Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 2 * BOOK 60
THE EARTHLY KINGDOM WILL APPEAR! – PART 2
ISAIAH 2:2
We want to, again, welcome you out in television. I think I can safely say, now, we’re getting listeners in every state in the union from Alaska all the way down into the Caribbean, so our mail is interesting as well as the phone calls. As you know by now we don’t have any denominational connection, we’re just going to see what the Book says, and we have to let the chips fall where they may. Again, we want to thank you for your letters and your encouragement, your financial help, everything, because we certainly couldn’t do it without it.
Okay, during the last-half hour we introduced how and why much of Christendom doesn’t know anything about what we’re going to be teaching for the rest of the afternoon.
The Kingdom – this glorious earthly kingdom that is still coming. God has not given up on it and one day, as the book of Revelation puts it, “THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” will be indeed just that, and He will rule from his throne room in Jerusalem. That’s what the Book declares!
All right, but let’s go right back to where we started last week in Isaiah, chapter 2 verse 2. Here’s the promise of the coming Kingdom.
Isaiah 2:2
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, (in other words that’s when time as we know it will finally come to its end) that the mountain (or the kingdom) of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, (all other kingdoms) and shall be exalted above the hills; (smaller kingdoms) and all nations flow unto it.” In other words, as I think I’ve put it in one of my teachings, Washington D.C. today is more or less the capital of the world. The entire world looks to Washington if they need money for a dam, if they need money for roads. Why? Washington is the logical place to go. Well, that day will end and Jerusalem will be the place where the entire world will have to flow and recognize the King.
All right, now before we go any further, I want to jump you all the way up to Romans chapter 15. I think I told this at one of my seminars on the road the other day, I don’t remember where it was, Chicago or Washington D.C., whatever. I made the comment, and some of you in my Oklahoma class have heard me say the same thing, that I can use Romans 15:8 as an introduction to almost any subject in Scripture because this is so foundational. Here the Apostle Paul is writing to a Gentile group of believers, but look what he reminds them.
Romans 15:8
“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision (that’s Israel! And no one but. So, Jesus Christ was a minister of the nation of Israel) for the truth of God, (in other words in His eternal purposes) to (what?) confirm (or fulfill) the promises made to the fathers:” Now, who in the world were the fathers? Well, the beginnings of the nation of Israel – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and then on up to David and Moses and the Prophets, they all had this same concept that one day God the Son, Israel’s Messiah, would be the King on this planet of a glorious regenerated earth.
Now, let’s chase down just a few of many references to this kingdom. Come back to Exodus 19. I think that’s about as far back as I can find a first real reference to a “kingdom.”Again, we’re going to use the instructions that we used at the beginning of our last program. Whenever you read a portion of Scripture, determine a lot of things first. Who is writing it? To whom are they writing it? What are the circumstances? What is the purpose?
Well, here again, Exodus 19, what are the circumstances? Israel has just been brought out of Egypt. They’ve come through the Red Sea experience, and they’re gathered around Mount Sinai. God calls Moses up into the mountain. All right, here it is in verse 3:
Exodus 19:3-5
“And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4. Ye have seen (just a few days past when they went through the Red Sea) what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, (in other words, it was supernatural exodus. They didn’t sprout wings and fly) and brought you unto myself. 5. Now therefore, (because of all that I’ve done for you) if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, (the covenant of law that is about to come on the nation of Israel. If you will do that) then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me (something of intrinsic value to God. And where’s he’s going to place them?) above all people: for all the earth is mine:” God placed them above all the rest of the nations of the world. This is one of the first clear-cut promises that Israel is the favored nation and they’ve always exemplified that, even in their unbelief. God never gave up on the Nation of Israel!
He blessed those people with talent like no other race of people on earth. Nobody can hold a candle to the talent and the intelligence and the abilities of the Jewish people as a whole. I just read an email somebody sent me the other day, maybe some of you have seen it, a whole page of names of Jews who had won the Noble Prizes for various things. All Jews. Why? They are a brilliant people, because God made them that way. Never forget that.
