THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY

CHURCH IN PROPHECY

The Church is not found in the Old Testament. Rather, the Old Testament anticipates Messiah’s Kingdom( Isaiah 2; 4; 11; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 37:21-25). Abraham “waited for the city which has foundations, Whose builder and maker is God”( Hebrews 11:10 NKJV ). In the Davidic covenant, God promised David a perpetual line to rule Israel from an earthly throne ( 2 Samuel 7). Gabriel told Mary that her child would “be called the son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” ( Luke 1:32-33 ) . John the Baptist preached that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” ( Matthew 3:2 ). Jesus announced the same, saying, “The Kingdom of God is at hand” ( Mark 1:14 ). Jesus chose and sent out the 12 with the exhortation, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand'” ( Matthew 10:5-7 ). These references all apply to the Kingdom, not to the church.

CHRIST PREDICTED THE CHURCH

But when the Jewish leaders and people rejected Christ’s offer of the Kingdom, especially as seen in Matthew 11-12, Jesus announced something new — the Church. The word Church occurs in the Gospel only in Matthew 16:18 and 18:19. At Caesarea Philippi, just six month before the crucifixion, Jesus used the future tense to Prophesy something new. He said, “I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”( Matthew 16:18). Later, Jesus raised the possibility of one brother sinning against another, and He commanded that if the erring brother should ignore repeated efforts towards reconciliation, the offended brother should “tell it to the church” ( Matthew18:17 ).

THE CHURCH BEGAN AT PENTECOST

The Church was a Completely new entity that began at Pentecost (Acts 2). Even the disciples did not expect the Church. After Christ’s resurrection, the 11 asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). After all, that is what they had been waiting for. Journeying to Jerusalem for that final passover, Jesus give the parable of the Ten pounds because his disciples “though the Kingdom of God would appear immediately” ( Luke 19:11). The mother of James and John pled to Jesus for her sons to sit “One on your right hand and the other on your left, in Your Kingdom” ( Matthew 20:21 ). The disciples repeatedly argued over which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom ( Luke 9:46 ), even during the last Supper ( Luke 22:24 ). Thus, they were surprised when Jesus told them not to worry about the Kingdom (Acts 1:7) but to wait in Jerusalem until they were endured with power by the coming of His promised Holy Spirit ( Acts 1:8 ).