Be Ye Doers. . . Of The Word!

Jesus said the kingdom of God was at hand, but how close was it? We know that one day to God is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. ( 2 Peter 3:8) So, was the kingdom that Christ spoke of thousands of years away or was it close at hand for the people or generation that lived during Jesus' life on earth? Jesus spoke in Mark 9:1, ". . . Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." Jesus told His disciples that some of them would not die until they saw the kingdom come with POWER. This means one of two things: Either the kingdom is already here or there are some people alive today who are about 2,000 years old.

Now we know that this great everlasting kingdom that the prophets prophesied about, and that Jesus and John spoke about was close to being established, but it still had not come into existence during the time of Christ being on the earth. How can we say for sure that the kingdom had not been established during the life of Christ? Luke, guided by the Holy Spirit writes, "And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counselor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God." (Luke 23:50,51) Joseph of Arimathea was still waiting for the kingdom to come after the death of Jesus. This proves that the kingdom had not yet been established.

The kingdom had not been established during Jesus' life, but remember, he told some of His disciples that they would not taste death until they saw it come with power. Was the kingdom established at the ascension of Christ? NO! Remember, in Acts 1:6 what the apostles asked Jesus, ". . . Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" If the kingdom had been established at Christ's ascension, the apostles would have known about it, but this verse shows that they had no knowledge of a kingdom already in existence.

Ten days after the ascension of Jesus Christ, we find the apostles in an upper room where they received the Holy Spirit in the shape of tongues of fire. It is interesting to note how Paul and other writers of the New Testament referred to the kingdom after the Day of Pentecost. Read Colossians 1:13, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:" Also, read Hebrews 12:28, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved. . ." These verses show that the New Testament writers, after the Day of Pentecost, always spoke of the kingdom as being in existence. Paul said, in Colossians that we have been translated into the kingdom. This is past tense. The Hebrew writer states, ". . . we receiving a kingdom. . ." is present tense, they received it at that time.

Now we come to the question, "What has the Day of Pentecost got to do with it?" In order to understand this we must first go back to the sixteenth chapter of Matthew, verses 13 through 19. (Please read them carefully) When Jesus asked the disciples who He was, Peter said, ". . . Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It is very important that we understand what Christ tells Peter. Christ said, ". . . Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell (hades) shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

First Christ says upon this rock. What is the rock? The rock of the church is the confession that Peter made, that we must also make, "That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God." Secondly, Christ says, "upon this rock I will build my Church." This means that if we do not make this confession, then we are not a part of the Church. Thirdly, Christ tells Peter, ". . . I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven;" When did Peter use the keys to the kingdom of heaven? He used them on the day of Pentecost, the apostles were endued with power and they preached the first gospel sermon to all the people gathered in Jerusalem. What happened after Peter preached about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? The crowd asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter used the keys of the kingdom of heaven and told them how to enter the kingdom. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit)."

The kingdom that the prophets prophesied about in the Old Testament, and that Jesus and John said was at hand is THE CHURCH! It was established on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension of Jesus Christ.

Now let's examine a syllogism; (a syllogism is a form of reasoning in which two or more statements are made and a logical conclusion can be drawn from them. Webster's New World Dictionary) Here is an example of a syllogism: Statement 1: We must be immersed to be a Christian. Statement 2: He is a Christian. Conclusion: Therefore, he has been immersed.

Now let's examine another syllogism. Christ said in Mark 9:1, some of them that stand there wouldn't taste death until they saw the kingdom come with power. Christ told His disciples in Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:" On the Day of Pentecost we find that the apostles were endued with power after the Holy Ghost (Spirit) fell upon them. The syllogism here is this: Statement 1: The King will come with power. (Mark 9:1) Statement 2: The power will come with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) Statement 3: The Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-4) Conclusion: Therefore the kingdom, the power, and the Holy Spirit all came on the Day of Pentecost.

Thy Kingdom Come

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray, in that day and time. "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

Should we pray this prayer today? NO! Because as we have learned in these articles that the kingdom is already here. The kingdom that Jesus' disciples were to pray for in that day has already come. It is THE CHURCH. It would make no sense for us to pray for the kingdom to come, when it is already here. However, there is a prayer that Jesus prayed during His life on earth that we should pray every day. In John the 17th chapter. we find Jesus praying to His Father. The part of this prayer that we should concentrate on and pray every day is verses 21-23, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

Remember, verse 21 says that we (Christians) must be one before the world will believe that God sent Jesus to save the world. You might say we (Christians) must be ONE, before the world will be WON! Brethren, let us be ONE.

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