2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-11 2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! ² I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

⁷ You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we. ⁸ For if I boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame, ⁹ for I do not want to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.” ¹¹ Have such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.”

THE HISTORICAL SETTING “Paul wrote 2 Corinthians (c. A.D. 55-56) from Macedonia, following a “painful visit” (2 Cor 2:1), Paul faced continued opposition from “false apostles” who attacked his character, motives, and ministry. Paul addressed false accusations regarding his integrity, his changing travel plans, and his refusal to accept financial support from them, which some deemed evidence of not being a true apostle.” (AI) Some had criticized that he was not bolder when he was with them in confronting the false teachers, thus implying that his authority as an apostle was weak. He basically says, “if you want to see me bold, then just wait: I will be as bold as need be when I come”. He hoped the Corinthians would all repent so that he did not have to be bold when he came.

PAUL’S BATTLE WITH THE FALSE TEACHERS IN CORINTH But I want to focus on vs 5-6. Paul is in a battle for the spiritual minds of the Corinthians. Arrogant false teachers were apparently undermining Paul’s authority with the Corinthian church. No doubt they had convincing arguments. They had heretical doctrines that Paul opposed. But they were not just attacking Paul on a personal level. They were attacking his authority as an apostle. The apostles were given the Holy Spirit to guide them into “all truth” (John 16:13). Their preaching and writings would be the standard for truth from the first century on. By Paul’s authority granted him as an apostle he was “destroying all arguments” against him. He was “taking every thought captive”. What does that mean? “Taking every thought captive (based on 2 Corinthians 10:5) is the proactive, spiritual practice of monitoring your mind to intercept negative, doubtful, or ungodly thoughts. It involves actively rejecting thoughts that contradict biblical truth and replacing them with God’s word, ensuring mental, emotional, and spiritual alignment with Christ. Treating thoughts as potential intruders that must be arrested rather than passively accepted. Comparing thoughts to the Gospel and Scripture to determine their validity. ” (AI) The language Paul uses is of a battle in war: “battle, weapons of warfare, destruction of fortresses, taking thoughts captive”.

PAUL’S BATTLE WITH THE FALSE TEACHERS AT CORINTH But I want to focus on vs 5-6. Paul is in a battle for the spiritual minds of the Corinthians. Arrogant false teachers were apparently undermining Paul’s authority with the Corinthian church. No doubt they had convincing arguments. They had heretical doctrines that Paul opposed. But they were not just attacking Paul on a personal level. They were attacking his authority as an apostle. The apostles were given the Holy Spirit to guide them into “all truth” (John 16:13). Their preaching and writings would be the standard for truth from the first century on. By Paul’s authority granted him as an apostle he was “destroying all arguments” against him. He was “taking every thought captive”. What does that mean? “Taking every thought captive (based on 2 Corinthians 10:5) is the proactive, spiritual practice of monitoring your mind to intercept negative, doubtful, or ungodly thoughts. It involves actively rejecting thoughts that contradict biblical truth and replacing them with God’s word, ensuring mental, emotional, and spiritual alignment with Christ. Treating thoughts as potential intruders that must be arrested rather than passively accepted. Comparing thoughts to the Gospel and Scripture to determine their validity. ” (AI) The language Paul uses is of a battle in war: “battle, weapons of warfare, destruction of fortresses, taking thoughts captive”.

PAUL’S AUTHORITY AS AN APOSTLE Oh how this applies to our spiritual warfare today. The Bible is the inspired, God-breathed word of God. The original manuscripts were infallible and error free. We have over 5,000 ancient manuscripts that allow us to say that we have 99% accurate copies of the originals. Paul’s was of equal authority to the original 12 apostles. 2 Corinthians 12:¹¹ I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. ¹² The distinguishing marks of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs, wonders, and miracles. “Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, qualifying and choosing him to be the apostle to the Gentiles. The Corinthians had seen his apostolic miracles that he did in their presence, They should not have listened for a second to the arguments of the false teachers against Paul’s apostleship. Paul’s letters were inspired by the Holy Spirit and fully authoritative on all matters of Christian living and doctrine. But apparently some of the members had been swayed by the false teachers We are dealing with that same situation today. Many today say that Paul’s writings are not authoritative. The big issue is the LGBTQ issue. Paul plainly and clearly condemns homosexuality as a sin (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). The LGBTQ supporters say that Paul was just homophobic and that we don’t have to follow his teaching. They say that he does not have the authority of an apostle. They might argue that we only have to listen to the words of Jesus and not Paul. So we present arguments to counter their claims, but it seems as if we are losing the battle over Paul’s authority. What’s even more distressing is that many preachers and churches don’t respect Paul’s authority and writings as an apostle either. The recent Methodist church departure from the truth illustrates that.

TAKING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE But there is a more personal application of 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 “taking every thought captive”. Am I aware of the battle for control of my thoughts and mind? Do I recognize thoughts that cause fear, anxiety, or disobedience to God, and then treat them as dangerous enemy intruder that must be taken captive instead of allowing them to roam freely in my mind? Do I replace negative, false, or unhelpful thoughts with biblical truths? Do I actively reject the thought and replace it with a positive, constructive, or truthful one? I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of bad thoughts that come to my mind every day. But I don’t always fight to capture and destroy those thoughts. I know they are wrong but I just allow them to occupy my thoughts for a while. I’m always thinking, “what can I do to capture such bad thoughts when they attack”? Of course, quoting Scripture is good. That is what Jesus did when he was tempted. Surely the thought entered his mind about how good some homemade fresh bread would taste if he turned those stones to bread, especially since he had been fasting for 40 days. But he quoted Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone” to counter Satan. David said in Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hidden/stored in my heart, that I might not sin against You”. Maybe it would be good to visualize something else when a bad thought enters. Maybe picture Jesus on the cross dying for me so that I would not let sin master over me.  

