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| Earl Gillespie |
THE CHURCH verses THE KINGDOM
(They are not the same)
In part one and two of this study we took a closer look at the church and attempted to shine a light of the deviations that has taken place since Jesus made the profound statement that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church. The prevailing thought is, any group, organization or building that takes on the label of a church is a church and regardless of the deviation from the Word of God it still carries the seal and protection of Jesus Christ. In reality this is not true. Here again if we study Jesus's seven letters to the churches, we will become aware of the condemnation and the threat Jesus issued to the churches. The gate of Hell will not prevail, but Jesus threatens to remove the lightstand. A church without a lightstand is spiritually dead. Jesus began addressing his message to the churches as a group, but he closed by addressing the individuals or overcomers. Revelation 3:21-22 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. This also is a bone-fide offer for the members of the church to become a part of the Kingdom of God.
There is a difference between the Kingdom and the church. Let us consider this, John the Baptist and even Jesus did not come preaching a message of salvation but a message of repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We know that this message was rejected. It is fitting that we 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
there could therefore have been a bone 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."
Now lets deal with the confusing issue of distinguishing 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. It's 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.
Next
"Dispensational Truth."
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