Last Days Kingdom

William Bell, Jr.

The last days kingdom, i.e. the kingdom announced as at hand came within the first century. This kingdom, to be set or established in the last days as prophesied by Samuel, Daniel, Isaiah and others identifies with the throne of David.

During the reign of Tiberius Caesar, John, the Baptist preached that the kingdom had drawn near. John spoke by inspiration of God, which means his message was guided in truth by the Holy Spirit.

These were not new announcements but words which the prophets foretold, (Isaiah 7:11, 12; Daniel 2:44, 45; 7:13, 14; Isiah 9:7). The prohpets prophesied of times in their future. They looked for the kingdom, the city which has foundations whose builder and maker was God. (Hebrews 11:16)

The Time Is Fulfilled

Shortly after John was cast into prison, Jesus began to announce that the kingdom was at hand, (Matthew 4:17). The prophets had inquired about the time in which God would fulfill the inheritance. The inheritance, inclusive both of the resurrection and the kindgom of God, (1 Corinthians 15:50) mentioned in Daniel 12, received several inquiries from Daniel.

"How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?, (v. 5)

What shall be the end of these things?," (Daniel v. 8).

Daniel, writing about 600 B.C. was told to seal the book until the time of the end. This is why Peter, speaking of the inquiry of the prophets into the timing of their prophesies, said that they prophesied the things, not for themselves but for us, (1 Peter 1:10-12). Truly, Abraham saw the day of Christ in prophecy but not in reality. This is where the New Testament and the unfolding of the last days gives insight on the fulfillment of the kingdom.

The time fulfilled is precisely the time spoken of relative to the kingdom's arrival. The words, The time is fulfiilled are in the perfect passive tense. The sense and meaning is, the time has been fulfilled and that fulfillment stands as a reality existing up to the present and will continue to stand as fulfilled time.

There is no going back in time for a more favorable season. Jesus' words mean there is no future generation or time other than that present in which he announced the kingdom for its arrival.

Before Some Taste Death

In addition to preaching the last days kingdom as at hand during his personal ministry, Jesus also taught that the kingdom would come before some who stood with him died. In other words, in the lifetime of first century disciples, we have the emphatic prophecy of Christ that the kingdom would arrive within his very generation. These are some of the clearest declarations of time found in Scripture.

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His holy angels, and then he will reward each one according to his works.

Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man cominging in His kingdom," (Matthew 16:27, 28).

We must ask the question. Who, among those disciples then living in the first century when Jesus uttered these words are yet alive? Not a single one. They all have died. For the kingdom to be future, it would require people approximately 2000 years old to be alive. That is more incredulous than believing Jesus' words were fulfilled.

We say, produced the evidence of these dual-millennarians and we will believe the kingdom is future. Without that evidence, it is a closed case. It is positive proof that the last days kingdom came within the first century generation.

This time equates with the words of Luke. "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

Assuredly, I say to you , this generatino will by no means pass away till all things take place." (Luke 21:31)

Already But Not Yet

One of the less understood principles of interpretation and especially related to the last days kingdom, is the already but not yet concept. This is what appears to be contradictions in the scripture related to the time of the coming of the last days kingdom.

Some passages affirm the kingdom is present at one time, while others speak of it as future. If this problem has presented itself to you, you are not seeing double. You are not "cross-eyed" in your understanding of scripture. The matter is easily resolved.

The last days kingdom did not arrive or become established in one single day. Remember in the parable of the wheat and tares and other parables that Jesus likened the kingdom to the growing of a seed.

Jesus was not blowing hot air when he said,

The kingdom is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, (Matthew 13:24). Other examples are the parable of the sower and that of the mustard seed. They all show the kingdom in progressive stages of growth. It is not one kingdom now, another in the middle called the millennium and another kingdom in the future called the eternal kingdom, or second or third dominion, depending on one's millennial views.

It is one kingdom, that begins as a seed and grows steadily to its maturity. Some passages focus on the beginning. Others focus on the mid-stage of growth and finally others the last stage or harvest. One parable especially particularly bears this out.

"And He said, 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." Mark 4:26-29)

. Would we reason that a single crop is three different crops? In the beginning it is one crop, in the middle it is a millennial crop, and at the harvest it is an eternal crop, all totally unrelated to the other? Hopefully not. Jesus spoke of one last days kingdom, but three stages of growth until that one kingdom grew to its maturity at which time the harvest came.

Can we not speak of the time of the harvest without denying that there is a crop in existence now to be harvested later? Such was the case with the kingdom of God. Apply this concept to the parable of the tares and all the future texts on the last days kingdom. They were future to a first century audience, but to none other.

All passages spoken of as future in the New Testament were fulfilled in the first century generation, before some who stood with Christ died. That future is now all past.

The Last Days Were Present

Christ's coming into the world is called the last days. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under the law." (Galatians 4:4) The fulness of the times means the same as the time is fulfilled. Within this time God sent forth His Son to redeem the world through his death. Jesus' death happened in the last days of the Jewish age.

"...But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Hebrews 9:26)

"He indeed was foreordeained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." (1 Peter 1:20)

This is also why Paul said in Hebrews that God spoke in the last days through Christ. "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son." (Hebrews 1:1)

There should be no doubt that the times recorded in the New Testament and in which Christ and his apostles lived were the last days. This is the time in which the last days kingdom would be established.

Evangelists Preach the Last Days Kingdom

Evangelists were preaching the good news (the gospel of Jesus' death burial and resurrection) requiring faith in the same to enter the kingdom.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12). So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus frmo both the Law of Moses and the Prophets...(Acts 28:24),

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confindence, no one forbidding him. Acts 28:30

Translated Into the Last Days Kingdom

To the Colossians Paul wrote,

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (1:13) Written in the early sixties, Colossians affirms that New Testament Christians were in the last days kingdom of God.This does not imply that the kingdom has been established in power, but it does affirm that the kingdom is present.

Evangelists were preaching the good news (the gospel of Jesus' death burial and resurrection) requiring faith in the same to enter the kingdom.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12).

So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus frmo both the Law of Moses and the Prophets...(Acts 28:24),

Why should men doubt that the kingdom had come. It's blessings of salvation were open to both Jew and Gentile alike, (Acts 28:28).

John, in the Last Days Kingdom

That the kingdom was established in the first century appears evident from the foregoing. However, there is another bit of evidence which supports the first century presence of the kingdom. John gives a triple affirmation which includes his testimony and the seven churches in Asia.

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribuulation and kingdom and paience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 1:9)

Three things are affirmed in this statement. John, and his fellow servants of the churches of Asia are said to be in in the tribulation, in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ. They are all grammatically connected and bear equal weight. To affirm one is to affirm the other. To deny one is to deny the other.

John and his fellowservants are said to be in the last days kingdom. See other last days kingdom studies:

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