Post by The Ambassador on May 31, 2019 11:29:23 GMT
John Wants to Hear From Jesus
Please read: MATTHEW 11:2-15 LUKE 7:18-30
For about a year, John the Baptist has been in prison. Still, he hears of Jesus’ marvelous works. Imagine how John feels when his disciples tell him that Jesus has resurrected the widow’s son at Nain. However, John wants to hear directly from Jesus about what this all means. So John summons two of his disciples. To do what? They are to ask Jesus: “Are you the Coming One, or are we to expect a different one?” —Luke 7:19.
Does that seem to be a strange question? John is a devoted man who, when baptizing Jesus nearly two years before, saw God’s spirit descend upon Jesus and heard God’s voice of approval. We have no reason to think that John’s faith has grown weak. Otherwise, Jesus would not speak so highly of John, as he does on this occasion. But if John is not having doubts, why does he ask this question of Jesus?
John may simply want verification directly from Jesus that he is the Messiah. This would strengthen John as he languishes in prison. And John’s question apparently has an added sense. He is acquainted with the Bible prophecies that show that the Anointed One of God is to be a king and a deliverer. Yet, many months after Jesus was baptized, John is in prison. So John is asking if there is to be another one coming, a successor to Jesus, as it were, who will complete the fulfillment of all that the Messiah was foretold to accomplish.
A lame man and a blind woman rejoice after Jesus heals them
Rather than simply tell John’s disciples, ‘Of course I am the One who is to come,’ Jesus gives evidence that he has God’s backing by healing many people of all kinds of diseases and ailments. Then he tells the disciples: “Go and report to John what you are hearing and seeing: The blind are now seeing and the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised up and the poor are being told the good news.” —Matthew 11:4, 5.
John’s question might imply an expectation that Jesus will do more than he is now doing and will perhaps free John from prison. Jesus, however, is telling John not to expect more than the miracles he is actually performing.
When John’s disciples leave, Jesus assures the crowd that John is more than a prophet. He is “the messenger” of Jehovah prophesied about at Malachi 3:1. He is also the prophet Elijah, as foretold at Malachi 4:5, 6. Jesus explains: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not been raised up anyone greater than John the Baptist, but a lesser person in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.” —Matthew 11:11.
By saying that a lesser one in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than John, Jesus is showing that John will not be in the heavenly Kingdom. John prepared the way for Jesus but dies before Christ opens the way to heaven. (Hebrews 10:19, 20) John is, though, a faithful prophet of God and will be an earthly subject of God’s Kingdom.
The King on David’s Throne
—The promise of a kingdom
God’s promise through Nathan
Through Nathan the prophet God promised David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before you forever. Your throne shall be established forever" (2Samuel 7:12 13,16)
The promise recalled in the Psalms
The Psalms recall this promise:
"The Lord has truly sworn to David,
and will not turn back from it,
'The fruit of your body
I will set upon your throne'"
(Psalms 132:11).
"I have made a covenant with my chosen;
I have sworn to David my servant,
'I will establish your seed forever,
and build up your throne
to all generations'"
(Psalm 89:3-4).
Same promise as made to Abraham
This seed or descendant of David is none other than the seed of Abraham to whom God referred when he said to Abraham, "In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). This seed of Abraham would also be the seed of David, and would sit upon David's throne forever.
Not Fulfilled by Solomon
David's son Solomon reigned after David, but Solomon did not fulfill the promise that God made to David that he would establish the seed of David on the throne of David forever.
Solomon did pretty much the opposite. He disgraced himself and David's throne. The kingdom was torn in two. Later the division known as Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Later still the remaining kingdom known as Judah was destroyed by the Chaldeans. A remnant returned to Jerusalem in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
So although Solomon fulfilled elements of the promise, such as building the temple, a house for God's name, he was not the true king of the prophecy.
The Throne Promise Fulfilled
Isaiah's Prophecy
Generations later, the remnant of David's empire awaited the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to David. They would have been encouraged by the words left by Isaiah, who had been a prophet in Judah around the time of the northern kingdom's destruction.
Isaiah said:
"A child will be born to us,
a Son will be given us,
and the government will rest
upon his shoulders.
His name shall be called
Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.
There will be no end
to the increase of his government
or of peace
on the throne of David,
and over his kingdom,
to establish it
with justice and righteousness,
from then on for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts
will accomplish this"
(Isaiah 9:1-7).
Gabriel's Announcement
Centuries later, the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary in Nazareth. The angel said to her, "Behold you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David" (Luke 1:31-32). So the son was born who was to fulfill the throne promise.
Other Testimonies
After the death of Jesus, Peter said that David, to whom the throne promise had been made, had understood that it referred to the Christ who would sit on the throne and rule from heaven, and Peter proclaimed that Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit forever on David's throne (Acts 2:22-36).
Among the visions of Revelation there is one who is called the Faithful and True, and the Word of God. He also carries the name "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:11-16). This personage identifies himself in a following vision, where he says, "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify these things to you... I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star." (Revelation 22:16).
So we can see that it was the son of David that inherits the kingdom rule, and this, of course, was Jesus Christ.
