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HISTORY and TIMES of THE KINGDOM |
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Restoration The doctrine of Restoration, as taught by the Kingdom, is probably the one best concept which best encapsulates the Kingdom and how it perceives its role and reason for being. For some time we debated the most effective way to best present the Kingdom doctrine of Restoration. One of the reasons for this may be explained by the fact that the word restoration has become almost a cliche within the ranks of the Kingdom. Not unlike disciples chanting a mantra, most members of the Kingdom would articulate they were thankful for belonging to the movement of the restoration, without a clear understanding of all that the word carries or implies. Most members during the last five decades would have willingly claimed allegiance to the restoration and what it stands for, though it is highly doubtful many would have elected to sign a pledge like that attested to 1904. Most were also unaware of Sandford's many specific acts of restoration listed elsewhere herein. During the Abram years (1948-1977) the doctrine's definition was subtlely shifted from one of recognition in specific restoration events to a more centrist "lifestyle" approach; i.e. the restoration of clean living and heart religion. The concept, however, rolls all of Sandford's doctrines into one. It is meant to explain and merge his various identities with some of the boldest and obscure Bible prophecies, while at the same time linking Sandford and his movement to positions of authority at the time of Christ's second advent. More recently, the Restoration, used synonymously with the Kingdom, has been said to represent the kernel or germ, as it were, of God's Kingdom on earth after Christ's return, only in an "embryonic" form. It's genesis is taken from Acts 3:21 where Peter referred to his translated Lord as absent from earth "until the times of restoration of all things, or in the NIV version, "until the time comes for God to restore everything". We have decided to here present some thoughts on the subject by those who have through the years become its chiefest exponents. We believe also that the subject has probably been expounded on and developed more in the last fifty years than prior to Mr. Sandford's death. His closest followers are largely responsible for perpetuating and building on the concept today. What follows are articles printed in the 1950s in the Kingdom publication The Standard. by Frank Murray, Victor Abram, and Joseph Harriman. None of these authors, Harriman, Murray, or Abram ever were members of any denominational organization. All were brought up in the Kingdom from the time of infancy or adolescent-hood, living "hundred-fold", and were mentored and groomed by none other than Frank W. Sandford himself. Yet all three seem to speak with great authority on the subject of the "apostasy" of the Christian church, which according to them was not only corrupt beyond hope at the time of the founding of the Bible School, but evidently remained in the dark even at the time of these publications 50 - 60 years later. We wonder at the source for such unequivocal facts.
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