Kingdom rejected
THE KINGDOM WAS POSTPONED 2000 years because Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah-King and the New Covenant He offered them in His Blood.
This is not well-known, but understanding this is essential for harmonising
Old-Testament prophecy with the New-Testament.
To be consistent with Old Testament prophecy, Jesus offered Israel the Kingdom. This was not fulfilled by the spiritual Kingdom that Jesus actually established through the Church. So, clearly the literal Kingdom was not established. Rather it was postponed and God inserted an Age which had been a Mystery hidden in God (which as we shall see is the teaching of the New Testament). If the Messianic Kingdom was not postponed, then the spiritual Kingdom of the Church-Age that Jesus brought must be the fulfilment of the prophets but this was not what the prophets literally predicted - and we have a major problem!
Why was the Kingdom postponed? It is clear from reading the Gospels that although many individuals received Christ, Israel as a nation (because
of her leaders) rejected Him, despite the many proofs He gave them. “He came to His own, and His own (ISRAEL) did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:11,12).
If Israel had accepted Jesus as their King, He would have been able to establish the Kingdom that very year (A.D.33). However, because they rejected Him, the Kingdom was postponed for 2000 years. Because that generation rejected Him as their King, saying ‘we will have no King but Caesar’, God rejected them from possessing the Kingdom. It did not mean that the Kingdom would never be established because the Kingdom is based on God’s unconditional promises and Covenant with Abraham.
It just meant that Christ’s generation could not receive it. It was delay not denial.After describing how Israel had rejected Him, Jesus said: "The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a people (a future generation) bringing forth the fruits of it” (a people who will be spiritually qualified to possess the Kingdom) (Matthew 21:43).
This postponement is like Israel’s failure to possess the promised land (a type of the Kingdom) through unbelief. They received salvation through the Blood of the Passover Lamb and could have possessed the land the same year but because of unbelief there was a delay of 40 years wandering in the wilderness before a new generation could enter in. Likewise, the true Passover Lamb was slain in AD33 and had Israel believed she could have possessed the Kingdom that same year but instead she has been wandering in the wilderness of the nations for 2000 years (40 Jubilees!) because of unbelief, but will soon possess the promised Kingdom.
Jesus asked for faith and repentance from Israel in preparation for the Kingdom. John and Jesus came with the message: "Repent, and believe the Gospel...for the Kingdom of God is at Hand" (Mark 1:15). Notice that to possess the Kingdom offered to them, they needed to repent and believe in the Messiah. To be qualified to enter the Kingdom, the needed to be regenerated and receive forgiveness of sins through the New Covenant in the blood of Christ. (When Christ returns there will be judgments on the living Jews and Gentiles and only believers will be allowed to enter the Kingdom).
For the Kingdom to be established, Israel had to receive Christ and be made spiritually qualified. The promised Kingdom is based on God’s Covenant with Israel. As it is centred on Israel, it cannot be established without her co-operation. Therefore, Jesus will only return the second time to establish the Kingdom when Israel repents and receives Him as their Messiah:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Matthew 23:37-39).
In the Messianic Kingdom, God will fulfil the whole Abrahamic Covenant with Israel.
This involves:
1. NATIONHOOD and LAND (The Palestinian Covenant)
2. AN EVERLASTING KING and KINGDOM (The Davidic Covenant)
3. ABUNDANT SPIRITUAL LIFE and BLESSINGS (The New Covenant).
Before Christ, the New Covenant was not made, only promised (Jer31:31-34). God prepared them for the eternal NEW Covenant (in the Blood of God) by giving them a temporary Old Covenant (in the blood of animals). Israel accepted Moses as the mediator of the OLD COVENANT and so the nation entered into it at Mount Sinai on the day of PENTECOST and Moses was to lead them in to possess the land (Kingdom). Likewise, JESUS came as 'the prophet like unto Moses' (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) whom they were to obey as the Mediator of the New Covenant and He would lead them in to possess the Kingdom.
