Sunday, May 12, 2013

If the kingdom was still being offered, why did God allow the apostle James to be killed as recorded in Acts 12?

If the kingdom was still being offered, why did God allow the apostle James to be killed as recorded in Acts 12?


I asked Brian Kelson of Bible Understanding and he wrote:  "In the matter of James being killed in Acts 12, this is nothing more than 'normal' for the earthly kingdom purposes than the Lord's servants being persecuted.  A reading of Hebrews 11 reminds us of the many faithful servants of the Lord who suffered at the hands of their fellow countrymen while the kingdom was unfolding.  However, in the matter of James and John, their mother (Matt. 20:20-23) had asked that they sit either side of the Lord in his kingdom and he turned to them and asked were they able to drink of the cup and be baptized with the baptism he would endure, which was his rejection and death.  They replied 'we are able' and the Lord declared that they would indeed drink of the cup (garden pre-death phrase) and be baptized with the same baptism (of suffering and death).
Christ was resurrected for the kingdom, to sit on David's throne so no problem to raise up those sitting with him including David (Jer. 30:9). 
So, James' death in Acts 12 had nothing to do with judgment on Israel; but in the same chapter the Lord certainly judged the pseudo king of Israel who took glory upon himself rather than direct it to the rightful King."

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