Theocratic Kingdom: God’s Plan from Gen-Rev (Mat 21:33-46)Wednesday October 8, 2025
Intro: The people expected a literal Messianic kingdom.
Luk 19:11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
The 70 witnesses, Jesus’ own teaching, miracles, raising of Lazarus – all contributed to a general expectation that some kind of an announcement would be made about the coming kingdom.
Yet our Lord, the King of Israel, would do and say something that was not fitting for a conquering king.
Luk 19:39-44 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" 41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 "For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."
His weeping and words show that mankind has a responsibility.
“The Mediatorial [Theocratic] Kingdom of Old Testament prophecy, which was announced in our Lord’s early ministry as “at hand,” was not established because of Jewish unbelief, and its arrival is now set definitely at the second advent of the King. [McClain]
Main Idea: The history of the theocratic kingdom of God reveals Christ as the only legitimate King, and our only authority.
“A Kingdom of God without a King; a Theocracy without the rule of God; a perpetual Davidic Kingdom without a ‘Son of David’ - these are antinomies of which neither the Old Testament, the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigraphic writings, not Rabbinism were guilty.” [Alfred Edersheim]
Mat 21:33-46
The leaders were responsible to the people of Israel. The importance of their care in God’s eyes can be seen in the judgment upon them.
God’s Kingdom in the Scripture:
Universal kingdom (eternity past and forever).
Psa 103:19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.
Rebellion of Satan.
Eze 28:17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.”
Theocracy.
“Theocracy is a government of the State by the immediate direction of God; Jehovah condescended to reign over Israel in the same direct manner in which an earthly king reigns over his people.”
History of the Theocracy:
Eden: first Adam meant to “rule.” He failed, but the Lord, the last Adam will rule.
Psa 110:2 The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Your enemies."
Conscience (Gen 4-6).
Human government (Gen 9-10).
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Gen 12-50).
God was never not in control. He ruled through mediators and the progression of eras or dispensations were always moving forward to the final form of the kingdom.
Moses, Joshua, Judges, kings, prophets – to Jesus (Son of David).
The leaders or mediators responsible to God.
1Ch 28:5 Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
1Sa 24:6 I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.
Rise of the prophetic office.
Prophet: a divinely appointed spokesman for God who relayed God’s message.
They were more than foretellers as they spoke for God, which was often condemnation against the leaders. As foretellers through them was a line of revelation about the future theocratic kingdom. In addition, the future kingdom is found frequently in the Psalms.
The kingdom offered in the Gospels was the same as that anticipated by the prophets.
Therefore, when we see the theocratic kingdom program throughout history we can see the incredible importance of Christ’s public manifestation of Himself as the Messiah King and we can see the reason for the three parables.
Mat 21:43-44 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."
The church is a nation of priests, the body of Christ.
It was entirely unknown in the OT that a great interval of time would intervene between the offer of the kingdom by Messiah at His coming to earth and the reception of the offer.
The church was a mystery to the OT prophets and you therefore live in an age of mystery, between two advents, blessed and yet still waiting.
The church age believer is blessed above all others and still waiting for the coming of Christ; what are we to do?
Jesus gave us a commission.
Mat 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
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