THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

178 The Hope of Israel: What Is It?
them through the coining upon them, in a few days,
of the Holy Spirit from heaven.
Moreover, a new order of things was then at hand;
for Christ was not henceforth to teach them in Person
and directly, but indirectly, through the Holy Spirit,
Who, as He had already told them, should guide them
into all truth (John 16:13). And it is a striking fact
that after they had received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit they never again spoke of that sort of a kingdom
(Acts 8:12, 19:8, 20:25; 28.31; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor.
4:20; 15:50; Col. 1:13; 2 Thess. 15; Rev. 1:19; &c.).
It is clear from the wording of the disciples' question
that they had no doubt in their minds that the
kingdom was to be restored to Israel, the only thing to
be settled with them being whether the time of its
restoration was then at hand ;
also there is good reason
to believe that their conception of the nature of the
expected kingdom did not differ materially from that
of their fellow Israelites.
There has been discussion in print recently as to
whether the question the disciples put to their risen
Lord was "an intelligent question"; and it has been
argued in behalf of modern dispensationalism that the
question was an "intelligent" one, and that it would follow
from the Lord's reply that the kingdom was to
be restored to Israel at some time then future.
I agree that the question was intelligent; and indeed
deem it a most natural and almost inevitable,
question for them to ask; for they, in common with
all their compatriots, groaning under the tyranny of
Rome's iron yoke, were eagerly awaiting the emancipation
of the Jewish people and the re-establishment of
the earthly kingdom of Israel. Moreover, they had
heard their Master say, "Fear not, little flock, for it is