The Timing of the Kingdom of God: 1st Century

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All right, welcome to Apology of Church again. I'm not used to being at this position, but I know what y 'all are thinking right now, and no,

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I did not get a haircut. I got a hat cut. So every time

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I have my hat off, someone's like, did you get a haircut? Like, no, it's been like this for 10 years. I just normally see it with a hat.

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So I just wanted to get that out of the way so you all can focus on the message here. But like Jeff said, we're going to skip

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Matthew 15, 21 through 39, and start in chapter 16. And really wanted to use this as an opportunity to jumpstart a conversation on specific timing passages and timing language throughout the

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Old and New Testament. I'm going to try to run through this.

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We're going to cover a lot of Scripture tonight, so be ready to write. But there's really over 100 verses throughout

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Scripture that we could talk about. We're not going to cover all of them, so I'm not doing that many, but we will try to get through a lot of them as quickly as possible.

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So we believe that Scripture teaches the full inauguration of Christ's kingdom, and subsequently then the promised judgment of Israel came with the destruction of the temple in AD 70.

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And if you guys, there's a few of you in here that have been around since 2013. This is actually,

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I revamped the message I gave in 2013 called the Perusal of the

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Parasea, which was in the Eschaton series. If any of you have listened to that online, that's there.

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So this is kind of, like I said, revamped this and tied it into Matthew. But as we dig in, there's two things

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I want us all to see. One, the Christians that the apostles were writing to throughout, and in the

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Old Testament, but specifically in the New Testament, the Christians they were writing to fully understood the timing of these passages.

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And we'll also see that the Pharisees and the Sadducees that Jesus was speaking to were just completely and absolutely clueless.

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If you read the soul food in the bulletin, it's this quote from Gentry.

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I'll go ahead and read it in case you missed it. He said, today we are distant from the events of AD 70, so removed from the ancient culture, so little acquainted with the first century

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Jewish outlook, and so accustomed to the Christian perspective, we tend to overlook the enormous redemptive historical significance of AD 70.

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Those events are not merely another sad instance in the history of man's inhumanity to man, which makes countless thousands mourn.

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They serve not as demonstration of nature, red in tooth and claw, neither do they merely remind us of the carnage of war, the blood swollen

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God, but such is mistaken, rather the devastating events of the Jewish war are the historical manifestations of the furious wrath of the offended

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God of Israel. So before we get into the text, let's pray. Lord, I just thank you so much for this opportunity to bring your word today and ask that you would speak through me, give me the words to say, and that you'd allow everyone here,

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Lord, to hear what you want them to hear. And through all this, I ask that you'd be glorified in Christ. Let me pray. Amen.

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So the text we will be in is Matthew 6, 1 through 4. I'll go ahead and read that, starting in verse 1.

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And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and to test him, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

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He answered them, when it is evening, you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be a stormy today for the sky is red and threatening.

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You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

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And evil and adulterous generation seek for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

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So he left them and departed. So quickly here in verse 1, and the

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Pharisees and Sadducees came and to test him, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. So notice here you have traditional enemies teaming up against Christ.

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So the Pharisees and Sadducees hated each other, but they had a unanimous opposition to Christ.

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The Sadducees hated Christ, as Matthew Henry says, because Christ's doctrine did equally overthrow their heirs and heresies that denied the existence of spirits and a future state.

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And the Pharisees hated Christ because their pride, tyranny, and hypocrisy made them the great imposters of the traditions of the elders.

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So what is it that they wanted? They asked for a sign from heaven. Now what had

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Christ been showing them? His whole ministry, sign after sign after sign from heaven, no mere mortal man could have produced the miracles that Christ was producing before their very eyes.

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But they wanted a sign of their own choosing, something directly from heaven, like say a burning bush or with thunder and lightning.

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They wanted some sort of dramatic spectacle, but they didn't want one from Christ. The handbook of the gospel of Matthew says a sign from heaven would then be a miracle that God himself allowed or did in order to reveal some truth about himself in the present context.

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Its function would be to show that Jesus had the approval of God. And Matthew Henry says

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Jesus condemns their overlooking of the signs they had. They were seeking for the signs of the kingdom of God when it was already among them.

