How many times do I need to remind you that Christ said he brought the Kingdom "near," and not "here?" That's what he said brother. And it continued to be said long after Jesus went back to heaven.
The Kingdom did make an impact in the time of Christ, simply because Christ was representative of the Kingdom as its future King. So when people came face to face with Jesus, they came face to face with the Kingdom, not as if it had come, but only in the sense that they were confronted with its power and authority.
We sign onto the Kingdom of God in the present age, but it's membership is kept in reserve for us in heaven by Christ until he comes again. We shall inherit it only when we are made immortal. Then we will inherit the Kingdom as Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
It is plain to most that there is some sense of the Kingdom's work in the present age. On that much we can agree. But we cannot agree that the Kingdom has actually come. Don't believe that at all!
There is so much is wrong with your theology that it is difficult to know where to begin. Repeated Scripture shows that Christ king now. He is reigning in majesty upon high now! He is risen from the dead and He is Lord. All power and authority belongs to Him now. Your false teaching causes you to dethrone Christ from His sovereign place reigning over His enemies today. You ducked around the Scripture I presented that exposes your BIG-DEVIL and small-jesus theology. Your theology forces Christ to abdicate His throne at the right hand of majesty on high. Your teachers have taught you wrong! Israel’s king has already come, and introduced His heavenly kingdom.
While you, your fellow Premils and the Pharisees did not accept Christ as Christ, many did and do today. Amongst them are most Amils. While Jesus did not come and meet the religious Jews faulty expectation of a physical territorial kingdom where the Messiah would reign over physical Israel and subjugate the Gentile nations. He did come as a spiritual king reigning over a spiritual kingdom.
Listen to how God revealed Christ to the wisemen in Matthew 2:1-2:
“behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
Here you have it! The sacred text testifies to the fact that Jesus Christ was “born King of the Jews.”
John 1:47-49:
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! … Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”
As the Lord’s ministry came to an end on earth we see Him entering into Jerusalem triumphant on a donkey. He received the adoration of the people.
Listen to what they were shouting on Palm Sunday. The people declared in John 12:12-15:
“Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.”
Before Jesus death in John 18:36 Jesus told Pilate:
“My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
In the next verse, Pilate asked Jesus:
“Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
While Jesus did not come and meet the religious Jews faulty expectation of a physical territorial kingdom where the Messiah would reign over physical Israel and subjugate the Gentile nations. He did come as a spiritual king reigning over a spiritual kingdom.
Israel’s king had come, and introduced His heavenly kingdom to this earth.
The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus in Matthew 27:29:
“when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!”
Their derision was directed toward Christ and the title because that is what belonged to Him, and that is what He claimed.
Above Jesus on the cross
“Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19).
By Christ’s own affirmation Pilate inscribed this great title upon the cross.
Kings carry authority. On Christ’s part, all authority. To deny Christ kingship is to deny His authority, because both are inextricably linked.
Jesus said Revelation 3:21:
“I … overcame.”
Revelation 5:5 tells us:
“behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed.”
The lion is known as the king of the jungle. It carries great authority and power. That is a very potent symbol of who Jesus is. By the way, the Bible does not say that Satan is a lion. It says that he walks about “like” a lion.
Ephesians 1:17-21,
“the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”
This passage confirms the absolute authority that Christ now enjoys and reveals the unlimited scope of His current rule. It explicitly illustrates the current sovereign reign of Christ over all His enemies from the “right hand” of majesty on high.
Philippians 2:9 says,
“wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
He reigns today over the seen and the unseen world making every power and every authority “subject unto him.”
1 Peter 3:22 says, that Christ,
“who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God (now!!!);
angels and authorities and powers being (currently!!!)
made subject unto him.”
Those who question Christ’s current reign do great assault upon the truth of God’s Word and undermine the current sovereign kingly position that He now assuredly holds.
