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| THE KINGDOM IN PROPHECY
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#302
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Throughout the pages of the Bible are scattered hundreds of
prophecies about the Kingdom of God. Predictions were made
concerning the time, place and circumstances which would
accompany its inception. The first prophecies, dating back some
two thousand years before Christ, were pretty vague and sketchy.
For instance, Genesis 49:10 suggested some sort of ruler who
would one day come from the tribe of Judah. We find in II Samuel
7:12-13 that a king would emerge from the descendants of David;
and, that he would build a house for God’s name. It might seem
obvious that this prediction was fulfilled in David’s son,
Solomon, except for one thing: Long after Solomon’s death, these
same predictions continued to flow from the pens of God’s
prophets. About 700 BC, Isaiah was still looking for the “house
of the Lord” to be established in Jerusalem and for all nations
to flow into it (Isaiah 2:2-3). Likewise, he was still looking
for a child to be born of which he said, “There will be no end
to the increase of His government” and He will rule “on the
throne of David and over His kingdom” (Isaiah 6:6-7).
We wonder: When would these things come to pass? From the
tribe of Judah and from the family of David would come a
descendent who would build a house for the Lord and would reign
over a mighty kingdom. But when? When might He be expected? The
prophet Daniel gives us another clue which is not so vague as
those in earlier times. In the second chapter of Daniel we find
a prophecy that four great empires would eventually rule the
earth in succession. A simple check of history reveals that
these kingdoms were the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman
empires. Concerning the Roman empire Daniel said, “In the days
of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which
will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). Thus, the Kingdom of God
could be expected in the days of the Roman Empire -- the days in
which Jesus lived and walked the earth.
As we might expect, then, the prophecies become even more
specific in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In Luke
1:32-33, Mary is told about the child she would bear. Concerning
Him it was said, “He will be great, and will be called the Son
of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of
His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob
forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” The Scriptures have
now pinpointed the identity of this long awaited King. And as He
appeared on the public scene, Jesus came forth saying, “... the
kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Indeed, throughout
His ministry, Jesus continually talked about the Kingdom. He
told the people to pray for the Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).
He said that He would give them the “keys of the kingdom”
(Matthew 16:19). And He used parables to tell what the kingdom
would be like. In fact, He predicted that the appearance of
God’s Kingdom was very close. He said, “There are some of those
who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see
the kingdom of God after it has come with power” (Mark 9:1).
From the tribe of Judah and the family of David would come
a King. He would establish God’s eternal Kingdom in the days of
the Roman Empire and in the lifetime of those who heard Jesus
speak. But it would not be in His lifetime; for after the death
of Jesus we see His followers still awaiting the kingdom. In
Luke 23:51, Joseph of Arimathea is described as one “who was
waiting for the kingdom of God” ... even as he buried the body
of his Lord. After Jesus’ resurrection, and just before He
ascended to heaven, His disciples were still asking, “Lord, is
it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts
1:6) Then, in Acts 1:9, it says, “He was lifted up while they
were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”
Little did they realize that Jesus could never receive His
kingdom until after His ascension through the clouds and His
appearance before the Timeless God of Eternity. You see, the
prophet Daniel had envisioned the ascension of Christ 550 years
before it happened. He wrote, “I kept looking in the night
visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of
Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before Him.” Now, listen to what Daniel says, “And to
Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the
peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away;
and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Daniel
7:13-14).
The Kingdom over which Jesus reigns was given Him at His
ascension back to Heaven. Until the time of Jesus’ ascension in
Acts 1, Kingdom Prophecies always looked to the future. Prior to
the second chapter of Acts, the Kingdom is never said to be in
existence. It is always in prophecy. But not so after the second
chapter of Acts. As we shall see in the next lesson, inspired
writers of later New Testament books describe the Kingdom as
being in existence and considered themselves as being part of
it.
| Bible
Probe |
THE KINGDOM IN
PROPHECY |
302
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1. How can we tell that the prophecy in II Samuel 7:12-13 is
not entirely fulfilled in Solomon?
2. What can we learn about the Kingdom of God from each of the
following passages?
Genesis 49:10
II Samuel 7:12-13
Daniel 2:44
3. According to Luke 1:32-33, who was the descendent of David
foretold in Kingdom Prophecies?
4. What did Jesus say about the Kingdom of God in each of the
following verses?
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 6:10
Mark 9:1
5. What can we learn about the Kingdom of God from each of the
following passages?
Luke 23:51
Acts 1:6
6. By comparing Acts 1:9 & Daniel 7:13-14, what can we learn
about the Kingdom of God?
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Your Bible questions answered here.