THY KINGDOM COME
-Ralph Johnson
Matt. 6:9 After
this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will
be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
The
coming of the kingdom has been a subject of much speculation through the
centuries. The prophets foretold it
before Jesus came. The Jews expected an
earthly kingdom and sought to make Jesus King by force (John 6:15). When he refused, they turned on him and
shouted, crucify him. Pilate
said unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have
no king but Caesar (John
19:15).
Unfortunately, the Jews are not the only ones who have
fallen into this trap. Through the
Middle Ages the rising temporal power of the Roman church began to be viewed as
Gods kingdom on earth. The result was
the incredible arrogance and tyranny of the Papacy. However, Christ did not come and their imperial dreams eventually
crumbled.
Today, a large segment of the Christ-professing world still has their hopes pinned on an earthly kingdom with Christ sitting on a literal throne in Jerusalem ruling over the world with a literal rod of iron. To this, the response of Jesus still stands.
Luke 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: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.
This
study is to show the overwhelming evidence that Christs kingdom came with
power on the Day of Pentecost following the resurrection.
Col. 1:13-19. ..delivered us out of the power of darkness,
and translated us into the kingdom
of the Son of his love...
I.
THE KINGDOM WAS TO COME
WITHIN THE LIFETIME OF THE APOSTLES.
Mark
9:1. Some of you will not taste death
until you see the kingdom of God come with power.
OBJECTION:
They saw the kingdom coming with power on the
mount of transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8).
2Pe. 1:16-18
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory,
when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
ANSWER:
2 Peter does not say that at the
transfiguration they saw the kingdom come with power, or that this was the
fulfillment of his prediction.
Peter says nothing about seeing him coming with his angels Mat. 16:28-29.
Luke 9:31 says that Moses
and Elijah were discussing with Jesus his coming death in Jerusalem.
Mark 9:1 says that, some of you will not taste death until you
see the kingdom come with power.
He did not say that none of
them would taste death before this. The
transfiguration was only six days later and nothing is said of any of the
disciples having died by then.
Pentecost, following the death of Judas, better fits the fulfillment of
what Jesus said.
It was on
Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was sent from the throne of Christ with power
(Ac. 1:8). After that they are spoken
of as being in the kingdom of the son. (Col. 1:13)
Luke
24:47-49.
47 And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem.
[cf. Isa. 2:3; Ps. 110:2] 48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of
my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued
with power from on high.
Acts 1:3-8.
..he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs,
appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning
the kingdom of God: 4 and, being assembled together with them, he charged
them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father,
which, said he, ye heard from me: 5 for...ye
shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence. 6 They therefore,
when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord, do you at this time restore
the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times
or seasons, which the father has set within his own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you:
and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had said these things,
as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight.
II.
THE APOSTLES WERE GIVEN THE
KEYS TO OPEN THE KINGDOM
Matt. 16:16 And
Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for
flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in
heaven. 18 And I say also unto you,
That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19
I will give unto you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven.
The church is here used interchangeably
with kingdom. Christ is the rock upon which the church was built
(Mat. 7:24; 1Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; Rom. 9:33; 1Cor. 10:4; 1Pet. 2:8).
In Rev. 3:7 Jesus is spoken
of as having the key of David.
In Luke 11:52 he denounces the lawyers for taking away the key of knowledge
Peter used these
keys on Pentecost when, filled with
the Holy Spirit, he preached the message that Christ is now lord sitting at the
right hand of God in fulfillment of the promise to David (Acts 2:29-36). The preaching of repentance and baptism was
to loose them from their sins (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-18; John 3:50). There were
added to them that day about three thousand souls (Acts 2:47).
The other apostles also used
these keys.
Matt. 18:18. Verily I
say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Christ, the
rock, or stone rejected by the builders, would crush those who oppose him (Mt.
21:42, 44; 1Cor. 10:1, 2; Ac. 4:11; Rom. 9:33; 1Pe. 2:4, 6, 7, 8). Just as in Daniel 2 the stone crushed the great
image, it crushes its enemies and becomes the head of the corner in the great
temple of God (Eph. 2:14-22).
III.
