Part 3.1 - The Kingdom Future

The Kingdom Future

Although all of creation is under the Sovereign rule of God in His Universal Kingdom, the Bible and most specifically the New Testament, refers to the Kingdom in a more restrictive way, that is, it refers to the affairs of the planet earth, the heaven associated with it (near proximity) and with man, God’s created being who was created to have dominion over the earth. Therefore, generally, when the Scriptures refer to the Kingdom of Heaven (the Reign of the Heavens) or the Kingdom of God, they are encompassing that which deals directly with this earth and man, not God’s Universal Kingdom that stretches far beyond this earth and heaven.

Further, the Kingdom, as presented in Scripture, also encompasses a very specific period of time that precedes eternity. It refers to the 1,000-year Messianic Era or the Kingdom Age which concludes the history of this world and which ushers in the eternal ages. It is vital that we understand that the Kingdom presented in the Bible is not eternity which does not come into view until Revelation 21:1-27 after the present heaven and earth have passed away and God brings forth a new heaven and a new earth. In that day, it truly can be declared: "Behold, I make all things new. It is done!" (Revelation 21:5-6). But the Kingdom that most of the Bible points to and which is the subject of this book deals almost exclusively with the coming millennial Kingdom of God’s Son. This is what is encompassed in the Word of the Kingdom or the message of the Kingdom, which speaks of the Reign of the Heavens.

Throughout the Scriptures, the Kingdom is referred to in a variety of ways. The two most common phrases are the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, however, other terms are used as well, such as the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43), the Son of Man coming in His kingdom (Matthew 16:28; Luke 12:31; Hebrews 1:8), My Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29), the coming kingdom of our father David (Mark 11:10), My kingdom (John 18:36), the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:5), the kingdom of His beloved Son (Colossians 1:13), His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18), the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11); the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15), the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ (Revelation 12:10). It is interesting to note that the Kingdom is referred to as the Kingdom of the Son and of the Father. This might lead some to wonder whose Kingdom it is or at least what is the relationship between the Father and the Son in regard to the Kingdom. The answer is quite simple. The Kingdom Of The Son

Today, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, sits upon His Father’s throne in heaven, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion (Ephesians 1:20-21). A day is coming when He will sit on the throne of David and upon His own throne over this earth; and those who overcome will sit with Him upon His throne as He has sat upon His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21). His reign will be both heavenly and earthly with the Church (specifically, the Bride of Christ) which is destined to reign with Him in heaven and with the revived nation of Israel which is destined to reign with Him on earth. Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and He will fully exercise this authority in the age of His Kingdom.

There will be no end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. (Isaiah 9:7)

It will be the time of the Kingdom of the Son and the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. However, as we have already observed, at times it is called His Kingdom and at other times it is called His Father’s Kingdom. It is even called the Kingdom of Christ and of God. How is this resolved? In the book of Revelation, when the Son takes the scepter of the Kingdom, the same event is declared in two ways: the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15) and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ (Revelation 12:10). When the Kingdom of the Son comes, it is called both His Kingdom and God’s Kingdom. It is very easy to understand why this is so. First, the Son is God (John 5:18; John 20:28; Php 2:6; Titus 1:3-4; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1). Second, the Father and the Son are one. Apart from three hours on the cross when Jesus was separated from His Father in heaven, the Father and the Son have never been separated. "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

While Jesus walked on this earth, His whole life was set on the Father’s will. He did absolutely nothing apart from His Father. They were bound together by an unchangeable love.

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand." (John 3:35)

Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless {it is} something He sees the Father doing; for whatever {the Father} does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19) When it comes to the Kingdom, the relationship between the Father and the Son does not change. All that is the Father’s is the Son’s and all that is the Son’s is the Father’s. All of history has been moving toward this one event that is summed up in the Kingdom of the Son. Jesus Christ our Lord will sit upon His throne of glory, and He will have a people (kings and lords) who will sit upon thrones (Matthew 19:28; Matthew 25:31; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; Revelation 20:4) granted to them by the King of kings and Lord of lords. For 1,000 years this earth will be ruled with a rod of iron. The word of the Son will be absolute and all disobedience will be judged immediately. His Kingdom will not be a democracy where every man’s opinion must be taken into account. No! The King’s word will stand in that day because there is an objective to the Son’s rule, and He will bring it to its full completion. The Son’s purpose is to sum up or head up all things (Ephesians 1:10) so that He can present a fully restored kingdom to the Father that is free of all enemies and rebels against God’s Sovereignty. That which was created in perfect order with no death and which fell into disorder with death its only course will be brought back to its original state of God’s Divine perfect order. God’s Son won the right to subdue all the enemies of God, even death itself, because He overcame death through the cross of Calvary. He secured for man what man could never do for himself-overcome sin and death. After 1,000 years of reigning over this earth and putting an end to all rule and all authority and power, bringing all His enemies under His feet, even destroying the last enemy death, the Son will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). When the Son delivers the Kingdom to the Father at the end of His millennial reign and the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven having the glory of God, the throne of God will be in the midst of this glorious city. However, notice that it is not only the throne of God, it is the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3). "I and the Father are one." The Father and the Son will sit upon the throne of the Kingdom of the Universe ruling for the ages of ages with man having dominion with them. Hallelujah!

