THY KINGDOM COME
D.P. Weary
January 2010
INTRODUCTION
Jesus taught us to pray this way: Luke
11:1-2 NKJV - Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when
He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray,
as John also taught his disciples."
So He said to them, "When you
pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your
will be done on earth as [it is] in heaven.
We are also commanded to go and preach the Kingdom of God:
Luke 9:2 NKJV - He sent them to
preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:60 NKJV - Jesus said to him,
"Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of
God."
So just what is this Kingdom of God that we are to pray for
and preach, what is God’s plan to bring it about, and how do Israel and the
Jews play into this plan?
For me the story of God establishing His Kingdom on earth is
the story of the Bible. The Bible is the story of and a revelation of God’s
master plan to establish His Kingdom on earth. I see basically four main
subplots in the story. The first is the story of the King of the Kingdom, the
Greatest Story ever told, the story of Jesus. The second is the story of God’s
court, the government and administrators of the Kingdom. This is the story of
God’s chosen or covenant people, the Hebrews. The third is the story of the Kings
Bride, the true Queen of Heaven. This is the story of the true Church. And the
fourth is the story of the nations, the subjects of the Kingdom.
I believe that to understand the story of any one of these
key players in God’s great story, one need to understand the whole story and
the role of each player.
Much of the story has already been played out. We have the
history of these four key players and we have the prophetic scriptures that
deal with these players. Most of the prophecies have already been completed.
They were completed literally and precisely as the prophets predicted. These
give us the pattern for how the remaining prophecies will be played out. As we
seek to be a people that “know the times and know what to do” we need to know
the yet to be fulfilled prophecies, interpret them in light of the completed
prophecies, and the pray and work as ambassadors of the coming King consistent
with His plan, to the end that His Kingdom come and His will be done on earth
as it is in Heaven.
In this study we will be looking at one of these
subplots. A subplot that is greatly
misunderstood and little taught. It is the subject of Israel and the Hebrews,
their destiny, why they are so important to us today, and what we are to do
with respect to them, we must see their story as a part of the larger story of
God’s coming Kingdom on earth.
GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE AND THE COVENANTS
First we must understand that they are God’s chosen,
covenant people (Romans 9:4; Ephesians
2:11, 12). Gentiles are only included in these covenants by being “in
Christ Jesus”. To Hebrews He gave the responsibility to be a people and nation
that is a Kingdom with God as their King. They were to be a light to
the other nations of the earth. To them God gave the Law, the Prophets,
Jesus the King, the Feasts, the Temple, and many ceremonies, and rituals that
were prophecies and pictures of the Kingdom. He also gave them unconditional
promises that we call the Abrahamic Covenants.
He promised that they would be a great nation forever and a blessing
to all nations. He promised them a land forever and a King forever.
The covenants are of great importance to us in this study
because they are the basis of the eschatological program of God. They guarantee Israel a permanent national
existence, perpetual title to the land of promise, material and spiritual
blessing through the Messiah, and through the Messiah they guarantee gentiles a
share in these blessings. The land
promises, or blessings, are given in the Palestinian covenant. The promises of a perpetual kingdom are
given in the Davidic covenant, and the redemptive and spiritual blessings are
given in the New Covenant. Taken
together, these constitute the Abrahamic covenant.
The Palestinian covenant
promises a National Land forever (Genesis 12:1; 13:14-15, 17;
15:18-21). This redemption is national
and universal (Genesis 12:3; 22:18; Galatians 3:16; Romans 11:25, 26; Zechariah
13:1).
The new covenant promises Israel everlasting (perpetual) spiritual
blessings and redemptionunconditionaleverlasting. It promises a renewed mind and heartblessing of God (Hosea 2:19-20), forgiveness of sin (Jeremiah 31:34), indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah
31:33; Ezekiel 36:27) and the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit and that the
will of God to be known by obedient
hearts (Jeremiah 31:34). It promise
that Israel will be blessed materially (Jeremiah 32:41; Isaiah 61:7-9; Ezekiel
34:25-27), that God’s sanctuary will
be in the midst of them for evermore (Ezekiel 37:26-27), and that wars shall
cease and that peace shall reign
(Hosea 2:18). The Blood of Jesus is the
foundation of all these blessings (Zechariah 9:11).
