Wednesday, July 10, 2013

 Following is an article I am writing in response to a discussion on Meetchristians.com.

The Messianic Kingdom

New Testament
Expectation of the Imminent Establishment of the Messianic Kingdom by New Testament Writers.

By Kent Secor
All Bible references from the NIV


Part 1

I look to show that the kingdom of Messiah Jesus started in the New Testament times. That the wrath of God upon the rebelling ones of Israel was a part of the establishment of the new covenant kingdom of God in Messiah and was expected by all of the NT writers.

Introduction

The Messianic prophesies promise the establishment of the new covenant kingdom. The Gospel recorded in the New Testament is that of the fulfillment of this promised kingdom, or the gospel of the kingdom. The prophesies state that the Messiah was born with the government of the kingdom upon his shoulders, that it would start small and grow to fill the whole earth.

The New Testament writers all record that those of Jesus day expected the kingdom to start in their time. When Jesus was recognized and declared to be the Messiah come, his disciples understood and expected him to establish his kingdom. They even discussed and argued as to who would be greatest in the new kingdom and sit on Jesus’ right or left hands.

From John the immerser, Jesus himself and the comments of the disciples we can see that all declared that the kingdom of Messiah was present. The kingdom was established with the new covenant ratified by the sacrifice of the Messiah, whose blood redeemed the citizens of the kingdom from the kingdom of death and sin. The kingdom was fully established with the destruction of the old Mosaic covenant rule, and the temple.

It is also clear that the New Testament writers expected the end of that  present kingdom of God in Israel to be destroyed in the near future. This too is part of the Messianic prophesies and part of the establishment of the new covenant and the kingdom of God in Messiah.

John warns of the coming wrath, the fire that those cut down would be thrown into. Jesus warns of the wrath of God to come, declaring woes upon those who fail to repent and reject the Messiah of God. Paul declares the end times to be upon them. Peter gives encouragement to wait for the soon end. And John the beloved disciple writes the Revelation of Messiah to his slaves, that all would soon happen.

Jesus born to be Messiah King.

Luke 1:30-33
30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  31  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

The angel Gabriel declares to Mary that her son would be Messiah King, according to the promise of God through the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 9:6,7
6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah declared that the Messiah would be born with the government upon his shoulders, he would be born King to be king. He also declared that his kingdom would increase without any end. Daniel declared that his kingdom would fill the whole earth. (Daniel 2:35) The angel likewise declared to Mary that her son’s kingdom will never end.

The angel did not say that Mary’s son’s kingdom would start in some distant future. It is the present tense that the angel declares. Mary’s son, Jesus, was born Messiah King, at his birth.

The Magi from the East understood that Jesus was the One Born to be Messiah King

Matthew 2:1-11
1  After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2  and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

3  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  4  When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.

5  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:  6  "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

7  Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9  After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  11  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

The Magi came to Jerusalem knowing the prophesies that Messiah was to be born during this time period, according to the word of Daniel.

Dan 9:24-27
24  "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

25  "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26  After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27  He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

 They saw the sign of the Messiah in the stars.

The Magi come to Herod, the king of Israel, asking to see and worship this new born king of the Jews. Herod then calls the chief priests and teachers of the law, who tell him that the Messiah is prophesied to be born in Bethlehem.

John the Immerser expected the coming Messiah King and His Kingdom in that time period.

Matthew 3:1-3
1  In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea  2  and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Mark 1:2-4
2  It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"—3  "a voice of one calling in the desert, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4  And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 3:3-6
3  He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  4  As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.  5  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.  6  And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"

Isaiah 40:3-6 
3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.  5  And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."  6  A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

Luke 1:12-17
12  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

13  But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.  14  He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15  for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.

16  Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  17  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

John came to prepare the way for the Lord. Three gospel writers bear witness.  John came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was near, not far off, but near. John was expecting the near advent of the kingdom of God, he knew it to be immanent, to be soon coming, and not a far off promise.

Isaiah proclaimed that all the world, all men would see the glory of the Lord, or as Luke states it, God’s salvation. And we know that all men did see God’s salvation, which is part of the new covenant and the eternal kingdom of God in Messiah.

John also expected the wrath of God on those who fail to repent and enter into the new covenant, submitting to the Messiah King.

Matthew 3:7-10
7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  8  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9  And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Luke 3:7-9; 15-18 
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9  The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

15  The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.

16  John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17  His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

18  And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

John the last of the great prophets, considered the greatest of the prophets because he prepared the way for Messiah Lord, foretold the soon coming wrath of God on the unrepentant of Israel. John did not warn those who came to him about a great tribulation to be poured out on the world thousands of years in their future, for some future generation to experience. John warned those who came to him about the soon coming wrath of God that they, that generation, needed to flee from.

The image of the axe laid at the root of the tree is a warning of impending judgment.  A tree being cut down and burnt up is an illustration of how the Jewish world was to end, with those who were unrepentant, rebelling against God’s Messiah, being cut down and burnt with fire.

John declared that the kingdom and wrath of God was near. John understood that both would happen in the life time of those he preached repentance to. John warned his audiences to flee the wrath of God that would take place in their lifetime.

John also declared that the coming Messiah would both gather and destroy. Gather his wheat, the good fruit, into his barn, and burn up the chaff.

This is a very clear view of the fullness of the establishment of the kingdom of God in Messiah. He came to first collect up his people, then to enact fiery judgment upon the rebellious. He immerses both with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. By immersing with his Holy Spirit he  empowers those who believe on his name to become sons of God. By immersing  with fire, He brings  judgment upon unbelieving and unrepentant Israel. Both are immanent in John’s view.

John told the truth, he was not confused as some teachers today teach. John knew the general time frame when the fullness of Messianic prophesies would be fulfilled, and declared the immediate need for his audience to repent, preparing for the coming new covenant kingdom and flee to coming wrath of God.

In historic order, the kingdom of God was born with the King Messiah. It was established by the ratification of the new covenant by the sacrificial and redemptive blood of the Messiah.  With the Messiah coming forth from the grave, then ascending to his throne in Heaven, the kingdom was secured. With the outpouring of the indwelling God, the Holy Spirit, the citizens of the kingdom were empowered to live the resurrection life of the kingdom.  Then with the immersion of fire, the old covenant kingdom was destroyed.

Within the lifetime of those who heard John’s message, the fiery wrath of God was poured out upon rebelling Israel, those who did not repent and accept the Messiah of God.  All took place within the lifetime of some who heard John preach, some who may of repented before the wrath of God was seen, some who may not have and were caught up in the fire of God’s wrath.



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