I have found my heart warmed repeatedly as I wrote, and the hours I have spent on the manuscript have been real "seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." One of my purposes will be achieved, if in your reading of the book, there is aroused within you a greater sense of appreciation for the eternal purpose of God as manifested in His Son, and if you are made to feel the importance of the individual in the plan of the ages.
I am indebted to many sources for the impressions received, which have been woven into the warp and woof of this material, and memory cannot recall all of those to whom I have been brought under tribute. Students of the restoration movement will recognize that I have been greatly influenced by the reasoning of Alexander Campbell and David King. The first of these reformers was born in Ireland, and did most of his teaching in our own land, to which he emigrated; the other carried the restoration banner in Great Britain. Both were profound thinkers, and I commend their writings to all eager searchers after truth. I have felt no servile obligation to them, nor to any other uninspired writer, but have sought to read objectively, and to form my convictions upon the basis of God's revelation, rather than what men have written about it.
One thing I would seek to impress upon the reader is that my presentation is not intended to be dogmatic or arbitrary. It does not contain the last word upon the themes considered. Especially in those parts of the book which deal with unfulfilled prophecy would I tread lightly and with becoming caution. If the great Jewish teachers so far misunderstood the prophecies of God as to be disappointed in Jesus of Nazareth when he first came, he may just as effectively disappoint the commentators with his second coming. However, since we do entertain certain definite views as to the future destiny of the kingdom, it would hardly be fair to the reader to refuse to state them. Rather, by having them published and exposed to criticism I may be able to ascertain any errors in my reasoning and make proper correction in my thinking.
The views advanced must certainly cut across those of many other sincere students of the sacred scriptures. So varied and divergent are the ideas of modern scholars, relative to our subject, that it would be impossible to write in such a manner as to avoid conflict. For that reason, I have sought to abstain from writing to refute opposition, and have rather tried to make the work a positive presentation. How well I have succeeded must be left to the reader to determine.
It will be observed that I have not limited my quotations of holy writ to any particular version of the Bible. I have used various translations, according as I felt that the purity of the original was best served. Many of the quotations are from the Revised Standard Version, and these are used by special permission of the copyright owners, The National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
It is our hope that those who read will be sufficiently interested in the magnitude of the subject that, despite its humble portrayal, they will make the book available to their relatives and friends, sharing its contents with others, that more men and women will be motivated to live for the Messiah, and to acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives. If some weary soul is thus led to discover that peace which passeth all human reason, we will consider that our efforts have been sufficiently rewarded.
W. Carl Ketcherside