FIAMI
UNITED CHURCH OF GOD
EAST AFRICA REGION
EAST AFRICA REGION
BIBLE STUDY SECTION
WHAT IS THE
KINGDOM OF GOD?
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came
into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,” (Mark 1:14) “And
saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel. ” (Mark 1:15)
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the
fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis
1:26)
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped
the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years. ” (Revelation 20: 4)
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:
and we shall reign on the earth. ” (Revelations
5:10)
Man was created to rule with Jesus Christ!
Foreword
Foreword
“Get wisdom, get
understanding: forget [it] not;
neither decline from the words of my mouth.” (Proverbs 4: 5)
“Also, [that] the soul [be] without knowledge, [it is] not
good; and he that hasteth with [his]
feet sinneth. ” (Proverbs 19: 2)
Keep in mind that everything
contained in this book will be a seal for you in the Kingdom that Jehovah prepared for you to inherit
with Jesus Christ in the future.
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject
thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of
thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4: 6)
UNITED CHURCH OF GOD
Preach the Kingdom of God
Prepare God's Family
WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
What is exactly the Kingdom of God preached
by Jesus Christ? - When will it be built on earth? Is it the worldwide church?
Is it the millennium? Is it in the hearts of people or is it simply
everything “good within” humans? Millions of people believe in such
ideas, but it's all a big mistake! It causes confusion and disagreements for no
reason. This book provides you with a simple explanation
from the Bible.
Fiangonan'Andriamanitra Miray
UCG Madagascar
East Africa Region
Edition 2019
WHAT IS THE
KINGDOM OF GOD?
SECTION PAGE
INTRODUCTION
God sent Jesus Christ on earth, to preach
the kingdom of God, to teach and save mankind from their sins.
A teacher: John 3: 3, 8: 3 “And they must be
born again, that they may see the kingdom of God. 8 "The wind blows where
it pleases, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or
where it is going. So is everyone born of the Spirit."
A savior: John 6:54: “He
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will
raise them up at the last day.” John 13:15: “For I have given you an example, that
ye should do as I have done to you.”
The following words remind us that He was sent
to preach the Kingdom of God.
Ø Mark 1: 1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark 1: 14-15: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God," and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the glad tidings.
Ø Luke 4:43: “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to
other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” Luke 8: 1: “And it came to
pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God; and the twelve went with him.”
Ø
Luke 9: 1:
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and
authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Luke 9: 2: “And he sent them
forth to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 10: 1: “After
these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two
before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to go.”
Ø
Acts 1: 3: When Jesus was raised from
the dead, He "manifested to his disciples many signs that he was alive;
and he appeared to them forty days and spoke of the kingdom of God.” Mark 16:
15-16: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he
that believeth not shall be damned. »
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;” (Mark 16:17) “They shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no wise hurt
them; he will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:18).
è Note: Whoever believe in the kingdom of God, repent and
are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ will be saved and can enter and
inherit the kingdom!
However, it is not
enough to just believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind, or
that there is only one God! Bear in mind
that the devils also believe in that, and they tremble: "Thou knowest
that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
(James 2:19). For example: “And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we
to do with thee, Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”
(Matthew 8:29)
In conclusion: Those who
believe in the Kingdom of God, who repent from their sins, and who are born of
water and the Spirit (baptized), will be resurrected by Jesus Christ in the
last days. And they will enter and inherit the kingdom of God with Christ.
WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?
Jesus said: “The time is fulfilled,
and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel.” (Mark
1:15).
What is the
Gospel?
Most people don't
even think about it. The truth of the Gospel is hidden from the spiritual eyes
of most people who profess the Christian faith. Since the first century, there
has been a conspiracy to deceive the Christian tradition of the Gospel. While
this statement is confusing, it is exactly what happened.
Most people believe that the Gospel
speaks about the body of Christ. This is not surprising because the role of
Christ is great, but He is not the Gospel. The Bible shows that Jesus Christ is
inseparable from the Gospel. Some people preach "the Gospel of
salvation," or the "Gospel of forgiveness." Still others believe
in "the Gospel of miracles," or "social gospel,"
"gospel of food," "healing," or "faith."
Those are all just
human ideas which are not found in the Bible. These are signs that follow those
who believe, or these are the salvation process; but none of them is the Gospel!
(Mark 16: 17-18).
Notice what
Luke says: “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city
and village, preaching the gospel of God, and his twelve disciples. (Luke 8:
1). He preached this Gospel. Thus He said: “… repent ye, and believe in the
Gospel.” (Mark 1:15).
What gospel? It
is the one about the KINGDOM OF GOD. He also quotes Mark 1: 1, "The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ." The Gospel of Jesus Christ
speaks of the Kingdom of God and nothing else! We must believe and
understand this Gospel if we want to be saved. No need for fraud or
substitution.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ explains how God will carry out His plan for
all creation, and how God will establish His Kingdom on earth. In this He will
teach us how to become children of God, reign with Jesus Christ, and forever inherit
His Kingdom and rule over everything He has created. (Mark 1: 14-15; 16: 15-16;
Matthew 25:34)
“After John
was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14)
“saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and
believe in the glad tidings.” (Mark 1:15)
“And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
(Mark 16:15) “[He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16) (* Believing
in the gospel of the Kingdom of God).
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world.” (Matthew 25:34)
Note: God's purpose
to give man eternal life has been from the beginning of the world. Therefore,
the purpose of human creation is to become a child of God with eternal life and
reign with Him (Revelation 21: 3).
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their
God. [* Gr. to
dwell in the tent” (Revelation 21: 3)
The set feasts of Jehovah instruct us about God’s
Plan which reveals how to enter His Kingdom because they cover the entire
salvation process ("but the body [is] of Christ." (Colossians 2: 16-17). Three times, the Lord proclaimed the feasts
to be holy convocations in the appointed seasons:
[Perpetual
statute concerning the holy feasts of Jehovah] “And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying, (Leviticus 23: 1, 2, 4, 37)
ü “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto
them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, even so shall it be.” (Leviticus 23: 2)
ü “These are the set feasts of Jehovah, even holy
convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. » Leviticus
23: 4
ü "These are the set feasts of Jehovah, which ye
shall proclaim to be holy convocations ... every one in his appointed
season" (Leviticus 23: 37).
This is important because it is Jehovah who sanctifies the feasts and
commands them as an everlasting statute, as He handed them to Moses, to be
preserved by the children of Israel throughout all generations, and then, to be
passed onto us, the Christians of the New Testament. “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a
feast to the Lord throughout your generations; throughout your generations you
shall keep it a feast, a statute forever. (Exodus 12:14)
What Is the Goal of a True Christian?
Can you be deceived?
Almost everyone who claims to be a Christian believes that when he dies, his
spirit goes up to heaven, to do nothing, but to "hang up" or to stutter
in vain forever!
Such a claim, which is completely ambiguous, makes one
think that Christianity is an immature, ineffective and untrue concept. Such
ill-defined perspectives about the future stop people from spreading the love
for God, even among the ordinary believers.
Even so, those viewpoints are completely erroneous.
Remember that the only reliable source for the future
of Christianity is the Bible. God is the chancellor who handed the Bible to us,
and his prophecies have been fulfilled,
even nowadays! The Bible never teaches that "the spirits of the dead roam
anywhere or hang up in the heavens." Such thinking create a wrong image concerning what Jesus
Christ preached, and a wrong image of the true "calling" for
Christians: It obscures the true purpose
of Christianity!
Jesus Christ came to
preach the "Gospel of the Kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14). Sometimes this
Gospel is called the "Kingdom of heaven," especially in Matthew; however,
it does not mean that the “ kingdom will be in heaven.” The heaven is
where God's throne is, and it is from there that He rules over everything! Here
are what is written in Psalms 115: 16: “The
heavens are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.”
The early Christians
clearly understood the idea, as it is stated in the book of Acts and all the
Epistles. However, many early Christians hoped that Jesus Christ would drive
out the Roman colonists, and set up His "Kingdom" or government instead. However, Jesus made
it clear that his time had not yet come. Even so, He had never said that His
Kingdom or His government on earth would not be a literal government. Note what
his disciples said after He was raised from the dead: "When they therefore were come together, they
asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel? (Acts 1: 6).
How
did Jesus reply to them?
“And he said
unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father
hath put in his own power. (Acts 1: 7)
Undoubtedly, His reply confirms that Jesus will return to set up a kingdom on earth. Later, when Jesus ascended
into heaven, an angel said to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This same
Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye
have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11).
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus gave many signs concerning
what would happen in the Last Days, before His second coming on earth. After talking
about the great depression to happen here in the future, He stated: "So likewise ye, when ye see these
things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.”
(Luke 21:31). Jesus did not say that His Kingdom is already set on earth, or
"in the heart of people"; on the contrary, the Kingdom must
"come" on earth.
Most Bible scholars know about
that, although they hardly ever preach about it. This is mainly because such
erroneous concepts, which claim that the soul would stutter in vain or hang up
in heavens after death, are often preached to people on the funerals of "Christians."
Thus, rarely do preachers talk about Jesus Christ’s coming again on earth to literally
establish a kingdom!
What is the Kingdom
of Christ Like?
When the kingdom of God is established, it will be under
the direct administration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So, what is it going
to be like? What will the faithful Christians become after their resurrection
(1Corinthians 15: 51-52)? What will the kingdom
structure be like? What will be the relationship between the resurrected
saints and the non-converted people, who will still be alive on earth?
The Bible provides a great many passages about the
coming Kingdom of Christ. The kingdom has a hierarchy of administration over
which Jesus Christ presides from top to bottom, as He is the King of kings.
(Revelations 19:16) We can also read Revelation 11:15: “And the
seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever! »
At that time, the saints will sing a "new
song" for Christ: "And they
sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open its
seals; For thou hast been slain, and by thy blood hast thou redeemed man of
God, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation; ”(Revelations 5:
9)“ You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; And he is ruling
over the earth. (Revelations 5:10).
Thus, in the last days, the Kingdom of Christ will not
be established in heaven but on earth.
This is what the first church taught and taught. That is not a surprisingly new
idea!
On the contrary, the truth has gradually been "wiped
out" because the Roman Catholic Church has incorporated all kinds of non-Christian
ideas in their teachings, especially the concepts about heavens, hell and the spirit.
Soon after the Catholic Church was well-founded, the knowledge of the truth
within the Early Church, which was founded by Jesus Christ, was fully left out.
The doctrine concerning the restoration of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth
was first strongly criticized as a deep metaphor; then, it was considered
uncertain and useless; and it was eventually rejected and abandoned, because it
was said to be an opposition theory (heresy) and fiery devotion for false
concepts (fanaticism).
In his letter to the Christians in Corinth, the
Apostle Paul highlighted the reward for true Christians: “Do you not know that the saints will judge
the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge
the smallest matters? (1 Corinthians 6: 2) “Do
you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that
pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6: 3).
This means, the
saints will judge "the world",
rather than stutter in vain in heaven after resurrection!
At that time, the
Disciples of Christ "believed that the Kingdom of God would come
soon" (Luke 19:11). Therefore, to correct them from their ignorance, Jesus
made a parable about a nobleman who traveled to a remote village to receive
power to reign and then returned. In this parable, Jesus explained that some of
the disciples will be rewarded, according to how well they will have used their
talents.
When one of them came to
Him and said, "Lord, one of your talents
has earned me ten talents," Jesus replied, "Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very
little, have authority over ten cities." The second servant also came,
claiming that he had gained five talents, and Jesus said to him, "You also, take five cities" (Luke 19: 16-19).
Of course, some modern
theologians are trying to "spiritually explain" these illustrations.
But, from Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures make it clear that God will set
up a literal reign on Earth, under
the government of Jesus Christ!
King David, who will be resurrected with the other
saints of God, will rule over the twelve nations of Israel, under the direct
authority of Christ! To describe how to bring Israel back from captivity after
Christ's return, the prophet Jeremiah wrote:
“And it shall
come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke
from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds; And the nations shall not serve
thee anymore; (Jeremiah 30: 8) "But they
shall serve the Lord their
God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.” (Jeremiah 30: 9).
