In this present age (church age), we do not yet see all things put under the subjection of Christ and His saints (Hebrew 2:8). But in the 'age to come' (Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30)- the Millennial Age - the earth will be free of Satan's influence as the devil will be locked up in the abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:2-3). By then, Christ will be the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) - the seventh millennium of rest God has willed for His creation. However, to enter this Millennial Kingdom, a believer must work for it, as it is the reward of all their labours (see Hebrews 4:9-11).
A time will come when the Messiah Jesus Christ will share His authority with all the resurrected immortal children of God to rule and reign with Him in the Kingdom of God on planet earth. He is the promised ruling Seed to sit on the throne of David as God promised Abraham and David (Luke 1:31-33). Jesus promises all faithful believers who are overcomers that, 'To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne' (Rev 3:21). This promise is affirmed by God the heavenly Father in Revelation 21:7, 'He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son'.
The Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:4 wrote that the Lord will come to deliver us from 'this present evil age'. In the famous Olivet Discourse where Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples asked Him what will be the sign of His coming and when will be the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). They wanted to know when the 'present evil age' would end to usher in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus explained that His return will be preceded by Great Tribulation, 'For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be' (Matt 24:21). This is an awesome statement that should not be taken lightly, for when the Lord Jesus Christ said so, it will be so!
Scripture makes it clear that there will be three-and-half years of intense suffering. The first two-and-half caused by Satan and the last one year the wrath of God poured out as His judgment upon all the earth, saved those overcomers who will be spared and counted worthy to 'escape all these things' (Luke 21:36). The only consolation is that those days will pass quickly. Again the words of the Lord ring clearly, 'And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matt 24:22).
God intended the sons of Noah (representing the different tribes, races, languages and cultures of mankind) to have their own family groups and territories as an inheritance (Genesis 10:32). But the master deceiver - Satan - used an evil man named Nimrod to unite the people then and build for themselves a city of Babel (Gen 10:10), a symbol of the infamous term, Babylon. That was man's first rebellion against God's plan of government to rule over them. Instead, Nimrod and his followers wanted to have their own government in defiance against God's will (Gen 11:4).
Ever since, the term Babylon has become symbolic of Satan's influence over human government, culture and religion. This will come full circle during the end times, when Satan will rally several blocs of nations to become world powers (Rev 9:16-18; 17:12-13). Their ultimate aim is to detroy the nation of Israel and subdue the world. But God will not allow the kingdom of Babylon to prevail for long. For Christ will return to destroy His adversaries and set up His Kingdom as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:11-16) to rule during the Millennial Age. Only then, will there be perfect peace and righteousness on all the earth!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
THE KINGDOM OF GOD (3)
In this blog, I would like to share why I believe the Kingdom of God is not the church of this age as some mistakenly believe. The evidence from Scripture is overwhelming in support of the fact that the Kingdom of God is also different from the gospel of grace or gospel of salvation.
In the parable of the talent (minas) recorded in Luke 19:11-27, Christ compared Himself to the Nobleman who went off to a far country (heaven) to receive for Himself a Kingdom which His Father (God) will give to Him. The Jews understood the Scriptures of the Old Testament that the Prophet will come to set up the Kingdom on earth, and they were prepared to seized Him by force to make Him King (John 6:15). But the Lord knew that His time (to set up His Kingdom) was not yet then.
The account goes on to show that there are rebellious servants who do not want the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over their lives (Luke 19:14). Those servants who are unfaithful stewards and who refused to accept the reign of Christ (those who refused to be led by the Spirit of Christ - the Holy Spirit) will be branded as the 'enemies of Christ' and will be slained before the Lord (Matt 19:27), probably at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
In the book of Daniel, chapter 2: 35, 39 & 44, the dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was interpreted by Daniel who had the wisdom of God upon him. The first four kingdoms - Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman Empire - were literal kingdoms to come upon the earth in succession at that time. The fifth was a stone ( refers to Christ -see Matthew 16:18) that became a mountain and filled the whole earth. This prophecy is affirmed in Daniel 7:13-14 which states that the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will be crowned with His Kingdom by the Ancient of Days, a reference to God the Father. This is not referring to His first advent to set up His church as He came through the clouds (verse 13) and that ALL peoples, nations and languages will serve Him (verse 14). His first advent was of humble beginning.
