Kingdom of God, Part 5: The Mediatorial Kingdom in the Book of Acts.Wednesday September 16, 2026
The Book of Acts is concerned with God’s doings in history as they continue from the Gospels.
Act 1:1-2 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
Today we are going to look at the beginning of the church and what trended early on, before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.
The Precursor:
The resurrection solved the mystery of suffering and glory in the Messiah - how He could be cursed and forsaken and also glorified. Christ explained the Messiah in the OT from the viewpoint of His resurrection (Luk 24:27).
Act 1:4-6 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
They use the word “restore” which means to restore to the former condition.
Our first question to our Lord is about time - when?
He comforts, as He always does:
Act 1:7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
Word, Promise, Mission - while we wait for the kingdom come.
Act 1:7-8 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
The Commission:
Act 2:35 Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet. "'
“Until” means we have to wait, and while we do, we have a purpose.
Be alert and at rest.
Mar 13:32-37 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
33 "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34 "It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 "Therefore, be on the alert — for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning — 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 "What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"
At rest because the time is placed by the Father’s authority. Be alert in any season. Until then: Your purpose is the commission with the presence of Christ and with the power of the Holy Spirit.
The beginning: Pentecost.
The birth of the church is the birth in time of divine power within all saints.
Three feast requiring male attendance in Jerusalem: Passover: redemption through His blood. Pentecost: ingathering of the first-fruits (birth of the church) Tabernacles: bringing in the final harvest (second coming).
Peter’s great message at Pentecost is based upon OT Scripture: Joel, Psalms
Act 2:34-35 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet. "'
That is not David’s throne but the throne in heaven of the universal kingdom of God, prophesied in Dan 7:14.
Offer to Israel – the covenant people.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Many converted and spread abroad throughout the diaspora.
Continued offer to the Jews in Jerusalem (Act 3:19).
Trends in Acts:
Gradual increase of Jewish persecution. Gradual decrease of apostolic power. Gradual increase of Gentile presence in the church. Gradual increase of the hardness of the Jews.
Gradual increase of Jewish persecution:
Not much in Jerusalem at the start:
Acts 2:43-47 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Peter’s message in Act 3 further emphasizes the restoration of the kingdom promised to Abraham, mediated by Moses, and prophesied by Isaiah (“His Servant,” Act 3:26).
Act 3:19-26 "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' 24 "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' 26 "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."
Peter does not use the word “kingdom” but is clearly referring to it with the use of the same word “restore” from disciple’s question in Act 1:6.
It is likely that the leadership in Jerusalem at the time thought that this movement would peter out (pun) because their Leader was dead [Gamaliel advice, Act 5:34-39].
Fast forward: the community of Jewish believers become more intense. The consensus from the leadership in Jerusalem concluded that the Way of Jesus of Nazareth had to be destroyed. Enter Saul of Tarsus - the leader of the persecution.
Steven: gifted Hellenistic Jew, filled with the Spirit and the unbelieving Jews who argued with him could not cope with his wisdom.
Act 7:51-53 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."
Acts 7:58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
The conversion of Saul meant that the great leader of the persecution was lost – and for a time there was peace.
Act 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.
When they lost their leader, they lost their zeal and purpose for a time. The Leader of the church died and rose again, indwelt the saints and the church was on fire.
Gradual decrease of apostolic power.
Act 5:12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.
2Ti 4:20 Trophimus I left sick at Miletus
The apostles were indestructible but soon their supernatural power waned. Steven is killed; James is killed. Paul’s thorn in the flesh.
The movement “seems” to be weakening and waning.
The gift of signs was for Israel and at the start of the church. Once the gospel was planted and the kingdom offered through Christ (future), the signs ceased and the call to faith through word and good works grew louder.
Gradual increase of Gentile presence in the church.
Dispersion of Hellenistic Jews in the persecution - Antioch (First Gentile harvest) and beyond.
The amount of miracles wane. Tethers to the OT kingdom does not change in sermons or letters.
Gradual increase of the hardness of the Jews.
Steven: responded to with violence rather than being soft to his clear, historical, factual sermon in Act 7.
Paul at Antioch:
Act 13:46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
Israel was supposed to be a light to the Gentiles, but they failed to do so in the OT. Paul references this and now makes clear that in everything Israel failed to do, and all her leaders, that Christ was going to do it, fulfill it, and in this case, the church was His tool..
Act 13:47 'I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.'"
Acts 13:48-52 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews aroused the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Hardness of heart increases until the last episode in Act 28.
Conclusion: Act 28
The hardness of the heart of the Jews is complete.
Act 28:17-31 And it happened that after three days he called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they had come together, he began saying to them, "Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people, or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 "And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. 19 "But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any accusation against my nation. 20 "For this reason therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." 21 And they said to him, "We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. 22 "But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere."
23 And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. 24 And some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. 25 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying,
'Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 27 For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them. "'
28 "Let it be known to you therefore, that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen." 29 [And when he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.] (Addition from the Western Text probably due to abruptness)
30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
It’s sort of an ending and more of a beginning.
Paul is broken hearted (Rom 9:1-2). But he is not discouraged (2Co 4:8). He goes right on teaching the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our commission is not to build a great life on earth but to participate in what our transcendent Lord is building - not the kingdom on earth but the people to populate it.
It is easy for us believers to prioritize our jobs, success, careers, wealth, homes, families, material things and then give God whatever time and material we “may” have left over.
Learn Christ and His mission (past, present, future) and then take a good look at your own mission.
You can build an earthly life that is the envy of worldlings or you can change their lives from envy to inheritance in the kingdom of light.
This is Christianity. This is our age. If you and I embrace it, God promises, as He did to Israel, things you have never imagined. |