I would like to elaborate on the “Mystery” that Paul said was revealed to the Apostles by God that was hidden from all generations prior to theirs. This Mystery entailed the gentiles (non Jews) being made fellow members of Christ’s (Messiah’s) body and fellow inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

As discussed previously, it was believed that the Jews would be the sole partakers in God’s Kingdom. Therefore, this new declaration or mystery that Paul was presenting which included all people who would believe in Christ would have been quite shocking. This mystery was in direct contradiction to what had been believed prior to Paul’s declaration.

Now following some key scriptures and picking up on some of the actions of the Apostles at the time of Jesus ministry, I have come to the conclusion that regarding exactly how this mystery would be carried out must have only been made fully understood to the Apostles
after Jesus resurrection. I say this to point out and dispel a key criticism leveled against the Apostles and by proxy The Bible.

This issue originates from the elite circles who have heavily criticized the Apostles for being clueless when questioning the Lord about His coming Kingdom in Matthew 24 and Acts Chapter 1. The argument they make is that the Apostles did not understand or had it wrong regarding Jesus teaching about the Kingdom. These critics argue that especially in
Acts Chapter 1, that Jesus was speaking of a spiritual kingdom and not a physical one. Making the case that since the Apostles had questioned Jesus about a physical Kingdom they had therefore missed the whole picture of what Jesus was trying to paint, the whole meaning. This entire time they argue, the Apostles were with Jesus, and yet they still didn’t get it.

Now by pointing this out they claim (either inadvertently or not) to discredit the message altogether by showing that the Apostles have no real authority regarding the things that they speak of because they didn’t really understand them themselves.

Their theory is that if the Apostles themselves misunderstood what they were being taught, then surely all these thousands of years later by following their flawed logic recorded in their writings in the New Testament we are misunderstanding. Thus the faith we have is in vain or at the very least severely flawed.

Now what has become typical is that these people take something that has a degree of truth to it and spin it into something it clearly is not. By looking at what these passages in scripture say, I believe the criticism lies with those who present this theory and that they are the ones who should be far more ridiculed for “not getting it” as they are so quick to accuse.

So let’s just jump into it. It has been said that the Old Testament Prophets saw the workings of Jesus as a whole. In other words they did not see his workings being in two separate time periods with a long lapse in between His first and second coming.

It has been described that they viewed these things like one sees a mountain range. From a distance it appears that one mountain is stacked directly behind the other. But if you were to have an aerial view, you would see that there are very long valleys separating one mountain from another. They saw Jesus coming in this way as one event being right behind another with no lull in between. There is proof of this in Luke Chapter 4.

Luke states this regarding Jesus: “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the
gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to
them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21


What Jesus read from here was the Old Testament book of Isaiah Chapter 61 which was said to have been written some 700 years before he was born. What is interesting about this is where Jesus decided to stop reading in this passage of Isaiah’s was mid sentence. This I assume is why “the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.” They were waiting for Him to finish the passage and wondering why He had
stopped. But instead of finishing, Jesus closes The Book, sits down and tells them "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Wow!

I don’t think I have to explain what transpired next in that they said is this not Joseph the poor carpenters Son? Who does he think He is? And took Him outside to try and throw Him off a cliff!

Now what is really interesting here and why I believe the Old Testament Prophets viewed the workings of Jesus as happening in one occurrence instead of two separate instances is if you go back and read the passage Jesus read from in Isaiah 61, you will see that Jesus stops reading mid sentence at a comma.

After this comma the text in Isaiah reads “And the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:2

Jesus stopped here because at that time He was not here to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God.” This was yet future. The comma placed before “And the day of vengeance of our God” represents a time period of at least 2,000 years. But Isaiah wrote this out as one occurrence.

The argument I am trying to make is this. Even if the Apostles at one time did not understand this concept of a first and second coming (which is clear they didn’t, hence the degree of truth the skeptics use), Jesus clearly did and that is all that should matter.

Now if that doesn’t make the case for you consider this. In Luke Chapter 19 it says that Jesus and the Apostles are approaching Jerusalem when the text records something very revealing. It says “Now as they heard these things (speaking of the Apostles), He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they
thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.”
       

Look again at what it says. “they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.”

In other words they thought that everything the Bible had spoke of from the destruction of their oppressors (the Romans at that time), to the governorship of the world being on the shoulders of their Messiah (Who they knew to be Jesus), to the ushering in of God’s Kingdom and the major part they would play in it, were all about to happen right then and
there through Jesus Christ as it was foretold. Everything to them was happening on schedule.

Think about it, to them Jesus had been ushered in by an Elijah figure as scripture said He would (John the Baptist). They knew He was born in Bethlehem as Scripture had said. They knew His mother Mary and believed she miraculously conceived as Scripture said. And they were witnesses as He healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed countless other miracles.