If they had accepted Him and His Covenant, Israel as a nation would have entered into the NEW COVENANT on the Day of PENTECOST and they would have had the Kingdom that same year.This would have replaced the OLD Mosaic Covenant in providing forgiveness and spiritual blessing. But they rejected Christ so the offer of the Kingdom was postponed and meanwhile the Church was grafted into Christ and enjoys the blessings of the New Covenant. In the future, Israel as a nation will enter the New Covenant and be saved and be an exalted nation in the Kingdom Millennium and all God's promises to her will be fulfilled.
Now we can understand the reason that this present period of time
(and the Church) could not be clearly revealed in the Old Testament (although we can now look back and see the Church in some of the Typology of the Old-Testament, it is not mentioned plainly and directly for God was keeping it as a mystery to be revealed in due time). The Messianic Kingdom could not be established until Israel accepted the KING and the NEW COVENANT He brought. This spiritual requirement was necessary for them to enter the Kingdom and for the Kingdom to enter them, but they chose to hold to the OLD COVENANT (the two are mutually exclusive). Jesus came
(1) to SAVE and establish the NEW Covenant in His Blood and
(2) to bring in the KINGDOM as King of the Jews.
However, Israel had tofirst receive Him for the latter to be possible. He proclaimed the Kingdom at hand and Himself as their King (see Matthew's Gospel) and if the nation had ACCEPTED Him, the KINGDOM would have been established then. But they REJECTED the offer (and God knew they would). But it was a genuine offer. If God had made it clear in advance that they would reject it and that there would be a 2000-year Church Age, then it would not have been a genuine offer. Thus this Church Age was a mystery that God could only start revealing through Jesus and His apostles when it was clear that Israel was rejecting Christ.
With this Key, we can harmonise Old Testament prophecy with the New Testament and do full justice to both (fitting together the two halves of the jigsaw). The prophecies of the Messianic Age are not fulfilled by the Church, but will be fulfilled literally when Jesus returns. The Messianic Age was postponed because Israel was not ready and meanwhile the Church, a Mystery hidden in God, was introduced so that salvation might go to the Gentiles. The Church receives all the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant which the prophets had predicted for the Messianic Age: “the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5)
In accepting all the glorious things the New Testament says about the Church, we must not throw away all the great things God says He will do for Israel. However important the Church is, we are only part of God's overall plan. God will fulfil His plan for Israel according to the prophets and His plan for the Church according to the apostles.
Israel’s Rejection of Jesus as King and God's response is clearly shown in the Gospels and Acts.
In particular it is a major theme of Matthew’s Gospel which presents Jesus as the prophesied Messianic King.
1. Jesus’ Early Ministry to Israel. He presented Himself to Israel as their King claiming to be the Messiah, announcing that the Kingdom was at hand, and proving this by many miracles (Matthew 1:1-11:1). Thus the Kingdom was ready to be manifested if Israel would receive it.
2. Opposition. He came against increasing opposition and rejection by Israel’s leaders (Matthew 11:2-16:12). After 2 years of ministry, it was becoming clear that Israel's leaders were rejecting Him. This came to a head in Matthew 12 when He performed a Messianic miracle (a miracle the Jews knew only Messiah could perform). In order to explain this, the leaders accused Him of being possessed by satan rather than by God’s Spirit (v24). He told them that this miracle was by the Holy Spirit: “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you” (v28).
He warned them of the consequences of rejecting the witness of the Holy Spirit to the Person of Christ. He said if they reject Him (and His salvation), they could not be forgiven (v31,32). He was warning that generation of Israel that if they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they would commit an unforgivable sin and come under judgement He said He would give them one more Messianic sign to prove who He was
- the sign of Jonah - his resurrection from the dead after three days:
“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying,
“Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered them,
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth” (v38-40 - also in 16:1-4).
Jesus compared Himself with Jonah (a Type of Christ) - who died and rose again after three days with acid scars from the belly of the great fish as proof. This miraculous sign confirmed His message and Ninevah believed, repented and were spared from judgement after Jonah was 40 days with them. In the same way, the death and resurrection of Jesus after 3 days (with the marks in His body as proof) was His greatest sign to Israel (confirming His claims). He too was present with Israel 40 days after this, but they still rejected Him.
