The Kingdom Of Prophecy Has Arrived!
Here is a more detailed study that the Kingdom is the church.
The Bible is a book of fantastic prophecy! One of the major themes of the Old Testament is the prophecy of God's kingdom. Isaiah 2:1-4 is a key prophecy regarding God's kingdom, "Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain (kingdom) of the house of the Jehovah will be established as the chief of the mountains (kingdoms), and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it." This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. First, the time of fulfillment was "in the last days". Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20 all identify the day of Pentecost as being within "the last days". Second, both Jew and Gentile will be within the kingdom. That is exactly what Peter said on Pentecost in the first recorded sermon ever preached in the church. He said in Acts 2:39, "The promise is for you (Jews), your children, and for all who are far off (Far off = Gentiles: see Eph 2:13f)". God's kingdom that was prophesied in the Old Testament was established on the day of Pentecost!
Another Prophecy is in Daniel 2 where a great image of a statue was seen by the King of Babylon. Daniel interpreted the vision with God's help and told him that there would be a series of four kingdoms that would rise and fall. Daniel identified the head of gold on the statue as being the Babylonian kingdom (606-539 BC) The chest of silver was the Medo-Persia kingdom (539-331 BC) The thighs of bronze represented the kingdom of Greece (331-30BC). The fourth and final kingdom of Rome was represented by the legs and feet of iron and clay (30BC-397AD) Then Daniel made that fantastic prophecy about God's kingdom, Dan 2:44, "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever." This is a crystal clear time prophecy that God's kingdom would be established sometime during the Roman empire! Is it just random chance that Pentecost in Acts 2 was during the Roman empire? (Luke 2:1) No way! God is able to bring his will to pass! God established the kingdom on the day of Pentecost! If the kingdom is not yet established, then the prophecy fails and God is a liar, for Rome has been gone for over 1500 years!
At the very beginning of Jesus' ministry our Divine Savior said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:15 Yet, there are those who say that Jesus didn't mean what he said about the kingdom being "at hand". For them "at hand" has been 2000 years and still counting! Again Pentecost is a prefect fulfillment.
In the middle of Jesus' ministry He said, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death (die physically) until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." Mark 9:1 What could be more clear? Jesus promised that the kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament would come during the lifetime of those standing before Him. But Jesus even gave us an additional detail by saying that the "kingdom would come with power" Amazingly, Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for this power. Jesus said, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49. Again Pentecost is a perfect fulfillment since it was only about 2 years later when God, the Father, sent the miraculous power of God, the Holy Spirit upon them. (Acts 2:1-4)
|
Text |
Prophecy |
Fulfillment Time |
|
Isa 2; Dan 2:28 |
last Days |
Pentecost onward Joel 2:28ff; Acts 2:17f; Heb 1:2; 1 Pe 1:20 |
|
Dan 2 |
Within days of Roman Empire |
30BC- 396 AD Lk 2:1 |
|
Mark 9:1 |
Within hearers lifetime |
30AD-100AD |
|
Mk 1:15 |
Kingdom at hand |
Very soon! Not 2000 yrs! |
The final proof that God fulfilled all Old Testament kingdom prophecies on the day of Pentecost is found in Col 1:13, "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves" Christians are in the Kingdom of God right now! It is not a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom where Jesus is the king, Christians are His subjects, the New Testament is the law. (Galatians 6:2) Jesus confirmed this when he said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." John 18:36. In the light of such scriptural proof, the conclusion that God established His kingdom on Pentecost is not debatable! Yes the Bible is a book of divine inspiration filled with prophecy. Although skeptics may attack the Bible, it stands as a monument for the world to admire!
Conclusion:
1. The kingdom of Old Testament prophecy came on Pentecost exactly like the New Testament records.
2. Here is a more detailed study that the Kingdom is the church.
Steve Rudd
