The Life of Christ

Did the kingdom of God or heaven also exist in the Old Testament? The following limited selection of Old Testament scriptures speak of the kingdom of God in the Old Testament:

• 2Chr. 13:8: And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD , which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.

• Ps. 45:6: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

• Dan. 2:44: And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed;

• Dan. 6:26: I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, and steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end.

Conclusion: The Kingdom of God has always existed (Ps. 45:6; Dan. 2:44; 6:26), but its fullness became manifest in the New Testament.

• During the days of King David, 2 Chron. 13:8 seems to indicate the reign of David was so unique that it was actually called “the kingdom of the Lord.”

• However, this was not the kingdom of God as we know it in the New Testament that came with healing power, demon deliverance, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

In Mt. 3:1 John the Baptist introduced the New Testament concept of the kingdom of God with the appearance of the Messiah.

• In Mt. 10:1, Jesus now commissions the church to also announce and operate in the power of the kingdom of God. • The kingdom of God will remain the apostles’ guiding purpose for the rest of their lives. Mt. 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”

The kingdom message is good news; Messiah has come, and here is the evidence:

• "The sick are healed, the dead raised, lepers are cleansed, and devils cast out.”

• What we have received, we are to freely give. Peter had this in mind when he prayed for the paralyzed beggar at the Gate Beautiful: “But what I do have I give you” (Acts 3:6; 14:9-10).

We have been given the authority to heal the sick!

• Peter didn’t even pray, “Lord, heal this person; he just said commanded the paralytic to stand to his feet.”

• Paul did the same with the man in the crowd (Acts14:9-10): This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked (Acts14:9-10). • Peter and Paul prayed this way because they had already been given authority to heal the sick (Mk. 16:17-18). “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mk. 16:17-18).

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