he love here celebrated is, we must remember, the love of
God -- of the Lord God Almighty: and it is love to the
world -- which altogether "lies in the evil one." It is a love which is great, and powerful, and all-conquering; which attains its end, and will not stand helpless
before any obstacle. It is the precise purpose of the passage to teach us this, to raise our hearts to some apprehension of the inconceivable
greatness of the love of God, set as it is upon saving the wicked world . . . You must not fancy, then, that God sits helplessly by while the world,
which He created for Himself, hurtles hopelessly to destruction, and He is able only to snatch with difficulty here and there a brand from the
universal burning . . . Through all the years an increasing purpose runs, one
increasing purpose: the kingdoms of the earth become ever more
and more the kingdom of our God and His Christ. The process may be slow; the progress may appear to our impatient eyes to lag. But it is
God who is building: and under His hands the structure rises as steadily as it does slowly, and in due time the capstone shall be set into its
place, and to our astonished eyes shall be revealed nothing less than a saved world.
B.B. Warfield
His kingdom, founded upon the rock of ages, is building, advancing, and the gates of hell shall not be able to withstand its progress.
Only detached and inconsiderable parts of the plan are as yet visible, and the beauties are everywhere obscured by attendant blemishes;
but his counsel will stand, and he will do all his pleasure . . . And posterity will see, that the principal events of the present age in Asia
and America, have all a tendency to bring forward the accomplishment of my text; and are leading to one grand point, the spreading
and establishment of the church and kingdom of our Lord. His plan is unalterably fixed. He has said it, and it shall be done.
John Newton
The Great Commission which Christ gave to His disciples confirms this. Christ has commanded us to "go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). The English translation of this verse
does not really convey the true meaning however. We tend to read a sentence like this as if it said "go therefore and make disciples
from all nations." This is because English does not have a verb meaning
to make a disciple of. The Greek does, however, and the phrase "all
nations" is the direct object of this verb. In other words, Christ is here commissioning His followers to make disciples of the nations
themselves, not simply disciples from among the nations. The covenant is therefore no longer restricted to Israel; it is for all the
nations as nations.
Stephen Perks
It will be a time of great light and knowledge. The present are days of darkness, in comparison of those days -- The light of that glorious time shall be so great, that it is represented as though there should be no night, but
only day, no evening nor darkness . . . There is a kind of veil now cast over the greater part of the world, which keeps them in darkness; but then this veil shall be destroyed: Is. 25:7. "And he will destroy in this mountain the
face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations." Then all countries and nations, even those which are now most ignorant, shall be full of light and knowledge. Great knowledge shall
prevail everywhere.
Jonathan Edwards
The argument of the apostle is not, however, the restoration of Israel; it is the blessing accruing to the Gentiles from Israel's "fullness." The "fullness" of Israel . . . is presupposed and from it is drawn the conclusion that
the fullness of Israel will involve for the Gentiles a much greater enjoyment of gospel blessing than that occasioned by Israel's unbelief . . . [the view holding to] an unprecedented quickening for the world in the expansion
and success of the gospel, has much to commend it.
John Murray
Aware, from the volume of inspiration, that one day the gospel is to be universally diffused in its knowledge and influence; and then contemplating the narrow limits within which it is at present contained, and within
which it has ever been circumscribed; the obvious inference which every thoughtful mind draws is that there must be an immense revival of religion before the prophecy of the glory of the latter day can be fulfilled.
John Lorimer
Messiah, amidst the approving shouts of innumerable intelligences, approaches the throne and receives the important appointment. The Lamb slain, the Lion of the tribe of Judah receives the book and loosens all its seals.
Who shall refuse to acknowledge thee, O Jesus, as Prince of the kings of the earth?
Alexander McLeod
There have been great and glorious days of the gospel in this land; but they have been small in comparison of what shall be.
James Renwick
David was not a believer in the theory that the world will grow worse and worse, and that the dispensation will wind up with general
darkness, and idolatry. Earth's sun is to go down amid tenfold night if some of our prophetic brethren are to be believed. Not so do we expect,
but we look for a day when the dwellers in all lands shall learn righteousness, shall trust in the Saviour, shall worship thee alone, O God,
"and shall glorify thy name." The modern notion has greatly damped the zeal of the church for missions, and the sooner it is shown to
be unscriptural the better for the cause of God. It neither consorts with prophecy, honours God, nor inspires the church with ardour. Far
hence be it driven.
Charles Spurgeon
Missionaries in the midst of masses of heathenism seem like voices crying in the wilderness -- Reformers before the Reformation;
future missionaries will see conversions follow every sermon. We prepare the way for them. May they not forget the pioneers who worked in
the thick gloom with few rays to cheer, except such as flow from faith in God's promises! We work for a glorious future which we are not
destined to see. We are only morning stars shining in the dark, but the glorious morn will break . . .
David Livingston
That God in his appointed time will bring forth the kingdom of the Lord Christ unto more glory and power than in former days, I presume you are persuaded. Whatever will be more, these six things are clearly promised:
1. Future of peace unto the gospel and the professors thereof, Is. 11:6-7;54:13;33:20-21;Rev. 21:15.
2. Purity and beauty of ordinances and gospel worship, Rev. 11:2;21:3. The tabernacle was wholly made by appointment, Mal. 3:3-4; Zech. 14:16; Rev. 21:27; Zech. 14:20; Is. 35:8.
3. Multitudes of converts, many persons, yea, nations, Is. 60:7-8; 66:8; 49:18-22; Rev. 7:9.
4. The full casting out and rejecting of all will-worship, and their attendant abominations, Rev. 11:2.
5. Professed subjection of the nations throughout the whole world unto the Lord Christ, Dan. 2:44; 7:26-27; Is. 60:6-9 -- the kingdoms become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ (Rev. 11:15), amongst whom his appearance shall be so glorious, that David himself shall be said to reign.
6. A most glorious and dreadful breaking of all that rise in opposition unto
him, Is. 60:12 -- never such desolations, Rev. 16:17-19.
John Owen
I shall be glad to be a witness, to behold the kingdoms of the world become Christ's. I could stay out of heaven many years to see that
victorious triumphing Lord act that prophesied part of his soul-conquering love, in taking into his kingdom the greater sister, that kirk of the
Jews, who sometime courted our Well-beloved for her little sister (Song of Solomon 8:8); to behold him set up as an ensign and banner of
love, to the ends of the world.
Samuel Rutherford
It will not suffice merely to ignore or ridicule these doctrines as many are inclined to do. The question is, Are these doctrines true? If
they are true, why ridicule them? If they are not true, disprove them. We close with the statement that this great system of religious thought
which bears Calvin's name is nothing more or less than the hope of the world.
Loraine Boettner
There awaits the Gentiles . . . gospel blessing far surpassing anything experienced during the period of Israel's apostasy, and [it] will
be occasioned by the conversion of Israel on a scale commensurate with that of their earlier disobedience.
John Murray