In Revelation 11:15, it states thus: ' The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever'. Since this part of prophecy was prophesied to happen after the Great Tribulation which has yet to take place, the Kingdom of God has not appeared yet.
Luke 21:31 records the words of Jesus telling His disciples that the Kingdom of God will come only after certain events have to happen. One of these is that the generation of the last days will witness 'the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) coming in a cloud with power and great glory'. Since this has yet to take place as it refers to His Second Coming, the Kingdom of God is not here yet.
The prophet Isaiah (9:6-7) prophesied that the government will be upon His (Christ) shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is the world currently experiencing peace now? A cursory glance at the news headlines of major newspapers will show us the answer is far from it. But do take heart, God's plan for mankind is to have His Son Jesus Christ to sit upon the throne of David to form a super-government ruling with His saints on planet earth after His Second Advent for one thousand years. Subsequently, after having crushed Satan under His feet (Romans 16:20), Christ and His saints will rule the universe for all of eternity (Hebrews 2:10)! Folks, that is why you and I were created for. God do indeed have a wonderful plan for our lives (Rom 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:2-5, 9-11, 21, 2:6).
When the Kingdom of God has come, the Lord will make Jerusalem His Headquarter, known as the City of Truth (Zech 8:3) and He shall be the King over all the earth (Zech 14:9). Certainly, that is not what is happening in this current church age - not by a long shot!
Just ten days before the coming of Pentecost - the founding of the church - the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?' (Acts 1:6) His reply in the following verse 7 is obvious that the Kingdom is not coming anytime soon then, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.' If the church is the Kingdom of God, such a reply just do not make any sense - talking about times and seasons when Pentecost is literally close at hand!
From the passages in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:31, the Apostle Philip and Apostle Paul respectively mentioned 'the Kingdom and God' and 'the name/teachings which concern the Lord Jesus Christ' as separate subjects, indicating that the Kingdom of God is not a reference about the church or the gospel of grace or gospel of salvation which many believers simply assumed. The Lord Jesus also categorically states in Matthew 8:11 that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be in the Kingdom of Heaven (God), together with many from the east and west - probably referring to Gentile believers of the church age from all corners of the earth. Since, the patriarchs have yet to appear as they are still sleeping in the graves, the Kingdom of God is NOT here yet.
If the Kingdom of God is here now, either as the church or in the hearts of men, why would Christ command His servants to continually pray, 'Thy Kingdom Come' (Matt 6:9-10; Luke 11:2)? Wouldn't it be more apropriate for the Lord to commandHis followers to pray 'Thy Kingdom spread, grow and prosper' or something to that effect. If church members are already in the Kingdom, why is the Lord's command to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness' (Matt 6:33)? For only perfect righteousness will lead to perfect peace in the Kingdom of God, that which even the church cannot attain in this age! Besides, we only seek that which we do not already possess.
Dear friends, my point is that every truth of the Scriptures must be proven (1 Thess 5:21; Rom 12:2c). We cannot simply assume anything that we have heard or read is the truth - including this blog. But do read and study the Scriptures for yourself, for it will pay handsome dividends for now and all of eternity!
In the parable of the talent (minas) recorded in Luke 19:11-27, Christ compared Himself to the Nobleman who went off to a far country (heaven) to receive for Himself a Kingdom which His Father (God) will give to Him. The Jews understood the Scriptures of the Old Testament that the Prophet will come to set up the Kingdom on earth, and they were prepared to seized Him by force to make Him King (John 6:15). But the Lord knew that His time (to set up His Kingdom) was not yet then.
