John the Baptist preached the kingdom was near:
Matt 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus Himself preached the kingdom was nigh:
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus commissioned His disciples as the 12 apostles (Matt 10:1-2) and sent them out with the message of the kingdom being close:
Matt 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The phrase "at hand" from the Greek word [eggizo] means ‘to bring near, to join one thing to another, to draw or come near to, to approach’.
The Greek word [eggizo] is used 43 times. It was translated ‘draw nigh’ 12 times, ‘be at hand’ 9 times, ‘come nigh’ 8 times, ‘come near’ 5 times, ‘draw near’ 4 times, and miscellaneous 5 times.
Obviously, the ‘birth’ Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about was a ‘spiritual birth’ .... and the ‘kingdom’ one would ‘see’ (know, perceive, behold, look) was a ‘spiritual kingdom’:
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus taught that the kingdom could not be seen with physical eyes:
Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!
for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
In fulfillment of prophecy (Zech 9:9), Jesus was celebrated as Israel’s King:
John 12:12-13 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
In the judgment hall, Pilate asked Jesus what He had done that the chief priests of His own nation had delivered Him to him. He was accused of being a political king .... but He wasn’t:
John 18:33-36 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world:
if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Jesus was also charged with being a threat to Caesar’s throne .... but He wasn’t:
John 19:12-15 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
Before He was crucified, Jesus already indicated that His kingdom was there:
Matt 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God
is come [phthano] unto you.
The Greek word [phthano] means ‘to come before, precede, anticipate’. Just to show you how that Greek word [phthano] is also used .... examine this next verse:
1 Thess 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall [phthano] not prevent [phthano] them which are asleep.
God raised Jesus from the dead, and gave Him all authority. For now, His kingdom rule is not over a physical territory, but over men’s hearts:
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Many verses contain evidence that the fulfillment of the Messianic Psalms 2 and 110 prophecies began with the resurrection, ascension, and heavenly seating of Jesus as King (Acts 2:29-36, 4:25-28, 8:12, 13:32-33; Heb 5:5; Rev 2:26-27).
Jesus said the kingdom belonged to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:
Matt 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Paul and Barnabus encouraged the churches as they entered the kingdom:
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Ask yourself, do you believe God's word? The Acts of the Apostles is part of the Holy Bible. Paul preached the kingdom of God about Jesus, from Moses and the prophets:
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him (Paul) a day, there came many to him (Paul) into his lodging; to whom he (Paul) expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Acts 28:30-31 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him (Paul),
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
There is nothing about God having 'different kingdoms' .... or that says Paul preached a 'different kingdom of God' than everyone else.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
1 Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
Col 1:12-13 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
1 Thess 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
2 Thess 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
If God had ‘postponed’ the kingdom, as ‘mid-Acts-ers’ teach ....
then, from reading these verses, He obviously did not inform Paul of its delay.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
