by Leonard Johnson
You can now listen to this article. Just click on the orange play button below.
Multiple millions of people believe that the Church is the Kingdom of God. Then there are others who believe the Kingdom is an emotional feeling inside your heart. Here is the true answer from God’s living word – the Holy Bible.
This subject excites us like no other! But, in this world, it creates more confusion like no other. The “Kingdom of God.”
A plethora of ideas are being taught around the world concerning the glorious Kingdom of God. As an example Microsoft Bing – when asked the question “What is the Kingdom of God?” lists first – “The Kingdom of God is the realm where God reigns supreme, and Jesus Christ is King. It is not a physical or political territory, but a spiritual and moral domain.” Got Questions isn’t any better – with their “reviewed” answer, they vaguely and broadly answer (reviewed for biblical and theological accuracy by their staff) – “Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe.” Have you heard these types of answers!?
You probably have, because these vague, spiritually sounding ideas about the Kingdom of God are worldwide.
Truly, is the Kingdom of God something you can understand? Is it a mystery? Or is it something that like the false doctrine of the Trinity — cannot be understood logically!?
ARE YOU ABLE TO LEARN WHAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD TRULY IS!?
The apostle Peter exhorts everyone who earnestly desires the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the ultimate Plan of God to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” – 2 Peter 3:18. The apostle Jude wrote – under divine inspiration of our living God – “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly FOR THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS” – Jude 1:3.
Do you truly know what God’s living word says concerning the Kingdom of God, or have you, like the multiple millions worldwide, just taken for granted what your preacher or priest is teaching today!? As I pointed out in the examples, sadly the majority of our peoples have been hearing a syrupy, vague, false gospel – which actually DENIES the Message of our Lord Jesus Christ from Father God concerning the glorious soon-coming Kingdom of God!
Let’s search God’s living word and “prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good” – 1 Thessalonians 5:21, NET.
Definition of a Kingdom
Back in December 1998, I bought my wife a Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition – which states that the definition of a kingdom is “1 archaic: KINGSHIP. 2: a politically organized community or major TERRITORIAL unit having a monarchial form of GOVERNMENT headed by a king or queen.” 1
Surely, the same people who just fatally and glibly spout off their ideas about what they think the Kingdom of God is KNOW THIS TRUE DEFINITION! A kingdom. We might immediately think of the United Kingdom. A literal and actual “territorial unit having a monarchial form of government headed by” King Charles III. Is the United Kingdom physical? Is the United Kingdom political? Or, is it something that is just “set up in the hearts of men”!?
In fact, going back to the fatal Got Questions – and I use the word fatal because they (whom they call “dedicated and trained servants”) are leading our peoples astray and are causing great confusion give this very answer to the question - What did Jesus mean when He said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21, KJV)?
“The kingdom would not be inaugurated with spectacle or splendor; … God was ruling in the hearts of some people, and the King Himself was standing among them, … There are three popular interpretations of Jesus’ words … 1) the kingdom of God is essentially inward, within man’s heart; 2) the kingdom is within your reach if you make the right choices; and 3) the kingdom of God is in your midst in the person and presence of Jesus.” 2
At the end of the article, they appease everyone and actually give an answer close to the truth. So, they cover all their bases – they certainly wouldn’t want to offend anyone.
There are four things necessary for a KINGDOM: 1) territory. A specific location and definite boundary lines. 2) A Monarch. A supreme ruler or government agent. 3) Subjects or citizens within the territory. 4) LAW for the kingdom. If we leave out any of these vital requisites, we cannot have and cannot believe, the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Let’s go through these four points, proving the truth of God from the living word of God.
Territory of the Kingdom of God
Any kingdom must occupy a certain given TERRITORY! The kingdom must govern subjects within a marked territory.
