What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "What does John the Baptist mean by “The kingdom of heaven is near”? It sounds as if the Second Coming, i.e., the kingship, would be near."
Answer
John the Baptist announced with the “kingdom of heaven” the imminently forthcoming appearance of the Messiah, although he himself had not yet clearly distinguished the two phases of Christ’s work—as a suffering sacrifice and a victorious king. He mistakenly expected that Jesus would ascend the throne of David and immediately overthrow human pride and power structures. In fact, however, his message emphasized spiritual preparation, because only those who have been cleansed of sin through repentance and the purification of the heart can partake in the kingdom of God.
The Announcement of the Kingdom and John’s Expectation
»In the midst of discord and strife, a voice was heard from the wilderness, a terrifying and stern voice, yet full of hope: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.” With a new, strange power it moved the people. Prophets had foretold the coming of Christ as an event in the distant future; but here was an announcement that it was near.«
»John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and called the people to repentance. As a symbol of cleansing from sin he baptized them in the waters of the Jordan. Thus, through a significant visual object, he explained that those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin and that without purification of heart and life they could have no share in the Messiah’s kingdom.«
»He did not clearly distinguish between the two phases of Christ’s work—as a suffering sacrifice and as a victorious king—but he saw that His coming had a deeper significance than priests or the people had recognized.«
»Like the Savior’s disciples, John the Baptist also did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. He expected that Jesus would take the throne of David; and as time passed and the Savior did not claim royal authority, John became confused and troubled. ... He had pointed to the Messiah as the one who held a sowing fork in his hand and would thoroughly clean his threshing floor... Like the prophet Elijah... he expected the Lord to reveal Himself as a God who answers with fire.«
»Christ preached that the kingdom of heaven was near. ... But “near” in these passages comes from the Greek word eggikee, which means: “has drawn near; has arrived.” It was near at that time in the sense that it was to come next. ... Which kingdom is near when Rome is in power? God’s eternal kingdom. Why? Because that is the next kingdom of world rule.«
»In this age, immediately before the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, a work like John’s is to be done. God calls for people who prepare a people to stand on the great day of the Lord. ... As a people who believe in the imminent appearance of Christ, we have a message to proclaim: “Prepare yourself to meet your God.”«
- John the Baptist kingdom of God meaning
- Nature of Christ’s kingdom Ellen White
- Two phases of Christ’s work
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