As a result, rather than Israel inheriting the Kingdom, judgement fell upon
her instead. By now Jesus knew that Israel would reject Him:
“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgement with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (v41,42).
Finally, Jesus warned Israel again of the consequences of rejecting Him through a Parable: "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, `I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation" (Matthew 12:43-45).
The House of Israel was cleansed through the ministry of John the Baptist in preparation for Jesus to come in and rule as the Messiah. However they rejected Him and the House remained empty. As a result Israel will be invaded and great evil will come upon her in that same generation (fulfilled in AD70 when the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem and burnt the Temple, scattering her to the nations).
3. The Mystery Kingdom Revealed.
This was a turning point for Jesus’ ministry. He began preparing the disciples for the NEW dispensation - for what lay ahead after His death and resurrection -THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY. (It was so radical that they were not ready for the full revelation which would be given after the resurrection, especially through the Apostle Paul - John 16:12,13). So in Matthew 12:46-50 and Matthew 13, Jesus gave them new teaching in Parables which was the first revelation of the Mystery Kingdom (Church Age) that he would introduce instead of the Messianic Kingdom, because it was now clear Israel was rejecting His offer. We study these parables in detail later in this book. They were a form of teaching which allowed Jesus to reveal the Mystery to His disciples while keeping the unbelieving leaders in the dark. This was necessary because Israel had not yet made a final decision and God had not yet cut her off. This is studied in detail in Part 2.
4. When did God cut Israel off?
Some believe Israel was cut off at this time (before the Cross), but
(1) They first had to be given and reject the sign of Jonah (the raising of
Jesus Christ after three days in the heart of the earth - Matthew 12:28-32).
This was the greatest Messianic sign which would remove all excuse.
(2) The unforgivable sin of rejecting the witness of the Holy Spirit was not complete until Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit.
(3) This is confirmed by the fact that in Acts 3:19-23 the Kingdom was still offered to Israel if they would repent.
(4) He told the parable of a Fig-Tree some months later, in Luke 13:5-9:
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
He also spoke this parable:
“A certain man (JESUS) had a Fig Tree (ISRAEL)
planted in his vineyard (the LAND),
and he came seeking fruit (FAITH) on it and found none.
Then he said to the Keeper of his Vineyard (the FATHER),
‘Look, for three years (the ministry of Jesus)
I have come seeking fruit on this Fig Tree and find none.
Cut it down; why does it use up (waste) the ground?’
(notice that the cutting off of Israel will result in her removal from the land).
“But He answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also,
until I dig around it and fertilise it. And if it bears fruit, well.
But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
In this parable Jesus is warning Israel of coming destruction. Jesus is the man Who ministered for three years to Israel (the Fig-Tree) which was planted in the land (the Vineyard). He came looking for faith and found none and so at this stage He asked the Keeper (God, the Father) to cut the tree down because it was using up the ground but not fulfilling its purpose. The Keeper then requested that it have one more year of grace before judgement falls. If it responds - then good. If not - then after that year, Jesus will cut Israel off, which would result in her being expelled from the land. Now Jesus ministry was three and a half years, so this happened six months before the Cross.
The extra year then ended six months after the Cross. Therefore when Israel did not repent, Israel must have been officially cut off spiritually by Jesus six months after the Cross for not bearing the fruit of faith. In turn this resulted in her destruction and removal from the land by the Romans in AD 70, as Jesus had predicted on many occasions.
This cutting off of Israel in AD 33, six months after the Cross, was such an important event that it must have been clearly marked in Scripture. Indeed, it is recorded in Acts 7 with Stephen’s speech and martyrdom.Although they were not yet cut off, Israel’s clear rejection of Christ meant that at this stage of His ministry, Jesus no longer proclaimed the Kingdom as near and at hand but instead (as we shall see) He announced a delayed Kingdom and coming judgment (instead of glory) upon Israel for rejecting Him.
