Author: Phil Rehberg

Last week we looked at the prophecies of the kingdom of God and how Jesus began to fulfill the prophecies. In his teachings, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, he declared that he was fulfilling the Old Testament law and the prophets (Matt. 5:17) which included a new way to live that seems upside-down to the world. When Jesus was crucified his disciples were crushed. His death dashed their dreams of the kingdom. But when he rose from the dead they were ecstatic for surely now he would establish the kingdom. And so the apostles asked Jesus “are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6, NIV). He said he would not tell them when the kingdom would be restored, but he did say the Holy Spirit would come on them so they could be his witnesses to the world (Acts 1:8). They were Continue Reading →

It had been hundreds of years since the time of the prophets. They had prophesied that one day God would establish his holy and good rule in the land of God’s people. The Jews were quite aware that their ancestors had constantly strayed away from God’s goodness and that their society had became degenerate and destructive. But in spite of that God was going to establish the pure and joyful kingdom he originally intended in the Garden of Eden and for the Jewish people. The prophecies were in the dim past, but devout Jews still waited for God to fulfill his promise of a coming utopia. In summary, “The prophets looked forward to a day when God’s saving promises would be fulfilled, his kingdom would come, the new covenant would be inaugurated, a new exodus from Babylon would be realized, the Spirit would be poured out on Israel, and Israel Continue Reading →