What is the Lord’s Church Part 2
In this lesson we will continue to identify the Lord’s church identifying characteristics of the Lord’s church as revealed in the New Testament. • By learning these marks, one will recognize the Lord’s church when he sees it. Let’s consider the following identifying marks of the Lord’s church. • The church exists, not because some men think it is a good thing, but because the Lord willed it to be established and providentially oversees its continued existence.
Prophecy and The Lord’s Church
The Lord’s church was established in the city of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus. No church in existence today can make the claim of being the church of prophecy. The Lord’s church alone can claim and prove it was established in fulfillment of divine prophecy. It was around 700 B.C., when the prophet Isaiah foretold of the churches coming into existence.
READ (Isaiah 2:1-4) and parallel prophecy in (Micah 4:1-3). These foretell of the establishment of the Lord’s house—the church. At the time of this writing in Isaiah God’s people were in desolate condition described by Isaiah in chapter one as: “Rebellious” (1:2), ii. “sinful, corrupters” (1:4). Yet, the prophet foresaw a time “in the last days” when the Lord’s house would be exalted above the mountains. Notice the language. At that time: “all nations” (in contrast to Jews only) would flow into it, “the word of the Lord would go forth from Jerusalem”, and the kingdom would not be expanded by military force, for it would be a peaceable kingdom (2:4) .
Daniel also foretold the establishment of the kingdom in chapter two he saw a vision of four coming kingdoms: i. Babylonian, ii. Medo-Persian, iii. Grecian, and iv. Roman. As his vision described the events to transpire during the fourth kingdom, the Roman kings, he said, “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall [a]break in pieces and [b]consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Dan. 2:44). The Lord’s kingdom was: i. to be established in the days of the Roman kings, ii. to be an eternal kingdom, and
iii. to be a kingdom that included men from all nations.
Later, he had another vision in which the establishment of the kingdom was foreseen: “13 I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” (Dan. 7:13-14). In this vision, Daniel sees the kingdom established when “one like the Son of man” comes “with the clouds of heaven” “to the Ancient of days.”
Moving forward in history to the time of Christ, we should not be surprised to see divine prophecy fulfilled in the establishment of the kingdom. After that John was put in prison, Jesus preached “Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel [a]of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God [b]is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:14-15). This was the right time, it was in the days of Tiberius Caesar, the Roman king (Luke 3:1). The gospels speak repeatedly of the imminent establishment of the kingdom throughout: “the kingdom is at hand” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17), not here. But, it is to be established during the lifetime of those who then lived – Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1).
I know this is true because the scripture confirms it. I also know it is different from those who teach the kingdom has not yet been established, but is was established on the day of Pentecost, on or about 32 A.D. Listen on and you’ll here what the Lord has to say about this in His own words, the words of the Bible…