Please read: MATTHEW 11:2-15 LUKE 7:18-30
For about a year, John the Baptist has been in prison. Still, he hears of Jesus’ marvelous works. Imagine how John feels when his disciples tell him that Jesus has resurrected the widow’s son at Nain. However, John wants to hear directly from Jesus about what this all means. So John summons two of his disciples. To do what? They are to ask Jesus: “Are you the Coming One, or are we to expect a different one?” —Luke 7:19.
Does that seem to be a strange question? John is a devoted man who, when baptizing Jesus nearly two years before, saw God’s spirit descend upon Jesus and heard God’s voice of approval. We have no reason to think that John’s faith has grown weak. Otherwise, Jesus would not speak so highly of John, as he does on this occasion. But if John is not having doubts, why does he ask this question of Jesus?
John may simply want verification directly from Jesus that he is the Messiah. This would strengthen John as he languishes in prison. And John’s question apparently has an added sense. He is acquainted with the Bible prophecies that show that the Anointed One of God is to be a king and a deliverer. Yet, many months after Jesus was baptized, John is in prison. So John is asking if there is to be another one coming, a successor to Jesus, as it were, who will complete the fulfillment of all that the Messiah was foretold to accomplish.
A lame man and a blind woman rejoice after Jesus heals them
Rather than simply tell John’s disciples, ‘Of course I am the One who is to come,’ Jesus gives evidence that he has God’s backing by healing many people of all kinds of diseases and ailments. Then he tells the disciples: “Go and report to John what you are hearing and seeing: The blind are now seeing and the lame are walking, the lepers are being cleansed and the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised up and the poor are being told the good news.” —Matthew 11:4, 5.
John’s question might imply an expectation that Jesus will do more than he is now doing and will perhaps free John from prison. Jesus, however, is telling John not to expect more than the miracles he is actually performing.
When John’s disciples leave, Jesus assures the crowd that John is more than a prophet. He is “the messenger” of Jehovah prophesied about at Malachi 3:1. He is also the prophet Elijah, as foretold at Malachi 4:5, 6. Jesus explains: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not been raised up anyone greater than John the Baptist, but a lesser person in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is.” —Matthew 11:11.
By saying that a lesser one in the Kingdom of the heavens is greater than John, Jesus is showing that John will not be in the heavenly Kingdom. John prepared the way for Jesus but dies before Christ opens the way to heaven. (Hebrews 10:19, 20) John is, though, a faithful prophet of God and will be an earthly subject of God’s Kingdom.
[ Comment] The last paragraph indicates that only those who live in New Testament times will be allowed to rule with Christ. How can this be true if David was said to be a ruler in God's Kingdom??
The King on David’s Throne
—The promise of a kingdom
God’s promise through Nathan
Through Nathan the prophet God promised David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before you forever. Your throne shall be established forever" (2Samuel 7:12 13,16)
The promise recalled in the Psalms
The Psalms recall this promise:
"The Lord has truly sworn to David,
and will not turn back from it,
'The fruit of your body
I will set upon your throne'"
(Psalms 132:11).
"I have made a covenant with my chosen;
I have sworn to David my servant,
'I will establish your seed forever,
and build up your throne
to all generations'"
(Psalm 89:3-4).
Same promise as made to Abraham
This seed or descendant of David is none other than the seed of Abraham to whom God referred when he said to Abraham, "In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). This seed of Abraham would also be the seed of David, and would sit upon David's throne forever.
Not Fulfilled by Solomon
David's son Solomon reigned after David, but Solomon did not fulfill the promise that God made to David that he would establish the seed of David on the throne of David forever.
Solomon did pretty much the opposite. He disgraced himself and David's throne. The kingdom was torn in two. Later the division known as Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Later still the remaining kingdom known as Judah was destroyed by the Chaldeans. A remnant returned to Jerusalem in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
So although Solomon fulfilled elements of the promise, such as building the temple, a house for God's name, he was not the true king of the prophecy.
The Throne Promise Fulfilled
Isaiah's Prophecy
Generations later, the remnant of David's empire awaited the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to David. They would have been encouraged by the words left by Isaiah, who had been a prophet in Judah around the time of the northern kingdom's destruction.
Isaiah said:
"A child will be born to us,
a Son will be given us,
and the government will rest
upon his shoulders.
His name shall be called
Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.
There will be no end
to the increase of his government
or of peace
on the throne of David,
and over his kingdom,
to establish it
with justice and righteousness,
from then on for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts
will accomplish this"
(Isaiah 9:1-7).
Gabriel's Announcement
Centuries later, the angel Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary in Nazareth. The angel said to her, "Behold you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David" (Luke 1:31-32). So the son was born who was to fulfill the throne promise.
Other Testimonies
After the death of Jesus, Peter said that David, to whom the throne promise had been made, had understood that it referred to the Christ who would sit on the throne and rule from heaven, and Peter proclaimed that Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven to sit forever on David's throne (Acts 2:22-36).
Among the visions of Revelation there is one who is called the Faithful and True, and the Word of God. He also carries the name "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:11-16). This personage identifies himself in a following vision, where he says, "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify these things to you... I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star." (Revelation 22:16).
So we can see that it was the son of David that inherits the kingdom rule, and this, of course, was Jesus Christ.
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