70 A.D. ‘ism and the Kingdom
by Carl A. Allen
In the book of Daniel there is a prophecy concerning the coming "Kingdom." When this Kingdom comes into existence it is said of it, "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people: but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever," Daniel 2:44. This prophecy declares the kingdom "will stand forever." - I understand the kingdom is to be eternal. But my friend who wrote a book on "70 A.D. ism" thinks otherwise.
"One can study the Bible very closely and determine that the kingdom was in a temporary state, with temporary miracles, etc. until the time identified in Luke 21, which was A.D. 70." (The Last Days, P. 7) The author of this book does not offer any proof, but rather just states that the kingdom from the day of Pentecost to 70 A.D. was "a temporary kingdom!" It really is hard for me to accept the fact that he believes this but he did say it and I have to accept the fact that this is what he believes.
The kingdom of God (heaven) was started on the day of Pentecost. One must be born again to enter the kingdom of God, John 3:5 – the people on the day of Pentecost were born again, they received the remission of their sins, Acts 2:38. To have the remission of sins was to be saved, Acts 2:47, and it was these, the saved people, who were added to the church. To be born again is to be saved, and to be saved is to be born again. So, those who were born again entered into the Kingdom, John 3:5; Matthew 7:21. The saved enter the kingdom and they are added to the church, Acts 2:47. The people that are designated as being in the kingdom are the same ones who are added to the church — the church and the kingdom are the same people. Those people began on the day of Pentecost and so the kingdom began on the day of Pentecost.
From the day of Pentecost, there was a people designated as the "kingdom of God," Colossians 1:13. There was a King who was king of his kingdom, I Timothy 6:15, and that king was Jesus. A law was in force for the kingdom, James 2:8, "royal law." The word "royal" is associated with a kingdom; thus, a kingdom law. The point I want you to see is that these go together, People, King, Law.
Now if the kingdom was temporary from Pentecost of A.D. 33 till A.D. 70, this would demand the king be temporary and would demand that the law be temporary also. All of this is without any proof — I just cannot believe it! This is not what the Bible teaches. The Kingdom was to "stand forever." After it came into existence there was no end to its existence.
