The Messiah's Secret - Jesus Reigns                                        

Evening Lectionary - Daniel 7: 1-18. Luke 6: 17-31.

Anglican Nun Sister Irene Mary would say to me, “Dorothy pray for God’s kingdom to come,” referring to an actual kingdom on the earth.  (picture taken 1995 at lake Windermere after Sister's group visit to Rydal Hall in the Lake District)

The link between the two readings: Daniel 7: 18 “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever and ever.”  And in Luke 6 Jesus was preparing his disciples for the coming in of God’s Kingdom, which had been prophesied by most of the prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah.                                                                                         

Therefore the news of the kingdom being established was not unexpected. John the Baptist and Jesus preached a baptism of repentance in preparation of the coming in of God’s kingdom. “The time is fulfilled," he said. "Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1: 15.

In our reading the prophetic word was directed at his disciples Jesus spoke of the changes that his teaching would bring:

They would be blessed for coming to him in their poverty, poverty of spirit, under law they did not know God in a personal way, but through having faith in Jesus they would know Jesus as Lord and be with him in his kingdom.

They would be blessed for coming to him being fed from his expounding of the Hebrew Scriptures and they would become rich in spiritual riches taking out the Kingdom message, as they brought people to faith in him, with signs following his word.

Jesus prophesied that the message would fall on deaf ears; many of the Pharisees were sceptical. An example when Jesus healed the man who had been born blind, the Pharisee disputed that the man had been blind at all. John 9: 2.

(God had allowed this man to be born blind. God allowed Job to be tempted by Satan)

The other week I heard of a lady who was healed of her blindness by prayer. Her optician who later examined her eyes confirmed her healing, but he was amazed as he saw behind the eye the scarring of glaucoma that should have still prevented her seeing anything at all, but she could see perfectly.

The Pharisee wanted evidence from the man’s parents. In the interaction that followed, in verse 22, “His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”                          

So we learn from this that those who followed Jesus believing that he was the Christ were excluded from the synagogue as Jesus had predicted.

Luke records that Jesus said to love your enemies; this was contrary to Jewish rules then, as it still is today. The Law “an eye for an eye” to mean to replicate what has been dealt out to them as a punishment.  Whereas, under the New Covenant. Luke 6: 31 “As you would wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” 

God knew that the only way for this to happen to treat others as you would want them to treat you was through the renewing of the heart. Through a person repenting in accepting Jesus dying for their sin and all that stands between us and God on the cross, as a result knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour.                                                    

We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies concerning the kingdom of God coming true, without them being dependant on us.

One day all will recognise Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. 
Daniel, Zechariah and Apostle John’s Revelation prophesied that the Messiah would establish the kingdom of God. 

3 Views on the Reign of the Messiah. Revelation 20: 
Eyre & Spottiswoode Bible page 1884  1-15

Post Millennium

Holds that the millennium is a period of world history in which the reign of Christ has been established through His church which is destined to conquer the world with the gospel, and at the end of this golden age Christ will personally return to earth and inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth.

A – Millennium

A – Millennialist denies that there will ever be a literal earth-rule of a thousand years, either before or after Christ’s return. By some the thousand years are taken to be simply symbolic of eternity (although verse 5 poses a serious problem for this view), and the only reign spoken in this passage is an eternal heavenly reign. Christ’s return to earth will simply usher in the “new heaven and the new earth” and His only eschatological rule will be celestial, not in this world. By others the one thousand years of Christ’s reign are taken to be the period between the first and second comings of Christ.

Pre-Millennium

Looks for the return of Christ to earth at the beginning of a literal, thousand year reign upon the earth when “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” and all the nations of mankind will be completely subservient to the Lord Jesus. At the end of this period Satan will be released again in order to stir up the secretly rebellious portion of mankind to a final open revolt against God (verses 7 – 9). After a second “Armageddon” the new heavens and the new earth will be ushered in.

I take the Pre-Millennium View 

Jesus reigns on the earth Revelation 11:15-19. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." 

Zechariah 14: 4 Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives., verse 5 "And the Lord shall come with his saints" verse 9 "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth, in that day there shall be one Lord and one name."                                            

Daniel 7: 13. ”I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him.

In Revelation 19: 13-16. When Jesus returns with his heavenly armies, he will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

Psalm 2: 4- 11 says this: He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord has them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,” I have set on my king on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash to pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

According to John in Revelation all the people living on the earth will serve him he reigns for a thousand years and then Satan is let loose for a period of time, before the final judgement at the White throne by God the Ancient of days.                                 

Jesus will Return
We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about. 

                        -----------------------------

Continuing with more evidence in scripture of the ruling rod of iron.

The Messiah's Secret Revealed.

In 1996 I was having my afternoon cup of tea when I was rocked in the chair. My thoughts were on the pottery orders that I was preparing. I put transfers of flowers, Biblical texts on china beakers and then fired them in my kiln. The words that came to mind, ‘The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God at the beginning of Acts.” Two weeks later I woke up with the words, ‘Jesus could only be received as the Messiah after his death, resurrection and Ascension.’ The two words came together The disciples were setting up the kingdom of God in anticipation of Jesus’ return with the angels of God. The calling of the Messiah was a national calling. I had never heard of this before, I had been brought up to believe that the time for the Jewish people to receive Jesus as their Messiah was before he was crucified. 

The Ruling Rod of Iron of the kingdom of God 

On the evening of the Day of Jesus’ resurrection Jesus came into the house, the room where his disciples were gathered and he breathed on them the Holy Spirit and gave them his authority to forgive or retain the sins of people, this was the ruling rod of iron in association with setting up the kingdom in preparation for Jesus’ return, and was fulfilled in Acts 5 Annanias and Sapphira lied over the proceeds from the sale of their land to Peter and both in turn fell down dead at Peter’s feet.

Jesus had told them in several parables that he was about to leave them and they were left to be about their master’s business until he returned. Parable of the talents.Matthew 25. 15. The nobleman who went away. Luke 19:11-27

The disciples were expecting Jesus to return soon after Pentecost. 

Peter spoke to the crowd at Solomon’s Gate, ” I know that you acted in ignorance as did your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the establishing all that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. Moses said, “’The Lord will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days.”Acts 3: 17 end

The Jewish leaders and people had acted in ignorance when they handed Jesus over to the Romans with the charge of blasphemy and making himself a king. The prophets had prophesied the suffering and death of the Messiah. If they would repent and turn to Jesus accepting him as their Messiah he would return and bring in the times of refreshing the restoration of the throne and land of King David and Abraham.   Moses had prophesied the Messiah would be a prophet who had the ruling authority to lead and make judgements over the nation. Jesus himself hoped to return soon after his ascension when he said, “There are some standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom  of God has come with power.” Mark 9: 1. 

Jesus will return and establish his kingdom on the earth.

We have the assurance of the Biblical prophesies coming true, without them being dependant on us to bring them about.