This study was first taught on May 28, 2017

Topic: What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_3: The Natural v. The Spiritual_1_Timing

(use the audio to study)

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Background
Last week, we took a spiritual perspective to the questions, “What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?”, by looking at the domination of the human race by “the ruler of this world”, also known as “that old Serpent”, the Devil, and, Satan. It was he, who, in the Garden of Eden, used the serpent to beguile Eve; who then got her husband to partake in her sin; and from then on sin has dominated mankind. It became clear that Satan uses a well-organized hierarchy of very wicked spirits and human agents—principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places, sin, the flesh (the nature of man that loves to sin), leaders of world religions and ideologies, people who have partnered with Satan through the occult and cults, false ministers of the gospel, and church leaders who choose to live by worldly standards—to oppress and dominate mankind. We saw that Satan’s approach to keeping and bringing men in subjection to his authority has not changed, and include, deceit, trickery, guile or cunning craftiness, and fear. If anyone under the Satan’s domination is to be free from his evil rule, it must be by faith in Jesus Christ through repentance.

This faith in Jesus Christ is demonstrated when the individual believes what he has heard from the word of God about Jesus’ finished work at Calvary, as payment for the redemption of mankind from Satan’s dominion, and then the individual is brought into the kingdom of the Son of God. Much more than merely reciting some creed, is the deliberate surrender and submission of one’s entire being to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who then takes charge of that individual’s life henceforth, lest the individual slide back into the kingdom of Satan!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 1:6-8; Luke 17:20-37
We have seen that while Jesus’ disciples’ question was about a natural time of restoration to a natural kingdom of a natural Israel, the Lord’s response, and communication on the matter, was based purely from a spiritual perspective. In the world that we live in, there are not only natural forces at work, but there are also spiritual forces at work. Indeed, the spiritual world influences and controls the natural or physical world, as we evidently saw, when we looked at the horns and craftsmen of Zechariah’s vision and the princes of Daniel’s revelation.
While Jesus’ disciples were asking about a natural time of restoration of the kingdom to Israel, the Lord was talking of time in a spiritual sense: “It is not for you to know times and seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”; while they were asking about a natural rule, reign, and realm or kingdom, the Lord was referring to a spiritual rule, reign, and realm or kingdom; and, while they were referring to natural Israel, the Lord was speaking of a spiritual Israel. Such misrepresentation of spiritual for natural, is very common, even when people try to interpret Scripture apart from the Holy Spirit. Such was the case of the Pharisees, in our second scripture text, who wanted to know when the kingdom of God would come. It is our prayer that the Holy Spirit will quicken understanding in our hearts, as we look at “the natural v. the spiritual” as it relates to the kingdom, Israel, and the time of restoration, in Jesus’ name, Amen. We’ll concentrate on the aspect of time today.
2 Peter 3:8-12, 1-4; Daniel 9:1-3, 23-27; Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 5:19; 1 Samuel 16:1, 13-14; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Kings 20:35-43; Luke 17:28-33; 12:13-21; 1 John 2:15-17; Luke 9:57-62; Ephesians 5:1-21.

Conclusion
Whenever God speaks, unless we understand God’s manner of speech, we would invariably misrepresent what He said, and would end up with wrong conclusions and wrong lifestyles, which is unprofitable for us. For instance, “… God, … calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17), and many, not knowing that God speaks of things that don’t yet exist as though they already did, focus on the now, rather than on its appearing, and end up frustrated, disconcerted, and turn to all manner of strange doctrines and activities; and some, even give up walking with God entirely. But the Lord does not want you to be ignorant of such things and fall away.

The time for the return of the Lord is at hand; Yes, but that does not mean that it will happen tomorrow—although it just might. Because of this, many people have heeded the words of Satan, and have become scoffers themselves of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. From our study, we have seen that when God responded to Daniel’s intercession as regards the 70 years of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he was told that there was in reality a 70-7s or 490 years. Of the 490 years, 69-7s have been accomplished, but there remains a final 7 years. This break in the fulfillment of God’s work with regards to Israel, is to allow the Gentiles to come to Christ. Again, we’ve seen that when Adam was told that he will die in the day that he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, even though Adam lived another 900+ years after eating of that tree, he died spiritually instantly—for “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” (Genesis 3:7), and from that time forward, man became separated from God! Similarly, although King Saul was still the king of Israel in the natural, in the spiritual, 17-year old David was now the king of Israel, he was now the defender and protector of the nation—thus, it was he who had to come to defeat Goliath of Gath, and rescue Israel!

Therefore, since the time of God is not known to man, the question then is what must we do? The Lord’s answer to us, is:
1. Stop seeking to know the time which God has set by His own authority;
2. Wait patiently for God’s time;
3. Don’t just wait around doing nothing; get busy doing the work of God—preach the good news of the kingdom, and do all that the Father asks you to do.
4. Don’t get carried away with the offerings of this world; don’t get seduced into wanting to possess everything you see; and don’t become boastful, of who you are or what you have.
5. Remember Lot’s wife: let go of the world; let go of hurts; let go of hang-ups, let go of hang-overs over yester-years; let go of ungodly habits; indeed, let go of anything that can make you want to look back!
6. Remember that the Lord’s last command was “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15); not return ye!
7. Finally, keep yourself pure, be humble, and continue to love all men!

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