I hope this helps me most of all, but I hope it helps you also.

JESUS READS FROM ISAIAH 61 IN THE SYNAGOGUE: Luke 4:¹⁴ And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

¹⁶ And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING: ²⁰ And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all the people in the synagogue were intently directed at Him. ²¹ Now He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Can you imagine shock and anger when Jesus said that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:10-3? Luke 4:²⁸ And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; ²⁹ and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff. ³⁰ But He passed through their midst and went on His way.” “In the post-exilic and intertestamental periods, these verses in Isaiah 61:1-3 were viewed as promises for a future time when a Davidic ruler would bring restoration. The community at Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls) specifically held an eschatological, messianic view of this passage, connecting it with the end-times redemption of Israel.” The Jews in the synagogue in Luke 4 considered Jesus’ claim to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-3 to be blasphemous. They had aready rejected Jesus as the Messiah b/c he did not bring a restoration of the physical Jewish kingdom. Instead, he preached a spiritual kingdom, the church, to be established soon.

THE ANOINTING OF JESUS WITH THE SPIRIT AND HIS MISSION: Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
² To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:³⁸ You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” That allowed Jesus to give “recovery of sight to the blind” and to preach the gospel that freed people from the spiritual prison of sin. “The “favorable year of the LORD” (or “acceptable year”) in Isaiah 61:2 refers to a spiritual era of divine grace, restoration, and freedom from captivity, modeled after the Old Testament Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).” (AI) “Every 50 years (the year of Jubilee), Israelites returned ancestral land to original owners, cancelled debts, released slaves/indentured servants, and allowed the land to rest without sowing or reaping.” (AI)

GLADNESS AND. EVERLASTING JOY: Isaiah 61 goes on to describe the joy of those who would be freed by Jesus from the captivity ot sin. Isaiah 61:2 “And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
³ To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. 7 Everlasting joy will. be theirs.”

Jesus would bring a “day of vengeance” on the Jews who had killed the saints, prophets and apostles, but the remnant who accepted Jesus as the Messiah would have gladness and everlasting joy. We Christians should be the happiest people on earth, even in the midst of sad earthly troubles. We might not can laugh on the outside due to pain and sadness, bur we can still have joy on the inside.

TRY TO PICTURE THIS OCCASION IN THE SYNAGOGUE: THE CHOSEN EPISODE Can you picture Jesus standing up in that synagogue to read from the scroll of Isaiah, and then after. reading Isaiah 61:1-3 he hands the scroll back to the attendant and sits down? All eyes are staring at him as he says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Can you picture going with the mob as they carry Jesus to the crest of a ciff to throw him off for blasphemy? But the mystery of how he “passes through their midst” and goes on his way. How did he do that? Did God supernaturally stun the crowd, freezing them long enough for Jesus to pass through them and escape?

Here is the Luke 4 synagogue incident from “The Chosen”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyHp0TovnUQ&t=6s I strongly suggest that you watch this. It is interesting how it picture Jesus “passing through their midst”. He simply tells the rabbi, “This isn’t going to happen: not today”, and then he just walks through them and no one tries to stop him.

In Peter’s 1st letter, he predicted: 1 Peter 4:7 “the end (telos: End, purpose, goal, completion, fulfillment: This root (tel-) means “reaching the end (aim).” It is well-illustrated with the old pirate’s telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength) of all things is at hand (eggizó: To draw near, to approach, to come near: (eggízō) occurs 14 times in the Greek perfect tense (indicative mood) in the NT which expresses “extreme closeness, immediate imminence)”. If Peter was predicting the end of the world, then he was a false prophet b/c the end of the world was not near. He must have been predicting the end of the Jewish Age, the end of the Jewish system of worship, the end of the old covenant. All those things happened in 70 AD in the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem. Peter had already said that he and his readers were living in the “last times”. 1 Peter 1:²⁰ For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” That would be the “last times”, synonymous with the “last days” of the Jewish Age from 30 AD to 70 AD, before the “end” of all things that was near. The Hebrews writer had predicted in about 60 AD that the old covenant was “about to disappear”. Hebrews 8:¹³ When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear.” It did disappear in 70 AD: no more temple, no more priests, no more animal sacrifices after 70 AD.It would be replaced by the new covenant. The old Jerusalem would be replaced by the new heavenly Jerusalem, i.e. the church. The Jewish Age would end in 70 AD. Jesus had predicted that the end would be within the generation of those he was speaking to (Matthew 24:14,34). Daniel had predicted that the “end time” would occur when the “abomination of desolation” occurred. Jesus said that Daniel’s abomination of desolation would occur within the generation of those he was speaking to (Matthew 24:15,34) so that must be the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. The new Messianic Age, usually called the “age to come”, began in Acts 2 at the beginning of the “last days” of the Jewish Age and would continue indefinitely after the Jewish Age ended in 70 AD. The “last days” would be the transition period from 30 AD to 70 AD. Peter’s “end of all things” must be a prediction of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD.

