Amillenarians, generally speaking, tend to spiritualize promises which would teach a future millennium, though they interpret literally prophecies which do not interfere with their system. In this connection she is told that Christ will reign on the throne of His father David over the house of Jacob. God's kingly rule or sovereignty. The Kingdom was never meant to imply the mere rule over Israel. The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 2 (Gal. The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism, Paul and the Rhetoric of Reversal in 1 Corinthians: The Impact of Paul’s Gospel on His Macro-Rhetoric, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Any student of the “Kingdom of God” must never make the mistake of missing the simplest meaning of the phrase in Scripture: “the sovereign rule and reign of the King.” And that King is our Lord Jesus Christ. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’” (Psalm 2:1-3). Prayer is the currency of the Kingdom. The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 1 (Luke 19:1-10), Bible Storying Series - Teaching The Story Of God Chronologically, Bible Teaching Ideas: The Ten Commandments And Ten Fingers. The coming of our Lord Jesus fulfilled this primordial promise and ushered in a reversal of the effects of the Fall. If the rapture of the church may be assumed to be pretribulational, Israel’s program will unfold immediately after the church is translated. And to be “in Christ” requires repentance and faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. The context of Jesus’ statement is a question put to Him by His Pharisee detractors who had asked when the kingdom of God would come (verse 20). In short, we cannot separate Kingdom from Christ. This tension was addressed decisively by Jesus on the cross, Jesus arisen from the grave, and Jesus ascended into heaven. Kingdom of God. Further, the long years in which no one was on the throne of David did not hinder the angel from assuring Mary that her Son would sit on the throne. The provisions of the covenant of David therefore form a broad platform for the eschatology of Israel embodied in the Davidic kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. Part of these promises were fulfilled in Solomon in that Solomon was later born and ultimately built the temple. First intimations of a future kingdom are found in the promises given to Abraham in Genesis 17:6 where it is recorded: “And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.” This is restated in verse 16 of the same chapter in relation to the promise of the son of Sarah: “And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.” The promise of a kingdom given to Abraham’s seed is subsequently narrowed to Isaac and Jacob, and in Genesis 49:10 is further limited to the tribe of Judah. “He says: ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6). Premillenarians do not find the amillennial charge—that the premillennial position is untenable, self-contradictory, and hopelessly confused—is sustained. Such an interpretation not only provides a literal fulfillment of many prophecies pertaining to it, but is fully honoring to the Word of God as that which is inspired infallibly by the Holy Spirit. The earliest example of the title king being used of God is in the 8th century B.C., The consummating Scripture of course in the New Testament which puts the capstone on all these indications is found in Revelation 20 where it is stated plainly that Christ will rule for 1000 years. The victory of Jesus Christ has set the Church and the cosmos on an undeniable trajectory in which earthly kingdoms, powers, dominions, and opposition forces will also be enfolded, willingly or unwillingly, into the rule of the Lord. The King James Version (KJV), also known as the King James Bible (KJB), sometimes as the English version of 1611, or simply the Authorized Version (AV), is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, commissioned in 1604 and completed as well as published in 1611 under the sponsorship of James VI and I. Jeremiah writes: “Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Donald A. Hagner, Rev. Through this son of man, God will establish his dominion over all nations, a dominion that will never pass away or … However, it seems that “after these things I will return” refers to the return of Christ after the period of Gentile .prominence which began in 606 B.C. In John 8:23, Jesus says that He is not from this world. The Kingdom of God is universal, taking in as subjects every creature and thing in the universe. New Testament confirmation was found in such major passages as Luke 1:30-33; Matthew 19:28; 20:20-23; Luke 22:29, 30; Acts 1:6; 15:14-18; and the climactic prophecy of Revelation 20. In Jeremiah 23:5, 6 the reign of the king who is the son of David is described as coming to pass in a day when Judah and Israel shall be saved and dwell safely. Such loving condescension by the Lord to use us in His Kingdom work is not only humbling but magnifies the glory of God. To follow Christ is to become a subject of a Kingdom not of this world, yet, a Kingdom that is within you. This point of view is quite unacceptable to the amillenarian and therefore for them some interpretation of the Davidic covenant must be found other than that of a literal fulfillment. 23 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to collect all the money his servants owed him. From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the … Matthew 4:17 ESV / 32 helpful votes. Bible Verses about the Kingdom - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of… But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and… The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:… And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that… Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory… His rule is marked off by certain events which occur before and certain events which follow His millennial reign. The question of literal interpretation therefore cannot be brushed aside a priori as if the literal interpretation of prophecy is impossible. The Kingdom of God began, not with Jesus’ preaching (for He was preaching what had been taught already from the earliest special revelation of God to Man, making it plain and “bringing it home”). Revelation 21:1-4 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth … The destiny of the kingdom of God administered through Old Testament covenants reached its climax through the work of Christ in