Bird's-eye view of the Bible - The theme of God's kingdom - thoughts about how the kingdom of God is revealed in the Bible

Introduction:
    
     We have traveled over 3,000 years of time in our "bird's-eye view" of the Bible. We first decided to work our way through the Bible by way of major themes. We've journeyed through seven themes so far: Creation, Catastrophe, Flood, Patriarchs, Moses, Victory, Spiritual Defeat. For sake of convenience, I'll list the previous posts dealing with this themes:

1. Theme of Creation in Genesis 1-2.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/01/birds-eye-view-of-bible-theme-of.html

2. Theme of Catastrophe in Genesis 3-
    11.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/02/birds-eye-view-of-bible-theme-of.html

3. Theme of Patriarchs in Genesis 12-
    50.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/02/birds-eye-view-of-bible-theme-of_9.html

4. Theme of Redemption in the books 
    of Exodus through Deuteronomy.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/02/birds-eye-view-of-bible-theme-of_12.html

5. Theme of Spiritual Victory in the 
    Book of Joshua.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/02/birds-eye-view-of-bible-theme-of-victory.html

6. Theme of Spiritual Defeat in the 
    Book of Judges.
http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2020/02/birds-eye-view-of-bible-breaking-sin.html

    We secondly observed how God deals with His creation and people by way of covenants. Adam and Eve had broken God's first covenant with them as representatives of all humanity - resulting in all humanity experiencing the curse of sin. God then gave them a covenant of grace which looked ahead to what Jesus would ultimately accomplish on the cross and which is entered upon by faith. It seems like every major figure in Biblical history has a version of the covenant of grace (Abraham, Noah and God saving Israel out of Egypt) to point us ahead to what God would do in Jesus.

      We then thirdly noticed that God curbs mankind's sinful wickedness by pointing mankind to his need for God. God had given Adam and Eve original righteousness in their state of innocence, but they rebelled against Him. God then would work through mankind's conscience, teaching them how to govern themselves (during Noah's time), give them promises of hope (beginning with Abraham) and reveal His commandments or law (beginning with Moses). The purpose of each of these stages of history was to test mankind to point them to their need for grace and salvation. The remainder of the Old Testament, from the days of Moses up until the time of Jesus is referred to as the "time" or "age of the Law". As God focuses His salvation purposes through one nation - Israel - we will see Him unfold the next major theme we see in our overview of the Bible: "The Kingdom of God". 


1. The sadness of drifting away 
    from God

    We now see Israel, the main people of the Old Testament, in a sad state of spirituality by the end of the Book of Judges. God appointed twelve judges to lead the people back to God. At times the judges succeeded, but most of the time the judges failed God as much as the people. The increasing sadness of spiritual decline would continue through the books of Ruth and 1 Samuel. Just when it seemed all hope is lost, God began to reveal more of His words through a prophet named Samuel. As we will journey through 1st and 2 Samuel into the book of 1 Kings, four main men are featured: Samuel the prophet, King Saul, King David and King David's son - King Solomon. 


2. God's kingdom is what rescues 
    people from drifting away from 
    Him.

    God promised Abraham that from his family bloodline would come forth kings (Genesis 17:6, 16). It is in God's covenant with Abraham we see first glimpses of what the Bible reveals as: "God's kingdom". God's kingdom refers to His ruling, redemptive reign. Bible teacher Dwight Pentecost, in his classic book, "Thy Kingdom Come", describes three characteristics of the kingdom as having: right to rule, a realm to rule and reality to rule. 

      To summarize much of what Dr. Pentecost wrote about the kingdom of God, we first see that God has the right to rule, since He is Creator of the world and Redeemer of His people. God had done a lot for Israel, making her from a group of slaves in Egypt into a nation established in the promised land. Despite the people's repeated failures, God was going to bring about His promise to Abraham. Israel would transition from being a nation with no king and kingdom to becoming a very powerful kingdom.  

     We then also note that God's kingdom also refers to a realm or area over which He reigns. His Kingdom is ultimately over the universe. What God does to communicate His right to reign is to take His people and develop a relationship with them - which describes the focus of the realm of His reign. Under the leadership of Kings Saul, David and Solomon, the people would have 120 years of experiencing what it was like to have a human king. God had revealed through Samuel and other prophets that He was Israel's True King, and that the human kings (Saul, David, Solomon) were established by him to lead the people.

