Kingdom ApostasyWe are using kingdom apostasy to describe Israel's rejection of God's reign over them in the days of Samuel. This will help us to identify the nature of the kingdom of God. By examining this history, we will see the kind of kingdom which God abhors. Israel expressed this rejection in their desire to be like all the nations round about. God reigned over Israel from heaven. God delegated his reign through appointed leaders beginning with Moses and continuing with Joshua during the Canaan conquests. After Joshua he appointed judges. During the days of Samuel, Israel, unwilling to follow Samuel's sons due to their covetous indiscretions, chose to throw the baby out with the proverbial dirty wash water. In other words, they not only rejected Samuel's sons from being judges, but they rejected God as well. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations," (1 Samuel 8:4). This was a direct violation of God's command to Israel to be separate from the nations, lest their hearts turn from God to serve idols and they commit all the abominations of the people of the land,(Deuteronomy 7:1-7). Moreover, God saw this rejection as a continuation of the rebellion demonstrated in the Exodus. And the Lord said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt , even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods --so they are doing to you also.(1 Samuel 8:7, 8) Several points are to be observed. (1)In rejecting Samuel, they rejected God's reign. (2) By associatiating this activity with Israel's rebellion in the wilderness, God says they were forsaking Him and committing idolatry. Such was the case both with Israel and many of her kings. Their persistence in the rebellion is noted after Samuel explains the consequences of their actions for they refuse to obey him. Hence, they disobey God. Therefore, we see that the desire for a national, political, militaristic kingdom like all the nations round about is kingdom apostasy. It constituted a deviation from the will and purpose of God.
Kingdom Apostasy Angers GodAlthough God granted Israel an earthly king, He was greatly displeased at their rebellion. According to Hosea, God gave Israel a king in his anger. God speaks of Israel as destroyed without Him as her king.
Christ Rejects Kingdom ApostasyIn the time of Christ, the Jews attempted to take Jesus by force and make him a king.Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. The king they wanted was the same as that wanted by ancient Israel. They wanted a king like all the nations, --a king that would fight their battles against Rome and destroy it.(See 1 Samuel 8:19) They wanted a kingdom with military might and strength, and political prowess. They wanted a kingdom with a king sitting on a throne in literal Jerusalem. They offered Christthe very same type of kingdom which God said constituted a rejection of his sovereign reign from heaven. They wanted kingdm apostasy. Jesus refuses it. He knows it is rebellion against God.
Satan and Kingdom ApostasyDesiring a politial militaristic earthly kingdom identifies this as Satanic. It is the work of deception. Satan tempts Jesus by making the same offer as the Jews.Again, the devil took Him upon an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "all these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me," (Matthew 4:9, 10). The observant reader will note that there is no difference between what ancient Israel wanted, what the Jews offered Christ and what Satan offered the Lord except in this one point. Satan offered not one, but all the kingdoms of the world.. In other words, not only could Jesus have a kingdom like all the nations about, he could literally have all the nations kingdoms! He rejected it as against the purpose and will of God. It is Satan worship, hence idolatry!The Jews were merely messengers of Satan in offering Jesus an earthly kingdom. Dispensationalists therefore advocate kingdom apostasy, a Satanic originated idea of rebellion as the kingdom of God for such is the national, political kingdom militaristic kingdom which they affirm fulfills the prophetic word of God. This can never be the kingdom of Christ. Since it was Christ's purpose in coming into the world to establish his kingdom. Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then? Jesus answered, "You say rightely that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice,"(John 18:37). Christ affirmed that he was in fact a king. However, he refused to be made a king on the earth like all the nations. He refused to reign on earth over all the nations promised by Satan. Therefore, it could never be the purpose of Christ to establish a kingdom of apostasy, i.e. a kingdom in direct rebellion and rejection of his Father! Hence, there never was a delay or postponement of his kingdom. If Christ is king as he affirmed under oath before Pilate, then he is not an earthly king. Further he affirmed that his kingdom was not of this world. If his kingdom were of this world, then would his servants fight against Rome that he would not be delivered to the Jews. Jesus refused to give not a hint of support to misguided Jewish Messianic hopes even if it meant his own personal release. National kingdoms need guns and bombs. Jesus required neither. Yet, dispensationalists say, bring them on the bombs and missles and let's destroy that get's in the way of an earthly, political kingdom. Kingdom apostasy is rejected by Christ as foreign to the purpose of the kingdom of God. Summary of Kingdom ApostasyIsrael's rejection of God's reign from heaven constituted kingdom apostasy. In so doing they were continuing the rebellion of the Exodus.Israel's desire for a king angered God.Christ understood very well what type of kingdom was against the purposes of God. An earthly, political, geographically confined militaristic kingdom is one like all the nations about. Such is not the kingdom Christ came to establish. He refused to be made a king on earth. When under oath, Christ refused to advocate a future earthly kingdom in which his servants would fight against Rome. The earthly kingdom apostasy finds it's origin in the mind of Satan.
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