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The Lord was in this place and they knew it not. Now they weren't simply asking for a sign for selfish reasons, although they were being selfish, but what they really wanted was to test him as the text says.

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They wanted to trap or ensnare him. And again, Matthew Henry says here, if he should show them a sign from heaven, they would attribute it to a confederacy with a prince of the power of the air.

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If he should not, as they suppose he would not, they would have that to say for themselves.

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Why then or why they did not believe on him. So moving on to verse two, this was

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Christ's response. He said, when it is evening, you say it will be fair weather for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be a stormy day or stormy today for the sky is red and threatening.

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You know how to interpret their appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

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This sounds like a really like crazy analogy, like what is he talking about?

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But it was really pretty simple. A red sky in the evening indicated that there'd be fair weather the next day.

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But a red sky in the morning indicated there was an approaching storm. The point is that he told them they knew how to interpret the weather.

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They could look at the sky and interpret what the weather would be. For here would be, you know, if there's windy and the dust is blowing, we know a monsoon is coming.

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It's the same, the same sort of interpretation of the weather. He said, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

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So this was a direct condemnation from Christ. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were supposed, supposed to know and understand the scriptures like the back of their hand.

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They should have known the timing of Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel nine.

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For sake of time, I'm not going to get into that. Jeff's discussed it a lot, and I'm sure at some point we'll discuss it a lot more as well.

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The point is they should have known the timing in that passage. They should have known that the anointed one, that the

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Prince had arrived. They should have known that the 70 weeks were expiring. They should have known that Christ's miracles were clear indication that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

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They should have known that this was the day of visitation. They could read the weather, but they couldn't read the scriptures nor the signs of the times.

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And then in verse four, Christ says an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

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So he left them and departed. So here he calls them an adulterous generation.

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Simply put, they had been unfaithful to God. Israel was God's bride.

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They had been unfaithful, an unfaithful spouse to God. Matthew Henry here says he calls them an adulterous generation because while they profess themselves of the true church and spouse of God, they treacherously departed from him and break their covenants with him.

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The Pharisees were a generation pure in their own eyes, having the way of the adulterous woman, but thinks she has done no wickedness.

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So I know there are children present, but the point is that this generation acted as whores and not just whores, but whores blind to their whoredom.

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So Christ refuses to give them a sign. Instead, he refers them to the sign of Jonah, which is a reference back to Matthew 12, 38 through 42, which says that some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.

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But he answered them an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet

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Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish. So will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here.

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The queen of the south will rise up with the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here.

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So he's just referring them back to something he already told them judgments coming on this generation.

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So he then left and departed them. So at this point, the Pharisees and the Sadducees should have known again, that judgment was coming their way.

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If they could truly interpret the signs of the times, they would have known. So besides Daniel, what are some

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Old Testament passages that would have told what was coming? So I'm briefly look at a few here.

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We'll look at Isaiah and Malachi. So Isaiah 65, one through 15, this is

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God talking to Israel. And I'll briefly say this passage here alone was the passage that pushed me over the edge into post -millennialism.

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So starting in verse one, I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me.

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Again, this is to Israel. I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

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He's referring to us. Christians. I said, here I am, here I am to a nation that was not called by my name.

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I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, Israel, who would walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices.

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A people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks, who sit in tombs and spend the night in secret places, who eat pig's flesh and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels, who say, keep to yourself and do not come near me for I am too holy for you.

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These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

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So here God's condemning their religiousness, but their false religiousness. Behold, it is written before me.

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I will not keep silent, but I will repay. I will indeed repay into their lap. And we speak speaking of judgment for these covenant breakers, both your iniquities and your father's iniquities together, says the

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Lord, because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.

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Then in verse eight, thus says the Lord, as a new wine is found in the cluster and they say, do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it.

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So I will do for my servant's sake and not destroy them all. So he's saying he will keep a remnant.

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I will bring forth offspring from Jacob and from Judah, possessors of my mountains. My chosen shall possess it and my servants shall dwell there.

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Sharon will become a pasture for flocks in the valley of Achor, a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me.

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And these are the covenant keepers. But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for destiny,

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I will destine you to the sword and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter. Because when

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I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what

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I did not delight in. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, my servants shall eat,

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Christians, but you shall go hungry, Israel. Behold, my servant shall drink, but you shall be thirsty.

