Kingdom offered
Key 6: The Kingdom Offered
THE TRANSITION from ISRAEL to the CHURCH is the MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST and JESUS CHRIST. One of the biggest problems in prophecy is connecting together the two sides of the jigsaw (Old Testament prophecy on the LEFT HAND and the New Testament Church on the RIGHT HAND) into one big consistent picture. The prophesied Messianic Kingdom was very different to what Christ actually brought in - the Church Age.
One solution to this problem has been to spiritualise Old Testament prophecy, call the church 'spiritual Israel' and say that prophecy was fulfilled in the church, but I reject this approach because it denies the literal interpretation of prophecy. To fit together the two sides of the puzzle we must understand where they join - the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
JESUS CAME OFFERING THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL. Jesus came as the Messiah to Israel. According to the prophets, part of His mission was to SUFFER and die for sin, and the other part was to bring in and rule over the promised Kingdom of GLORY. He said He came “to fulfil (all) the law and the prophets” (Matthew 5:17). John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ, preparing the way for the King, announcing His imminent arrival.
Jesus said of John: “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven forces itself on men’s attention, and the forceful ones lay hold of it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:9-13).
Thus John was the last and greatest in the line of prophets heralding Messiah’s Coming. Moreover, "All the prophets prophesied unto John”, signifies that he was more than a prophet and was actually the first stage of the Messianic fulfilment of prophecy (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). Therefore the ministry of Jesus and His presentation of Himself as the Messiah officially began with the ministry of John. The Gospels confirm this. The days of John brought in a sudden change of relationship with the Kingdom of God.
Both John and Jesus came saying: "Repent and believe the Gospel for the Kingdom of God is at Hand" (Matthew 3:1, 4:17,10:5-7). In other words Jesus was ready to establish the literal Kingdom of God on earth, as prophesied, in AD 33. It was being offered to Israel on condition that the Nation receive Him as Messiah. To be consistent with Old Testament prophecy, Jesus had to be offering them the Messianic Kingdom. The Jews would naturally have understood this to be the Kingdom the prophets had promised the Messiah would bring. John the Baptist expected Him to establish this Kingdom (Matthew 11:3). At His Triumphal Entry the Jews were clearly expecting this Kingdom:
“Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9,10).
Jesus never said anything to correct this understanding. If He was not really offering israel the Messianic-Kingdom, but just talking spiritually, He would have been deceiving them. Both John and Jesus were announcing that the promised Messianic Kingdom was at hand. However, it was also clear that Israel was not spiritually ready for it. They needed to repent and believe on and receive Christ as their King. Thus John’s ministry was to prepare Israel, so that when Jesus appeared they would receive Him as their King and thus the Kingdom would be established. (You can’t have a Kingdom without a King and willing subjects).
In Acts 1:6, after the Resurrection, the disciples still expected Jesus to establish this Kingdom in fulfilment of God’s covenant promises to Israel: “They asked Him: "Lord will You at this time restore the (Messianic) Kingdom to Israel?" This proves that Jesus had not taught them that there would not be such a Kingdom. The only issue was its timing. Jesus answer confirms this: “And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times (‘chronos’) or seasons (‘kairos’) which the Father has put in His own authority” (v7).
Although Jesus was ready to establish the Kingdom, Israel was not yet ready to receive it. When Jesus spoke these words, Israel was still in the time of decision over Christ, and so He could not clearly reveal to them the timing of the Messianic-Kingdom, for He wanted them to continue to make the offer to Israel for a time. (Of course, we now have much more knowledge of the Father’s ‘times and seasons’). Jesus knew, however, that Israel would reject Him, and so He prepared His disciples for their Mission in the coming Church-Age:“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (v8).
Israel’s unbelief meant the Messianic Kingdom was delayed, but delay is not denial. Instead of establishing this Kingdom, He would first establish a new mystery-dispensation, with a new programme and people of God. Then, after-wards the Kingdom must be established to fulfil the covenants and prophecies.
The condition of Israel over the last 2000 years up to the present day is perfectly explained and described by the Bible. The mystery of Israel to many is both her suffering and existance. Why she has suffered so much, and how she has continued to survive as a nation? As God’s elect covenant people, whatever happens she can never be destroyed. But because of her rejection of Messiah, instead of receiving the Kingdom she came under Divine discipline and as a result was scattered to the nations and has suffered greatly (Luke 21:21-24).
Despite her unbelief, God has not finished with her, and her discipline is only for a certain time, after which she will be restored. In fulfillment of the many prophecies that she must be regathered to her Land before the end of the age, Israel was miraculously reborn in 1948. God did this in preparation for the Tribulation, which requires Israel to be back in the Land. In this future time, she will face her greatest ever suffering, but God’s purpose is to have His final dealings with her to restore her to fellowship and faith, so that by the end of the Tribulation, she will repent and receive Jesus (Yeshua) as her Messiah and call upon Him for salvation.
He will then save Israel from destruction at His 2nd Coming, and establish His Kingdom, with Israel fully restored as chief nation. Thus, Israel’s sufferings (past, present and future) and the origin and purpose of the Tribulation are explained by Israel’s original rejection of the King and Kingdom.