Reigning With Christ

The term “Kingdom of God,” or "Kingdom of Heaven" is common to most Bible readers but how many of us really understand what it is?  Jesus often prefaced his dissertations with, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like."  But, even so, many of his disciples just didn't get it.  Ask the question in a bible study group and we should be prepared for answers that satisfy the denominational rhetoric rather than the word of God.  Throughout the entire Bible, the establishment of God Kingdom is the central message! John the Baptist preached the Kingdom of God, Jesus preached it, and the apostles preached it even though they didn't quite understand it. The last question that Jesus was asked before He left the earth was, “Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Knowingly and unknowingly, this question is the basis of much confusion.  Especially today, it is unthinkable to think of the Kingdom of God in terms relating to the Jewish nation, this would be politically incorrect.  It would also deny the church the right to claim the earthly blessing of Abaraham.

There are clues embedded within the scripture that explain in detail God's plan for mankind.  These clues are often overlooked in search of sound bites or surgically removed verses used to titillate or motivate our mortal desires.  The spiritual purpose of man and his relationship with his God is often cast aside in favor of a journey filled with pomp and pleasures.  The focus of the journey becomes the "Now", walking in created favors and claiming the blessings of Abraham.  Meanwhile, the nations are shifting and aligning.  The present world as proclaimed by Jesus and signified in the book of Revelation is heading towards an apocalypse climax.   John proclaims, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea" (Revelation 21:1).


The church began to lose it way when it abrogated its true position as the bride of Christ and began to follow the gospel of men.  Numerous gospels  emerged, the gospel of God's love, the gospel of prosperity and many others, while the Gospel of the Kingdom is discarded.  Salvation is either a work in progress, even through Jesus proclaimed "it's finished",  or it can be purchased through tithes and offering.   Jesus chronologize the path of the failure of the organize church in his seven often overlooked letters to the church (Revelation 2-3).    

The scripture references three groups, 1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.  One of these groups will rule with Christ, (The church, Holy angles, the bride of Christ) consisting of both Jews and gentiles, and another group who will be ruled by Christ (The sheep nations).  1 Corinthians 6:2-3  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?  Matthew 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

Matthew 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

The ancient prophets prophesied of a time when the Lord shall rule over all of the earth.  “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” Zechariah 14:9


This prophecy of Zechariah is referring to the time of the Battle of Armageddon. The nations of the world will come down against Israel to battle in Jerusalem. It’s at that time Jesus Christ will come back, fight for the nation of Israel, and establish His rule on the earth. This passage says that the Lord shall be king over all the earth. That’s the Kingdom of God. In that day, there shall be one Lord, and His name one. Let’s look at several other scriptures that also refer to this. In Daniel, we see a description of the time when human governments will be put down and the kingdom of God will be established.

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Daniel 2:44.  

Another prophecy of when Almighty God will rule this world is in Revelation 11. “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.” Revelation 11:15 

Matthew 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The word Kingdom is used 321 times in the King James Bible.   In the New Testament, it is referenced 150 times.  

There are nine events in the New Testament where Jesus used the words, "the Kingdom of Heaven is like", or "the Kingdom of God is like."

Some teach that Christ will return to this Earth and establish his Kingdom.  It is excepted by most that this Kingdom can be referred to as the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven.  Matthew referred to it as the "Kingdom of heaven" whereas Luke referred to it as the "Kingdom of God".   There are those who seek to define the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven as two different places. Then, there is the attempt to separate heaven from the Kingdom, thus making heaven the place where we all go, sit on clouds and look down on our loved ones.   When we do this we create unanswerable questions that can only be resolved by saying, "I Just want to go to heaven when I die."   The extent of our knowledge of God's plan for mankind become restrained by that simple statement.  Heaven gradually digresses into a beautiful place where we go to live forever.  The Kingdom become an afterthought  