Sadly, the majority of our peoples are trying to spiritualize away the true meaning of the Kingdom of God. And, the “kingdom of God” is used as a catch-all phrase (much like the phrase Armageddon) to define their idealism of what men hope to attain someday through their own efforts. Then there are those who believe and teach that the churches will someday “evangelize” the entire world and will unite into a common church –
the Roman Catholic Church teaches that the church exists to evangelize. The Catholics are completely confused – they don’t appear to know what to think. “The Kingdom is not a thing, it is not a geographical dominion like worldly kingdoms. It is a person; it is he. [sic] On this interpretation, the term ‘Kingdom of God’ is itself a veiled Christology. … The Kingdom of God resides in the heart of man. … the kingdom of God is in the here and now, present in and through the Church.”
3
IT'S SAD TO SEE SUCH CONFUSION!
Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself says, “’ The law and the prophets [the Old Testament] were until John [John the Baptist]. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.’” – Luke 16:16. The very gospel that our Lord Jesus Christ brought from God the Father was the Message of the soon-coming Kingdom (a ruling government) of God!
“’ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me’” – John 14:24.
WHERE did our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ say the Kingdom of God would be?
It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you rightly understand, clearly, just WHAT gospel our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ brought from God the Father!
Also, just WHAT gospel was sent unto the Gentiles. In the spring of 1981, I came to rightly understand that this world’s “traditional Christianity” teaches and preaches different gospels! Certainly, this is something each individual has to prove to themselves! And, your Bible says that Satan the devil has ‘deceived the whole world!’ – Revelation 12:9.
During His ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ explained to His disciples (Luke 19:11-27) that He (this ‘certain nobleman’ in His parable) “ … ‘went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom …’” But that He would first have to return to God the Father in the upper heavenly realms – “ … ‘and to return.’”
Now, in the Book of Daniel, the 7th chapter is a vision that describes this coronation –
“I watched 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 [God the Father], And they brought Him near before Him, 14) 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” – Daniel 7:13-15.
In the upper heavenly realm, He will be given, officially, this Kingship; and there will supervise the Work of God in preparing and training brethren for His kingdom – to be co-rulers in His Government.
Where is our Lord Jesus going to be!? Notice Acts 1:10-11 – “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven [the atmosphere] as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11) who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? THIS SAME JESUS, who was taken up from you into heaven, WILL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER as you saw Him go into heaven [the atmosphere].’”
Just as plain as day! He’s coming back to the Earth, His residence is on the Earth, He’s gonna live on the Earth for all eternity and we’re gonna be with Him! It’s just amazing!
In the Book of Daniel the 2nd chapter – and in fact we have a series of free no-obligation online booklets written by Minister Michael C. Garrett which covers the Book of Daniel in great detail.
Be sure to check those three booklets out! But, here, I just want to briefly go over this. I want to cover what an incredible dream that King Nebuchadnezzar II had – and the prophet Daniel was invited to come and interpret it. King Nebuchadnezzar II saw in his dream this great image – with ‘a head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.’ Speaking about FOUR successive world-dominating kingdoms down through history. Its feet partly of iron and partly of clay were represented as the last world-ruling kingdom to exist before the glorious and powerful return of Jesus Christ. Verse 34 – “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35) … And the stone that struck the image became A GREAT MOUNTAIN and filled the whole earth” – Daniel 2:31-35.
The LORD God speaks of a kingdom as a MOUNTAIN – Prophet Micah was inspired to record the following:
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days [the Millennial Reign of Christ, see also Isaiah 2:1-4] That the Mountain of the LORD’s House [speaking of the kingdom of God] Shall be established on the top of the mountains [speaking of human governments], And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. 2) Many nations [minus “Gog and Magog” – which today is known as Russia and its provinces – see
“Ezekiel 38- Gog and Magog” along with our article
“Gog and Magog In Prophecy”; Revelation 20:7-9] and China and its provinces along with the likes of Siberia and numerous other Gentile allies] shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go to the Mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His Ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’” – Micah 4:1-2.
On EARTH As It Is In Heaven
The Old Testament also teaches of the glorious and powerful return of Jesus Christ TO THE EARTH! Turn with me to the Book of Proverbs, chapter 24, verse 20 –
“For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.” – there won’t be a reward for the evil man.
Surely that means there will be a reward for a righteous man – and what is this reward!? How does one receive this reward!? Do you receive this reward – now!? No, it’s not while you’re alive in this physical body.
Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 10 –
“Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. 11) He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them to His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”
So, the reward is coming with Him. And, the reward is simply what God’s going to give to each individual for the work (see: cf. Acts 26:20 – “do works befitting repentance”) they’ve done while in service to God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Isaiah, chapter 62, and verse 11 –
“Indeed the LORD has proclaimed To the end of the world: ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’”
Notice from the New Testament – “For the Lord Himself will DESCEND FROM HEAVEN {which means come down out of the atmosphere} with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet {THE SEVENTH TRUMPET; THE RESURRECTION TRUMPET} of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. …” – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Clouds. Again Webster’s Dictionary – “1: a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor (as water or ice) suspended in the atmosphere of a planet (as the earth) or moon.” 4
And,
your Bible tells us what takes place immediately after our Master, Elder Brother, and Savior gathers His saints – “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, {be sure to read and study
A Morning Bible Study - Just What Is Armageddon? PDF} As He fights in the day of battle. 4) And in that day [the prophesied Day of the LORD] His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east.” – Zechariah 14:3-4.
Our Lord Jesus stated to the disciples and to all of us brethren “’ Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘WHERE I AM GOING, YOU CANNOT COME, … 2) … I go to prepare a place for you. 3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [ON THE EARTH] there you may be also.’” – John 13:33; 14:2-3.
That’s the greatest promise in the Bible!! In fact, nothing comes close to that promise, and yet, many churches – so-called Christian churches – don’t even talk about this, don’t even think about it. It’s not even a part of their doctrine. But here He says, ‘I will come again!’ And there are some church groups that believe that Jesus Christ will return. Again, there’s a lot of confusion about when, where, and how. “…’ and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.’” – those are very encouraging Words, but He said, ‘I WILL COME AGAIN!’ Jesus Christ, someday, in the not-too-distant future, is going to return to this Earth, and when He does – or just before He does and as He does – there will be the Day of the Lord. It is a date in future history where Jesus Christ directly confronts rebellious evil sinful mankind and will punish this present evil age, and quite literally, break it down, and then He will start over! Building a society which is often called the Millennium, the World Tomorrow, it will be the millennial reign of Jesus Christ!
Sadly, very few who profess Jesus Christ actually believe in a Millennial Reign of Christ – even though His
living word teaches it (cf. Revelation 20:4-6; see also
A Book of the Past – And The Future). The majority who are looking for Jesus believe that He will be a “sweet” Jesus. As in “looks like a lamb” - cf. Revelation 13:11. But in fact, He will not be so sweet ─
For “’ He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’”! – Revelation 2:27.
What about the Roman Catholics – with an estimated 1.2 billion worldwide, according to the Vatican figures!?
Well, officially, they do not believe in a Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ – in spite of the fact that many of their “saints” taught the millennium. The Vatican strongly condemns this doctrine of the Church of God as blasphemous!
“676 The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the ‘intrinsically perverse’ political form of a secular messianism.”
Notice Revelation 5:10 – “’ And He will make us [a kingdom] and priests to our God; And we shall reign ON THE EARTH.’” – NET.
This EARTH is the TERRITORY that the Kingdom of God will be established!
A Kingdom Requires A Ruler
Jesus Christ comes back and RULES from the throne of the earth – of which Satan the Devil is currently residing on (cf. John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9) – just as the angel told Mary, “’ 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 [a united kingdom of Israel as well as all other kingdoms of the world] forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’” – cf. Luke 1:32-33.
He's coming back to make war – “Now I [the apostle John] saw heaven [again, the atmosphere] opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and IN RIGHTEOUSNESS He judges and makes war. 12) His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written than no one knew except Himself. 13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called THE WORD OF GOD. … 16) And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” – Revelation 19:11-16.
“Then the SEVENTH ANGEL sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven [the atmosphere], saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord [God the Father] and of His Christ [Jesus the Christ], and He shall reign forever and ever!’” – Revelation 11:15.
Our Lord and Savior ANNOUNCED – “’ All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’” – Matthew 28:19. Yet, He also said, “’ My kingdom is not of this world. …’” – John 18:36. In other words, of this time, of this age. He was born to be a King. And He said that if we overcome, we would co-rule with Him upon His throne, even as He also overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne.
