In Acts, just before Jesus ascended, the disciples asked Him a very straight forward question.
Acts 1:
"6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
What was Jesus answer. Yes? No? Or was it:
"But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority;
If it is not for them to know these things, does that mean Jesus told them? If not, then how does Matthew 24 or Luke 21 give any kind of answer? How can anyone set any kind of date, or a period of time as a date (this generation being said to mean the disciples generation) if Jesus basically said that it isn't our business to know, which is a really complicated way of saying, you don't know/won't know?
The rest of His answer is:
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”"
Sounds like a VERY long project. It also sounds like He is saying it is none of your business, because your business (verse 8) comes BEFORE that time. If Jesus answered their questions as to when it would happen, then they would be distracted and not focused on the task. Or, they will become really distraught, especially if He said it would be another 2000+ years. How is that supposed to help people face torture and death on a daily basis? We have His promise. We believe wholeheaertedly in His promise. So we WILL work and tough it out until He comes, knowing He will.
The only example I can give of just how much weight this has on people is that it had Peter writing to the church for God, saying that God is not being lax in His promise. There are a lot of people out there that God wants to see saved, and not see perish. This isn't about us. This is about ALL the elect of God, some who have yet to be saved. The fact that anyone is getting saved shows that God has yet to fulfill His promise, but that He has a purpose beyond any we could ever come up with. To save His children. Every... last... one. How many could display such long suffering and endurance as God? To put up with the total corruption of His creation, just to save one person, and then another... It should push us harder to fulfill His command to spread the gospel to the ends of the Earth.
To the question: Jesus did not say He would not return the Kingdom to Israel. In fact, He all but verified it would happen by simply saying, it isn't for you to know when it will happen, just that it isn't NOW. That was the key word in their question, would you NOW restore. No, not yet. In fact, it isn't for you to know when.
Here it is: So when, if the disciples kept asking the question, "Will you now restore the Kingdom to Israel" would Jesus say, YES? Or when will Jesus gather together the apostles and say, "It's about that time.", and then remind them of their question? Their question spoke to full manifestation of the Kingdom on Earth in Israel. Jesus didn't say they were wrong. Jesus didn't say He isn't restoring the Kingdom to Israel. He said, not yet (to respond to that key word "NOW"), and in fact, it isn't for you to know when. Not by time period, not by the day. So when will Jesus finally answer, yes, I will now restore the Kingdom to Israel? (I am not asking for any specific date or time frame. I would hope you know what I am alluding to. My first argument question would be making full use of the parable of the fig tree.)
Acts 1:
"6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
What was Jesus answer. Yes? No? Or was it:
"But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority;
If it is not for them to know these things, does that mean Jesus told them? If not, then how does Matthew 24 or Luke 21 give any kind of answer? How can anyone set any kind of date, or a period of time as a date (this generation being said to mean the disciples generation) if Jesus basically said that it isn't our business to know, which is a really complicated way of saying, you don't know/won't know?
The rest of His answer is:
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”"
Sounds like a VERY long project. It also sounds like He is saying it is none of your business, because your business (verse 8) comes BEFORE that time. If Jesus answered their questions as to when it would happen, then they would be distracted and not focused on the task. Or, they will become really distraught, especially if He said it would be another 2000+ years. How is that supposed to help people face torture and death on a daily basis? We have His promise. We believe wholeheaertedly in His promise. So we WILL work and tough it out until He comes, knowing He will.
The only example I can give of just how much weight this has on people is that it had Peter writing to the church for God, saying that God is not being lax in His promise. There are a lot of people out there that God wants to see saved, and not see perish. This isn't about us. This is about ALL the elect of God, some who have yet to be saved. The fact that anyone is getting saved shows that God has yet to fulfill His promise, but that He has a purpose beyond any we could ever come up with. To save His children. Every... last... one. How many could display such long suffering and endurance as God? To put up with the total corruption of His creation, just to save one person, and then another... It should push us harder to fulfill His command to spread the gospel to the ends of the Earth.
To the question: Jesus did not say He would not return the Kingdom to Israel. In fact, He all but verified it would happen by simply saying, it isn't for you to know when it will happen, just that it isn't NOW. That was the key word in their question, would you NOW restore. No, not yet. In fact, it isn't for you to know when.
Here it is: So when, if the disciples kept asking the question, "Will you now restore the Kingdom to Israel" would Jesus say, YES? Or when will Jesus gather together the apostles and say, "It's about that time.", and then remind them of their question? Their question spoke to full manifestation of the Kingdom on Earth in Israel. Jesus didn't say they were wrong. Jesus didn't say He isn't restoring the Kingdom to Israel. He said, not yet (to respond to that key word "NOW"), and in fact, it isn't for you to know when. Not by time period, not by the day. So when will Jesus finally answer, yes, I will now restore the Kingdom to Israel? (I am not asking for any specific date or time frame. I would hope you know what I am alluding to. My first argument question would be making full use of the parable of the fig tree.)
