Matthew: Messiah’s Authentication And Opposition -- By: Donn Kittle
Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 14:3 (Fall 1971)
Article: Matthew: Messiah’s Authentication And Opposition
Author: Donn Kittle
CenQ 14:3 (Fall 1971) p. 2
Matthew: Messiah’s Authentication And Opposition
First of Two Parts
First Baptist Church Little Falls, Minnesota
Introduction
The purpose of these articles is to investigate Christ’s offer of the millennial kingdom as presented in the Gospel of Matthew. This involves several questions: (1) Is Jesus the prophesied Messiah? (2) If He is the Messiah, did He offer the prophesied kingdom? (3) If He offered the prophesied kingdom, did He establish it? (4) If He established the prophesied kingdom, how is it manifested during the present age? (5) If He failed to establish the prophesied kingdom, was it forfeited or postponed?
To determine the answers of these problems as found in the first Gospel, the method to be used will be an analytical study of the book of Matthew. It will not be a detailed, verse by verse, exegetical study, but will be a study seeking the correct analysis of sections and paragraphs as related to the central theme of the book, namely, the messiahship of the Lord Jesus Christ. An outline study of the prophesied kingdom in the Old Testament will serve as a background for the subsequent sections which show the argument of the book of Matthew in relation to the offer of that kingdom. The Scripture passages are quoted from the 1901 American Standard Version.
Old Testament Covenants Relating To The Millennial Kingdom
The millennial kingdom is firmly rooted in the eternal, unchanging co^ venants of God which are found in the Old Testament. There are four covenants which form the basis for the presentation of the millennial kingdom in Matthew, namely, the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New Covenants.
CenQ 14:3 (Fall 1971) p. 3
The Abrahamic Covenant
The covenant of God with Abraham is one of the important and determinative revelations of Scripture. It furnishes the key to the entire Old Testament and its fulfillment in the New. The covenant made with Abraham is found in Genesis 12:1–3; 13:14–18; 15:13–21; 17:1–8 and 22:15–18. There are three things that are important to notice in this covenant: (1) it is literal; (2) it is unconditional; and (3) it is eternal.
It is literal. There are several things promised to Abraham. (1) Israel will receive a national blessing (Gen. 12:2). This secured to Israel a land, a multitude of inhabitants, and much wealth. (2) Israel will receive a persona...
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