The account goes on to show that there are rebellious servants who do not want the Lord Jesus Christ to reign over their lives (Luke 19:14). Those servants who are unfaithful stewards and who refused to accept the reign of Christ (those who refused to be led by the Spirit of Christ - the Holy Spirit) will be branded as the 'enemies of Christ' and will be slained before the Lord (Matt 19:27), probably at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
In the book of Daniel, chapter 2: 35, 39 & 44, the dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was interpreted by Daniel who had the wisdom of God upon him. The first four kingdoms - Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman Empire - were literal kingdoms to come upon the earth in succession at that time. The fifth was a stone ( refers to Christ -see Matthew 16:18) that became a mountain and filled the whole earth. This prophecy is affirmed in Daniel 7:13-14 which states that the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will be crowned with His Kingdom by the Ancient of Days, a reference to God the Father. This is not referring to His first advent to set up His church as He came through the clouds (verse 13) and that ALL peoples, nations and languages will serve Him (verse 14). His first advent was of humble beginning.
In Revelation 11:15, it states thus: ' The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever'. Since this part of prophecy was prophesied to happen after the Great Tribulation which has yet to take place, the Kingdom of God has not appeared yet.
Luke 21:31 records the words of Jesus telling His disciples that the Kingdom of God will come only after certain events have to happen. One of these is that the generation of the last days will witness 'the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) coming in a cloud with power and great glory'. Since this has yet to take place as it refers to His Second Coming, the Kingdom of God is not here yet.
The prophet Isaiah (9:6-7) prophesied that the government will be upon His (Christ) shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is the world currently experiencing peace now? A cursory glance at the news headlines of major newspapers will show us the answer is far from it. But do take heart, God's plan for mankind is to have His Son Jesus Christ to sit upon the throne of David to form a super-government ruling with His saints on planet earth after His Second Advent for one thousand years. Subsequently, after having crushed Satan under His feet (Romans 16:20), Christ and His saints will rule the universe for all of eternity (Hebrews 2:10)! Folks, that is why you and I were created for. God do indeed have a wonderful plan for our lives (Rom 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:2-5, 9-11, 21, 2:6).
When the Kingdom of God has come, the Lord will make Jerusalem His Headquarter, known as the City of Truth (Zech 8:3) and He shall be the King over all the earth (Zech 14:9). Certainly, that is not what is happening in this current church age - not by a long shot!
Just ten days before the coming of Pentecost - the founding of the church - the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?' (Acts 1:6) His reply in the following verse 7 is obvious that the Kingdom is not coming anytime soon then, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.' If the church is the Kingdom of God, such a reply just do not make any sense - talking about times and seasons when Pentecost is literally close at hand!
From the passages in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:31, the Apostle Philip and Apostle Paul respectively mentioned 'the Kingdom and God' and 'the name/teachings which concern the Lord Jesus Christ' as separate subjects, indicating that the Kingdom of God is not a reference about the church or the gospel of grace or gospel of salvation which many believers simply assumed. The Lord Jesus also categorically states in Matthew 8:11 that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be in the Kingdom of Heaven (God), together with many from the east and west - probably referring to Gentile believers of the church age from all corners of the earth. Since, the patriarchs have yet to appear as they are still sleeping in the graves, the Kingdom of God is NOT here yet.
If the Kingdom of God is here now, either as the church or in the hearts of men, why would Christ command His servants to continually pray, 'Thy Kingdom Come' (Matt 6:9-10; Luke 11:2)? Wouldn't it be more apropriate for the Lord to commandHis followers to pray 'Thy Kingdom spread, grow and prosper' or something to that effect. If church members are already in the Kingdom, why is the Lord's command to 'seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness' (Matt 6:33)? For only perfect righteousness will lead to perfect peace in the Kingdom of God, that which even the church cannot attain in this age! Besides, we only seek that which we do not already possess.