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Behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame. Behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for the breaking of spirit.

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And then finally in verse 15, you shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse and the

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Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name.

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Then in Malachi 3 verses one through five, behold,

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I send my messenger. This is referring to John the Baptist and he will prepare the way before me. And the

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Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the

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Lord of hosts, but who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears for he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap.

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He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the

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Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, as in your former years.

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Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers and his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the

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Lord of hosts. So again, he's talking about sending a messenger, John the Baptist, before the

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Lord comes, and then there will be judgment. And then the next chapter,

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Malachi 4, one through six, he says, for behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evil doer, all evil doers will be stubble.

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The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

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But for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall, and you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet.

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On the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts, remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all

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Israel. Verse five, behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the

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Lord comes, and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

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So note that this was the last revelation given to Israel before the birth of Christ. This was the end of the

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Old Testament. It was four centuries between then and between the birth of Christ. So when

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Christ started his earthly ministry, he referred to his cousin, John the Baptist, as Elijah. So again, we're here talking about Elijah's coming before the

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Lord, that would be John the Baptist. And the arrival of John then indicated that the awesome day of the

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Lord was near. So focus on near, we're going to talk a lot about that. But notice the language here indicating timing.

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So he says the day is coming. And again, four centuries in between. So when

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Elijah appeared, the day was coming. And then I just want to make a note that this is important because we'll see that the language shifts then as the time draws near.

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So again, back to the Pharisees and Sadducees, they should have known these passages, they should have been able to interpret these signs of the times.

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So now we're going to turn to Matthew and to look at the other, or sorry, turn from Matthew to look at the other timing passages in the

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New Testament. So I'm going to, as we go through here, we're going to go kind of by who said it or who was the author, and we'll work our way through the

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New Testament. So first, let's look at what did John the Baptist or Elijah say about the timing of Christ's kingdom.

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It's important to note that the entire New Testament was written before the destruction of the temple in AD 70, even revelation.

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And that's a whole nother discussion we can get into, but the point is there's no mention of a destroyed temple and revelation.

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So it had to have been written prior. So again, remember the inauguration of Christ's kingdom directly coincided with the judgment of Israel.

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So starting in Matthew three, two, this again, is John the Baptist repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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The Greek here for at hand is engizo. It's translated to bring near or essentially within reach of your hand.

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That's literally, you could reach out and grab it. So remember the Old Testament ended in Malachi four with is coming.

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So immediately in the New Testament, before Jesus even starts his ministry, the language switches from is coming to is at hand or is brought near.

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So what did John the Baptist say about the timing of judgment? John gave clear indicators of the time of the judgment upon Israel.

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We're going to look at Matthew three here. This passage immediately preceded Christ's baptism by John.

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So Matthew three, four through 12 says, now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey that Jerusalem and all

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Judea and all region about the Jordan were going out to him and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come bear fruit in keeping with repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves, we have

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Abraham as our father. For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children from Abraham.

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Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore, every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

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I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who was coming after me, and again, remember this is immediately after this, is mightier than I, whose sandals

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I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

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So the wrath to come here in verse seven, and the Greek is mellow, and it literally means to be about.

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So in other words, this wrath is about to come. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.

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So in other words, the bad trees were ready to be chopped down. And then he says his winnowing fork is in his hand.

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So Christ is ready to winnow or separate the chaff from the wheat. Parallel passage in Luke three, starting in verse seven, he said, therefore, to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from, again, from the wrath to come.

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And in verse nine, even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

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And then again in 17, he again says his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

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So essentially it's identical language. So then what did Christ say about the timing of this kingdom? So starting in math four, this is right after John the

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Baptist has been arrested, his head's about to be served on a silver platter, and Christ is now taking over where his forerunner left off.

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So starting in verse 17, from that time, Jesus began preaching saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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Parallel passage in Mark 115, and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.

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Repent and believe the gospel. Again, we have the same word here, it's in gizo. So the kingdom is near, it's within reach.

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So Christ is clearly announcing the fulfillment of the time promised in Malachi four. So then what did

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Jesus tell the apostles? In Matthew 10, seven, he said, and proclaim as you go saying the kingdom of heaven again is at hand.

