The Church and the Kingdom, Part #4

The Kingdom in Manifestation, Part #4 (final)

The fact that after the miracle of the "Loaves and Fishes" the multitude was desirous to take Jesus by force and make Him a KING (Joh 6:15), reveals what they understood by the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven being AT HAND. That Jesus prevented their doing so by escaping to a mountain is no evidence that He repudiated the idea of Kingship over a visible earthly Kingdom, but that to have received the Kingdom from them would have been wrong, for He is to receive the Kingdom from the FATHER, and not from men. Da 7:13-14. That Jesus did not deny His Kingship of an outward and visible earthly Kingdom is clear from the fact that He accepted the "Hosannahs" of the multitude when He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Zec 9:9. Joh 12:12-15. And it was as "King OF THE JEWS" He was crucified. Mt 27:37. When Pilate asked Jesus-- "Art Thou the King of the JEWS?" He evaded the question, but admitted that He was a KING, and to that end had been born, but that His Kingdom was "not of this world," that is, it would be given to Him by God the Father, and therefore would be from Heaven. Joh 18:33-37.

     But someone may ask, "What would have happened if the Jews, as a nation, had repented, and accepted Jesus as King, would the earthly Messianic Kingdom have been set up?" Certainly, but not necessarily immediately, for certain Old Testament prophecies as to Jesus' death and resurrection had to be fulfilled, for He had to die for the redemption of the race, before He could assume His office as King. But this could and would have been fulfilled by the Roman Government seizing Jesus and crucifying Him as a usurper, and with Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension, Daniel's 69th week would have terminated, and the 70th week begun without a break, and at its close Jesus would have descended and set up His earthly Kingdom.

     But you ask, "What about the Church? If it was God's Eternal Purpose to form the Church (Eph 1:4), how could it have been formed if there was no break or gap between Daniel's 69th and 70th week, and how therefore could there have been a `bona fide' offer of an earthly Kingdom to Israel?" The question is hypothetical and based on the supposition that something might have happened that God foresaw would not happen. God's foreknowledge that the Jewish nation would not at that time heed the announcement that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand and repent, does not militate against the sincerity of the announcement any more than the offer of spiritual salvation by a preacher of the Gospel to an audience of sinners who he has every reason to believe will refuse his offer, is not a sincere and "bona fide" offer.

     God's Plan and Purpose in the Ages is based upon His FORE-KNOWLEDGE. If God had not foreseen that the Jews would reject the King and therefore the Kingdom, He would have planned for the formation of the Church at some other time than this present Dispensation. As the Church was to be purchased by the precious blood of Christ (Ac 20:28; 1Pe 1:18-21), it was necessary that Jesus should be rejected and crucified, and that by His own nation, for the Prophet Zechariah (Zec 12:10) foretold that the Jews should look upon Him whom they had PIERCED. But God's foreknowledge did not require or compel the Jewish nation to reject Jesus, any more than Jesus' foreknowledge that Judas would betray Him compelled Judas to so do. The possibility of the Church being crowded out by the repentance of the Jewish nation did not enter into the "Plan of God," who foresaw the refusal of Israel to accept Jesus as King, and that Israel would not nationally repent until after the Church had been formed and taken out of the world.

     In expounding the Scriptures we are not to take something that belongs to a "PAST" and a "FUTURE" Dispensation and put it in the "PRESENT" Dispensation. For instance, "THE KINGDOM." The "PAST" and "COMING" Dispensations have to do with "THE KINGDOM," but the "Present" has to do with the CHURCH. The "Kingdom" is an outward, visible and earthly "POLITICAL ORGANIZATION," and is to be "set up" on the earth (Da 2:44); while the "Church" is an invisible and heavenly "SPIRITUAL ORGANISM" that is to be "caught out" 1Th 4:16-17. The "Kingdom" was prepared FROM the "Foundation of the World." Mt 25:34. The "Church" was chosen in Him "BEFORE" the "Foundation of the World." Eph 1:4. The "Church" then is not the "Kingdom." 