In his 2nd letter he predicted the destruction of the old heavens and earth. Let’s stop here and think. If Peter predicted that the end of all things was near and would happen in 70 AD, would the destruction of the old heavens and earth not be included in the “end of all things”? The false prophets in the “last days” were mocking the prediction of the destruction of the imminent 2nd coming of Jesus.2 Peter 3:³ Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts.” That shows that this prediction is to be fulfilled in the last days, which is the period from 30 AD to 70 AD, the last days of the Jewish Age. Jude said the prediction of mockers in the “last time” was made by the apostles: Jude 1:¹⁷ But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” The mockers mocked Jesus’ prediction that He was going to come back within that generation (Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:30-34; 26:64). 2 Peter 2:⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” Jesus made those predictions in 30 AD and Peter wrote 2 Peter about 62 AD, so it had been over 30 years since Jesus made that prediction of his imminent 2nd coming. But Jesus had not returned in those 30 years and you can see how the mockers used that. The word for “generation” is genea and always refers to a 40 year period in the New Testament, so Jesus’ prediction still has 10 years to be fulfilled and still be “within that generation”, which would still be “imminent”. His prediction of his 2nd coming within that generation can only refer to His coming in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD (using the Romans). He made no other predictions of a “coming” that would happen after that generation.

Peter said that he was reminding his readers of the words spoken by the “holy prophets and the commandments of the Lord and Savior spoken by the apostles”. 2 Peter 3:1 Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, ² to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.” I just showed the words of Jesus and the apostles that involved this prediction in 2 Peter 3, but where did the words of the “holy prophets” that involved this prediction appear? The answer to that is found in 2 Peter 3:¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! ¹³ But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” The “day of God” is an unusual way of referring to the “day of the Lord”: 2 Peter 3:¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. That day of the Lord or day of God is used many times in the Old Testament and means a day of judgment, usually judgment on a nation. In 2 Peter 3:10,12 it refers to 70 AD and a day of judgment on the Jews. Maybe in 2 Peter 3:12 he calls it a “day of God” b/c he then says that “according to His (i.e. God’s) promise we are looking fo a new heavens and earth. So where did God promise a new heavens and earth? There is only one place where a new heavens and earth is promised and that is in Isaiah 65-66 in predictions made by the prophet Isaiah. That would fit Peter’s reference in 2 Peter 3:2 the “words spoken by the holy prophets”. A little lengthy but I need to include all of Isaiah’s prediction.

Isaiah 65:¹⁷ “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
¹⁹ I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
²⁰ No longer will there be in it an infant who lives only a few days,
Or an old person who does not live out his days;
For the youth will die at the age of a hundred,
And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred
Will be thought accursed.
²¹ They will build houses and inhabit them;
They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
²² They will not build and another inhabit,
They will not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
And My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.
²³ They will not labor in vain,
Or give birth to children for disaster;
For they are the descendants of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.

²⁴ It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen. ²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm on all My holy mountain,” says the Lord.”

Is Isaiah predicting the end of the earth here? I think not b/c he says there will still be “death” in the new heavens and earth. He says ²⁰ No longer will there be in it an infant who lives only a few days,
or an old person who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of a hundred, and the one who does not reach the age of a hundred will be thought accursed.” There will still be death in this new heavens and earth so this can’t be predicting eternal life in heaven or life on earth in the millennium if you are of the premillennialist belief. But there will be no physical death in those 2 scenarios, so Isaiah 65 can’t be predicting the end of the world. So what is Isaiah predicting? He is predicting the new heavens and earth of 2 Peter 3 that will take the place of the old heavens and earth once it is destroyed. He will create a “new Jerusalem” for rejoicing and gladness (65:18-19) which would be the new Jerusalem, i.e. the church. A lot of figurative language in this prediction in Isaiah 65. A child living to the age of 100 is obviously figurative. The “wolf and the lamb grazing together” (65:25) is figurative of peace within the new Messianic Age church and new Jerusalem. It is not predicting a re-creation of the earth to its Garden of Eden state where the animals are all at. peace with one another. Of course, that is assuming that this new heavens and earth of Isaiah 65 is predicting the Messianic Age and the church and not some future destruction of the physical earth.

Isaiah 66 is the 2nd prediction of Isaiah of a “new heavens and earth”. That chapter contains a repeat of the new Jerusalem rejoicing (66:10-13). But it also predicts a judgment of the wicked in 66:14 “But He will be indignant toward His enemies. ¹⁵ For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. ¹⁶ For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on humanity, and those put to death by the Lord will be many.” If this new heavens and earth is the new Messianic Age and church, then that fits with the judgment in 70 AD on the wicked Jews.

Isaiah 66:¹⁸ “For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. ¹⁹ And I will put a sign among them and send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. ²⁰ Then they shall bring all your countrymen from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. ²¹ I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.” When would the nations be gathered to see God’s glory? That can’t be the end of the world b/c God would send survivors to the nations to declare His glory and bring their fellow countrymen to Jerusalem to make some of them as priests and Levites. This is a prediction of the Jewish Christian “survivors” of the judgment of 70 AD going into the world converting Gentiles and making them priests (all Christians are spiritual priests in the church).

