04.2.17. The Kingdom Has Approached

Chapter 17 - THE KINGDOM HAS APPROACHED

There is little concurrence among scholars and Bible students concerning “the kingdom of the heavens has approached” (Matthew 3:2—translation). Hence, there is little agreement among them concerning eschatology (eschatos), which means the study of last things. One’s view of the kingdom of Matthew 3:2 determines what he believes concerning the manner and time of Christ’s second advent, the assembly of Christ and her mission in the world, and the purpose of the gospel. Therefore, the Biblical view of the kingdom is an absolute necessity for a Scriptural concept of other vital subjects.

True eschatology is always concerned with the expectation of Jesus Christ, the One who has been revealed to the heart of man in regeneration and will appear the second time to consummate man’s salvation by the redemption of the body (Hebrews 9:28; Romans 8:18-23. Christ’s first advent was for the purpose of putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His second advent will be to consummate His work. Hence, the two advents give the key to true eschatology. The Christian with the correct concept of last things is not disturbed by all the wild speculations of those who prostitute the subject for the basest purposes. The promises of God do not offer a framework of ideas to satisfy the curiosities of men. God’s promises are characterized by a message that penetrates to the root of man’s existence. Therefore, when God’s promises of the future find lodgment in the hearts of the elect, they compel us to have our eyes on the future, because the One who is coming has already entered our lives.

There is much discussion over the following statement in the King James translation of the Bible: “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:7). The Greek verb in those verses is eggiken, perfect active indicative of eggidzo, which means to come near, approach, or draw nigh. When we observe the basic English meaning of these three verbs, we can better determine the definition of eggidzo. “Come” means to come toward or away from something, to pass from one point to one nearer. “Draw” means to pull, drag, draw, or move toward. “Approach” means to come or go near or nearer in either place or time. The occurrence of eggidzo in its perfect active indicative form in each reference where it is used proves that the kingdom has not arrived, but it has approached or come near.

Since the word is used more than forty times in the New Testament, its meaning must be determined by the context. The perfect tense signifies that the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy has approached: “...Repent for the kingdom of the heavens has approached” (Matthew 3:2—translation). Out of the more than forty times the verb eggidzo is used, there are fourteen times when it is used as a perfect active indicative verb (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:7; Matthew 26:45-46; Mark 1:15; Mark 14:42; Luke 10:9; Luke 10:11; Luke 21:8; Luke 21:20; Romans 13:12; James 5:8; 1 Peter 4:7).
The following paragraphs consider these references:

1. The first two perfect active indicative forms of eggidzo refer to preaching by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ: “the kingdom of the heavens has approached [eggidzo]” (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17—translation). The third is Christ’s commission to the twelve disciples to preach the same truth to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:7). These first three references refer to the same thing.

2. Both Matthew and Mark use the perfect active indicative form of eggidzo in their record of Christ’s rebuke to His disciples who slept while He prayed in Gethsemane. “Then He comes to His disciples, and says to them, continue sleeping now and continue taking your rest: behold, the hour has approached [eggidzo], and the Son of Man is about to be betrayed [paradidotai, futuristic present passive indicative of paradidomi] into the hands of sinners. Be arising, let us be going: behold, the one betraying me has approached [eggidzo]” (Matthew 26:45-46—translation). (See Mark 14:42.) When Christ rebuked the disciples, His hour of death had not arrived, but it had approached. Furthermore, Judas had not yet arrived, but he approached.

3. After John the Baptist was imprisoned, Jesus Christ went to Galilee and preached “the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand [eggidzo—has approached]: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

4. In Christ’s instruction to the twelve disciples sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He told them to say, “the kingdom of God is come [eggidzo—has approached] nigh unto you” (Luke 10:9; Luke 10:11).

5. In answer to the ones who questioned Him concerning His statement about the destruction of the temple, Christ warned them not to be deceived by antichrists who say “the time draweth near [eggidzo—has approached]” (Luke 21:8). He then described the time of its destruction: “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh [eggidzo—has approached]” (Luke 21:20). Jerusalem had not at that time been destroyed, but the desolation had approached.

6. Paul sought to awaken the Roman Christians from their lethargy by reminding them that the perfection of their salvation, when their bodies would be glorified like the body of the Lord Jesus, was nearer than when they first believed. He told them, “The night is advanced, the day has approached [eggidzo]...” (Romans 13:12—translation). The day of which Paul spoke was the day of coming salvation—the glorification of the body: “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:28—translation).

7. In light of the truth that “the coming of the Lord has approached [eggidzo]” (James 5:8—translation), James exhorted Christians to be longsuffering and to establish our hearts.

8. Peter reminded us that “the termination of all things has approached [eggidzo]...” (1 Peter 4:7—translation). If all things had terminated, Peter would not have continued the verse with the exhortation, “be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” In conclusion, the kingdom has not arrived any more than any of the other events mentioned in these verses. The amillennialist humanly reasons that to the millennialist “near” becomes distant, “quickly” means ages hence, and “at hand” signifies afar off. In contrast to the amillennial human reasoning, nearness is not permanent, but it is a continual approaching or coming without pause. The Lord’s soon return is to be understood in the sense of Christian hope, called the blessed hope, the expectation which does not calculate the time and hour but looks at time in the same way our Lord views time: “...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). The estimate of nearness given by God in measuring prophetic periods includes a purposed indefiniteness in order to produce watchfulness, piety, service, and diligent study of Scripture on our part until we depart to be with Him or He comes for us. What Christian can object to the prophecy expressed in the blessed hope?

