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« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2019, 11:15:16 PM » |
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Pastor Stam's Recently Discovered Series - Part 4
David and the Kingdom
The clearest offer, perhaps, is found in Acts 3:19-21, where the apostle says to the “men of Israel”:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
This is not to say, of course, that if that one audience had repented Christ would immediately have returned. Their rejection of Christ was a national matter which called for national repentance. We know also that according to prophecy and certain predictions of Christ Himself much had to transpire before Christ could actually return. Indeed, we now know that the Mystery had to be revealed before the prophecy concerning Messiah’s reign could be fulfilled.
The point is that here at Pentecost Israel was presented with a proposition and made responsible to accept or reject the Messianic kingdom. God’s foreknowledge in the matter did not diminish their responsibility or guilt.
The crucifixion too had been predicted, yet John the Baptist, Christ and the twelve were sent to call the people to repentance and their guilt in the crucifixion, while not one whit diminished by the fact that it was prophesied, was increased by the fact that they rejected the appeal to repent.
Thus Israel rejected both Christ and His kingdom and, as a nation, awaits “the day of His power” when He shall make them willing.
THE PRESENT DISPENSATION
Because the present state of affairs does not seem to be a continuation of the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Christ and the nation Israel some have altered the prophecies to make them fit. The Church of this age, they say, is the Israel referred to in the prophecies concerning the kingdom, and the throne of David is supposed to be the throne on which He now sits as “King of the Church,” while the Canaan of prophecy is heaven itself.
All these alterations are made on the premise that these prophecies should be understood in a “spiritual” sense. But we protest that this failure to take God at His word is carnal, not spiritual and, furthermore, that this whole system of interpretation--(1) leaves us at the mercy of theologians who may tell us what the Scriptures mean, (2) affects the veracity of God and (3) endorses apostasy.
If our brethren who “spiritualize” these promises understood the Mystery they would find no need to alter Prophecy.
The fact is that the present dispensation was a mystery, hid from ages and from generations, until revealed to and through the Apostle Paul, and it is a mystery of which no believer should be ignorant.
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25).
“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:32).
“And that He might reconcile both unto God in one Body by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:16).
The same Christ who was raised from the dead to sit on David’s throne, according to Peter’s Pentecostal address, was also raised up for another purpose, according to the later revelation given through Paul:
“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” (II Tim. 2:7,8).
According to this gospel Christ was raised, not only to be King over Israel, but to be the Head of the Body (Eph. 1:18-23).
The kingdom, for the time being, is vested in the Person of Christ, seated at God’s right hand far above all heavens.
When God presented His “beloved Son,” they cried “Away with Him,” so now believers are “translated into the kingdom of His dear [beloved] Son” (Col. 1:13). “Our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20) and we are sent forth as ambassadors of Christ to offer to His enemies reconciliation by grace through faith (II Cor. 5:14-21), until He calls us to be with Himself (I Thes. 4:16-18).
THE FINAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM
According to Romans 11:25 Israel’s blindness will not be removed until “the fullness of the Gentiles” shall have come in. Indeed, the removal of that blindness is associated with the return of Christ Himself, as the next verse indicates:
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom. 11:26).
The kingdom, then, will not be brought in by the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God. It will be brought in by the return of Christ.
Little wonder that John, who writes particularly for a future generation, calls himself their “companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9), for it will be when the outlook seems most hopeless that our Lord’s return to earth and the establishment of His kingdom will take place.
Nimrod’s successor, “the beast,” aided by Satan, will do all in his power to set up a world empire and will apparently make great progress in this direction, for in Revelation 17:12,13 we read:
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
But “the beast” and his “ten kings” will go one step too far:
“These shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).
It is then that Daniel 2:44 will be fulfilled:
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
Thus the solemn judgments with which God will visit the nations will bring in the beneficent and glorious reign of Christ.
“And the seventh angel sounded: and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.
“And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
“Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee great power, and hast reigned” (Rev. 11:15-17).
BUYING UP THE TIME
The kingdom, then, will be ushered in by judgment, not by grace. Christ will descend from heaven to “judge and make war,” treading “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev. 19:11,15). He will “rebuke strong nations” (Mic. 4:3); He will “speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure” (Psa. 2:5).
Much as we long that our despised Savior shall come into His glory here on earth and much as we long to see this poor world come into the joy and peace of His reign, we thank God that “the day of vengeance” has not yet come.
Though there are no specific signs to indicate the close of the day of grace and of our Lord’s coming to catch us, His ambassadors, out of this sinful scene, we feel the day must be very near that these judgments will take place. We, even more than those of Paul’s day, should take to heart his exhortation:
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
“Redeeming [buying up] the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15,16). |