²² “For just as the new heavens and the new earth,
Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So will your descendants and your name endure.
²³ And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
²⁴ “Then they will go out and look
At the corpses of the people
Who have rebelled against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be extinguished;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”

Again, Isaiah is predicting a new heavens and earth after the judgment of 70 AD. He uses figurative language. Converts in the new heavens and earth will worship from new moon to new moon and from Sabbath to Sabbath. We know this is figurative b/c Paul said that we don’t have to observe new moons or Sabbaths: Colossians 2:¹⁶ Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day.” Isaiah is writing to Jews in the language of the old covenant that they were familiar witht. Surely converts are not literally looking at corpses in the new heavens and earth.

Point being, the only place where the prophets “promised a new heavens and earth” is Isaiah 65-66 and that must be where Peter gets that promise from God (2 Peter 3:13). So what is this “new heavens and earth”? Is it a literal re-created earth to its Garden of Eden state, which is what many teach? I think not. We have already seen that everything in 2 Peter 3 points to a prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD as part of the “end of all things” that is “near” (1 Peter 4:7). My belief is that the new heavens and earth is the new Messianic system that began in Acts 2 in 30 AD and continued indefinitely after the old heavens and earth were destroyed in 70 AD. But doesn’t it say that the “elements will be destroyed” (2 Peter 3:10) and “melt with intense heat” (2 Peter 3:12)? Isn’t that the physical elements that the earth is made of, like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc.? I think not. Let’s look at the Greek for “elements”. The Greek word is stoicheion: Element, principle, rudiment. stoixeíon– properly, fundamentals, like with the basic components of a philosophy, structure, etc.; (figuratively) “first principles,” like the basic fundamentals of Christianity. The elements of religious training or the ceremonial precepts common alike to the worship of Jews and of Gentiles” (J. Thayer).(biblehub.com) The word is only used 7 times: Galatians 4:3,9; Colossians 2:8,20; Hebrews 5:12; 2 Peter 3:10,12. In the first 5 uses, it refers to. the fundamental teachings of of the worship of Jews and Gentiles. It never refers to the physical elements of the world like hydrogen, etc. So it is plausible that in 2 Peter 3:10,12 it refers to the fundamental teachings of the Jewish system, the old covenant. Thus the use in 2 Peter 3:10,12 would be figurative of burning up and destroying those elements or fundamental teachings of the Jewish system. The burning of the old heavens and earth would be figurative of the removal of the old covenant. The new heavens and earth, i.e. the new covenant would replace the old covenant after it disappeared in 70 AD (Hebrews 8:13). That new heavens and earth of 2 Peter 3 would be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prediction in Isaiah 65-66.

There is no direct evidence that any of the early church fathers taught that 2 Peter 3 was fulfilled in 70 AD but they did expect the 2nd coming to be soon in their lifetimes. That was based on predictions of Jesus and the apostles of an imminent 2nd coming. The full preterist position is that the 2nd coming did occur within that generation at 70 AD just as Jesus predicted. Those who don’t understand the nature of the 2nd coming in 70 AD usually say that, “yes Jesus did predict an imminent 2nd coming but he delayed it.” Many of the early church fathers in the 2nd century said that the 2nd coming was “delayed” but still expected it to be soon in their lifetimes, hanging on to Jesus’ and the apostles’ prediction of an imminent 2nd coming. As the time from when Jesus made his predictions got longer and longer into the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the “delay” theory got harder to defend. Jesus’ prediction of a 2nd coming within that first generation can only be delayed for a short time before the prophecy simply fails to come to pass and that would make Jesus a false prophet. I am amazed at the number of Christians who teach that we are still living in the “delayed” time before Jesus’ eventual 2nd coming in our future. That would be a 2,000 year delay and counting and Jesus would be a false prophet. The Hebrews writer destroys the idea of a delayed 2nd coming. Hebrews 10:³⁷ For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” The reason early church fathers and later scholars, even today, teach or taught that the 2nd coming was “delayed” is b/c they didn’t understand the nature of the 2nd coming. They expected a 2nd coming that would end the world. They also did not understand the nature of the kingdom that Jesus set up. He established a spiritual kingdom, the church, and not a physical kingdom. He said that “the kingdom is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He said that some of those listening to him would still be alive to see Him coming in His kingdom (Matthew 16:28). He said that his kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36). So if someone false expects Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom at his 2nd coming, they will most likely say that he delayed his 2nd coming. Jesus will never return to set up an earthly kingdom. If full preterism is true, then there will be no future (i.e. in our future) 2nd coming to establish anything.

I know this is a lot to think about and study, but I hope that you will do so. The expectation of an imminent 2nd coming within their lifetime kept the first Christians “on their toes” trying to live godly. 2 Peter 3:¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him (at his 2nd coming), at peace.We don’t have that same motivation for living godly, but our death will be the event that keeps us “on our toes”. So we need to live godly also.

