Restoring the Kingdom

 Restoring the Kingdom

By Richard P. Joseph

10/30/2025

The book of Acts is invaluable to understanding the transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  It also has many enigmas, especially to those that reject this transition.  In the first chapter, Luke continues his account that he is writing for someone named Theophilus.  Luke’s writing appears to be written to, perhaps, a lawyer that might be involved in Paul’s defense as he was preparing to face court in Rome.   I would like to look at the interesting context of the first half of chapter 1.  

In Acts 1:3 Luke tells us that Jesus, after his resurrection, began teaching the disciples things about the kingdom of God.  

Acts 1:3

  to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many [b]infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Take note that he is teaching them about the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of Israel.  This is important.  He then tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit that was promised from the Father.  

He then compares the gift of the Father to the gift that John the Baptist brought.  One was of water and one was of Spirit.  

Acts 1:5

 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The water represents the physical kingdom and the Spirit represents a Spiritual kingdom.   So we see so far Jesus is teaching them of the Kingdom of God which is going to be a Spiritual Kingdom.  

Now here comes the kicker; The disciples then ask him if he is now going to restore the kingdom to Israel.  

Acts 1:6-8

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be [c]witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

At this point, after living with Jesus for 3 ½ years, they still don’t have a clue, but this is actually a good thing.  None of the disciples actually lived long enough to see the full second coming of Christ and the new kingdom being consummated.  

It appears that every time that the disciples asked Jesus for exact dates or specifics about the kingdom, they only got parables or vague answers.  There must have been a reason for it.  I don’t believe that they, at that early point, could really comprehend that Judaism was ending and that the everlasting kingdom would not be one about land or kings or armies but one that was spiritual in nature.  One that transcends all borders and thrones and spears.  One that has no earthly king but only a spiritual king in heaven.  That is one reason that I believe that the second century Christian did not readily understand that the kingdom had indeed come but not to their understanding.  Looking at the verse above, Jesus is giving them a hint.  They were still focused on Israel but Jesus tells them that Jerusalem is only the beginning.  He said that they would be witnesses of him starting in Jerusalem but then moving outward even unto the ends of the earth.  Jesus wasn’t focused on Israel because that gig was up.   We, today, have the real advantage.  We can look at fulfilled history and clearly see what happened.  This is something that Muhamed couldn’t see either.  He came along in the seventh century and still thought it was about land and blood and rules.  He was acting upon the common physical ways of those days never realizing that all of that was obsolete.  The Rabbis did the same thing.  That is why Islam and Rabbinical Judaism is still a type of caveman religion.  This is also why Catholics still cling to physical types of worship and hierarchy.  Once someone understands fulfilled theology, they are really set free.  They have left the physical groping for religion and have entered a free and wonderful existence.  The hardships of religion and formality have been shed and we are free to move and run unhindered and unshackled.  Like the Apostle Paul told us, not to be sucked into senseless arguments about genealogies and things of the law.  We are free now because Jesus has become the fulfilment of the law for us.  

Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

So, in the end, the kingdom was restored, not to Israel, but to God and him alone.