Let us begin by looking at some Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Kingdom.
In Daniel 2:44, interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, Daniel said, "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." First, let us examine the context. What Kings? The context is found in verses 12 - 44. The kings spoken of are: 1st the head of gold - Babylon, 2nd another kingdom inferior to thee - Persia, 3rd Brass - Greece, and 4th Iron - Roman Empire. Now, those who have been in fellowship with us for sometime have heard me continuously cover the history of Israel in our Bible classes. Here is a short review: In 586 BC Israel was taken into captivity by Babylon, Persia under Cyrus overthrew Babylon, Greece under Alexander the Great overthrew Persia, and then finally the barbaric Roman Empire overthrew Greece; so, in the days of Christ Israel is under Roman rule. Historically, this has been shown to be true!
The point is: Look at the time element please. God will set up a kingdom (when?) in the days of these kings! Not 2000 years plus! Now, futurist can NOT accept the clear time statements of scripture so they will tell you that in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled that these kingdoms are ones that have revived or will revive in our time. Unfortunately, the plain time statements do NOT allow for a futuristic fulfillment!
In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel states, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should serve him (Acts 2): his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
We should note here, that Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's vision are not two different kingdoms, but they refer to the same kingdom in which are all nations and people shall flow unto. Isaiah also refers to this same kingdom in Isaiah 2:1-2, "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it." Again notice the time statement "in the last days"!
Now let us logically examine these time statements. Daniel said, "in the days of these kings" and Isaiah said, "in the last days". Therefore, we can rightfully deduct that the days of these kings (i.e. particularly the Roman empire) are the last days.
and...That is exactly what the New Testament writers said! Let's take a look...
Peter on the day of Pentecost stood up and said, "this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days (Acts 2:16-17)"; Peter clearly knew the last days were his and that they were living in them. Likewise, John wrote, "Little children, it is the last time"; he knew the time he lived in. Let's think logically for a moment, "why would John tell them that it was the last time if it was not?" I submit to you he would not. Allow me to be a little more specific, Jesus said in Matthew 16:28, "Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Peter's, John's, and Matthew's words had relevancy for the people they were writing to! They knew the Lord's kingdom would be established in the last days or the days of the kings (Roman Empire), even if they did not understand it to be spiritual, at first.
How about the continuous echo of Jesus and John the baptist, "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" (Mt 3:2; 4:17)? Did "at hand" mean 2000 years plus? I would submit to you; an resounding NO! It meant close to their time; in fact, their generation, the last days, and the final hour! There are so many more verses I could mention, but let's move on.
In Luke 1:31-33 the angel told Mary, "And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 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: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever: and of this kingdom there shall be no end." All these prophecies refer to that one spiritual kingdom.
Why Spiritual?
Again, Jesus told Pilate in John 18:36-37, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." It is quite obvious that Jesus was saying that his kingdom was spiritual and not physical.
In Luke 17:20-21, when asked when the kingdom would come, Jesus replied, "the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" furthermore, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:50, "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God".
Now you can see, that with the proper understanding of the kingdom, the time factor is really not so complicated. All of the futurist rejections concerning the very clear time statements of scripture are made on the basis of their false presupposition that the kingdom is physical! Their Wrong!
Now let us look at Hebrews 12, which we have been covering quite a bit lately in our Bible classes. The writer of Hebrews, compares the old covenant, and Israelite physical kingdom, with the coming of the new covenant system, and the heavenly kingdom (spiritual). Verse 28 says, "Therefore we receiving (i.e. in the process of receiving knowing its consummation would not be until the old was destroyed in 70AD!) a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear." Notice, the writer is comparing the old covenant system, the , and priesthood, to the new system; the spiritual temple, and priesthood. So then I ask. Would it be more logical to expect a physical observation or the spiritual observation of an the eternal kingdom in which there is no end? Answer: Spiritual! One can see that the temple was destroyed and the priesthood was removed in A.D.70. If one really believes God, he can be assured that Christ came in his eternal kingdom; otherwise, God has left his people desolate without a house. Let me insert here, that this does not mean that we do not go to be with Jesus when we die! To be absent form the body is to be present with the Lord! I will elaborate more on this in the future...
The fact is, Christ came in His eternal, spiritual kingdom "in the days of these kings", "in the last days" of Jerusalem. Christ kingdom came in great power "immediately after the tribulation of those days", (referring to the persecution and destruction of Jerusalem), "before that generation had passed," and before "some which stood there would taste death." Those who truly believe in Him have eternal life and have been made partakers in that eternal kingdom, where Christ rules and reigns, and is ever with us; forever.
"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 forever and ever (Rev 11:15)."