THE LAST TIME: 1 Peter was written to Jewish Christians scattered across the Roman Empire. Throughout the letter, there is a a prediction of an imminent event in their future. There are many phrases that indicate that. 1:5 there is a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” “Ready” in the Greek is hetoimos: ready, accomplished, opportune: ready because the necessary preparations are done. The phrase the “last time” is similar to the phrase “the last days” used in the New Testament, which refers to the last days of the Jewish Age, a 40 year period from 30 AD to 70 AD, ending in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. 1 Peter 1:20 shows that they were living in the “last times” at the time of writing: 1:²⁰ For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST: The “revelation of Jesus was the imminent event in 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1:⁷ so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” “Revelation” in the Greek is apokalupsis: Revelation, unveiling, disclosure: the ultimate unveiling of His glory, power, and role as king at the end time (not the “end of time”). This would happen at Jesus’ 2nd coming in 70 AD when His coming in judgment on the Jews would show His glory and power. 2 Thessalonians 1:7 portrays relief for the persecuted “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels.” “Set your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13). 1 Peter 4:¹³ but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed.” That revelation of Jesus would result in them 1:⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.This unveiling of Jesus’ glory and power at His 2nd coming would give them their ultimate salvation, i.e. the “immortality” Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 15:50ff. This is the “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5). They would suffer for “a little while” until that 2nd coming in which Jesus using the Romans would destroy over a million of the evil Jews who had been persecuting Jewish Christians for the 40 year period from 30 AD to 70 AD. 1 Peter 1:⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” 1 Peter was probably written around 62 AD-64 AD, shortly before his death at the hands of Nero in 64-68 AD. So “the little while” of suffering would be just a few years till 70 AD. Their trials and persecution would include not only Jewish persecution but also the Roman persecution of Jewish Christians in the empire spurred by Nero’s persecution of all Christians in Rome after Rome burned and he blamed the Christians.

THE DAY OF VISITATION: This revelation of Jesus in 70 AD would be called the “day of visitation” in 1 Peter 2:¹² Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.” “Visitation” in the Greek is episkopé: Oversight, visitation, office of a bishop. The word is used of the office of bishops overseeing the flock, but whether describing the Lord’s coming to evaluate His people or the vocation of those who guard and guide the flock, the word invariably carries a sense of accountable watchfulness. His coming in 70 AD and relieving the persecution of the Jewish Christians showed that He was watching over and overseeing the welfare of the early suffering Christians It is used one other place to refer to the 2nd coming and destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD: Luke 19:⁴¹ When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, “If you had known on this day, even you, the conditions for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you when your enemies will put up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and they will level you to the ground, and throw down your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR: GOD IS READY TO JUDGE 1 Peter 4:⁷ The end of all things is near.” This is a critical passage in 1 Peter. “Near” in the Greek is eggizó: To draw near, to approach, to come near and occurs 14 times in the Greek perfect tense (indicative mood) in the NT which expresses “extreme closeness, immediate imminence” (biblehub.com) It is used in a similar way in” “The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near” (Romans 13:12). “You too be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near” (James 5:8). So what does the imminent “end of all things” refer to in 1 Peter 4:7? If it refers to the end of the world, then Peter is a false prophet b/c the end of the world did not happen soon after he wrote 1 Peter. The word “end” in the Greek is telos: End, purpose, goal, completion, fulfillment: properly, consummation (the end-goal, purpose), such as closure with all its results.” It is the word we get “telescope” from: This root (tel-) means “reaching the end (aim).” It is well-illustrated with the old pirate’s telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).” (biblehub.com) It must refer to the 2nd coming in 70 AD which would be the end of the Jewish Age, the end of the old covenant (Hebrews 8:¹³ When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is about to disappear and the old covenant did disappear in 70 AD), the end of the Jewish system of worship (the temple was destroyed, the offering of animals ceased, and the priesthood of Levi dissolved). But it would also the be fulfillment of all the old covenant shadows, the final culmination of God’s plan to bring in the new covenant in which sinners would be saved by grace through faith in the death of God’s Son Jesus on the cross. The “telescope” of God’s plan of redemption would be extended out one stage at a time until the full extension in 70 AD. There would be a “judgment of the living and the dead” at that time and Peter says that God was “ready” to do that judgment: 1 Peter 4:⁵ but they (the Gentiles)will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.” In 70 AD God would judge those Old Testament dead waiting in Hades for their final sentencing (Daniel 12:1-3). He would judge the living, giving immortality to believers. He would even judge the Gentiles, not in physical judgment, but in showing them that the Jewish Christians whom they were persecuting were the true chosen people of God. That judgment would begin with the Jewish nation in 70 AD: 1 Peter 4:¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God (i.e. the Jewish nation); and if it begins with us (i.e. the Jews) first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

2 THESSALONIANS 1; THE REVELATION OF JESUS FROM HEAVEN A lengthy section, but one to ponder on is 2 Thessalonians 1:⁴ As a result, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. ⁵ This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. ⁶ For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels ⁸ in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. (the same as 1 Peter 4:17); ⁹ These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed. ¹¹ To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will consider you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, ¹² so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This “revelation of Jesus from heaven” is obviously referring to His coming in judgment on the Jews in 70 AD to kill one million of the Jews who have been persecuting the Jewish Christians. Paul had written about that in 1 Thessalonians 2:¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, ¹⁵ who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out.They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, ¹⁶ hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.” That wrath would come upon the Jewish nation fully in 70 AD. God would avenge the blood of the apostles, prophets, and saints whom the Jews had killed over the centuries (Revelation 19).