Remember that the Creator also advised the prophet
Hosea to recount this fundamental truth about the structure of the coming
Government of Christ:
And he went
and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bare him a son.
» (Hosea 1: 3) And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a
little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,
and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. » (Hosea 1: 4) And
it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the
valley of Jezreel. (Hosea 1: 5).
A
Well-Structured Government
q God also advised the prophet Ezekiel to highlight the
system, saying: "In the last
days," all the nations of Israel will be united as one nation:
“And
my servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd:
they shall walk in my judgments, and keep my statutes, and do them.” (Ezekiel 37:24).
q Will
King David directly rule over the twelve tribes of Israel - the nations - the descendants of Jacob?
No, he won’t. There will be a harmonious alliance, run by the ruler, who is
chosen and appointed by the Sovereign King; instead of being issued by ballot
or political calculations. As Jesus said to His Apostles towards the end of his
life on earth:
" And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father
bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of
Israel.” (Luke 22: 29-30).
ð The
kingdom of the world in the future will be founded by Christ, the King of
kings. Under His authority, King David will reign over the house of Israel; in
turn, under David’s reign, the Twelve resurrected Apostles will rule over and
govern each one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
ð The
true 'saints' of God who believe what the Bible teaches, will play a part in
the management of different cities in the world according to these systems.
Since the system focuses primarily on Jews, then on Gentiles, we are confident
that the same type of plan will be implemented in Gentile nations around the
world. Thus, the literal government
chaired by Jesus Christ, the "King of Peace", will dictate lasting
peace, and a happy way of life all
over the world.
ð Each
of us, as long as we remain faithful Christians, will share in restoring
happiness to all nations upon the return of Jesus Christ! He said: “He that overcometh, and keepeth my works
unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and 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. ” (Revelations 2: 26-27).
ð All
of this is unbelievable Good News!
This is the true Gospel, which is
proclaimed in the Bible. This is the very essence of Jesus'
shed blood, sacrificing Himself for our
sins, reconciling us to God. True Christians, reconciled to God and
receiving the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, are preparing to help their
Savior rule over the Earth.
ð During
the Millennial Reign of Christ, the earth will be freed from Satan's power, and
the earth will be filled with peace,
prosperity and happiness. God's righteous way of life will be restored on
earth. The Scriptures make it clear that God will send Jesus Christ again as it
is written:
"And that
he may send the Christ appointed unto you, Jesus." (Acts 3:20) "Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets, since the world began. (Acts 3:21)
ð We
see that all the holy prophets proclaimed the Good News about "the day of restitution" - that is, the
coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Old Testament is full of prophecies
about the Messiah, who will come to rule over the whole Earth!
What Will the Saints do After their
Resurrection?
We have already seen that
the resurrected saints will be "kings and priests" in the Kingdom of God, which will be established on
Earth. (Revelations 5:10). We can also read that at the beginning of the
Millennial Reign (Millennium), Satan will be "bound" for "a
thousand years" [...] "so that he will no longer deceive the nations,
until after the Millenium" (Revelations 20 : 2-3). Besides, we have seen
that those who have a part in the first resurrection will be "priests of God and of Christ, and will
reign with Him for a thousand years." (Revelations 20: 6).
The Scripture always
reminds us that the priests, in ancient Israel, were the teachers of the people. They were the ones who taught the law of God and the way of life of the children of
Israel. It is evident that Christians, who will become priests in the coming
Kingdom of God, will teach the
inhabitants of the earth according to the
ways of God. When Satan is
"bound," the spiritual blindness
that has covered the earth will be eradicated. People will gain knowledge of
the truth and will be easy to teach. This implies that our work will be much
simpler than it is now in this world, since Satan, the "king of
darkness," is still ruling over it. (2 Corinthians 4: 4).
Many times, in the Bible, God tells us that "in
the last days" - that is, at the return of Christ - Jesus and the saints will teach the law of the Mighty God all over the Earth.
Let us take for example the followings: “… That he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths. For
out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. (Micah 4: 2). In the same way, “He will judge between many peoples, and will
decide concerning strong nations afar off. They will beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall he Or learn war anymore. (Micah 4: 3).
Certainly! Young men and women “shall not learn war anymore”.
The current society, which is under the ruling of Satan, spends most of
its economic resources on war and weapons. If the riches of a country is used
to achieve peace, the beauty of the city, of the parks and the environment in
the world to come will be quite unimaginable and fascinating! The differences
in the current world, where many people are homeless, or needy, will be so
obvious. Scripture tells us that when Jesus Christ rules over the world,
everyone will be the owner of their property. Here is what is written: « They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none
shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4: 4).
As Isaiah prophesied:
“And it shall
come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above
the hills; [The * Kingdom of God will be the highest of all the kingdoms **].
And all nations shall flow unto it. (Isaiah 2: 2) Yes, many peoples 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 it. For
out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2: 3).
Which laws did Isaiah talk
about? – He talked about the spiritual laws of God, or the Ten Commandments!
Absolutely! This is because during Christ's reign on earth, everyone will learn
deeply about the divine way of life, which is based on the Ten Commandments!
Many theologians are
spreading false teachings, which say that God's commandments are "no
more." However, the great spiritual Commandment will soon be the
foundation of all society. A deeper insight about the Ten Commandments, which
is available in another booklet, will be given in the future, if necessary.
How would life on Earth be if everyone in the world
knew and applied God's laws? The Kingdom of Christ is a reign of peace, where
even the wild beasts will be gentle, as it is said:
« And the
wolf shall dwell with the lamb; The leopard shall lie down with the kid; And
the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
feed them. ”(Isaiah 11: 6)“ The cow and the bear shall feed; Their children
shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox; ”(Isaiah 11:
7)“ The nursing child will play near the cobra's hole, and the weaned child
will put his hand on the viper's den. ” (Isaiah 11: 8)
Therefore,
“They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; For the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.”
(Isaiah 11: 9).
Scripture says that once
saved from captivity and the terrible tribulation, God will no longer leave his
peoples, who have survived the "Great Tribulation" resulting from the
mutual murder of the people and the day of the Lord's vengeance:
“… And thy
teachers shall not hide themselves; Your eyes will see your teacher;” (Isaiah 30:20) “ Whether you turn to the right hand or
turn to the left, your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the
way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
The coming Kingdom of
Jesus Christ is a reign that is subject to the laws of God, full of peace and
happiness:
No lion shall
be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, they shall not be found
there; But the redeemed shall walk there.” (Isaiah 35: 9) Yes, the redeemed of Yahweh shall return,
and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads. She
will be full of joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah
35:10).
The Saints Will Become Teachers
Then, the resurrected
"saints" will teach all the inhabitants on Earth about the divine way
of life, which is based on the Ten Commandments. This will forever create a world
of harmony and happiness. Since Christ is the "first of the
firstfruits," His example can reveal to us how the resurrected saints will
appear and act during the Millennium. At this moment, Jesus Christ lives in
unspeakable glory. In a vision, the Apostle John saw Christ in His glory:
“His head and
his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame
of fire; (Revelation 1:14) And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned
in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (Revelations
1:15).
The
Apostle John also wrote:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be
like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3: 2).
That's right, but we will
completely "resemble Jesus Christ"! We will be "glorified"
in the resurrection because we are children of God in fullness, and true
brothers of Jesus Christ in all His fullness! Because the Bible reveals that
Christ must be "the firstborn of many brethren." (Romans 8: 29).
How did Christ teach
people after His resurrection (after He was glorified)? After His resurrection,
many times did Jesus appear to the Apostles and other people. But they didn't
recognize him right away – His personality had changed, mightier than it was
when He was flesh and blood. However, the resurrected Christ appeared almost as
any human, communicated normally like any human, and whoever talked with him
could understand what He said, without having any fear of Him.
Remember the story of Mary
Magdalene, who neither recognized Him immediately, nor realized that she had
seen the resurrected Christ. Some time later, when Jesus was speaking in a
natural and expressive voice, Mary came to Him, but Jesus said onto her, "Do not touch me" (John 20: 14-17).
After this, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the
place where they had gathered, “And after
eight days his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.
Then came Jesus, the door being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace
be unto you.” (John 20:26) Then he said to Thomas, “Put out your finger, and see my hands; and put your hand here, and put
it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20:27)
It is clear that whoever
"overcomes", and will be among the resurrected saints, will be
qualified as teachers of the inhabitants of the earth, in their own manifestation,
as Jesus Christ did to his apostles.
Obviously, the resurrected
Christians, working under the authority of Christ during the Millennium
(Kingdom of a Thousand Years), will sometimes appear with great glory; but at
other times people will hear about them, but they will be invisible to them, as
depicted in Isaiah 30. However, they will reveal themselves as humans, just as
how Jesus Christ appeared amidst the apostles, or else, as how He appeared at dinner
time by the Sea of Galilee (John 21: 12-15).
Undoubtedly, there would
be a time when mankind will meet the resurrected saints, and express their
amazing encounter with their friends, saying: "He was certainly one of
them"!
Could you be "one of
them"? The answer to the question only depends on you and your will, once
you have fully understand the real Plan of God. If Jehovah God calls you to be
one of premice of the firstfruits, He will gift you with a surprisingly amazing
share. Because this is what Jesus Christ said:
“And he that
overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over
the nations;” (Revelation 2:26) “And 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.” (Revelations 2:27) “And I will give him the morning star.”
(Revelations 2:28)
It is essential that Christians today really get ahead
to show God that they are looking for the Kingdom of God above all else. This
should be the main goal of a Christian! Remember what Jesus commanded: “But seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you. “ (Matthew 6:33)
The Kingdom of God really
exists. It is coming soon. We have to learn more deeply about God’s Kingdom and
get ready to participate in it, and teach God's word to mankind, who dwell in
this war torn world of violence and sufferings--that is, teach the way to peace
and joy that God mentions in the Bible.
It is essential for us to
be fully obedient to Christ, so that we could let Him live His life of
obedience within us and establish a "new covenant" within us, the spiritual
Israel, as His words indicate:
“This is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, saith
Jehovah, I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I
write it; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah
31:33)
May God reveal to you His
plan and His wonderful purposes that He is carrying out nowadays. May He endow
us with the zeal to prepare for the coming reign of Jesus Christ on Earth, so
that we could participate in His kingdom, help Christ, serve Him, and teach God’s
Commandments to people. The goal of a true Christian is to become, one day, a child
of God, born of the Spirit, and to be a member of the Kingdom of God--or the
government of God--that Jesus Christ will soon establish here on Earth!
I Will Go and Prepare a Mansion for You
Jesus
Christ said, “Let not your heart be
troubled; Believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14: 1) “In my Father's house are many mansions; if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
(John 14: 2)
Jesus Christ tells us how to protect our
heart from being sad. It is true that some may sometimes feel depressed and
think about rejecting the gospel; however, it is vital to fight against such a
thought, at any time, if that happens. In fact, the following verses guide us
to the sure path to calmness, which mainly leads us to set out our goals in the
house of Jehovah.
Where is the Father's
House?
For the Children of Israel
Jesus always said: The Father's house is
the Temple in Jerusalem. Examples: Isaiah 56: 7; Luke 2:49; Mark 11:17; John
2:16.
“I will bring them to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar: for my house shall be called a
house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56: 7)
“And he said unto them, How is it that
ye sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49)
“And he taught, saying unto them, Is
it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? (Isaiah 56. 7); but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Mark 11: 17)
Then he said to the sellers of doves: “Take
these things away! Do not make my Father's house a marketplace.” (John 2:
16)
During the
Millennium
During the Millennium (Millennial Reign), the Father's House
will be the Temple in Jerusalem. But when Christ said, "In my Father's house are many places,"
He was referring to the time after the Millennium, because the work we will do
during the Millennium will last
forever! Revelations3: 12 says "we shall go no more out of the Temple."
We will be working forever at the Father's house!
The temple, that God’s people built, was
designed to look like the Temple in Heaven. Ezra 8: 29 talks about a chamber or
an office in the house of the LORD. Jeremiah 36: 10 describes the chamber of
Gemariah, which reveals that he had a throne, and his chamber or office is an
evidence of his sovereignty in the House of Jehovah.
