Viv White
Looking at the state the world is in today, it is quite clear that the Kingdom of God cannot exist where bombs are being dropped on people, where there is school/public shootings, where there is racial hatred among men, where there is such poor distribution of food that some people starve while others have surplus food, or where people cannot find work because of automation.
If we really see the injustice of the world for what it is, we will long for the Kingdom of God. Only when the hearts of men are moved toward love and peace will his righteousness break in. Those who remain unmoved, however, cannot take part in the Kingdom.
Therefore John the Baptist said, Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” And Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and everything else will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33
Jesus came to prepare all men for the Kingdom of God, which has not yet ‘literally’ come, as true believers know only too well. Jesus came not as a great king or president but as a humble baby. That is what people have not understood. He proclaimed the coming Kingdom of God.
There has perhaps never been a time when this is more urgently needed than the present. Men have more power than ever, and the power of their weapons is frightening.
The relationships of people, races, and nations, are unsolved, and those who have money rule. Nations are building their freedom and security on the most dangerous weapons that have ever existed. Yet we are called to build our security on something else – that which is of God. And we long that something of God might be given to all nations.
Our longing will be satisfied only when the whole earth comes under the rulership of Jesus the Christ – Revelation 2:25-27 “Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.”
Those ‘in Christ’ are promised eternal life and will receive the reward of being co-rulers with Christ in the earthly Kingdom that his God and his Father promised him as an inheritance. Before His human birth – an angel prophesied: “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 1:32–33).
In Ezekiel 37:15–28, God shows that He will reunite Israel and Judah “on the mountains of Israel”. Regarding these two nations, He says: “And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again” (v. 22). Under Christ as King of kings, the resurrected king David will rule directly over the united house of Israel – (v. 24) “David my servant shall be king over them’ and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them”. Under Christ and David, Israel will again learn the way to peace—the Israelites will learn to do and obey God’s statutes and judgments!
Under David, each tribe of Israel will have its own individual governor—one of the twelve apostles. Jesus Himself designated them for this office before He died: “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:28–30).
Peace amongst all living things will be established on earth.
Hosea 2:18-22: “And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel.
Isaiah 11:4-9 “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
In Revelation 11:15, the Bible records the most tremendous event in earth’s history.
Here, the last of the seven trumpets of Revelation is sounded, and voices in heaven proclaim: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”
Yes, the living Christ will soon take over the governments of our war-torn world!
At first, the nations of this earth may resist His perfect government. But Christ will return in all the power of God to enforce peace on this earth, “And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). Christ will return as Supreme Ruler over all the other governors and kings of this earth, who will be subservient to Him….verse 16 –
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
It is important for us to decide whether we want only a ‘nice church’, or the ‘prayerful desire’ onto our Heavenly Father to help us to be ‘Kingdom Ready’ and qualify for the ‘First’ Resurrection. We will have the opportunity to build a totally new world of peace, happiness, and prosperity, and we will accomplish this by teaching and enforcing obedience to God’s laws throughout the whole earth. This will be our main responsibility during the thousand-year reign of Christ. He will give His true followers positions of rulership in His Kingdom, where, it is specifically stated, “we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:10).
In the Millennium, when God’s Kingdom is reigning on earth, the priesthood will teach the difference between clean and unclean! And after the thousand years, no abominable thing, nothing that defiles will mar the New Jerusalem! All of its citizens will be holy. This is the wonderful destiny that we are preparing for.
What a privilege, working for and with Jesus, bringing Nations to repentance during his Millennial reign – and this all to the glory of his God and our God, his Father and our Father.
This must be very clear to us: Jesus’ way is the way of the cross of complete personal change, of a society on a completely different basis than work and bread and privileges.
We must be willing to be surrounded by enemies, and to be despised for going ‘his way’.
The way society has developed in this century of such tremendous injustice and bloodshed shows us that salvation and redemption cannot come from men; they must come from God through Christ Jesus. All the more we must, in prayer, call on God to reveal once again his kingdom of righteousness and justice among men.
Jesus resembles the kingdom of God. When he forgave sins, that was the Kingdom of God. When he gathered his friends in unity, that was the Kingdom of God. When he drove out demons and impure spirits, that was the Kingdom of God. Every deed of his mission among men was the Kingdom of God.
Eternal salvation is very important –it is wonderful to experience the nearness of Christ and to be redeemed by him. There will be everlasting joy when God’s Kingdom is established on earth. I find that most believers don’t understand the Biblical phrase ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ or ‘Kingdom of God’ – the ‘1000 year Reign of Christ’ is never mentioned at all. It seems that they have completely forgotten the promise of the Kingdom of God, which should be proclaimed with EXTREME JOY!
The nearness of the Kingdom of God cannot be measured in terms of time. Jesus said Matthew 4:17 “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” And paradoxical as it sounds, it was nearer at that time than it is now. It was not nearer in terms of time, but in terms of space –
The kingdom of God must be fought for and wrestled….(James 5:16,19,20)
If we love Christ and his cause, we will have the interest of his Kingdom at heart.
I ask myself every day, have I really loved enough, hoped enough, fought enough, worked enough? The expectation of the kingdom must lead to deeds which comes with sacrifice!
Christ came to this earth and suffered in order to bring the Kingdom on earth, and ‘His Church’ is entrusted with the very great task of mission for this Kingdom.
The commission true believers are given by Jesus as ‘His Body’ is to work for his Kingdom and his future Reign – Revelation 1:5-6: “and from Jesus Christ — the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free from our sins at the cost of his own blood and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father — to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen.”
Revelation 20:6 : “Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
God’s everlasting Kingdom shall not be in heaven but “under the whole heaven”! Daniel 7:27 – “And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’”
Why then should we be surprised that God’s Kingdom will be on earth? God tells us through Moses that ancient Israel was a type of God’s Kingdom and, in fact, could have been His Kingdom had they obeyed Him:
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)
Micah 4:1-3 “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
There is nothing greater on earth than to work for this. Let us live intensely and use our time for the Kingdom!
Get Kingdom ready!
Be Kingdom ready!
Indeed, we should take on the challenge of the great harvest that must be gathered – the harvest of all nations and all people, including the generations of the future.
Let us love one another!