Chapter 30

Peter had risen early and was calmly waiting. His mind was at rest. The only question that had troubled him had been answered in the night. An Angel had visited him in a dream.

On the Day of Pentecost the stirring demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power had led him to believe that the establishment of the Master’s Kingdom throughout the world was imminent. It was not easy to conceive of such an event, but neither was Pentecost easy to accept as an actual experience. All things were possible with God and His ways were beyond understanding. God had waited long and patiently for His children to acknowledge His fatherhood and their brotherhood. Now the time had come for the cleansing of the nations and the reign of peace. Now!

He had expected it to begin in Jerusalem, where thousands of fear-ridden men had hung upon his words. Jerusalem was the right place for the new Kingdom to manifest itself first. A society would be formed for the demonstration of friendship and good-will. The news of it would quickly spread. But the Jerusalem experiment had been unsuccessful. Perhaps Jerusalem was not the right place to begin.

He had declared the early coming of the Kingdom to the harassed slaves in Joppa. They had listened wistfully, but without comment. He had repeated his message to ‘The Italians’ in Caesarea: they had received him politely and had left the dinner tables in silence. No one had paused to ask a question or express an opinion. Wise old Cornelius, quite dissatisfied with things as they were, had no expectation of a remedy for the world’s sorry predicament, and had shaken his grey head at any mention of an early triumph of the Master’s Kingdom.

Undaunted, Peter had journeyed to Arabia in the hope of effecting peace and friendship between the Arabs and the Jews. Perhaps the Kingdom would begin its work here. It would be a great day for the Kingdom when the tidings spread that two hostile nations, at enmity for fifteen centuries, had resolved their difficulties. But his efforts had been in vain. The relations between the sons of Israel and Ishmael had not been improved. Indeed they had been worsened.

Fara was a firm believer in the Master’s power; but, when the Kingdom of peace on earth was mentioned, she had nothing to say. Captain Polemus thought the idea fantastic. Mencius, although deeply impressed at Pentecost, was silent when Peter talked of the coming Kingdom. In the opinion of Judge Fabius, clearly a man of good intent, Peter was a fool; a brave and honest fool—but a fool.

In the days of his solitude, he had wondered whether he might be mistaken. He still clung to his belief, but he wished more people shared it. Was the Kingdom coming now? And, if not now, was the Kingdom coming at all?

Last night an Angel had cleared his mind.

Yes, Peter, the Master’s Kingdom is coming, but not by some spectacular miracle whereby thrones would topple in a day and all men everywhere would cast aside their weapons and clasp hands.

‘From the beginning of the world, Peter,’ the Angel had said, ‘the rulers of the nations have striven for power over other men’s lives. The ablest minds among their subjects always spent their genius on contriving instruments of destruction.

‘The kings of the earth, for their own pride and glory, have laid waste their neighbours’ lands and enslaved their children… You, Peter, have daily talked about “these latter times.” But—these are not “latter times.” The world has suffered grievously, but it must suffer more and more. Again and again, in desperate hours, men have come to a parting of the ways, and they have always chosen the road to national pomp and glory; never the road to peace and friendship.

‘The Kingdom of the Christos will come, but not now, not soon. Empires will rise and fall. Slavery and slaughter will prevail and increase in horror until the sight of it will sicken the heart of God! Terror will reign until the hungry and homeless will cry to the rocks to cover them! And when all seems lost—then the Kingdom will come.

‘Remember how the Master said that the Kingdom would grow as a mustard tree, from the smallest of seeds. Always there will be some who hear His voice. In the midst of their distresses, they will watch and wait and hope for the coming of the King! And He will come, at length, to keep His covenant, and set men free.

‘Meantime, He offers the benefits of the Kingdom to every man who yearns to see the Kingdom come. For them the Kingdom has come! You, Peter, have earned that peace. For you, the Kingdom is here; it is now; it is yours!’

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