Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
A King has a throne and a kingdom!
Dispensationalist premillennialists believe Jehoshua is a king without a throne or kingdom. The throne of David is a key prophecy in 2 Sam 7:14. Both Solomon and Jehoshua Messiah were to sit on David's throne. Jehoshua was seated on David's Throne on Pentecost! King Jehoshua sits on the Throne of David now! Introduction: 1. No Old Testament prophecy is so easily seen to be fulfilled at Pentecost as the fact that Jehoshua is sitting upon the throne of David now. 2. "He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. "I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. "Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever." (2 Samuel 7:13-16) 3. "There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. " (Isaiah 9:7) 4. "A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, And a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek justice And be prompt in righteousness. " (Isaiah 16:5) 5. "Then say to him, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. "Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices." (Zechariah 6:12-13) 6. "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations." (Psalm 89:3-4) 7. ""Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." ' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." (Acts 2:29-36) A. Jehoshua cannot sit on David's throne in earthly Jerusalem: Jer 22:29-30 + Mt 1:12 1. Earthly throne extinct: a. "Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? "O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! "Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.' " (Jeremiah 22:28-30) b. "After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. " (Matthew 1:12) 2. Notice that Jeremiah prophesied that no descendant of Jeconiah (aka Coniah) can ever sit on the throne of David in Judah. 3. Jesus Christ is a literal descendant of Coniah, proving the throne of David is forever in New Jerusalem which is in Heaven and will eventually descend to the New Earth B. Jehoshua must sit on David's throne now until the second coming: 1. Notice Jesus must reign until his enemies are defeated. The last enemy is death, which will be abolished at the resurrection: a. "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." ' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." " (Acts 2:34-36) b. "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. " (1 Corinthians 15:25-26) c. "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ... But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom" ... But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet." (Hebrews 1:3,8,13) d. "Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. " (Hebrews 10:11-13) e. "'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Revelation 3:21) 2. Christ is reigning NOW and will give up the throne to the father at the second coming. 3. It becomes crystal clear that Jehoshua is seated on the throne of David right now until the resurrection at the second coming. C. Jehoshua hands the Kingdom over to the Father at the second coming, (Dispensational Premillennialists say Jehoshua receives the kingdom): 1. "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. " (1 Corinthians 15:22-28) 2. Did you notice that? At the second coming, Jesus hands over the kingdom to God which he has ruled since the resurrection. 3. This is exactly opposite to what pre-tribulation rapture false teachers premillennialists say. They have Christ sitting on the throne of David for the first time at the second coming, but the Bible says he has already been on the throne of David and gives it up to God, so God can be all in all. D. Jehoshua, the branch of David, is a priest on the throne at the same time: Zech 6:12-13 1. Christ will be a priest and king at the same time: a. "Then say to him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD. "Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices." (Zechariah 6:12-13) 2. Christ has built his temple, the church, which is the kingdom: "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. " (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) 3. Jesus is on the throne of David now: a. "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ" (Acts 2:30-31) b. "But of the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. " (Hebrews 1:8) 4. If Christ were on earth, he could not be a priest of any kind. Only in heaven can he be a priest, and then only after the order of Melchizedek. a. "Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; " (Hebrews 8:4) b. "just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." " (Hebrews 5:6) 5. So it is clear, that Jehoshua is a king now and a priest now, and all this in heaven. 6. Jehoshua cannot be a king or priest on earth because he is a descendant of Jeconiah, and he is not a Levite. E. The earthly throne of David was apostasy that angered God from the time of Saul! 1. Dispensationalist Premillennialists have never considered that the entire concept of an earthly throne is an apostasy that angered God from the time of the first king Saul to the last king before the Babylonian captivity. 2. Originally God was Israel's king and he reigned on his throne in heaven. But Israel asked for a king on earth, which was an apostasy and angered God so much he wiped out their crops. It is clear that God realized that he was being rejected and in a symbolic way, God allowed his throne to come down to earth and have men sit and rule in his place: a. "But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. " (1 Samuel 8:6-7) b. ""Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king." " (1 Samuel 12:17) c. ""When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king. "Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. " (1 Samuel 12:12-13) 3. Nothing could be clearer in that the earthly throne was in fact a symbol of God's throne in heaven. Notice the earthly throne of David and Solomon is called "the throne of God", The throne of the Kingdom of God". a. "Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel." (1 Chronicles 28:5) d. "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father; and he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. " (1 Chronicles 29:23) b. "Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness." " (2 Chronicles 9:8) c. "So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the Lord through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. " (2 Chronicles 13:8) 4. The next king to sit on the throne of God was David and God promised in a rare double prophecy that two of his seed would sit on his throne: Solomon on earth and Christ in heaven at the resurrection: a. "When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."