     Here we must distinguish between the "Kingdom of God," the "Kingdom of Heaven," and the Church. The "Kingdom of God" is the "Reign of God" in the Universe over all His created creatures, and includes time and eternity, heaven and earth. It is spiritual and "cometh not with observation." Lu 17:20-21. It is entered by the "New Birth," (Joh 3:5); and is not "meat" and "drink," but "Righteousness and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost." Ro 14:17.

     The "Kingdom of Heaven" is a New Testament term, and is found in Matthew's Gospel only, where it is mentioned 32 times. Its character is described in the 12 "Kingdom of Heaven Parables" given in Mt 13:1-50; 18:23-35; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25:1-30. From these Parables we see that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is limited as to its Time and its Sphere. Its Time is from the First to the Second Coming of Christ, and its Sphere is over that part of the world that we call Christendom. In the "Kingdom of Heaven" there is a mixture of good and evil, of "Wheat" and "Tares," of "Good Fish" and "Bad Fish," of "Wise Virgins" and "Foolish Virgins."

     After the Resurrection of Jesus the hope of an earthly visible Kingdom was revived, and just before His Ascension the Disciples asked Him-- "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" His reply was-- "It is not for you to know the `Times' and `Seasons' which the Father hath put in His own power." Ac 1:6-7. Now Jesus did not deny that there was to be a "visible earthly Kingdom," He simply told the Disciples that it was not for them to "know" when it would be set up. If Jesus came simply to set up a "Spiritual" Kingdom in this Dispensation then common honesty demanded that He at that solemn moment when He was about to leave His Disciples and go back to the Father should have disabused His Disciples' minds of their false hope, and told them plainly that the Kingdom He came to set up was "Spiritual" and not earthly. But He did nothing of the kind. He left them with the belief that there was to be an "earthly and visible Kingdom" some day.

     The King having been rejected it was impossible then to set up the Kingdom, so the Kingdom took on another aspect known as the "Kingdom in Mystery," described in the twelve "Kingdom of Heaven" parables of Matthew's Gospel. When the Disciples of Jesus said unto Him-- "Why speakest Thou unto them in `Parables?'" He replied, "Because it is given unto you to know the `MYSTERIES' of the Kingdom of Heaven." Mt 13:10-11. In Mt 13:35 He gives as His reason for speaking to them in Parables, that it might be fulfilled as spoken by the Prophet "I will open my mouth in `Parables'; I will utter things which have been kept `SECRET' from the foundation of the world." The "Kingdom of Heaven Parables" therefore cannot describe the "Millennial Kingdom" for it was no "secret" to the Old Testament Prophets. Neither do they describe a "Spiritual Kingdom," for the figures they use are all of an "earthly" nature. They must then describe the character of the Present Dispensation in its earthly aspect during the absence of the King. 

THE KINGDOM IN MANIFESTATION

     Jesus is the "Certain Nobleman" who went into a "Far Country" to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return. Lu 19:12. And when He comes back He will reward His servants, the Jews, and give them authority over as many cities as they deserve. Jesus has not yet received the Kingdom. He must finish His High Priestly and Mediatorial work first. Daniel describes the event in Da 7:13-14. The form of Government will be a "Theocracy." Christ will reign through a "King" or "Prince" called DAVID (Ho 3:5; Jer 30:9; Eze 34:24; 37:24), whose Throne shall be at Jerusalem. The Temple will be rebuilt, and the "Aaronic Priesthood" reestablished. Eze 44:15-31. There will be a revival of the Land of Palestine (Joe 3:18), and the length of human life extended. Isa 65:20-22; Zec 8:4.
     Now the question should be what part does the church play in the manifestation of the Kingdom?  If you missed it we will deal with the church more fully in   "The Five Judgements"(1Th 4:16-17).  But for now our next discussion will be, "Where is Heaven", "What is Heaven", and what is the churches role in Heaven.

       Comments are welcome