There is no division in the Godhead. The Kingdom of the Son and the Kingdom of God are one kingdom. Let us not forget the Holy Spirit, for the Kingdom of God is in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Comparing The Two Terms

Now, let us turn to the two most common terms used to describe the Kingdom. A question is often raised as to the difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. In comparing the two terms, for the most part there is no difference. The Kingdom of Heaven is equivalent to the Kingdom of God. This is easy to prove by comparing parallel passages in the Gospels. For example, Matthew 11:11 says: "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen {anyone} greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." The same reference to John the Baptist in Luke 7:28 reads: "I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." The most direct evidence of the equivalence of these two terms is found in Matthew 19:23-24 : And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Other passages that reveal the equivalence of the terms can be found as follows: Matthew 4:17/Mark 1:15; Matthew 5:3/Luke 6:20; Matthew 13:11/Mark 4:11/Luke 8:10; Matthew 13:31/Mark 4:30/Luke 13:18; Matthew 13:33/Luke 13:20; Matthew 19:14/Mark 10:14/Luke 18:16; and Matthew 19:23/Mark 10:23/Luke 18:24.

Although the two terms are equivalent, there are some subtle differences as well. So let us look at each term separately. The Kingdom Of Heaven The New Testament starts with the Gospel of Matthew for a very good reason; it presents the King and the Kingdom, which is the central theme of the Scriptures. The entire prophetic Scriptures point toward one great event, and that event centers on God’s Son when He comes to sit upon His throne and set up His millennial reign over the earth. The Gospel of Matthew is unique because it alone uses the phrase the Kingdom of Heaven, which is used thirty-two times.

What does the Kingdom of Heaven mean? Understanding the meaning of the heavens do rule sheds light on the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven, or in the original Greek, the Kingdom of the Heavens or the Reign of the Heavens. The Kingdom of Heaven refers to the reign or rule from heaven that is directed over this earth. It means the reign of the heavens. In other words, it refers to the sphere or realm which is ruling over the earth. The rule comes from the heavenly realm associated with the earth. The Bible focuses almost entirely on the affairs of this earth. When God’s throne is in view, it is directed toward the activities associated with the earth. In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven means that the rule of the earth comes from the sphere of heaven in which the earth is suspended. In writing to the Ephesians, Paul warned that our battle is against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12). Satan and his angels rule from the heavenly places around the earth; but one day soon the Son of Man will come and He will take the scepter of the Kingdom and rule over the earth, not only from the heavenly realm but also from the earth. So very simply, the Kingdom of Heaven is the reign over this earth from the heavenly realm, for the heavens do rule. Whoever sits in the place of power in the heavenly realm rules. Today, it is the angels; but a day is coming when it will be man who will rule, for the second Man, Christ, will sit upon the throne. The reason that the book of Matthew uses this term almost exclusively is because the emphasis is on the Lord offering the Kingdom first to the nation of Israel, which rejected the offer, and then to the new creation in Christ (the Church, the Body of Christ) that was birthed at Calvary. The offer of the Kingdom to Israel was a legitimate offer; however, the Lord knew that it would be rejected and a new creation was about to come into being (Matthew 16:18), a new, holy nation (1 Peter 2:9) that would be offered the heavenly portion of the coming Kingdom (Matthew 21:43). The Church’s destiny is to enter the heavenly reign with Christ, just as the angels reign today. The Church, which is simply those who have been called out of the world, does not have an earthly call. It is an upward, heavenly call (Php 3:14; Hebrews 3:1). This is why those of like precious faith are exhorted as sojourners and pilgrims (1 Peter 2:11). Unlike the nation of Israel which has an earthly destiny, for they are to be married to the land of promise (Isaiah 62:4), the Church has a heavenly destiny; for Christians are being called into the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), for they are to be married to Another who was raised from the dead (Romans 7:4NKJ;2 Corinthians 11:2). At the end of his life, Paul declared: "The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (2 Timothy 4:18). This is the destiny of the called-out ones of God. It is a heavenly Kingdom into which we are called. "My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:36). The Christian’s call is to another realm. The Kingdom Of God The most common phrase used in the New Testament is the Kingdom of God, which is used about sixty-six times. As stated previously, the Bible focuses almost entirely on the affairs of this earth. However, as already presented in the first chapter, in a pure sense, the Kingdom of God refers to the absolute rule of God, whether on earth or in the heavenly places or, for that matter, any place in God’s creation. It means that God is reigning no matter what realm we are in and no matter what time period we are in, including the endless ages of eternity. Everything in God’s creation is in His Kingdom and He reigns over His creation. As David wrote, Thou art my King, O God (Psalms 44:4).