Dear friends, my point is that every truth of the Scriptures must be proven (1 Thess 5:21; Rom 12:2c). We cannot simply assume anything that we have heard or read is the truth - including this blog. But do read and study the Scriptures for yourself, for it will pay handsome dividends for now and all of eternity!
Friday, November 9, 2007
THE KINGDOM OF GOD (2)
Following through my previous blog last week, I would like to share from Scripture what this coming Kingdom of God is all about. Genesis 1:1 tells us God created the heavens and the earth. But in verse 2, 'the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep'. The Hebrew word for 'was' in Gen 1:2 may also be translated as 'became'. This is consistent with Isaiah 45:18 that God did not create the earth 'in vain'. The Hebrew word 'tohu' is the same word used in Gen 1:2 'without form'. This would indicate the passing of time (though we don't know how long) between creation in verse 1 and the condition stated in verse 2. God did not create the original state of the earth in chaos!
The condition stated in Gen 1:2 was probably due to the rebellion of Lucifer (later known as Satan) and his fallen angels. Lucifer was in a position of rulership, probably including rulership on planet earth (Isaiah 14:12-15; Rev12:4). So Gen 1:1 refers to the creation of earth and verse 2 is a process to re-create the earth (Psalm 104:30) to make it habitable for mankind.
When God created man, He desires mankind to have dominion over all the earth (Gen 1:26). But man sinned against God and by default Satan became the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), until now....but thankfully not for long! For the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to planet earth to reclaim His throne with the title deed of the whole earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
When He first came, He started His ministry to proclaim the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom of God to the Jews with John the Baptist paving the way. But the Jews rejected His offer of His message of the Kingdom of God, and the Lord tells us that it is then given to the church (Matthew 21:43; 1 Pet 2: 9-10). Before His Second Coming He will send Elijah (Matthew 17:11 probably points to the prophet with the spirit of Elijah as following verse in Matthew 17:13 refers to John the Baptist at His First Coming) to restore all truths lost due to the deception of the devil (Rev 12: 9-10). Once this is accomplished, the gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world as a witness to ALL the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
God's plan for mankind is to have six thousand years of dominion on planet earth and then come the Sabbath - the seventh day of rest pointing to the seventh Millennium - the period when the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. This is affirmed in Scripture that for prophecy one day is as one thousand years (Numbers 14:34; Ezek 4:6; 2 Peter 3:8). That is why the writer of Hebrews 4:11 admonishes us to 'strive to enter that rest'. Similarly, in Acts 14:22, the Apostle Paul taught his disciples that 'We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God', right after he was stoned for preaching the gospel. This is because to enter the Kingdom of God (the Sabbath day of rest) is not automatic for all believers. They must work for their rights and bear fruits worthy ( Luke 19:17-19; John 15:14-16; 2 Tim 2:12) to become rulers, priests and teachers in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Such reward is conferred on all faithful servants of God ('well done good and faithful servant'), regardless of their status and station in this life.
Folks, the very purpose why you and I were born is so that God can beget us into His spiritual family with the Lord Jesus Christ as the First Born among many brethren (Romans 8:29), to be adopted as sons of God - to rule and reign in His soon coming Kingdom and then into the age of eternity to govern the universe! God has a wonderful plan for our lives, but it calls forth our understanding and obedience. His plan cannot be thwarted and He will reclaim the Kingdom back for His Son- the Lord Jesus Christ - who will rule the whole earth for one thousand years to restore, reclaim, refresh, redeem, return, renew, reconcile, recharge, revive, reform, repay and reward all the injustices and inequality that mankind has suffered for six millennia! (1 Cor 15: 23-28)
The wonderful world to come will be very different from what we are experiencing today. There will be righteousness, peace and abundance for ALL the peoples and nations of the world who will gladly bow their knees to King Jesus. For when there is righteousness, there will be peace - the former is the root and the latter is the fruit. The faithful saints throughout the ages will be resurrected with spirit bodies (1 Cor 15:50-54) empowered by the Spirit of God to rule and reign in God's Government in the Millennial Kingdom. Then and only then will all wars be done away with and weaponry be turned into plough-shares and miracles will be the norm (Isaiah 35:1, 5-7). It will also be the time when God's promise to patriarch Abraham in Genesis 12:3b be fulfilled 'that ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed' through him.The faithfuls will then sing the song 'What a Wonderful World this has been' - Amen.
