The Kingdom was within reach according to Christ when
He walked the earth in fleshly form:
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,
Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Those to whom Christ spoke were called to repent BECAUSE
the kingdom was "at hand" not thousands of years after their deaths.
Jesus taught that the kingdom was also already there....
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God,
then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Jesus told those who heard Him speaking that they were not to
look for a physical and carnal manifestation of the kingdom.
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for,
behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Jesus taught that the kingdom was to be taken from Israel:
Matthew 21:33 ¶ Hear another parable: There was a certain
householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round
about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower,
and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his
servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one,
and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first:
and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying,
They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among
themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him,
and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard,
and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what
will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those
wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other
husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures,
The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall
be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
The kingdom of God "was" given to Israel - but it has been taken.
It is given now to any nation that exalts God's truth...
Unfortunately - that is no longer our nation.
While the kingdom can be "fleshed out" in the natural..
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH
Yet it is still "among us"
THY KINGDOM COME
A prayer answered to those who call upon the Lord
throughout the ages (aions)
Brian |
