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The Church Age
There exists a widely held theory regarding the church and the kingdom connected with the events surrounding the return of Jesus Christ that asserts a literal one thousand years reign of Christ on the earth which is to begin upon His return. It is called the millennial theory or future kingdom theory. It contends that the kingdom of God has not yet come into existence but it yet in the future.
The advocates of this theory agree that Christ came to establish His kingdom but because He was rejected by the Jews He postponed that kingdom, returned to heaven, provided a temporary and substitute measure called the church, and He will succeed in establishing His kingdom the next time He comes even though He failed to do so the first time in spite of the many predictions and promises of God that He would. Jesus at the time of His return, according to the theory, has the right to be a king now, but has not yet taken His place on the throne. The conditions of prophecy that call for the existence of the Roman empire will be renewed, the Jewish temple restored in Jerusalem, and those saints who are living at the Lord's return will be taken into a seven year rapture, the wicked shall suffer a period of tribulation, then Jesus will return yet again and then there shall be a literal actual and physical carnal warfare called Armageddon. After the Lord's victory in that battle He shall begin to reign on His throne in the city of Jerusalem which shall last a literal one thousand years.
As stated, this doctrine has many variations to it and is held by many denominationalists. It was once a prominent issue among brethren in the churches of Christ but was successfully routed. Unfortunately, with the growth of Biblical ignorance and the advance of digression we see evidences of compromise toward this vain theory among some today. Some count the doctrine nothing more than whether women should wear veils and define it as a "gray area" topic over which there ought be no division.
Obviously, the theory makes the kingdom and the church separate institutions. We are told that we are now living in the "church age" but not the kingdom age.
Proof of Falsity
Surely, no honest person would deny that the theory would be proven false if it can be shown that the kingdom has been established already, and that the church and the kingdom are one and the same. If it can be shown that Christ is already reigning as King of kings, and the church is neither an afterthought nor a substitute and temporary measure the theory must be false. While the theory contends that the Jews will be miraculously transported back to Palestine and saved, if it can be shown that Jew and Gentile must be saved the same way, the theory must be false, If it can be shown that the establishment of the kingdom of Christ was not contingent upon the Jews accepting Him anyway, the theory must be false. If the Bible teaches nothing about the so-called "rapture" and "the tribulation" of the theory, the theory must be recognized as nothing more than a speculative, fanciful and anti-Biblical imagination by misguided religionists.
In Second Peter three where Peter discusses the return of Jesus Christ the one thousand year reign doctrine is made an impossibility because when Christ returns the elements shall melt with a fervent heat and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up (not just laid bare as the perverted New International Version states in one of its many accommodations with false doctrines). Where is anybody going to set up anything on a non-existent earth?
Was Christ a false prophet? If so, can we trust Him? He declared that the kingdom would come in the lifetime of some of those to whom He then spoke (Mark 9:1). He and John the Baptist had said the kingdom was "at hand," which means nearby and soon to be (Mark 1:14,15). This was promised nearly two thousand years ago. If Christ missed it then, could we have confidence that He will keep His word next time? New Testament Christians were taught they were already in the kingdom (Colossians 1:13). How could they have been in something that has not even yet come into existence? This idea that the kingdom was not established and the church is a substitute for a temporary period or age makes the Old Testament prophecies as well as New Testament revelation unreliable if not outright fraudulent.
While we do not have the space in this single lesson to destroy every facet of the theory and thereby show its fallacy, let us consider Daniel the second chapter. Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the meaning of the image the king saw. He saw an image with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, and legs of iron with feet of a mixture of iron and clay. Daniel said this represented four kingdoms, the first of which was Babylon. This image was ground to pieces by a stone not made with hands, of divine origin, one from God, and that stone grew into a kingdom that surpassed all previous ones. That stone would come in the days of the fourth of the four kingdoms (Daniel 2:44). Following Babylon came the Persian, then Grecian, then Roman empires. It was in the days of Rome that Jesus came and the church was established. It was then that the kingdom was established as Daniel had prophesied would come to pass. Daniel 7:13,14 teaches that the Son of man, Jesus, would return to the Ancient of days, the Father, and be given a kingdom. Jesus did return to heaven after His resurrection and was given the kingdom as foretold when the events of Pentecost and the establishment of the church transpired.
