.) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. * * * if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. (John 15: 19, 20.) XVL Only a few will be found ready for the Kingdom. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7: 13, 14.) When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18: 8.) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (Luke 17: 26.) XVII. The revelation of the anti-Christ was to precede the reappearing of Christ. The Saints were warned That ye be not soon shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above 498 IMPROVEMENT ERA. all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (II Thessalonians 2: 2-4.) XVIII. The people generally should be in a condition of darkness and the church in the last stages of apostasy. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (II Timothy 4: 3, 4.) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers. (II Timothy 3: 2-5.) Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err. * * * The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. (Micah 3: 5-11.) XIX. The apostasy was to be universal; the anti-Christ was to prevail till the time of the restoration. And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast. * * * And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. * * * And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. (Revelation 13: 4-7.) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. (Daniel 7: 21.) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. (Amos 8: 12.) And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller * * * because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (Isaiah 24: 2-5.) XX. But the Gospel was to be restored to earth by the visitation of an angel; truth should spring out of the earth, and revelation come down from heaven. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to everynation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. (Revelation 14:6). THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 499 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation. (Isaiah 45: 8). I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints. * * * Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. (Psalm 85). XXL The darkness of unbelief should cover the earth, but the Lord would bring out of the ground the words of a book that is sealed, and would proceed to do a marvelous work among the nations. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become to you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying. Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for sealed: and the book is it is delivered to him that is not learned, saying. Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said. Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29: 10-14). XXIL This book, the stick or record of Joseph, is to be joined with the Bible, the stick or record of Judah, and these books are to become one. Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it. For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions. * * * Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. (Ezekiel 37: 16-19). XXIII. Several great works are to mark the time of the end. The Gospel must first be published among all nations. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14). 500 IMPROVEMENT ERA. XXIV. The Lord will suddenly come to his temple, which must be built somewhere to receive him. Behold, I will my messenger, and he shall'prepare the way send before me: whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his and the Lord, temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? (Malachi 3: 1-5). XXV. The coming of the Lord will be preceded by the sending of Elijah,who will plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4: 5, 6). XXVI. God's people shall be gathered to Zion. Turn, backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: and I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3: 14-15). For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. * * * Behold I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth. (Jeremiah 31: 6-8). XXVIL And the Jews shall return to the Holy Land. Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land. (Ezekiel 37: 21), And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God. (Amos 9:15). XXVIII. Zion shall be exalted and Jerusalem shall be established. Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high moun- THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 501 tain; Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength. (Isaiah 40: 9). Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall behold Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down. (Isaiah 33:20). XXIX. Then will the Lord begin his reign. He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of deeper speech than thou canst perceive. * * * But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 83: 16-21). XXX. It will be a rule of righteousness, blessedness, and peace. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. (Psalm 72). The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 65: 25). And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Micah 4: 3). XXX I. The people shall be blessed. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. * * * And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35.) XXXII. And Zion shall be glorified. 502 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. * * * The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. * * * Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60.) XXXIII. The Saints shall inherit the kingdom. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel 7: 27.) XXXIV. And the Son of David, both priest and king, suddenly — coming to his temple to the Church and the people prepared to receive him — shall rule the earth from Zion, the stronghold of God's people, and his everlasting dwelling-place. And take heed lest that day come upon you unawares. (Luke 21 34.) :