Saturday, April 15, 2006

Did the kingdom of God come at pentecost?

NKJV
Luke 17:20 - 'the kingdom of God does not come with observation;
Luke 17:21 - 'nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you'
NASB
Luke 17:20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
Luke 17:21 nor will they say, 'Look, here {it is!}' or, 'There {it is!}' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."


These verses should be enough to tell us that the kingdom of God did not come at pentecost. Those who belive in Christ have become citizens of the kingdom. It is within us, to believe and become citizens of the kingdom or not.

So when did the kingdom come? Where the King is, there his kingdom will be also.

Luke 16:16 - 'The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it'

Tells us that the law and prophets were only until John the baptist. Once Christ took over, the good news has been preached. The Pharisees were accused of preventing others from entering the kingdom of God. So the kingdom clearly existed when our King preached the gospel. And many became citizens of the kingdom after they heard and believed in him.

Since all who believe in Christ now receive the Spirit of Christ, they become citizens of his kingdom.

Also in Acts 1:5-8
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.


If the kingdom was to come at pentecost, why wouldnt Christ have told the apostles so? Even if the kingdom meant the 'Church', wouldnt Christ have told them that some sort of kingdom was going to start at pentecost? Instead He tells them it isnt going to happen at pentecost, but only the God the Father knows when. It also tells us that the kingdom will be restored to Israel in the future. If the kingdom is the Church, Christ would have corrected the apostles that there is no more going to be a kingdom of Israel in the literal sense (the apostles asked in the literal sense).

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