Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/90

Contributor - William Sanford

Title - The Kingdom and the Returning Son

Topic - Advent

The Bible describes the situation of the world in the days of Noah, just before God sent the Flood: "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." (Gen. 6:5) Our Saviour makes a startling prophetic revelation, when He tells us: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matt. 24:37) Clearly the world was not getting better, nor was the world filled with those who loved the LORD and mirrored His holy attributes with bent knee, nor was it a place of submission to God's will, justice and mercy, where people clearly heard and obeyed God's Word. As it was then, so it will be when our Lord Jesus returns.

Relegated, unfortunately to the tail end of theological studies (and by the Reformation teachers given only a cursory glance) is the area of Eschatology - the study of Last Things, the Culmination of History, the End-times, the Completion of the Kingdom. Our Christian terminology is often quite misleading. When we talk of "Old" Testament. we mean "ancient" rather than passe. when we talk of "minor" prophets, we mean '.shorter" in verbosity rather than "of lesser importance", so when we ta k of the study of "Last Things" we mean the study of "the Returning King and His Kingdom" rather than "those tacked-on subjects that are the last things one wants to know." Running through the centre of Jesus' ministry is the culmination of the kingdom and His second appearance to usher in its completion.

Jesus Inaugurates the Kingdom Looking for an earthly ruler who would place them on mini-thrones lording it over their Gentile-pagan enemies, the disciples of John the Baptizer came expectantly to Jesus with a short, but loaded question: "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matt. 11:3) By and large, they were a people with blinders on, much as most are today. They too, were taught to look only at those things which were safe, secure, testable and emotionally self-satisfying. They had their preconceptions, and were generally unable to hear what did not fit in neatly and comfortably. They too, needed the quick, simple answer and were impatient with long, drawn-out explanations, or Jesus' habit of metaphor and parabolic teaching. Surely the poor were drawn to His authoritative words, His dynamic presence and compassion, but they wanted the kingdom THEIR way and they wanted it NOW.

Jesus answers the Baptizer's disciples: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see - The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have skin diseases are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the Good News is preached to the poor. (Matt. 11:4-6) He proclaimed: "If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you." (Lk. 11:20)

Already the kingdom has come! Where the King is, there is the kingdom. Jesus said it clearly: "The kingdom of God is within you." (Lk. 17:21) He told the same disciples about the equipping for power-tilled witnessing ministry. He instructed them concerning God the Spirit who would empower them, and who would (from deep within them) "bring to your remembrance all that I have taught you," equipping these with the holy power, praise and proclamation of the kingdom.

Jesus inaugurated the present, earthly rule of God, and in doing so set in motion the continuance of the reign within His body on earth today. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (Jn. 14:12) The force of the kingdom is from the now to and through the end. The inauguration presupposes both the continuance and the glorious fulfilment of God's purpose. The beginning has within it the seed of the full flowering of the complete rule of God. The continuing cry of the body of Christ to Father has always been: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth - as it is done in heaven."

Jesus Builds the Kingdom

From the very beginning of His three and a half year ministry, Jesus built upon His message "the time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Change your thinking and believe the good news!" (Mk. 1:15) "The reign of God is like...... The reign is being built where the King is, where His command is the acknowledged order of each moment, where His will is submitted to, and lived out.

"I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me, that you also may be where I am." (Jn. 14:2-3) In His great high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed: "I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and You in Me.... Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am...... (Jn 17:22,24)

After His resurrection, Jesus "appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3) As He was taken up, two in white said to the disciples: "This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Few were looking as Jesus left, few will be looking for Him when He returns. Jesus asked: "When the Son of Man returns will He find faith on the earth?" (Lk. 18:8) Our church buildings are filled with people who display a form of godliness, but for how long will we see the power of God demonstrated there which brings His saving grace: convicting of sin, creating new birth, building up the saints, growing spiritual fruit, mirroring Christ's presence through us, manifesting giftedness, setting hearts on fire with divine joy and boldness and missionary zeal and humble Christ-like ministering? When Jesus returns, will He tin(' those of us who are still remaining totally ignorant of or having a lack ?f belief in His return, or looking blankly into the sky, or (with the release of the Holy Spirit's power) witnessing to Him and watching? (Acts 1:8)

