The Coming of the Kingdom

THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM

Christ did not set up His Kingdom on the earth at His first coming because mature warrior-saints were not available at that time. One of the main purposes of the two thousand years of the Christian Era has been the development of a mature army, an army that has been brought to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. There must be a company of strong people in whom and with whom God in Christ can drive all sin and lawlessness from the face of the earth.

THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM

Both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus announced the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth:

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:1,2)
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)

The Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven) is the rule of God in Christ in and with the saints. This rule will come down from Heaven and enter the earth at the parousia (presence; nearness; coming) of Christ. All the nations of the earth will be ruled by God in Christ in and with the saints.

Because mankind, with some exceptions, is adamantly opposed to obeying God, the Kingdom of God will be installed on the earth by means of an invasion from Heaven. Sufficient force will be exercised to bring the nations under obedience to God and His Christ. There is no power that will be able to resist God when the time comes for the Kingdom to be established on the earth.

The Scriptures portray the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. Some of the noteworthy passages are as follows:

The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? (Joel 2:10,11)
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:9,10)
The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. (Habakkuk 3:11,12)

Notice the similarities in the above verses.

And then the New Testament speaks:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:11-14)

We can observe in these and similar passages the militant nature of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth, that is, the appearing of Christ in and with His saints:

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen [nations], and punishments upon the people; (Psalms 149:5-7)
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. (Joel 2:3)

To those who would protest that the above verse is speaking of locusts we reply that a careful study of the entire chapter may reveal the statements to be far too powerful to be referring only, or even primarily, to a plague of insects.

They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. (Isaiah 13:5)
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. (Habakkuk 3:13)
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:3)
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Jude 1:14,15)

One of the concepts we wish to stress is that of the participation of the saints in the violent installation of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Spiritual maturity on the part of the participants will be necessary. The Day of the Lord, the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth, is based on the coming and service of saints who have been made strong in Christ. This is the parousia, the coming of the Lord from Heaven:

… a two-edged sword in their hand. (Psalms 149:6)
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;.. (Isaiah 53:12)
.. a great people and a strong;.. (Joel 2:2)
… he will invade them with his troops. (Habakkuk 3:16)
And ye shall tread down the wicked;.. (Malachi 4:3)
And the God of peace shall bruise [crush] Satan under your feet shortly.. (Romans 16:20)
… the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, … (Jude 1:14)
And they overcame him… (Revelation 12:11)
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:… (Revelation 20:6)
And the armies which were in heaven followed him… (Revelation 19:14)

There must be a company of strong people in whom and with whom God in Christ can drive all sin and lawlessness from the face of the earth. The hour in which we are living is one of special emphasis on the creation of “mighty men.” Many who are last in time will be first in the Kingdom of God.

The rewards that are available today are exceedingly great. The promise of sitting with Jesus in His throne has been given to the conquering saints of the church in Laodicea, that is, the saints of the end-time. A dark hour is coming upon us, an age of moral horrors, and it is during this period of satanic deception and oppression that the greatest of all opportunities will be available to those who follow the Lord Jesus with a pure heart.

Some of the characteristics of the invading saints are set forth in the second chapter of the Book of Joel:

… as horsemen, so shall they run. (Joel 2:4)
… as a strong people set in battle array. (Joel 2:5)
Before their face the people shall be much pained:… (Joel 2:6)
They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: (Joel 2:7)
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. (Joel 2:8)

Notice the spiritual strength and the discipline that are outlined here. As we consider the miserable weakness and lack of disciplined obedience to God of many Christians it becomes apparent that the next few years of history must witness changes in the ranks of Christendom. According to the Scriptures there will be a great falling away from the faith on the part of most believers, and the remnant that is left will be refined by fire (Matthew 24:12; Zechariah 13:8,9).

The army of Christ must be created if the Kingdom of God is to come to the earth.

The reader may be experiencing difficult trials and testings. These are for the purpose of developing the spiritual strength and discipline that will be required for total victory over the enemy in the Day of the Lord. Each of us must exercise vigilance in prayer if he or she is to escape the deceptions and persecutions of Antichrist and finally stand in victory in the Presence of the Son of Man.