JESUS WAS TO RECEIVE HIS
KINGDOM WHEN HE WENT TO THE FATHER
Daniel 7:13-14. When
he came unto the ancient of days he was given dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom which would not pass away. (cf. 7:21, 22, 26, 27)
Luke 19:12, 15.
The parable of the nobleman shows that he went away to receive his kingdom.
Acts
2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and
knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins,
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his
soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus
hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the
right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said
unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy
footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that
God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Eph.
1:20-23. ..when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his
right hand in heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and
power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come: 22 and he put all things in subjection under
his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23
which is his body...
OBJECTION: The
kingdom was to come in the last days.
ANSWER: It did.
Dan. 2:28,
44. It came in the days of the kings of
the 4th kingdom Rome.
Heb. 1:2. Christ came in these last days.
Ac. 2:16,
17. Peter said of the prophecy of Joel
about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, This is that....
1Pe. 1:19,
20. Jesus was manifested at the end of
times.
Isa. 2:2, 3
speaks of the word going forth from Jerusalem, fulfilled in Luke 24:47.
1 John 2:18
says, it is the last hour.
IV.
THE THRONE JESUS SAT ON WHEN
HE ASCENDED WAS THE THRONE OF DAVID
Is. 9:6-7; Lk.
1:31-33 cf. Ps. 132:10-11. Jesus was to
sit on the throne of David.
Acts 2:29-39. Peter connects
the promise of one sitting on his throne with that in Psalms 110:1 which says
he was to sit at the right hand of God until everything is put under his feet.
He makes the
point that David did not ascend into the heavens. David could not therefore be speaking of himself sitting on the
throne. So, the throne of Jesus was the
one on which Jesus sat down when he ascended to the father. In view of this promise, it declares that
Jesus was exalted to God's right hand, as both
lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
Heb. 1: 2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he
appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; 3 who being
the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
8 but of the Son he saith, Thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is
the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Col. 1:13-19. ..delivered us out of the
power of darkness, and translated
[past tense] us into the kingdom
of the Son of his love...
From this we see that the kingdom of the son was a
present reality. They were already in
the kingdom of Christ.
VI.
ON HIS THRONE HE IS BOTH
PRIEST AND KING.
Zech. 6:1. He
was to grow up out of his place and build
the temple of Jehovah (cf.
Eph. 2:21), (the church -Eph. 1:22-23; 2:15-16). He would bear the glory, and sit
and rule upon his throne; ...a priest upon his
throne...
Hebrews clearly teaches that
when he sat down at the right hand of the father he was both priest and king.
Heb 1:3; 10:12.
When he made purification for sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high
Hebrews 1:8. But
of the Son he sayth, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of thy kingdom...
Heb. 2:17; 3:1;
4:14-15; 5:1-10; 6:20; 8:1-4. When Hebrews was written Jesus was already a
priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb. 7:1-3.
Melchizedek's priesthood combined both the royal and priestly offices in one.
Unlike the Levitical priesthood, he was both priest and king.
(Heb. 7:11-18; 8:1-4).
Hebrews is quoting
Psalm 110:4.
Psalm 110:1 {A
Psalm of David.} The LORD said unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The
LORD shall send the rod of thy strength
out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of
the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The LORD hath sworn, and will
not repent, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchizedek.
In verses 1 and 5 of that chapter he is at the right
hand of God. In verse 2, it says the
rod of his strength would be sent out of
Zion (cf. Lk. 24:47-49; Ac. 1:4,8; Is. 2:3).
Psalm 110 is alluded to several times in the New
Testament (Mt. 22:44; Lk. 20:42; Ac. 2:33-34; Heb. 1:3,13; 10:12).
Heb. 12:18-29.
Summarizing the message of Hebrews, chapter 12 says they had come unto mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and
church of the firstborn.... Verse
28 calls this a kingdom.
Hebrews 12:28. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have
grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
1Peter 3:22 says that he is
on the right hand of God, having gone
into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
These passages clearly show
that at the time they were written, Jesus was ruling at the right hand of God
as both priest and king.
VII.
