Did Christ come to set up an earthly kingdom? Did Jesus come to establish two kingdoms? Many of the Hebrews believed that Christ was to come to re-establish the earthly political kingdom of Israel. Many Judaic and Christian Zionists believe the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 is a precursor to the physical, millennial reign of the Judaic Messiah. However, the scriptures declare that the kingdom of God was “at hand” in the first century A.D.
Believers were told to repent and believe in the gospel “for the kingdom of God was at hand.” So did Christ bring the kingdom of God to his people? Are will there be a future physical millennial kingdom of Israel? Let’s explore what the scriptures reveal.
The Ancient Kingdom of Israel
Abraham’s children left Canaan for Egypt, but God promised Abraham that his seed would be regathered back to the promise land. Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt during the Exodus. Under Joshua’s leadership, the Israelites conquered Canaan and divided the land by lots of inheritance. Jacobs’s offspring established the Kingdom of Israel and proclaimed their kingdom in 1030 B.C.E. It endured until it fell to the Assyrian Empire (...)