The spiritual level of Christianity as it currently is practiced in the wealthy nations of the world is not nearly adequate for that part of the development of the Kingdom of God taking place now. The Christians who intend to continue to live in victory must be prepared to be changed and stretched by the Lord. The changing and stretching require much trust and patience on the part of the dedicated believer. The remainder of those who term themselves “Christian” will be tossed about like so much straw.

At what point in time shall we Christians become a strong people set in battle array who “march every one on his ways” and do not break our ranks?

We are not to wait until the Battle of Armageddon begins before we are ready for the Lord to develop strength and discipline in us. It is foolish for us to take this attitude, to waste our time now and expect God to do marvels through us in the future.

One crippling, blinding concept that pervades the Christian churches is that after the careless believer dies he will become by grace a spiritual giant, a warrior of Christ. The truth is, what we are, we are, whether we are living on earth in a physical body or living with Christ in the spirit realm. Our physical death will not make us spiritually strong or obedient to God. What we are becoming now through Christ’s grace is what we shall be after we die and what we shall be in the Day of the Lord.

It is now—in the midst of our present dilemmas—that spiritual strength and discipline are to be created in us. If we would be gathered together with the other “eagles” to the “carcass” of the slain Lamb when He appears in the clouds of the heaven, then we must be living on His body and blood and not according to the lusts and imaginations of the human flesh and soul.

Our statement of doctrine will not govern our participation in the Kingdom of God. It is the body and blood of Jesus abiding in us that will lift us to meet Him in that Day.

The warriors of the coming Kingdom have died already, so to speak, and are living now by the strength and wisdom of the body and blood of Christ. When they fall on the sword, the Word of God in judgment, they shall not be wounded (Joel 2:8).

We march along in our rank, learning to follow the Commander in Chief, Christ.

The believers in Christ who are dwelling in the valley of decision are being forced to climb out of the valley on one side or the other, toward Satan or toward the Lord Jesus. The way of the Lord must be made straight before He comes. The lukewarm will not stand in the hour that even now is upon us.

It is today that we must find our place in the Body of Christ, in the army of the Lord. Tomorrow is too late. When we die is too late. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection, that is, in the next appearing of Christ to the earth.

The Lord is coming now to those who are looking for Him. He is coming in the spiritual fulfillment of the celebration of the blowing of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24; John 14:18-23). Now is the hour for the members of the Body of Christ to repent and be cleansed. Those who do not hear and respond to Christ now should not expect to appear with Him in the Day of the Lord. Although they may not realize it they still are rebelling against His being their absolute Lord—even while professing belief in Him.

Many welcome Jesus as their Savior who are not ready to accept His personal, complete, perfect lordship over their entire personality. It is not possible that they, while still in a condition of partial consecration, can participate with Christ in the establishing of His Kingdom on the earth.

Let us examine how the second chapter of Joel, and similar passages of the Old Testament, are related to such familiar passages as the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew and the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians. There are certain expressions and facts of Scripture that are common to both the Old Testament and the New Testament descriptions of the Day of Christ:

The “thief.”
The trembling of the heavens.
The signs in the sun, moon, and stars.
The “voice” of the Lord.
The expression “the day of the Lord.”
The militant nature of the Day of Christ.

The “thief.” The second chapter of the Book of Joel declares that the Lord’s army will “enter in at the windows like a thief” (Joel 2:9).

Jesus stated that He will come as a thief (Matthew 24:43).

Paul warns that the Day of the Lord will come as a “thief in the night” (I Thessalonians 5:2).

The trembling of the heavens. Joel says “the heavens shall tremble” (Joel 2:10).

Jesus prophesied that at His return, His presence, “the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).

The signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Joel speaks of the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:10).

Isaiah pointed to the fact that “the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine” (Isaiah 13:10).

Habakkuk declares, “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation” (Habakkuk 3:11).

The Lord Jesus indicated that the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars from heaven are the signs of His coming (Matthew 24:29). It is not likely there will be more than one occasion on which such extraordinary signs will be given. Thus the second chapter of the Book of Joel is tied to the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Matthew.

Currently, Christian teachers and preachers are pointing to the fourth chapter of the Book of First Thessalonians as being a secret coming, an appearing of the Lord Jesus to “catch away His Bride” before His historic coming—even before the arrival on the earth of Antichrist and the great tribulation.