The condition stated in Gen 1:2 was probably due to the rebellion of Lucifer (later known as Satan) and his fallen angels. Lucifer was in a position of rulership, probably including rulership on planet earth (Isaiah 14:12-15; Rev12:4). So Gen 1:1 refers to the creation of earth and verse 2 is a process to re-create the earth (Psalm 104:30) to make it habitable for mankind.
When God created man, He desires mankind to have dominion over all the earth (Gen 1:26). But man sinned against God and by default Satan became the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), until now....but thankfully not for long! For the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to planet earth to reclaim His throne with the title deed of the whole earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
When He first came, He started His ministry to proclaim the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom of God to the Jews with John the Baptist paving the way. But the Jews rejected His offer of His message of the Kingdom of God, and the Lord tells us that it is then given to the church (Matthew 21:43; 1 Pet 2: 9-10). Before His Second Coming He will send Elijah (Matthew 17:11 probably points to the prophet with the spirit of Elijah as following verse in Matthew 17:13 refers to John the Baptist at His First Coming) to restore all truths lost due to the deception of the devil (Rev 12: 9-10). Once this is accomplished, the gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world as a witness to ALL the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
God's plan for mankind is to have six thousand years of dominion on planet earth and then come the Sabbath - the seventh day of rest pointing to the seventh Millennium - the period when the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. This is affirmed in Scripture that for prophecy one day is as one thousand years (Numbers 14:34; Ezek 4:6; 2 Peter 3:8). That is why the writer of Hebrews 4:11 admonishes us to 'strive to enter that rest'. Similarly, in Acts 14:22, the Apostle Paul taught his disciples that 'We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God', right after he was stoned for preaching the gospel. This is because to enter the Kingdom of God (the Sabbath day of rest) is not automatic for all believers. They must work for their rights and bear fruits worthy ( Luke 19:17-19; John 15:14-16; 2 Tim 2:12) to become rulers, priests and teachers in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Such reward is conferred on all faithful servants of God ('well done good and faithful servant'), regardless of their status and station in this life.
Folks, the very purpose why you and I were born is so that God can beget us into His spiritual family with the Lord Jesus Christ as the First Born among many brethren (Romans 8:29), to be adopted as sons of God - to rule and reign in His soon coming Kingdom and then into the age of eternity to govern the universe! God has a wonderful plan for our lives, but it calls forth our understanding and obedience. His plan cannot be thwarted and He will reclaim the Kingdom back for His Son- the Lord Jesus Christ - who will rule the whole earth for one thousand years to restore, reclaim, refresh, redeem, return, renew, reconcile, recharge, revive, reform, repay and reward all the injustices and inequality that mankind has suffered for six millennia! (1 Cor 15: 23-28)
The wonderful world to come will be very different from what we are experiencing today. There will be righteousness, peace and abundance for ALL the peoples and nations of the world who will gladly bow their knees to King Jesus. For when there is righteousness, there will be peace - the former is the root and the latter is the fruit. The faithful saints throughout the ages will be resurrected with spirit bodies (1 Cor 15:50-54) empowered by the Spirit of God to rule and reign in God's Government in the Millennial Kingdom. Then and only then will all wars be done away with and weaponry be turned into plough-shares and miracles will be the norm (Isaiah 35:1, 5-7). It will also be the time when God's promise to patriarch Abraham in Genesis 12:3b be fulfilled 'that ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed' through him.The faithfuls will then sing the song 'What a Wonderful World this has been' - Amen.