establishing the new covenant. The Kingdom is not only near us, in us, but is moving towards a comprehensive translation of all the universe: a new heaven and a new earth. Inasmuch as Israel has not only a prominent place in the plan of God for the past, but also in the future, a proper understanding of the eschatology of Israel does much to open up a proper understanding of God’s purpose as a whole and is seemingly indispensable to any detailed exegesis of the eschatology unfolded in the Old and New Testaments. In a real sense, each time we pray, we are hastening the coming of the Lord. The kingdom on earth is consistently interpreted in a literal way and is not spiritualized in the narratives dealing with the subject in the gospels and Acts. The covenant with David is not only given twice in its major content— namely, II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 17—but it is also confirmed in Psalm 89. The heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, will descend and rest upon the new earth. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 118. John 3:5 In this verse, Jesus introduces a second facet of the Kingdom of God, teaching that a person can enter into it, as well as that one must be "born again" to bring about the entrance.The question arises, "How long must one wait before entering it?" For any Jewish maiden who accepted the Old Testament prophecy concerning the future of Israel and entertained the hope of a coming Messiah, would hardly question that the prophecy given by the angel would be interpreted literally, that is, she would understand by the throne of David an earthly throne such as David enjoyed in his lifetime. There seems to be little disposition to question that Solomon is the son mentioned in the covenant and that he built a literal temple as a house for the Lord. Though all the details are not supplied, it seems clear that the saints living on earth at the end of the millennium will be translated into their eternal state. Rather, it is linked to the earth and to the seed of Israel, and to the land. 25 The man was not able to pay. The phrase "kingdom of God" is not found in the Old Testament, and the idea of God as king does not appear in the wisdom literature, the prophets and much of the historical narratives. In the New Testament in the lineage of Christ as recorded in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, it seems to be made evident that Joseph descended from Solomon, which line was cut off, while Mary descended from Nathan, another son of David, rather than from Solomon. for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. It seems quite clear that the disciples anticipated much the same kind of a literal fulfillment. 56, 57, has given a forceful summary of this point. According to Ezekiel 20:34-38, regathered Israel will be judged and rebels or unbelievers will be purged out. (3) The throne of his kingdom would be continued forever and would not be taken away from David’s son even if he committed iniquity. So his master gave an order. The Kingdom of God is now moving through the lives of God’s people, one by one, and building an unstoppable roadway to a new, future, Kingdom that will express the fullness of the teaching of Jesus. In reply to them, Christ did not say that their hope was vain, that there was not going to be a literal fulfillment. It is probable that there would be little question about the meaning of this covenant, if it did not involve eschatology as a whole. This is further confirmed by the final verse of Amos 9: “And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, saith Jehovah thy God.” In other words, the kingdom is related to the time when Israel will be regathered and be established in their ancient land. Ezekiel 37:22-25 indicates that Israel in that future day will have one king over them and will be a people of God. It would seem evident, therefore, that the people of Israel were acting in good faith when they expected God to revive their kingdom, deliver them from their enemies, and restore them to their ancient land. The promise goes far beyond Solomon, however, in that the kingdom, throne, and David’s house itself were established forever. The precise situation is described in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19 and is confirmed in Romans 11:26, 27. The tension between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God is never ignored by Scripture. Though invisible, as it is worked through into all of the dough, the bread dough is changed. You’re already logged in with your Bible Gateway account. This is happening that God might become “all in all” and that Christ may fulfill the eternal Covenant; handing over the Kingdom to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:28). Pentecost divides these confusing aspects of the kingdom of God into two categories, the eternal kingdom and the theocratic kingdom.4 As Pentecost and others have noted, the theme of the theocratic kingdom can be traced from the Garden of Eden through the period of human government initiated by Noah, the period of the patriarchs initiated by Abraham, the kingdom under the judges, the kingdom under the kings, and finally the kingdom … In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby she shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness. George N. H. Peters in his Theocratic Kingdom provides a masterly summary of the arguments in favor of literal interpretation. He said in effect that before the kingdom could come there had to be a fulfillment of God’s purpose in the church. .” is that part of the Lord’s Prayer that catapults the realm of Jesus into the hearts of people all over the world. In Daniel we discover that the authority invested in the "son of man" is endowed by God. Inasmuch as this would be the normal and natural understanding on the part of Mary in such a prophecy, it is almost unthinkable that God would have used this terminology if as a matter of fact the hope of Israel was a mistake and the prophecies given in the Old Testament were not intended to be understood literally. These two verses nicely encapsulate Daniel’s vision of an end-time “son of man” who will defeat all the enemies of God and of His people. However, in the Old Testament God is spoken of as ruling (for example, Psalm 47:2; Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:17,Daniel 4:17, 4:25-37).The Old Testament emphasis on God's sovereign power over all kings and kingdoms sets the stage for the New Testament