|
Hoyte Nelson's Poems/Reflections & Biblical Essays
|
| Home |
Essay The
Restored Kingdom (The “Mystery”), Hidden in Ages Past! “LORD,
will you at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1: 6b. NKJV) The purpose of this essay is to discuss the subject
of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, and the mystery that was hidden in
ages past: That the Jew and Gentile would be forever one in Jesus Christ as the
Israel of God (Colossian 1:26,27). Before
we address this most important subject, it is important that we understand the
historical background for such a question. It is found in 2 Kings 17: 18, where
it is said, “So the Lord
was very angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; none
was left except the tribe of Judah.” Even though Israel as a nation was never to be restored as we know it (see Ezekiel 37 where David is said to rules in an eternal kingdom (Ezekiel 37:25-28); however, Judah, as a nation, continued to fulfill God’s special purpose as prophesied long ago: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Genesis 49:10). When
“Shiloh” came (the Messiah), Judah, as God’s instrument of redemption, was
fulfilled as was prophesied “The Lord
said this also of Judah, I will remove Judah also from my sight, as
I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have
chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there’” (2 Kings
23:27). It was truly a
sad day when Judah, as a nation, rejected Jesus as their king; nevertheless, it
was the beginning of a glorious New Kingdom, not of this world, but a new
heavenly kingdom established in the heart of every believer: Jew and Gentile, as
one body in Christ. The mystery revealed to the Apostle Paul that the Jew and
the Gentile would now and forever be one body in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:
28,29). Now,
for the disciples to ask the question about a “restoration” of the kingdom
was truly in order. Jesus had reminded the disciples of the day when his Kingdom
would include more than Jews (Israelites) when He said to them (following the
healing of the Centurion’s servant, a Gentile): “I say to you that many will
come from east and west, and recline at
the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast
out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth” (Matthew 8: 11,12). The
Apostle Paul, quoting the prophet Hosea, reminded Israel that the day would come
when the Gentiles would be a part of this kingdom. This is what is written,
“As He says also in Hosea, I will call
those who were not My people, ‘My
people,’ And her who was not
beloved, ‘beloved. And
it shall be that in the place where it
was said to them, ‘you are not My
people,’ There they shall be
called sons of the living God.”
Continuing, Paul writes, “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though
the number of the sons of Israel be like
the sand of the sea, it is the
remnant that will be saved; for the
Lord will execute His word on the earth,
thoroughly and quickly,” And just
as Isaiah foretold, “Unless the Lord of
Sabaoth had left to us a posterity,
We would have become like Sodom, and
would have resembled Gomorrah. What shall we say then? That Gentiles,
who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness
which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive
at that law. Why? Because they
did not pursue it by faith, but as
though it were by works. They stumbled
over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold,
I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense, And he who
believes in Him will not be disappointed”
(Romans 9: 25-33). Now,
let us return to the question asked by the disciples: “Will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” God had, through the
prophets, given to them many glimpses of a restored eternal kingdom; so what was the answer? The answer is in the
mystery that had not yet been made known to the Apostles (or prophets for that
matter) because this is what he said to them, “It is not for you to know times
or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority,
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1: 7,8). In other words, this kingdom would include people form all parts of
the world. The kingdom would no longer be confined to Israel only, but was to be
worldwide in scope. If Jesus had said “yes, this is the day” (when those disciples asked the question about the restored kingdom), they could not have possibly understood the significance of what was he was taking place because the “mystery” that was kept secret from the prophets (and angels) for past ages; this had not yet been made known to them. It was not factually made known until God unlocked the door to the Gentiles as revealed to Peter in the Cornelius’s experience (Acts 10), and was subsequently made known to the Jews as is recorded in Acts 11: 1-18.
More particularly, God gave to the Apostle Paul in what he
called, a “revelation” concerning the Gentiles being one with the Jews. This
had been kept secret from both prophets and angels: That is this: that the Jews
and the Gentiles would now and forever be one in Christ. This is what he said,
“…if indeed you have heard of the
stewardship of God’s grace, which was given to me for
you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote
before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my
insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made
known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and
prophets in the Spirit; to
be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the
body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel…”
(Ephesians 3:2-6). Remember,
the disciples, at that time, had no knowledge of the fact that the Gentiles
would now become fellow heirs of the kingdom along with the saved remnant from
Israel. Paul continues in this same passage,
saying, “of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s
grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the
very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the
unfathomable riches of Christ, and to
bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been
hidden in God who created all things
so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to
the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
This was in accordance with the
eternal purpose, which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians
3:7-11). To the
Colossians he wrote, “that is, the
mystery which has been hidden from the past
ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God
willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles, which is Christ in you (Gentiles), the hope of glory” (Colossians
1:26,27). These
many truths, hidden in the mystery of God’s eternal purposes concerning the
make up of His church, is the very foundation of eschatology; therefore, I am
looking for the soon coming of our Lord to receive His kingdom already
established in the hearts of His redeemed children; whereas we, in the New
Heaven and the New Earth, will reign with Him forever as promised in 2 Peter 3:
9-13, Isaiah 65: 17, etc.
I believe that we, as Christians today, are in danger of promising to
Israel a future hope that is based upon suppositions that are without
foundation. The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote this:
“Today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time” (2
Corinthians 6: 2). Again Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for
it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). To offer them another
opportunity could very well deny them their only hope, “Today!” The
Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians (Gentile), gave to them this explanation:
“Wherefore remember, that ye (you) being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Un-circumcision by that which
is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye
(you) were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and
strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world: But now in Christ Jesus ye (you) who sometimes were far off are made nigh
by the blood of Christ. For he is our
peace, who hath made both one (Jew and Gentile), and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us, Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (Jew and Gentile) one new man, so
making peace” (Ephesians 2: 11-15 KJV). The
Kingdom restored: The answer as to the restoration of the kingdom as was renewed
in the Davidic covenant was fulfilled at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This
is how Peter described it in his message at Pentecost: “Brethren,
I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and
was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because
he was a prophet and knew that God had
sworn to him with an oath to seat one
of his
descendants on his throne, he
looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ…”
“For it was not David who ascended
into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The
Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My
right hand, Until I make
Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’”
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has
made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified”(Acts 2:
29-36). Therefore, the “restored kingdom” of David was established at the
resurrection of Christ, as He is now seated on David’s Throne; furthermore, it
will be consummated at the Second Coming of our Lord (2 Peter 3: 13; Isaiah 65:
17; Revelation 21; 1), etc.). Jesus
said, “My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36a).
Matthew records these words, “And Jesus went about…preaching the
gospel of the kingdom…” (Matthew 28: 20). Just as God spoke through Israel
the message of the kingdom under the Old Covenant under Law, He now proclaims
the message of the kingdom through the church under the New Covenant of Grace.
Jesus said, “Do not be afraid,
little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke
12: 32). The gospel of the kingdom now waits the harvest; then the final trumpet
will sound forth “on that DAY” as revealed in 2 Thessalonians 1: 6-10. The only reference in the New Testament that I am aware of that gives a
complete actual portrait of the “Day of Judgment” is recorded in Paul’s
letter to the Thessalonians wherein it is written: “… when the Lord Jesus
will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out
retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel
of our Lord Jesus; these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when
He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among
all who have believed for our testimony to you was believed” (Read 2
Thessalonians 1: 7-10). Therefore,
I am not looking for Jesus to come
and restore an earthly kingdom, but He is coming to
“receive” His eternal kingdom,
already restored as the church of the redeemed, both of the Jew and of the
Gentile as one eternal Kingdom now being completed in Jesus Christ. Paul
said these words, “to Him be
the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to
all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3: 21). |