of His parables Christ uses the expression " the kingdom of heaven " to designate the work of divine grace upon the hearts of men .
So the throne of glory represents the kingdom of glory ; and this kingdom is referred to in the Saviour ' s words : " When the Son of man shall come in His glory , and all the holy angels with Him , then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory : and before Him shall be gathered all nations ." Matthew 25:31 , 32 . This kingdom is yet future . It is not to be set up until the second advent of Christ . The kingdom of grace was instituted immediately after the fall of man , when a plan was devised for the redemption of the guilty race . It then existed in the purpose and by the promise of God ; and through faith , men could become its subjects . Yet it was not actually established until the death of
Christ . Even after entering upon His earthly mission , the Saviour , wearied with the stubbornness and ingratitude of men , might have drawn back from the sacrifice of Calvary . In Gethsemane the cup of woe trembled in His hand . He might even then have wiped the bloodsweat from His brow and have left the guilty race to perish in their iniquity . Had He done this , there could have been no redemption for fallen men . But when the Saviour yielded up His life , and with His expiring breath cried out , " It is finished ," then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured . The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was ratified . The kingdom of grace , which had before existed by the promise of God , was then established .
Thus the death of Christ--the very event which the disciples had looked upon as the final destruction of their hope --was that which made it forever sure . While it had brought them a cruel disappointment , it was the climax of proof that their belief had been correct . The event that had filled them with mourning and despair was that which opened the door of hope to every child of Adam , and in which centered the future life and eternal happiness of all God ' s faithful ones in all the ages .
Purposes of infinite mercy were reaching their fulfillment , even though the disappointment of the disciples . While their hearts had been won by the divine grace and power of His teaching , who " spake as never man spake ," yet intermingled with the pure gold of their love for Jesus , was the base alloy of worldly pride and selfish ambitions . Even in the Passover chamber , at that solemn hour when their Master was already entering the shadow of Gethsemane , there was " a strife among them , which of them should be accounted the greatest ." Luke 22:24 . Their vision was filled with the throne , the crown , and the glory , while just before them lay the shame and agony of the garden , the judgment hall , the cross of Calvary . It was their pride of heart , their thirst for worldly glory , that had led them to cling so tenaciously to
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