5. The Postponement of the Kingdom is pictured in Parables.
Luke and Matthew tell two similar parables about a Banquet for Israel. Israel rejects the invitation, and as a result the invitation is given to a new group of people. However these parables are not identical and each teaches a distinctive truth. In Matthew’s Parable, it is a Wedding-Banquet which symbolises the Messianic Kingdom (which includes the blessings of the New-Covenant). When Israel rejected the offer, the Banquet (Messianic Kingdom) was postponed and in the meantime she is judged and the invitation goes out to the whole world to become part of the future Messianic Kingdom. In Luke’s Parable the Banquet is not a Wedding, but represents participation in the blessings of the New-Covenant. When Israel rejected the invitation, the Banquet still takes place, but a whole new group (the Gentiles) are invited to partake of the New-Covenant in Christ (signifying the Church-Age).
Matthew 22:2-10 describes a Wedding-Banquet: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a certain King (God) who arranged a Marriage Feast for His Son (Jesus Christ), and sent out His servants to call those who were invited to the Wedding (Israel) and they were not willing to come.”
The Marriage is between Christ and His Bride (all resurrected believers) which will happen at the opening of the Messianic Kingdom. The Millennium will start with the Marriage-Feast of the Lamb, and the whole Age is represented by a Feast, for the eating and drinking represents the receiving of all the New-Covenant blessings paid for by the Blood of Christ and freely poured out through the Holy-Spirit. Those who are invited to join the celebration are those still in their natural bodies.
They are called to come and receive (feast on) the spiritual blessings of the New-Covenant, even though they are not resurrected yet. The first guests to be invited were Israel, for through the Abrahamic Covenant they were to have first place in the Kingdom. They had been previously invited through the prophets and were simply awaiting the time of Messiah’s arrival, when they were to come to the Feast. At this time, God sent His servants (John the Baptist, Jesus and His disciples) to Israel, to call them to the Wedding-Feast. They preached: “The Kingdom is at hand, the time is now, Christ has come. Get ready, and come in faith to Christ.”
But although they had been invited and called through the Gospel, they were not willing. The Kingdom (Feast) was offered to Israel, but the invitation was rejected.
“Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the Wedding.” In the months after the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, God again sent forth His servants (the apostles) to Israel to invite them to the Wedding (offering them the Messianic-Kingdom). Through His death, resurrection and outpouring of the Holy-Spirit at Pentecost, all things (all the provisions of the New-Covenant) were paid for, made ready and were on the table. Israel could still have believed in Christ and accepted the invitation and the Marriage-Feast (the Kingdom) would have been established then, but Israel rejected His offer of a King and a Kingdom: “But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them (Israel’s rejection of the Son was confirmed by the persecution of His servants).
But when the King heard about it, He was furious. And he sent out His armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city (as a judgement upon Israel’s rejection of her Messiah, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70). Then He said to His servants:
‘The Wedding (Kingdom) is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy (God had been ready to establish the Kingdom, but because Israel rejected the offer, He had to delay the Wedding and the Feast). Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the Wedding.” So as a result of Israel’s rejection of the invitation, the Feast (kingdom) is delayed for a time during which God starts a new programme of inviting all people to participate in the Feast (Kingdom), especially those who had previously been on the outside (the Gentiles).
“So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good” (In the Church Age, His servants go out into all the world to preach the Gospel to all people inviting them to be in God’s Kingdom).
“And (as a result) the Wedding Hall was filled with guests.”
This shows the picture at the end of the age, when Jesus returns with the Wedding-Feast (the Messianic Kingdom) about to begin (v11). There are many who have accepted the invitation (the believers) and thus will become part of the Kingdom (Feast). Salvation is by grace, through believing and accepting God’s invitation through the Gospel. At His Return Jesus will judge these believers according to their works, and they will be rewarded accordingly, or suffer loss of glory and opportunity (v11-14).
