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[0:00] but a beautiful day to worship as well. And I too thank you, Brother Bill, for leading in song with the others. As we've been learning in worship class that God intends to use music as a form of worship, of teaching through His Word.

[0:24] And the words have a powerful doctrine in them. And so these songs, for many of us, will go ringing through our minds the rest of the day.

[0:37] And we'll be singing freely, freely, and so on. All right. A few weeks back, I had a message on eternity, on end times, eschatology, the study of last things.

[1:07] And at that time, I announced that we would be going through a series of messages on that. And so this morning, we want to continue starting into that series.

[1:23] Last week, we did a topical on Pentecost. But this week, we're going to be into it. So I've titled this message, The Coming Kingdom.

[1:37] The Coming Kingdom. And thank you for reading that introductory passage there, Brother Abe. So when we think of the kingdom of God, the coming kingdom, what do we think of?

[1:57] What is a kingdom? What is a kingdom? You have to have a king, right? Absolutely.

[2:08] We have to have a king. And so what do we liken a kingdom to? When we think of what God has in store for us.

[2:21] Often we use the term heaven. We're all going to heaven. But the Bible speaks more of the coming kingdom than it uses the word heaven.

[2:40] And so when we look at our eternal futures, what does God have in store for us?

[2:53] And so maybe a question, where is heaven going to be? On earth?

[3:04] You're maybe disappointing a lot of people here. On earth? On a new earth. And so, you know, maybe we have never thought a lot about where are we going to be?

[3:25] And so where is God today? Where is His throne today? Where is His throne today? Where is His throne today? Where is His throne today? Where is His throne today? In the heart?

[3:41] In heaven? So God's throne is in the third heaven where He, I guess we could say, resides with the angels and where Jesus is even today sitting down at the right hand of the throne.

[4:04] That's where where Paul said he was caught up to and saw visions, the third heaven. And so we want to look at this concept of the coming kingdom.

[4:21] And so today, God's kingdom in a sense is the church. church. It's a spiritual kingdom and it's a it's a kingdom that was unforeseen and unforetold in the Old Testament.

[4:45] The Jews did not expect a church age. They did not. There were a lot of verses in the Old Testament that a light unto the Gentiles.

[4:59] The Gentiles will be saved. But never talking about a time period where the Gentiles would make up the church.

[5:10] And by the way, it's not just Gentiles, it's Jews and Gentiles. But more Gentiles than Jews. And so we have we have that as factual as what we have experienced today.

[5:24] So in Acts 1 what was read for us Jesus has told his disciples I'm going back to heaven. He has prepared them in the book of John he wrote extensively in chapter 14 do not let your hearts be troubled I'm going to prepare a place for you.

[5:48] And if I go I'm going to come and receive you unto myself. and on and on he prepares them. Now in Acts 1 he is about to ascend go up.

[6:03] He's getting ready to go to heaven rise. And but his last instructions to them before he takes off is that that that they were to tarry or to remain in Jerusalem until they receive the power from on high.

[6:30] Last Sunday Pentecost the birth of the church. That was Jesus' instruction to them to remain in Jerusalem.

[6:43] Verse 4 and being assembled together with them he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father which he said you have heard from me.

[6:56] For John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. And then the apostles come back Adam and they ask a question.

[7:11] And they say Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? What was their thinking?

[7:24] Because when they are saying will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel what are they talking about? They are now referring to a thousand year reign where Jesus will be king.

[7:47] And they're saying they're asking Jesus are you now going to come and rule on earth as king? We've got it you didn't till now you came to save us.

[8:02] They finally understood that. And so in their minds they're asking Lord you say you're going up are you going to come right back down and start your kingdom?

[8:18] That's I think what they're asking. That's their thought process. Are you coming right back down? And Jesus says it's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own authority.

[8:35] And then he commanded them to be witnesses for him in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

[8:49] And so he said guys it's going to be sometime future. In the meantime you have work to do.

[9:02] Today we are pushing 2,000 years later and we still have work to do. And so then when he had spoken as they watched he was taken up in a cloud and received out of their sight.

[9:23] And they saw Jesus physically literally before their eyes go up. And as they're pondering two men we assume they were angels in white apparel and questioning them men of Galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven the same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.

[9:57] So Jesus when the father determines the time is right will come back same way. He's going to physically literally come back on the earth.

[10:11] And he promised them that here. And so we have not experienced that. The world has not experienced that. And so we know this time has not yet come.

[10:25] The return of Christ. And to set up his kingdom. Let's turn to Luke 17.

[10:41] I'm going to read a few passages here. Luke 17 verse 20 and 21.

[11:05] Now when he was asked by the Pharisees when of God would come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, see here or see there.