JESUS IS TO CONTINUE AT THE
RIGHT HAND OF GOD UNTIL DEATH IS DESTROYED
Ps. 110:1. Jesus
was to sit at the right hand of Jehovah until
his enemies were made his footstool. (cf. Matt. 22:44;
Mark 12:36; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:34-36; Heb. 1:13; 10:13)
1Cor.
15:25. For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies
under his feet.
In verse 26 it then adds, The last enemy that shall
be abolished is death.
Death is not destroyed until
after the Millennium when the earth has fled away (Rev. 20:11-15;
21:1-4). Since death is not destroyed
until after the thousand years and Jesus sits at the right hand of the father
until death is destroyed, it is evident that he is not going to sit on an
earthly throne for a thousand years.
VIII.
THE KINGDOM WAS NOT TO BE A
VISIBLE POLITICAL INSTITUTION
John 18:36. Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to
the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto
him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, you have said that I am a
king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world,
that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Lk. 17:20-21. And being
asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God would come he answered them and
said. The kingdom of God comes not
with observation: 21 neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for
lo, the kingdom of God is within you.
Note that within is the
same Greek word as in Mt. 23:26, within, (#1787 entos)
the cup. The new covenant is written
on our hearts (2Cor. 3:4; Heb. 8:10; Rom. 2:29; 6:17; Eph. 6:5). Christ reigns within us (Eph. 3:17; Col.
1:27).
2Cor. 10:3-6. ..we do not war according to the flesh
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to
the casting down of strongholds: 5 casting down imaginations and every high
thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God...
Eph. 6:10-16. We do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against
the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Thus, as soldiers of Christs kingdom, we put on spiritual armor
to fight a spiritual battle.
IX.
BEFORE PENTECOST THE KINGDOM
WAS FUTURE BUT AFTERWARDS IT WAS PRESENT
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist,
preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven* is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to
say, Repent: for the kingdom of
heaven* is at hand.
Note: At this time, John was not yet in the kingdom
(Mt. 11:11, 12).
Mk. 1:15. Jesus
said, The time is fulfilled, and
the kingdom of God* is at hand.
Matthew 10:7 [To the
disciples] And as ye go, preach, saying,
The kingdom of heaven* is at hand.
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of
God, then the kingdom of God* is
come unto you.
Luke 21:31 [concerning the
destruction of Jerusalem] Even so ye
also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God* is nigh.
*Note: Some try to make a
distinction between the kingdom of God
and the kingdom of heaven. There is absolutely no basis for this. Indeed, they are clearly the same:
Matthew himself uses both terms for the same
situation
Matt 19:23. And Jesus
said unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, It is hard for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through a
needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (cf. Mark 10:25)
(Note: Matthew uses Kingdom of God four times --Matt 19:24; 12:28; 21:31, 43)
Between Matthew, Mark and
Luke these terms are used interchangeably.
Matt. 13:11. He
answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, but to
them it is not given.
Mark 4:11. And he
said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are
without, all these things are done in paables:
Mt. 4:17. Jesus: the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mk. 1:14-15. Jesus: The
time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God
is at hand.
Note that these are the same occasions.
Mt. 13:31. Kingdom
of heaven is like a mustard seed
Mk. 4:30-31. Kingdom
of God is like a mustard seed
Mt. 13:33. Kingdom of heaven like
leaven
Lk. 13:20-21. Kingdom
of God is like leaven
Matt.
19:14 Suffer the little children, and
forbid them not to come unto me: for to such belongeth the kingdom of heaven.
Mark
10:14 Suffer the little children to come
unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:16 Suffer
the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth
the kingdom of God.
Matt
19:23 It is hard for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mark
10:17 ...how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke
18:24 ...How hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the kingdom of
God!
Note that the last three are
speaking of the rich young ruler, and all three relate this to the illustration
of the difficulty of a camel going through the eye of a needle. Clearly, kingdom of God and kingdom
of heaven are speaking of the same thing.
1.
In the Book of Acts they changed from preaching that the
kingdom is at hand to preaching
the kingdom as a present reality.
Acts
8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching
the things concerning the kingdom of
God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
women.
Acts
19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and
spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things
concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts
20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye
all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
Acts
28:23 And when they had appointed him a
day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified
the kingdom of God, persuading
them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets,
from morning till evening.