Luke 14:15-24 describes a Feast, but not necessarily a Wedding-Feast, since the focus is now on feasting on the spiritual-blessings of the New-Covenant. Although these were originally associated with the Messianic-Kingdom; when Israel rejected this Kingdom, God gave these blessings to the Church (all those who accept the Gospel invitation to come and partake of this salvation): “When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, He said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the (Messianic) Kingdom of God!” But He said to him, “A man was giving a big Dinner (Feast), and he invited many; and at the Dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’
As in the Matthew Parable, Israel is invited to a Feast (to partake of the blessings of the New-Covenant, made ready through the Blood of Christ). But they all alike began to make excuses (the feeble-ness of these excuses revealed their unwillingness to come). The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ And the slave came back and reported this to his Master.” Most of Israel rejected Christ’s gracious invitation to dine at His table.
“Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the Master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges and compel (urge) them to come in, so that my house may be filled. ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.”
The food (the New-Covenant blessings) would not be wasted and the Dinner would go ahead, but with a different group of guests. The invitation now goes out to all people (especially those who had not previously been invited - the Gentiles) to come and and share in the Feast of the spiritual blessings of the Kingdom through the New Covenant, while those for whom the Dinner was prepared and who had rejected the invitation are excluded from salvation (unbelieving Israel). Salvation is by grace, through believing and accepting Christ’s invitation to come and feast at His table, receiving through faith His spiritual blessings, freely given to us in Christ.
6. The Church Announced. As Israel’s rejection of Jesus gathered strength, He announced the future building of His new Assembly - the Church, distinct from Israel, which would be God’s witness on earth for the time that Israel would be out of fellowship: “On this Rock (Jesus Christ) I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18) This is the first mention of the Church, which did not yet exist. Here Jesus explained who would be in the Church, and how the Church would be built (v13-17).
The Church is built upon the foundation of Jesus and would be composed of those who have a personal revelation that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God; those who believe in Him, confessing Him as Lord.Such a person would become a living stone (‘petros’ = Peter) built upon the Rock (the resurrected Christ) and thus he shares the nature of Christ and His victory over death and Hell. Jesus would build His Church through His death and resurrection: “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (v21). As the time approached for His rejection by Israel to reach the inevitable climax of His death, He began to prepare his disciples for the coming events.
7. The Transfiguration However, Jesus still planned to establish
His Kingdom and to prove, thus He gave His disciples a picture-vision of His future Coming in Glory to establish His Kingdom - through the Transfiguration: “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom. Now after 6 days (after 6,000 years will the Kingdom be established) Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make 3 tabernacles here, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While He was speaking, a bright cloud over-shadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 16:28 -17:13).
Peter’s later comments confirm that the Transfiguration was a Type of the Coming Messianic Kingdom (2 Peter1:16-19):
“We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of His Majesty. For He received from God the Father, honour and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic Word (of His Coming and His Kingdom - through the Old Testament prophets) confirmed (by the sign of the Transfiguration - through the personal testimony of the New-Testament apostles), which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place (it is still night in the world and so we have to live by the light of the world), until (1) the DAY (the 1000-year Messianic Kingdom) dawns (when Christ will appear in glory, shining like the sun, for the Kingdom will be established by the Coming of Jesus Christ), AND (2) the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Shortly before the sun rises to awaken the whole world, there is the appearance of the morning-star while it is still night (only seen by those who are awake). This speaks of a release (manifestation) of glory within the hearts of believers before the manifestation of the glory of the Son to the world. This is of course referring to the Rapture! Thus we have two prophesied manifestations of God to look forward to (the Rapture and Second-Coming of Christ).
Until then we have the sure light of the Word of God to live by (consisting of the Old-Testament prophets, confirmed by the testimony of the New-Testament apostles (such as Peter). Notice that Peter said that the New-Testament confirmed the prophecies of the Old-Testament (rather than denying or reinterpreting them).
The main elements of the Kingdom were present in the Transfiguration.