Friday, November 2, 2007
THE KINGDOM OF GOD (1)
The term 'The Kingdom of God' has appeared in many commercial mass media including Hollywood movies either with the same title or in some other pseudonyms. But what exactly does this term mean which is used frequently in the Gospel of Mark 1:14, 4:11, 4:26, 4:30; Gospel of Luke 4:43, 6:20, 8:1,8:10,9:11, 14:15, 17:21; Gospel of John 3:3, 3:5, Acts1:3, 8:12, 14:22, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31 and many more besides?
Many Christians think that it refers to the 'gospel of salvation', some thinks it refers to the 'Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers of the here and now'. Yet others believe it refers to the 'universal church' of Jesus Christ. But is this what it is in the biblical sense of the word? Let us find out the truth from Scripture, for only the truth shall set us free (John 8:32).
While on earth, the Lord Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God wherever He went. In fact, it is also the subject of most of His parables. He commissioned His twelve apostles to preach the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick and cast out demons (Luke 9:1-2). Subsequently, He instructed the seventy disciples to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 10:1-9).
As Jesus had not walked the road to calvary then, He could not have preached the gospel of salvation since He had not yet died and not yet resurrected. Hence, the message of the Kingdom of God cannot be the 'Gospel of Salvation' as many claimed.
There are others who believed that it refers to the Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers of the here and now. The often cited verse is Luke 17:21b 'the Kingdom of God is within you' in support of this view. However, this is quoted out of context. The Lord Jesus was answering the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come. Could Christ have meant that His Kingdom was within the Pharisees -people whom the Lord called 'hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs (Matt 23:23-27)? The answer is obviously NO!
A careful study shows the phrase 'within you' is a mistranslation. My New King James bible shows in the margin 'in your midst', the Revised Standard Version says 'in the midst of you' and the New English Bible reads 'is among you'. Basically, the Lord Jesus Christ was referring to Himself, for He represented God's Kingdom. He was born to become King, to rule in the coming Millennial Kingdom of God as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)!
Jesus is the Messenger sent by God the Father to proclaim the coming Government of God on planet earth. It will be the supergovernment headed by Christ with David and His twelve apostles ruling under the Kingship of Jesus Christ. The term 'Kingdom' and 'Kingdom of God' are found scores of times in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is referred to as 'The Kingdom of Heaven', it means the same thing. God's purpose for the Kingdom of one thousand years (Rev 11:15, 20: 4 & 6) is to restore all things that are lost to Satan due to disobedience of mankind to the laws of God (Acts 3:19-21).
In Acts 3:19-21. the Apostle Peter stated that heaven must receive Christ until the times of restoration of all things. This means that the times of restitution is NOT YET (hence the word 'until'), but it will happen after the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth. For prior to Satan's rebellion, God's government was present on earth.
Let's take a look of what the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied about this coming Kingdom of God (Acts 3:21). Jude 14-15 records the preaching of Enoch -Noah's great-grandfather - about the coming of Christ with His saints to judge the earth. Mind you, this was before the Flood! Like Enoch, Daniel also understood that the Kingdom of God was a literal kingdom (see Daniel 2:28-44). It will be a Kingdom where ALL 'peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him' (Daniel 7:14). If the Kingdom is the here and now or the 'universal church' as some believed, can this happen? Looking at the conditions of the world now, it can never be as the conditions are deteriorating rapidly - heading towards Armageddon!
In Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet prophesied that Christ will rule with the Government of God upon His shoulder. He will be the Prince of Peace, sitting upon the throne of David whom God promised David through prophet Nathan ( The Davidic Covenant, see 2 Samuel 7:8-17 , 1 Chronicles 17: 11-14 and Psalm 89:27-29, 34-37). Further down in Isaiah 11:6-9, it describes the time in the Kingdom when the leopard will lie with the young goat, the cow and the bear shall graze together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox'. There will be no more enmity even among animals!