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So back to Matthew 16, again, I told you we're going to be all over, so be ready to follow me here.

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Jesus just told the disciples that he was going to be killed. Peter had just taken

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Jesus to the side and rebuked him. And of course, Christ's response to him was get behind the Satan.

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Matthew 16, 24 to 28 says, then Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

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For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

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Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the son of man is going to come with his angels and the glory of his father.

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And then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.

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So the son of man is going to come. Again, that's mellow, about to be. So the son of man is about to come.

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And then to the apostles in verse 28, again, we've all heard this passage. There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom.

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So here, the question then is, have all the apostles died? Yes, we know that historically.

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So then this must have taken place. Well, look, it's the parallel passages in the other two synoptics,

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Mark and Luke. If you don't know what synoptic means, the synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

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This comes from the Greek word sin, meaning together, and optic, meaning seen. So many, many of the stories are the same in the same order and with similar language.

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Essentially the main differences are written by different authors. The Gospel of John is not a synoptic because it's written completely different.

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So let's see. So Mark 9, 1, and he said to them, truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.

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And then Luke 9, 27, but I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.

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So again, the kingdom of God had to come, either that or someone from who he was talking to was still alive.

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Chances of that are pretty slim. So let's look at Luke 10.

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Christ had just commissioned 72 others to go ahead of him two by two. So in verse 9, he says,

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Heal the sick in it and say to them, the kingdom of God has come near to you. But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you.

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Nevertheless, know this, the kingdom of God has come near. So again, it's in gizo, it's within reach, the kingdom of God.

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Much more, there's much, much more that Jesus said about his kingdom, but I think you get the point.

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Even Christ is saying my kingdom is near, it's within reach. So what did Christ say about the timing of his return and judgment?

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And I will want to mention this is not his final return, but his return and judgment upon Israel. So turn back to Matthew 10, quickly.

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Remember that Christ had just told the apostles the kingdom was at hand. So starting in verse 23, when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next for truly

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I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the son of man comes.

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So my question is, does this convey an idea or the idea of an event 2000 plus years away?

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Again, remember who Christ is talking to. Did the apostles go through all the towns of Israel?

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The answer has to be yes. If not, again, then one of them still alive. So this means in that the son of man must have already come in judgment.

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So for this to be a future event, at least one apostle needs to finish going through Israel.

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So my question then would be which town hasn't been visited yet and who's still alive. So let's turn to Matthew 26.

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Jesus had just been arrested and is now standing before the high priest starting in verse 63.

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He says, but Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, I adjure you by the living

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God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God, Jesus said to him, you have said so.

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But I tell you from now on, you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

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So again, who was Christ's audience? It was the high priest. And he said specifically to the high priest from now on, you will see.

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And then the parallel passage in the synoptics, Mark six or four, excuse me,

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Mark 1462. And Jesus said, I am and you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power and come in with the clouds of heaven.

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And then Luke 2269. From now on, he says, the son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.

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So quickly, I'm going to go. Well, you guys go ahead, turn to Revelation. We'll be there for a couple of minutes.

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So we'll start in Revelation three. Essentially, these are

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Christ's closing remarks. It's actually speaking. Jesus told John what's a right to the church in Sardis.

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So Revelation three, 10 through 11, because you have kept my word about patient endurance,

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I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth.

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I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have so that no one may seize your crown.

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So again, here that is coming again is mellow. So it's about to be the hour of trial is about to come.

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And then, and then he says where I am coming soon. This is a different word. This is Taku, which means quickly, speedily without delay.

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So he says, I am coming quickly. I'm coming speedily. I'm coming without delay. And then let's turn to Revelation 22, starting in verse six.

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And he said, and he said to me, these words are trustworthy and true.

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And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets has set his angel to show his servants what must soon take place and behold,

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I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book. So again, both places here what soon will soon take place.

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And I'm coming soon. It's, it's Taku again, both meaning quickly without delay. And then

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Revelation 22, 12 says, behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done.

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Again, same word, Taku, I'm coming quickly without delay. But this time he mentions that he's bringing his recompense for what is due and recompense is the reward for good or the affliction and punishment for what is bad.

