Quoteworthy: The Church And The Kingdom

"There is very little in prophecy concerning the Church.  And yet, in these latter times, the Church has been regarded as the end, instead of the means, until it has almost eclipsed the Kingdom.

Surely the Christian world has forgotten, or else never knew, that the Church, as an organization, will disappear when the Kingdom is inaugurated under the Christ. The Church is only the assembly that is called out for the perfecting of the plans of the Kingdom. It is the scaffolding around the building. The Kingdom is the real structure that is to stand when the scaffolding is torn away. The Kingdom, as described by the prophets, and as taught by Jesus, is the all-conquering power that is to subdue the whole earth...

Every where the ministry and the laity are crying out in a piteous wail that the churches have lost their power. Is it any wonder? They have lost sight of the very object for which the Church was formed—the selection of the rulers of the literal Kingdom of Christ on earth—and they have spiritualized the Kingdom into a myth, and placed the Church in its stead as an end...

God never promised that the Church should conquer the world, nor that all men should be brought into it; but on the other hand, Paul tells us that the glorious coming of the King will not occur, until there is a great falling away first of the Church, and the man of sin is revealed.  Jesus told His disciples of the awful days of the tribulation that would precede the ushering in of His glorious reign.  Hence, it is a vain hope that the nations will be brought to Christ, and into the Church before the Lord comes.  

The evangelization of the world before the Lord comes is an ideal fancy without a Scriptural promise.  On the other hand, we are told that the fifth world Kingdom of Dan. 2:44 will subdue all other Kingdoms and that it shall endure forever.  Many, many times we are told of the final triumph of Christ's Kingdom over all; but not so of the Church."

From The Coming Kingdom by C.A. Rominger