In this message we continue our series on Messianic Prophecy by focusing on the kingdom promised to Israel and how it relates to the coming of the Messiah. We review Old Testament prophecies that shaped Israel’s expectation of a literal kingdom on earth, including the land promise to Abraham in Genesis 15, the promise of a Davidic king in Psalm 132, and kingdom descriptions in Isaiah 61–62, Micah 4–5, and Haggai 2. These passages highlight a future time of restored territory, righteousness, glory, and worldwide recognition of Israel as the kingdom among the nations.
We then trace how these expectations fed directly into the response to Jesus’ ministry. The disciples and other believers rightly anticipated a literal kingdom, but did not yet understand the coming rejection, death, and resurrection of the Messiah. From Matthew 20 and Acts 1, we see how even after the resurrection they were still expecting the kingdom to be restored to Israel.
Finally, we examine how Christ offers the kingdom in the Gospel of Matthew. Beginning with His proclamation that “the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (Matthew 4), we look at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) as kingdom teaching that goes beyond the Law of Moses. Jesus repeatedly contrasts, “You have heard… but I say to you…,” presenting stricter righteousness, different standards regarding anger, adultery, divorce, and oaths, and showing that He is not canceling the kingdom, but offering it. This offer will later be rejected, also in fulfillment of prophecy, setting the stage for His crucifixion, resurrection, and the yet-future fulfillment of the promised millennial kingdom.
This study clarifies what Israel was expecting, what exactly the Messiah was offering, and why the rejection of that offer took so many by surprise.
