Mark 1:15

Time. Gr. kairos. This word refers to a particularly auspicious time (see Matt. 13:30; 16:3; 21:34; 26:18; Luke 19:44; John 7:6; Rom. 5:6; Eph. 1:10) — in this case to the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. The term seems to have been used frequently with particular reference to the coming of the Messiah and the end of the world (see Mark 13:33; Luke 21:8; Eph. 1:10; Rev. 1:3). Jesus’ announcement, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand,” was the same as John’s message (see Matt. 3:2). The people understood it as a declaration that the Messianic kingdom was about to be set up. In the popular mind, as indeed in John’s, this involved the establishment of an earthly kingdom for the Jews and subsequent triumph over all their enemies (see DA 103). Throughout Jesus’ ministry this misunderstanding continued, and was not finally corrected in the minds of His disciples until after the resurrection (see Luke 24:13-32; Acts 1:6, 7), even though through His parables Jesus had repeatedly taught that the kingdom He had come to establish was, to begin with, a spiritual kingdom (see on Matt. 4:17; Matt. 5:3; cf. ch. 13:1-52).

Jesus’ announcement, “The time is fulfilled,” referred to the prophecy of the 70 weeks in Dan. 9:24-27, near the end of which “Messiah the Prince” was to “confirm the covenant with many” and “be cut off” (see DA 233; GC 327). In the days of Christ, some, at least, knew that this time period of Daniel was nearly at an end (DA 31, 33, 34). “When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son” into the world (Gal. 4:4). When Jesus began His ministry, the time was ripe for the establishment of His kingdom (see DA 32, 36, 37).