The Hope of Israel, Part 2: The Restoration of Israel (AM)

Acts 1:6-11

Introduction:

1. We left off last week with Israel in captivity just as God warned would happen if they rebelled (Jeremiah 16:10-13; Ezekiel 36:17-20; Lamentations 2:15-17).

2. Today we consider the promises of Israel’s restoration and their fulfillment.

3. The premillennial and Jewish view says Israel is yet to be restored.

4. The question is, did Jesus take His place on the throne of David in the ascension, or will He do so at His return? (Luke 1:30-31; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7).

Discussion:

I. Premillennial Arguments for a Future Restoration

A. A Sampling of arguments from Old Testament promises.

1. God promised to restore them to the land (Jeremiah 24:6-7; 29:11-14; 32:40-44).

2. He promised a time of unrivaled peace (Isaiah 11).

3. He made similar promises to the returned exiles (Zechariah 8:1-8).

4. It includes physical, economic restoration (Isaiah 61:4; Amos 9:14-15).

5. Jeremiah 30:24 places the restoration in the “latter days.”

B. Viewing these OT promises as “end times” events prompts both Jews and premillennialists to deny the Davidic kingdom was restored.

C. This leads to reading NT passages as pointing to a future earthly reign.

II. The Context and Fulfillment of the Promises

A. Jeremiah 24, 29, 32 are exclusively about the return from Babylon fulfilled by Cyrus’ decree as recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah (24:1-6; 29:4-10; cf. Daniel 9:1-2; 32:36-40; cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12; 13:20).

B. Isaiah 11 describes the ideal age of the Messiah which Paul saw fulfilled in Christ’s first coming (Romans 15:8-12; cf. Revelation 5:5; 22:16 on the root of David).

C. Zecheriah prophesied ca. 520 B.C. of Jerusalem’s restored habitation; such occurred with Ezra (7:1-10; ca. 458 B.C.) and Nehemiah (11:1-2; ca. 446 B.C.).

D. Jerusalem’s physical and economic recovery likewise was fulfilled in Christ:

1. Jesus applied Isaiah 61 to Himself (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-4).

2. James applied Amos 9 to the gospel mission taken to the Gentiles by Peter (Acts 15:13-18; Amos 9:11-15).

E. The “latter days” of Jeremiah 30:24 need not be taken as the end of time as Peter and John made clear (Acts 2:16-17; Joel 2:28-32; 1 John 2:18; cf. Hebrews 1:1-2).

III. The Kingdom is Now: Christ on David’s Throne

A. In Luke 1:30-33, Gabriel told Mary God would give her miraculously conceived Son the throne of David to rule forever (cf. Luke 1:67-79; 2:22-38).

B. John the immerser and Jesus both stated that the kingdom was at hand/had come near (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:13-17; Mark 1:14-15; cf. Daniel 2:44).

C. Jesus stated that some who were then standing there would not die until they saw the kingdom come with power (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Lk. 9:27).

D. Jesus told Peter He would give him the keys to the kingdom with full expectation he would use them (Matthew 16:13-18).

E. Peter preached Jesus’ enthronement from the start (Acts 2:22-36).

F. Philip preached the kingdom as a 1st century reality (Acts 8:12).

G. Paul proclaimed the kingdom consistently (Acts 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31).

H. He spoke of proper conduct within the kingdom (Romans 14:17).

I. He said Christ would deliver the kingdom to God at the end, not finally receive it from Him after a long postponement (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).

J. He said the Colossians were already in the kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

K. John claimed he and the seven churches were in the kingdom (Revelation 1:9).

L. If the kingdom was postponed, every passage listed here is erroneous.

IV. The Impossibility of an Earthly Reign

A. One final point needs to be addressed concerning an earthly reign.

B. The premillennial view holds that Christ will return to Jerusalem, reestablish Moses’ law, rebuild the temple, and rule on David’s throne in Jerusalem.

C. Several problems arise for this view.

1. No passage in the NT says He will ever touch down on earth again.

2. Returning to Moses’ law would nullify Christ’s sacrifice (Matthew 5:17-18; Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:13-14; Hebrews 8:8-13; 9:11-15, 23-28; 10:1-4, 8-10).

3. The temple is already standing (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; Zechariah 6:12-15).

4. The Branch was to be a Priest-King (Zechariah 6:13).

a. If Moses’ law is restored, Jesus cannot be priest (Hebrews 7:11-14).

b. His lineage excludes Him from ruling in Judah (Jeremiah 22:24-30; Matthew 1:12).

Conclusion:

1. Adding all this up, we know Jesus is ruling on David’s throne right now.

2. He said Himself that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), but Jews and premillennialists simply refuse to take Him at His word.

3. In our next discussion, we will discuss Spiritual Israel in this schema.