Acts
28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those
things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man
forbidding him.
2. In the Epistles and Revelation they spoke of the Kingdom as
present.
Romans 14:17. for the kingdom of God is
not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 4:20. For the
kingdom of God is not in word,
but in power.
Col. 1:13-19. ..delivered us out of the power of darkness,
and translated us into the
kingdom of the Son of his love...
From this we see two things.
First, that they were then in the kingdom, and secondly, that this is
the kingdom of the son. It is his
own kingdom.
Eph. 2:14-22. The body of Christ (The Church -Eph. 1:22-23;
5:30-32; Col. 1:24; 1Cor. 12:27,28) is here spoken of as being a holy temple of the Lord and
the members are called, citizens.
II Co. 5:20. The apostles were ambassadors of the kingdom.
1Pe. 2:9,10. Ye are an
elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own
possession...who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God...
Rev. 1:6. God. ..made
us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father;
Rev. 1:9. John is a partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom...
Rev. 5:10. People from all nations were made to be a kingdom and priests
and they reign upon earth.
Note: This was before the
Millennium.
X.
THE KINGDOM WAS TO BEGIN
SMALL AND GROW AS DID THE CHURCH
Daniel 2. The kingdom was like a stone, cut out of a
mountain without human hands, rolling down the mountain and striking the image
on the feet. It would begin in the days
of the fourth kingdom (Rome), destroy the image, and grow to fill the whole
earth. Like the head of gold, Babylon was the first kingdom. After it came the
Persian, like the silver arms and shoulders. The Greeks of the bronze age
followed, represented by the belly and thighs of brass. The legs of iron, and
the feet of iron and clay mixed, represented the power of the Roman iron age.
It was in the times of those kings that the God of heaven was to set up a
kingdom that would destroy those kingdoms and never pass away. Rome has passed
away, therefore the kingdom has come.
When Jesus ascended and
received all authority in heaven and on
earth (Mat. 28:18), he sent the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth
(John 14:26; 16:13-15). His word became
the law of his kingdom. The kingdom came with
power and the little stone,
the kingdom under Jesus, was thus carved out and began to roll.
In time it brought about destruction of the Roman Empire in A.D.
476. The barbarians who invaded Rome
developed into ten basic nations of Europe which the Papacy then formed into
the Holy Roman Empire during the dark ages.
But the Romans and barbarians comprising it did not mix well. Eventually, through the printing of the word
of God, in the Reformation it began to shatter. It finally came to an end in
the time of Napoleon around 1800. Since
the kingdom was to be set up in the days of Rome (the fourth kingdom), the
coming of the kingdom of heaven that would destroy it could not have been later
than this.
The kingdom was to begin
small and grow --not come from the heavens with trumpet blasts to suddenly take
power over the whole earth.
Dan. 2:34-35; 44-45. The kingdom was like a stone, cut out without hands, that struck
the image on the feet (Rome) and broke it in pieces. It was to become a mountain and fill the whole earth. The kingdom of God is now doing that.
Mk. 4:30,31. The kingdom begins like a
mustard seed, which is small and in time grows into a tree in which the birds
of the heavens sit.
Mt. 13:33. The kingdom is like a
small bit of yeast placed in dough that in time spreads through the whole loaf.
Mt. 13:44. The kingdom is like a
hidden treasure or a pearl of great price, which upon finding, a man sells all
to gain. (This is taking place now)
Mt. 13:3-9; 18-23. The kingdom is like seed
planted in four kinds of soil. The explanation indicates the kingdom, like
that, is now growing.
XI.
THE KINGDOM IS NOW GATHERING
BOTH GOOD AND BAD
Mt. 13:47. The kingdom is like a net which gathers all kinds, good and bad,
which the angels sort at the end of the world. The gathering is now, not in the
millennium.
Mt. 13:24-30,36-42. The kingdom is like good
seed sowed in a field among which an enemy sowed tares (poisonous seeds that
look like wheat). To avoid harming the
good seed, it was to be left alone until the harvest.
The sower was Jesus. The
field is the world. The good seed are
the sons of the kingdom. The tares are the sons of the evil one and the enemy
that sowed them is the devil. In the
end of the world the angels shall gather the tares and burn them with fire.
