Not the point Doug...where does scripture ever say Israel will be a restored kingdom? The fact is it doesn't. All it says is they will be restored to the land...nothing about a kingdom the ONLY kingdom spoken of by Jesus is the "kingdom of heaven" and the "kingdom of God"...nothing of a kingdom for Israel.Jesus did not answer the way they were expecting, I don't think. The implication is that the kingdom of Israel will be restored just not in their lifetimes. He did not reply that he was the kingdom of Israel restored. I don't know where you are getting that in the above text.
Since when does it matter what the Jews thought Doug? Jesus came as the kingdom...he even told them so when they challenged Him about casting out demons in Matt 12;28:"Haven't you read the gospels?" I have, but it doesn't appear as though you have. What do you think the messiah, in the minds of the Jews, John the Baptist and the disciples, was supposed to do? Why do you think Herod wanted to kill the baby that the wise men were coming to worship?
28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Jesus IS the kingdom! What do you end your prayer with? If you pray in the model of the Lord's Prayer it's with "For YOUR'S is the kingdom, power and glory, forever and ever amen."
So what Jew thought is irrelevant...Jesus was setting the record straight and they didn't accept it.
Also Herod sought to kill Jesus because he felt threatened...he was a tool of Satan...havent you read Revelation 12:3, 4:
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.
4 And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
That what that was about.
Of course I recognize Israel as an independent state. But what does that matter? When you get it that God's concern is the "Israel of God" you'll understand. It's all through the NT only as you have been taught to ignore it, or you choose to ignore it. Obviously in there remains to be an outpouring of God's spirit on the Jews and that is clearly God's mercy towards them as Paul says of them in Romans 11:32:Israel at the time of Jesus was under Roman occupation - do you agree with that much? They were not a restored independent state. Do you agree or not?
You claim that Israel was a restored at the time of Jesus, but why didn't any of the disciples believe that? Don't you understand that the restoration of the kingdom is that Israel would be an independent state?
Do you recognize Israel, the present nation, is an independent state - or do you side with the muslims?
Doug
32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
I didn't say Israel was a "restored kingdom". I sad they were restored to the land because that's all God gave through the prophets.
What you really have to look at in the NT, is that everything Jesus says of the kingdom is is the "spiritual kingdom". That is the kingdom we are in now, and it comes to final fulfillment on the last day.
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