[11:27] for indeed the kingdom of God is within you. And so Christ, they're approaching Christ with the expectation of a coming kingdom.

[11:46] The Jews, they're fixed on this path that God will come to rule here.

[11:57] They have that mindset and it's based on Old Testament teaching. They understood that there is coming a time when God will rule here on earth.

[12:11] And so when they ask him here, he's giving an indication that the kingdom of God does not come with observation. So it's talking about the spiritual kingdom, the one that we're enjoying today.

[12:24] It's the church. So it's within you, meaning it's the kingdom of God is everywhere dispersed on the earth within believers.

[12:36] And so that's what Johnny had for an answer before. And that's where we're at today. So the kingdom of God is in a sense being lived out by you and by me today.

[12:53] But we do not have a physical king present. So it's a spiritual kingdom in that sense. But there is coming a time when Jesus will return for the physical kingdom.

[13:08] kingdom to come eternity as I understand scripture will come in two phases.

[13:24] The first one is a physical kingdom here on earth after the tribulation period where Jesus will be king for a thousand years.

[13:38] And during this kingdom a few significant things will happen. It's going to be a kingdom where the antichrist will be in the lake of fire.

[13:58] And secondly the devil Satan will be bound for a thousand years. These are trademarks of the next coming kingdom.

[14:14] And it follows right after the seven year tribulation period. So we are to expect this to come upon the earth.

[14:27] This is God's plan as he's unveiled it in scripture. Phase two is at the end of the thousand years. There will be one more battle as Satan is released for a short season and he will gather unbelievers to go against Jesus and God will destroy the unbelievers one final time.

[14:59] And that is going to usher in the eternal state or the final state of the kingdom. And someone here mentioned a new heavens and a new earth and the holy city coming out of heaven on the new earth.

[15:19] And it will be the eternal place dwelling place for all of God's children. And Revelation 21 tells us that God himself the father will be there dwelling with us.

[15:38] And since the garden of Eden it will be the first time that he will be here dwelling with believers. Restored back to his intentions.

[15:54] This is God's promise. This is God's plan. As we look at this I want to bring in Israel.

[16:11] And I want to focus for the next 10-15 minutes on the nation of Israel. And there's a lot of controversy in the world among churches among believers.

[16:25] Where does Israel fit in? what is God's plan for the Jews? And we need to understand, we need to know this, because so much of Scripture, prophecy unfulfilled, is based on our understanding of what God's plan is for Israel.

[16:49] If we don't get this, then we get sidetracked on Scripture. Very important for us to grasp what is God's plan for Israel.

[17:03] So the first question is, is God done with the Jews? I'm hearing some no's. It's very, it's very evident that he is.

[17:18] It's very evident. It's very evident. if we look at that little country, it's got to be one of the smallest countries in the world.

[17:35] Prophecy was fulfilled on May, I think it was May 11th, 1948, when Israel became a nation.

[17:47] And God prophesied in the Old Testament that he would bring from every country, from all the nations, he would bring the Jews back.

[18:01] Who was alive here in 1948? I'm going to do an AIDS check here. Only a few of us, right? Three or four?

[18:12] And most of us are born after. Do you remember that? Yeah? No? And so you could share on this better than I could.

[18:24] The Jewish nation formed as a result of World War II, promised to receive this same piece of land back.

[18:37] They formed a nation. There was 600, and I don't know how accurate my facts are. I researched.

[18:47] in 1948, on May 11th, there was 649,000 Jews in Israel when they became a nation.

[18:57] Just over half a million. When we were in Belize this winter, I asked what the population was, and they said just under 500,000.

[19:10] or 500,000. So it's, we have people from Belize here, so that's, so Israel was about the size of Belize, people-wise. Very small, very insignificant, and, and the very, on May 12th, they were attacked by five neighboring Arab countries.

[19:35] literally attacked. Those five countries, their populations were in the tens of millions.

[19:51] And yet, Israel is here with us today. They were not wiped out. They have since sustained and, and, and participated in war, after war, where other countries have deemed to wipe them out.

[20:17] And, and we could go into a lot of details on them. You can, you can watch documentaries on that. There's books written on that. There, it's, it's recorded. And, and God has been fighting for this little country.

[20:32] It's so clear. Today, their population is 9.3 million. From 600,000 to 9.3 million.

[20:45] They have prospered. They have prospered under adversity, under attack from all their enemies. They are a country leading the world in technology.

[21:04] This little country. They are a country leading the world in military advancements. Not maybe in military might, as in size, but in technology again.

[21:23] Systems like the Iron Dome, anti-missile defense, born in Israel. And, financially, this country is booming and has investors from all over the world investing in Israel.

[21:47] They're booming. And yet, in 1948, they were a desert. God-forsaken land. And, they're there.

