End-Time Insights

The disciples of Jesus reign with him as priestly kings who mediate His light and proclaim His Good News to the world . At Mount Sinai, Yahweh summoned Israel to become His priestly kingdom that would reflect His light and holiness before the nations of the Earth. If the Nation of Israel kept God’s covenant, she would become “ my own possession  from among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. And you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ” - (Exodus 19:5).

Jesus proclaimed a unique political reality, the Kingdom of God, one that differs radically from the governments and ideologies of this present age . Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the “ Kingdom of God ” – “ Repent, for the kingdom is at hand .” The Kingdom promised by God was arriving in Christ’s life and ministry. He was the Messiah and King of Israel who summoned all men to turn from their wicked ways and submit to his lordship before the Judgment when it would be too late.

The reign of Jesus began with his exaltation to the Throne following his Death and Resurrection and it will continue throughout the present age  – Psalms 110:1. The New Testament links the enthronement of Jesus to his Resurrection and Ascension by applying key Messianic texts from the Hebrew Bible to him. He qualified to reign because of his faithful “ obedience unto death ,” and this was confirmed when God raised him from the dead and seated him “ at His right hand ” where he rules over all things and provides his Assembly with the Gift of the Spirit.

The  Gospel of Mark  provides only a few examples of the many parables taught by Jesus (“ Apart from a parable he did not speak to the crowds ”). In them, the dominant theme is the Kingdom of God that invaded the Earth in the ministry of Jesus and continues to grow and produce fruit wherever the Gospel is preached. The “ Son of Man ” taught the Jewish people in parables, but only as they “ were able to hear ,” and this clause stresses the responsibility of the listener to hear and heed his words.

The  Parable of the Sower  provides the key to understanding the parables of Jesus. The story’s point is that the Kingdom of God began to invade the present age starting with the proclamation of the Gospel by the “ Son of Man .” That process commenced with his announcement of the Good News when he was in “ Galilee of the Nations .” Ever since then, the Kingdom has been advancing across the Earth though largely unnoticed by humanity and even by many of his followers.

At the start of his vision, John identified himself as a “ fellow participant ” with the Assemblies of Asia in “ the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus .” He was banished to the Isle of Patmos for his “ testimony ” for Jesus, and like the seven congregations on the Asian mainland, he had endured “ tribulation ” for the sake of the “ Kingdom ” and his witness for the exalted Sovereign over all things, the “ Ruler of the Kings of the Earth .”

Only Daniel could reveal and interpret the Nebuchadnezzar’s troubling dream, thereby unveiling the future of empires and God’s Kingdom . The second and third chapters of the  Book of Daniel  present a single story told in two parts. First, the Babylonian ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, dreams of an enormous image composed of several materials, which Daniel then interprets. In the process, the Prophet demonstrates the sovereignty of God over History. Second, in Chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar attempts to implement his dream in his own way by erecting a great golden image on the “ Plain of Dura .”