teaching. G. E. Ladd, The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism (Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), 221. He understood the promise meant that his house would continue forever. In this covenant the promise of a king and a kingdom is narrowed to David’s seed. John Milton, Paradise Regained, (London: Baskerville, 1758). “Nevertheless, facts are stubborn things. In the study of the prophecy relating to Israel, one of the major themes is the kingdom promised to David. Calling it the "Old" Testament implies to some people that it is done away with and no longer relevant. Here the meticulous accuracy of the promises given to David and Solomon is illustrated. He used the phrase “already and not yet” in A Theology of the New Testament to describe his position on the Kingdom of God and then immediately explains his words: “The early church found itself living in a tension between realization and expectation—between “already” and “not yet.” The age of fulfillment has come; the day of consummation stands yet in the future.”. This literal interpretation and expected fulfillment of the Davidic covenant is of course in keeping with the other covenants previously studied. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' Orthodox Jews will apparently revive their ancient sacrifices and a temple will be provided. In verses 24 and 25 Ezekiel writes: “And my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in mine ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them. Professor of Old Testament The Master’s Seminary God’s kingdom program is a major theme of both the Old Testament and New Testament. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Whatever eschatological (End Times) framework one espouses—e.g., amillennial, dispensational, or postmillennial—the kingdom of God is clearly understood as finding fulfillment in End Times. The massive arguments for literal interpretation of these promises were presented as a proper basis for the fulfillment of this covenant in the future. The subject of the kingdom as it relates to Israel is so large that it will be possible to survey only some of its principal characteristics. In brief, the amillennial point of view is that the Davidic kingdom promised to David’s posterity is not a rule over the house of Israel, but a spiritual rule over the saints fulfilled in Christ’s present session at the right hand of God. The Kingdom of God is mentioned in the Old Testament as the Kingdom of Jehovah (Jehovah being the English expression of the tetragrammaton – YHWH – the four consonant letters that make up the holy name of God in Hebrew). Of the 59 references to David in the New Testament, there is not one connecting the Davidic throne with the present session of Christ. Jesus’ answer was that the kingdom of God was not … The Kingdom of God is not an actual location. It’s easy to think of the Kingdom of God as a physical … He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon... More, 4. In the covenant David is assured that his seed will reign forever, while Solomon is only promised that his throne will continue forever. At the end of the millennial reign of Christ, Satan is loosed and divine judgment overtakes any born in the millennium who rebels against Christ, who are Jewish and Gentile unbelievers. A similar confirmation is found in Jeremiah 33:14-17 where the same particulars are spelled out in detail. It has already been pointed out that postponement and delay of the kingdom is by no means an argument against it, for Hosea 3:4, 5 anticipates precisely such a situation. Immediately following His statement (verses 13–14), Jesus signifies that John was the capstone of the Old Testament revelation and the one who fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi 4:5. The principal difficulty, however, seems to be that the connotation of the Davidic covenant supports the premillennial interpretation of the Bible involving a future reign of Christ on earth as David’s greater Son. Thus the kingdom of God is"realized" and present in one sense, and yet "consistent" and future in another. As late as Luke 22 on the night before His crucifixion, Christ said to His disciples in verses 29, 30: “I appoint unto you a kingdom, even as my Father appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Thus, late in His life after He had already been rejected by the people of Israel Christ repeats the same promises which had characterized the Old Testament, the announcement to Mary, and His conversation with His disciples on previous occasions. Any study of the Kingdom of God without considering what the implications of the Kingdom for one’s own soul and destiny has missed the core teaching of Jesus. The force of the Hebrew, however, is that Israel will continue to possess the land perpetually, that is, until eternity begins. All rights reserved. Christ's office as mediator comprehends three different "functions, viz., those of a prophet, priest, and king. Nathan was instructed to deliver a message to David, the substance of which was that God would build a house to David in the sense of a posterity and that his son, yet to be born, would build a temple for the Lord. to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel' (1 Chr. Dr. George Eldon Ladd of Fuller Theological Seminary wrote convincingly about the two natures of the Kingdom of God: its presence and its future state. “Thy Kingdom come . It would seem that this covenant assured to David that his political rule as well as his physical posterity would continue forever even though it might be interrupted, just as the possession of the land was temporarily interrupted. For God’s rule, which apparently had been reduced by the Fall (when our first parents sinned) and its all-pervasive evil influence in every sphere of life on earth, would eventually be recovered completely. A … When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, that shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. According to Matthew 20:20-23, the mother of James and John came to Christ with a request concerning them: “Command that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left, in thy kingdom.” She certainly was not asking that these disciples would share the Father’s throne in glory, but it is obvious that what she anticipated was that they would share the earthly rule of Christ in the kingdom promised to Israel. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. 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