Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," August 2009
A Fundamentalist Counter To Popular Misconceptions About Christ's Kingdom
Christ being the covenant-maker of Daniel 9:27, as Wesley believed, means that Jesus has already established His kingdom. This kingdom is a kingdom of redemption, a redemption based on all the blessings and benefits of the new covenant that Jesus now continually causes to prevail (Rom. 15:8-12).
The kingdom, by definition, is "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). Now when did the Holy Spirit first make these fruits of redemption available to the human race?
Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost were universally made available on the Day of Pentecost--that's when the kingdom of our redemption was set up.
Yes, Jesus promised that His kingdom would come in the first Christian century, friends, and indeed it did (Mk 9:1)! He taught that folks are spiritually "born again" into this kingdom (Jn. 3:5ff.). Paul said that we are "translated" into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col. 1:13). John talks about Christians being "made" a kingdom of priests unto our God (Rev. 1:5-6), a matter with which Peter also fully agrees (I Pet. 2:9-10).
So, if Jesus has already established His messianic kingdom, then what happens at the second coming?
The Bible answer is very clear. Here is what happens:
1. Jesus will "deliver up" the kingdom to the Father (I Cor. 15:24-28):
2. He will raise Christians from the dead (Jn. 6:40, 44, 54);
3. He will raise all men from the dead (Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 24:15); and
4. He will judge every man according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; II Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15-18; 20:11-15).
This is the doctrine that the historic "fundamental" Christian Church believed and taught, and that has always been essential to an adequate presentation of the gospel.
Modern liberals say no one knows what the Bible teaches about eschatology. A Darbyite (i.e., dispensational premillennial) holiness preacher once told me that very same thing!
Makes one wonder how "liberal" in his mindset that professed holiness dispensational preacher really was, huh?
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