     We then note thirdly that God not only has the right to reign, and a realm, but also really is King. The kingdom of Israel under Saul, then David and Solomon, had united together all the twelve tribes of Israel. Israel as a physical, earthly kingdom in the Old Testament, was to point the way to the True King of Kings - the LORD - and His heavenly Kingdom. We could say much about all that went on during this time, especially with regards to King David. 

      David was God's choice man to succeed King Saul (1 Samuel 15). When Saul was killed in battle, David was installed as King over Hebron (2 Samuel 2) and then all of Israel (2 Samuel 5). God gave David a covenant which included the promise of an ultimate heir to reign on the throne attached to His name for eternity (2 Samuel 7:13-16). David would eventually experience moral failure (2 Samuel 11) and experience the death of many of his sons, grief and sorrow. Still, God never left David. We know David would compose at least half of the psalms records in the Book of Psalms. By the end of 2 Samuel, we find David on his death-bed, trust God and looking ahead to the promise God gave Him of an ultimate heir. God's kingdom promises held David in his faith.

3. God's kingdom is revealed in 
    stages.

    As we sketched the life of David and the history of Israel's kingdom beginning with Saul, then David and other kings, we can note how this theme of "God's kingdom" unfolds in successive stages through the Bible. 

a. God's ruling redemptive reign is 
    in one sense eternal, before 
    creation. 

    We know already that the kingdom of God is in one sense eternal, since God knew all things in His mind before He created creation. God then made known His eternal kingdom to Adam and Eve, who were to assist God in reigning over the creation and tending to it (see Genesis 1:26-27). 

B. God's kingdom has been in war 
    with the Kingdom of darkness. 

     As a result of the fall, the kingdom of authority of Adam of Eve was interrupted. Another lesser kingdom, the kingdom of Satan, entered into the picture. We find God teaching humanity the principles of government which would lead to the formation of the kingdoms of men (see Genesis 9-10). Sadly, the kingdom of Satan would mix with the kingdoms of men to form what would be otherwise known as this worldly system - typified in the Tower of Babel catastrophe in Genesis 11. 

C. God's Kingdom became revealed 
    as a promise through the 
    covenants. 
    
    God's kingdom never went away despite Satan's best efforts. What God did in Genesis 12 is turn His attention from the kingdoms of men to one man - Abraham. God would gradually reveal His Kingdom by the route of promises and covenants. As we then come to people like King David, we discover God wanted to see one nation - Israel - function as a model for His heavenly Kingdom. Israel's story throughout the remainder of the Old Testament would end just like Adam and Eve: brokenness, sin and destruction. However, God's kingdom would point ahead to the coming of Himself in the Person of the Son, who would become man and reveal Himself as the true King. 

D. The kingdom of God is presently 
     a spiritual reality. 
     
     The Kingdom of God, primarily a Heavenly and spiritual reality, is proclaimed by Jesus and then His church. The time will come though whenever the kingdom of God - a primary spiritual reality, will become visible and earthly at Jesus second coming. 

E. The kingdom of God will come with Jesus as a revealed, physical reality. 

     As I understand Revelation 20 and other passages, the earthly phase of Jesus future reign upon the earth (what we call "the millennium"), will endure 1,000 years. The final stage of God's kingdom will occur when Jesus hands over all things to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). 

F. The kingdom of God will endure 
    for eternity. 
   
     As one peers into the final two chapters of the Book of Revelation, it is there we see the Kingdom of God in its eternal state, having overcome both the kingdom of Satan and the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 11:15; Revelation 21-22).  

So what?

    This theme of "the kingdom of God" has direct bearing on all people. For those who have not yet trusted in Jesus, they currently are under the dominion of the Kingdom of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:1-4; Ephesians 2:1-2). What is needed is for such persons to belief, repent and be saved from their sins and God's wrath and to turn to Jesus by faith, resulting in a transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God's wonderful light (John 5:24). We know that the kingdom's of this world, though by-and-large influenced by the kingdom of darkness, are still used by God to uphold and make the laws which govern our cities and nations (Romans 13:1-2). 

