Act 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus' response to their question is interesting. Before he refocuses their attention to the main job at hand, he answers their question in an interesting way. He doesn't answer in the negative. It sounds almost like he's saying, "Its going to happen in God's time, but you don't have to worry about when". What do you think? Will Jesus eventually restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Act 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

What do you think Jesus taught them about the kingdom during that 40 days that would have been most important in preparing them for the job at hand?

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B.Howes
Framingham, MA

They are still looking (!) for a kingdom of glory on earth. Jesus continues to teach them that in the "already-not yet" of the present time, the kingdom here and now on earth is a kingdom of the cross.

The consummation of the kingdom is in the Second Coming, the New Heavens and Earth. He tells them more of what he told them in the Olivet discourse, and during the rest of his ministry. He teaches them some more about how to interpret Scripture with himself at the center, as the hermeneutical key. "Thine is the kingdom, and the glory, for ever, Amen." It is a kingdom of faith.

They, in their dusty robes and staffs in hand, with no more permanent place to lay their heads than did Jesus, will prosecute his kingdom into the world--Jerusalem, Samaria, uttermost parts. They are the prime ministers of the kingdom. And when they are ready, they will be seated in session with the king, judging all Israel. James was the first; John was the last to be seated.

The kingdom WAS restored to Israel. Christ is Israel. And we all are being grafted into Israel, until the tree is full. We just don't get our share of "the eternal weight of glory" until properly exercised we can bear that load.

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Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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I appreciate Rev. Buchanan's perspective, but I'll admit I'm not in complete agreement. Although the Olivet discourse given prior to the crucifixion seems to be what is on the disciples minds (for just about the same question began that conversation), Christ seems focused on Pentecost as opposed to His second coming in his response in Acts. His response to them has an immediate fulfillment in the baptism of the Holy Spirit- which happened but mere days after the acts 1:6 question. This points us to the consummation of the Church as Israel- that through the work of the Holy Spirit of God, we, the New Testament Church, are the children of Abraham raised from the stones and thus the 'nation' of Israel.

Theognome

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Bill Cunningham
Covenant Reformed Church, URC
Kansas City
There are three kinds of people- those who can count, and those who can't.

Bill,
I don't think what you've added there is at all at variance with my previous comments. More like complementary.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I agree with your comments in principle, but that I don't think that they are the primary context of the OP text.

Theognome

OK, Bill, I think I understand what you are saying now. You are thinking that by my reference to the 2nd Coming I think that Jesus is redirecting the disciples attention to a (possibly) distant future to see the kingdom restored. No, I don't think that, nor was I trying to emphasize that aspect.

I only made reference to it to show that the disciples were still expecting an earthly kingdom of glory, and Jesus' answer indicates that aspect of their expectations should not be their main motivation. Because those hopes are hidden in the secret purposes of God, and they would not see anything like that before the final consummation. And Jesus wants them to NOT think along the lines of getting this Kingdom underway only after he takes a visible seat on a visible throne in this visible city.

The question of the disciples is revelatory of their state of mind, which is still covered in OT-glory cobwebs. I think Jesus answers their question in a way that points ahead to the pouring of the Spirit, but also is dealing with their mistaken views.

IOW, I think it is still a species of the same lack of tight-focus to concentrate on the church as the renewed Israel (which in a sense it definitely is) instead of Christ as the fulfillment of Israel, and the church in the New Covenant age as those in whom the kingdom is simply manifested. The kingdom isn't restored to US (as the population) as it is restored to DAVID, that is to David's greater Son.

And I think that the disciples' mistake was in continuing to think of kingdom-restoration as something which was primarily to be realized in THEM and for THEM, and not thinking sufficiently of realization IN CHRIST, and they benefiting only so far as they are IN HIM.

So my answer to Bob's questions put forth are that Jesus HAS already had the kingdom restored to him, and therefore to THEM as well. The disciples have clearly not realized this yet; they do not realize or accept that Jesus is physically leaving them, but that he is pouring out his Spirit very shortly.

Jesus deflects the thrust of their question, in order to answer the question they should have asked. These men must get their eyes off of this world's Jerusalem, and fix them on the place where Jesus will be sitting on David's throne momentarily. They are thinking much more clearly now, since Jesus' startling victory, but they are still not quite oriented to the New Jerusalem.

So, I think that Jesus uses his weekly (Sunday) meetings with his apostles to focus them on himself as the Kingdom Personified. Soon, as they die in the flesh, in spirit they will join him in his already restored kingdom. And until then, they are to be busy in such kingdom work as they must do on earth.

By the way, those meetings didn't stop after he ascended to heaven. The fact is, he is still doing this same kind of thing with us every Sunday.

Thanks for the clarification. I've heard sermons where a preacher will use a particular verse(s) to promote a principle that is foremost on his heart, even though the passage in question doesn't reflect the principle directly. Acts 1:6-8 does of course speak to the consummation of history, but as you demonstrated, the disciples were still looking for the sceptre to alight with earthly dominion; and Jesus needed to remind them to stick to the task before them in Him. Well said, brother.

Theognome