The Kingdom of God

1
The Kingdom of God

• The Mediatorial Kingdom in Old Testament Prophecy
• Part I

2
Last Week

• The Mediatorial Rulers from Moses to Saul
• The Monarchial Form of the Mediatorial Kingdom in
  History
• The Decline and End of the Mediatorial Kingdom in
  History

3
The Role of the Prophets During the Decline of
the Kingdom
Prophets
Northern Kingdom
722 BC
United King.
Southern Kingdom
586 BC
Prophets
4
This Week

• Introduction The nature, interpretation, and
  extent of kingdom prophecy. McClain calls OT
  prophecy the largest and most important area of
  investigation regarding the future mediatorial
  kingdom.
• The prophetic kingdom is related to history. Why
  does McClain emphasize this?
• The Mediatorial ruler in the prophetic kingdom.

5
Introduction

• The Nature of Kingdom Prophecy
• Prophecy arises out of a definite historical
  situation existing before the eyes of the
  prophet there is always a connection with the
  past.
• Prophecy and Time events which appear together
  in prophecy may in their fulfillment be widely
  separated in time (e.g., the two comings of
  Christ Isa 96-7, the 70 weeks of Daniel 9). The
  sequence of events may also be reversed (e.g. new
  heavens and new earth mentioned before millennial
  conditions in Isa 6517-25).
• The Interpretation of Kingdom Prophecy 3 major
  schools
• Literal according to the rules of grammar
  (including figures of speech) and the facts in
  history. (McClain allows for more typology here
  than I would, e.g. when he says it is legitimate
  for a preacher to take a prophecy concerning
  Israel and apply it to the church p. 141).
• Eclectical aka spiritual method. Originated
  by Origen, who was a Platonist in philosophy. It
  is eclectic in that it takes some things
  literally and some not.
• Critical denies the supernatural character of
  Scripture, especially concerning prophecy. More
  radical group says prophecy written after the
  event moderates accept literal meaning, but say
  there is no present validity.
• The Extent of Kingdom Prophecy
• Begins with scattered references in the
  Pentateuch, opens up clearly with the historical
  books, grows in volume and brilliance as the
  historical kingdom declines and comes to its
  close in Malachi.

6
The Prophetic Kingdom Is Related to History

• the Messianic Kingdom will not only be
  established in future history but its roots are
  anchored in history past (McClain, p. 147).
• Its coming king will be related to history.
• He is related to historical persons such as Adam
  and Eve (Gen 315), Abraham (Gen 178), the tribe
  of Judah (Gen 4910), the family of Jesse (Isa
  111), the line of David (Jer 235).
• He is to be born in a historical place, Bethlehem
  (Mic 52).
• He will sit on the throne of David (Isa 97) and
  execute judgment and righteousness in the land
  (Jer. 3315).
• Its establishment will be within the arena of
  history.
• It is a kingdom on the earth, headquartered at
  Jerusalem in the land of Palestine, just as the
  historical kingdom of the OT was.

7
The Prophetic Kingdom Is Related to History

• Its favored nation will be the Israel of history.
• Gods covenant relationship with Israel is the
  basis for this. The prophets contain both
  punishment and hope of restoration in the last
  days. Once restoration comes, it will never be
  taken away.
• This has been denied by 2 different hermeneutical
  schemes
• OT prophecies seen as fulfilled in Israels first
  return to the land. What is wrong with this
  conclusion?
• Making the church the new Israel.
• It will destroy and supplant historical powers.
• Daniel 2 and 7. If the preceding human kingdoms
  are on earth, so will be the kingdom of Messiah.

8
Visions in Daniel 2 and 7
Picture taken from International Inductive Study
Bible, p. 1432.
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The Prophetic Kingdom Is Related to History

• Its beneficiaries will include nations of
  history.
• The nations will not be completely annihilated
  but will instead become worshippers of the true
  God (Isa 22-4).
• Its covenant basis is grounded in history.
• Abrahamic
• Mosaic
• Davidic
• New

10
Relationship Between the Covenants
NEW
DAVIDIC DEFINED KINGDOM
MOSAIC DEFINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD ISRAEL
ABRAHAMIC LAND, SEED, AND BLESSING
11
Fulfillment of the Covenants in the Kingdom
12
Continuity of the New Covenant with the Mosaic
Covenant

• It thus appears that the difference between the
  old and the new covenants must be reduced to
  this, that what was commanded and applied to the
  heart in the old is given to the new, and the new
  is but the completion of the old covenant. This
  is, indeed, the true relation between them, as is
  clearly shown by the fact, that the essential
  element of the new covenant, I will be their
  God, and they shall be my people, was set forth
  as the object of the old cf. Lev. 2612 with Ex.
  2945 (C.F. Keil, Jeremiah in Commentary on the
  Old Testament, 282).

13
Relationship of the New Covenant to the Previous
Covenants

• Jeremiahs vision for renewal corresponds with
  the more comprehensive statements in Isaiah. The
  earlier prophet merges the Davidic, Mosaic, and
  Abrahamic covenants in the work of the servant.
  Jeremiah locates the fulfillment of these
  agreements at the initiation of the new covenant.
  When the new covenant comes into effect, the
  others will be gathered into it, fulfilled and
  explained by it. Both prophets believe that a
  new age will come when a cleansed, faithful
  people of God inherit a glorious city in which
  they worship the Lord under the leadership of a
  Davidic descendant. Gods law will be obeyed,
  and God will rule over subjects from Israel and
  the nations (House, Old Testament Theology, 320).

14
The Mediatorial Ruler in the Prophetic Kingdom

• The nature of the coming ruler
• Both human and divine in nature For a child
  will be born to us, a son will be given to us
  and the government will rest on His shoulders
  and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,
  Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (Isa
  96).
• The origin of the coming ruler
• Both natural and supernatural born of a woman,
  but conceived by the Holy Spirit.

15
The Mediatorial Ruler in the Prophetic Kingdom

• The character of the coming ruler
• Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
  And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And
  the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The
  spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of
  counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and
  the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the
  fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what
  His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His
  ears hear But with righteousness He will judge
  the poor, and decide with fairness for the
  afflicted of the earth And He will strike the
  earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the
  breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also
  righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
  And faithfulness the belt about His waist (Isa
  111-5).
• He will be the servant of Jehovah, revealing
  in His character and leadership all the
  perfections which were so sadly lacking in even
  the best of former rulers in the historical
  kingdom (McClain, p. 164).
• The ability of the coming ruler
• Not only good and wise, but also strong and
  capable, fully able to execute His will. He shall
  not fail in His task!

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The Mediatorial Ruler in the Prophetic Kingdom

• The functions of the coming ruler
• Three functions of leadership in the historical
  kingdom
• King
• Priest
• Prophet
• OT prophecy anticipates the combination of these
  3 offices into one. The Messiah will rule with
  the authority of a king, speak Gods words as a
  prophet, and mediate for Gods people as a
  priest.
• The mystery of the kings career
• Presented both as servant of Jehovah and a
  suffering servant.
• A man of sorrows and ill treatment, and at the
  same time the good shepherd of Israel.
• Comes as the long awaited Messiah the Prince,
  but is cut off and left with nothing (Dan
  925-26).
• What was the expectation for the Messiah in
  Jesus day and why?

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Next Week The Mediatorial Kingdom in Old
Testament ProphecyPart II

• The Coming and Establishment of the Prophetic
  Kingdom