We know that the historic coming of Matthew, Chapter 24 will take place “Immediately after the tribulation of those days,” that is, immediately after the great tribulation (Matthew 24:29).

If we can tie the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew to I Thessalonians, Chapter Four, then we can show that the teaching that the believers in Christ will be carried off to Heaven before the tribulation is not a scriptural concept.

The connection between Matthew, Chapter 24 and I Thessalonians, Chapter Four is the Greek term, parousia. Parousia frequently is translated “coming” but may be rendered “presence.” We are looking for the presence of the Lord, in the sense of His appearing once more to mankind on the earth.

The term for “coming” in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew is parousia (verses 3, 27, 37, 39).

The same word, parousia, is employed by the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; and 5:23. It is not reasonable that the Holy Spirit would guide the Lord Jesus and Paul to use the same word for coming if different appearances were being designated. This fact combined with the others we are mentioning seems to indicate that the teaching that Paul was speaking of a special secret “rapture” in First Thessalonians, Chapter Four is in error.

The “voice” of the Lord. Joel stipulates that “the Lord shall utter his voice before his army” (Joel 2:11).

Paul declares that the Lord Himself will “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel” (I Thessalonians 4:16).

The expression, “the day of the Lord.” There is only one Day of the Lord.

Joel refers to “the day of the Lord” (Joel 2:11).

Paul, obviously referring to the parousia that he had just described, terms this event “the day of the Lord” (I Thessalonians 5:2).

The militant nature of the Day of Christ. The second chapter of the Book of Joel presents the Day of the Lord as being an attack, an invasion of the earth by the army of Christ.

Does the Apostle Paul, in the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians, present the parousia as being a secret, invisible withdrawal of the believers; or does Paul’s language suggest an attack, an invasion of the earth by the army of Christ? What is your judgment?

For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout!
With the voice of the archangel!
And with the trumpet of God!

There would be no reason for the Lord to shout if this is a secret withdrawal of His people from the dangers of the earth. In time past warriors shouted at the time of attack, not during a retreat. During a retreat they slunk away shamefacedly.

The above description certainly does not apply to a secret withdrawal of the saints. Rather it is speaking of the calling up into the air of the army of Christ in preparation for the descent of the entire Christ, Head and Body, to the Mount of Olives. From the Mount of Olives the Lord’s soldiers will attack the nations that have invaded Jerusalem. The Battle of Armageddon, Christ against Antichrist, will be fought. Then the Son of David will be crowned King in Jerusalem.

We understand, therefore, that the Kingdom of God will be installed on the earth with violence. The spiritual dimension of the Kingdom is God in Christ in the saints. The material dimension of the Kingdom is the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The coming of the Kingdom of God is the entering of the spiritual dimension into the material dimension until the material dimension becomes filled with the righteousness and incorruptible eternal life of the Kingdom of God.

As soon as Christ is crowned King in Jerusalem His saints will go throughout the whole earth commanding every knee to bow to the Lord. The demons will be cast out of every person and out of the earth itself. Those who refuse to bow the knee to Christ will be crushed. They will be cast into the area prepared for the wicked.

Then will the whole world break forth into singing. Joy will fill the universe. The Glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. This is the Messianic Kingdom—that for which the Jews are waiting.

Some are teaching today that Christians will keep on attempting to do good until the Kingdom of God is established on the earth. This is not scriptural. The Kingdom of God will be installed suddenly and with violence, totally overpowering the wicked in a moment of time.

Because of the entrance of numerous Gentiles into the Body of Christ the concept has arisen that the Christian Church is Gentile; that in order to become a Christian a Jew must become a Gentile. This is a tremendous and destructive error in Christian thinking.

We have two concepts of Israel today, both of which are erroneous.

The one error is that the Christian (Gentile) Church is true Israel and that God is finished with the physical land and people of Israel.

The other error is that true Israel, the Israel mentioned by the Prophets of the Old Testament, consists only of the physical land and people of Israel. Wherever “Israel” is mentioned in the Old Testament (it is conjectured), the text is designated as being for the physical Jews. This is to cut off the greater part of the Scriptures from the Christians, to exclude the Gentiles from the elect, from the Kingdom of God, and to leave the Gentile Christians with no scriptural description of their destiny in God.

