THE MASTER’S SEMINARY

THE LEGITIMACY OF THE OFFER OF

THE DAVIDIC KINGDOM

A PAPER SUBMITTED TO

DOCTOR LARRY PETTEGREW IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE

TH706 THEOLOGY III

BY

ROGER DALEY

SUN VALLEY, CA

APRIL 1997

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION

WHAT IS THE KINGDOM 3

THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM 5

THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST 6

REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND 9

PROPHECY DECLARES THE SUFFERING MESSAIH 12

SUMMARY 15

The Legitimacy of the Offer of the Davidic Kingdom

In the gospel of John the Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”(3:14-15, NKJ). This conversation occurred before Jesus had even begun His public ministry. Jesus was telling Nicodemus that the Messiah was to be crucified. Also Nicodemus must believe in Him, if he would have eternal life. Jesus also refers to being born again in order to see the kingdom of God. He also equates believing in Christ and eternal life and all four of these terms (kingdom of God, eternal life, born again, believing) are used in a very short passage referring to the same question, “how can a man be born again?” Essentially, Christ is equating eternal life with entering the kingdom of God.

This personal visit with a teacher of Israel appears to put a considerable strain upon the perspective of Dispensational theology. Jesus tell Nicodemus that one must be born again or he cannot see the kingdom of God (v3). Then when Nicodemus asks what that means, the Lord asks him the question “Are you a teacher of Israel and these things you don’t know?” Whether one considers this