Jeremiah 35: 2 also talks about the chambers,
or offices in the House of Jehovah. Equally, 1 Kings 6: 5 gives a description
of the chambers against the walls round about the Temple that Solomon built—offices
around the Temple.
After the
Last Great Day
The house of the Lord Jehovah God the
Father is built in heaven. It will be brought to Earth in the New Jerusalem, when
flesh and blood no longer exist on earth. It will be the time when only
spiritual people dwell on earth, after the Last Great Day.
The New Jerusalem will be filled with TRUE
OFFICES for the Ministers of Jesus! We will live and work forever in this
amazingly beautiful and wonderful home, with our Father and Spouse!
Christ said he was going "to prepare
a mansion or a dwelling for you," for EACH INDIVIDUAL! (John 14: 3) It is
certain that each one of us is going to have a chamber in the house of the Lord.
Jehovah God guarantees that everyone will have a dwelling - a proper chamber.
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD IS ESTABLISHED, FOR US WHO WILL WORK WITH JESUS CHRIST!
Our position will depend on OUR OCCUPATION. We will be REWARDED according to
OUR NEW DUTIES and FORMER RESPONSIBILITIES IN CARRYING OUT GOD’S WORK. This is
fair judgement. Mediate well upon this while you are now bringing your share
and carrying out God's work.
The
Temple in the Day to Come
Revelations
21: 1-4 speaks of the temple in the days to come.
[About the New
Jerusalem] “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for
the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and the sea was no more.”
And I saw, and behold, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, came down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” “And I heard a
great voice out of the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God shall
be with him [*Gr. be their God.) He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be pain; for the former things have passed away.”
Such is the workplace that God is
preparing for us for our future work in His Kingdom! Jesus is preparing offices
for the First Fruits of all ages. YOUR FUTURE responsibilities
will depend on the STRUGGLES or BATTLES you have won or VICTORY; and God
will assign you with tasks which correspond to your talents and skills. This is
absolutely a fair judgment.
As 1 Corinthians 15: 41 says: “ONE STAR
DIFFERS FROM ANOTHER STAR IN GLORY”. So will our glory be in the days to come, because
each one of us will be glorified according to our endeavors. Our glory will be
based on our spiritual fervor, or on how hard and zealous we have served the
Lord in our lifetime.
Your
eternal glory will be more important than anything else in the world. Don't be
fooled by visible beauty or appearance. Instead, learn to have a passion for
"ETERNAL BEAUTY!" It was why Christ submitted his soul. That's
everything for Him!
He will welcome us - each of us. Christ also
says in John 14: 3 “And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also. “ He will welcome us – every one of us.
The
Creation Plan Was Redefined
The whole creation plan was revised after
Lucifer led a rebellion against Jehovah God. As a result, the whole * universal
plan (* “universe”) was based on human creation! Thus, the children of God are
currently at the center of care.
The whole creation - everything you see -
will be arranged around the God house! The House of God will rule over the
whole universe. We will no longer see the damage to the existing world. The Management
Center will be the Earth.
The greatest danger is to turn a blind
eye on things to come!
Christ talked about the Father's house. Thu,
we are the children of God, who are waiting to be born, and God gives us the
right to be born into His family and to dwell with Him in our Father's house!
Summary: A
Messages About God’s Family
We must maintain the purpose of the
Kingdom of God, just as the Word (Jesus Christ) did. The Word was made flesh,
and when He dwelt among us on Earth, He was always focused on the Father, and
in the way the Father's family extends beyond the immediate God family and
incorporates mankind into His family. It's a Message about God’s Family!
Message about the Father too! We must come closer to Jesus Christ so that we
can feel like a child of God! Know and apply every detail of His plan of
salvation, and we will be in the Father's house forever. Christ is the gate.
Being called to God’s kingdom is the most
amazing and the most wonderful lot of any human! If anyone knew the Father, but
did not realize that, and they failed to fulfill any necessary duties for it,
they would be in great danger!
Jesus Christ has repeated this truth to
us many times for the eternal salvation of our soul! He strives to build a
lasting loving relationship with us so that we can take root and avoid pride
and opposition, and so that we could focus on His work and ABIDE IN Him till the end!
Our offices in the house of God are more
real and eternal than the rooms in our home on earth. A natural disaster can destroy your hand-built home; in
contrast, your office in God's house will never be destroyed if you remain
faithful to Him till the end.
Be thankful to God every day for being a
child of God and the wife of Christ! Nothing compares to that.
SEVERE WARNINGS NOT TO ALTER OR PERVERT THE
GOSPEL
The truth of the matter is so important that
God sent Paul to transmit the following message to the Galatians then - and to
us today: “I marvel that you
are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ,
to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who
trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you,
let him be [b]accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone
preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be
accursed.” (Galatians 1: 6-9).
This is such a severe warning! In the
next chapter (2: 5), Paul says that he had endured “… so that the
truth of the Gospel might continue with you. » The Gospel exists, but any
other gospels are absolutely false.
In other words, Paul did not teach any
other gospel or supplementary gospel, as some would like to be taught and
said. Instead, he was used by God to counter such false teachings. He even
utters a curse: "But if we, or
an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1: 8)
Paul also
explained that God placed the true Gospel in the hands of the Apostles. See 1
Thessalonians 2: 4: "For as we have
been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak, not as
pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.” It is a responsibility that
should never be taken lightly.
The true Ministers always teach everything that God commands them, instead
of doing “what pleases people" or what the Bible "scholars"
enjoy. So, it is nonsense to claim that Paul was teaching another gospel (which
was supposed to be about Christ), because doing so is similar to proclaiming a
curse for himself!
Anyone who preaches a false Gospel is
immediately cursed. Why aren’t people afraid of doing such a wrong thing? Why
are so many people ready to teach the wrong kind of gospel? All things
considered, in no way does the current Christian ecclesiastical tradition comply
with what is called "Gospel."
Why Not?
Since Christ
stated that the Gospel is about the Kingdom of God, and because mankind does
not know what the Kingdom of God is exactly, people think that the Kingdom of
God can be a religious denomination or the union of Christians. According to
the others, they simply preach that the gospel is anything "good"
within the hearts of people. Some believe that the "Millennium" is
the gospel; others even claim that the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not intended for the children of men nowadays.
All of this is
nothing but a great ignorance!
Anyone who
limits their gospel in the body of Christ is deceived by the prince of this
world and his servants (Revelations 12: 9), because they never preach the good
news about the Kingdom of God, that Jesus Christ has given to us. This is
written in 2 Corinthians 4: 4: “whose minds the god of
this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on
them.”
Read also 2
Corinthians 11: 13-15, where Paul wrote: "For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an
angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed
as the ministers of righteousness; but the end shall be according to their
works.”
It's quite
straightforward, and even annoying. Yet, it is true that, like God, Satan has also
his ministers or apostles.
The following
verses are quoted by Paul and describe the work of these false ministers:
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent
deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from
the [a]simplicity
that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3) For if he
who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different
spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have
not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
If Christ is THE Gospel, then why do we consider “the existence of a
different Jesus" and "the presence of another gospel" as two
distinct themes?
It is time to wake up from the
distraction of such a widespread misunderstanding – which results from false
Christianism, rejecting ANY OBVIOUS BIBLICAL TRUTH! The plan of God for the
humanity is amazing; and nothing that man has ever created can compare to what
God promises for us. Sadly though, the world chooses to ignore the plain but
evident truth in the Bible concerning the Kingdom of God.
This book provides an explanation of the
amazing truths that most people ignore.
THE MESSAGE
OF JESUS: ADVANCE NOTICE
As his pre-seasonal newscaster, Christ came to us foretelling
a profound change in the way the world would be governed one day. This unique
change is followed by global order, peace, harmony, health and happiness
worldwide. Jesus Christ and the saints of the Most High will bring about the
change. So this change is the foundation of the Kingdom of God, which is
proclaimed in the Gospel.
Everywhere Christ went, he preached the
Kingdom of God. And that is the basis of most of his parables. When He sent the
Twelve Apostles and sent them out to preach, He commanded them to preach the
Kingdom of God. “Then he called his
twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils,
and to cure diseases. And He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to
heal the sick.” (Luke 9: 1-2).
Later, He also
sent His seventy disciples. “After these
things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before
his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come.”
(Luke 10: 1).
He also told
them to preach the "Kingdom of God".
“And heal the sick that are therein, and say
unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10: 9).
Wherever Paul went, he preached the same message. (Acts 19: 8; 20:25;
28:23, 31).
“And Paul went into the synagogue,
and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the
things concerning the kingdom of God.” Acts 19: 8) “And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching
the kingdom, shall see my face no more.” (Acts 20:25) “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his
lodging; and he preached and proclaimed to him the kingdom of God from morning
till evening, and that they had been persuaded by the law of Moses and the
prophets.” Acts 28: 23); “Preaching
the Kingdom of God, and teaching the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness,
without hindrance.” (Acts 28: 31)
The term “Kingdom” and “Kingdom of God” is found fifty
times in the New Testament. But strangely enough, it is conceivable that
Christianity in general, almost indistinctly either forgets to know or does not
know, and does not proclaim this true Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
The word "Gospel" comes
from the Greek word "euaggelion",
which means "good news".
The word "State" is derived from the Latin “regimen”, which means Government.
Simply put, Christ preached the "good
news of God's Government". Global security, health and welfare
in all respects will prove to be good news for humanity that has not
known it for six thousand years.
The disciples of Christ asked Him the
SIGN of His coming and the end of the world. “And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24: 3).
And He warns against many deceivers who come in His
name: “ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I
am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
(Matthew 24:5).
Jesus said here
that these deceivers are preaching THE BODY of Christ, BUT NOT THE MESSAGE He
brought. But He also prophesied: "And
this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)
We are now facing the last days. Remember that if the Kingdom
of God had been preached for centuries, from the time of Christ to the present
day, its proclamation would no longer be a sign of the end of the world. False prophets and deceivers had corrupted
and concealed the true Gospel until
the twentieth century. At the beginning of 1934, God reiterated the prophecy;
and it is currently being fulfilled. In these days, the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God is preached in the true Church of God.
Life After Death
When Christ was talking about the Kingdom of God, what did he
mean exactly? This Gospel has its specific features.
Most preachers talk about the Gospel of salvation, which is
the belief that there is life after death. Other preachers highlight that the
Gospel refers to "receiving eternal life," while the others support
the popular idea of "going to heaven" after death. In fact, the truth
is that salvation is an aspect of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, and
it is closely linked to it; yet, salvation does not fully meet the true
gospel that Jesus Christ has preached.
Beside this, most people think God is looking for any possible
ways to save the world nowadays, and that now is the only time for humanity to
get saved. They do not even know why they were born - that is, the reason for
their existence on earth. Equally, they do not know: why can't they find peace,
harmony, health and welfare in all respects? Many are deceived by the so-called
salvation and the great question about life. This book provides most answers to
those questions.
One of the aspects of the Kingdom of God is “KINGDOM” or
“GOVERNMENT”. As it was mentioned earlier, the Kingdom of God involves
"government". When the Kingdom of God is established on earth, it
will rule over the whole world, that is, LEAD THE GOVERNMENT OR RULE THE WORLD.
The Bible provides a detailed explanation of this.
Message about a “Government”
This brochure
explains the "government" aspect of the Kingdom of God.
Before Jesus
was born, an angel came to Mary, His mother. The following verses illustrate
their meeting and the angels’ words to her:
“And in the sixth month the angel
Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David; and the
virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou
that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And he was astonished at his words, and thought what manner of salutation that
should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his
father; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom
there shall be no end.” (Luke 1: 26-33)
In John 18:36, Jesus said to Pilate: “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; For if my kingdom were
of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to
the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said to him,
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this I have
been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I should bear witness
to the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:
37)
Jesus
Christ Was Born To Be a King!
In Isaiah's
prophecy of Christ, the prophecy says: “For unto us
a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be
upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of
the increase of His government
and peace There will be no
end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish
it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of
hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9: 6-7)
When Christ establishes His government (God's Kingdom) on
earth, He will establish order for all nations.
