I have recently begun a new series of studies on the nature of the Kingdom of God. Is it a physical Kingdom or is it a spiritual Kingdom. All futurists’ eschatology demands that it is a physical kingdom. That is, they must have Jesus return in a physical body, and take to himself a physical throne, located in physical Jerusalem and, thereby, establish his physical Kingdom. I take issue with this point of view, and conclude that Jesus’ Kingdom is spiritual and was established nearly 2000 years ago, cir. 70 AD, when he returned in power and glory and judged Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple through the Roman armies, as he promised to do (Matthew 26:64).
I would like to consider in this study what the Apostles knew about the Kingdom. Notice what Luke tells us in his Gospel narrative: “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Folks like to conclude that the Apostles really didn’t know what the scriptures reveal about the Kingdom of God, especially when we come to their question in Acts 1:6 – “…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”[1] The fact is, I do not have a commentary that concludes the Apostles actually understood what they were asking. Yet, Jesus opened… their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures! I must, therefore, conclude that the commentaries I’ve listed below don’t believe Jesus did a good job, or that the Apostles simply wouldn’t permit Jesus to open their hearts. Something’s amiss here, and I don’t believe it is the scriptures.
Luke not only tells us that Jesus opened the understanding of the Apostles, but he was with them and teaching them for forty days after his resurrection (Acts 1:3). If the disciples didn’t understand more than the commentaries I’ve listed below give them credit for, then we’ve got a big problem. If Jesus couldn’t help the disciples understand the scriptures, why should we believe the Holy Spirit could help them do what Jesus couldn’t do?
Think about it. If the disciples believed, as most commentaries claim they did, namely, that the Kingdom was an earthly, physical kingdom, isn’t that what the futurists look for today? If that kind of kingdom the Apostles are accused of envisioning was erroneous, what does that say about the kingdom nearly all futurists hope for today? Do you see the incongruity of this manner of thinking?
Consider for a moment what Acts teaches about the Kingdom of God. There is not a single reference throughout the entire book that points to a future, physical kingdom in which Jesus would reign. What we do have is reference to a spiritual building, a spiritual Temple, of which Christ is the chief cornerstone (Acts 4:11). What sort of sacrifices could be offered in a spiritual Temple? Moreover, since the Jewish Temple was the absolute center of the Jewish kingdom, how would a spiritual Temple be the absolute center of a physical Kingdom, ruled by Christ in a physical body?
Finally, if we have a spiritual Temple, built up without hands, using living stones, wherein spiritual sacrifices are offered by a spiritual priesthood (1Peter 2:5; Hebrews 9:11), where would we put such a Temple? Would that be in spiritual Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-3)? If the spiritual Temple is not in physical Jerusalem, where should we look for our High Priest and King? Should we look for him in physical Jerusalem, a city without a Temple, or should we look for him in spiritual Jerusalem, wherein the spiritual House / Temple can be found?
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[1] See Pulpit Commentary; Robertson’s Word Pictures; John Trapp’s Complete Commentary; Dr. Bob Utley’s Commentary; John Gill’s Commentary; Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary; Matthew Henry’s Commentary; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown; People’s New Testament; Barnes’ Notes; Adam Clarke’s Commentary etc.
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