Page 73 - The Divine Unfolding of God's Plan of Redemption

VIII. THE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM

ACTS 1:1-11

In the first chapter of the Book of Acts we get the aftermath of the resurrection.

We are told that “He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the

kingdom of God.” His post-resurrection ministry was composed of a series of
appearances to His own, accompanied by messages of instruction in matters pertaining
to the kingdom of God. It was a concentrated course in the best theological training

that was ever given. He revealed to them His future plans. There could not have been
any lack of clarity about the matter at the end of this forty days, at least concerning the
nature and location of the kingdom. He had doubtless spoken of it as being an event
that was next to follow in the fulfillment of the divine purposes.

The only lack of understanding that remained in their minds was given expression,
as recorded in the sixth verse. He had just been telling them that they must wait in
Jerusalem until He should baptize them with the Holy Spirit. Christ, the Son must

needs first ascend to the Father and be glorified before He can send the Spirit. He
must ask the Father for the right to send the “other Comforter,” to share the Holy
Spirit with His own, which Spirit previously resided exclusively in the eternal Son.

The knowledge that there must be an intervening experience (that of being baptized

with the Spirit) before the setting up of the kingdom, called forth the question, “Lord,
wilt thou at this time restore again [or to its former state] the kingdom to Israel?”
There was no question about the fact of the setting up on earth of the kingdom; it was

simply a matter of the time when He was going to do it. It has been the stock in trade
of those who seriously misunderstand the Scriptures or who deliberately pervert them,
to assert that the popular idea that there would be an earthly kingdom of the Messiah
(an idea abundantly shared by His disciples during His ministry) was entirely wrong.

The actual fact is that they were entirely right in this expectation. Indeed, if they were
wrong, He never made the slightest effort to correct their mistaken ideas but even
commanded them to go out and preach according to their own convictions that the
kingdom of heaven was at hand (Matt. 10:7). When the sons of Zebedee through their

mother asked for special preferment in His kingdom and glory, He never denied that
there would be such a kingdom and glory but rather confirmed their own impressions
by clarifying the conditions of such preferment (Matt. 20:20-28, Mark 10:35-45).

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