(1 Chronicles 17:11-14) b. Notice that just as Solomon was king when he built the physical temple on earth, that Christ was the king who would build the church temple in heaven. c. Christ had to be a king to build the temple. We are the temple of God, the church, our bodies! d. Jehoshua must be sitting on the throne of David in order to build the church temple! 5. The next physical king to sit on the throne of God was Solomon a. "And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. " (1 Kings 2:12) b. "Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom. "Moreover, the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!' And the king bowed himself on the bed. "The king has also said thus, 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.' " " (1 Kings 1:46-48) 6. God was so angered by the disobedient paganism of the kings that sat on God's throne, that God removed the throne from the earth and brought it back to heaven till Jehoshua, the descendant of David would sit on it. a. "It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help. Where now is your king That he may save you in all your cities, And your judges of whom you requested, "Give me a king and princes"? I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath. " (Hosea 13:9-11) 7. Today Jehoshua Messiah shares the throne with the Father, just as David shared the throne with God. Notice the kingdom is co-owned by God and Christ NOW: a. "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. " (Ephesians 5:5) b. "'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Revelation 3:21) 8. So you might say that the throne of God experienced a little early sightseeing tour because it left heaven, came to earth and stayed from Saul to the Babylonian captivity, and was then taken back to heaven to wait for Christ to die on the cross and sit on the throne of David, which was God's throne in heaven, where it always was, forever. 9. The entire notion of an earthly throne in Jerusalem for 1000 year not only has no support, it is an insult to God because the throne rightfully has always belonged in heaven. 10. A restored earthly throne as proposed by Dispensationalists premillennialists would again anger God: "I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath. " (Hosea 13:9-11) F. Messiah has built the "temple of David" in the church which replaced the physical temple of David. 1. Passages: a. "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name," Declares the LORD who does this. " (Amos 9:11-12) b. "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,' Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, " (Acts 15:14-19) 2. It is clear that the booth or tabernacle or temple of David has been built by Christ and is our body and the church, the kingdom. 3. Notice that if the "booth of David" is not rebuilt, then the gentiles cannot be saved. 4. This was precisely the argument that James used to prove the Gentiles could be saved without circumcision in the Jerusalem council. 5. Premillennialists dispensationalists all fail to see that the idea of Christ coming back to earth to rebuild the physical "booth of David" in Jerusalem is ridiculous considering James says it is already built by Christ. 6. The sign Jehoshua gave to the Jews was that he would tear down the physical temple of David and REBUILD it in three days after he raised from the dead. 7. The idea of Jehoshua returning to build a stone temple is heresy and denies the gospel and the blood sacrifice of Christ for the church on the cross. G. No reason to bring Messiah back to earth as an earthly King as his work is finished here: 1. His mission of redemption is complete: Eph 1:7-10; Col 1:13-14 2. His revelation is complete: Eph 3:1-10; Jude 3 3. His authority is complete: Matthew 28:18; Eph 1:20-21 4. Hi kingdom is complete: Col 1:13; Heb 12:28 5. His throne is Complete: Heb 4:13 Rev 3:21 6. His name is complete: Eph 1:22; Col 3:17; Phil 2:9-10 7. His glory is complete: Lk 24:25; 1 Pe 1:20-21 (God's Prophetic word, Foy E. Wallace, p 193, 1945) Conclusion: 1. Jehoshua is seated upon the throne of David right now, and has been since Pentecost. 2. Messiah is ruling in his Kingdom, the church, right now and will do so until the second coming. 3. At the second coming, Jehoshua will give up the throne to God so that the Father may be all in all. "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. " (1 Corinthians 15:25-28) 4. Rapture teaches the false doctrine that at the second coming Jesus starts to rule in his kingdom, and Jehoshua is a King without a kingdom now. The Bible teaches the opposite! 5. Dispensationalists do not understand that Jehoshua cannot be a king or priest on earth in Jerusalem EVER, because he is a descendant of Jeconiah, and he is not a Levite. 6. The earthly throne of David is now extinct forever. A restored earthly Jerusalem throne as proposed by dispensationalists premillennialists would again anger God: "I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath." (Hosea 13:9-11) 7. Pre-tribulation Rapture Premillennialists are in error about a restored throne in earthly Jerusalem. 8. The truth that Jesus has been seated on the throne of David, the throne of God, in heaven since the resurrection where he was given all rule and authority on heaven and earth. Mt 28:18-29 The Kingdom of Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14 is the church established on Pentecost. The Kingdom of Old Testament prophecy is the church that began on Pentecost. Introduction: 1. All the prophecies of the Kingdom have been fulfilled in the church on the day of Pentecost. 