All the
Prophets Preached the Gospel
In his Sermon on the Feast of
Tabernacles, the Apostle Peter made a remarkable statement that is unknown to
many in biblical history. He was talking about a particular moment:
“Repent ye therefore, and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send your appointed
Messiah, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the coming of the a day of
restitution of all things, which God spake by the mouth of his holy
prophets from the beginning.” “ And all the prophets from Samuel and those who
followed after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”
(Acts 3: 19-21,
24).
We have heard
that Christ ascended into heaven. But His second coming is yet to come, which
is why it says "until".
Consider this: True worshipers of God proclaim that Christ’s coming and “the
times of restitution” are at hand. Before Satan's rebellion, the kingdom of God
had already existed on Earth.
For millennia, servants of God have made detailed prophecies about how the
earth would be refreshed. Prophets in the Old Testament announce the coming of
the Kingdom of God and the restoration of all things.
The New Testament gives an account of a prophecy by one of
God's messengers in the Old Testament. The book of Jude relates the prophecy of
Enoch, the grandfather of Noah. Enoch had lived some 4500 years before the
flood, Enoch prophesied about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that would come on
earth. Judah writes about this: "And
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men
also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands
of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way,
and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
(Jude 14-15).
Understand what this verse means. It
declares that all saints (true Christians) with Jesus will judge the world,
"and execute judgment upon all ... for all their evil deeds."
The Bible says many things about the amazing Kingdom of God, and it even
talks about issues you have never considered before. Again, such news is
absolutely fascinating, and despite being confusing, it is possible to know about
it.
Daniel Understood it Clearly
The prophet Daniel, like Enoch, clearly understood that the
Kingdom of God was a literal reign that would one day rule over real people and
real nations on earth. He did not believe that it was merely an "uncertain
feeling", or a "feeling of joy" in "the heart of man."
Through dreams and visions, God showed him how His kingdom would be established
on earth and when it would come (Daniel 1:17).
All the prophecies
spoken to Daniel must be fulfilled: “And
he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the
time of the end.” (Daniel 12: 9). We are now living in the Last Days, and
there is plenty of evidence for that. Read the book entitled, “Are We Living in the LAST DAYS?” to know
more about Daniel’s prophecies, which were written FOR OUR TIMES! The messages
given to Daniel are designed for us! Daniel brought great news – SCARY NEWS! – that
will greatly impact on our lives! Now, let's see that he also understood clearly,
and taught the Gospel, that was preached by Christ. It is essential that we have
a good understanding of everything he said.
Daniel realized that he was simply a spokesman and a
messenger, and a mediator; that was why God revealed His wonderful plan to him.
In the second verse, we can see that he was talking to Nebuchadnezzar, the
Chaldean (Babylonian) king, about the dream that the king had had. Nebuchadnezzar
was the greatest ruler over many nations six hundred years before Christ.
The King’s magicians and astrologers were unable to discern what
God revealed to the prophet Daniel. Through the king’s dream, God showed a
vision that there is a living, omnipotent God, who rules over all creation,
over all kings, and over all governments, and over everything; and all the
inhabitants of the earth are subject to Him. The only thing that Nebuchadnezzar,
the king, knew was that there were many other kings and gods in which they all
believe. However, the true God wants to reveal His existence and power to the
king and inform him that God is sovereign over all creation. Additionally, He
wants to reveal to Nebuchadnezzar, the king, the fullness of His GREAT PLAN to set
up His KINGDOM ON EARTH "in the Last Days".
Take some time to read the book of Daniel 2: 28-44 patiently.
These amazingly detailed prophecies reveal God’s intention to us, which
consists in restoring His kingdom on earth, and His intention for the coming future.
The first
verses show us a statue of a great man. Verses 32-33 say: “The head of the image was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of
silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, and his feet of iron, and his feet
of iron and clay.” (Daniel 2: 32-33)
Clearly, the
vision depicts a statue of a man, which is divided into four parts. Verses 34
-35 then say that a stone was thrown into the statue, which broke, smashed and
crushed it until it became as fine as dust; and then the stone became a great
mountain, which filled the land. Note that verse 34 says: “… till a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon
his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces” (Daniel
2:34), because God, but not man, created it in such an incomprehensible manner.
The “stone”
destroyed the statue and then replaced it, so that everyone on Earth could not escape
from it—any nations. This is nothing more than a representation of the Kingdom
of God, which will be restored on Earth. Daniel was merely a messenger and a spokesperson,
who proclaimed the message about the Gospel of the Kingdom, which was later
preached by Jesus.
You don't even
need to make an effort to believe in it, since it is clearly stated in your own
Bible. You do not even need anyone to explain or interpret these verses for
you.
Just take
Daniel 2:37, which plainly says: "Thou,
O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom,
power, and strength, and glory;” As well as Daniel 2:38 says: "... you
are the head of gold". We should always let the Bible explain itself.
Verses 39 - 40 explain further the coming of three successive
kingdoms, which would follow Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and Babylon. Such knowledge
has been hidden to most people nowadays, and they do not even know what it is
related to.
These verses show the SUCCESSION OF MAJOR EMPIRES throughout
history, which are represented by the different metallic portions of the
statue.
The four Great Empires are: (1) the gold empire is the
Chaldean-Babylonian, (2) the silver empire is Persia, (3) the bronze empire is
Macedonia, and (4) the iron represents the Roman Empire, which will later be followed
by another empire made of iron mixed with tiling at the time of its
re-emergence. HISTORY tells us that the four kingdoms have actually ruled and
that the last empire will rule before the
establishment of the KINGDOM OF GOD on earth.
God shows us nowadays that He is the one who sets up and
overthrows a government, and then He builds again and pulls down a kingdom;
thus any government (or states) of mankind is reestablished again and again.
Definition of a "Government"
Many people wonder, “What exactly is the
definition of a kingdom in the Bible? Without paying attention to God’s
definition of a kingdom, preachers and theologians have tried to define it
spiritually.
The answer of the question is found at
the end of Daniel 2:39, which says that the kingdom “…shall bear rule over all
the earth.” Evidently, on no account can the Kingdom of God be comparable to the
one from such a vague notion, which says that "the kingdom in the hearts
of people” is the kingdom of God.
As the story in the book of Daniel
states, the definition of the Kingdom of God can be as follows:
It is composed of:
Sovereign kings
Laws
People
Dominions
We cannot make up any definition in our
own way, or according to our own understanding, or to what a church or many
churches believe in, or in any other particular ways. Here, we are talking
about a sovereign government which rules over real nations and real dominions. Therefore,
would you rather agree to the Biblical definition, or take a definition from
anyone else? Anyway, bear in mind that the Kingdom "shall bear rule over all
the earth"!
Note and observe the following two main
aspects of the aforementioned metallic statue:
First, the metallic components of the
statue diminish in value, from the head to the feet: That is, its value
diminishes from gold to silver, to bronze and eventually to iron and clay. This
symbolizes a decrease in the authority and power which will govern the empires.
Second, the metal is getting stronger as
its value decreases.
In other words, the strength and
dominions of each successive empire are more powerful than its predecessors’.
Finally, note that the two legs represent
a divided kingdom. The Roman empire is a divided kingdom, with its two capital
cities: Rome and Constantinople. The ten toes at the end, which are partly made
of iron and of clay, which can never be mixed. This represents great
instability of the last empires. When the legs are crashed, the whole statue
will collapse. It is essential to know those four successive empires.
Additionally, it is important to have a clear understanding of the meaning of
the ten toes of the statue, which embody ten kings who will simultaneously rule
over nations in the last days.
Compare Daniel 7 with Revelation 13 and
17. Together, they proclaim great prophecies about the last days and events
that will affect you and me throughout our lives! Revelation 17:8 explains the
"wild beast", which ascends from the "bottomless pit," upon
which "a woman" dwells. Verse twelve means that the beast is ten
kings who must take power and unite with the attractive ruler, who must play
the role of the "beast". It represents the return of the “Roman
Emperor” empire, which is taking shape in central Europe, and should not last
long.
The United Kingdom of Europe will be established
within a short time. The meaning of the prophecy will be immediately obvious then.
Unbelievable events will take place in
the era of the "ten kings" (the ten fingers represent the last ten
kings of Revelation 17:12). These events signal the coming of Christ, which will
completely remove any doubts about the KINGDOM OF GOD. In addition, God tells
us WHEN HIS KINGDOM WILL COME: "in the days of the ten kings." Daniel
2:44 openly reveals that: "And in
the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall
never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It
shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, it shall
stand for ever. »
Absolutely true! It is God - but not man –
who will set up the everlasting kingdom in the Last Days, the mightiest kingdom
ever on Earth since the creation of the heavens and earth. And God will not
leave its sovereignty to people, for His Kingdom is “an everlasting
government." This promise is sure. That must come true, whether people
believe it or not!
The Scarlet Woman in Revelation 17
The comparison
of Daniel 7 with Revelation 13 and 17 clearly states that there are seven
births to the HOLY Roman Empire.
Revelation 17:
9-14:
“This calls for a
mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They
are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but
when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was,
and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his
destruction. "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet
received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along
with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority
to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome
them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his
called, chosen and faithful followers."
The Roman empires are depicted in the
form of beasts in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7.
Revelation 13: 1-7:
“And the dragon
stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had
ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a
blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those
of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power
and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to
have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world
was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had
given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked,
"Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" The beast was
given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his
authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to
slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was
given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was
given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.”
Daniel 7: 2 – 8,
11 - 12:
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and
behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And
four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the
other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its
wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand
on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 “And
suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side,
and had three ribs in
its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much
flesh!’ 6 “After this I looked, and there was another,
like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four
heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 “After this I saw
in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible,
exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in
pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the
beasts that were before
it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering
the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them,
before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there,
in this horn, were eyes
like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.”
11 “I watched then because of the sound of the [f]pompous words which
the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body
destroyed and given to the burning flame. 12 As for
the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives
were prolonged for a season and a time.”
Six of the
Roman Empires have already ruled:
1. Emperor Justinien, 554,
2. Emperor Charlemagne, 800 CE,
3. Emperor Otton 1er le Grand, 962,
4. Charles Quint, (Habsbourg), 1530,
5. Napoléon
Bonaparte, 1804,
6. Mussolini,
(and Hitler), 1935.
And the last
empire is in the process of realization, and it will rule for about three years
and a half, during the time of the Great Tribulation stated in the Bible
(Matthew 24, 21-22), which is equally known as “a time of distress for Jacob” (Jeremiah
30: 1-7). After the rise of the last Roman Empire, the Kingdom of God will
come.
It is important
to understand the link between these seven births (or resurrection) and the
Roman government.
Revelations 17
describes each of these seven births, followed by “…a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, and it
had seven heads and ten horns.” (Revelations 17: 3). The seven heads are
seven separate rebirths and the ten horns represent the last birth of the ten
kings.
Concerning the
woman, verses 5 and 6 say: “And upon her
forehead was a name written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
(Revelations 17: 5)
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled
with great amazement.”
(Revelations 17: 6). Verse 1 refers to her as "the harlot (Babylon), who dwells upon many waters"
(Revelations 17: 1). Verse 15 explains that “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples,
multitudes, nations, and tongues.”
This is a
detailed description of the prominence and power of an "idolatrous"
church that derived from the Babylonian system. She is the mother of many
descendent "pagan" churches. These descendent churches came out of
her because they did not accept the terrible things she had done. Keep in mind
that it is not a minority church or a descendent church, but rather a
"prominent" Church, which rules over many "peoples" and
"multitudes". Revelation 17 verse 2 relates her
"abominations" with the "kings of the earth". And verse 18
speaks of the woman as "the great
city which reigns over all the kings of the earth."
description
of THE
WHORE OF REVELATION
17
|
EXPLANATION
|
BIBLICAL VERSES
|
“The woman you saw is the great city that rules over
the kings of the earth."
|
Woman = church
A great city that rules over the kings of the earth
= a prominent church which exists all over the world.
|
Revelation 17:
18;
Ephesians 5: 22;
Colossians 3:18
|
The woman sits on
seven heads, on many waters.
|
Seven heads = seven hills or seven kings.