They aren’t like one Israeli told Iris and I, I’ve shared this with some of our smaller classes. The first time we were in Israel, and we came out of the dining room in one of the big hotels in Jerusalem and this fellow met us and he said, “You’re Americans aren’t you? Well, what do you think of our little country?” I said, “It’s fabulous what God has done.” He said, “God didn’t have a thing to do with it. We did it.” Well, I beg to differ with him. God is doing it.
So, here, again, the promise is that they will be above all the other nations of the world. Why? God’s Sovereign! God can do whatever He wants to do. He’s the Creator! He’s the Sustainer! He’s the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills; they’re His! So, He can do whatever He wants. He has declared Israel to be head and shoulders above all the rest of the nations. All right, but now here comes the real promise. This is the one we’re looking at.
Exodus 19:6a
“And ye (this little separated nation of people) shall be unto me a (what?) kingdom…” Now, what do you have to have to have a kingdom? A king. Or government. But usually we think in terms, at least in antiquity, of – a king was the government. All right, so this is going to be a Kingdom of Jews with a King, who will be the Son of God, we’ll see that a little later. Then finishing verse 6:
Exodus 19:6b
“…These are the words which thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.” They were to understand that the day would come when Israel would be a separate entity under a separate government and that every Jew would become a priest of Jehovah, or a go-between. We’re going to see that the Old Testament exemplifies over and over that Israel was to be a Kingdom of Priests. Oh, not walking in long robes. Not holding forth at the Temple, but in their everyday life they would have the wherewithal to lead a seeking Gentile to their Messiah King.
All right, now let’s just move on up through the Old Testament and look at some more references to this coming, glorious Kingdom economy, if I can call it that, under which the nation of Israel is to function, and they’re to have the Son of God as their King.
I think I’ll bring you all the way up now to II Samuel chapter 7, and now we’re up to David. We’ve gone 500 years already from Moses in the preceding Scripture at about 1500 BC to David and Solomon who are about 1000 BC. Now, this is how the Lord speaks to David through the prophet Nathan and He says, down in verse 12:
II Samuel 7:12
“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep (or you will die a physical death) with thy fathers, (God is going to continue. David is going to die but God’s going to keep continuing) I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy bowels (or innermost being, and of course He’s referring to Solomon and his other son, Nathan and through this coming son of David would come a what?) and I will establish his kingdom.”
Well, again, we’re not just talking about Solomon’s 40 years of reign back there in antiquity. We’re talking about a line of kings that is going to be coming up through, or down through, history, however you want to put it. This will lead to Joseph and Mary who, through the miracle work of the Holy Spirit, will bring forth Jesus of Nazareth, who will be the final King in that long genealogy coming from David, Solomon, and Nathan and all the way down through two lines of kings. Wicked? Many of them were, but God’s mercy overruled and they continued to stay in the line leading up to the coming of the King.
Now, you know I like to jab the theologians and the intelligentsia once in a while. Isn’t it amazing that those old Romans had a better understanding of all of this than even the leaders of Israel and most of our theologians today, because what did they put at the top of the Cross? “This is Jesus of Nazareth the (what?) King of the Jews.” Well, Pilate understood who He was. Why couldn’t the rank and file of Israel? It’s amazing.
The Wise Men, when they came to Herod, knew what to ask for. They didn’t ask for this person that’s prophesied. They specifically asked, “Where is he that is born of Israel, the King of the Jews?”
Well, that wasn’t just happenstance. That was God working. You know, I kind of like the expression, I hope I’m not wrong. “The God thing.” Have you heard it a lot lately? You know, things that are just Providential – God is doing it. Well, the same way in these areas. These people put King of the Jews above Jesus’ head on the cross, because that’s what God wanted up there.
All right, so now then you come back to Samuel again with me, He goes on with this prophecy concerning a royal family. Not just the temple or not just Solomon’s physical house, but a Royal Family. Now, I’ve made this point over and over through the years. Whenever you have a Royal family in a particular nation, like Great Britain today, what do they call them?The House of Windsor. It’s a Royal family, it’s not a house; it’s a family line. Over in Austria for years, in fact if you’ve ever watched the movie, what was it? The House of Hapsburg. The Netherlands. I don’t know if they’re still functioning, but I know the Royal family was, not too many years ago and they were called The House of Orange.
