The Kingdom of God is Within You #10

Sunday, July 20, 2025

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21 KJV).

Is there really a “mis-translation” in the King James Bible here?

Read the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, Luke 13:6-9: “He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

National Israel refused to repent and trust Jesus as Messiah-King (Gospel of the Kingdom) during His three years of earthly ministry, so Father God gave a one-year extension of mercy. The kingdom is delayed in prophecy, His return not occurring until at least one more year after His Ascension. In early Acts, He would have come back in flaming fire and vengeance within eight years or so after Calvary (Daniel’s 70^th Week included) (see Acts 7:55,56; cf. Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 3:19-21). Note how Spirit-filled Peter recognized Christ was resurrected “to sit on [David’s] throne” (Acts 2:29-32; cf. Acts 1:6).

Moreover, there is a second delay in Christ restoring Israel’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic kingdom—a mystery (secret) postponement connected to Paul’s ministry. That Pauline aspect is seldom recognized. Since what God is doing now through Paul’s ministry is not what He did before Paul, denominationalists soften those differences like this: If there is no literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom now—and it has been 2,000 years since Christ’s earthly ministry without such a kingdom—there must have never been any promise of restoring that literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom. WRONG!

Paul’s ministry is “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest…” (Romans 16:25,26). What God is doing today in the mystery program is totally separate and distinct from the prophetic program. It is the unbelief that remains the same….