2. The kingdom of Old Testament prophecy is the church. 3. All these prophecies were fulfilled on Pentecost when the church began during the time of the Roman Empire. A. Master Summary of Kingdom prophecies fulfilled in the church on Pentecost: 1. Daniel 2:44 shows that the kingdom was established on Pentecost, during the days of the Roman Empire. The time prophecy cannot be fulfilled after 397 AD when Rome fell. Dispensational Premillennialists fail to comprehend that after 397 AD it is impossible to fulfill Dan 2:44. They twist the Bible by seeing 10 additional kingdoms in the “toes”, rather than the four in the context. They literally twist the text and dream up “kingdom toes”. “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed [fulfilled in Eph 3:21 and Heb 12:28], 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. ” (Daniel 2:44) a. Ephesians 3:21 fulfills Dan 2:44 because the church will last forever just like the Kingdom. For the Rapture false teachers who view the church as a temporary “parenthesis”, this verse refutes them and proves the kingdom is the church: “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. ” (Ephesians 3:21) b. Hebrews 12:28 proves the kingdom has been established on Pentecost. Notice the kingdom cannot be shaken just like Jesus said in Mt 16:18 “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ” (Hebrews 12:28) c. Matthew 16:18 fulfills Isa 2:2-4 because it shows the church shares the quality of being eternal, and not going extinct at the rapture or in 1988 AD as false teacher Harold Camping once taught before his end of the world prophecy failed for May 21, 2011 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ” (Matthew 16:18) 2. Isaiah 2:1-4 “The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it [gentiles: fulfilled on Pentecost Acts 2:39 “far off”, Eph 2:13]. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [fulfilled on Pentecost Acts 2:1]. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. [fulfilled in the peace between nations in Christ Eph 2:11-16] ” (Isaiah 2:1-4) a. Luke 24:45-49 is a direct fulfillment of Isa 2:2-4 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures [Isa 2:2-4], and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations [gentiles: fulfilled on Pentecost Acts 2:39 “far off”, Eph 2:13], beginning from Jerusalem [fulfilled on Pentecost Acts 2:1]. “You are witnesses of these things. “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45-49) b. Ephesians 2:11-16 is a direct fulfillment of Isa 2:2-4. It shows two fulfillments in that the gentiles are saved and the gentiles and the Jews are at peace in Christ: “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. ” (Ephesians 2:11-16) c. Acts 1:8 fulfills Isa 2:2-4 because the gospel started in Jerusalem and went global: “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) 3. Ascension prophecies: Jesus received the kingdom at the ascension: a. Daniel 7:13-14 is a prophecy that Jesus received the kingdom at the ascension when he “came to God from earth”, not at the second coming when he leaves God to spend 1000 years on earth. “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. ” (Daniel 7:13-14) b. Luke 19:11-15 shows that Jesus received the kingdom at the ascension and returns at the second coming to judge. “While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country [ascension] to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return [at the second coming]. “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’ “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. ” (Luke 19:11–15) i. Acts 1:9 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. ” (Acts 1:9) ii. Revelation 5:4-10 directly fulfills Dan 7:13-14 because it shows the time immediately following the ascension where Jesus is presented before God. Notice the Kingdom is referred to as having already been set up by Christ: “Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:4-10) 4. Mark 9:1 states that Jesus disciples will live to see the kingdom of prophecy established on earth when it comes with power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. “And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” (Mark 9:1) a. Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) b. Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) c. Acts 1:4–5 “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5) d. Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. ” (Acts 2:1–4) 5. Mark 1:15 is the final proof that the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy began on Pentecost: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) a. Colossians 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ” (Colossians 1:13) b. Hebrews 12:28 “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ” (Hebrews 12:28) c. Revelation 1:6 “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ” (Revelation 1:6) d. Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ” (Revelation 1:9) e. Revelation 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:10) B. The Kingdom was established on Pentecost: 1. Jehoshua announced “The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand”: a. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) b. “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ” (Matthew 12:28) c. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) d. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) 2. Jehoshua promised his disciples that they would see the Kingdom established in their lifetime: a. “And Jehoshua was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not die until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” (Mark 9:1) b. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28) 3. Jehoshua said the Kingdom was so near that at the last supper, he said the next time they would have the Lord’s Supper, they would be in the Kingdom. a. “And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. “Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:24–25) c. Communion means a sharing with one another and with Messiah. d. Every time we break bread, we are fulfilling Jehoshua’s words in type as His Kingdom is here, the antitype will be in the New Earth: “I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” C. Every passage after Pentecost speaks of the Kingdom as being established: 1. The Christian in Colossae were IN THE KINGDOM: Col 1:13 a. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ” (Colossians 1:13–14) b. Notice that we have been DELIVERED from Satan and TRANSFERRED into the kingdom. c. If we are not in the kingdom now, then we are not saved but are still under the bondage of Satan. 2. The Hebrews were in the Kingdom: Heb 12:28 a. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28) b. Notice that the tense of the verse for “receiving” is active present tense. This is exactly correct because the kingdom is the church and every time a new soul believes and is baptized into Christ’s body (the church) the kingdom gets larger! c. Think of the receiving a TV signal on your antennae. You are currently watching the kingdom in a live, ongoing active way. d. The key, is that this verse does not say that we will receive the kingdom some time in the future. Rather we receive it now, and in an ongoing way. e. Notice also that the kingdom we receive “cannot be shaken” which exactly fulfills the Kingdom prophecy of Dan 2:44, “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed”. f. This also agrees with what Jesus said of the church: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18–19) g. So Heb 12:28 is a direct fulfillment of Dan 2:44 3. The Christians in the seven churches of Asia were in the Kingdom: Rev 1:6-9 a. “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father-to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ” (Revelation 1:5–6) b. John flatly stated that Christians are the kingdom or the church. c. How much plainer do Rapturists need the Bible to be? d. It also says that every Christian is a priest. 4. Apostle John was in the kingdom: Rev 1:9 a. “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ” (Revelation 1:9) b. John was a partaker in the Kingdom. The word “partake” means “sharer” meaning that both he and the seven churches of Revelation (which were real churches in Asia) were in the kingdom and enjoyed its privileges. D. Summary of Time sensitive prophecies: 1. Time sensitive prophecies must be fulfilled according to the time clock. You cannot stop a time prophecy clock, yet pre-tribulation Rapture false teachers have stopped the clock on not one, but 5 different time prophecies! 2. We know the kingdom was established last days also known as the end times that began during Jehoshua’s ministry on earth: a. “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. ” (Hebrews 1:2) b. “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you ” (1 Peter 1:20) c. “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND” (Acts 2:15–17) i. “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. ” (Joel 2:28) d. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ” (James 5:1–3) 3. The 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! 4. 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. 5. In the middle of Jehoshua’s 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? Jehoshua 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, Jehoshua 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 the Holy Spirit upon them. (Acts 2:1-4) E. The kingdom is the Church: 1. The Same Beginning: Pentecost 2. The Same Duration: Forever a. “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. ” (Daniel 2:44) b. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ” (Matthew 16:18) c. “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ” (Hebrews 12:28) d. “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. ” (Ephesians 3:21) 3. The Same Ownership: God and Christ a. “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ” (Ephesians 5:5) 4. The same historical period: During Roman empire a. “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ” (Luke 2:1) b. “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ” (Acts 2:1) c. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ” (Colossians 1:13) 5. The same eschatological beginning: In the “Last Days” or “end times” a. “in these last days [1st century] has spoken to us in His Son” (Hebrews 1:2) b. “Christ appeared in these last times [1st century] for the sake of you ” (1 Peter 1:20) c. Joel prophesied that “it shall be in the last days [1st century, Pentecost] that i will pour forth of my spirit on all mankind” (Acts 2:15–17) d. “Come now, you rich … It is in the last days [1st century] that you have stored up your treasure! ” (James 5:1–3) 6. Kingdom and church used interchangeably: a. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18) Conclusion: 1. Pre-tribulation Rapture Premillennialists are a system of infidelity that take all the spiritual promises in Christ and make them into fleshly carnal physical promises on earth and reject the idea that the church is the kingdom. 2. They actually teach the church was an afterthought invented by God as a stop gap measure after the Jews rejected Jesus as their earthly king. This surprised God and he needed to invent the church as a temporary “parentheses” until God was able to give his plan a second try. This is the reason why dispensationalists really believe Israel needed to become a nation in 1948. 3. Rapture false teachers believe the church is not the subject of Old Testament prophecy, and will come to an end at their “rapture”. They are wrong on both counts. The church fulfills all the Old Testament prophecies being the cornerstone of our salvation and will endure forever and ever, even after the second coming. 4. Every single passage in the Bible fits perfectly with the truth that the Kingdom is the church which was established on Pentecost. Those who promote pre-tribulation Rapture must either ignore these passages or come up with bizarre explanations. 5. The only reason pre-tribulation Rapture false teachers can promote their doctrines, is because they claim special and direct revelation from God and their followers believe this and do not take the Bible as a primary source. The true Church of Jehovah teaches that the kingdom began at Pentecost, being identical with the church.
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