    Truly then, there is no facet of physical life nor spiritual life that is not somehow touched by the kingdom of God. Is it no wonder then that next to Jesus' predictions of His crucifixion and resurrection, no greater theme summarized His earthly ministry and preaching like the Kingdom of God. Unless we grasp what we are talking about when we speak of the kingdom of God, we won't see how Jesus is the true King. 

How Jesus' beatitudes describe Kingdom living

Matthew 4:23 "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people."

Matthew 5:1-2 "When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying."

Introduction

What Jesus proclaimed in His earthly ministry was the Gospel of the Kingdom. In His opening "Sermon on the Mount", we get details concerning what was included in Jesus' central message. To restrict the Sermon on the Mount to the Jews of Jesus' time or to seperate what He preaches from this current church age makes no sense in the mind of this writer. What Jesus lays out is nothing less than a detailed description of Kingdom life and the impossibility of it apart from the New Covenant ministry of the Holy Spirit. In short, Jesus lays out the "nuts-and-bolts" of what will be the reality of New Testament Christianity. Today's post wants to consider the contents of the Gospel of the Kingdom as set forth in the famous "beatitudes" of Matthew 5:1-12. 

1. Kingdom Conversion. Matthew 5:1-5

How does one enter into the Kingdom of God? This question could perhaps be popularly stated: "How does one become converted to Jesus Christ". To become a follower of the King is to come into the Kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemas that unless He become born again, He cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3). Seeing one's spiritual bankruptcy ("poor in spirit"); The mourning over one's sin in repentance and yielding oneself under the yoke of Christ (i.e meekness) are central to Gospel conversion in Matthew 5:1-5. Such abilities are Spirit given in faith and repentance (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:25-26). What Jesus expresses here in the opening of His sermon describes Kingdom conversion. Such attitudes or "affections" ought to ever accompany the Christian all the rest of his days.

2. Kingdom Living. Matthew 5:6-9

What is Kingdom living? Kingdom living includes hungering for righteousness, craving purity in heart, showing mercy rather than retaliation and wanting God above all others. Such a lifestyle is impossible for the flesh to live. Religious people and moralists will opt out of this impossible demand. Only when one has died at the cross of conversion and experienced Christ's resurrection power can such a life be possible and real. It is here that Kingdom living is shows to clearly contrast with the worldly living so desired by fallen man.

3. Kingdom Triumph. Matthew 5:10-12

What does it mean to triumph in the Kingdom? Jesus includes the concepts of suffering, persecution and insults. Before the Christian can wear the crown of gold in heaven, he must necessarily bear the crown of thorns here on earth. The pattern of Jesus Christ is pressed deeper and deeper into the Christian as they strive against the world, the flesh and the Devil (1 John 2:15-17). Triumph is only manifest in the presence of seeming defeat. Light is only manifest whenever darkness seems at its thickest. Power is made perfected in weakness. It is here where Jesus shows how upside down and opposite the Kingdom is from the world. Such a victory is considered too costly by sinful man. For those who have been truly born again by grace alone through faith alone - no price can be ever too high. Why? Because the King is worthy!

Why God's Kingdom is so radical: contemplating the 3 R's of the Kingdom

Matthew 4:23 "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people."

Introduction

Yesterday we considered what is meant by the Bible's use of the phrase: "Gospel of the Kingdom". Jesus made this His central message in His earthly ministry. Unless we grasp what the Gospel of the Kingdom is all about, we will miss the heart of the New Testament. Undoubtedly as Jesus preached the "Kingdom of God", not everyone yielded to it. Overtime, Jesus gained far more enemies than followers. Why would anyone turn away from such good news that "The King has come and will come again"? I submit that if we consider what I call the "three r's" of the Kingdom, it will be plain why unbelieving man, apart from grace, rejects God's kingdom in favor of the kingdoms of this world. What is there about the Gospel of the Kingdom that unbelieving people and this world finds grounds for rejecting? Notice how the Kingdom of God functions in comparison to the world of unbelief...

1. Reversal of worldly thinking. 

"the first shall be last, and the last shall be first". Mt 20:16; Mt 19:30

By fallen nature, human beings are self-centered and ego-centric. The Kingdom is opposite. Jesus and the Kingdom advocates putting others first, and knowing God being foremost.