Just WHERE will He establish His headquarters on earth!?
In New Jerusalem! Notice: “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven [the atmosphere], prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” – Revelation 21:2.
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain [which represents the kingdom of God], and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem [the New Jerusalem], descending out of heaven from God. … 22:3 the throne of God [God the Father] and of the Lamb [our Lord Jesus Christ] shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.” – Revelation 21:10; 22:3.
“’ At that time [the Millennium Reign of Christ] Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations [all the leaders of these nations] shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.’” – Jeremiah 3:17.
The Kingdom’s People
Perhaps no other question garners more controversy and argument than the IDENTITY of those who will be in the Kingdom of God. I remember asking a girlfriend’s grandmother this question once back in the ‘80s (she was a devout Mormon). She gave their standard answer, “the church itself is the kingdom of God on the earth.” She certainly didn’t like what I had to say concerning the living truth of God on this subject.
Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “’ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.’” – John 10:27. Also, “’ If you love Me, keep My commandments.’” – John 14:15; 15:10.
The apostle Paul under inspiration – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are [children] of God” – Romans 8:14.
And, God’s divine word tells us who will be in the glorious kingdom of God – and who will not!
Notice – Revelation 22:14-15 – “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [the City of New Jerusalem; the Headquarters of the Kingdom of God]. 15) But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Unless You Are Born Again
In the Book of John, the 3rd chapter here we read the response that Jesus gave to a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus who was curious in regards as to whether Jesus was really who He said He was. So, here was, in all accounts, an upstanding man in his society who came to Jesus at night – because he didn’t want his neighbors or religious associates to discover that he was conversing with Jesus Christ. Indeed it says in verse 2 – “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs [these miracles] that You do unless God is with him.’” It’s amazing – here it was that he understood that Jesus was someone of extreme importance and that His ability to perform these miracles – he knew that the Man came from God, yet here he was out at night – incognito – so that no one saw him. It reminds us of religious people today. They claim to be Christian but are very afraid to truly keep the commandments of God and have and defend the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Jesus went on to explain, verse 3 – “ … ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”
And Nicodemus said in bewilderment – verse 4 – “ …’ How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’”
Notice our Lord Jesus’ response. He says, verse 5 – “ …’ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”
There is a vast number of people today who believe that they have eternal life as a result of some sort of religious experience. I recall once while my wife and I were driving around one Sunday looking for garage sales, we pulled into a place called the
Holy Ground in Hudson, FL. – a homeless shelter for men only. They were having a rather large garage sale. And as we pulled up, off to our right a man was flopping around on the ground like a fish out of water. We must have had shock written on our faces, because suddenly another man came running over to the car and shouted, “It’s alright! He’s got the Holy Ghost in him! He’s just been born again!” We quickly pulled back out of the driveway and left. Also – a dear friend of mine, whom we lost to cancer on April 19th, 2020, swore up and down that Asa A. Allen, the 1950s tent revivalist, literally
cast the devil out of a man possessed. “I gave my heart to the Lard!” they claim.
What they actually mean is they had a moving experience. It was brought about by the excitement of the occasion – perhaps the music which lifted their spirit. Whether it was the religious fervor of being in a crowd at the time, or the preacher having an ‘altar call’ perhaps while the choir was singing – Just As I Am, Lord! Or an emotional stir by a charismatic preacher – as you can see erupting out of those Allen revival meetings. They say that after Asa A. Allen attended a tent revival hosted by Oral Roberts in 1949, he wanted to open his own revival meeting. And, like Simon Magus, he established a large following. In ’55 he purchased a large tent, and soon many people were saying, “this man is the great power of God!” So many of this world’s preachers say – the only way that you have God’s Holy Spirit – or proof of God’s Holy Spirit – is by this idea of speaking in tongues. Now, people are sincere when they have these experiences of being “saved” – of ‘giving their heart to the Lord.’ They believe that they are saved.