ROMANS 8:18-23: THE GLORY “ABOUT TO BE REVEALED” IN THE CHRISTIANS IN 70 AD At that “end of all things” in 70 AD, the glory of the Lord Jesus would be revealed in His 2nd coming (2 Thessalonians 1:10) and the faithful Jewish Christian saints would be glorified, shown to be the true chosen people of God. 1 Peter 5:1 Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed (i.e revealed at the end of all things of 1 Peter 4:7)”. That is the same Greek word apokaluptó as in 1 Peter 1:7,13; 4:13. This was the event Paul predicted in Romans 8:¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory about to be revealed in us; ¹⁹ for the earnest looking out of the creation doth expect the revelation of the sons of God.” The Greek word is mello and always means “about to be” when used in the New Testament. This was the same apokalupsis as used in 1 Peter. Romans 8:18-23 is predicting an event that was “about to happen” when Paul wrote the Roman letter. It must be referring to 70 AD when the Jewish Christians would be glorified as the true children of God. The “creation” that would be set free from the curse of sin would be people, not the physical creation (i.e. not the earth). Romans 8:²¹ that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God.” The “creation” here is the children of God, the Christians, who will be given immortality and final freedom from the curse of sin. Many use Romans 8:18-23 to teach that the physical creation, i.e. the earth, will be restored to it s Garden of Eden state at the 2nd coming but Romans 8 is predicting an event that is “about to happen”, not something yet to happen 2,000 years (and counting) in the future. It is not predicting a future restoration of the earth to its Garden of Eden state.

THE CROWN OF GLORY WHEN THE CHIEF SHEPHERD JESUS APPEARS At Jesus’ 2nd coming in 70 AD the Jewish Christians Peter was writing to would receive their “crown of glory”. 1 Peter 5:⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” “Appears” in the Greek is phaneroó: To make manifest, to reveal, to make known, to show openly: (figuratively) make plain, in open view; to become apparent. Those with wisdom would see the judgment of the Jews in 70 AD as the apparent coming of Jesus, the appearance of Jesus. This is the same Greek word as in 1 Jn 3:2: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared (phaneroó:) as yet what we will be. We know that if (Gk ean) He becomes manifest (5319 /phaneróō), we will be like Him, because (hoti) we will see Him just as (Gk kathōs) He is.” (biblehub.com) When Jesus was glorified in his coming in 70 AD, the Christians were also glorified and honored, thus becoming like Him, receiving His glory. “Put yourself in the place of those persecuted Jewish Christians that Peter is writing to. Can you imagine the joy they would get when Jesus appeared in 70 AD to give them relief from their persecution by killing one million of their persecutors? The joy they would get when they received the “outcome of their salvation”, i.e. immortality in 70 AD. The glory and honor they would get when in 70 AD they were shown to both Jews and Gentiles to be the true chosen people of God. The crown of glory they would receive! God would exalt them at “the proper time”: 1 Peter 5:⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time.” That “proper time” would be the 2nd coming in 70 AD. Peter gives one last exhortation: 1 Peter 5:¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” The same “little while” of suffering as in 1 Peter1:⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” After that little while, in 70 AD God would confirm them to be His true chosen people. The unbelieving Jewish nation would no longer be the chosen people of God. The kingdom of God would be taken from the Jews and given to a nation that would produce fruit for God. Matthew 21:⁴³ Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit.” That new nation would be the church, Jewish Christians, the new chosen people, the new nation of God. 1 Peter 2:⁹ But you (the Jewish Christians) are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Wow! I don’t think I ever fully realized the imminency of the events that Peter predicted in 1 Peter. As you can see, when understood properly, they all tie together with the imminent coming of Jesus in 70 AD. I hope you have enjoyed this study. I think the Greek helps also.

WAS MARK 16:9-20 IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF MARK’S GOSPE? THE MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE Here is a good article that I suggest you read on this topic https://www.gotquestions.org/Mark-16-9-20.html I am not a Greek scholar, but a couple of key points stand out. “Two of the oldest and most respected manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, do not contain the longer ending to the Gospel of Mark. Both of those ancient Greek manuscripts end at Mark 16:8. They are given credence because, the older the manuscript, the closer it is to the original autographs. The fewer generations of copies, the fewer opportunities for deviation, and thus an older manuscript can be assumed to be more accurate than a newer one. Since the oldest manuscripts do not contain Mark 16:9–20, many scholars doubt that these verses were in the original Gospel of Mark.” There are also 2 shorter endings to Mark 16 that appear in some ancient manuscripts, which to me suggests that some copyists thought that the book ended abruptly and sought to add something to the ending. That would support the idea that it ended with 16:8.  However, the Long Ending is present in over 95% of other Greek manuscripts, That makes you wonder how so many other manuscripts would have it if it was not in any of the oldest manuscripts. That would be strong support for the long ending. So the question is whether to rely on its absence in two of the very oldest manuscripts versus its presence in the vast majority of manuscripts. Almost all scholars reject the long ending of Mark.

