S. I. Letter Ritchie Way March 2009

TRUE ISRAEL
Dear Ritchie
You claimed, in the November 2007 issue of Good News Unlimited, that there was a change-over from a literal kingdom of Israel to a spiritual kingdom of Israel at the time of Jesus. I am still to be persuaded that such a transition took place as it is not apparent to me that it did. The nation of Israel is still God’s kingdom.
S. I.

Dear S
What Jesus told Pilate about the type of kingdom that he would reign over may help to solve this problem. He said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place’ (John 18:36).
Please note the following:
1. Jesus’ kingdom is ‘not of this world.’ In other words, it is not like other kingdoms in this world. Modern Israel, however, is like other kingdoms in this world.
2. If Christ’s kingdom were an earthly kingdom his servants would fight to protect its interests. Israel has an army, navy and air force to protect its interests, but Christ’s kingdom has no territory in this world to defend.
3. Jesus said, ‘Now [i.e. from the time of the events that led to his crucifixion] my kingdom is from another place.’ When Jesus died, the transition from the Old Covenant kingdom to the New Covenant kingdom took place. As David was but a shadow of the Messiah, so David’s kingdom was but a shadow of the kingdom that Jesus established through his death and resurrection. Jerusalem, which was a temporal city in the Old Testament (Heb. 13:14), is an eternal city in the New. Old (literal) Jerusalem belonged to the Old Covenant. New (spiritual) Jerusalem belongs to the New Covenant (Gal. 4:24-26). Human leaders rule the old city, but Jesus the Messiah, reigns over the new (John 18:37).
Ritchie.