Jesus performed miracles and signs. He healed the sick, raised the dead, quelled storms, fed the multitudes and exercised absolute authority over the spirit world—yet He wasn’t accepted as Israel’s Messiah. One of the prophecies about the Messiah foretold He would be “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3). We are told Jesus Christ “came to His own [people], and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). After a 3 1⁄ 2 year ministry, only 120 followers were there for the miraculous beginning of His Church (Acts 1:15).
The Jews were acquainted with many of the prophecies about the Messiah, the chosen or “anointed one” as the word means in Hebrew. They believed the Messiah would be a strong earthly king who would deliver them from their Roman oppressors and form an independent Jewish kingdom. King Herod, who ruled Judea under the Romans, understood the Messiah the Jews expected was to be another king and thus a rival to himself. When he asked the chief priests and scribes “where the Christ was to be born” it was with the goal of eliminating the threat to his power (Matthew 2:3-16).
Even after Christ’s death and resurrection, His disciples were still focused on the idea He would restore the Davidic kingdom to Israel at that time, asking Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). These misconceptions were based in part on misunderstanding the timing of the prophecies from the Scriptures.
Many prophecies were fulfilled when Jesus came to earth in the flesh, but there were many others not fulfilled at that time, such as the prophecy of Isaiah 2:2 which tells us: “in the latter days … the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.” In many bible prophecies, mountains and hills represent governments or nations, and this prophecy describes a time when the future messianic Kingdom will reign over all earthly governments and nations.
At Jesus’ trial the high priest asked him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus answered: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:61-62). Upon hearing this the high priest immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy and deserving of death (Mark 14:64).
The Jews accused Jesus before Pilate of claiming to be “Christ, a King,” making Him a direct threat to Roman authority (Luke 23:2). When Pilate asked Jesus about the charge, to which Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). Pilate pressed Jesus further, asking if He were indeed a king. Jesus replied: “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world” (John 18:37).
Jesus plainly told Pilate His Kingdom would not be one of the kingdoms of this present age of man, but in a future age when His Kingdom would be established on the earth to rule all nations. Although Pilate believed Caesar’s kingdom was not threatened by Jesus, the Jews convinced Him to execute Jesus on the grounds He claimed to be a king (John 19:12), even having the title “King of the Jews” placed above Jesus’ head as He was crucified (John 19:19-22).
Many prophecies about Jesus’ role as the Messiah were fulfilled during His 3 1⁄ 2 year ministry, but the fulfillment of many more concerning the establishment of the Kingdom of God over the whole earth are yet to be fulfilled. No one will miss Jesus Christ’s second coming. All the people on the earth “will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).
In a vision to the Apostle John in the book of Revelation Jesus revealed that even when He comes the second time, He will not be accepted by the nations of the world. He speaks of the time of His return as being “the great day of His wrath,” when the nations are angry at God’s intervention (Revelation 6:17and 11:18). Leaders of the world will “gather … to the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” in which they will fight against Him (Revelation 16:14). Christ will be victorious and, as King of Kings He will set up God’s righteous Kingdom (Revelation 11:15).
God’s people through the ages have longed and prayed for: “Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10). The Apostle John was given a vision of a time beyond the plagues and war brought about by man’s unrepentant evil—a time when God will wipe away all tears, when there will be no more sorrow or crying (Revelation 21:4). At the end of the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, three times John recorded Christ’s wonderful promise: “I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:7-20). In verse 20 John, and all true Christians, respond with deep yearning: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