Jesus Continues the Kingdom

Although the kingdom is here in us, His reign is not yet complete on earth. God the Holy Spirit is continuing the growth of the kingdom and building it up until the harvest time. Many have joined the reapers. Apostle Paul spent his later life as a toot of the Lord Jesus in the reaping. (Acts 28:3031) The kingdom reign of God and Christ's glorious return are the two main themes of the faith for twice-born believers. The time of His return is extremely close. Apostle Paul wrote God's prophetic message to Pastor Timothy concerning these last days before Jesus' return: "But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love. unforgiving, slanderous, without selfcontrol, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (11 Tim. 3:1-5) This is a very explicit list of conditions in our day and in the time immediately preceding our Master's return. There is nothing even hinting at the idea of the reign of God being continued and brought in by the work of humans or by any natural causes. It is God Himself, the Holy Spirit, who continues to fulfil the kingdom, not our efforts. If anything, mankind's godless works and the natural events of the time will be the evil herald of the return of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Foundation of the Coming Kingdom

The non-believing world is looking for a green earth, one filled with justice for all, respect for every minority, freedom and fair distribution of wealth and power, the cessation of war, hunger, and ignorance. Not bad ideals at all! The Bible speaks of these things too. The difference lies in a bottom line understanding of the nature of humanity and its Creator, and the handbook for these ideals. Whereas the non-believing world is content to build its utopia on the supposed foundation of morally and ethically neutral people who can be improver, the Bible builds on a foundation of people who are sick and self-serving, spiritually blind, dead and in rebellion against their Creator, and in desperate need of re-creation. There can be no kingdom without the indwelling of the King.

This godless world of wonder was the broken dream of Karl Marx, who never considered the evil human factor in building his worldly paradise of godless equality. And all forget that there is always judgment awaiting each person when the Creator-Judge appears again to render to each according to his/her deeds. We are not little neutral deities in the making who are trying to do our best. We are self-loving creatures who have fallen froi-n our place of honour, who are attempting time and again to de-throne God and place ourselves on the throne of glory. No true self-improvement is possible. What we need is to be re-made in the image of our Creator. For those who love His appearing, there is in store the crown of righteousness to be awarded. (11 Tim. 4:8) When He appears, He will make His final judgment concerning those who lived as grateful stewards of God's gifts and dependent inheritors of God's kingdom, and those who played god and built their own kingdoms. To live with this constant attitude of the former is to ask for persecution from the latter who live without God.

Those of us who know, live in a world which is not limited to time and space - to the five senses and scientific analysis. We know that this life is a journey filled with exercises, situations, struggles, obstacles and crossroads set up for our eternal training. We know a secret. The Creator, Owner, and Judge of all is our Father, Saviour and Life, and He's returning to claim what belongs to Him - bought already with a very high price. Apostle Paul, in one of his last messages, gave a strong charge to his spiritual son, Pastor Timothy, with these words which focus on the dual theme of the born-again Christian life: "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge:..." (11 Tim. 4:1)

The Happy Completion of the Kingdom

The completion of the kingdom reign of God by the return and second appearance of our Lord Jesus, the righteous Judge of all, is the comforting hope of all those in Him. To the question, of what comfort the return of Christ to judge the living and the dead gives to us, the Heidelberg Catechism gives this wonderful answer:

That in all affliction and persecution [we] may await with head held high the very Judge from Heaven who has already submitted Himself to the judgment of God for [us who are in Him] and has removed all the curse from [us]; that he will cast all His enemies and [ours] into everlasting condemnation, but he shall take me, together with all his elect, to himself into heavenly joy and glory. (Q. & A. 52)

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.