But, it couldn’t be any plainer what our Lord Jesus said – before anyone may enter the Kingdom of God, they must be REBORN OF THE SPIRIT! And, only one being has been born again of the Spirit at this time – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Verse 6 – “’ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”
Our Lord Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren! (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18; 1st Corinthians 15:20).
These multiple millions of people who believe they have been “born again” can certainly do a simple test to prove whether or not they have been REBORN OF THE SPIRIT! Are they able to be seen by others? Are they VISIBLE!? Do they still have blood flowing in their veins!?
OF COURSE!
Then they are not “born again”!
Remember the living word of our Master, Savior, and Elder Brother – “’ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”
He goes on and explains, verse 8 – “’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’”
This friends is the plain teaching of the LORD our God! So, this new birth is not defined as just an emotional experience as so many are erroneously assuming. It is a literal BIRTH!
Truly, our Lord Jesus says we must be “born again” – changed into wholly spiritual beings – born of the Spirit of God as divine children in the God family!
The Church of God is NOT the Kingdom of God! No physical nation, province, country, or kingdom is the Kingdom of God!
The apostle Paul explains, “’ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” – 1st Corinthians 15:50.
All physical nations, provinces, countries, and kingdoms on this Earth are all composed of flesh and blood people. The Church of God is currently composed of flesh and blood people – therefore has not inherited the glorious Kingdom of God.
Those who will be BORN OF GOD, who will be changed – “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [the SEVENTH TRUMPET, the RESURRECTION TRUMPET]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead [the dead in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” – 1st Corinthians 15:52 – will be a part of the actual government of the LORD God – co-rulers with Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!
The physical people – those being governed – will be physical, carnal nations on Earth! Again, let’s notice Zechariah 14. The LORD God will send drought to punish those physical nations in the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ who do not want to OBEY and keep the commanded Feast of Tabernacles.
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17) And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18) If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19) This shall be the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” – Zechariah 14:16-19.
“’ Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. … 5) The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 6) THEREFORE the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, AND FEW MEN ARE LEFT.’” – Isaiah 24:1, 5-6.
One of the great meanings of the Feast of Tabernacles is that God will someday ‘TABERNACLE’ in His tabernacle on the earth for all eternity! GOD THE FATHER is going to tabernacle with men! The Seventh-Day Adventists’ prophetess Ellen G. White was horribly wrong when she taught that the earth was going to be melted down like liquid glass! She actually DID NOT finish quoting the living eternal word of God! 5
Again already quoted, Micah chapter 4 shows us that the glorious Kingdom of God will be composed of those who will be BORN OF GOD – actually co-ruling over “the kingdom of this world” who are physical human beings! “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up the mountain of the LORD [the Kingdom of God], To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we will walk in His paths.’ …” – Micah 4:2.
Our Eternal LORD God shows us that the inhabitants, the physical people of the earth shall be scattered abroad, and, although the LORD God is punishing the inhabitants of the earth for their transgressions, there will be a FEW MEN LEFT to repopulate the Earth in the Millennial Reign of our Lord Jesus Christ!
A Job To Be Done!
When our Sovereign Lord returns He will put down any opposition against the Kingdom of God! But WOE to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea!
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, [the atmosphere] ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God [God the Father], and the power of His Christ [our Lord Jesus Christ] have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down” – Revelation 12:10.
Notice chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation as well –
“And the stars [here, Satan and his demons] of heaven [the atmosphere] fell to earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.”
Eventually, Satan the Devil along with his minions will be bound for a thousand years so that he cannot continue to deceive the whole world –
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven [again, the atmosphere], having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2) He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3) and cast him into the bottomless pit [the abyss; prison], and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. …” – Revelation 20:1-3.
Major violence and hate will subside. Military weaponry will be a thing of the past. Military weapons will be converted into peaceful and productive implements –
“Now it shall come to pass IN THE LATTER DAYS That the mountain of the LORD’s house [the headquarters of the kingdom of God; New Jerusalem] Shall be established on the top of the mountains [Kingdoms or Governments], And shall be exalted above the hills [smaller nations]; and all nations shall flow to it. 4) He [the Lord our God] shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” – Isaiah 2:2,4.
