“Your Kingdom Come”

By Bob Myhan

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "your kingdom come." Many still pray this, today, because they do not realize the kingdom has already come.

During His ministry, Jesus taught the kingdom was “at hand” (Matt. 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15). The terms, "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven," are used interchangeably for the kingdom predicted by Daniel. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon , had a dream that he did not understand, he called upon Daniel who interpreted it to mean that a series of four great empires would rise up and that, during the fourth empire, "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:31-44).

Daniel identified three of the empires as Babylon (2:36-38), Medo-Persia (8:20) and Greece (8:21). The fourth great empire was not identified by Daniel but the Roman Empire followed Greece . And it was during the days of Rome that Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;" therefore, Rome must have been the fourth great empire.

Jesus told some who stood there with Him they would not die before seeing the kingdom of God (Mark 9:1). Either the kingdom has come or some who stood there are still living. About forty days after the resurrection, Jesus told His apostles that they would "be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days” from then (Acts 1:5). The kingdom could not have already come, at that time, because "they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?’" (Acts 1:6) He replied,

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the end of the earth" (verses 7-8).

That is, they would see "the kingdom of God come with power" not many days later. The power came on the first day of Pentecost following the Lord's resurrection, when the apostles "were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Since the kingdom was to come with power and the power came on Pentecost, the kingdom came on Pentecost. Peter explained that the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension were all in fulfillment of the promise that God had made to David "that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne" (Acts 2:30).

"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:32-36)

Jesus' reign began when He sat down at God's right hand, and it will end when He returns. Paul wrote, concerning the sec­ond coming of Christ,

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. (1 Cor. 15: 24-25).

It was prophesied that the Messiah would be "a priest upon his throne" (Zech. 6:13). Jesus cannot be a priest on earth (Heb. 8:4), because He is from the tribe of Judah not the tribe of Levi (Heb. 7:11-14). Therefore, if His throne were upon the earth, He could not be "a priest upon his throne." But since He is now High Priest (Heb. 3:1), He is now on His throne. Since He is now on His throne, He is now king. And, since the kingdom has come, and there is no reason to pray, "Your kingdom come."

This does not mean that we are not to pray for the kingdom of God , at all. We may pray "Your kingdom progress," "Your kingdom increase" or "Your kingdom he delivered up." But it has come, and can only be entered by a new birth (see John 3:5). &

Let’s Go Fishing!

By Randy Cavender

Fishing is a favorite pastime for many people. We read in the Bible that Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen by trade. But the Lord called them to become “fishers of men" (Matt. 4:18-22). Brethren in Christ, we are also to be "fishers of men." Jesus instructed, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Why should we be fishers of men?

I suggest that we must be "fishers of men" because this is something the Lord expects of us. Mark 16:15 is not an option, it is an obligation. Further, Jesus said of those who would follow Him: "I will make you fishers of men." Thus, we must do this to please God.

The value of the human soul is most important. Jesus asked, "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul" (Matt. 16:26)? It should be the attitude of every Christian that he will do all he can to help those who are lost come to know the truth that makes one free (John 8:32), so we must go about teaching the word of God (Acts 8:4).

Brethren, have you done any fishing lately? &

Meet the Apostles (Part 4)

By Bob Myhan

During the ten days between the ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the office vacated by Judas Iscariot, when he betrayed the Lord, was filled by the casting of lots.

And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:23-26)

Nothing is known of Matthias but what is stated here. Both he and Joseph had been with the apostles from John’s baptism until the day of the ascension. Thus, although both men could testify that Jesus had risen from the dead, Matthias was chosen to be an apostle but Joseph was not. Therefore, of these two, only Matthias would be baptized in the Holy Spirit so as to receive His miraculous support (John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:1-4).

Casting lots was a method of selection similar to drawing straws or playing “rock, paper, scissors.” It was used frequently in the Old but only here in the New Testament. Those who cast lots prayed for divine providence so the Lord’s choice between the two men would be revealed.

Some have contended that the apostles were being presumptuous in this but such a contention is unwarranted. After all, the Lord had said:

"Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28).

Thus, there had to be a successor to sit on the throne abdicated by Judas.

Besides this, Luke, by inspiration, puts the number of the apostles back at twelve after this event (Acts 6:2). Even discounting his being inspired, he was writing retrospectively, relating events of some thirty years past. Surely, it would have been revealed by that time if Matthias were not really an apostle.

Saul of Tarsus was the last one called to be an apostle by the Lord. He was the last to see the risen Lord and had “the signs of an apostle.” He was “in nothing … behind the most eminent apostles” yet felt unworthy “to be called an apostle” (Acts 22:12-21; 26:1-18; 1 Cor. 15:8-9; 2 Cor. 12:11-12).

As “the apostle to the Gentiles,” he went on three preaching tours, helped establish several congregations, and wrote thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. [Only Luke, the beloved physician, wrote more words.] No apostle seems to have suffered more than he for the sake of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:8-12; 11:23-28). In addition to the things he mentioned in his second epistle to the Corinthians, he was jailed in Philippi, bound in Jerusalem, taken into protective custody in Caesarea; awaited trial in Rome on two separate occasions, and was finally put to death by order of Nero. &