2. Rejects worldly priorities.

Matthew 19:16-26; Mk 10:31; Luke 14:16-24

What would be more important than taking care of newly purchased land? Caring for family? The Kingdom says these are secondary, and that whenever we seek Jesus and His righteousness, we will then know how to properly address the things of this world.

3. Renewal of people and things. 2 Cor 5:17 

The Kingdom of God proclaims that this current age will pass away and the "world to come" will replace it. Whenever the gift of salvation occurs, the old nature that was formerly curved inward and inclined toward sin is replaced by a "new nature" that is curved outward and inclined toward righteousness (Romans 8:1-5). The interior of the Christian is composed of the "spirit" which enhouses the Holy Spirit and thus is "saved". The soulish part of the Christian (mind, emotions,will) is the object of sanctification and is in the process of being saved or sanctified. We still retain these physical bodies, which retain the vestiages of sin, tugging at our soul, which though in contact with the Holy Spirit in the human spirit, nonetheless is also in contact with the world via the body. In as much as our spirit is saved and our soul is being saved, we look forward to the day when our bodies will be redeemed (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

The Kingdom's power to renew means that whatever is current will be done away with and whatever is yet to come will replace it. Though we as Christians are renewed from the inside/out, our identities as people remain. We look forward to the day when we dwell in an entire created order that is characterized by righteousness (1 Peter 3:13). 

Final thoughts
Whenever you consider the "3-r's", to the unbelieving mindset, such a radical set of alterations spells the end of reliance on self, rebellion against God and building a kingdom for oneself. Kingdom living is not just hard- but impossible. The worldly mindset (called the "flesh" or "carnal") cannot and will not accept this impending reality. Just as the night-time world eventually gives way to the encroaching sunrise, the fingers and grip of this present evil age are being threatened and will fall away upon the return of Jesus Christ. Personal conversion is only the beginning. Thanks be to God for the Holy Spirit Who makes entryway into the Kingdom possible by the miracle of regeneration in saving faith by the Word of God (John 3:3; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). 

What is the Gospel of the Kingdom?

Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Introduction

What was the chief message Jesus taught in his earthly ministry? As Matthew's Gospel introduces the reader to Jesus' public life and ministry, the answer is simple: The Gospel of the Kingdom. This phrase "Gospel of the Kingdom" is understood best when we break it down into its constituent parts. The term "Gospel" means "goodnews". Second, the phrase "of the Kingdom" describes the contents of this goodnews. What follows is a further explanation of the contents and meaning of the idea of "the Kingdom" in the Bible. Three main senses can be identified in explaining the Biblical concept of the Kingdom - with the first two deriving from the Old Testament and the third deriving from Jesus and the New Testament. The first two senses will be brushed over quickly, since the third sense brought out by Jesus dominates the Gospels and the reaminder of the New Testament.

The three senses in which we can understand the Kingdom in the Bible
The term "Kingdom" itself denotes itself in three main senses. First, the "Kingdom" refers to the realm and reign of God over the earth currently and from eternity (Psalm 22:28; 45:6). Second, the kingdom of God is promised to manifest itself fully on the earth (Ezekiel 40-48; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28). These first two senses speak respectively of a "past, eternal, invisible reign of God" and a "future, visible reign of God". This at least summarizes the Old Testament Jewish understanding of God's Kingdom. The third sense of which the Kingdom is spoken of in the Bible is the idea of an "already/not yet" phase of which Jesus introduces in His ministry and which is unfolded more below.

Early Christmas presents illustrate the Gospel of the Kingdom

To hear that the "Kingdom of God" was no longer just something invisible "up there" nor only a reality "yet to come" must had ignited excitement. Since the Kingdom of God is a reality taught in the Bible, a Kingdom necessarily implies a "King". That King, as we have already stated, was no less than God Himself. To hear that the Kingdom was arriving far sooner than expected, and that God Himself may very well be in the midst of the people was jarring - to say the least. This in effect was what Jesus was communicating. 