1. A glorified Christ who reigns with the pleasure of the Father.
(These words of the Father confirmed Him in His Kingly Office, whereas at His baptism the Father confirmed Him in His prophetic office, and in John 12:28 the Father spoke again confirming Him in the High-Priestly ministry He was about to accomplish through His death and resurrection and ascension).
2. Glorified saints (Moses - typifying those who left the earth by death,
and Elijah - typifying those who receive translation through the Rapture).
3. Believing Jews still alive on earth and enjoying the glory as represented by the three disciples.
8. As things stood with Israel, it was no longer possible for the Messianic Kingdom to come immediately.
On His final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus told a parable to prepare His disciples for the fact that He would be absent for a time and that the Kingdom would not be established immediately, since from prophecy and from his own preaching they would have assumed that He as the Messiah would establish the Kingdom right then.
Luke 19:11-27: “Jesus told a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. He said, “A nobleman (Jesus) went to a distant country (the right hand of the Father) to receive a Kingdom for himself, and then return” (because the people rejected His right to rule, He had to go to a higher authority).
Something similar happened in Jesus’ time. When Herod the Great died, Judea was left to his son Archelaus but that met with Jewish resistance. So he was delayed in becoming King and instead had to go away to Rome to receive authority to reign. The Jews sent a delegation of 50 men to Rome t tell Augustus that they did not want him as King. Rome agreed to let him rule and he eventually returned to rule with Rome’s support.
Likewise Jesus is saying that He had to go away because Israel had rejected Him as King but He will return at the time set by the Father and with the Father’s authority and the Kingdom will be established but there will be a lengthy delay. “So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come’ (while He is absent, important work will be done - the Church Age).
But his citizens (Israel) hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us’ (they continued their rejection of Him even after He ascended into Heaven). And so it was that when he returned, having received the Kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. (When Jesus returns, He will establish the Kingdom, but first He will judge and reward His servants - v16-26).
When He returns, He will also come with power and judge (kill) all those who reject Him as King. ‘But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me’” (v27). When He returns, only believers will be allowed to enter the Kingdom.
9. The last few days in Jerusalem.
Matthew 21: Jesus formally presented Himself as King in His Triumphal Entry in fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9. “This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet: ‘SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN” (v4,5). Many welcomed Him with the official greeting to be given to Messiah: “The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!” (v9).
Luke 19:41-44: “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies (Rome) will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” This was a special day when Israel should have officially accepted Christ and thereby ensure they would enter the Kingdom of peace. But their spiritual blindness concerning Him meant judgment for them, fulfilled by the Romans in AD 70.
Again the reason for Jerusalem’s destruction is that they did not recognise that they were living in the time of Messiah’s visitation to Israel and thus rejected Him. As we shall see, they should have known from the prophet Daniel that they were living in such a time. His presentation included cleansing the Temple (v12,13) and healing the sick (v14) but the leaders opposed Him (v15); yet He confirmed his claims by receiving the praise of the people (v15,16).
The next day, following the leaders official rejection, He cursed a Fig-Tree. Matthew 21:18-22: “Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a Fig Tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the Fig Tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it (the next day), they marvelled, saying, “How did the Fig Tree wither away so soon?” It immediately started to wither from the roots upwards, and by the next day the whole Tree was visibly withered (Mark 11:20). As before, the Fig-Tree represents Israel. Jesus had come to it but found no fruit (faith), only leaves (religion). Thus Jesus symbolically acted out on the Fig-Tree the judgement that would soon come upon Israel.
Israel had a call from God to bear fruit that the nations could eat. That is, she was to believe in God and His Messiah and communicate that faith to the world. She was specially anointed by God to be blessed and to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). But even after the grace of Messiah had been poured out upon her, she was in unbelief (fruitless). This curse on Israel of her continually not bearing fruit signified that God was giving Israel over to her unbelief (her blindness and hardness of heart) for an extended period of time. Jesus also said: “no man shall eat fruit from you again” (Mark 11:14).