Well, what did it mean? They were the Royal family though whom the king or the queen would come. All right, so now when we speak of the house of David, what are we talking about? Not the Temple. Not a house that he lived in. A Royal bloodline! That culminated with Joseph and Mary who were both in the end of the genealogy. And Mary of whom, it says, by the miracle working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was born. All right, reading on, verse 13:
II Samuel 7:13
“He (this son that would follow David and Solomon) shall build a house (not a physical house. A Royal family) for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for (how long?) forever.” Now, how long did Solomon reign? Forty years. That’s not forever. So, that was just a little inkling of the time that would follow when all these sons and grandsons and so forth would bring us all the way up to the time of Christ. Not a single break in that bloodline.
Now, you know there were times, twice I think, where the genealogy just about snapped. I call it a “wasp neck.” You probably don’t know what I’m talking about. You can flip the head of a wasp, just with a fingernail, and it just pops right off the neck, because it’s so narrow. Well, that’s with the genealogy, it was so close to breaking. Old Satan was probably already exalting that he had God whipped. But he didn’t and so something happened that this fellow went on to live and had a son and the genealogy continued. All right, so the House of David then is nothing more than a Royal Family. All right, then verse 16, well I’ve got to look at verse 14, and it speaks of the whole nation leading up to even the present.
II Samuel 7:14
“I will be his father, (that is the nation of Israel’s) and he shall be my son. (That’s the relationship between God and Israel) If he commit iniquity, (now we’re going to see that abundantly so in the book of Isaiah. That’s why Isaiah is writing all of these coming judgments; it is because of Israel’s sin, Israel’s iniquity, and their wickedness. But in spite of it, God says) I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:” Now, it won’t be long and I’ll be showing you from Isaiah, they were being warned of a coming invasion. They would have foreigners in their land. They’d be speaking languages that they couldn’t understand. Why? Because of their wickedness, and their unbelief. Then verse 15. What’s the first word?
II Samuel 7:15a
“But (even though God would chasten, even though they’d be overrun by the Syrians and the Babylonians; later on the Romans. Would God give up? Never) my mercy shall not depart away from him, (that is the nation as a whole) as I took it from Saul…”, Who was merely a little small example of God’s wrath and punishment. Now, verse 16, and here comes the promise again.
II Samuel 7:16a
“And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established (how long?) forever…” Now, granted, we have a thousand year time stipend in Revelation, and I told you I’m going to give you another one in the Old Testament here after a while, but listen, that’s not the end. Those thousand years just slip right on into eternity. And so it’ll be forever and ever that this Kingdom economy will continue, and that’s why I maintain that even in eternity God is going to keep the nation of Israel separated from the rest of humanity.
Now, I don’t know whether everybody’s going to agree with me, and that’s all right. They don’t have to, but here’s my reason. Jump all the way up to Revelation, chapter 21. After the thousand-year kingdom has run its course and this old universe and this earth, I think, are going to be totally dissolved. Totally, totally removed. God’s going to start over brand new! The reason for that is old Satan has defiled everything that God ever mad, so God’s going to destroy that and bring in something brand new. But look how He organizes it again.You’ve got to read it with your own eyes.
Revelation 21:1
“And I saw (John says) a new heaven and a new (what?) earth:”
How did Genesis 1:1 begin? “In the beginning God created heaven and earth…” And what was that separation all the way up through human history? Everything earthly was Israel. All the earthly promises are Israel’s. Then along comes the Age of Grace and what we call the Body of Christ and now all of the promises are what? Heavenly! What does Ephesians say? “That we’ve been settled in the heavenlies.” Not on a new earth. So, I think if God’s going to keep the two entities separated, He’s going to have to have the two entities brand new, and I think it will continue, then, for all eternity that we will be the heavenly’s; Israel will be the earthly’s. Now, that’s just a projection. I’m not setting that in concrete. But it just seems a valid way to look at it.