The Davidic covenant promises
Israel - the Jews - a dynasty (Kingdom of no end), a nation (the house
of Jacob), and a throne (the throne of David), (2 Sam 7:11, 13, 16;
Jeremiah 33:3-26; 31:35-40; 1 Chronicles 22:10; Isaiah 55:3; Ezekiel 37:25; Hosea
3:4-5; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Amos 9:11-12; Jeremiah 30:7,11,18). God promised Abraham numerous descendants
who would form a great, everlasting nation (Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 17:2-6). This is the essence of the Davidic
covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant is the one
conditional covenant. Basically it is
the Law. If the house of Jacob and the
sons of Israel would obey God's voice and keep the Law God gave to them through
Moses, then God promises that Israel would be His special possession or
treasure, a kingdom whose citizens were all priests with access to God, and a
holy nation, separated from all other nations and devoted only to God (Exodus
19:5-6). The basic commandments are given in Exodus 20. The New Covenant
replaced the Mosaic covenant. The New
Covenant is based on better promises, and on Christ's blood. It is no longer conditional on keeping the
law, but only on accepting the atonement offered by Christ Jesus. The New Covenant is with the house of Judah
and Israel, and includes writing His laws upon their minds and hearts and
forgiving their sins (Hebrews 8:6-13; Jeremiah 31:31-40).
Israel in the past failed God in many ways and suffered the
consequences. We can trace their story down through the ages in the history of
Israel and through the prophecies concerning them that have already been
completed. We can also discern where they are today by understanding current
events as prophecies that are currently being worked out. The challenge before us now is to understand
the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled (the future) and then to work in
concert with God’s plan as He fulfills His covenant promises to the Hebrews and
brings then into their final destiny. I do not believe we can do this without
seeing Israel in context with the stories and destinies of the other three key
players in God’s great story of His coming Kingdom.
THE CHURCH, THE NATIONS, AND ISRAEL’S DESTINY
God’s goal was and is to allow the people of earth to freely
and willingly make Him their King. Israel and the Hebrews were to be the
pattern that the world was to follow. But the Hebrews chose not to. They wanted
an earthly King like the nations around them. So we have the history of the
Judges, the Kings, the exiles and captivities, and the Diaspora. But God had a
plan. Before He completed His covenant promises and restored Israel to her
destiny, He wanted to raise up an eternal companion to sit beside Him on His
Throne as a Queen. Thus, Jesus and the Church age came into the world.
As the prophet Daniel foretold, Israel lived through 7 weeks
of years, then there was a gap, then through 62 weeks of years. Then there was
another gap before a final 1 week of years when God would:
Dan 9:24 NASB - "Seventy weeks have been decreed for
your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of
sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to
seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy {place.}
This gap in time is what is called "the Church Age". It began on the Day of Pentecost in about 32AD and it ends with the rapture of the Church.
This is the Church age where with respect to true Christians
there is no Jew or Gentile, just one new man. This is the age of God’s grace
where by believing in Jesus and accepting Him as Lord and Savior and as
Bridegroom, any one can become part of God’s Bride, His wife, the Queen of
Heaven.
After the Church Age God once
again “starts the clock” with Israel and starts Daniel’s last week of years. It
is at the end of this last week of years that “all Israel will be saved”. It is during this 7-year period that God
completes His covenant promises to Israel and fully restores them to their
rightful place, their destiny in the Great Story. The final restoration process
is the story told in the prophets (especially Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah,
Zephaniah, Isaiah, and Joel) of the last week of years and in the book of
Revelation. It is in these prophecies that we find the end of Israel’s story,
their final part of the story and the process that gets them there. And what do
we find? We find that they end up the judges, the priests, the Kings
attendants, and the administrators of God’s Government, His Kingdom.
If my understanding that Revelation from chapter 7 and on is
all about Israel and the Jews (a continuation of OT prophecies concerning
Daniel’s last week of years) is correct then we can know that Jews that are
martyrs during the last 7 years are to be judges in God’s Kingdom on earth.
Rev 20:4 DBY - And I saw thrones; and they sat upon them,
and judgment was given to them; and the souls of those beheaded on account of
the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the word of God; and those who had
not done homage to the beast nor to his image, and had not received the mark on
their forehead and hand; and they lived and reigned with the Christ a thousand
years:
Ezekiel, especially from chapter 34 and following, is an
amazing picture or revelation of the restoration of Israel. Chapter 37 is all
about the re-gathering of the Jews to the land and then breathing the Spirit
into them. Today we are witnessing the re-gathering and the beginning of the
Spirit filling them as individuals (the Jewish Messianic movement). Chapters 38
and 39 are prophecies of an attack and invasion by the enemy nations that
surround them. Today we are seeing the very nations defined in Ezekiel 38 and
in Psalm 83 gathering and preparing to attack Israel. After God defeats these enemies, chapter 40 and following begins
a wonderful revelation of the Kingdom of God on earth during the millennium
reign of Christ. There are revelations of the Temple (Ezekiel 40-43), Tempe
rituals and worship (Ezekiel 45-46), the city of Jerusalem, the land of Israel
(Ezekiel 45-48), and the roles of Jews in this Kingdom (Ezekiel 44). Of
particular interest to us in this study are the roles of Jews in the Kingdom.
