The Promises of God fulfilled in Christ (Luke 1:68-73) part 5: The Kingdom of God
For the final part of this series I will be addressing the Kingdom of God and Jesus ruling from David’s throne. I will cover some misconceptions in the church today as well as what scripture has to say on these topics. As always this is not meant to be an exhaustive study but meant to give you a high level view of what scripture says on these topics. We will open with a scripture from Amos 9.
“11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the Lord that doeth this.” Amos 9:11-12
I wanted to open with this scripture because much of what is taught in the church today about the second coming, end times, and the Kingdom of God hangs in the balance on when this scripture is to be fulfilled. If we look to Dispensational theology they would say this is to be fulfilled when Christ returns, the rapture happens, and then He rules over a rebuilt Jewish kingdom in the middle east. I would like to let the bible tell us when and how this is fulfilled. Turn to Acts 15:14-17 with me.
“14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” Acts 15:14-17
If we let the bible speak for itself the prophecy from Amos 9:11-12 is not awaiting fulfillment but has already been fulfilled in Acts 15:14-17 with the coming in of the Gentiles. The Dispensational view of this scripture is utterly destroyed by the bible itself and rightly so, the Dispensational view of today is very similar to what the Pharisees believed about the Kingdom of God during Jesus’ ministry. Sadly, much of the Christian church today has similar ideas about an earthly Jewish kingdom. They do not understand that Jesus’ kingdom is here and now, all around us.
In Luke 1:31-33 it says,
“31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
The Dispensational view would be that Jesus has not received the throne of David yet because it is an earthly throne but the true view of this would be that Jesus is now (and has been) sitting on the true, heavenly, throne of David ruling over the spiritual seed of Jacob (Gal 3:29) since he ascended. This is why the church said in Acts 15 that David’s tabernacle had been restored, Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual one that is here among us right now.
Let’s take a look at what Jesus said about this Kingdom during His earthly ministry and what the New Testament says as a whole on this topic. I am just going to list a few scriptures here for you to read and then I will explain it after.
“27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:27
“20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21
“14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” Acts 15:14-17
“22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Heb 12:22-24
“6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” Psa 2:6
When we read all these verses together we start to get a very clear picture. Jesus told the people that some of them would not die before they saw the Kingdom of God. He then told the Pharisees that this kingdom is not something that we can point to and does not come with observation but is within you. We have already seen that the early Church said that David’s tabernacle had already been rebuilt and the coming in of the Gentiles was proof that Jesus was sitting on the throne of David right now. Then when we turn to Hebrews we see that it says that we, RIGHT NOW, have come to the city of the living God, the true mount Sion, the HEAVENLY Jerusalem! We are not looking for the shadow and type of earthly Jerusalem to be rebuilt because God has given His people the true and real Heavenly Jerusalem now! We are not looking for the shadow and type earthly throne in Jerusalem to be rebuilt because we have the true King sitting on the true heavenly throne right now. We are not looking for the shadow and type earthly temple to be rebuilt because we have the true High Priest in the Heavenly temple right now! The problem with the Pharisees view, and the Dispensational view of today, is they look to the shadows and types as the realities when God used those to point us to the true HEAVENLY realities! Jesus is ruling over Jacob’s seed right now! The shadows and types are no longer needed and have been done away with forever (Hebrews chapters 8-10). God has installed His King on the True Zion (Psa 2:6).
I do want to point out that we are living in a state of “already and not yet”. What I mean is that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated but not yet consummated. We are living in the kingdom of God that has been inaugurated among a fallen world with the devil and sin still present but when Christ returns sin and Satan will be done away with and there will only be the kingdom of God. In Christ’s return the kingdom is consummated and what we have spiritually now will become a physical reality.
In wrapping this up I want to close this series with Jeremiah 33:14-26,
“14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. 17 For thus saith the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; 18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. 19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, 20 Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; 21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. 23 Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.”
When you read these verses you can rest assured that God has fulfilled these promises already and continues to fulfill them today. Jesus was the Branch that grew up, He has executed judgement and righteousness, He has saved His people by becoming our righteousness, David doesn’t lack a man on His throne because Jesus is sitting on it right now, and God does not lack priests because in Christ (the true Aaron) we are made priests to God (Rev 1:6). In the true Israel, the church, God has multiplied the seed of David to be as the sand of the sea through faith in Christ (Gal 3:29). The world looks and says “The two families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off?” because they do not see a worldly kingdom of God but we know that God has not cast off His people and that we live in a Spiritual kingdom that spans the entire globe and traces itself back to the people of God that have lived in faith throughout the ages, from Abel, to Abraham, to the Apostles, the reformers, and those of us with faith today, WE are the true kingdom of God and we await the coming of our Savior to make a physical reality what we have Spiritually now. We wait in hope for the new heaven and new earth where sin, death, and Satan are all done away with!
If there is anything I would want for you to take away from this study it is to know that you are a part of the true people of God, we are Abraham's true seed, we have been adopted into God's covenant people through Jesus Christ. Finally remember that Jesus is ruling NOW from David's true throne in heaven with all power and might!