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So let's look at verse 20. And this is the last thing that Christ says in scripture. He says, he who testifies to these things says, surely

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I am coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. So again, it's

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Taku. Surely I'm coming without delay. I'm coming quickly. So the last chapter of God's revelation, he made it abundantly clear that he was coming quickly.

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So next point then, what did Christ say specifically to that generation? So remember what he said in Matthew 16, 28, truly

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I say to you that there are some saying here who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming to his kingdom. So again, the question is, have they all died?

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Everyone who was standing there in front of him, did they all die? Yes, they had to have. And the son of man must have come in his kingdom.

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Now, briefly, we're going to go to Matthew 24. I'm not going to spend a lot of time in there. It's a very important passage that we'll spend a lot of time in later when we get to that.

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This is known as the Olivet Discourse. And many people have tried to distort this passage, trying to determine the timing of when the return of Christ will be.

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So I'm just going to focus on two sections, verses 1 through 3 and 32 through 34.

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So starting in verse 1, Matthew 24. Jesus left the temple and was going away when his disciples came to point out him the buildings of the temple.

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But he answered them, you see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you, there will not be one left here or there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

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As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be?

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And what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? So the disciples wanted to know when all this was going to take place.

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So first he says, in verse 3, he says, coming, the sign of your coming.

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And this is the first use of the word parousia. And that just means presence, coming, arrival, or advent.

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So this is known as the coming of Christ, the parousia of Christ. Second, then the end of the age in verse 3 is ion, and it means age or world, but it differs from cosmos, which is the physical created earth.

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So this is not the end of the physical world, but the end of the age. That's important to note.

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Christ is clearly talking about the promised destruction of the temple and the judgment of Israel, and subsequently then the inauguration of his kingdom.

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So then the next, through verse 4 through 31, Christ talks about, is describing what will take place, when it will take place, and the signs of it taking place.

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So we're going to skip ahead there now to verse 32. From the fig tree learn its lesson.

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As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also when you see all these things, you know that he is near at the very gates.

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Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

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So generation here, genea in this context, can only refer to the generation to the generation which

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Christ is speaking to. Throughout scripture, generation often refers to a time period of 40 years.

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Guess what? Within 40 years of this prophecy, the temple was destroyed in AD 70. So again, did everyone in that generation pass away?

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Yes. Then everything within that prophecy must have also taken place.

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Also note that nears, he says, know that he is near. In verse 33 again, is in gizo, it's at hand, it's within reach.

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So he's talking to this generation, he's saying these things are coming soon, they're within reach. And then the synoptics,

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Mark 13 30, truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. And Luke 21 32, truly

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I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Essentially the same language.

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So quickly before moving on, Luke 21 22 says, for these are the days of vengeance to fulfill all that is written.

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So Christ is clearly stating that the judgment soon to come was to fulfill the prophecies that we've already mentioned,

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Isaiah 65, Daniel nine, Malachi three, Malachi four. So next point then, what did

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Christ say about the timing of the coming judgment? So quickly,

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I don't want to spend a lot of time on this, but the parable of the vineyard tenants in the synoptics in Matthew 21 40 through 45, it says, when therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?

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They said to him, he will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to the other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.

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Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scriptures, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? This was the

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Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Verse 43, therefore,

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I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

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And the one who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces. And when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. When the chief priests and the

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Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And then

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Mark 12, nine through 12, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to the others.

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Have you not read in the scriptures, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone? This was the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

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And they were seeking to arrest him, but feared the people again, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them.

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So they left him and went away. And then Luke 20, 15 through 19, and they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

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What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

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When they heard this, they said, surely not. But he looked directly at them and said, what then is this that is written?

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The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces.

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And when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour.

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Again, for they perceived that he had told this against them, but they feared the people. Two things

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I want you guys to get from this passage. One, you guys remember

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Isaiah 65, Christ said he would give, or verse 15, he said, you shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse and the

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Lord God will put you to death. But his servants, he will call by another name. So we have the same language here.

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Christ said in Matthew 21, 43, therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

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Then the second point is that, again, who is Christ's audience? Here it's the scribes, the chief priests, it's the

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Pharisees. And they were quite clear that the judgment that Christ spoke of was determined for them, not for others thousands of years later.