More Evidence
Really nothing more needs to be said to remove the theory from the realm of truth. But consider the promise of Jesus to establish the kingdom with power in the lifetime of some of His hearers (Mark 9:1). That power was identified as the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). That power came (Acts 2) and the prophecies were fulfilled, the church established and the conditions for the establishment of the kingdom were met. Isaiah 2:2,3 tells what was to happen in the last days (which Hebrews 1:1,2 defines as the time when God speaks through His Son) Joel also had foretold the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days. Peter quoted Joel on Pentecost and said "this is that" which Joel prophesied. What was to happen? The mountain of the Lord's house, which is the church (First Timothy 3:15), was to begin. Hebrews 12:22-28 refers to the mountain of the Lord's house that was to begin at Zion, which verse twenty-eight identifies as the kingdom, and which verse twenty-three identifies as the church. Luke 24:46-49 teaches that the message of remission of sins would begin from Jerusalem, and this was stated after His death burial and resurrection were already accomplished. The apostles stayed in Jerusalem as instructed and power came upon them as promised and all these things began then which was the time of the establishment of the Lord's house or kingdom. The fact remains, if the kingdom did not come as had been foretold, God defaulted on His Word. Who can believe that?
Mystery Revealed
Ephesians 3:8-11 teaches that Paul wrote to enable men to see that which had been a mystery for ages. But it is no longer a mystery. It was "by the church" that the wisdom of God was made manifest. The very existence of the church was and is a demonstration of the wisdom of God and His plan to save mankind. This was "according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." This plan was no afterthought upon the failure of Christ to establish His kingdom. The existence of the church had always been in God's plan and purpose. So the theory that degrades the church is necessarily a false one and one that denominationalists must give answer to God for having propagated.
The church is called a kingdom to emphasize certain features of it just as it is called a family or household to stress the family relationship of those in the church. It is called a temple to emphasize the worship features pertaining to it. It is called the body of Christ to show the unity with Christ, the authority of Christ over it as its head, and the fellowship and relationship with Christ and among members of the body. It is called a kingdom to teach the governmental features of it.
More Evidence
Furthermore, Christ, when He instituted the Lord's Supper (Luke 22:29,30) said He would not partake of it with them again until in the kingdom. Where? In the kingdom. Yet, First Corinthians 10:21 we find the Lord's Table in the church and First Corinthians eleven commands to partake of it. Therefore, the church and the kingdom are one and the same or you have the apostle Paul giving instructions that violated the teaching of Jesus. Who can believe that? Passages before Acts two point to the coming of the kingdom and passages thereafter point back to Pentecost and the reality of the existence of the kingdom. Mark 1:14,15, the kingdom was at hand, soon to be, nearby. Matthew 6:9,10, Joseph of Arimathea took down the body of Christ from the cross and he "waited for the kingdom of God." Obviously, it had not come at that point in time. Is he still waiting?
Mark 9:1, it was to come during the lifetime of those to whom our Lord then spoke. Matthew 16:15-20, Peter was to receive the keys of the kingdom. Has he received them? Has he ever used them? How can he use them now since he has long since died? If the Lord could not establish the kingdom because the Jews rejected Him, who will have similar power to prevent Him establishing it next time? Their rejection did not change God's plan (Romans 3:3). And Jews and Gentiles shall be saved the same way (Romans 10:12; Acts 15:9 11). How many times must the theory be proven false before honest people reject the theory and adopt the truth? Acts 28:3, Paul testified (bore witness) of the kingdom in Rome. Colossians 1:13,14, those in that church had been translated into the kingdom. Did it exist? If not, explain how they were in it? Hebrews 1:8 speaks of the kingdom in the present tense. Hebrews 12:28, brethren had already received the kingdom. Revelation 1:9, John was in the kingdom as a brother to those in the churches that were addressed.
This Is It
We are living in the church age, no doubt about that. But it is also the kingdom age because the church is to the kingdom the same thing an automobile is to a car. They are the same. The doctrine that teaches otherwise is false and demeaning to Christ.
If the Jews are saved, they shall be saved the same way as Gentiles (Acts 15:9), not some miraculous transportation to Palestine and a miraculous conversion. Why men wish to pervert the Lord's Word and degrade the Lord's church is for them to explain. But thanks be to God that the kingdom promised is the church and is realized, and we can be members or citizens of it.