Waters = peoples,
multitudes,
nations and languages.
This implies that many peoples, multitudes and nations on earth follow this
religion or church.
|
Revelation 17: 9; Revelation 17:1;
Revelation 17:15;
Isaiah 17:12-13
|
This title is written on her forehead: MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER
OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
|
BABYLON: THE GREAT THE MOTHER
OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
“The
mother of prostitutes” implies that the woman has many descendants.
|
Revelation 17:
5
|
The woman was
dressed in purple and scarlet.
|
Woman =
church
Purple and
scarlet = bloodshed
|
Revelation 17:
4
Ephesians
5:22-2
Isaiah 63:2-3
|
She is glittering with gold, precious stones and
pearls.
|
The church and its priests are glittering with gold,
precious stones and pearls.
|
Revelation 17:
4
|
She is holding a golden cup in her hand, filled with
abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
|
She is holding a golden cup in her hand
= the priests at the church has a golden cup in their hands. And the cup is
filled with abominable things
and the filth of her adulteries.
|
Revelation 17:
4
|
The inhabitants of the earth were
intoxicated with
the wine of her adulteries.
|
Adulterous
woman or whore = a pagan church, which worships many gods and deities,
statues and dead people.
The
term “intoxicated”
is defined as drunk and unable to think clearly, especially as a result of
the excessive love, or excessive drinking, or because of the influence of
someone’s power or authority. The inhabitants of the earth are
intoxicated with adultery wine, which they drank too much.
|
Revelation 17:
2
|
She rides a
beast, which has the
seven heads and ten horns.
|
A beast
= a king or a government or an empire
Seven heads =
seven hills, seven kings.
A
horn = a government or an empire; 10
horns = 10 rulers or governors or kings
|
Revelation 17:
7-12
Revelation 17:
9
|
With her the
kings of the earth committed adultery
|
A
woman with whom the kings of the earth commit adultery = a church which has adopted many pagan
rites from different culture and customs
|
Revelation 17:
2; Daniel 7: 1-3; Daniel 7: 17;
|
The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints,
the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
|
In other words, the woman has killed many saints, who bore
testimony to
Jesus. That massive killing of Christians has made many martyrs; that is why
this woman is drunk with the blood of the saints.
|
Revelation 17:
6
|
This prostitute
in Revelation 17 depicts a woman, who is totally different from the one in
Revelation 12.
The Revelations
12:1 shows a description of the true Church of God: she is “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon
under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.” She is to be married to Jesus Christ upon
His return. (Revelations 19: 7; Matthew 25: 1-10; Ephesians 5: 2).
The woman in
Revelation 12 has been oppressed by the woman in Revelation 17 or pagan church
for 2000 years. “6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with
great amazement.” (Revelations 17: 6). Yet, God will destroy this great
idolater and her immoral children, she will be made naked and desolate by the
wild beast on which she is sitting. “16 And the ten horns which you [g]saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make
her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” (Revelations 17:16)
There is just
little time left before the resurrection of the dead. Everything is getting
done now! Soon, the wonderful Kingdom of God will come (Revelations 19: 11-16).
All human governments - the small and large nations of the earth today - will
be destroyed and replaced by the UNIVERSAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD.
Soon, the world
will see the fulfillment of Revelations 11:15: “… The kingdoms of this world have become the
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He
shall reign for ever and ever.”
Just as there
is no doubt that there is a real government in every nation today, there should
also be no doubt, based on this verse, that the Kingdom of God will be set up
on earth soon. The literal establishment of the Kingdom of God is true and
real!
Jesus Christ
was born to be a king - to rule forever over all nations on earth. He will
reign with many kings who were born into Spirit or saved. This is the
fundamental theme of the Bible.
Read again: “And out of his mouth cometh a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty
God. And he had on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
(Revelations 19: 15-16).
Has anyone ever
explained these verses to you? I have never heard anything like that in the churches
that I attended during my youth; but here, it is made clear to us!
Entering the
Kingdom
The Bible
teaches us that the Kingdom of God will reign over all peoples and nations on
earth. It is not led by the ordinary people like in a government-controlled
country. To become part of the Kingdom of God, it is crucial that we enter it.
Let us ask each other: who will be the leaders in the Kingdom? If we want to be
among the ruling kings, what do we need to observe, do, and live in our present
life? We grow up in the "womb of our mother," that is the Church, and
are shaped by the Holy Spirit into Spiritual People at the resurrection of the
dead. It is only then that we will fully become members of the Kingdom of God
that reigns forever! Meanwhile, we are already citizens of the Kingdom of
God even though this Kingdom has not yet come here on earth. So now, we
are like the "ambassadors of a government, a heavenly government."
God has
released us from the power of darkness; HE CALLS US to “come out of” the world
(Revelations 18: 4), out of Satan's system (Ephesians 2: 2-3), Satan’s way of
life and his government. And God "has brought us into the kingdom
(Government) of His beloved Son.” He delivers us from Satan’s dominion and laws.
And He takes us into the Reign of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through our
conversion.
For further
explanation, see the next chapter about “What Does Colossians 1:13 Say?”
Seven Pieces of Evidence that the Kingdom of God Has
Not Yet Come On Earth
Many Christians
traditionally misinterpret the ideas found in Luke 17:21 and Colossians 1:13,
and assert that the Kingdom of God is the Church, or “in the hearts of people”.
Furthermore, preachers claim that it is “the duty of the Christians” to convey
the kingdom of God through love, and set it up through mutual tolerance, and so
on and so forth.
As serious as
that belief may be, it is not biblically founded. So, how do people come to
such an inaccurate conclusion?
Here are two main reasons:
- First
reason:
Many people do not allow the Bible to explain itself. Instead of obeying
the command of 2 Peter 1: 20, saying: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation," they explain the Bible according to
their thinking and own ideas. In other words, they do not allow the Bible
to "teach, persuade, and educate" them.
- Second
reason:
While examining the content of a biblical concept or idea, many people
limit themselves to reading a unique verse or two and base their
understanding out of context. As a result, they consider the subject
outside the real meaning of the sentence. In addition, they forget that to
fully grasp the meaning of biblical concepts, it is essential to relate an
idea to another, which is concealed and scattered within the Bible. Thus, to
understand a biblical doctrine, it is crucial to consider all the
references which are related to the subject matter. In fact, restricting oneself to a unique
biblical verse is not enough to grasp the main ideas and the underlying
concepts in the Bible.
As it is said in Isaiah 28: 9-10:
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
In other words,
God made the biblical verses into “lines and precepts that have to complement
each other.”
All biblical
ideas need to be merged into one topic; otherwise, we will fail to understand
the hidden messages in the Bible or end up misinterpreting the whole main ideas
in it. Now, in this chapter, let us consider seven pieces of evidence that the Kingdom
of God is not yet on earth.
1. The Kingdom of God is "Within You"
Luke 17: 20-21 says : “Now when He
was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them
and said, “The kingdom of God does not come
with observation; nor will
they say, [f]‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For
indeed, the kingdom
of God is within you.”
When reading this verse, many would immediately say: “Well!
The Kingdom of God is within me." But, is that what this verse really
means?
Who was Jesus Christ talking to at that moment? The answer is
stated on the first part of verse 20: “And
Jesus, when the Pharisees asked of the day when the kingdom of God should come
...".
We can clearly see that Jesus was talking to the Pharisees
rather than His disciples at that very moment! The Pharisees asked him,
"When will your kingdom come?"
Then, Christ responded as follow: "The kingdom of God is within you."
Can you figure out how possible it would be for the Kingdom of God to be within
these people, whom Jesus called "hypocrites" and "blind
guides"? Let us take a look at what was said about them: “He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by
heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and
mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others
undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and
swallow a camel!” “Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are
full of extortion and [l]self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and
dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which
indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but
inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:21-27).
That is absolutely impossible! God's Kingdom cannot be within
the Pharisees! Further studies have demonstrated that the word 'within you' is
completely a misinterpretation. The French Bible translates it as "among
you" or "in your midst." Therefore, what Jesus Christ meant when
He discussed with those insulters was “the KINGDOM OF GOD was the one who was
standing among them at that very moment.”
Indeed, Christ did proclaim Himself at that moment, because He
was flesh and blood, but He was also the Messiah. He was born to be a King, He
did not sin, He did not transgress the will of God. He is the true embodiment
of the Reign of the Kingdom of God.
2. Definition
of the "Kingdom of God"
Every kingdom is made up of four things: the territory, the
Kings (or the rulers), the peoples and the law.
If the Kingdom of God were already on earth, or in the church
or "in the hearts of people," the whole earth would be subjected to
the rule of that Kingdom, since the Bible says: "And the LORD shall be King of all the earth; in that day there shall be
one LORD, and His name one.” Zechariah 14: 9
If the Kingdom of God, Christ the King, were already
established on earth, its leader would sit on the throne of David: “For unto us
a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be
upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the
increase of His government
and peace There will be no
end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish
it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this”
(Isaiah 9: 6-7); and
rule from Jerusalem (Zechariah 8: 3).
Note that the word "Jerusalem" means "the place
of peace"; thus, it is supposed to be a peaceful city. However, it is one
of the largest conflicting cities nowadays; and it is constantly under the
terror and panic of global warfare. As a result, it can be said that Christ is
not yet ruling in this city right now.
When the Kingdom of God is on earth, His people (all mankinds)
live in accordance to the will of Christ. Besides, even such Gentile nations as
Egypt will have to accept His authority - or they will be punished and suffer
from the consequences of their deeds. Here is what the Bible says:
“16 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 [i]punishment of Egypt and the
punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of
Tabernacles.”
(Zechariah 14:16-19).
However, it is not the case nowadays.
When the Kingdom of God is on earth, its laws must be known to
every man, woman, and child on earth. In other words, everyone is at least on
the path to obedience. No one can say that he does not know these laws (Isaiah
30:21; Jer 31:34). However, all of these have not happened yet!
3. Seeing the
Kingdom
In John 3: 3, Christ told Nicodemus the Pharisee, "Unless a man is born again, he cannot
see the Kingdom of God."
“Nicodemus saith unto
him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his
mother's womb and be born?” (John 3: 4)
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the Kingdom of God.”
(John 3: 5)
To see the Kingdom of God and to enter it, it is crucial to be
transformed into a spiritual person. As Paul writes, “For this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom
of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Corinthians 15:
50)
CHRIST has explained that the spirit is like the air:
invisible and indiscernible. But human beings are all flesh and blood, and they
are completely visible.
In fact, those who have been "born again" will be
like Christ. “Beloved, now are we the
sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. We know that when he
shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John
3: 2).
In fact, we are "conceived by the Holy Spirit" like
a baby in the mother's womb; and thus we are born of the Church, our spiritual
mother. The rebirth goes through the “resurrection of the flesh, into spirit”,
when Christ returns.
In the present time, no human can look like Christ in His true
heavenly nature. Please read the
following description of Jesus Christ:
Revelation 1: 13-17: “13
And in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with
a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14
And his head and his hair were white as wool, as white as snow; and his eyes
were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 He had in
his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword;
and his face was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw him, I
fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not;
I am the First and the Last.”
Do you know anyone who looks exactly like that nowadays?
We must also consider the first resurrection (when the
servants of Christ are born into Spirit) which will only take place before
Jesus’s second coming (1 Corinthians 15: 50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4: 16–17). When this
happens, the whole earth will know about it. No one will miss this important
event. (Matthew 24: 23-27)
4. Global Peace Nowadays?
Here is what is
said in Isaiah 9: 5–6 about Christ: “And
the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace.
"The prosperity of the kingdom and
of the peace shall never end in the throne of David and of his kingdom
..."
Watch TV and read
the national newspapers and magazines. Is the world in harmony? Do you believe
that Christ would be pleased with murder, rape, child abuse, public rebellion,
terrorism and many wars in all parts of the world if His reigned on earth? Absolutely
no!
Such a crime
will no longer exist! The truth is that Jesus, the King of peace, does not yet
reign on earth today.