When we speak of the Gospel of the Kingdom, we are referring to what Bible teachers call "an already/not yet" phase. To illustrate, if I told my children I was getting them an early Christmas present, and that the first part of that present was going to be arriving tomorrow, could they truly say they have their Christmas present? In one sense "yes" and in another sense "not yet". Perhaps I give them the batteries or the wheels or whatever the first part may be. Those pieces or parts function as a guarantee and a promise of the remainder yet to come. 

A helpful phrase when talking about the Gospel of the Kingdom: "Already, not yet"

Jesus in effect was declaring to His audience that first and foremost, the King had come. He of course being the King, truly God in human flesh (John 1:14). Secondly, the Kingdom of God was in one respect as good as here already. However, the Jews of Jesus' day had to get ready to put on the corrective lenses of the New Covenant teaching of Jesus. They were expecting a fully manifested Kingdom. However, Jesus' point in His Kingdom teaching was "well, not yet, however, follow me by faith, and you'll get a foretaste". Theologian George Eldon Ladd describes the Kingdom of God through the life and ministry of Jesus as "inbreaking" into this present age. 

Thinking of the Gospel of the Kingdom as heavenly cake-batter

What would end up occuring would be the Kingdom's chief manifestation occuring in the hearts of believers in this current age. Christians are as it were what I liken to a child eating cake batter. As a child, I can recall my grandmother making cakes. I always hoped she had some left over batter in the bowl. As the cakes baked, I would sit at the table and lick the bowl and cake-beaters clean. I knew full-well that what I was tasting was not "cake" in the strictest sense. However, it was giving me an idea and in another sense, a foretaste of what would be the finished product. I got me excited because I knew that in a few hours, I'd be tasting the fully-finished cake with frosting and all the trimmings. As a child, that was "good-news" indeed. When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom, He was setting the stage for what would be the central truth of Christianity - namely the King has come, and He will be coming again. 

Glimpses of God's Kingdom work in the midst of hopeless despair - Isaiah 24-35

Isaiah 24:21-23 "So it will happen in that day,That the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. 22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison;
And after many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders."

Introduction:

One of things I so appreciate about the prophetic books is how much they speak to today's world. Whenever I plunge myself into the world of the  prophets, I'm equipped with the concepts and spiritual tools needed to address my world. These last couple of days have been dedicated to looking closer at the prophet Isaiah. His world was a world where he literally saw his nation and people go from the highest points under the reign of Uzziah to dwindling spiritual ruins by the days of Kings Jotham and Hezekiah. Despite reforms and revival, the nagging reality was that the efforts seemed to be a day late and a dollar short. The ultimate renewal that would abide and last was not going to occur in Hezekiah's day. Isaiah saw the True King and Savior through prophetic vision that would bring in everlasting salvation. 

One of the truths we discover in Isaiah's book is how often he made recourse to Christ's future earthly reign in the midst of judgment and woe on the nation or the people of God. Though the thunder and lightening of judgment was pealing all around Isaiah, the radiant beams of the hope of God's Kingdom always found a way to shine through. To see a sample of this, I thought we would peer into Isaiah 24-35 to grasp this pattern of glimpsing God's kingdom work in the midst of hopeless despair.

1. Despair (24:1-20) and Kingdom hope (24:21-23)

2. Praise for God's Sovereignty in Isaiah 25-26 as a result of what is spoken in Isaiah 24.

3. Isaiah 27 Promised restoration of Judah

4. Isaiah 28:1-13 judgment upon the Northern Kingdom. 28:14-29 Judgment against Judah's leadership

5. Isaiah 29:1-17 Judgment upon Judah's hypocrisy. Yet, promise of Judah's restoration in Isaiah 29:18-24

6. Judgment upon Judah's rebellion in Isaiah 30:1-7. Yet, promises of restoration for Judah in the future and protection in its immediate circumstances from a power enemy in Isaiah 30:8-33.

7. Isaiah 31 details God's Judgment on Egypt for Judah's confidence in her. At the time, Jerusalem and Judah had made an alliance with Egypt.

