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[Note<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 2<\/strong>\u00a0page.]<\/span><\/p>\n A popular theological system advances the following theses:<\/span><\/p>\n If this system of theology is true, Jesus failed at His first coming. If He did not fail, this system is false. To even imply that Almighty God was \u201csurprised\u201d by the rejection of His Son is to blasphemously deny His omniscience. Moreover, it denies prophetic announcements of said rejection (e.g., Isa. 53, written seven centuries B.C.<\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\n The rejection of Jesus, resulting in His crucifixion, did not <\/strong>thwart the establishment of His kingdom. Without question, the Jewish leadership\u2019s rejection of Jesus would have <\/strong>prevented His establishment of a political domain\u2014had He come for that purpose. But their fatal error (and that of the modern future-kingdom theorists) was their expectation of an earthly reign of the prophesied Messiah. They envisioned for their nation a revival of the glory days of the kingdoms of David and Solomon of ten centuries earlier, which would throw off the despised yoke of Rome. They sought to force<\/strong> Jesus to be their king on one occasion, but He refused it and fled (John 6:15).<\/span><\/p>\n The church was no emergency substitute for failed kingdom plans. Rather, the church is <\/strong>that kingdom He came to\u2014and did\u2014establish. In the same breath, He promised to build His church, and He identified it as the \u201cat-hand\u201d kingdom (Mat. 16:18; 4:17). Paul reminded the Colossian saints that God had \u201ctranslated\u201d them into the kingdom (Col. 1:13). John was \u201cin the kingdom\u201d with the brethren he addressed (Rev. 1:9). The church is the \u201ckingdom that cannot be shaken,\u201d prophesied by Daniel (Heb. 12:23, 28; cf. Dan. 2:44).<\/span><\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 kingdom is spiritual, not temporal or political, in nature. When He comes again, He will deliver <\/strong>His presently-existing kingdom to the Father in Heaven, not establish one on earth (1 Cor. 15:24). Jesus told Pilate, \u201cMy kingdom is not of this world\u201d (John 18:36). What part of Jesus\u2019 plain statement can Bible readers not understand?<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong> I wrote this article for and it was published in The Lighthouse, <\/em>weekly bulletin of Northpoint Church of Christ, Denton, TX, December 2, 2007, of which I was editor.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 0[Note:\u00a0This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles 2\u00a0page.] A popular theological system advances the following theses: The Jews of Jesus\u2019 day \u201csurprised\u201d God the Father by rejecting His Son, their Messiah. This rejection prevented Jesus\u2019 from establishing the earthly kingdom…<\/p>\n\n