5. What does Colossians 1:13 Say?
Many preachers
want to persuade people that the Kingdom of God is already on earth. To support
their claims, they often cite a verse from Colossians 1, which says: He --the
Father-- “delivered us from the power of
darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,”
(Colossians 1:13)
To fully
understand the meaning of this biblical verse, let us study this passage
carefully and let the Bible explain itself. What is the "power of
darkness," from which God will deliver his people?
Acts 26: 15-18
says: “I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And
the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. “But rise, and stand on your
feet. for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you a servant and
a witness both of what you have seen and of what I will appear to you.
Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, “To open their eyes, that they may turn
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance in them that are sanctified by
faith in me.”
Currently,
Satan and his demons rule all nations in the world. Thus Paul wrote: Christians
do not “wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the air” [* Gr. Heavenly places] ” (Ephesians 6:12);
and Christ also said, “My kingdom is not
of this world; For if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not
from hence.” (John 18:36)
When God
delivers his people from the "power of darkness," they are allowed to
“come out of the world” (Revelations
18: 4), come out of Satan's system (Ephesians 2: 2-3), out of Satan’s ways of
life and government. In addition, God "has
brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son" (or His Government).
In other words, it means that God frees us from the dominion and law of Satan,
and transfers us into the Reign of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, during our
conversion.
Christians
are citizens of the Kingdom of God, though this Kingdom is not yet established
here on earth. To
better understand this, let us take the case of someone who lives in a foreign
country. A Canadian, for example, will always have his Canadian nationality
even though he lives overseas. Wherever he goes, his nationality will remain
unchanged. In the same way, a true Christian's nationality (Philippians 3:20)
remains unchanged, and his dwelling is in heaven, though he does not live
there yet.
Let us now take
a look at what is said in Romans 4:17 about Abraham: "God
gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though
they did."
When God said
to Abraham, "... because I have made
you the father of many nations" (Genesis 17: 5), Isaac would not have
been born before the following year (compare 17: 1-5 to 21: 5). They had
traveled to Egypt; yet, his descendants did not become a common nation until
several centuries had passed. God knew that they would become a peaceful nation
for many centuries. And because nothing can prevent God from fulfilling His
plan, then, it is like every part of His plan is already accomplished. Even
though His people are not yet born into the Kingdom of God, God knows it will
come. Nothing can prevent this. In God’s mind, this is something that must be
fulfilled in the end.
6. Thy Kingdom Will Come
If the Kingdom of God were already on earth, in the form of a
church, or "within each individual," or “in people’s hearts”, then
why did CHRIST command His disciples to pray
"for the coming of His Kingdom?" (Matthew 6: 9-10; Luke 11: 2)
If God’s kingdom has already started to rule the world, or if the Church is the
kingdom of God on earth, then, why didn’t Christ teach his disciples to pray
to: "Enhance and Spread Your Kingdom on earth"?
7. The Kingdom must be Looked for
If the Kingdom of God were already set up
under the sun, then, why did CHRIST ask His followers to "seek the kingdom
of God first"? (Matthew 6:33)
If the members of the CHURCH are already
within the Kingdom of Christ, then, why do they still need to search for it
again? There again, if such was the case, then, CHRIST should simply have asked
them to "Announce the Kingdom of God first"!
Misinterpretations
The Bible
declares that Satan is the god of the current world (or of these centuries) (2
Corinthians 4:4). On the other hand, if you are convinced that the Kingdom of
God is on earth, then you believe that you are "born again". And if
you have been "born again," you have been "saved." If you
are "saved" it means you can never sin again. And if you do not sin
anymore, you no longer break God's law (1 John 3:4); therefore, you do not need
to study God's law anymore. In other words, your judgment has already been
pronounced by Jesus Christ.
As it is stated
in Romans 13:10 God’s law is based on love and it defines man’s way of life: “Love
does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
However, John 15, verses
4-10 and 14 say that you need to live according to the divine law to fully
become a Christian and to be saved:
John 15: 4-10, 14: “4 Abide in Me, and I
in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine,
you are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If
anyone does not abide in Me, he is
cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are
burned. 7 If
you abide in Me, and My words abide
in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be
done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you
bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide
in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
… 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I
command you.”
If you do not
take God's law into consideration, you turn away from the Bible and cease to be
a Christian. çè However, that is exactly what Satan, the
enemy and deceiver of the whole humans, wants you to do.
Study the Bible
to find out everything it says on the specific topic it addresses. Only the
Bible should explain itself, because through the biblical contexts you can
develop true biblical knowledge.
In 1
Corinthians 15: 50-51, Paul says: "For
this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor
does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We
shall not all fall asleep. »
Undoubtedly, it
is obvious that people, who are still flesh and blood, have no access to the
Kingdom of God, which is filled with mystery for most people. It is therefore
necessary to read "the whole chapter about Resurrection" in 1
Corinthians 15. When true Christians (humans) are resurrected from the dead,
they are transformed into Spiritual bodies (born again into spirit) and then become
members of the divine family of God.
Now, do you
understand why no church can be called the Kingdom of God? The reason is that
because all churches are still tangible or physical. Such a condition prevents
any church from being the Kingdom of God. Believe in the simple truths of the
Bible.
The Kingdom of
God cannot bring flesh and blood in it!
Many verses in
John 3 remain unclear for many Christian believers. Those verses highlight that
a Christian will be “born again” and live in the present life while seeing the
Kingdom of God. (They fail to understand this concept since they are still
flesh and blood.
In this
statement, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, was talking to Christ; and in John 3: 2, he
confessed to Christ, saying: “… Rabbi, we
know that thou art a teacher of God; for no man can do these signs that you do,
except God be with him.” (John 3: 2). He also acknowledged that he knew who
the true Christ is and who sent Him on earth. Note that Nicodemus was speaking
on behalf of many, for he said: "We
know..." He was speaking for himself and on behalf of many other
Pharisees, who knew the real identity of Jesus. Under no circumstances could
they deny the fact that Jesus Christ performed all the miracles by the power of
God.
Many religious
leaders and Pharisees understood that JESUS was a "teacher from
God," who came to bring the truth. However, they called Him different
names such as a blasphemer, a drunkard, rejected, a transgressor, born of
fornication, insolent, demonic, false prophet, and so on and so forth..., and
He was said to be the one who deserved to be crucified.
Many people may
realize that the biblical truth is pure, yet they choose to ignore it in order
to maintain their traditions (Mark 7: 7) and ideas.
Christ told
Nicodemus: "Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John 3: 3). Therefore, not
everyone can see the Kingdom of God. On the contrary, everyone can see the
church or the government in the world; thus, anyone can see those two things, which
are both tangible and physical, regardless of their religion and belief.
It is vital that
we have a good understanding of those major highlights, which were clearly pointed out by Christ.
In the fifth
verse of John 5, it is said: "Except
a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of
God” (John 3: 5). This clearly says that people can "enter" the
Kingdom of God under a unique condition. In verse 6, Christ gives an
explanation of what He means by being "born of water and Spirit" or
“Baptism”: "That which is born of
the flesh IS flesh; and that which is born into Spirit IS spirit.”
Flesh and blood
cannot enter the Kingdom of God, but only the spirit can. To avoid confusion,
Christ created the Spirit in the air. Just like the wind, the Spirit is equally
invisible. We cannot see nor touch the spirit. Therefore, any member of the
Kingdom of God should be changed into a spirit, into the likeness of God.
The Kingdom of God within
the Hearts of People?
Many people believe that the Kingdom of God will enter
everyone's heart; they refuse to believe the biblical truth which
says that saved believers will enter the Kingdom of God.
Obviously, such unfounded belief has
resulted from their failure to listen to the proclamation of Christ in the
Bible. Some other people consider the coming of God's Kingdom as a mere
“spiritual” belief; they cannot believe in its literal realization; as a
result, they transform the gospel of the Kingdom into human emotion.
The "experts", lost in their
thinking, came to the idea that the Kingdom of God is "in the hearts of people".
These hypocrites firmly believe that receiving the Holy Spirit of God
means having the Kingdom of God within. These misinterpretations have existed
for centuries and led millions of people to believe in such false teachings,
which have led many into deception. The truth of the Bible is completely
hidden, as a result.
In other words, it has become common to
hear people say something like this: God's Kingdom can be established within
people's heart if all Christians around the world work together and build love,
peace, and tolerance.
Where have they got their ideas from?
This is from the wrong interpretation of
Luke 17, verses 20-21, in which Christ seems to say that the Kingdom of God
is "within you." IF this biblical verse said that the Kingdom of God
was within people, then, it would contradict all the other biblical verses that
we have previously considered. However, if a passage in the Bible seems to
contradict God’s commandments, we can reject it instead of refusing to accept
the Word of God!
Is The Kingdom of God in the Hearts of the
Pharisees?
Let us take a closer look at Luke 17:
20-21, which says: "And when Jesus
was questioned by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he
answered them, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation." “Neither
shall they say, Lo here! Lo there! For, behold, the Kingdom of God is within
you.” (Or: It is in your midst you.)
To avoid misinterpreting the idea stated
in these lines, it is vital to keep the following facts into consideration: at
that moment, Christ was talking to scoffers, liars and hypocrites. But even if
such a superficial and unfounded idea that "the Kingdom of God is in the
hearts of men" were acceptable, it would never be possible to believe that
the Kingdom of God would be established in the hearts of these Pharisees.
In their own eyes, the Pharisees
considered themselves as righteous and constant. Additionally, many times have
they looked for ways to accuse and trap Jesus in all possible ways. As a
result, it is absurd and irrational to say that the Kingdom of God was in the
hearts of those people. We must not ignore the context when reading this, when
Christ said: “He answered them.”
Obviously, He was talking to the Pharisees! We must understand that during the
talk, those Pharisees were not at church, and they were clearly not among the
members of the church of God. Apparently, not any New Testament church was
built at that time.
Here then, it is vital to note down WHAT
CHRIST DID NOT SAY in those biblical verses. He did not say that "the
Kingdom of God shall be established in the hearts of people," or "in
your heart." On the contrary, here is what He said: "The Kingdom of
God is ..." We must understand that at that very moment, Christ did not
describe the Kingdom of God as something to come; instead, He was talking about
the plain truth at that very moment.
Why Not?
We have already seen that this verse is
very different from the original Greek version from which it was translated. In
Greek, Luke used a word which means "in the middle of” (which is literally
translated as so in the French Bible) or "within". There are many
interpretations of the same word, that is why there is always a footnote in
most Bibles about the original meaning of this word.
The
French translation of the word is “in the middle of” (au milieu de). Likewise,
the Moffat (English) translation provides another overview. However, the King
James Version interprets it into “within you”: {17:20} And when
he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he
answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: {17:21}
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God
is within you.”
Let us ask ourselves what Jesus Christ
really meant when He said that. Who or what was exactly among the Pharisees?
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, stood in
the midst of the crowd of Pharisees, and He was talking to them. Look at the
situation: They were at the forefront of an official monarchy that would
"rule" the coming Kingdom of God. Jesus was physically among them. It
is very clear that Christ, the
representative of the Kingdom of God, was amidst them.
It is common knowledge that the Pharisees
were well aware of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Kingdom of
God. They were quite familiar with the prophecies in the book of Daniel. Later,
they also heard what Peter, the Apostle, had said about the "Holy
Prophet" and "the restitution of all things," in accordance with
the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and many other prophets.
The Pharisees, however, did not care about the passages, which revealed the
first appearance of Jesus, because they were too focused on His second coming.
Obviously, it was clear that these
Pharisees did not believe that the Kingdom of God would be a Church.
Additionally, they did not believe that it would be an emotion in the heart of
people. In all respects, they were informed that the Kingdom of God aims to
lead (or govern) and to reign (or rule) over all nations!
The problem, however, is that they
neither knew WHEN this Kingdom would come, nor did they understand WHAT its
main goal was. Little did they know about the real objective of the coming
Kingdom of God. They hoped that the Kingdom would expel the Roman state from
Palestine. If they had understood the first coming of Christ, they would
certainly understand the "TIME" of His second coming and why His
government will have to be built. Such ignorance had led them to keep waiting
for the coming of an invading Messiah, who would assist them in removing the
Roman control over the Jewish state.