It is clear from the Scriptures that God has been trying to set up a "visible" Kingdom on this earth ever since the creation of man, to whom He gave dominion. Geneses 1:26-28. But that dominion was lost by the "Fall," and Satan set himself up as the "Prince of this World." Matthews 4:8-10; John 14:30. In the "Call of Abraham" God took the first step toward the setting up of a visible Kingdom on this earth, which assumed an outward form in the "Jewish Commonwealth" under Moses, but the plan was blocked by the Jews losing their "National Existence" at the time of the Babylonian Captivity B. C. 606, and the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles." But when 600 years of the "Times of the Gentiles" had run their course, God again made a move to set up the Kingdom, and the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the Birth of the King. Luke 1:26-33. Thirty years later the King's forerunner, John the Baptist, announced that the Kingdom was "at hand" Matthew 3:1-2), and when the King manifested Himself to Israel He Himself made the same announcement (Matthew 4:17-23), and later He sent out the "Twelve" (Mt 10:7), and the "Seventy" (Luke 10:1-9), to proclaim the same thing. But the King was rejected and crucified, and the setting up of the Kingdom postponed, and the Kingdom took on its "Mystery Form" under the name of the "Kingdom of Heaven."

There are some who object to what they call the "Postponement Theory," and claim that the Kingdom which was "At Hand" was not an outward visible Kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom and that it was not withdrawn but is seen today in "New Born" believers. They base their claim on the fact that the earthly visible Kingdom of Christ could not be set up until after He had suffered and died on the Cross as the Saviour of men, and had risen from the dead, and ascended to the Father and received the Kingdom, and that therefore, the offer of an outward visible and earthly Kingdom at that time was not a "bona fide" offer, and that John the Baptist and Jesus must have meant by the "Kingdom of Heaven" something else than an outward visible and earthly Kingdom.  Confusion is a tool of the devil.

What are the facts? First, that the Old Testament scriptures teach that there is to be an earthly and visible Kingdom over which the Son of Man is to rule (Daniel 7:13-14; 2:34-35,44-45; Jeremiah 23:5; Zechariah 14:9), and we know that at the time of Jesus' birth there was a widespread expectation of the coming of the Messiah and that Simeon and Anna waited in the Temple for the "Consolation of Israel." Luke 2:25-38. We are also told that "Wise Men" came from the East to Jerusalem inquiring "Where is He that is born KING OF THE JEWS?" and when they had found Jesus they worshipped Him as KING. Matthew 2:1-11. There can be no question but that Jesus was born to be a KING. It was not until Jesus was 30 years old that John the Baptist appeared at the Jordan preaching-- "Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND." Matthew 3:2. And we are told that his mission was to "Prepare the Way of the Lord." Matthew 3:3; Isa 40:3. Prepare the way of the Lord for what? Not for the "Cross" but the "Kingdom." John's message had no meaning to those who heard him and were looking for the setting up of the "Messianic Kingdom," if he did not mean by the "Kingdom of Heaven" an outward and visible earthly Kingdom. That John himself so believed is evident from the question he sent his disciples while in prison to ask Jesus-- "Art Thou He that should come or do we look for another?" Mt 11:3. The fact that Jesus answered John's question by a number of miracles of healing, which are the "signs" of the Messianic Kingdom (Isaiah 35:1-10), and were proofs of Christ's Messiahship, and told John's disciples to so report, is proof that both John and Jesus had in mind the earthly Messianic Kingdom when they proclaimed that the "Kingdom of Heaven was AT HAND." It was the "Kingdom of Heaven," not because it was a Heavenly or the Spiritual Kingdom, but because it was not received from men, but was given from Heaven by God the Father.