[21:57] But, scripture tells us, I will turn it around and it will become green and prosperous. And, we, as the church, are witnessing it today.

[22:13] We're witnessing even as we speak. This past year, this past months, has been rough on Israel.

[22:30] None of us, I don't believe, can imagine facing daily rocket missile fire from the neighbors. I can't imagine what that would be like to live with that.

[22:48] It's normal there. They don't even seem to get too excited. fire fired. We would have one fired at us and we would all be in a panic.

[23:03] And, and so, we, what's going on? And, and so, God is so clearly not done with them.

[23:15] He has a purpose. He is prospering them in spite of the whole world turning on them. You know, the worst enemy that Israel has, and it's Satan behind it, of course, but is the United Nations.

[23:32] And, and they are, in that sense, I think we could say there's evil. There's evil as they, they pounce on the good and, and support the evil.

[23:45] And, and just this past week, they announced that, that the vice president of the United Nations would be one of the top leaders from Iran, which is Israel's chief enemy.

[23:59] And, and so, and Iran has been the world leader in, in human rights violations against their own people. And, and the past year it was very evident, and yet United Nations has embraced this country.

[24:19] Come on, be our leader. And so, we have things happening right today. And, and yet Israel continues to prosper. God, God's arm is not shortened.

[24:36] He has a plan, and he will see it through. Why is God doing this? And perhaps we need to understand the God's God's done with the Jews, it's often called replacement theology, where the church has replaced Israel, and is receiving all the blessings and prophecies that apply to Israel now belong to the church.

[25:12] church. That's a growing teaching out there, but it's not biblical. It's not based on God's word.

[25:23] So, we need to separate the church and Israel, the bride of Christ and the wife of God, as the Old Testament refers to Israel.

[25:35] God has a plan for her. Turning to some scriptures, going back to Genesis, I'm going to walk us through a few.

[25:54] Genesis chapter 12. Very familiar passage, verses 1 to 3.

[26:09] Genesis 12, 1. Now the Lord had said to Abraham, get out of your country from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation.

[26:22] I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

[26:37] Abraham, as the father of the Jewish nation, from his seed, all of Israel flows in the physical, and for those that are believing Jews, in the spiritual as well, of faith.

[26:54] But God makes it very clear that through you, the entire world will be blessed. And that as we bless, I will bless those who bless you, and I'll curse him who curses you.

[27:13] And so when we bless God's people, Israel, the Jews, God says he will bless us in return. Now, some will say, well, this is limited to the coming of Christ, and ultimate blessing was through Jesus Christ and salvation, and it is, and yet the coming kingdom is a further blessing.

[27:43] And we need to see that God is continuing to bless those that bless Israel. turning to Genesis 17, 6 to 8.

[28:08] Abraham is 99 years old, and God has just renewed the promise of a son. And verse 6, he's taking Abraham outside.

[28:20] He says, I will make you exceedingly fruitful. I will make nations out of you, and kings shall come for you, and I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you and your descendants after you.

[28:40] Also, I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.

[28:57] Promise made 2,000 years before Christ and is still valid 2,000 years after. This land belongs to the Jews for God's purpose.

[29:12] I will be their God. And so we have that foundation. A lot more scriptures in the Old Testament that would support that, that would enhance it, but we're going to move on.

[29:27] Deuteronomy chapter 7. Let's turn to Deuteronomy chapter 7, and we see a bit of purpose here. Deuteronomy 7, verses 6 through 8.

[29:41] Deuteronomy 7, verses 6-8. In verse 6, it says, For you are a holy people to the Lord your God.

[29:54] The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The people did not set his love on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples.

[30:13] But because the Lord loves you, and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

[30:28] So we see that his promises to Israel, not because they're better, that they've earned it, but because he loves them, and because he said he would, because he said he would, God keeps his promises.

[30:57] And let us not forget that, brothers and sisters. Israel in the flesh was no more deserving than me and you.

[31:13] But God chose to work through this people group for his own purposes, to reveal the Messiah, and also to play out the millennial kingdom.

[31:29] And why did God choose it that way? you have the privilege of asking him in person when you get there. But we have to accept that he will do, he will keep, and he will do that.

[31:50] And so we look at Israel today, and we don't understand why. They rejected the Messiah. Messiah. They hung him on a cross.

[32:06] But in reality, I was there too. I hung him on the cross as well. It was my sin that put him there.

[32:21] Yes, they rejected him, and they paid a price, and in the meantime, God introduced the church age. But there comes a time he's going to turn back to the Jews.

[32:36] And in our next message, we're going to start to go into that. I want to turn to Romans 11. We're going to close with that scripture. Romans 11. Romans 11. Romans 11.

