If one doctrine is held forth more prominently than another in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, it is the reestablishment of David’s Throne and Kingdom under the Lord Jesus Christ. So fully were the Apostles impressed with this idea, that the very first question they asked our Lord after his Auferstehung, resurrection, from the dead was, "Lord, wilt thou at this time again aufrichten (erect) the Kingdom of Israel?" Notwithstanding the Apostles were not at that time endued with power from on high, yet, that it was no vain wish, or anticipation, we shall bring forward the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to prove the correctness of our views. When the Apostle Peter addressed the Jews on the day of Pentecost, and three thousand of them became heirs to the Kingdom, and entitled to all the "glory, and honour, and unvergangliches wesen, imperishable existence," which they would hereafter receive by a resurrection from the dead, when the time for establishing the Kingdom would arrive, by virtue of their then believing the Evangelium, Gospel, of Jesus, preached unto them by Peter, and being baptised for the resurrection of the dead, he assured them that "David being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He, seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Holle, Grave, neither his flesh did see corruption; this Jesus hat God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." And we can well imagine the irresistible force which such an appeal must have made upon the assembled multitude. In the neighbourhood of the speaker stood the tombs of their Prophets and Kings, David’s, and Solomon’s, the latter, in whose reign the Kingdom reached its zenith, and who was a glorious type of Christ, before he forsook the God of his fathers, and his heart turned after the idols of the surrounding nations. In sad contrast to their former glory stood their beautiful Temple with the Roman abomination placed over it; and the three thousand were fully convinced that the "Sceptre had departed from Judah, and a Lawgiver from his feet, until Held, (Champion) come, whose right it is, and God will give it him."

Matthew gives the genealogy of Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from Abraham in the line of David, Solomon, and Zorobabel; by which lineage it is demonstrated, that Jacob and Joseph were descendants of Abraham in the Royal line.

Luke gives the genealogy of Heli, the father of Mary, from Adam and Abraham in the line royal of David, Nathan, and Zorobabel; thus the families of Jacob and Heli were two branches of the royal house.

David’s throne and kingdom were decreed to the heirs male, as proved by 2 Samuel 7. A daughter of David, or female descendant could not, therefore, ascend the throne. The right of the Princess Mary, derived from her father Heli, of the elder branch, would consequently give way to those of Joseph, son of Jacob, though descended from the younger of David.

The families of Nathan, the elder, and of Solomon, the younger of the sons of David, by Bathsheba, united Zorobabel, governor of Judah under the Persians; from Zorobabel the family again divided into the branches terminating in Jacob and Heli.

By the marriage of Joseph, son of Jacob, with Mary, daughter of Heli, the two branches from Zorobabel were again united; so that all right and title to the throne and kingdom of David concentred in Mary’s first born. He therefore became the head and hope of the family and nation: hence he is styled "the branch," and at his decease the royal house in the direct line became extinct with him.

Jesus, the grandson of Heli, being born of Joseph’s wife, was born hereditary King of the Jews. Heli married the sister of the father of Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, and mother of John the Taufer, (dipper) who was therefore second cousin to Jesus. Elizabeth was of the daughters of Aaron; consequently Mary, daughter of Heli, and mother of Jesus, was of the house of David by her father, and of the house of Aaron by her mother; so that in her son Jesus was not only vested, by his birth, and the marriage of his mother, all kingly rights, but all rego-pontifical as well. In Jesus, therefore, is united the combined kingly and high-priestly offices of the nation of Israel: so that when the government shall be upon his shoulders, he will sit as a priest upon his throne, after the order of Melchizedec, being without predecessor or successor in the united office of King and Priest. See Zechariah 6: 12-13.

From all which it is evident, that if there lives any one who has a right to David’s throne, it can only be Jesus, and therefore he must have been raised from the dead; so that if the Jews of this age were to agree to restore David’s throne, they could not effect it, though all other things might favour, because they could not find a son of David to occupy it. Hence there is no one can re-establish it but God, who retains at his right hand the only descendant of David who is alive.

From the preceding testimonies, we conclude we have clearly proved that Jesus of Nazareth was the crucified and afterwards resurrected King of the Jews, now at the right hand of his Father, and shortly will appear in power and great glory. The next thing we have to prove is the duration of his reign. John says, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." But the locality where Christ and his Saints will reign is not defined in this text. The 10^th verse of the 5^th chapter in the same book supplies it. "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." Once more, "the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." When the Kingdom existed under Solomon, it was a type of what it will be under the Lord Jesus Christ. There was universal peace; every man sat under his own vine and fig tree, none daring to make them afraid. All the kings of the surrounding nations paid tribute to him as lord paramount, and brought their offerings to Jerusalem. The fame of so great, wise, and rich a monarch, brought the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem to witness his glory; and it is not improbable, when the greater than Solomon reigns in Jerusalem, the Queen of England may, like her royal sister, go on her pilgrimage likewise. For the Psalmist says, "The Kings of Tarshish and the isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him." The visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon throws light upon a very interesting incident that occurred in Apostolic times. Solomon solved all her questions, and it is very probable gave her a copy of "the Law and Testimony," by which a knowledge of the God of Israel was carried into her own land. This circumstance proved highly beneficial in after-times. The country of the Queen here named is generally supposed to have been Meroe, in Ethiopia, a district abounding in gold and spices, and accustomed, it appears from Acts 8: 27, to be governed by women. "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert."—Herald Future Age.

"And he arose and went and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning; and sitting in his chariot, read Esaias the prophet." The coming of the eunuch to Jerusalem to worship was predicted by the prophet Zephaniah. "From beyond the river of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering." The eunuch filled an office under Candace, similar to that now held by Lord Aberdeen under Victoria; he was prime minister, or what we now call First Lord of the Treasury. Philip preached unto him the Evangelium von Jesu, (Gospel of Jesus,) and by him a knowledge of the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, were carried into his native land, and promulgated to his country.

"Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." But there have always been some, and the eunuch is of the number. The time for the Saints to possess the kingdom under the whole heaven is near at hand. The present rupture between Turkey and Russia will produce that crisis. The sun power of Rome was darkened under the pouring out the wrath of the fifth schale, (cup,) and Turkey must be dried up before that great and notable day of the Lord can come. "And the sixth angel poured out his schale (cup) upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of den Konigen von Aufgang der Sonne (the kings of the risings of the sun) might be prepared." It is cheering to the believer to know that he is now living in that small period of time denominated by Daniel "the time of the end," and that probably he may live to see the consummation of all the glorious verheisungen, (promises,) spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the foundation of the world. —Luke.

I believe that the second advent of Christ is spoken of in Scripture not only as a point, but as a period of time; not only as regarding the mere fact of his coming, but also of his stay during a lengthened period, in which many and distinct acts are to be performed, commencing with the "resurrection of the just," and closing with the "resurrection of the unjust."—Note by the Rev. Mourant Brock, M.A., Chaplain to the Bath Penitentiary. —Brit. North American, Halifax, N.S.

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