While it is true that John the Baptist pointed out to two of his own disciples Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), this was after Jesus' return from the "Wilderness Temptation," and had been revealed to John at the Baptism of Jesus, and does not nullify or alter the character of his previous proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. We must not forget that as soon as Jesus was baptised He was "immediately" driven into the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:11-13), and it was not until 40 days after His Baptism that John pointed out to his disciples Jesus as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." The words "next day" (John 1:29) refer not to the day after Jesus' Baptism, but the next day after the Priests and Levites had inquired of John whether he was the Christ or Elias. Joh n 1:19-28. In John 1:32-34, John the Baptist testifies that he knew not Jesus as the "Lamb of God" until His Baptism. Then he knew by the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove upon Christ that He was the "SON OF GOD." Therefore, John the Baptist knew nothing about Christ's sacrificial work at the beginning of his ministry, and his proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand could have had no reference to a Spiritual Kingdom.

When Nathanael exclaimed-- "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the KING OF ISRAEL" (John 1:49), Jesus did not disclaim the title. When Jesus entered on His own ministry His message was the same as John the Baptist's "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND." Matthew 4:17. The repentance called for was a "NATIONAL REPENTANCE." The Old Testament scriptures clearly teach that the Messianic Kingdom cannot be set up until Israel as a nation REPENTS. In Matthew 4:23 we read-- "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the `Gospel of The Kingdom.'" While this was attended with "signs of bodily healing" we are nowhere told that the "Gospel of the Kingdom" had anything to do with the salvation of the soul, and as it is to be preached again after the Rapture of the Church for a "witness" unto all nations, that the time has come for the setting up of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14) the inference is that the "Gospel of the Kingdom" has nothing to do with "salvation," but is simply an announcement that the "Messianic Kingdom" is AT HAND.

When Jesus sent forth the Twelve Disciples He commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the 'lost sheep' of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL, and as ye go, preach, saying-- 'The Kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils (demons)." Matthew 10:5-8. Note again that the works they were to perform were "Kingdom SIGNS," and had no reference to the salvation of the soul. They did not preach the "Gospel of Salvation," but the "Gospel of the Kingdom." And further the "Gospel of Salvation" is for the whole world, but the Disciples were forbidden to go to any but the "House of Israel," thus showing that what they preached was exclusively for Israel. That the Disciples were expecting the setting up of a visible earthly Kingdom is evidenced by the request of James and John that they might sit, one on the right hand, and the other on the left hand of Jesus in His Kingdom. Matthew 10:35-41. If there was to be no earthly Kingdom Jesus would have disabused their minds of that idea, but He confirmed it by saying that the place of honor was not for Him to give, but would be bestowed by His Father. Matthew 20:23.

The fact that after the miracle of the "Loaves and Fishes" the multitude was desirous to take Jesus by force and make Him a KING (John 6:15), reveals what they understood by the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven being AT HAND. That Jesus prevented them from doing so by escaping to a mountain is no evidence that He repudiated the idea of Kingship over a visible earthly Kingdom, but that to have received the Kingdom from them would have been wrong, for He is to receive the Kingdom from the FATHER, and not from men. Daniel 7:13-14. That Jesus did not deny His Kingship of an outward and visible earthly Kingdom is clear from the fact that He accepted the "Hosannas" of the multitude when He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. John 12:12-15. And it was as "King OF THE JEWS" He was crucified. Matthew 27:37. When Pilate asked Jesus-- "Art Thou the King of the JEWS?" He evaded the question, but admitted that He was a KING, and to that end had been born, but that His Kingdom was "not of this world," that is, it would be given to Him by God the Father, and, therefore, would be from Heaven. John 18:33-37.

But someone may ask, "What would have happened if the Jews, as a nation, had repented, and accepted Jesus as King, would the earthly Messianic Kingdom have been set up?" Certainly, but not necessarily immediately, for certain Old Testament prophecies as to Jesus' death and resurrection had to be fulfilled, for He had to die for the redemption of the race before He could assume His office as King. But this could and would have been fulfilled by the Roman Government seizing Jesus and crucifying Him as a usurper, and with Jesus' Resurrection and Ascension, Daniel's 69th week would have terminated, and the 70th week begun without a break, and at its close Jesus would have descended and set up His earthly Kingdom.