Ezekiel 21:27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. I. What things DO NOW STAND IN THE WAY OF CHRIST'S GLORIOUS REIGN. 1. Every species of tyranny. 2. Idolatry, or the worship of false gods. 3. Infidelity. 4. Heresy, or the disbelief of the great and fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. II. BY WHAT MEANS WE MAY SUPPOSE GOD WILL OVERTURN OR REMOVE ALL THESE THINGS WHICH STAND IN THE WAY OF THE GLORIOUS REIGN OF CHRIST. 1. By public calamities or desolating judgments. 2. We may suppose that God will employ human learning to enlighten the minds of ignorant, barbarous, tyrannical, and erroneous nations in respect to their civil and religious tyranny, and their absurd and vicious customs and manners. 3. We may be confident that God will employ the Gospel as the principal external instrument to overthrow and remove all obstacles in the way of Christ's final and most glorious reign upon earth. This is suited at once to enlighten the understandings, awaken the consciences, and subdue the hearts of all who are opposed to the kingdom of Christ. 4. God will pour out His Spirit as the efficient cause of making all the other means that have been mentioned effectual, "to the pulling down of strongholds," etc. III. WHY MAY WE CONFIDENTLY EXPECT THAT GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS GRACIOUS DESIGN OF GIVING THE KINGDOM TO HIS SON BY THE MEANS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED. 1. Because these are the means which He has hitherto usually employed for accomplishing this purpose. 2. Because He can make the means which have been mentioned effectually answer his great purpose in view. 3. He has expressly promised to do it.Improvement — 1. If the things which now stand in the way of the glorious reign of Christ must be removed in the manner that has been mentioned before His reign commences, we have no reason to think that His kingdom will soon come. 2. If God has done so much already, and will do a great deal more to prepare the way for the coming of Christ in His millennial glory, then we may justly expect that the world will be very happy under the reign of the Prince of Peace. 3. If God will remove the obstacles which still tie in the way of the latter-day glory of Christ in the manner that has been mentioned, then good men have a great deal to do to promote this great and good design. 4. It appears from what has been said, that Christians have great encouragement to exert themselves vigorously and wisely in preparing the way for the glorious reign of Christ. 5. This subject calls upon all to rejoice in what God has done and is doing, by the instrumentality of man, to fill the earth with His glory, under the reign of the Prince of Peace. (N. Emmons, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. |
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