Before their very eyes He had done these things that they knew no mere man could do. They believed they were witnessing first hand what had been spoken of daily beginning in Moses’ time all the way to their own.

This was the most highly anticipated event they had ever known. They knew it would ultimately culminate in the destruction of their oppressors and revelation of the Kingdom of God.

Now sure you can make the argument and rightfully so, that Jesus had told them that he would be handed over, killed, and raised again. But be honest, could you have really put all this together?

Do you find it at least possible that you might have been blinded by your excitement and anticipation of what you had thought you were about to witness? Not to mention Jesus spoke much of his message in parables.

Remember the person of Jesus had been spoken of since basically the beginning of time. These were people who had been kicked around and oppressed for many years. They were tired and anxious for this oppression to end.

They were also excited at what they were seeing. They were ready for Him to take everything under His authority as the Scripture had foretold.

And if you think this is just conjecture consider this.

This claim is backed up in the Gospel of John in chapter 20. Here John records that after Jesus death and burial Mary Magdalene went to the tomb where she finds the stone rolled away and Jesus’ body missing. The scripture says she immediately ran to Peter and himself and told them someone had taken His body. It is then recorded that Peter and John ran
together to the tomb and discovered it empty. Then in verse 8-9 it states “Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.”

Right here scripture records that after the resurrection of Jesus is when they finally comprehended what had happened.

Or consider in the Gospel of Luke when the women discover the tomb empty, this response is recorded by the Angels at Jesus tomb:

"He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "And they remembered His words.” Luke 24:6-8

And look at the Apostles response when the women tell them, “And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them”. Luke 24:11

Also in the Gospel of Luke it states that two of the disciples were walking on the road on the third day after the crucifixion and Jesus suddenly shows up walking beside them but their eyes were restrained where they couldn’t see Him. Jesus asks what they are talking about and they reply, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, "and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.

Now look at what they say next, “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”

Remember “they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.”

This is a very revealing statement and gives us great insight into the minds of the Apostles.

Again my argument is even though the Apostles didn’t understand the concept of a first and second coming at that time, Jesus did and that is all that matters.

So let’s continue in Luke 19 where we left off. “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.”

So the question we should ask regarding this passage is why did Jesus tell them a parable?

The answer is He tells them a parable to correct their incorrect notion that the Kingdom of God would appear immediately.

Make sense?

So obviously this parable that He is about to give them will explain how the Kingdom is truly going to work Right?

So now the parable: Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return "So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' "But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' "And so it was that when he returned,
having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

So this is how it works. “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. “ Meaning Christ comes to the earth from Heaven and makes the initial deposit to build His kingdom through His Word to the ones he chose (The Apostles and the Prophets). If you look closely “and to return” means He would
have to afterwards leave and then come back. Through that initial deposit to the Apostles everyone hears the Word “and the Word will be preached in all the kingdom”. Matthew 24).

“Do business until I come” means spread the message, evangelize, turn your one deposit or seed planted in you into ten more by planting it in others until He what? “Comes.”

"But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.” Meaning His own people would reject Him and they did exactly as He said, they sent a delegation after Him to kill Him. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”John 1:11

Now look closely, “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” Meaning He will return to receive this Kingdom He made the initial deposit on and you will be rewarded or punished by what you have done with Christ’s investment.

Make sense?

Clearly Jesus knew what He had to do from the very beginning. There is no question about it.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is simply flawed in their understanding. It is baffling to me that some of our so called greatest minds in our highest institutions of learning cannot get this.

Now if Jesus knew His purpose so clearly, don’t you know He knew exactly what He was doing with His Apostles.

Now the Apostles at times were clearly confused as they openly stated themselves on several occasions. But the point is not about their confusion as critics so often make the focus. The point should be that Jesus knew precisely what He needed to do to fully prepare them for what He was about to commission them to do.

Also, the work up to this point was not about the Apostles, but about Jesus.

Now I will be the first to admit that I don’t always understand the ways in which the Lord works to get us where we need to be, but isn’t that the beauty of it?

It’s about faith. That was the basis of His message all along.

Jesus knows what makes you tick. He knows what is best for you. Those of faith can trust the path he has chosen for us.

Just look at the difference in the Apostles before and after Jesus resurrection.

