God’s kingdom

A future kingdom

Just as there is an end to every individual life, so also, there will one day be an end to all life on earth. Life as we know it now on earth is temporary. Some people believe that human life is only temporal, but Isaiah spoke of a kingdom that would have no end, one that would be established for ever (Isaiah 9:7). This eternal kingdom will be ruled by a king referred to as the Messiah or “anointed one” (4899).

Eternal life is typically associated with heaven, a place people go to after they die. While it is true that eternal life comes after death, the end of temporal life on earth, eternal life is not exclusive to heaven. Isaiah said the Messiah’s kingdom would exist “from henceforth even for ever” (Isaiah 9:7). The word translated henceforth, ‘attâh (at – taw´) means at this time or now (6258), so there is a connection between the temporal and eternal aspects of life.

Isaiah said of the Messiah, “there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1). The term translated stem, gezer refers to something cut off. Previously, Isaiah spoke of the remnant of Israel “as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them” and said, “so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof” (Isaiah 6:13).

The substance of a tree is its trunk, which becomes a stump when it is cut off. Isaiah’s depiction of the Messiah as a branch that shall grow out of the roots of Jesse, was a reference to something eternal coming forth out of something that appears to be dead. Another way of looking at a tree’s trunk/stump is that it contains the essence of life which remains even after the tree has been cut down. Therefore, the substance of the tree’s temporal existence, the trunk, and its eternal existence, the stump, are one and the same.

Isaiah’s description of eternal life on earth was characterized by an absence of conflict in the animal kingdom. He said, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6). It is not absolutely clear, but it appears that time will still exist during the period when the Messiah will reign on earth. Isaiah stated, “in that day there shall be a root of Jesse…and it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people” (Isaiah 11:10-11, emphasis added).

Typically, a day is a 24-hour period of time, but the Hebrew word yowm (yome) can refer to an entire period or indefinitely long eras of time, as well as, theological categories rather than periods of time (3117). A clue as to which type of day Isaiah was referring to are his statements “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD” (Isaiah 111:9) and “the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people” (Isaiah 11:11).

Isaiah was describing the future consummation of the Messianic kingdom, which has yet to be established. Most likely, this will be a period of time when both temporal and eternal aspects of life will be evident on earth. A temporal aspect of this period of time will be people continuing to get saved; the gospel will be preached and people will accept the Messiah as their Savior (Isaiah 12:2-4). An eternal aspect of this period of time is that the Messiah, Jesus will be back on earth. It says in Isaiah 12:6, “Cry out and shout thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

An eternal kingdom

One thing that is evident about empires that have existed on the earth is that they have all been temporary. Although some have survived for hundreds of years, none have been permanent. The kingdom God promised to David’s descendants was to be an eternal kingdom. It says of David’s son in 2 Samuel 7:13, “He shall build a house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

At first, this promise seemed to apply to king Solomon, but after his death, it became apparent that God would not be able to establish an eternal kingdom with a human king. The concept of a Messiah formulated over time and was clarified in Isaiah’s prophesy about Israel’s return to the Promised Land after their captivity. As a sign of God’s faithfulness, Isaiah stated, “Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son , and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Isaiah spoke plainly about God’s judgment, but assured the people that God intended to keep his promise to establish an eternal kingdom on earth. It says in Isaiah 9:6-7:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: 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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to stablish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The timing of Israel’s captivity was important because the Assyrian empire that existed from 916 – 612 B.C. was the first empire comparable to Rome in organization. The Assyrian policy under king Tiglath-pileser was to reduce the whole civilized world into a single empire. God used the king of Assyria to execute judgment on Israel because Isaiah declared “every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer” (Isaiah 9:17).

In spite of God’s indignation toward his people, he didn’t want to destroy them completely. Isaiah indicated that a remnant would be saved and “The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God” (Isaiah 10:21). The use of the Messianic title “The mighty God” made it clear that God’s plan would be carried out as a result of the people returning to the Promised Land.

In one sense, Assyrian captivity was preparation for survival under the Roman government. When Isaiah said about the Messiah, “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6), he was referring to the burden of foreign rule. Even though the Assyrian empire self-destructed in 612 B.C., other empires would rise and fall, and God’s people were intended to survive them all.

Out of the darkness

God’s covenant with king David assured him that God would “stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Samuel 7:13). It is clear the kingdom promised to David was to be an eternal kingdom, but its location was not specified. The use of the term for ever implies that David’s throne would exist in heaven, and yet, in the time David lived, man did not have access to heaven. Therefore, David’s kingdom would have to transcend the barrier between heaven and earth.

Typically, in the times of the Old Testament, a king “‘reigned’ as the earthly representative of the god (or God) who was recognized as the real king” (4427). So, David’s throne was designated as the throne through which God would govern his people. It was a precursor to the throne of Jesus Christ. In order for David’s kingdom to be transferred to heaven, the Messiah, Jesus Christ had to be born and take possession of David’s throne.

After David’s kingdom was divided, the kingdom of Judah retained the rights to David’s throne. Through the course of time, Solomon’s descendants maintained possession of God’s kingdom until the death of Ahaziah, approximately ninety years later. “And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal…And Athaliah did reign over the land” (2 Kings 11:1,3).

Athaliah, the daughter of king Ahab and Jezebel, was a worshipper of Baal. Her position as queen of Judah indicated that Baal had taken over possession of God’s kingdom. This situation triggered a stipulation in God’s agreement with Solomon that he would cut off Israel out of the land if they “go and serve other gods, and worship them” (1 Kings 9:6). Nevertheless, God did not break his promise to David.

“Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stale him from among the kings sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain” (2 Kings 11:2). Even though Athaliah reigned over the land, she did not reign over God’s kingdom. In essence she was a puppet queen. God’s sovereignty did not rest in the position she held, but in the person who was God’s designated representative. Only David’s descendants had the authority to rule over God’s kingdom.

The land that Athaliah reigned over was “the temporal scene of human activity, experience, and history” (776). “All human rule is under God’s control” (4467). Consequently, Athaliah’s effort to destroy all the royal seed (2 Kings 11:1) was unsuccessful and she was removed from her position as queen (2 Kings 11:16).

 

 

Open his eyes

Elisha’s gift enabled him to perceive things that were normally outside of human awareness. When the king of Syria attacked Israel, Elisha knew what he was planning to do and warned the king of Israel. The king of Syria thought someone in his camp had leaked the information to the Israelites. “And he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2 Kings 6:12).

The king’s servant knew about Elisha’s ability, therefore,  Elisha’s reputation for revealing secrets must have been widespread. The servant’s reference to Elisha telling what was said in the king’s bedchamber implied that no place was outside of Elisha’s awareness. It is possible that Elisha could actually hear what the king was saying, but the information may have been relayed to him through some other supernatural means.

Elisha’s insight into the spiritual realm included an ability to see angelic beings and heavenly objects. When Elijah was taken up to heaven, Elisha saw what was happening (2 Kings 2:12). The chariot of fire and horses of fire were spiritual objects that the normal person could not perceive. When the king of Syria sent his army to capture Elisha, he told his servant to “fear not: for they that be with us are moe than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

Elisha was referring to the heavenly host that was camped around him and his servant. In order to alleviate his servant’s fears, “Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see, and the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).  Elisha’s servant was given a rare glimpse into the world that Elisha lived in everyday. There is no way to know for sure why he was given this opportunity, but Elisha’s servant went from being completely unaware to aware of what was going on instantaneously, as if a curtain had been pulled back from a stage.

God’s authority

God’s kingdom is ordered in such a way that all spiritual activity is governed by him (Romans 13:1). Even though Satan and the angels that follow him work contrary to God’s purposes, they do not work independent of his purposes. They are accountable to God for the results of their efforts (John 19:11).

It says in Psalm 82:1, “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.” God’s position of standing indicates he is exercising his authority. The gods he is judging are the principalities, and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, that promote evil on the earth. He asks them, “How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked?” (Psalm 82:2).

The Hebrew word translated accept in Psalm 82:2, nacah refers to the “undertaking of the responsibilities for sins of others by substitution or representation” (5375). Before Jesus died for the sins of the world, sacrifices had to be made to atone for sin. God’s accusation against these unjust judges is that they are accepting the sacrifices of the ungodly. In other words, they are answering or responding to the prayers of those that are hostile to God and his people (7563).

When God laid the foundations of the earth, everything conformed to his divinely appointed creation order. According to the LORD, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7). But, after sin entered the world, man was corrupted and God’s order was ignored, so much so that God declared, “all the foundations of the earth are out of course” (Psalm 82:5).

God’s authority as Creator of the Universe gives him the right to alter the course of his creation and the responsibility to correct any problems that affect its operation. Originally, angels were given eternal life and were expected to dwell in heaven forever, but the rebellion of Satan caused things to change. Eventually, the work that Jesus did on the cross will eradicate sin completely and the earth will return to its divinely appointed order.

Even though Satan and his followers are still alive and active on the earth, they have been judged and condemned to death. God’s decision is recorded in Psalm 82:6-7. “I have said, Ye are gods: and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” It’s only a matter of time until Jesus comes to claim his inheritance.

 

Before and after

Before something is established, it may exist in the form of a thought, an idea, or even a promise. The covenant that God established with David and his descendants existed in the form of a promise until Solomon sat upon the throne of his father (1 Kings 2:12). After Solomon began his reign, God’s promise was conditional based on Israel’s kings obeying the laws set forth by Moses. Both Solomon and his descendants fell short of their covenant obligations, therefore God was not able to bless Israel as he had intended to (see note on 1 Kings 2:4).

Before he died, David hoped that God would fulfill his promise through his son Solomon. The promise recorded in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 had to do with the building of God’s house and the establishment of his kingdom. David thought that God’s house or his temple being built would establish God’s kingdom on earth. David did everything he could to ensure that the temple would be built after he died, but it was up to Solomon to perform the task, so David died not knowing the outcome of God’s promise.

Before David’s death, he instructed his son Solomon to keep the charge of the LORD thy God, “that the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me” (1 Kings 2:3-4). The phrase “continue his word” has to do with prophetic revelation. David believed that what happened to him after he died was dependent on Solomon’s performance of the Mosaic law. What David may or may not have understood was that the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth was not dependent on the temple being built, but dependent on a man being able to keep the Mosaic law, to live a sinless life.

Before Jesus was born, God’s kingdom only existed in Heaven. Jesus told many parables about the kingdom of God to help the Israelites understand that the temple of God was not a building, but something that existed within the heart of man. On one occasion, Jesus told the story of a man with two sons, one obedient and the other disobedient (Matthew 21:28-30) in order to illustrate that keeping the law was a matter of doing God’s will, not following a bunch of rules and regulations.

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor that would decide his fate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not 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” (John 18:36). The Greek word translated hence is enteuthen (ent – yoo´ – then) which literally means on both sides or on either side. After Jesus was born, God’s kingdom existed in Heaven and was established on earth. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, the kingdom of God was established on earth because Christ was physically living here. After Jesus’ resurrection, God’s kingdom continued on earth because Christ began living in our hearts.