Thus, the Son of man shall gather out of his kingdom all things
that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity. Then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of their
Father. The good seed (sons of the
kingdom) and the tares are growing together now. The sorting and casting away is in the end of the world , (Rev.
20:11-15) AFTER the Millennium.
Note that this is HIS
KINGDOM . It belongs to Christ. We are
now sons of the kingdom (I John 3:1-2). Jesus is now reigning in our hearts in
the midst of his enemies (Ps. 110:1-4).
XII.
WHEN JESUS RETURNS HE WILL
TAKE US TO HEAVEN, NOT SET UP AN EARTHLY THRONE.
1Thes. 4:17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Cor. 15:23. But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered
up the kingdom to God, even the
Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
2Tim. 4:18. Paul wished to be preserved
into his heavenly kingdom.
Ph'p. 3:20. Our citizenship is in
heaven.
Heb. 11:16. Those in the hall of faith
were looking for a heavenly country.
Lk. 18:22;
Mk. 10:21.
The rich man was promised to have treasure in heaven.
Lk. 6:23. Their reward was great in
heaven.
1Pe. 1:4. Our inheritance is
reserved in heaven.
Col. 1:5. Our hope is laid up in
the heavens.
II Co. 5:1. We have a house not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens.
John 13:31-36. Jesus said that they could
not come to where he was going but that they would go there afterwards.
John 14:1-3. Jesus was going away to
prepare a place for us that where he is we may be also.
John 14:28. Jesus said he was going to
the Father (16:5, 28).
Lk. 23:43. Jesus said the thief on
the cross would be with him in paradise.
II Co .12:2. Paul says paradise is in
the third heaven.
Rev. 2:7. We are to eat of the tree of
life in the paradise of God after this heaven and earth have passed
away.
OBJECTION:
Matt. 6:10. Did not Jesus teach us to pray for the kingdom to come?
ANSWER:
Jesus, under the Old
Covenant (also translated testament), gave a model prayer to his
disciples. At that time, the Kingdom
was at hand (Matt. 4:17). That covenant passed away and we now live under the
New Covenant (Heb. 8:6, 8, 9, 10). The
New Covenant did not come until Jesus died (Heb. 9:15-17). The question is, was Jesus telling them how
they should pray under the Old, or under the New Covenant? If the Kingdom of God began with the New
Covenant there would be no point in praying for it to come after it came. Of course, this model can be used to pray
for Gods will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and for the coming
heavenly kingdom (2Tim. 4:18).
OBJECTION:
2 Timothy 4:1. I
charge thee therefore before God,
and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom
Does this not
place the kingdom at his appearing?
ANSWER:
This is speaking of when he
sits as judge of the living and the dead. The Book of Revelation places this after the thousand years (Rev.
20:12-13). It does not conflict with
the fact that we are now in the kingdom of the son (Col. 1:13).
OBJECTION:
Ac.
15:16. Christ is to return and build up his kingdom the tabernacle of David.
ANSWER:
James is here citing Amos 9:11-12 to show that the
prophets were speaking of how God was visiting the Gentiles to take out of them
a people for his name (15:13-15). The
Gentiles are now a part of the people of God (cf. Rom. 9:6; 11:17-21; Gal.
3:29). The church is the temple of the Lord (1Cor. 3:16-17).
OBJECTION:
Restoration begins when
Jesus returns. Ac .3:21 says, The heavens have received Christ until the
times of restoration of all things.
ANSWER:
This says nothing about the
restoration of all things being in the Millennium, or that Christ is going to
sit on an earthly throne. He must sit
at the right hand of the father until all
things have been put under his feet (1Cor. 15:25-26).
Thus, Christ must remain in
the heavens until the restoration has been completed. The restoration
will not be complete until all things have been put under his feet and returned
to establish the new heaven and a new earth --after the thousand years.
(Rev. 21:1)
OBJECTION:
After Pentecost, inheriting
the kingdom was still future.
1Cor. 15:50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God.
Matt. 25:31-34.
But when the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of
his glory... Then shall the King say unto them..., Come... inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:...