Before His resurrection:

“Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.” Matthew 26:56

“But Peter followed Him at a distance.” Matthew 26:58

“Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." John

“Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" John

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.” (Where were the Apostles?) Luke 23:55

“But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” Luke

And after His resurrection:

“Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, (the very place they were hiding from for fear of their lives) and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.”Luke 21:51-53

Or look at the scene they make in Acts. Again entering the Temple they had avoided for fear, Peter and John go there openly to pray. While approaching they see a man who had been crippled since birth begging for money. Peter and John then approach the man and tell the man to look at them. Acts records the man does so expecting money, but instead
Peter authoritatively heals the man in the name of Jesus. The text then states “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-walking, leaping, and praising God.”  Acts 3:8

Picture this. This is the same Peter who had just practically a month earlier denied that he had even known Jesus three times. Then he wept bitterly over the shame of doing so and hid himself in a locked room for fear of his life. Now he is marching into the Temple after just healing a man who had been crippled from birth in the name of the person the authorities had just crucified. Now they are leaping and jumping around praising God and
getting everyone’s attention.

Now all the people recognizing the crippled man were astonished. They surrounded them marveling in amazement. So what does Peter do with this audience? He claims responsibility for this healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Which is the one name I am quite certain was a big no no right about that time, especially on the grounds of the Temple.

He responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look
so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go "But you denied the Holy One
and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, "and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

Not only this, but he adds that little extra umph! By saying Jesus is responsible for the healing. You remember Jesus, the One you delivered up and denied when Pilate was determined to let Him go but instead you requested a murderer to be released in His place.

You remember…Jesus.

By the way the Priests were just a little upset about this incident to say the least and had them arrested on the spot. When questioned by the Priests Peter again says "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this
man stands here before you whole. "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12

Told them!

The point is they know with 100% confidence now. Just look:

“After He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:2-3


In Luke when Jesus first appears to them in the upper room after His resurrection look at what it says:
“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45

They’re armed now. They understand their mission. There is no more fear. There is no more doubt.

They did not know every detail, but they knew what they were ommissioned to do.

And they know with absolute certainty that Jesus is the Son of God.

I’ll close with the major criticism leveled at the Apostles which stems from their questioning of Jesus again regarding the Kingdom in the Book of Acts.

It is recorded that after Jesus resurrection. He has taught the Apostles for forty days on what they have been commissioned to do concerning His Kingdom which was to evangelize both Jew and Gentile alike.

Acts then records that:
“And being assembled together with them, He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 1:4-5

The Apostles then ask:
"Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6

And here is where the criticism lies.

The critics state that Jesus again was talking about a spiritual Kingdom not a physical one. They boast that the Apostles even at the very end of Jesus teachings right before He ascended back to Heaven, still didn’t get it. They make this claim because the Apostles ask not if He would restore the Kingdom, but restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Hence a physical Kingdom on earth in Jerusalem. To elites this is preposterous.

But if the Apostles were so wrong, why does He not correct them? Why didn’t He just say as He had in the past, Guys I have been with you all this time and you still don’t get it? I’m talking about a spiritual thing here not physical, come on get with it! But no! He simply tells them that it is not for you to know the time and the seasons of the things already appointed by God.


But scripture validates a physical Kingdom.

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. Isaiah 9:6

Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:7

In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness." Isaiah 16:5

"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. Luke 1:32

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them
and be their God. Revelation 21:2-3

All of Revelation 21.

Jesus says it is not for you (meaning the Apostles) to know the time and the seasons. But Jesus did.

He told the generation that it would befall will know when it is at the door.

Please don’t misunderstand me; the Apostles had many insights to what would befall us in the last days. I believe that they even saw the events with their own eyes which is clear to me in Paul’s writings, Peters, as well as John’s. I’m in no way trying to say that they didn’t.

What I am trying to address is a specific issue of criticism leveled at the Apostles and the Bible as a whole. Again this criticism comes from a logic that the apostles misunderstood the teachings of Jesus and then recorded them in the writings we know as the New Testament. From this we who take the Bible literally have established our faith on a flawed logic. Hence the scoffing that comes from those who tell us that the Bible is all spiritual
and metaphorical and say that we are taking the Bible too literally.

To understand and correct the origin of this criticism I believe things need to be put in the context of timing. In addition, one must take into consideration how the Kingdom was revealed and the Apostles understanding of it.

Think about it. For example, it would be easy for someone to go back and pick the place in the Gospels where Peter denies Jesus and then never read any farther. Then go and make an argument that Peter didn’t even know Jesus because he denied it as recorded in the Gospels. When in actuality there was a context to those denials.

Their particular criticism in this case just happens to be a little more tricky.

From our vantage point in time we can better understand that it would have served no purpose for Jesus to have answered their question. Honestly, what good would it have served for Jesus to tell the Apostles that the Kingdom of God would not be for another couple thousand years?

It was irrelevant to them.

But I do see the purpose in telling the generation it would befall, and with that being said I do believe that that is exactly what Jesus did.

But that is for the next article.

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