The Israelis are being courted today by many sincere Christians. These devout lovers of Israel do not regard the “Jewishness” of the Gentile members of the Body of Christ with enough seriousness. They are considering Gentile Christians to be something less than true members of Israel.

Both of these lines of thought may contain some truth, but enough error to prevent a genuine understanding of the Kingdom of God.

The true Jew is the one who has been born again of Christ. Circumcision is of the heart. Jerusalem on earth is “Hagar” while the Jerusalem in Heaven is “Sarah”—the mother of us all (Galatians 4:25,26).

There only is one true Seed of Abraham by promise. That one Seed is Christ and all of those who are part of Christ. There is no other seed of Abraham that will inherit the Kingdom of God. The believer who deviates from this position is going contrary to the Apostle Paul.

Paul, a Jew, spoke from the mouth of Christ. Paul’s writings are as binding on the Church as are the inspired utterances of the Hebrew Prophets. Paul’s writings are Scripture. They are the inspired Word of God.

In addition, it is true that physical Israel is loved of God because of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Kingdom of God has a material, earthly component. That component always will be the nation of Israel. The Bride of the Lamb always will be Jerusalem. To depart from this understanding is to depart from the Prophets and to cast one’s self adrift in a sea of guesswork.

How are these two truths reconciled, one might ask?

The answer is found in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Romans. There is but one olive tree. That tree is Christ. The Jews were broken off from their tree because of their unbelief. We Gentiles are being grafted on that one tree. When the full number of the elect Gentiles has been grafted on the tree of God, God will turn once again to the physical people of Israel and pour out His Spirit on them. Then they will be grafted on their own tree. Finally, all Israel, meaning the entire tree, will be redeemed from slavery to sin and brought into eternal life by the Lord.

This is what the Scriptures teach, both Old and New Testaments. This is what shall come to pass.

The Kingdom of God is the entering of the heavenly, spiritual Jerusalem into the material Jerusalem. The thousand-year Kingdom Age, the Millennium, is the kingdom-wide spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement. Its purpose, as we understand the Scriptures, is to perfect Israel and to reconcile the nations to Christ.

When the perfecting and reconciling have been completed, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Upon this new earth will be placed the new Jerusalem, complete and perfect in Christ in God. The new Jerusalem will reign over the nations of saved peoples of the earth forever. This is what the Scriptures declare to be true.

It is time now for repentance. The Day of Judgment is at hand and it has commenced with the house of God. Israel must be judged. By “Israel” we mean the elect of God. The elect in Christ lose their racial identity. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There only is the one Kingdom of God, which is God in Christ in the saints regardless of whether the saints originally were Jews or Gentiles.

The new person who has been born within us is the Kingdom of God. He is Christ in us—the hope of glory to come. The new man is from Heaven, from God. His political expression in the earth is Israel whether or not his original stock was Gentile or Jewish.

We who have been called of Christ are true Israel. We are the royal priesthood.

Our Lord and Christ, Jesus, has a Jewish orientation. Let us never forget that the Jews in physical terms are His brothers and He will turn again to them according to the Scriptures.

We who have been grafted on God’s olive tree are part of Christ, part of true Israel. Our destiny, our life, our joy, our hope, is in Israel. We are of the Body of Christ. We no longer are Gentiles. We are members of the household of faith, which is Israel.

The Kingdom of God soon will come to the earth. Then the wicked will be destroyed from the earth and the glory of the Spirit of God will fill the whole earth. The nations will dwell in peace. Israel will rule in God. Every true Christian, whether Jewish or Gentile by physical birth, is a member of the royal priesthood, the true Israel, the Israel by promise.

Let us who are Gentiles by racial origin not present the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the Jews in such a manner that they feel obligated to leave their natural heritage. Salvation is their bread, the children’s bread. It is we Gentiles who are the foreigners. The first Christians, the first members of the Body of Christ, were Jews. The first Christian church comprised five thousand Orthodox Jews who devoutly observed the Law of Moses, having little understanding of Divine grace. Have we forgotten that? Have we forgotten the debt we owe to Peter, John, and Paul, and to the Hebrew Prophets?

