Posted by Searcher
on 8/20/2009, 9:21 am, in reply to "Re: Other parts of Matthew's gospel"
99.197.64.56
Dear Don,
I come up with this stuff from the clear statements of God's Word as to the purpose of Christ's first coming. He came in God's appointed time to Israel as their great King and Priest, to redeem them from their sins and make them that which God had intended all along they should be: agents of blessing for the whole world, so that His kingdom would extent to the whole world.
The beginning of God's plan for the earth is revealed in Gen 12:1-3, that the Jewish race should be the means of blessing to the whole Gentile world.
Gen 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram [Abraham], Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, into a land that I will show thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
3 And I will bless thee, and curse him that curses thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
To Israel the Lord came as Prophet, Priest, and King(Luke 1:67-79) but instead of being ready to carry out their destiny, they rejected Him in all three of these capacities, hardened as they were by sin and unbelief.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt, Zech 9:9 was fulfilled, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee" (Israel)(Matt 21:5, but the reply of the nation was:
Luke 19:14
But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying,"We will not have this man to reign over us."
They put their Savior and King to death on the cross of Calvary, and the title they placed above
Him was done in mockery, although it was true, "This is Jesus King of the Jews" (Matt 27:37)
As Peter said in Acts 2:22,23, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain"
The prophecy in Isaiah 53 is fulfilled. He was despised and rejected.
Surely you have read, for it is found all through the gospels and then all through the books written during Acts, that the kingdom of heaven was "at hand". Matt 3:2, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
It depended on the repentance of Israel. It was required of them to repent and to believe. They not only crucified their Lord, they killed His prophets and rejected His re-offer of the kingdom and of His coming during Acts. The final blow came at the end of Acts when the Jews were given a final chance. They did not believe. They turned away. Isaiah 6:9,10 was quoted for the last time in Acts 28:25-27.
Their rejection of their Savior as well as the kingdom being taken away was prophesied in Matthew 21:42,43:
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 marvelous in our eyes?' 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 "new nation" is the new Israel as spoken of in Isaiah 66:7-14.
The faithful were expecting His second coming and the promises made to Abraham in their lifetime. There are many examples:
Following the description of the end times including the tribulation and Christ's return:
Matthew 24:34
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Luke 21:32
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
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James 5:8
Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
1Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
Not only did that generation pass away, nearly two thousand years have passed and those things did not come to pass. Christ has not come and the His kingdom on earth has not been set up. The reason is clear. Israel did not repent. They are no longer His chosen People. There is no chosen nation today that is "first" and above any other. The promises made to Abraham will be fulfilled, but not until Israel goes through the great tribulation and finally mourns Him Who they crucified.
Searcher
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