Two passages that have caused debate concerning the time of the Kingdom’s establishment are Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20. Since both synoptic writers were referring to the same thing, Matthew alone will be considered in this discussion. In answer to the Pharisees’ charge that Jesus Christ was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, Christ said, “But if [since—first class conditional particle] I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God came [aorist active indicative of phthano, which means to precede, be close at hand, arrive, or come] to [epi, accusative of extent, which can be used with the genitive, dative, locative, instrumental, or accusative cases, meaning upon, over, or to] you” (Matthew 12:28—translation). Those who believe the kingdom was established at Christ’s first advent say “the kingdom of God has already come on you.” However, the kingdom had no more come on the unrepentant Pharisees than it was “within them” (Luke 17:21). Jewish national repentance is required before the kingdom will come on them (Psalms 110:1-7: Romans 11:1-36). The preposition epi used with the accusative plural pronoun humas in Matthew 12:28 carries the thought of a movement toward its object rather than having actually arrived (already come on them). Thus, the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy had moved near enough for the Jews to behold the Person of the King, but their unregenerate hearts prevented them from recognizing Him. Christ told them in a parable: “But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). The kingdom was within reach of only the repentant who became heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5).

There is no reference to the kingdom approaching subsequent to Christ’s ascension. This does not indicate that the kingdom was offered to the Jews, because the kingdom of Old Testament prophecy was impossible before Calvary. Jesus Christ must die before He reigns; therefore, suffering precedes glory. The Jews rejected the Savior, not the kingdom. If the Jews were able to defeat God’s purpose at Christ’s incarnation, what hope do we have in His second coming? The intervening period between the advents of Jesus Christ is preparatory for the establishment of His kingdom. This includes the gathering and preparation of the elect. The Jews’ concept that their national choice by God assured them of entrance into the kingdom was incorrect. Entrance into the kingdom is not on the basis of natural but spiritual descent. Isaiah’s unusual commission emphasized the inability of these people to understand. God told Isaiah to “Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isaiah 6:9-10). Nevertheless, Isaiah must declare the information God gave. A teacher who withholds any information he has been assigned to teach would not fulfill his duty toward his unconcerned students. Furthermore, no prophet, apostle, or pastor/teacher has the right to keep back any of God’s counsel regardless of the attitude of his audience. God’s servant must keep one thing in mind throughout the course of his ministry—his faithfulness in proclaiming the whole counsel of God is pleasing to God whether the message is received or rejected. In 2 Corinthians 2:14, Paul testified that he was always being led in triumph (present active participle of thriambeuo, which means to lead or cause to triumph) in Christ as he proclaimed the truth of the gospel. The wording of Paul’s thanks is noteworthy: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” He avoided any reference to himself as a victor because the victory was Christ’s who was leading him. What a lesson for “servants” who want to take credit for their “victories.”

Following his thanks for Christ’s victory in which he shared, Paul stated the purpose for his thanks: “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). True servants of God are a sweet savor to Jesus Christ in not only those who are being saved but also in those who are perishing. The truth of the gospel is a fragrant odor (osme) to those who are ordained to eternal life, but the same fragrant odor on the children of death causes them to stink more abominably. Hence, what is spiritual nourishment and joy to the elect is so unpalatable to the nonelect that it produces hatred in them. That which became light to Israel was darkness that could be felt by the Egyptians (Exodus 10:21-23). When God makes manifest the fragrant odor of Christ’s knowledge by His servants, it becomes light to the believing but darkness to the perishing. The weakness of both Isaiah and Paul was manifested, but God dealt with their discouragement. Isaiah said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips...” (Isaiah 6:5). Paul said, “...when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother...” (2 Corinthians 2:12-13). God encouraged Isaiah by revealing to him that somewhere down the corridor of time some of the Jews would surely respond to the gospel of the kingdom: “But yet in it [the land] shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof” (Isaiah 6:13). A living seed buried in the ground does not perish; likewise, Israel shall never perish though she is buried among the nations of the world (Romans 11:1-36). Jehovah shall have His tithe. God encouraged Paul by letting him know that the success of the gospel was not his to achieve. The Lord’s turning from the Jews to the Gentiles to take out of them a people for Himself as His assembly was in the purpose of God. Some of the Old Testament saints had a clear view of the age of Christ’s assembly that would intervene between the two advents of Jesus Christ. David spoke of the time of Christ’s priesthood: “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalms 110:4). The King and His kingdom are set forth in Psalms 110:1-3. No verse is more misapplied than Psalms 110:1—
"THE LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Christ applied this to Himself (Matthew 22:44). The eternal God said something to His eternal Son, whom David called his Lord. Therefore, the Psalm cannot be both by and about David. The promise is not that Christ’s enemies shall be converted but that they shall be made His footstool. At the time David’s Lord shall come back into the world, men will be united against Him; but the Messiah shall rule in the midst of His enemies. When He returns, His people (the Jews) will be willing in the day of God’s power.

Reference to Christ’s priesthood after the order of Melchizedek is made in Psalms 110:4. Christ’s priesthood is administered at the Father’s right hand. Between the time Christ took His seat at the Father’s right hand (Psalms 110:1) and the time He “shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath” (Psalms 110:5), God is visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name (Acts 15:14; Romans 11:1-36). David then described His Lord’s warfare and victory (Psalms 110:5-7). The day of Christ’s wrath is not the day of grace. When the “fulness of the Gentiles” is completed, Jesus Christ shall return to build again the tabernacle of David (Romans 11:25; Acts 15:16-17). The kingdom that approached in the Person of the King at His first advent will be established by the Son of Man when He comes the second time.