Jesus pointed out their mistake to them.
He made it clear that the coming of the Kingdom of God would not be restricted
to a small presence; it would not be confined to the Palestinian territories where
the Jews lived.
The Jews were literally expecting a
tribe, even their own! Owing to that, Jesus told them not to think about
restricting the kingdom of God to a specific territory; and that was why Jesus
reiterated again that God's Kingdom would not be "here" or
"there."
Remember that in John 18: 37, Jesus
Christ said He was born to be a King. He knew He would become the highest King
in His Kingdom. (Daniel 7: 17-18 and 23 indicate that the words
"King" and "Kingdom" in the Bible are interchangeable
words).
If we go further and read the words of
Luke 17, we will have no more doubts about what Christ was talking about. Read
the verse 24 of Luke 17, which is similar to Matthew 24:27: "For as the lightning cometh out of the
east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be." In this context, Christ depicts a wonderful coming,
which is, appearing to the whole world, in the eyes of every human, just as the
light of heaven. However, it is worth paying attention to the words: "in
the day", because it indicates that something is yet to come. To fully
grasp the meaning, take some time to read Matthew 24: 26-30 and find out how it
describes "the day when Christ shall
be revealed."
All things considered, it is absolutely
irrational and unfounded to consider that Christ would say the Kingdom of God
was in the heart of the Pharisees, who were arrogant and full of hatred for
Jesus. Those Pharisees had kept complotting and seeking ways to kill the
Christ. In addition, it is equally absurd to maintain that Jesus would say that
the Kingdom of God was the church.
Jesus Christ warned the Pharisees in a
strict manner. Undoubtedly, that statement provoked anger in the Pharisees, and
prompted them to wait for whatever Jesus would say about the Kingdom of God, or
about anything else, in order to accuse Him. In Luke 13: 28-29 Jesus warned
them: “There will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the
kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the
west, from the south, north and the and sit down in the kingdom of God.”
In other words, Jesus Christ made it
clear to the Pharisees that they would never be in the Kingdom of God. They
were not allowed to enter it. Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that neither Abraham,
nor Isaac, nor Jacob are already in the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 11:13, 39-40)
The Kingdom of God
is “At Hand”?
This
immediately brings us to Mark 1:15 where Jesus teaches about the kingdom of God:
"The time is fulfilled, and the
Kingdom of God is at hand ..." Bear in mind that at that time He also
said: “… repent and believe the
Gospel." Some people believe that when they repent and believe in the
Gospel, and become members of a Church, they are already within the Kingdom of
God, which has been waiting for them nearby.
Again, people
would only read whatever parts of the biblical verses they prefer, just as they
did when reading Luke 17:21. In this passage, Christ neither said that the
Kingdom of God has already been established, nor declared that it was the
Church. These beliefs derived from people’s earliest traditions (Mark 7:7),
which were built up after careful observations. Obviously, people avoid
sticking to the very words of God. Jesus said to them, "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7: 7).
Luke 16:16 says
that 16 “The law and
the prophets were until
John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is
pressing into it." Although the Kingdom of God did not come yet, He had kept
preaching about it. The proclamation of the Kingdom of God (1) and the
opportunity to be received in it (2), were "at hand" (as
it is today); and those two important things must be closely followed.
The Saints
Who Will Reign With Christ
Before coming
back to Luke, let us first consider what Daniel said about the kingdom of God.
Remember that
Christ would come as a lightning bolt
from the East to the West (Matthew 24:27). This is a global appearance and
no one could escape from it. When Jesus comes to reign, will He rule over the
universe alone, or will other people govern with Him? We might also ask other
questions like: When Jesus comes to set up His universal kingdom on earth, who
will join Him in the established government system? To better manage any human
government, it is common for any ruler to require the help and contributions
from many other supporters. But will the Kingdom of God be any different? The
answer is ABSOLUTELY NO!
Daniel 7:13 is
talking about the coming of Christ “in
the clouds of heaven". Before He comes again, God gave Him power to
reign where He will govern return. The verse 14 says: "And to him was given dominion, and glory,
and dominion, to serve him in every nation, and nation, and tongue; his rule is
a a kingdom that shall never be broken, and his kingdom shall not be abolished.”
(Daniel 7:14)
Let us ask
ourselves again: Will Christ rule over the universe alone, or will other people
govern with Him? How will God govern the peoples and nations of earth?
We need to
understand many other passages from Daniel 7. Remember, the prophecy said that
the Kingdom of God would replace the four great kingdoms of the world mentioned
in Daniel 7. Read verses 17 and 18 again: "These
great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth: But the saints of
the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even
forever and ever.”
Just believe what
this biblical verse says! God’s plan in calling Christians is to reign with
Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God and rule over many nations and peoples and
multitudes. Truly, Christ is “THE KING of kings and LORD of lords.” You may be
one of those kings and lords, just like any other faithful saints, who have met
all the established criteria for those who are willing to enter into God’s
Kingdom.
Daniel 7: 19-20
gives further explanations about what must happen when the saints come with
Christ. The first duty of these people is to replace the so-called "fourth
beast", which will rule through a "little horn". The little horn
depicts both a RELIGIOUS KINGDOM and the scarlet woman, riding the beast of
Revelations 17. This religious kingdom (which is based in Rome) has dominated
the Roman Empire since its resurrection or rebirth in 554 AD.
Daniel 7:19-20: “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was
different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its
nails of bronze, which devoured,
broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns
that were on its
head, and the other horn which
came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth
which spoke [i]pompous
words, whose appearance was greater
than his fellows.”
Read Daniel 7:
21-22 again: “I was
watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and
prevailing against them, 22 until the
Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came
for the saints to possess the kingdom.” From this context, it is clear what
the Babylonian whore would ask for in Revelation 17: 5-6.
At the end of the
chapter, the long prophecy of Daniel is summarized in verse 27. It highlights
the wonderful opportunity that awaits the true saints of God in the coming
kingdom of Christ. He says, “And the
kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the saints of the most High; his kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him."
What is simpler than that? No wonder why
Christ said, “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— ‘He shall
rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s
vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the
morning star.” (Revelations 2: 26 -27) In the next verse, he
added: "To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my
Father on His throne." (Revelations 3:21).
The phrase "on my throne" implies that Jesus
Christ knew that His throne will be on earth, while His Father’s is in Heaven.
Luke 1:32 says: “He shall be great, and
shall be called the Son of the Highest; and Jehovah God will give him the
throne of David his father."
There is no doubt
that when Christ returns, the saints will reign with Him ON EARTH!
To highlight this
concept, it is also essential to refer to Revelations 5:10 and Revelations 20:
4, Matthew 5: 5, Psalms 25: 12-13 and Psalms 37:11.
“You have made them a kingdom and priests to
our God; And he is ruling over the earth.” (Revelations 5:10)
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them; and I also saw the souls of him that
was beheaded at the testimony of Jesus, and the word of God, and all that did
not worship the beast nor his image, neither received the mark upon his
forehead, into his hands; and he lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years.” (Revelation 20:
4)
“Happy are the gentle; for they shall
inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5: 5)
“Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will
teach him the way he should choose.” (Psalms 25:25) “His soul shall dwell at ease; and their seed shall inherit the earth.”
(Psalms 25:13)
“But the meek shall inherit the land
and enjoy the abundance of peace.” (Psalms 37:11)
Let us now
consider the great parable made by Christ so as to better understand the coming
of the Kingdom of God and all the necessary requirements to become a part of
it.
Parables of
the Minas
Luke 19: 11-27 gives a better picture of the coming
Kingdom of God. In this parable, Christ compares himself to a Prince who went
to “a far away country”. The trip symbolizes his return to Heavenly Father for
some 2000 years, and the Prince’s return from the trip represents Jesus’s
second coming to earth. In this way, the disciples believed that the Kingdom of
God was "instantaneous"; therefore, Christ wanted to show them that
much more time will pass before His kingdom is set up.
In this parable Christ wants to point out the common
mistake and misunderstanding from the assumption that the Kingdom of God shall
be set up when the Church is established. In fact, the parable aims at helping
people understand that it is only after the second coming of Jesus Christ, that
the Kingdom of God shall be established on earth.
In
this parable, “the nobleman”, “calls out” his “ten servants” (as Christians are
called out from the world). The lord was going on a journey. Before he left, he
had granted some Minas or money to his servants, and had asked each of them to
make wise investments. A “mina” is an ancient unit of currency, which was worth
60 shekels. The servants were asked to increase the value of the “invested
assets” and create a capital gain from the minas while their master was away.
Note that the minas in the parable symbolize basic spiritual resources given to
anyone who believes in Jesus. When reading this story, it is essential to keep
in mind that it is a parable; which means that, in reality, Christ had not
given any money to His servants before His ascension to heaven. Before he left,
the master might have asked his servants to "make good investment from
these coins until I come back," or "increase the value of the assets
that I have entrusted to you." During his absence, however, some of the
servants said, "We do not consent to
this man" (Luke 19: 14b); therefore, they did not do as their lord had
asked them to do. And it is important to understand the motives behind that
statement.
These
"landlords" knew well that the nobleman (Christ) would come again and
"rule over" the nations on earth. However, they did not want to get
involved in his ministry and denied the power to his government (his kingdom);
in other words, they refused to get involved in his ministry (verse 27). They knew that the Kingdom of God would be the most
powerful kingdom over the whole world. Remember, the parable begins with the
departure of the nobleman for a journey to a distant land; and upon his return,
he evaluated the budget management done by his employees or servants. This is
compared to the Lord Jesus Christ, who ascended to the Father in heaven, to be
granted the authority to reign over the nations and peoples of the earth before
his second coming. (In Daniel 7: 14-15, 27, we have seen that before His second
coming, God will give Christ the supreme authority to govern with all the
saints on earth).
Upon His return, Christ will call each one of His
servants and evaluate their stewardship and accountability according to how
they have used their talents and money to gain good profits. Some of the
servants made good use of the talents which have been given to them, and got
positive compensations. As a result, faithful servants have gained five
profits, ten profits, and even more; however, one of the servants was
unfaithful, and instead of making wise investments of his unique talent, he
buried it and did nothing to make profits. As a result, he made his master
disappointed and was severely punished.
Christ used this parable to clearly show that He also
expects His servants to be faithful and invest wisely of their given talents.
He expects them to excell in His work and to make lots of profits. In other,
Jesus wants his servants to grow spiritually, upon His return, each faithful
servant will be awarded with a compensation.
The first servant has gained a tenfold profit, and said,
“Lord, thy pound hath
gained ten pounds.” And Christ expressed his satisfaction to him, saying, “Well done, good servant; because you have
been faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.” (Luke
19:16,17)
The second servant has gained a fivefold
profit, and said: “Lord, thy pound
hath gained five pounds.”
Thus, he was given the power to rule over five cities. Because he gained less
profit, he was awarded with less reward than the first good servant. Anyway,
faithful servants are always granted with the "authority" to manage
and rule over a "city" or govern it. In other words, they are
entitled to "reign" in many cities all over the world with Christ in
His Kingdom on earth (Jude 14). The parable makes God’s plan for the saints
quite obvious!
Those servants were faithful to Christ and have
earned more minas. They were assessed as good servants and received positive
rewards from their master when he returned from his journey. They received the
power to rule over many cities because they managed to double the value of the
minas that the Lord had entrusted to them. Their liability was well remunerated
by their master, and those faithful servants become rulers over many cities and
peoples.
In
contrast, one of the servants was so unfaithful and lazy. He hid his mina in a
handkerchief to “keep it safe” when his master was away. He said, “Lord, behold, [here is] thy pound,
which I have kept laid up in a napkin.” (Luke 19:20) Instead
of trying to make profits from his coin or talent, he buried it in the ground.
He symbolizes any unreliable servant, who does not use their unique talent to
serve God. Such a servant will be punished and won’t receive anything from
Christ. Christ will take away his only share in the kingdom of God. “22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew
that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I
did not sow.” (Luke
19: 22).