EVIDENCE FOR AND AGAINST THE LONG ENDING FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS: The evidence from the early church fathers is mixed. “Evidence from the church fathers in favor of Mark 16:9–20 is even earlier than the oldest manuscript evidence. Irenaeus wrote book three of Against Heresies when Eleutherius was bishop of Rome (174–189)—at least a century before Vaticanus was produced. There Irenaeus wrote, “Also, towards the conclusion of his Gospel, Mark says, ‘So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God” (3.10.5). Irenaeus’s copy of Mark obviously included Mark 16:9–20, since he is quoting here from Mark 16:19.” (James Snapp, Jr) Also, Tatian’s Diatessaron (c. 170) (a harmony of the 4 gospels) also included it.So that is strong 2nd century proof in support of the long ending. However, “both (church fathers) Eusebius of Caesarea and Jerome specifically commented on the long ending of Mark (16:9-20), noting that it was absent from the majority of Greek manuscripts available to them in the 4th and 5th centuries. They recognized that the most accurate copies ended at Mark 16:8.” (AI) Jerome did include it in his 4th century Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, which is interesting. That is strong proof against the long ending since it shows that many of the early church fathers rejected the long ending. On the other hand, “some arguments suggest that while only a few very early fathers (2nd century) explicitly cite it, over 40 patristic sources across the early church period use material from Mark 16:9-20 in some form.” (AI) As I said, the. evidence from the early church fathers is mixed.

DOES THE CONTENT OF THE LONG ENDING SUPPORT OR REJECT ITS AUTHENTICITY? Those refuting the long ending also say that the long ending introduced questionable new doctrines like baptism before a believer is saved, drinking of poison, and handling of snakes. That argument doesn’t help decide if the text is genuine or not, which must be determined by manuscript evidence alone. The rest of the New Testament supports baptism before salvation (Acts 2:38) so that is not an issue. The healing of the sick, speaking in tongues, and casting out demons are signs in the book of Acts. The drinking of poison and handling of snakes as signs following the conversion of believers does seem unusual. The only mention in the New Testament of snakes is Paul being bitten by a poisonous snake in Malta and not being harmed. But there is none of the “snake handlng” practiced by some groups in church history. “Snake handling churches are independent, fundamentalist Pentecostal congregations, primarily located in the rural Appalachian region of the United States, that incorporate the handling of venomous snakes into their worship services. Based on a literal interpretation of Mark 16:17-18, followers believe that taking up snakes serves as a test of faith, a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power, and a sign of protection for true believers.” (AI) There is no mention of drinking poison in the New Testament. Some of the same snake handling groups also practice the drinking of poison. “While many participants claim to be unharmed, there have been documented cases of illness and death resulting from both snakebites and poison consumption. Adherents generally refuse medical attention, believing that if they are harmed or die, it was God’s will or a sign of insufficient faith.” (AI) The introduction of these two unusual new doctrines doesn’t support or refute the authenticity of the long ending, but it is an interesting discussion. If the long ending was not in the original text of Mark but added later, it makes me wonder why the person(s) adding the long ending would add these 2 unusual doctrines about snakes handling and drinking poison as signs. If the long ending was added after the first century, then the person(s) adding it would have access to the New Testament books (all of which were written before 70 AD) and would know that those 2 signs were not mentioned in the book of Acts or the letters (other than Paul being randomly bitten by a snake).

CONCLUSION I lean toward rejecting the long ending based on the evidence discussed above. But one of thee points sticks out to me in support of the long ending. If 95% of the other Greek manuscripts have the identical long endings, how could that be if it was not in any of the oldest manuscripts. At what point in time would someone have added the long ending and then almost all copyists after that started including the long ending in their copies? If the long ending was not in the original Mark text, that takes away a great verse on baptism being essential to salvation that we Church of Christ like to use (“he that believes and is baptized shall be saved”, Mark 16:16), but, as I said, the rest of the New Testament supports that doctrine of baptism before salvation. Acts 2:³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” In that verse, baptism comes before the remission of sins. In Acts 22, Saul was told ¹⁶ Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins by calling on His name.” In that verse, baptism comes before the washing away of sins. Many say that baptism is an outward sign to show that your sins have been washed away, but that’s not what Acts 22:16 says. Paul says in Romans 6:3-5 that we rise from baptism to walk in newness of life (thus new spiritual life after baptism). 1 Peter 3:²¹ Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Peter is comparing Noah being saved by (not “from” although that would also be true) the flood waters from the sinful environment on the e Peter says that in like manner baptism saves and the obvious comparison is to water baptism that saves us from sin, not fleshly dirt. Often I’ve heard preachers boldly teach “baptism does not save” and I wonder if they’ve read 1 Peter 3:16. Now if they mean that baptism alone does not save, I agree. If they mean that baptism is not a work to earn salvation, I agree. But in the new Testament salvation is by grace through faith but baptism is an essential part of faith that saves, so Peter is correct to say that “baptism saves you”. So, we don’t need Mark 16:16 to support baptism before salvation.

SHOULD IT BOTHER US IF THE LONG ENDING WAS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL MARK TEXT? So should it bother us that so many verses in 95% of the manuscripts might not even be in the original Mark text? It doesn’t bother me. We don’t have the originals and we know there are many variants in the over 5,000 copies. Those variants are almost always minor and of no consequence or impact on major doctrines. Some say we have over 99% of the originals in our best translations. The early church fathers quoted or cited all but 11 verses of the New Testament. So if the long ending in Mark is just a longer variant that might not be in the original Mark, that doesn’t bother me. The same goes for the story in John 8 of the woman caught in the act of adutery which almost everyone believes was not in the original text of the gospel of John.

ZECHARIAH 6:11-15 Haggai and Zechariah were the two prophets sent by God to get the people back to work on rebuilding the temple. The fist return from Babylonian exile was to rebuild the temple, but the work stopped for 16 years due to opposition of the surrounding Samaritans. This study is about Zechariah 6:11-15. ¹¹ Also take silver and gold, make an ornate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ¹² Then say to him, ‘The Lord of armies says this: “Behold, there is a Man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ ¹⁴ Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah. ¹⁵ Those who are far away will come and build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will know that the Lord of armies has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God.”