8. Isaiah 32:1-8 gives us a glimpse of Christ's earthly millennial reign followed by a prediction of Assyria conquering the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

9. Isaiah 33. A cry for for mercy and promise of forgiveness

10. Isaiah 34. Judgment on the nation of Edom.

11. Isaiah 35 details another picture of a restored Jerusalem during Christ's earthly reign. 

As you can see, God has sprinkled the hope of His kingdom promises in the midst of hopeless despair. Perhaps the reader today is dealing with very difficult circumstance. Sometimes we bring them on ourselves but oftentimes difficulties come when we least expect it. Acts 14:22 tells us that in the process of entering the Kingdom, difficulties will come. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:33 that many trials would come upon them, and yet not to fear, since He has overcome the world. James 1:3-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7 remind us that trials are normal for the Christian, and that God is working with us in the trial to purify our faith and trust in Him. Matthew 6:33 states that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will be added unto us. Would it be that we would glimpse God's Kingdom work in our midst. Would it be that we would trust in God and His promises, rather than relying on present circumstances to give us hope that will endure. 

An outline and brief exposition of the book of Isaiah

Isaiah 6:1 "In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."

Introduction:

Yesterday we considered Isaiah 1:1. Today's post aims to dig further into the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah has been called by preachers and teachers the "Prince of the Prophets". Among the writing prophets, other than Moses, no other prophet enjoys the influence that Isaiah has on the minds and thoughts of the New Testament authors. Jesus Himself read from Isaiah 61 at the beginning of His public ministry and fulfilled Isaiah 53 to the letter in his crucifixion. Following Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the sending of the Holy Spirit is in some fashion connected to the prophecies of the pending Messianic age in Isaiah 12. Today's post is aimed at presenting to the reader a working outline of Isaiah that can be used in teaching or preaching situations. 

1. Chapters 1-5 First set of oracles against Judah

2. Chapters 6-12 Judgment upon Ephraim and the first glimpses of Christ reign here on earth 

To pause here for just a moment, the outline of Isaiah reveals what will be an ever increasing focus of God from Judah and its surrounding regions to ultimately the nations of the world. Isaiah's prophecy is international in its scope. Here is a map for the reader's reference:

3. Chapters 13-23 God's judgment on the nations and glimpses of hope for Israel

4. Chapters 24-35 Glimpses of Christ's earthly kingdom to show Judah how she will be restored

As one reads on in Isaiah, the pattern of judgment/hope/kingdom is repeated. God will pronounce judgment either on His people or a particular set of nations, and then end that given section with a glimpse of Christ's millennial kingdom. This at least characterizes the pattern in Isaiah 1-35. The threat of the Assyrian Kingdom destroying Jerusalem was very near and real, since in Isaiah's day (722 b.c) Assyria had taken the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly Samaria, into exile. God used Isaiah to first chide Judah for her sinfulness and then give her the hope of being restored in Him. The fact that Isaiah 24-35 is bookended with views of Christ's earthly reign and ultimate Kingdom reminds us that all the kingdoms of this world will bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ (compare Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 11:15; 19:1-21)

5. Chapters 36-39 God uses King Hezekiah as the tool for revival in Jerusalem

It is at this point that the first part of Isaiah, dedicated mostly to pronouncing judgment, switches to the second great theme - comfort. Isaiah 40:1 starts out - "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God." 

6. Chapters 40-53 Yahweh is Judah's Sovereign God and Savior

7. Chapters 54-66 Judah is given the hope of restoration through a glimpse of the Messiah and His earthly reign

These final two sections of Isaiah's prophecy deliver home the theme of comfort or hope. Is it no wonder why Isaiah is among the top prophets referenced in the New Testament? For years scholars have noted how often Isaiah is quoted for instance in the four Gospels:

Matthew 3:3 quotes Isaiah 40:3

Matt 8:17 quotes Isaiah 53:4

Matt 12:17 quotes Isaiah 42:1

Matt 13:14 quotes Isaiah 6:9,10

Matt 15:7 quotes Isaiah 29:13

Mark 1:2 quotes Isaiah 40:3

Mark 7:6 quotes Isaiah 29:13

Luke 3:4 quotes Isaiah 40:3-5

Luke 4:17 quotes Isaiah 61:1,2

John 1:23 quotes Isaiah 40:3

John 12:38 quotes Isaiah 53:1

John 12:39 quotes Isaiah 6:9,10

John 12:41 quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 & 53:1

Conclusion:

Today's post was all about delivering a basic outline of the Book of Isaiah with some brief exposition. It is hoped this proved encouraging and can be used by others to proclaim God's Word. To God be the glory!