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So the point of this parable then is that if we can relate it today, even,

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God took the throughout and destroyed the tenants that were in there before being Israel and gave it to new tenants being us today, the

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Christians. So next point, what did

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Luke say about the timing of judgment in Acts? Acts 17, starting verse 30.

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The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world and righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.

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And of this, he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. So here, he will judge, again, it's the word mellow.

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So he's about to judge. And then Acts 24, 25 says, and as he reasoned about righteousness and self -control and the coming judgment,

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Felix was alarmed and said, go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.

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So the coming judgment here, again, is mellow. This coming judgment is about to be.

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So moving on then to Paul, what did Paul say about the timing of judgment in his letters? We'll start in second

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Timothy four, one through two. And I charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead by his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.

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So here he's saying Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is to judge once again is mellow.

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He's about to judge. And then first Corinthians 10, 11. Now these things happen to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come.

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So this is the same word I am we discussed in Matthew 24, three. Again, it does not mean world.

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It doesn't mean the end of the world has come. It means the end of that age has come. So what did the writer of Hebrews say about the timing of judgment?

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If you guys want to turn to Hebrews, we'll be there for a few minutes. There's a lot of verses here where the writer of Hebrews used mellow.

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Again, this is where we've been talking a lot about. So starting in chapter one of Hebrews, verse 14, are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are mellow, are to inherit salvation.

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They are about to inherit salvation. Chapter two, verse five, for it was not to angels, but God subjected the world to come.

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Here it is again. So the world about to come of which we are speaking. Hebrews six, four through six.

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For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of the

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God and the powers of the age to come. Again, this age, this ion that's about to come and then have fallen away to restore them again to repentance since they are crucifying once again, the son of God to their own harm and holding him to contempt.

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And then chapter 10, verse one, for since the law is but a shadow of the good things to come, it's about to come instead of the true form of these realities.

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It can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

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And then verse 24 of chapter 10, and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.

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And all the more as you see the day drying near. Now this isn't mellow here.

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This is in Gizo again. So the day is at hand. It's within reach.

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It's been brought near. And verse 26, for if we go on sending deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there are no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment and a furry of fire that will consume the adversaries.

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That will right there, again, is mellow. That's about to consume. And finally,

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Hebrews 13, 14, for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

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Again, mellow. We seek the city that is about to come. So then what did the writer of Hebrews say about the timing of the new covenant?

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Clearly, he was the, the writer of Hebrews was talking about the old covenant passing away in the time of the new covenant, the new covenant being established with Christ's kingdom and judgment upon Israel.

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So Hebrews, let's see, well, chapter eight, verse 13. And speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one absolute and what is becoming absolute is growing old and is ready to vanish away.

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Again, this is in Gizo. It's at hand it's brought near and then see chapter nine, verse eight, but this, the

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Holy spirit indicates that the way into the Holy places is not yet opened. As long as the first section is still standing, which is symbolic for the present age, according to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered.

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They cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper. First 10, but deal only with food and drink in various washings regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

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So the language in this section here, these two verses is a little different, but it's very important. Again, note that Hebrews was written before I'm sorry, between 60 and 70, 80.

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So it was before the destruction of the temple. And then

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I noticed that it says the way into the Holy places is not yet open. As long as the first section is still standing.

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So contextually speaking, this is in reference to the new covenant and the temple. So it's not yet here because the temple is still standing.

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And then says, um, the still standing temple is symbolic for this present age.

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This, this is not eye on the word we used before, but as Kairos, which literally means do measure.

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It can also mean a fixed indefinite time or the time when things are brought to to crisis or the decisive Epic waited for.

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So the same word is used for until the time of reformation. So that's the

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Kairos here, this specific fixed point in time of reformation.

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And then reformation is, uh, diarthrosis and literally means in a physical sense,

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I'm making straight, restoring to its natural, normal condition, something which is, or which in some ways protrudes or has got out of line as broken or mishappened limbs.

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So this time, the specific point in time is coming for what's been broken to be fixed. So there's two things

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I want, I want to see from this passage. One, the new covenant had not yet come and to the new covenant would come with the destruction of the temple.