The last servant in the parable was so unfaithful and
despised his master. He did not try to make profits from his master’s goods; he
did not handle his stewardship wisely. In other words, he had not committed
himself to the pursuit of the great city in the Kingdom of God. Due to the
unfaithful servant’s unaccountability, Christ had to find another servant to
take over his responsibility. A credible servant will be appointed to rule over
the cities and nations that have had no ruler or governor. The faithful servant
will save these cities from the domination and subjugation power of bad
governors. Otherwise, they will not receive care or good directions.
Jesus used the parable of the Minas to help his
disciples understand the kingdom of God. Initially, the disciples thought that,
instantly, the kingdom of God would come. He explained that there would be some
time and signs, before the kingdom comes on earth. Thus, the parable shows Christ going on a
distant place and come back to set his kingdom up on earth. The master
entrusted some money to his servants; and they were asked to grow its value and
make many profits from the fund. The parable explains that unreliable servants,
who disobey their master's words, will be severely punished by the Lord. In
contrast, reliable servants or saints will be rewarded with the authority to rule
over as many cities with Jesus Christ. Those people will be be made governors
of as many cities as the number of the profits they have made, when Christ
returns on earth.
Christ was a Jew who used a lot of parables in His
sermons when He was in the city of Judah. Jerusalem was the capital city of
Judah. Judah was among the 12 tribes of the Children of Israel. Ten of them
went missing in the 700s before Christ, as they were opposed to Rehoboam, the
Son of Solomon. They were taken by the Assyrians, and later emigrated to
northwestern Europe, and became the epicenter of the democratic nations of the
United States (North America), «Britain», «Canada», «Australia», «New Zealand»,
"Germany" and some of the Europeans. Only the descendants of Levi and
Benjamin remained with the Jews.
In another parable, he spoke about some people who
hated a Prince and refused Him to rule over them, saying, "We do not want this man to reign." The people in this
parable represent the Jews. History shows that the Jews despised the authority
of Jesus Christ, and they rejected His authority to rule over them. This is the
message in John 1:11, which says, "He
came unto his own, and his own received him not."
The "ten servants" (which currently
represents the elected Christians) represent the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel.
Since the Jews have rejected the authority of Christ to govern upon them, those
servants were given the authority to rule.
Sadly, many people do not listen to God’s calling and
words. They do not hearken to God's commandments and refuse to let the Bible to
lead their ways. Many times, people won’t let Jesus to dictate their behavior
and to lead their lives. Yet, surprisingly, they expect to be saved by Jesus.
In fact, believing Jesus and accepting His words are based on one’s free will.
And many people have chosen to reject God's words.
According to the parable of the minas, the message
that Jesus left is that no one can become a good ruler unless he proves to be
an obedient citizen, who respects the leaders and has good stewardship over the
talents entrusted to them. No human is to take part in the Government of God on
earth unless they have obeyed God’s commandments and accepted to be led by
Jesus. Only God can give authority to the faithful saints to rule with Christ.
In other words, no one would be accountable to rule in the kingdom of God
unless they had submitted themselves to the authority of God. Only Jehovah God
can appoint rulers in his kingdom, and those rulers have yielded and observed
His words.
In the parable, the master called his servants to
give an account of their achievements and the profits they have made during his
travel. Likewise, every one will report their deeds to Jesus on Judgement Day.
On that day, like the Apostles who will be rewarded as kings over the twelve
sons of Israel (Matthew 19: 27-28), faithful saints will be rewarded and
receive great Power to reign over many cities, and Christ will sit on the
"Throne of His Glory."
That concludes the wonderful lesson about the kingdom
of God, from parable of the Minas that Jesus made.
When is the kingdom of God going to be Set Up?
Most Christians
wants to know when exactly Jesus Christ will return. His disciples asked him
saying: “...Tell us when this shall be,
and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world.”
(Matthew 24: 3)
The following
48 verses in Matthew 24 provide the answer to that question, in which Christ
gives a detailed chronological description of what will happen and what are the
visible signs of the last days. In the verse 36, Christ talks about the exact
time of His return, sayings: "For of
that day and hour no man knoweth, neither the angels of heaven, [nor the Son,]
but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)
A few weeks
later, in Acts 1: 6-7, before Christ ascended into heaven, the disciples said
that they had not yet fully understood or accepted the explanations he gave
them. Thus, His disciples asked Jesus again: “… Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he
said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the
Father hath put in his own power.” (Acts 1: 6-7)
It is important
to note that only ten days after that, the church of the New Testament was
founded (Acts 2: 1). So, why had Christ said "It is not for you to know
the times or the seasons" if the Church were the Kingdom of God? And at
that time, the church was immediately established after His ascension, (at
Pentecost), ten days after the conversation with His disciples.
Likewise,
nowadays, no one can tell for sure when the kingdom of God will come; yet, it
is possible to guess the Christ's coming through the signs. To end the prophecy
about the Last Days and His coming, Jesus said: "So also ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is
nigh. He is at the door.” (Matthew 24: 33) The prophecy about the Last Days
and Christ’s coming is also written in Luke 21: 25-31.
Apart from
that, Jesus Christ wants His disciples to know about the Holy Spirit; so He
said to them: "you shall receive
power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you" (Acts 1: 8) Even
so, the Kingdom of God was not yet established on earth. Likewise, anyone who
has converted nowadays should have a clear understanding of such truth. We do
not know when exactly Christ will return; yet, we know that His kingdom will
come; and such knowledge empowers us to grow spiritually and to overcome Satan;
it also inspires us to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God until Jesus
returns.
The Efforts of Man Cannot Set Up God's Kingdom
The
true Christians were not called to try to "improve the world", or
"seek ways to establish the kingdom of God on earth". Instead, God
gave the "Gospel of Peace" for their feet, which makes them love
humanity. True Christians face life with the knowledge of the "True Gospel"
preached by Jesus Christ, which is based on the Kingdom of God. The true Gospel
endows them with all the necessities of human life; therefore, they stick to
the rules and commandments of God. True Christians seek the kingdom of God, and
they are aware that it will come. They also know what will await the world in
the end. True Christians will never change the laws and commandments of God.
Besides, true Christians do not serve under flags, and do not seek to become
the leader in the contemporary world government. They won’t contribute to
either the massacre of humanity or unreasonable wars, which happen in many
parts of the world. (Ephesians 6:15). In brief, true Christians focus much on
the quest for the kingdom of God.
Many Christians do not usually accept
to accomplish and follow what Christ commanded them; but they say that they are
"spreading the Kingdom of God." They boldly despise and reject God's
salvation Plan, and this attitude shows that humans won't be able to govern one
other.
Notice why Paul wrote: "For ye know well that the day of the Lord so
cometh as a thief in the night. “If they say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden
destruction will come on them, like labor pains on a child, and they will not
escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5: 2-4)
Whoever understands the biblical truth in this booklet won’t remain
in the "darkness", because they will have a good knowledge of the incredible
human "potential" and God’s Plan. [incredible human potential =
"amazing power of man, incredible or unbelievable human power, which will
be endowed to him when the time comes."]
When Paul recalls what is written in
Isaiah 52: 7, he said: “And how shall
they preach, except they be sent?" As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings
good news!” In verse 16 of Romans 10, he added some remarks to what was
written in Isaiah: "But they did not
all accept the good news*." As Isaiah said, "Lord! Who has believed our report?" (Isaiah 53: 1.) [* Even
the Gospel] »
Truly, most people do not believe the Word of God which
concerns the coming civilization. People do not believe that human power can
never maintain order among peoples. Many shout: “Peace, peace; But, there is no peace!” (Jeremiah 6: 14; 8:
11-14-15), and most still patiently believe and persevere in believing the
wrong gospels preached to them even though they are already faced with great
failure.
Christians all over the world continue to work hard and try to
establish the Kingdom of God, and the set the World Order through their
personal efforts. Deceived religious leaders keep on seducing people with their
false teachings, claiming that any Christian should be in charge of that. Many
even assign this task to their ministries. Millions of people are in the quest
for peace, prosperity, security and harmony in many parts of the world. Soon,
they will be very disappointed. The reason for this is that nowadays, the world
is moving towards its most perilous time, and it continues to grow in evil, and
only to develop into good in the end, if still possible.
« Thy
Kingdom Shall Come »
Some people often recite the "prayer taught by the
Lord" (or our Heavenly Father). Many people can recite it effortlessly,
because they do not understand that this model is made to lift the spirit. When
I was four, I learned the prayer. It begins with, “Our Father in heaven!
Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven…” (Matthew 6: 9-10). The brief prayer continues with three other verses.
However, how many people among the millions who know and cite the
prayer have considered the meaning of the phrase: "Thy kingdom comes”, or
“Thy Will be done on earth?” For over 2000 years, many people, who have tried
to accept Christ's guideline and "prayed for the coming Kingdom of
God", have not thought about the significance of the smallest but the most
valuable phrase in the prayer. Indeed, the Kingdom of God is not yet on the
earth; therefore, pray so that it would come!
Have you ever thought about that?
In the next verse which is not so far from this, but within
the same chapter, Christ added: “But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you.” (Matthew 6: 33).
Christians should primarily seek the Kingdom of God and his
righteousness above anything else in their daily lives. But how can they quest
for it unless they know its meaning and significant values - or when will it be
set up - or how the quest for the kingdom of God affects human salvation.
Additionally, they need to know who the king in the kingdom is, who the people
are, what rules and laws govern its citizens, and where it will be set up.
Now you know everything about it!
Summary: It Is Certain that the Kingdom of
God will Come
Here are a few excerpts from M. Herbert
W. Armstrong's book entitled "What
is the Kingdom of God?”
The global unrest started in 1914 when the First World War broke out. Then,
there was a peaceful time from 1918 to 1939. Now, the world knows another
ceasefire period for the second time.
Yet, nuclear weapons are available to
mankind nowadays, and there is an abundant hydroelectric storage, which can
easily wipe out all the inhabitants on earth. Nowadays, two more weapons can wipe
out humanity in our planet.
Renowned scientists from around the world
believe that only the establishment of a universal government would prevent
genocide. However, PEOPLE have never been able to form a unique government on
their own, because people do not want to agree on that.
Therefore, now, it is time for us to face
the issue as it is; and in order to address the issue, two alternatives are
available in front of us:
1) Either do we accept the sovereign God,
who will come and set up the Kingdom of God and rule over all nations, have
supremacy over human and global power, and will establish global PEACE,
(2) Or, we accept the annihilation of mankind
all over the world. (Matthew 24:22)
UNLESS the misled religious leaders, (who
believe that the Church is the Kingdom of God,) find the truth, AND UNLESS a
Global Government, which is more powerful than human power, is established in
the future Kingdom of God, then there won’t be any hope for Mankind. All human
beings are threatened with extinction.
But REMEMBER what Jesus Christ said, IF
YOU CAN BELIEVE IN HIM (Luke 4:43;
Mark 1:15; Mark 16: 15-16):
“And Jesus said unto them, I must
preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”
(Luke 4:43)
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom
of God is at hand; repent and believe in the glad tidings.” (Mark 1:15)
“And this is the will of him that sent
me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life; and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John
6:40)
Jesus said to her: “I am the
resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John
11:25-26)
“He who eats my flesh and drinks my
blood has eternal life; and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John
6:54)
“Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15)
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does
not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
è Whoever believes in the Gospel of the Kingdom of
God, and who repents and is baptized in water and the Holy Spirit,
will be saved when Jesus Christ returns!
Where do you put your faith? In the word
of God? Or is it in the void, misleading and idolatrous teachings of the so-called
"Christianity", which come from the so-called "Christian
culture", which say that the CHURCH is the kingdom of God, or that the
kingdom of God is nothing more than a vague and insignificant feeling "in
the hearts of the people"? It is time to find out who the false prophets
and antichrists are and who really teach the true Word of God!
Acknowleggment: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the
throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Amen. (Revelations 5:13)
Fiangonan'Andriamanitra Miray - FIAMI
UNITED CHURCH OF GOD
East Africa Region
Our missions are to preach the Gospel of The Kingdom of God and to preparing God’s family
Pray with us
LOT
VM 59 TER, Androndrakely, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar