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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 4 - THY KINGDOM COME (REVELATION 10:1 - 12:17) – The two witnesses of the last days and the expulsion of Satan from heaven
PART 4.3 - SUPPLEMENT: THE MYSTERY OF GOD IN ITS COMPLETION THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

2. The Unfolding of the Mystery of God in the Words of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of His Father


Of the Kingly Rule of Christ: The nucleus of the mystery in the kingdom of God is its King, who reigns with unlimited power, wisdom, righteousness and love. Without a God-King there would be no kingdom of God, which is realized through the unbrokenness of His rule. The kingdom and its king are an inseparable unity. He Himself sees to and preserves His kingdom.

In the Arabic language an owner is called a (“maalik”). Since God created everything, He is both the owner of the universe, and at the same time, its king (“malik”). His kingdom (“malakuut”) remains His possession (“mulk”). All four concepts have the same root. We, as mankind, all belong to God and are His possession. We have the privilege to love and honor Him at all times.

To the Creator and King all honor, thanksgiving and worship is due. Following their rescue from the omnipotent appearing Pharaoh, Moses and his people sang to their Lord and King a song of jubilation and thanksgiving (Exodus 15:1-21).

David multiplied this praise in his Psalms: God is King over the entire earth, He is King over all the nations (Psalm 47:8-9; 93:1; 98:6; 145:1-7 etc.).

Nebuchadnezzar praised, worshiped and extolled the King of heaven in spite of his inescapable, just judgment (Daniel 4:34).

Jeremiah confirmed the realizations of his predecessors and confessed: Who would not fear You, o King of the nations? For this is your rightful due. (Jeremiah 10:7; Isaiah 6:5 etc.).

Following David's heartfelt repentance he received the Lord's merciful promise; from his physical progeny God would appoint one as king over His eternal kingdom, and would recognize Him as His own Son (2 Samuel 7:12-14; 1 Chronicles 17:11; 28:7). Since then the Son of David is being awaited by the Jews with fervent longing to be their king and redeemer. They know the promise of Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

But most Jewish people do not want to grasp that the meek Jesus of Nazareth is their King and Messiah, and that His entry into Jerusalem already fulfilled the central prophecy of Zechariah. Few at that time greeted their King, riding on a donkey, with jubilation: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38; Mark 11:10)

It only took a few days before the Jewish rulers caused the mood in Jerusalem to change, so that in the place of “Hosanna” the crowd cried out “crucify Him!” (Matthew 21:9-11; 27:22-23 etc.).

The Roman procurator asked the bound Jesus straight out during interrogation: “Are you the King of the Jews”? The captured One answered him:

“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:33-36)

Later Pilate asked Jesus: “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered this trick question in the affirmative, although He recognized the danger of it:

“You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37).

After that Pilate gave in to the deceitful and insistent urging of the angry Jews, and condemned the Son of David to “death on the cross”. On a wood slab above Jesus’ head he had the reason for His condemnation written: “I.N.R.I.”, which meant, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19-22)! The Son of God was crowned with a piercing crown of thorns, which became the most valuable crown in the world (Matthew 27:29).

Following a six hour tempest of agonizing pain and cramps, the crucified One cried out in the numbness of His body: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

What was finished? By His atoning death in place of all sinners in the world Jesus had fulfilled all the demands of the law of God. He died that we might receive full and complete forgiveness of sin and eternal life (John 3:16). He shed His blood to perfect forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). On the cursed cross Jesus Christ completed His victory over the wrath of God, the power of Satan, our evil and the hatred of the world.

Considered legally, the God-King had built His kingdom on Divine Justice. He justified the unworthy citizens of His kingdom through His sacrificial death, reconciled them to God, and, by doing so, acquired civil rights for them in His kingdom. He gained for them the entitlement to the power of God, the reception of the Holy Spirit, and eternal security for them in His kingdom of peace. By offering Himself He made the immeasurable riches of His kingdom accessible to them. The Son of Man established His kingdom on grace alone!

Since then the cross is the narrow gate. No one can come to God the Father save through the crucified God-King. While, however, the Koran denies the historical fact of the crucifixion of Jesus (Sura al-Nisa’ 4:157), it shuts out for the 1,3 billion Moslems redemption through Jesus Christ.

Daniel had already seen the enthroning of Jesus Christ in heaven in advance (Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus Himself had affirmed that all power in heaven and on earth had been given unto Him (Matthew 28:18). The coming to power of the Lamb of God and the passionate hymns of praise in the throne room of God were described by John while on Patmos (Revelation 5:1-14). Since then the Lamb of God rules the world (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:33; Revelation 6:1-11). The kingdom of God entered a new dimension with the crucifixion and ascension of Christ to heaven. The kingdom of God grows incessantly and silently in the midst of the trumpet judgments and pains of the end times.

Jesus had repeatedly prophesied that soon, as the glorious God-King, He would return with great power (Matthew 24:30-31; 26:64 etc.): When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations ill be gathered before Him. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:31-34; Daniel 7:27).

Jesus, as God-King, and as the Son of Man communicated to us in advance details about the principles of His judgment and decision. Happy is the one who studies, understands and obeys (Matthew 25:35-46). But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength! (Judges 5:31) The promise of Isaiah will be fulfilled for them: Your eyes will see the King in His beauty (Isaiah 33:17, 22; Matthew 5:8; John 14:1-2; 17:24 etc.).

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Beginning and the End. You have confessed Your majesty before the representatives of Your people, but they did not understand You, because they had not repented. You come again to our earth to gather Your followers and to condemn the enemies of Your spiritual kingdom. Preserve us in Your grace because in Your mercy we continue and in Your righteousness we persist.

QUESTION:

  1. Why has the majority of the Jews rejected and killed their faithful King?

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