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And then Hebrews chapter nine, 25 to 26, nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the

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Holy places every year with blood, not his own for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

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But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice himself.

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So this is an important, a couple of verses here because it uses two different words. So world here is cosmos, literally the world and the end of the ages is ion.

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So he says, since the foundation of the world, but as it is, he's appeared once for all for the end of the ages, the ion.

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So Christ appeared at the end of the age to put away sin as they were preparing for the new age to come.

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So let's move on to James and what did James say about the timing of judgment? James 2, 12.

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We'll be here for a minute if you guys want to turn to James. So let's see chapter two verse 12.

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So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. Again, it's mellow.

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It's about to be judged. Are you who are about to be judged? And then turn to chapter five verses one through three, come now you rich weep and howl for the misery that miseries that are coming upon you.

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Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.

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You have laid up treasure in the last days. So first notice that James mentions the miseries that are coming upon you upon who those in his audience, the

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Jews, specifically if you go to James one, he's writing to the 12 tribes that are in dispersion.

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Second, notice the time indicators here in verse three. We have Eschatos, Hamara. So, um,

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I mentioned earlier the series I originally did this message in was Eschaton, which is just the last in place or the last in time.

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And again, we have to consider his audience. So they certainly, this wasn't at the end of time, but at the last days of that age.

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So continuing in James five, uh, I'll start in verse four. Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which kept, uh, which you kept back by fraud are crying out against you.

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And the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self -indulgence.

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You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

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Be patient. Therefore, brothers until the coming of the Lord, see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.

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Be patient about it until it receives the, um, the early and the late rains. You also be patient, establish your hearts for the coming of the

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Lord is at hand. This is a very important passage. James had just finished warning his audience, the

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Jews of the wrath to come here. He continues to warn them in verses five and six, but he then offers an encouragement to the believers who are reading this letter, clearly telling those readers to be patient until the coming of the

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Lord. Here it is again, the Parosia until the Parosia of the Lord be patient. James says it again at the end of verse eight, the coming of the

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Lord is at hand. So the Parosia is within reach. So not only is it coming, but it has been brought near as a note,

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James has written 40 to 50 AD. So again, this is within 30 years of the destruction of the temple.

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Moving on to Peter, what did he say about the timing of judgment? We'll start first Peter chapter one.

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You guys can go ahead and turn there as we'll work our way through Peter. So chapter or first Peter chapter one, verse three, blessed to be the

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God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for our salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

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So notice this here in verse five at the end. So ready, hetoimos, it's ready at hand to be revealed.

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Apocalypto, that's where we get the word apocalypse. It literally means to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up.

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So you guys get this, this is huge, this prophecy that's been covered up, that's been veiled is about to be uncovered, it's about to be revealed.

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And then the last time here again is eschatos. So further down in chapter one starting verse 20, it says he was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.

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Again last times here is eschatos. And then if you want to turn to chapter four and first Peter starting in verse four, he says with respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you but they will give account to him who was ready to judge the living and the dead.

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So is ready to judge the same word we just saw in verse five or one five, it's a toimos, it's a ready at hand.

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And then we'll turn to, oh we'll just go over next verse six, first Peter four six, for this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judge in the flesh the way people are they might live in the spirit the way

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God does. Verse seven, the end of all things is at hand, therefore be self -controlled and sober -minded for the sake of your prayers.

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So the end of all things here is telos, it's a point of time marking the end of a duration termination or cessation.

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So this age is about to end, there's a real point in time where it ends, where it's terminated, where it's done with.

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And then at hand again is in gizo, so the end of this age is within reach.

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And then first Peter 4 17, for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God and if it begins with us what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God.

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For it is time is kairos, again that's that fixed definite point in time. And notice that the judgment begins with the household of God, it's referring to Israel, it's probably a reference to the prophecy in Ezekiel 9 and it could more literally be referring to the judgment starting in the temple itself.

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It was probably written within five years of the destruction of the temple. So it literally was in within five years that's how close within reach it was.

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And then first Peter 5 1, so exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.

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Here again we have mellow, it's about to be revealed. And then revealed is apocalypto again, lay open what has been veiled.

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So what's been covered up, what's been veiled is about to be revealed. And then quickly, you don't have to turn there, but second

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Peter 2 3, and in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago was not idle and their destruction is not asleep.

