Morning Moments

As we continue our brief consideration of "eschatology" or doctrine of last things, I want to add a third consideration.

1. The Biblical distinction between the Jew, the Gentile, and the Church.

2. Jesus is Israel's Messiah (King) and the Head (Lord) of the Church, His Body.

3. There is a kingdom for Israel that is yet to come (the Millenium) that is yet to come, but "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven"(only Matthew uses this term) has already come. Both kingdoms (the future one for Israel and the present one for us) require birth.

3a - When the disciples asked Jesus, "Will you AT THIS TIME restore the kingdom to Israel?" He did not correct them and say, "Boys you don't understand that there will be no kingdom for Israel." They were all Jews who knew the OT prophecies of a kingdom ruled by their Messiah. That is alo why John Baptist asked, "Are you the ONE or do we look for ANOTHER?"

There are two differnt words for "another". One is one of the same "genus" and the second is one of another "genus". So John Baptist, my friend, was never doubting Jesus Messiahship, but was asking if He as Savior would be the He as Soverign or would there be another of the same "genus" or like Him to do that. THIS is an important poiint. Now let me tell you why.

John understood the prophecy that he was to be the forerunner or the one to prepare the way for the Messiah, but he was in prison facing beheading. So, although he recognized Jesus as the "Lamb of God" of God, he also understood that Messiah was to be the "Lion of the tribe of Judah".

John was calling Israel to repentance in preparation for Messiah to establish an EARTHLY kingdom and sit upon the throne of His father David as promised regarding the Messiah. This reign was to be a re-establishment of Israel as a nation to rule over the Gentiles (not the Church). NOW HEAR THIS! That will come but has not yet.

Let me illustrate: When the Jew looked forward (remember we look backward) regarding Messiah, He saw Messiah as both Lamb and Lion as one would look at two mountain peeks without seeing the valley in between. The Jew did not distinguish the time element between the two (which is the Church Age). The Church age or Age of Grace is the valley between the two mountains.

Jesus came unto His own (Israel), but NATIONALLY His own received Him not, SO to as many (individuals) who recieve Him (both Jew and Gentile), to THEM He gives the power to become sons (children) of God.

In closing today, remembe these three things:

1. The distinctive difference between the nation Israel and the body, the Church.
2. That Jesus is Israel's Messiah, but He is the Head of this unseen body, The Church.
3. That what we now know as the "Kingdom of God" or as Matthew put it, "the Kingdom of Heaven" is NOT the same as the "thy kingdom come" of the Millenium (which is when Israel is restored nationally and Jerusalem become the center of earthly worship as Messiah reigns with a Rod of Iron over the nations (Gentiles) and with a Scepter of Righteousness."

PRAYER: Dear God, help us to avoid confusion that has come from misinterpreation and see clearly how the Scripture harmonizes. Thank You so much.