It is time now to give the children their own bread. Let us repay the debt we owe the Jews by giving them their Christ.

The Kingdom is coming. Christ the King will sit on the Throne of David and rule over Jacob. That is what Gabriel told Mary. Let us do all we can to facilitate the bringing back of their Christ to the Jews, for the Jews were driven away from their own table by the Gentiles who came into the Church in the early days of the Christian Era. Now it is time to return their Christ to them, to bring them back into their own fold.

The Spirit will guide us when we are to bring the message of the Gospel to a Jew. We believe that in addition to our efforts to bring their Christ to the Jewish people a great move of the Lord already has begun—a sovereign move of Christ that will leave the Jews intact as a people, as a nation but will bring them into contact with Jesus as their Savior and King.

We think that our role, in addition to holding forth the Word of Life to them, is to show love and support for the Jewish people until such time as this sovereign Divine intervention has been fulfilled and not to stridently and belligerently attempt to force the “four steps of salvation” down Jewish throats.

It is time for Zion to rejoice, for Zion’s captivity to be turned. The spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles is at hand. Before Tabernacles can be celebrated we must pass through the “Days of Awe,” that is, through a season of repentance.

Tabernacles, the third of the feasts of the Lord, is celebrated in Tishri, which is the seventh month of the Jewish religious year. The first day of Tishri is the memorial of blowing of Trumpets. The tenth day of Tishri is the Day of Atonement. Tabernacles begins on the fifteenth of Tishri and goes to the twenty-first, with the twenty-second being a high Sabbath.

The first ten days of Tishri are the Days of Awe. The first day of Tishri is Rosh Hashannah—New Year’s Day. The ten days are a time of soul-searching and judgment leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. There must be genuine repentance so God can forgive the worshiper. Then the heart is ready for the joy of Tabernacles.

We Christians have come to the “seventh month,” so to speak. The seventh month of the religious year is the first month of the civil year, the year of doing business in the earth. The true Christian saints are being stirred as the Lord God prepares His holy remnant for the setting up of the Kingdom of God in the earth. The King is approaching us, causing us to repent. The Divine judgment is beginning with those who are closest to the Lord.

We must allow God to reconcile us to Himself. It is only as God brings us through the baptism of fire and we confess our sins that we are ready to receive the indwelling of the Father and the Son in the glorious spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles (John 14:23).

All of this redemption takes place after Pentecost. The blowing of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the feast of Tabernacles take place after the feast of Pentecost. It is after we experience the baptism with the Holy Spirit that God brings us through judgment and repentance, and finally into the fullness of His rest in Christ. The seven feasts of the Lord are proclaimed in the twenty-third chapter of the Book of Leviticus and in other passages.

The Holy Spirit fell on the Jewish believers of the first century in fulfillment of the feast of Weeks (Pentecost). Now it is time for Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles to have their spiritual fulfillment in the Jews. Therefore we can be looking for the power of God to be directed toward Israel in the days to come. We Gentile Christians also will experience judgment and repentance so that “all Israel” (elect Jews and Gentiles) are brought to the fullness of redemption at the same time.

God is calling all of His elect to repentance in our day. Also there must be an awakening in the land of Israel to the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is Christ whom the Prophets promised.

It is time for the spiritual to be joined to the material; for the heavenly to be joined to the earthly; for the religious to become one with the political. We are not to accomplish this union through our own devices, although many are seeking by their own wisdom and strength to establish the Kingdom today. Rather it is the Holy Spirit of God who will rebuild the Temple, the Temple that is Christ—Head and Body. Christ is the Servant of the Lord. Christ is the true Israel of God.

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Not by the power or wealth of man will the eternal Temple of God be built but by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God comes from Heaven to give life to Jerusalem. It is time for the spiritual fulfillment of the memorial of blowing of Trumpets. It is time for the beginning of the civil year, the rule of the Kingdom of God on the earth. The King is coming and He shall rule from Jerusalem in the presence of His brothers (Romans 8:29).

Let us, as the Spirit of God enables us, make straight the way of the King of Glory as He prepares to enter, first of all, through the everlasting gates of our hearts; and later through the everlasting gates of the City of Jerusalem.

(“The Coming of the Kingdom”, 3882-1)