ANSWER:
The resurrection, gathering of all nations before the throne, sorting
out the wicked and inheritance of the kingdom is found in Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-4
AFTER the Millennium.
1Peter 1: 4. To an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you
Furthermore, Inheriting
the kingdom is not the same as becoming a son of the kingdom (Mt.
13:38). Now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we
shall be. Just as a child may live in the house before he inherits it
(Gal. 4:1-2), we have been translated into the kingdom (Col. 1:13), but
inheritance is still future.
OBJECTION:
Mt. 25:31. If Christ is now
sitting on his throne, why does it say that when he gathers the people for judgment,
THEN shall he sit on the throne of his
glory?
ANSWER:
It does not indicate that he was not previously on
his throne. It is speaking of the time
when he sits to judge. Nothing in this
indicates it is in the thousand years.
Rev. 20:11-15 indicates the resurrection and judgment of the nations is after
the thousand years. Rev. 20:5 says But the
rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
OBJECTION:
2Tim. 4:1, 18. His appearing and his kingdom are together. Paul is still awaiting the heavenly kingdom.
ANSWER:
Paul was speaking of the heavenly state of the
kingdom (4:18). That was future. Kingdom
of heaven (basileia toon ouranoon) and heavenly
kingdom (basileian autou teen
epouranion) are not the same thing. Kingdom of heaven indicates the
source of the kingdom. Heavenly kingdom indicates its location. We have been translated into the kingdom but
in the future we will be in the heavenly kingdom (1Cor. 15:24; 1Thes. 4:16,
17).
OBJECTION:
The kingdom is after the
tribulation. Ac. 14:22 Through many tribulations we must enter the
kingdom of God.
ANSWER:
This does not speak of THE
tribulation. It speaks of many tribulations.
Rev. 1:9. At the time John
wrote he was a partaker of the tribulation and kingdom.
It appears that Ac. 14:22 is speaking of our entrance into the heavenly
kingdom (2Tim. 4:18; 2Pet. 1:11).
Nothing is said about the millennium.
OBJECTION:
2Pe. 1:10-11. The brethren
to whom Peter wrote were in the future to be supplied entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
ANSWER:
This refers to the time when
we receive eternal life and enter the joy of our Lord (Mat 25:21). That is
after the thousand years (Rev. 20-21).
Nothing is said about the millennium.
OBJECTION:
Rev. 3:21 To him that overcometh
will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with my Father in his throne.
The throne of the Father is not the same as the throne of the Son.
ANSWER:
Why not? In his prayer to his father Jesus said,
John 17:10 and all things that are mine are
thine, and thine are mine: and I am
glorified in them.
Jesus shares the throne with the Father and we are invited to share his
throne. This does not mean the father
would be removed from the throne. In
fact, Eph. 5:5 indicates the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of God are the
same.
Rev. 22:1 And he showed me a river of water of life,
bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
3 And there shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be therein: and his servants shall serve him;
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God.
OBJECTION:
Mat. 26:29. Did not Jesus say
that he would drink the cup with them in the Father's kingdom?
ANSWER:
For those who make an issue
of who's kingdom is involved, note that this is in the Fathers kingdom. When we
partake of the Lord's supper, he is in our midst (Mt. 18:20) sharing with
us.
OBJECTION:
Rev. 12:10. When the devil
was cast down it says, Now is
come the salvation and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority
of his Christ. Why would this be
said if the kingdom began on Pentecost?
ANSWER:
Notice that this is speaking
of the devil cast out of heaven down to earth (12:7-9). It is not speaking of the thousand years
when the Devil is chained and cast into the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3). Salvation was given on Pentecost (Rom.
16:16; Acts 2:38-40). Christ had all authority after his resurrection (Matt.
28:18). This passage indicates the
kingdom had come before the devil
was bound for a thousand years.
OBJECTION:
Dan. 7:27. The kingdoms under the whole heaven
were to be given to the saints.
ANSWER:
Nothing is said about this taking place during the Millennium. It says nothing about Christ ruling on an
earthly throne. It simply speaks of the
kingdom of Christ becoming present throughout the kingdoms of the whole
earth.
That is what is taking place.