All right, so then coming back to II Samuel. Have you still got it? Just to sharpen up your memory, verse 16 again:
II Samuel 7:16a
“And thine house and thy kingdom…” Which means it’s going to be a King over a Kingdom who has come there because he’s been in the family line. I guess we’d call it an inheritance, wouldn’t we? He inherits this Kingdom, which began with the covenant made to Abraham and then the line of a Royal family to David, which was culminated with Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, and then will come to fruition when the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS will establish His Kingdom.
II Samuel 7:16b
“…shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne (now remember who He’s talking to – David) shall be established forever.” According to all these words and according to all this vision. So this was Nathan the prophet, not his son but the prophet, who spoke these things unto David.
Well, then you come on up through Scripture, and I’m going to bring you all the way into another portion of Scripture in Psalms chapter 2. A portion that you’ve heard me use over and over because it’s such a simple outline of all the Old Testament prophecies and time line. It’s so simple a child can understand it. All got it? Psalms chapter 2 and we might as well start at verse 1 so we pick up the flow. I just don’t like to jump on one verse if we don’t have to.
Psalms 2:1
“Why do the heathen (or the non-Jewish world) rage, and the people (Jews and Gentiles) image a vain thing?” What are they imagining? That they can get along without God. Does that ring a bell?
Do you know that the new European Constitution does not have one reference to God or anything spiritual? Not one reference in the whole thing. Why? They’ve become so secularized, almost agnostic, or atheistic, they don’t want to even mention the name of God. Why? We don’t need Him. Well, you se, America is getting there pretty fast. All right, so they imagine a vain thing that they can get along without God. Now verse 2.
Psalms 2:2a
“The kings of the earth (the non-Jew) set themselves, (in adamant rejection against God. But who joins them?) and the rulers, (the religious leaders) take counsel together,…” Now, you remember when the big movie splashed and all the controversy. Did the Jews kill Him? No. They did it together, that’s what the Book says; in prophecy they would rebel against Him together, in consort. It wasn’t just the Jew. It wasn’t just the Romans; they were both guilty.
Psalms 2:2b-3
“…and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3. Let us break their bands asunder, (or their confining reins) and cast away their cords from us.” They’re not going to let God control their government. They’re not going to let God interfere with their ungodly lifestyle.
All right, then, verse 4; look at God’s reaction. My, we’re human, but I guess we can use a little bit of human imagination to see God’s response to such foolishness. But, I always have to remind myself as well as you, my listeners, whenever we come into the things pertaining to God we only just understand a little tip of the iceberg. There’s no way we can comprehend the mind of God. There’s no way we can comprehend even the work of the cross. What little bit we understand we take by faith and it’s sufficient for salvation, but to get a full understanding of all that God did at the cross, no human can comprehend it. Again, that’s a “God thing.” That is so far above and beyond us.
Psalms 2:4
“He that sitteth in the heavens (God, when He looks at the foolishness of men and He) shall laugh: (not of amusement, a laugh of scorn for) the LORD shall have them (that is the nations of the world, including Israel) in derision.” What’s another word for derision? Confusion. Are we seeing it today? Oh! How are you going to deal with terrorists? All over the world in little secret groups, and with all the technology that’s available even off the Internet they can just about build a nuclear bomb from the Internet.
Those groups are everywhere; you can’t root them out. It’s only by the Grace of God that they haven’t struck again. But nevertheless, there’s confusion tonight. How are you going to deal with these things? Were there weapons of mass destruction or weren’t there? The argument goes on and on and on. They don’t know what they’re talking about. All right, verse 5.
Psalms 2:5
“Then (What is that? A time word; then, when they’ve reached the pinnacle of their confusion.) God shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” God will speak unto them in his wrath, not Grace – wrath and vex them. That’s the Tribulation. It’s coming. All the Old Testament’s foretelling it. But look what follows, and we’re going to see that throughout the book of Isaiah. Every time there’s a horrendous judgment on Israel, it’s followed by an outpouring of God’s Grace. Well the same way here. After the wrath and vexation we have verse 6:
Psalms 2:6
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” He’s going to place his Son the King (where?) on the holy hill of Zion. And goodness sakes, where’s Zion? Not in Heaven like the hymn writer puts it. Zion is in Jerusalem. That’s where David’s throne was – in Jerusalem.