This indicates that He was with-drawing her anointing to be God’s witness to the nations. He judged the Fig-Tree (with fruitlessness) by cutting it off from its water supply (causing it to wither from the roots). Likewise, later in AD 33, Jesus spoke the word to cut Israel off spiritually, resulting in her settled state of unbelief concerning Himself. As the judgement on the Tree was manifested the next day, so the cutting off of Israel was manifested physically later in AD 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed and Israel was dispersed to the nations.
This picture shows how Israel’s cutting off resulted in her fruitlessness - her spiritual blindness and hardening of heart concerning her Messiah in this Age (Romans 11:25, 2Corinthians 3:14-16). The conflicts with the leaders continued (Matthew 21:23-32) followed by a parable showing their attitude to Him. Matthew 21:33-46 also in Luke 20:9-19:
“There was a certain landowner (God) who planted a vineyard (believing Israel) and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers (leaders) and went into a far country (Luke says also: ‘for a long time’) Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vine dressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vine dressers took his servants (the prophets), beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.
Then last of all he sent his Son (Jesus) to them, saying, ‘They will respect my beloved Son.’ But when the vine dressers saw the Son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Here Jesus predicts that the Jewish leaders will kill Him).
Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine dressers?” They said to Him, “He will come and destroy those vine dressers (judgement came upon Israel in AD 70) and give the Vineyard to others who will render to him the fruits in their seasons”
“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone (Jesus) which the builders (Israel’s leaders) rejected has
become the chief Corner (Pinnacle) Stone. This was the LORD’S doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?” The rejected and resurrected Christ will become the foundation of both the Church (Matthew 16:18) and the Messianic Kingdom (Daniel 2:34,35,44). “Therefore I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.”
This has a double application. Firstly, the spiritual Kingdom of God during the Church Age has been taken from Israel and given to the (mostly Gentile) Church, so that the religious leaders of Israel are not God’s representatives. Secondly, the Messianic Kingdom was taken from that generation of Israel, to be given to a later generation of Israel who will believe in Christ (bearing fruit).
“And whoever falls on this stone (rejects Christ) will be broken; but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder (judgement will fall upon those who reject Christ). Now when the Chief Priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking against them. And that very hour they sought to lay hands on Him (to arrest Him), but they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.”
In Matthew 23: Jesus announces woes (judgements) upon Israel and her leaders because of their rejection of Him. E.g: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (v13). They, along with their fathers, were guilty of murdering the prophets and judgement would fall on that generation because they would reject and kill Messiah himself (v31-36).
“Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing!” (they rejected Him). “See! Your house is left to you desolate” (the Temple and Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70) “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Jesus will return when the nation and her leaders will receive Him, v37-39).
Having said this: “Jesus went out and departed from the Temple” (a prophetic action - the glory of God was leaving the Temple through the East Gate because of Israel’s sin) “and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (now God had left the Temple, judgement would fall, and it did in AD 70- it was totally destroyed (Matt 24:1,2)
In His prophecy in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus again makes clear that the Kingdom will not come immediately but that Israel was to expect judgements instead, including the destruction of the Temple and the domination of Jerusalem by Gentiles and the dispersion to the nations (also Luke 23:27-31)
This was fulfilled in AD 66-73: “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24).
The Restoration of Israel. Luke 21:24: “They will fall by the edge of
the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Even in predicting judgement, Jesus teaches that Israel will be restored to the land and to Jerusalem when the Times of the Gentiles were finished. Jesus also prophesied the restoration of Israel to the land in the parable of the Fig-Tree which we have seen represents Israel.
The same Fig-Tree that we saw Him cut down and remove from the vineyard in Luke 13 and the same Fig-Tree that He cursed in Mark 11 will arise again and will be the great sign that we are in the last generation before His return. “Look at the Fig Tree, and all the Trees (signs). When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that Summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Surely, I say to you, this generation (that sees the Fig-Tree) will by no means pass away till all things take place” (Luke 21:29-32).
In John chapters 14-17, Jesus prepared his disciples for the new dispensation with teaching on the operation of the New Covenant in the Church Age and the formation of the New Testament scriptures (John 14:26; 16:13,14).