The pain of suffering and the power of the Kingdom

Matthew 20:20-23 "Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

The naivete of thinking that Kingdom power is experienced without suffering

When I was a younger Christian, I thought the purpose of the Christian life centered around my comfort in getting to know Jesus Christ. As I sensed the call of God on my life as a seventeen year old young man, that underlying assumption about the Christian life in general also undergirded my perception of ministry in particular. Serving the Lord and living for Him meant not having troubles. Many readers of this post may find that hard to believe - and rightly so. Nevertheless I believed that with all my heart. 

The clear relationship between suffering and the power of the Kingdom

Admittedly when I read passages such as Jesus' conversation with the sons of Zebedee and their mother, much of what Jesus said was lost on me. As a young man growing up, I had enjoyed a childhood of relative comfort, with moments of pain and loss. It was not until I began experiencing pain and disappointment in my adult life that I quickly realized the naivete of my view of the Christian life. Moreover, as I read more and more of the Bible, it became clear that suffering was not a rare experience among God's people, but was a cruel friend used by the Providence of God to motivate the saints of God to crave for Him.

I am certain James and John's mother had noble intentions when inquiring about the positions her sons would occupy in Jesus' Kingdom. Her problem was that she misunderstood the nature of God's Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the domain of His reign in the hearts of men, the realm of creation and His redemptive purposes in Jesus Christ. In one respect the Kingdom of God has manifested in an inaugurate fashion in Jesus' first coming (Luke 4:18). The Kingdom of God is on the one hand an "already" reality, functioning as a seed in the church composed of all born-again believers. However, the Kingdom of God in another respect is a "not yet" reality, meaning that it is yet to come and won't be fully revealed until Jesus' second coming (see Matthew 24-25). 

Jesus made known to James and John's mother that indeed they would partake of "the cup" of which she thought was one of pain free honor. However, the cup of which Jesus spoke about in Matthew 20:22 was a cup that neither the disciples nor oftentimes we ever fully understand. The road to glory in God's kingdom is not paved with ease and comfort, but rather with suffering. 

(James 1:3-4; 1 Peter 1:6-8)

How James and John demonstrated the relationship between suffering and the Kingdom

Before it was to be all said and done, 10 of the 12 disciples would die as martyrs. Jesus' words to them about "drinking the cup" would be fulfilled in their dying for the faith. James and John, the featured disciples in Matthew 20, would each undergo much suffering for His sake and yet bear forth fruit that lent to experiencing the power of the Kingdom.

The disciple James for example would end up dying a martyr's death in Acts 12:1-2 "Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword." The other disciple and James' brother, John, was of course the Beloved disciple who authored the Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John and the book of Revelation. This John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, left to die. Though the Apostle John would be the only one of the original 12 who did not die a martyr's death, he nonetheless still tasted the bitter cup of suffering for the Kingdom. 

Both mens' sufferings and death resulted in the unleashing of Kingdom power. With respect to James' death, God set in motion a series of other events that resulted in God's Word multiplying in the early church and poising her to go from being a regional movement confined to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria in Acts 12 to going global in Acts 13-28. As the ancient late second century Christian leader Tertullian wrote in his treatise "The Apology", chapter 50 - "The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed." As we mentioned already, John suffered exiles and threats upon his life. His sixty plus years of service to Jesus resulted in churches planted throughout Asia minor and the composition of five Divinely inspired books in the New Testament. Both men demonstrate the reality of the fact that the pain of suffering for Jesus' sake is necessarily related to the manifestation of the power of the Kingdom.  

Final thoughts: the pain of suffering and the power of the Kingdom

Today's post was meant to initiate us to the relationship between suffering for Jesus' sake and the manifestation of the power of His Kingdom. Experience has taught me the painful but necessary reality of this otherwise seemingly contradictory reality. Scripture asserts what experience testifies: namely that the ability to see God's kingdom power is directly proportional to how well I see Him in times of trouble. Such sentiments fly in the face of 21st century American Christianity which operates with a certain naivete of its own. Only when we grasp by faith what the Bible teaches about the relationship between the pain of suffering and the power of the Kingdom will we then grasp what Jesus meant in Matthew 20. I close with these words from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10 - "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."