Final Preparation for the Kingdom - The King's Commission

Luke introduced the book of Acts by reiterating the content by which he closed his gospel account. Jesus was ascending to His Father to take His throne as the Son of David, and His first act as God's enthroned King would be to send the promised Holy Spirit to usher in His kingdom. It was in view of this pledge that Jesus commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the "promise of the Father." When He had come upon them, they would begin to fulfill the Abrahamic mandate of mediating the divine blessing to all the earth's families, gathering to God men of every tribe, tongue, nation and people. God had indeed raised up David's fallen tabernacle and was restoring his throne and kingdom, but not as the sons of Israel expected. In accordance with the Scriptures rather than Jewish tradition and expectation, the kingdom of the True David is the kingdom of the new creation - the kingdom of the Spirit. This is the kingdom first portrayed in Eden, promised in the protoevangelium, typified by the Israelite theocracy and reaffirmed by all the prophets. Though expressed in the language and imagery of the Old Covenant Israelite kingdom, the messianic kingdom would not be a rejuvenation - however glorified - of the former earthly theocracy. Jesus' kingdom was to transcend that kingdom by as much as the spiritual transcends the natural.