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The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God. The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Gospels Part I. Major Topics for This Week. Introduction: The Interpretive Relation Between the Two Testaments The Announcement of the Kingdom The Identity of this Announced Kingdom. The Interpretive Relation Between the Two Testaments.

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The Kingdom of God

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  1. The Kingdom of God The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Gospels Part I

  2. Major Topics for This Week • Introduction: The Interpretive Relation Between the Two Testaments • The Announcement of the Kingdom • The Identity of this Announced Kingdom

  3. The Interpretive Relation Between the Two Testaments • The Authority and Clarity of the Old Testament • The OT was the Bible of Jesus’ and the apostles’ day. • NT preaching in the apostolic age was tested by its agreement with the OT. • That the OT could be understood on its own terms was presupposed on the part of Christ and His apostles. • There is no intimation that the OT could not be understood apart from later NT revelation or some particular theological emphasis. • No NT text should be used to invalidate the clear utterances of the OT prophets; it is important that Scripture be read and interpreted in its totality.

  4. The Interpretive Relation Between the Two Testaments • Some Problems Connected with Human Understanding • The problem of ignorance – “…it is a fact that large and important areas of the Word of God are comparatively unknown to many people because they are either given no place in the pulpit or wrongly taught” (McClain, p. 262). • The problem of unbelief • The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had failed to believe “all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). • One must accept the totality of Scripture on its various subjects, and accept it at its face value. • The problem of limited discernment – One must feed on the whole Word of God, not just the Gospels or the epistles. One must also avoid depending upon only one human teacher. • The problem of spiritual blindness – the condition of the whole unsaved world. • The problem of the finiteness of the human mind – Though the meaning of Scripture is fixed, new insight into that meaning comes about by passing events, by the toil of study, and by the discoveries of historical research.

  5. How the Bible Is Often read Old Testament New Testament

  6. How the Bible Ought to be Read The Word of God

  7. The Announcement of the Kingdom in the Gospels Prophets Northern Kingdom 722BC United King. Southern Kingdom 586 BC Prophets It is important to keep in mind that the announcement of the kingdom is within the flow of OT history!

  8. The Announcement of the Kingdom • The NT period opens with several verbal announcements of a kingdom. • Angelic announcements to Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, and shepherds. • Also announced by John the Baptist, Jesus, The Twelve, and later by the Seventy. • The Gospels present Jesus as the King of this kingdom. • Genealogies show His Davidic heritage. • “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”(Angel’s announcement to Mary in Luke 1:32-33). • The announcement of the Kingdom was supported by miraculous works. • Such miracles were performed both by Christ Himself and by His commissioned apostles, both by the Twelve and the Seventy.

  9. The Announcement of the Kingdom • The impact of these miracles upon the people of Israel was tremendous. • “And immediately the news about Him went out everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee” (Mark 1:28). • The genuineness and import of Christ’s miracles were widely acknowledged. • Even by His enemies: “Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:47-48). • The announced kingdom was near at hand. • This is indicated by such phrases as “come upon you” (Luke 11:20), “among you” or “in your midst” (Luke 17:21), and “come near to you” (Luke 10:9, 11). • The long awaited kingdom from OT prophecy had arrived in the person of the king!

  10. The Identity of this Announced Kingdom • Alternative views of this kingdom • Liberal-social view – Christ took the social and ethical ideals of the OT kingdom and made it the responsibility of His followers to establish these in human society. • Critical-Eschatological view – Christ initially embraced the kingdom idea of the prophets, but subsequently changed his message when faced with opposition. • Spiritualizing-Anti-millennial view – Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual rule in the hearts of men, not a visible, political kingdom on the earth. • Dual-Kingdom view – Christ offered a spiritual kingdom at His first coming, and will establish a literal kingdom at His second. • One-Kingdom view – The Kingdom announced by our Lord and offered to the nation of Israel at His first coming was identical with the Mediatorial Kingdom of OT prophecy, and will be established on earth at the second coming of the king.

  11. The Identity of this Announced Kingdom • The absence of any formal definition of the kingdom in its initial announcement indicates that the Jewish hearers were expected to know exactly what kingdom was meant. • If Christ had a radically different concept of the kingdom, one would expect an explanation of the difference. • Our Lord never intimated that His conception of the Kingdom differed in any respect or degree from that presented by the OT prophets. • The terms “kingdom of heaven” and “Son of man,” used by Christ in preaching the kingdom, must be understood against the background of OT prophecy. • Both phrases can be traced back to the book of Daniel (Dan 2:44; 7:13-14). “Kingdom of heaven” does not mean a rule in heaven, but rather from heaven.

  12. The Identity of this Announced Kingdom • Our Lord constantly appealed to the OT prophets in support of His regal claims and His message of the kingdom. • See Luke 4:17-21; 7:24-27; 20:41-44. • The gospel records always connect the kingdom proclaimed by our Lord with the Kingdom of OT prophecy. • See Luke 1:17; 1:32, 33; 1:67-79. • The events attending the appearance of the Messianic King indicate a literal identity between the kingdom preached in the Gospels and that of OT prophecy. • His predicted birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). • His triumphal entry with the colt and its mother (Zech 9:9).

  13. The Identity of this Announced Kingdom • In our Lord’s message of the Kingdom and His evidential works there appear all the essential aspects of the OT prophetical kingdom. • The spiritual element – including the need for repentance and faith. • This explains why Jesus resisted being made king by force (John 6:15). • The moral element – dealt with in the Sermon on the Mount. • The social element – Christ healed men of their diseases and taught love for one’s neighbor. • The ecclesiastical element – The events of the Gospels take place under the Mosaic Economy, where the OT Law was the authority; this Law will once again be the authority in the future kingdom. Christ also demonstrated His authority over the Law, particularly the Sabbath. • The political element – the throne of David, located in historic Jerusalem. Cf. Matt 25:31-46. In organization, a regenerated Israel exalted above the other nations. • The physical element – as evidenced by Christ’s miraculous works, which were all physical in nature.

  14. In Two Weeks: The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Four GospelsPart II

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