The phrase in Daniel 2:39 states unequivocably 'which shall rule OVER ALL THE EARTH' cannot refer to some vague idea of the Kingdom 'ruling in the hearts of men'. Take heart folks, the coming Kingdom is the blessed hope that will eventually save mankind currently heading towards destruction. A far better world awaits all true believers of the Kingdom of God.
Many Christians think that it refers to the 'gospel of salvation', some thinks it refers to the 'Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers of the here and now'. Yet others believe it refers to the 'universal church' of Jesus Christ. But is this what it is in the biblical sense of the word? Let us find out the truth from Scripture, for only the truth shall set us free (John 8:32).
While on earth, the Lord Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God wherever He went. In fact, it is also the subject of most of His parables. He commissioned His twelve apostles to preach the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick and cast out demons (Luke 9:1-2). Subsequently, He instructed the seventy disciples to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 10:1-9).
As Jesus had not walked the road to calvary then, He could not have preached the gospel of salvation since He had not yet died and not yet resurrected. Hence, the message of the Kingdom of God cannot be the 'Gospel of Salvation' as many claimed.
There are others who believed that it refers to the Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers of the here and now. The often cited verse is Luke 17:21b 'the Kingdom of God is within you' in support of this view. However, this is quoted out of context. The Lord Jesus was answering the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come. Could Christ have meant that His Kingdom was within the Pharisees -people whom the Lord called 'hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs (Matt 23:23-27)? The answer is obviously NO!
A careful study shows the phrase 'within you' is a mistranslation. My New King James bible shows in the margin 'in your midst', the Revised Standard Version says 'in the midst of you' and the New English Bible reads 'is among you'. Basically, the Lord Jesus Christ was referring to Himself, for He represented God's Kingdom. He was born to become King, to rule in the coming Millennial Kingdom of God as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)!
Jesus is the Messenger sent by God the Father to proclaim the coming Government of God on planet earth. It will be the supergovernment headed by Christ with David and His twelve apostles ruling under the Kingship of Jesus Christ. The term 'Kingdom' and 'Kingdom of God' are found scores of times in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is referred to as 'The Kingdom of Heaven', it means the same thing. God's purpose for the Kingdom of one thousand years (Rev 11:15, 20: 4 & 6) is to restore all things that are lost to Satan due to disobedience of mankind to the laws of God (Acts 3:19-21).
In Acts 3:19-21. the Apostle Peter stated that heaven must receive Christ until the times of restoration of all things. This means that the times of restitution is NOT YET (hence the word 'until'), but it will happen after the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth. For prior to Satan's rebellion, God's government was present on earth.
Let's take a look of what the prophets of the Old Testament prophesied about this coming Kingdom of God (Acts 3:21). Jude 14-15 records the preaching of Enoch -Noah's great-grandfather - about the coming of Christ with His saints to judge the earth. Mind you, this was before the Flood! Like Enoch, Daniel also understood that the Kingdom of God was a literal kingdom (see Daniel 2:28-44). It will be a Kingdom where ALL 'peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him' (Daniel 7:14). If the Kingdom is the here and now or the 'universal church' as some believed, can this happen? Looking at the conditions of the world now, it can never be as the conditions are deteriorating rapidly - heading towards Armageddon!
In Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet prophesied that Christ will rule with the Government of God upon His shoulder. He will be the Prince of Peace, sitting upon the throne of David whom God promised David through prophet Nathan ( The Davidic Covenant, see 2 Samuel 7:8-17 , 1 Chronicles 17: 11-14 and Psalm 89:27-29, 34-37). Further down in Isaiah 11:6-9, it describes the time in the Kingdom when the leopard will lie with the young goat, the cow and the bear shall graze together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox'. There will be no more enmity even among animals!
The phrase in Daniel 2:39 states unequivocably 'which shall rule OVER ALL THE EARTH' cannot refer to some vague idea of the Kingdom 'ruling in the hearts of men'. Take heart folks, the coming Kingdom is the blessed hope that will eventually save mankind currently heading towards destruction. A far better world awaits all true believers of the Kingdom of God.
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