Ezek 44:10-11 DBY - But the Levites
who went away far from me, when Israel went astray, going astray from me after
their idols, they shall even bear their iniquity, but they shall be ministers
in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and doing the
service of the house: they shall slaughter the burnt-offering and the sacrifice
for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
Ezek 44:14 NASB - "Yet I will
appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that
shall be done in it.
Ezek 44:15-16 DBY - But the priests,
the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the
children of Israel went astray from me, they shall approach unto me to minister
unto me, and they shall stand before me to present unto me the fat and the
blood, saith the Lord Jehovah.
They shall enter into my sanctuary,
and they shall approach unto my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep
my charge.
Ezek 44:23 NASB - "Moreover,
they shall teach My people {the} {difference} between the holy and the profane,
and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Ezek 44:24 NASB - "In a dispute they shall take their
stand to judge; they shall judge it according to My ordinances. They shall also
keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts and sanctify My
sabbaths.
In these verses we see the roles of the Levites in the
Kingdom. They are the ministers in the sanctuary and minister to the people.
The sons of Zadok minister directly to the Lord. They are also teachers and
judges.
During the days of the millennium there will also be a civil
Jewish leader in Jerusalem called “the prince”. This prince offers sacrifices
to the Lord so we know that this is not the Lord, but a chief civil leader in
Jerusalem (Ezekiel 34, 44-46). The scripture says that this prince is King
David and I believe that it is David from the OT now taking his rightful and
destined place in King Jesus’ court.
Ezek 34:24 NASB - "And I, the
LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the
LORD have spoken.
Ezek 44:3 NASB - "As for the
prince, he shall sit in it as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall
enter by way of the porch of the gate and shall go out by the same way."
And what about the nations? The nations of the entire earth
become, through the process revealed by the prophets of the last week of years
and the book of Revelation, the King’s subjects, the people of the Kingdom.
The end of the story is this. A Jewish King, King Jesus,
sits on a Throne in Jerusalem. His Bride, the Church, sits beside Him (Rev.
3:21) ruling and reigning with Him as co-regent by virtue of wedlock to the
King. His “prime minister” is “the Prince”, King David. The King’s covenant
people, the Hebrews are His court, the administrators of His Kingdom. His
Kingdom is the entire earth, and the people of the earth His subjects. The
Kingdom of God has come. His will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
So the story of the Hebrews, the Jews, the story of Israel,
is the story of God raising up those who destiny it is to be the
administrators, the government, of God’s Kingdom as He establishes it on earth.
The restoration of Israel that we are seeing in our day is the beginning of the
last stages of this story. The story ends in a glorious triad, God the King,
His Bride the Church, and His closest friends, His people, His court, the
Hebrews, ruling over His Kingdom on earth for 1000 years. The story does go on
but that book has yet to be written. At the end of 1000 years, God creates a
New Heaven and a New Earth and His Kingdom goes on forever. What an adventure
that will be!
If this is the end of the story, a good question to ask is
what is the specific process or the plan that get us to the end of the story.
What has already happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen in
the journey to the Kingdom? To partner with God in prayer and deed as He moves
to establish His Kingdom, we must know the plan. It is through study of the
prophecies of the Bible that deal with Daniel’s last week of years and
especially the book of Revelation that this plan is revealed. This has been my
passion for many years.
Key studies that I have done are:
“The Journey”,
“The Road to New Jerusalem”,
“Forty Steps to New Jerusalem”,
“Fire in the Sky”,
“Prelude”,
“Antichrist”,
“The Worthless Shepard”,
“The Kingdom of the Beast”,
“Armageddon”,
“War in the Middle East”,
“Isaiah 17”,
“Harvest Time”,
“Mystery Babylon”, and
“The Rapture”.
Some of these you can find on my blog, www.dpweary.blogspot.com. “The Journey” and “The Road to New
Jerusalem” are large comprehensive studies that include the studies of the
Feasts of Israel and charts. If anyone would like to have any of these studies
by email I will gladly send them to you.
D.P. Weary
January 2010
dpweary@q.com
