The Kingdom of God (5)

I have just returned from a study cum vacation trip to Israel (December 2-14, 2007). My wife and I, together with sixty seven other church members visited places like Tiberias, Cana, Nazareth, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Jericho, Bethlehem, Masada, Megiddo and Jerusalem among others. In total , we spent ten nights in Israel - four in Tiberias, one in Jericho (we floated in the Dead Sea!) and five nights in Jerusalem. It was a memorable trip as we visited the sites and surroundings where Jesus walked and ministered with His miracles and healing powers, including the Sea of Galilee.

Remember that Jesus first came as a Messenger from God proclaiming the message of the Kingdom of God in the region of Galilee (Mark 1:14). This message which Jesus preached is the Millennial Kingdom to be established on earth after His Second Coming. The Kingdom of God is God's government within the Millennial Kingdom. At the synagogue in Nazareth (I was there in this trip) where He had been brought up, Jesus stood up and read Isaiah 61:1-2. He finished off with the verse, 'To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord'. As one day is as one year in bible prophecy (see Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6) and with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8), putting these verses in juxtaposition will reveal that Jesus was probably referring to the coming Millennial Kingdom. Because in the same context, the very same verse in Isaiah 61:2 reads, 'And the day of vengeance of our God', which obviously refers to the last one year of the Great Tribulation where the wrath of God will be poured forth upon planet earth known as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7)!

A study of God's Holy Days seems to reveal that the Almighty has two separate times to harvest mankind into His Kingdom. The first is the Feast of Pentecost, the 'spring' harvest of Christians in this church age - who will be the 'First Fruits' of the Kingdom. James 1:18 reveals that they are 'a kind of firstfruits of His creatures'. These are believers who will be 'born again' into spirit-body come the resurrection (1 Cor 15:50-54) to be rulers, priests and teachers in the Kingdom of God. They will rule and judge the world (even above the angels -1 Cor 6:2-3) in the world to come!

The 'fall' harvest will come much later when God will judge all mankind at the Great White Throne based on their works and what had been revealed to them (Revelation 20:11-15). However, in this present church age, God is judging His church first - those who are called (1 Peter 4:17) - who will later judge the world in the age to come.

The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:29-30 describes the five stages in the life of a Christian whom God works in him from beginning to the end of his salvation. He 'foreknew' us, because He knew us even before we knew Him. At some point in our Christian walk, God also 'predestined' us -meaning that He 'called' us and reveals Himself to us. When we respond to His call, we become converted, and that is being 'justified' with our sins forgiven and made righteous before God. Believers who are overcomers will be 'glorified' at the first resurrection upon Christ's return. Only those who are faithful and are overcomers (Rev 3:21) in their trials and tribulations in this life will be 'chosen' (Matthew 22:14) to rule and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God. They have the image of Christlikeness to be a member of God's family as sons of God (not daughters because there is no sex in the resurrected body - Matthew 22:30) with Christ being the 'Firstborn' among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

Hence, it is clear that God planned all these even before the foundation of the world (see Ephesians chapter 1). For the last 6,000 years since the creation of Adam and Eve, God has been calling and choosing people from all nations to be part of His Family and to become rulers, priests and teachers of His coming corporeal Kingdom on planet earth. As Christians, that is your destiny. But will you believe His (Christ) message and be counted in as Christ is standing at the 'door of your heart and knocking' ? (Rev 3:20).