The Lord’s prayer, surely the best known prayer in the world, is from the Bible, the most widely circulated book across the world, and often recited by those attending religious services all over the world. But, if you asked those there, or anyone else, few could tell you what the Kingdom of God is, where it will be or when it will be!
This Kingdom and its purpose is largely a mystery today, but this need not be the case. Whilst it is not an easy task, it is possible for virtually everyone to grasp the basic themes of the Bible. It just requires a little time and attention, but the great treasures to be discovered there are well worth the effort and are designed to thrill and amaze the reader of the Bible.
Introduction.
If it was not for the Bible we would never have heard of the Kingdom of God. It is the original and only source of true information about that and all aspects of God’s purpose.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8
Freedom from what? Let the Apostle Paul tell us.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8
The birth of the Kingdom of God. [Old Testament]
God invited the people of Israel when he brought them out of slavery in Egypt to be his Kingdom.
1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 … and there Israel camped before the mount. 3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. Exodus 19
So Moses called all the people together and told them of God’s marvellous offer.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. Exodus 19
Now, for that Kingdom to exist four things are needed,
- A people, which Moses had just rescued from Egypt.
- Laws which Moses was about to give them at Sinai.
- A land which they had been promised and Moses was taking them to conquer, so they didn’t have that yet either.
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. Deuteronomy 1
- A King. God was to be their King, acting through men of His appointment.
Regettably, the people did not keep the promise they had made – “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do”, nor, were they satisfied with the way in which their nation was being run, and asked, through Samuel their faithful, God appointed, leader and prophet, for a mortal King of their choosing.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 1 Samuel 8
They wanted a handsome, imposing man to lead them, especially into battle. So, God gave them such a King, warning them he would lay such heavy burdens on them they would complain to Him but, when they did, He would not listen to them.
Kish, the son of Abiel,2 … had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. 1 Samuel 9:2
Saul made a good start but the power went to his head and he was soon disobeying God and proved totally unsuitable to be King of God’s people.
28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1 Samuel 15
So, God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to a man called Jesse who had a large family. But as it usually meant trouble if a prophet came unannounced to a city they were worried. But Samuel reassured them that he came peaceably,
5 … I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him.7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16
Jesse brought seven sons before Samuel,
10 And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 … … Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
The one chosen was David who, when he came to the throne as directed, received a God given remarkable promise through the prophet Nathan from God. it is in 2 Samuel 7 and we quote just a few verses.
9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime. … 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 2 Samuel 7
So, God made David a great man in the earth and his family Kings by descent for ever. He confirmed that Israel would have their own land and that the nation he ruled would be God’s people. That made Israel the Kingdom of God
However, from that time forward this Kingdom had a very erratic history, being made-up of human beings many of who did not want to follow God’s laws. Consequently, they had periods of faithful service to God with God fearing kings and many examples of faithless kings who led their peoples away from God and His laws. During those kings reigns they lost God’s protection and were conquered by their enemies and several times carried off from their land into periods of captivity until some 1,000 years after the death of David when under Roman rule an Angel appeared to Mary, the mother to be of Jesus, who told her …
31 … behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1
Thus, this was to be a miraculous conception through God’s power making Jesus the Son God, his birth and growth in Mary giving him human nature like all men and women.
Jesus, at the age of 30, set about preaching to the Jews, to bring them back to God and give the people the hope of escape from sin and death, …
14 …, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1
What did Jesus mean by “the Kingdom of God is at hand”? Simply this! The disciples watched Jesus at the end of his ministry on Earth, ascend to heaven. At that time an Angel told them,
11 … Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1
And what will he do when he returns? The apostle Paul told Timothy, and us too, through his epistle to Timothy.
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Timothy 4
So the next time Jesus will be seen on the earth will be at the time of judgement when he chooses those who shall receive eternal life and many other wonderful blessings. So, for those who believe “the Kingdom of God is at hand”, Jesus could return any day and as he warned us:-
37 … as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24
The Kingdom of God in the Future
So, when and how will it happen? Jesus predicted that the world’s troubles would be so severe before he appears that: …
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21
But this will not be the first appearance of Jesus at his return to the earth as he will have to deal with a World War centred on Israel and he will need help with that in the form of the faithful of all past ages. That means he will first need to come secretly to the world to appear before those who know God’s plan of salvation.
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16
We do not have the space here to describe the war, which will be centred on Israel, and how Jesus and the faithful, named the Saints, will save the Jews from a terrible defeat.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12
But Israel will be amazed to find their very powerful attackers are suddenly miraculous destroyed and will be emotionally affected by the coming of Jesus Christ and the Saints to save them. For they will thereby see before them proof that he whom they rejected, is the Messiah and God’s son, all as predicted through the prophets including Zechariah,
10 And I will pour upon the house And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Not having the space to describe this amazing conquest we give you an overview of the first step – a huge one at that – of the achievements of Christ and the Saints at his return.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man† came … 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7
† the host supporting Christ will be like him in the sense that they will have the same untouchable eternal nature and commitment to bring about God’s purpose, plus they share the desire to serve the Lord Jesus as their king.
27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Daniel 7
So let’s conclude by outlining from the Scriptures some of the many blessings coming to those who assist Christ in setting up the Kingdom of God here on Earth as the incentive for us to believe in God’s message now while we have opportunity.
Resurrection
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5
A new body
20 We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body†, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3
† a couple of translations tell us the Greek literally means “transform the body of our humility.” (New English Translation & Youngs Literal Translation)
A new life without distress
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21
Given the power and wisdom of God
To enable them to help rule, teach, and direct the mortal population who don’t join the war, or who surrender and accept Christ as their king. To direct them in the work of cleansing an rebuilding the world.
26 he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father Revelation 2
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Revelation 14
The removal of wickedness and sin
20The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. Psalm 145
… he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4But 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. Isaiah 11
Peace and harmony for all
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2
The earth will be bountiful and beautiful
The wilderness end the solitary place shall be glad . . . 2 and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. Isaiah 35
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountains shall drop sweet wine. Amos 9
The natural world restored to the peace of Eden
6 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. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9 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.
The human population shall be greatly blessed
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert/. Isaiah 35
20 Shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. † Isaiah 65
†Hebrew literally means “to be (make) light, literal (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figurative (easy, trifling, vile, etc.); Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary.- i.e. indicating most mortal people will live much longer
All to have the same language and belief
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. Zephaniah 3
The mortal population eager to learn “THE TRUTH”
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2
Our closing thoughts
What a marvellous prize is promised for the faithful.
- A new untiring, pain and disease free, everlasting body.
- Freedom from all anxiety, stress or worry.
- Never to be lonely having many loving, lovely companions.
- The greatly satisfying work of managing the cleansing and rebuilding of the world.
- The joy of teaching a receptive mortal population eager to know, reverence and worship the one true, gracious and glorious God.
- The beauty of God’s creation unspoilt by man.
- Being part of the new, righteous and just world government!
- And the apostle Paul’s encouragement … …
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15