Kings of the Earth (World or Israel?)

[TheForgiven]

Matthew 17:

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

I'd like some of you to consider something. When Jesus asked Peter about taxes being paid to the kings of the earth, was Jesus talking about the kings of the entire world? Or was He talking about Israel?

Well given the context, He was talking about Israel. The tax Jesus was questioning was the temple tax which is used for up keeping the temple. Now when He stated, "the sons are free", he wasn't talking about the son of all kings. He's talking about the "Priests" who are generally called "Sons of God". Jesus was giving a hint that He, who was to serve as a High Priest, should have been exempt, but so as NOT to offend them, He complies.

Thus, the kings of the earth Jesus was talking about is not the general kings of the entire world, but the kings of the land/earth of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, taxes were collected from all males throughout Israel, in order to provide money for the Priests and the temple services, as well as its upkeep. (Refer to Numbers chapter 3 and 4). The only ones exempt from paying the temple taxes were the "sons", or the "Priests". Jesus was hinting to Peter as His Priesthood, as the "Son of God". Back up to verses 1-11 and we see after the Transfiguration that Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah; the Son of God. And "sons" are supposed to be exempt from paying taxes to the kings of Israel (the earth).

Now why did I bring this up? This has to do with Revelation with the phrase, "Kings of the earth".

Do I dare dive back into this discussion?

Richard or James, any thoughts?

Joe

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Matthew 17:

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

I'd like some of you to consider something. When Jesus asked Peter about taxes being paid to the kings of the earth, was Jesus talking about the kings of the entire world? Or was He talking about Israel?

Well given the context, He was talking about Israel. The tax Jesus was questioning was the temple tax which is used for up keeping the temple. Now when He stated, "the sons are free", he wasn't talking about the son of all kings. He's talking about the "Priests" who are generally called "Sons of God". Jesus was giving a hint that He, who was to serve as a High Priest, should have been exempt, but so as NOT to offend them, He complies.

Thus, the kings of the earth Jesus was talking about is not the general kings of the entire world, but the kings of the land/earth of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, taxes were collected from all males throughout Israel, in order to provide money for the Priests and the temple services, as well as its upkeep. (Refer to Numbers chapter 3 and 4). The only ones exempt from paying the temple taxes were the "sons", or the "Priests". Jesus was hinting to Peter as His Priesthood, as the "Son of God". Back up to verses 1-11 and we see after the Transfiguration that Peter acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah; the Son of God. And "sons" are supposed to be exempt from paying taxes to the kings of Israel (the earth).

Now why did I bring this up? This has to do with Revelation with the phrase, "Kings of the earth".

Do I dare dive back into this discussion?

Richard or James, any thoughts?

Joe

Good morning Joe!

This question has been answered approximately 149 times in this forum, but that's alright! Maybe one of our Bright Futurist Friends (BFFs) missed it. So here we go again. The meaning of the "kings of the earth" is defined for us in Acts:

Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

Obviously, they weren't talking about no king of Zimbabwe or king of Siam, etc., etc., etc.!

Case closed.

Man, that was a short thread!

[heb13-13]

1 Corinthians 2:7-8
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Kings of the earth are the princes of this world, the powers of darkness.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Rick

[Richard Amiel McGough]

1 Corinthians 2:7-8
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Kings of the earth are the princes of this world, the powers of darkness.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Rick

Hey! That's very helpful. It shows that the "powers of darkness" refers to wicked human rulers, not some demons or other invisible "spiritual" beings. The text you quoted confirms the text I quoted:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Who crucified Christ? Invisible spirit beings? Nope. Real humans did it! Luke explains:

Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

This really helps me alot, since as you know, I don't believe that this world is ruled by malevolent invisble spirit beings.

[heb13-13]

Hey! That's very helpful. It shows that the "powers of darkness" refers to wicked human rulers, not some demons or other invisible "spiritual" beings. The text you quoted confirms the text I quoted:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Who crucified Christ? Invisible spirit beings? Nope. Real humans did it! Luke explains:

Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

This really helps me alot, since as you know, I don't believe that this world is ruled by malevolent invisble spirit beings.

Everyone has a spiritual father.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Everyone has a spiritual father.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

But what does "spiritual father" really mean? If you think too literally you could end up thinking there was a literal serpent devil who had literal sex with Eve (serpent seed doctrine) so that the Jews Christ was castigating in that verse you quoted were literally "sons of the devil." Do you believe that?

To get real understanding, we observer how Paul used the idea of spiritual fatherhood:

1 Corinthians 4:14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. 15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

The idea of "spiritual fatherhood" simply means teacher - the one from whom you get your ideas and the leader whom you fallow. It has nothing to do with any woo-woo concepts involving invisible spiritual beings. It's obviously metaphor, is it not? Those Jews who rejected Christ were "sons of the devil" because they were acting like the devil. Not because the devil was in any sense their literal spiritual father.

[Twospirits]

heb 13-13 wrote,

Everyone has a spiritual father.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Yes, and these kings of the earth and wicked rulers have their habitat in all the inhabited earth/land not covered with water.

God bless---Twospirits

[Richard Amiel McGough]

Yes, and these kings of the earth and wicked rulers have their habitat in all the inhabited earth/land not covered with water.

God bless---Twospirits

That seems like a very stilted and unnatural way to talk. And it's obviously false anyway. We know the Bible was not talking about "all the inhabited earth" because there were people living in the Americas and they were not involved in the physical process of crucifying Christ in first century Judaea.

[TheForgiven]

1 Corinthians 2:7-8
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Kings of the earth are the princes of this world, the powers of darkness.

John 8:44
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Ephesians 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Rick

Rick my friend, I know Richard has already addressed this point. But just to be sure, the verse states that the "rulers of the earth" were the ones who crucified the Lord. Not demons, nor their father, but them; the false Jews who were the rulers of the earth. The rulers may have been spiritually encouraged to kill the Lord, but you can't blame it on the devil; the choice is yours alone. If you kill someone, you did it because you followed your heart. It was the same with them. Their heart was filled with blindness and corruption, and thus, they (the princes/rulers of the earth) killed the Messiah. Not the kings of the earth in Africa, China, or Russia, but the kings of the earth in Israel. Israel IS the earth, just as it's the earth now. Anyone outside of Israel (during those days) were considered Gentiles abiding in the "sea of nations".

I promised Richard to keep my posts short, so I'm keeping them short.

God bless.

Joe

[Twospirits]

Ram wrote,

That seems like a very stilted and unnatural way to talk. And it's obviously false anyway. We know the Bible was not talking about "all the inhabited earth" because there were people living in the Americas and they were not involved in the physical process of crucifying Christ in first century Judaea.

I was answering the phrase 'kings of the earth' in relation to Revelation not Acts 2:

Joe wrote,

This has to do with Revelation with the phrase, "Kings of the earth".

Sorry for the confusion.

God bless---Twospirits