When the LORD God’s literal Kingdom is established upon the Earth, those who are co-rulers with Jesus Christ will be instrumental in teaching all physical nations, provinces, countries, and kingdoms God’s Way to live.
This is part of the glorious message from Father God that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ brought almost 2,000 years ago. Yet, this present evil world as a whole has rejected this message.
We and our affiliated churches ANNOUNCE THIS MESSAGE!
Law For the Kingdom
The glorious Kingdom of God will be a WORLD-RULING KINGDOM. Again, Revelation 11:15 – “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven [the atmosphere], saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord [God the Father] and of His Christ [our Lord Jesus Christ], and He shall reign forever and ever!’” There is no ambiguity in that statement! The LORD God’s GOVERNMENT is accomplished through LAW – the LAW OF GOD! And God alone is LAWGIVER – cf. James 4:12.
“The works of His hands are verity and justice [judgment]; All His precepts [His commands or principles intended esp. as a general rule of action 6] are sure. 8) They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness.” – Psalm 111:7-8.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was and is a living EXAMPLE of the Law of God – and taught mankind to “’ not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4.
“For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, that you should follow His steps: 22) ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth.’” – 1 Peter 2:21-22.
For our Lord Jesus teaches us – “ … ‘If you want to enter into life [eternal life], KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS’” – Matthew 19:17.
As our upper heavenly Elder Brother, High Priest, and Savior explains to us in the likes of the Book of Matthew chapter 5, we are to DO and TEACH the commandments of God, and that our righteousness (and it’s not our own righteousness, but a righteousness which is through faith in Christ, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS FROM GOD BY FAITH – cf. Philippians 3:9) should exceed ‘the righteousness’ of the scribes and Pharisees.
Our Lord Jesus goes on in this chapter to actually mention some of His commandments that were given at Mount Sinai – about murder, about stealing, about adultery. Speaking of the letter of the commandments. Our righteousness (and again, not our own righteousness - THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS FROM GOD BY FAITH) is to exceed the uber-religious of our day – of those who want to be JEWISH and Christian. Or, the term Judeo-Christian. And to this day – within the Church of God – there are people throughout all of these congregations who believe that they want to become followers of Jewish tradition, and that somehow that will make them more righteous. Of this, our Lord Jesus tells us – “’ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness [the righteousness which is from God by faith] exceeds the righteousness [the righteousness from their trying to keep all the extremely physically oriented ritualistic laws] of the scribes and Pharisees, you WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM [FROM] HEAVEN’” – Matthew 5:20.
So, since our Lord JESUS CHRIST “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” He will be KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS within you and within me just as He kept them within the apostle Paul. “I have been crucified with Christ, yet I live. Indeed, it is no longer I; but Christ lives in me. For the life that I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith—that very faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.
Anyone who does NOT obey and DOES NOT keep God’s commandments are NOT His! Thus, they DO NOT have the Holy Spirit of God. They have their own idea of just what the Holy Spirit actually is – but they truly are NOT His!
God does not bend His rules to fit people’s imaginations of what their religiosity or tradition claims.
The Holy Spirit is only within those who are TRULY OBEDIENT TO GOD and forsake their own lives for Jesus Christ and who OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS – summed up with the TEN COMMANDMENTS!
The apostle Paul – under divine inspiration – also teaches us that God’s Law is spiritual – Romans 7:14. So, with our mind we serve the Law of God – verse 25.
WHAT GLORIOUS GOOD NEWS!
The LORD God – the Family of God which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ – are going to soon step in. They are going to intervene in Their great and awesome POWER AND STRENGTH to save mankind from their wretchedness, poverty, crime, and imprisonment! The Kingdom of God will be established upon this EARTH!
A JOYOUS, HAPPY, WORLD TOMORROW will be established! May the eternal God grant you the blessing to strive with all your heart and soul to qualify to be a part of the family of God within the glorious soon-coming Kingdom of God! □
Bibliography:
1 Webster, M. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition, Merriam-Webster’s Incorporated, 1996, pg. 643.
4 Ibid. 217.
5 White, E.G., The Great Controversy Between Christ And Satan, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911, pg. 657.
6 Webster’s pg. 916.