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So further recognition here that the destruction is close at hand, it's ready, it's alert, it's not nodding off, it's awake.

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Again this was most likely written within three years of the destruction of the temple. So here we're getting even closer to this time.

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So you guys see the urgency, the sense of the urgency that Peter expresses in his letters of the coming judgment.

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It was so close. So we're going to look at John now.

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What did John say about the timing of judgment? So this will be the last author we'll look at.

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So you guys want to turn, we'll be in 1 John and Revelation, so if you want to turn to 1 John real quick. Chapter 2, we'll start in verse 18.

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Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many

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Antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.

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Here again is eschatos, it's the last in time or place, and he repeats it.

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It's that important and he repeats it twice. This is the last time. So we're going to turn to Revelation now.

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We'll finish out in Revelation. So remember that most of Revelation is actually direct revelation from Christ himself.

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We've already broken down the verses spoken directly by Jesus, but the following will be what

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John wrote or what an angel told him. So Revelation 1, starting in verse 1.

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The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.

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He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

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Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

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So first, I want you to notice that Revelation here is apocalypsis.

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It's the same root as revealed, apocalypto, and it can mean a disclosure of truth or instruction.

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Second, notice that these things must soon take place. Again, it's tacos with quickness, with speed.

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And then third, notice the time kairos. Again, it's fixed time here. It's near.

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It's within reach. It's at hand. So this fixed place in time is about to happen.

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We can reach out and touch it. The disclosure of truth then, showing what will quickly take place, that the fixed time is at hand or within reach.

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So describing this vision he saw, we're going to turn to, let's see, chapter 12.

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We'll be in verse 5 through 6. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.

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But her child will be caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God in which she is to be nourished for 1 ,260 days.

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What I want you to see from this right here is that the male child, Christ, is to rule.

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It's mellow. He is about to rule. And then finally, let's look at Revelation 22.

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So these last two verses we're going to look at describe what the angel told John to write.

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So 22, verse 6. And he said to me, these words are trustworthy and true in the Lord, the God of the spirits.

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The prophets have sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. Again, that's tacos with quickness, with speed.

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This is coming quickly. Revelation 22, 10 then. And he said to me, do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.

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Again, this is in Gizo. This time is within reach. So we want to compare these words to what

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Daniel 8 said in the Old Testament. 826. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision for it refers to many days from now.

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So the Old Testament refers to many days from now. Here at the end of the

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Bible, at the end of Scripture, the end of God's revealed word, he says the time is near, within reach.

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It's at hand. So conclusion. That was a lot of verses.

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I apologize. I hope you're able to get them all down. Obviously, this will go up. So if you missed them, you can go back and get them. But I think this gives a good summary.

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And there's really two points that I hope and pray everybody gets out of this message.

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First point is it's critical to consider the audience to which the New Testament was written. Obviously, we believe that God's word was written to all believers for our admonition.

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But when it comes to these specific time indicating verses, we have to remember who the audience was, especially when dealing with eschatological events.

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Trying to read ourselves into the intended audience of these verses simply results in bad exegesis, and therefore results in bad eschatology.

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Second point is that these verses indicate nothing more than immediacy.

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There's really no way around it. I think I hope I've done a good job of showing that there's no way around the fact that the judgment in Christ's kingdom was close at hand to this audience.

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Christ and the apostles clearly warned that that judgment was within hand's reach. And again, subsequently, so was

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Christ's kingdom. So I truly believe that teaching anything contrary to this is simply a denial of what

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God's word truly says. And then I want to add that the

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Pharisees and the Sadducees couldn't interpret the signs of the times, but the apostles could. And the signs of the times clearly pointed to two things.

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Again, one, the promised judgment of Israel, and two, the prophesied kingdom of the

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Messiah. And all of this took place in AD 70. So what does this mean for us here now then?

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First, I think we should rejoice. We should rejoice that we presently live in Christ's kingdom.

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If you're here today and you're a believer, I ask you, whom shall we fear? This should empower us to stand up for the truth.

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This should embolden us to preach the gospel. And this should strengthen us to make a palpable difference for the kingdom.

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So my admonition to you, church, is be salt, be light, love God, and love neighbor.