[32:46] Romans 11. Romans 11. Romans 11. 11. I'm going to read two portions here, 1 to 5, Romans 11.

[33:11] Romans 11. 12. I say then, has God cast away his people? So this is in the church age. Paul is writing to the Romans.

[33:24] Has God cast away his people? Certainly not. For I also am an Israelite, the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people, whom he foreknew.

[33:37] Or do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life?

[33:54] But what does the divine response say to Elijah, to him? I have reserved for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

[34:06] So the question is answered, is God done with the Jews? And he says, certainly not. He has a remnant, an elect, that he has carried through.

[34:21] And even today, there are born again believers among the Jews. They may be fewer in numbers, but that will increase in the end, in the final revealing.

[34:34] And so, just as in Elijah's day, when he was feeling he was alone, God reminded him, no need to have a pity party, there's 7,000 men that are in the faith.

[34:54] And he encouraged Elijah with that. Turning to verse 11, same chapter, verse 11, chapter, verse 11, I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall?

[35:12] Certainly not. But through their fall, this is Israel, through their fall to provoke them to jealousy, salvation entiles. And now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness.

[35:36] I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry. If by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, the Jews, and save some of them.

[35:54] For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? It's talking about a future believing on the behalf of Israel, a future response by that nation.

[36:15] Verse 16, for if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches, but if you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

[36:46] You will say then, branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well said, because of the unbelief, they were broken off, and you stand by faith.

[36:58] Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God on those who fell, severity but toward you goodness, if you continue in his goodness.

[37:19] Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

[37:32] For if you were cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature, the elevated olive tree, how much more will these who are natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

[37:48] For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

[38:09] And so all Israel will be saved as it is written, the deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

[38:21] we have an explanation and illustration by Paul here, reminding them of the relationship between the church and Israel.

[38:34] And because of unbelief, the branch of Israel was broken off. And we were grafted in, the Gentiles, by faith.

[38:48] But the warning, don't let it go to your head that we are now better than the Jews. For if we don't continue in faith with God, he will break off the Gentile branches.

[39:09] And then he finishes with the promise that God is able to graft back in the Jews by faith.

[39:20] And he says all Israel will be saved in verse 26. And it's going to be a result of the tribulation period and at the coming of Christ, Israel will be saved.

[39:34] They will recognize him as the Messiah. As we close with this, you may wonder, what's this to me?

[39:48] Why do we need to know this? It's maybe a few things that we could glean out of this. We are commanded to bless Israel.

[40:05] We are commanded to pray for Israel as the church. And so we need to understand their place in order for us to do that.

[40:20] It also gears us up to observe what is happening in Israel today. Are God's promises coming to fulfillment?

[40:35] fulfillment. And as we understand that all of the end times, all of it will play out in Israel, in Jerusalem.

[40:50] It's going to be the ruling city of the world. Jesus will reign from Jerusalem. Jerusalem. reign with him.

[41:05] And so that is up. So to understand, it equips us to pray for them. To say that God is done is to blind yourself to much of God's word.

[41:24] because we cannot understand it then. It's to blind ourselves to much of God's word.

[41:34] Amen. I would like to add one more scripture, if I have your permission.

[41:47] Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14. Zechariah 15. Verse 3 through 5.

[42:04] Zechariah 14. Zechariah 15. 3 to 5. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. And that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west, making valley.

[42:28] Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. And then you shall flee through my mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach Asal. Yes, you shall flee, as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah.

[42:44] Thus the Lord my God will come and all the saints with you. And so it's going to be centered right on the Mount of Olives.

[42:55] And as we go back where we started in Acts chapter 1, where did Jesus depart from? The Mount of Olives. And what did the two men in white say to the apostles?

[43:11] As you saw him go, so he will return. And Zechariah, 400 years before Christ, prophesied and said that in that day, his feet will touch the Mount of Olives.

[43:30] He's coming back to Jerusalem. So let us bless. Let's look on Israel. Let's look positive. Pay attention to what's happening in that part of the world.

[43:43] It's truly, we live in exciting times. So may the Lord bless this information to us as we think this through. Let's pray.

[43:59] Lord, we know that you are faithful. Lord, we know that you cannot lie.

[44:12] That every promise and prophecy you've ever made has come to pass and will come to pass. We can depend on it. And so Lord, we know these things are true.

[44:26] And we already see the fulfillment of much of it. And so Lord, as your people, prevent us from deception, but lead us in truth.

[44:40] That we would see this biblically, truthfully. And that Lord, our hearts would be ready for you to come for us.

[44:51] We just praise you, Lord, for your unwavering plan for eternity and that we will be with you. We pray these things in Jesus' name.

[45:04]  Amen.