JESUS, HIGH PRIEST AND KING AT THE SAME TIME AND HE WOULD BUILD HIS CHURCH TEMPLE: This is an amazing Messianic prediction. It starts with God telling Zechariah to put a king’s crown on the high priest Joshua, which would be very unusual since a high priest could not also be a king. Kings came from the tribe of Judah and high priests from the tribe of Levi. But the next verses explain why God told him to do that. It was a symbol of Jesus (called the Branch as in Zechaariah 3:8; Isaiah 4:2;11:1; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15) one day being both king and high priest at the same time. The book of Hebrews shows that Jesus is our high priest after the order of Melchizadek, replacing the high priesthood of Levi. Revelation 19:16: Explicitly states, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”. Revelation 17:14: Mentions that the Lamb (Jesus) will conquer, as He is “Lord of lords and King of kings”. Revelation 11:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Zechariah 6:13 adds that the “counsel of peace will be between the two offices”. “The “counsel of peace” refers to the harmonious union of the kingly and priestly offices within one person, the Messianic “Branch” (Jesus Christ). This signifies a divine, eternal plan to reconcile humanity with God, uniting the atonement of the Priest with the ruling power of the King.” (AI) Zechariah adds that the Branch Jesus will “build the temple of the Lord”. This is a prediction of Jesus building His chuch, a spiritual temple. Ephesians 2:¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” He did not come to build a physical temple, as discussed in the next paragraph. The church is Jesus’ temple.Zechariah 6:15 also adds that “those who are far away will come and build the temple of the Lord.” That would either be Jews who were scattered over the Roman Empire who would preach the gospel in the book of Acts, thus helping build the church temple that Jesus would build (6:12-13), or maybe even the Gentiles who were far off (Ephessians 2:12ff) who would help build the church temple. I lean toward the first interpretation.

JESUS DID BUILD HIS CHUCH TEMPLE AND ESTABLISH A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM IN THE FIRST CENTURY: Jesus is both our high priest and king at the same time. The Hebrews letter says that Jesus is our high priest in heaven, having entered the Holy of Holies in heaven into the very presence of God to offer his blood for the sins of the world once for all time. No one would dispute that. But did He establish His kingdom already and is He reigning as King over that kingdom already, or is He coming back some day to. set up an earthly kingdom? This is where the nature of Jesus’ kingdom comes in. Jesus taught “the kingdom is at hand” (Mark 1:15). “At hand” means soon, shortly in. the time frame of those Jesus was talking to. Jesus said in Matthew 16:²⁸ “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Jesus is a false prophet if he did not return in His established kingdom while some of those he was talking to were still alive. Paul wrote in Colossians 1:¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Paul is saying that the Colossian Christians were in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus told Peter, Matthew 16:¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” This verse shows that the church is the kingdom that Jesus planned to build. When did Peter use those keys to allow saved sinners to enter that church kingdom? When he preached the first “gospel” sermon in Acts 2 and 3,000 were baptized and became Jesus’ first church of the saved. Peter used those keys to the kingdom to open the doors into the kingdom. Jesus said in John 18:³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Jesus did not come to establish a physical earthly kingdom. He established a spiritual kingdom, the church. He is not coming back to establish an earthly kingdom some day as most teach.

HEBREWS 8: JESUS CANNOT BE A KING ON EARTH Next I want to go to Hebrews 8 to show that Jesus cannot be a king on earth. Hebrews 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, not man. ³ For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. ⁴ Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law.” Now remember from Zechariah 6 that Jesus is both high priest and king at the same time. He is high priest in heaven, so he must be king in heaven also. If he were on earth, he could not be high priest (at the time of writing of Hebrews when the high priest was still active in the Holy of Holies) b/c He was not of the tribe of Levi (at the time of writing a high priest on earth would have to be from the tribe of Levi but Jesus was from the tribe of Judah). So, since he must be king and high priest at the same time, and since He can’t be high priest on earth, then He can’t be king on earth of some earthly kingdom. So, those who teach that Jesus will one day come back and establish an earthly kingdom over which He will be king will have a major problem: i.e. if he did that, He could no longer be our high priest. This is one of those syllogistic logic arguments. a) Jesus could not be our high priest on earth (Hebrews 8) b) Jesus is both king and high priest at the same time (Zechariah 6) in heaven c) Therefore, Jesus cannot be both high priest and king on earth.

WHY I THIS SO OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD? I really don’t know why this concept of Jesus’ kingdom being a spiritual kingdom, not physical, is so misunderstood by Bible teachers who say that Jesus is going to come back some day to set up an earthly kingdom. That false expectation of Jesus returning to set up an earthly kingdom is the basis of many other false teachings. The spiritual kingdom of Jesus was set up during the transition period from the beginning of the church in AD 30 to the confirmation and final consummation of the kingdom in 70 AD after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple.Very similar to our change of government when we elect a new president. There is the election and then a transition period until the inauguration a few months later. That is why you will find passages like Colossians 1:13 where the Christians are “already” in the kingdom, the church, but also passages like Acts 14:22 which talks about the Christians entering the kingdom in their future; so “already, not yet”. Are people just so bent on getting physical blessings that they can’t accept the spiritual blessings?