Isaiah and Daniel prophesied of the kingdom of God. Jesus told His disciples the kingdom would come in their lifetime (Mark 9:1). The kingdom would come with power or authority (Luke 24:47ff) which would arrive when the Holy Spirit arrived (Acts 1:8), which came on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). This kingdom, established on Pentecost, needed a king. Was Jesus this king? Some teach Jesus must return to earth before He can begin His reign as king. What does the New Testament teach about this?
First, consider the conversation between Jesus and Pilate. According to John 18:35 Pilate asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?'' (NKJV). After some discussion about why Pilate asked the question, Jesus responded, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). When Pilate asked "Are You a king then?'' Jesus responded, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice'' (John 18:37). According to Jesus, He was born “for this cause” the cause of being a king.
The words of Gabriel to Mary announcing her coming conception of Jesus confirm Jesus’ words to Pilate. “Mary, for you have found favor with God. ‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).
Second, consider the words of Peter concerning Jesus in Acts 2. Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know "Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it (Acts 2:22-24).
God knew the Jews would crucify Jesus, and He allowed. But death could not hold Jesus. For David says concerning Him: I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh will also rest in hope, because You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of joy in Your presence. Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
The resurrection of Jesus was prophesied of by God through David, that Jesus would be raised up to sit upon the throne and reign as king. How was the resurrection connected with Jesus sitting on the throne as king? Daniel 7:13,14 explains: I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
When Jesus ascended from the earth with the clouds (Acts 1:9), He returned to the Father and received the kingdom (Daniel 7:13,14). He now reigns as King over His kingdom.
—Denny