However, in this one province of His creation in which the earth is suspended in a heavenly realm, God has encountered great opposition. First, Satan rebelled along with a third of the angels under his charge. Sin came into this province and Satan’s kingdom went into ruin. Then, Adam rebelled and sin entered into his race, bringing ruin to this earth once again. Today, man, apart from Christians, and the nations of the world, for the most part, remain in a state of rebellion against God’s Sovereignty. Also, let us not forget that there is a host of angels who remain in rebellion as well. To put it another way, although the earth is under the Sovereign rule of God, His authority is not recognized amongst all the nations and peoples of the earth. It has been this way since Adam’s fall. Today, the world is not ruled according to the righteousness of God. Christians are to be living under the rule of Christ, but they are the only ones who truly acknowledge the reign of God over their lives. In the kingdoms of this world, Christ is not all in all and God is not all in all.

Thus, we cannot state that the Kingdom of God has come upon the earth. The earth is a mixture of Gentiles (the lost not living under the righteousness of Christ), the Jews (scattered amongst the nations with the remnant nation of Israel on the land but in unbelief) and the Church [which is the Body of Christ on earth (1 Corinthians 10:32)]. In addition to this fact, the earth continues to lie under the influence of the powers of darkness that rule in the heavenly places. Putting all these facts together, it is easy to see that the world in which we now live has not submitted itself to the total authority and power of God. The fact of the matter is that much of the world and some of the heavenly host reject God and His authority. When the prophetic Scriptures declare that the Kingdom of our Lord has come or that the Kingdom of God has come, it speaks of Christ taking total authority over the earth. There will no longer be any rebellion amongst the nations. There will no longer be any doubt who is in control. When He reigns, He will reign with a rod of iron (Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27; Revelation 19:15); and righteousness and justice will be absolute. He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet, including death itself (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). Christ will truly be all in all. And when He has subdued all things for the Father, Christ will put an end to all rule and all authority and power and deliver the Kingdom to God that God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Eternity begins when all things have been restored and given unto the Father. In that day, the Kingdom of God will come in all the fulness and glory of God. God will be the Absolute Ruler. He will rule His universe from the throne of God and of the Lamb which will be in the midst of the New Jerusalem which will reside on a new earth in a new heaven (Revelation 21:1; Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3). In the eternal ages, the Father and the Son will rule over the universe from the holy city, New Jerusalem, the Wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9-11). God’s purpose and plan will have been completed and He will begin a new work that will extend throughout His universe with man participating in all that God has in store for those who love Him. Just the thought of being in the center of what God is going to do beyond the 7,000 years allocated for this earth should cause our hearts to leap for joy.

What a glorious day that will be. Peter called it the Day of God. It will be the day in which righteousness finally rules absolute in God’s universe. Righteousness will be the very fiber of all of God’s creation (2 Peter 3:12-13). All of creation will be full of the knowledge and the glory of God. Hallelujah! The eternal ages are not upon us yet-we still have at least another 1,000 years to go-but let us not forget that the millennial reign of Christ will be glorious years that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). Just meditate on the thought that one day soon those who have loved Christ and His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8) will be standing in the glory of His presence. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2NKJ). When He comes in the glory of His power, He will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory and He will be glorified in His saints and marveled at among all who have believed (Php 3:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10). This day is coming. Are you longing for it?

God reveals these wonders to us through His Spirit and the Spirit reveals that it is centered on His Son, the Lord of Glory. All things are rapidly moving toward the Kingdom and Glory of the Son of God’s love. He will close the final chapter of the history of this world as we know it. Then God will declare: "Behold, I make all things new.It is done!" (Revelation 21:5-6). Let us continually pray, "Thy Kingdom come!"