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The Epic finale concludes with the fulfillment of the kingdom promises at the return of the King. The last chapters of the Bible take us back to the first. Back to paradise. Back to the Tree of Life. Back to heaven on earth. Back to the future.

Summary by Darrin Koehler

Continued from Epic 12…

The Jews in Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to come in great power and to set up His kingdom immediately – this is the way they expected Israel to be restored. This is why in Acts the disciples ask Jesus “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” But Jesus said plainly, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” Instead, he changes the subject to that of the will of the Father, saying, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The core purpose of the regenerate Christian, while still alive on this earth, is to spread the news of the Kingdom of Heaven until the day of its fulfillment, when Christ comes back. His disciples wanted the Kingdom established immediately, but Jesus said not yet. Jesus ends the conversation by ascending into heaven right before their eyes. As they marveled, two angels stood next to them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” This reveals to us in context that we are to be doing God’s missionary work until we see Jesus come back in just the way He left.

This principle – that the Kingdom of Heaven is already here, but not yet come – is also clearly identified in the gospel of Matthew. When Jesus began his ministry, he came preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” But he made it clear that there was a plan for God’s people until the Kingdom is fulfilled by the return of Jesus (Mat. 16). In Revelation 12 and 19, we see Jesus descending upon the earth in great glory and power, judging the nations of the earth.

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CrossWay Church is a modern expression of the biblical community of faith, hope and love serving the cities of Debary, Orange City, Deltona, Deland, Sanford and the surrounding central Florida area. Our passion is for the glory and fame of Jesus Christ. Our vision is to effectively engage our contemporary culture with his timeless gospel. Our mission is to help people find and follow hard after him. Visit us on the web at crosswayflorida.com