When the end came for Jesus of Nazareth, He said, “It is finished.” With His death His personal work as a man had been completed. The job He had come to do was two-fold in nature. Job one was to secure justification (removal of all past sins by faith–Rom. 3:25) of those who would take advantage of the second part of His ministry which was to provide Holy Spirit power so that the justified ones could enter into the Kingdom of God upon His return to earth. In order to qualify for entry into God’s earthly kingdom the salvation seeker would have to “overcome (Satan’s temptations to sin) even as I overcame” (him) (Rev. 3:21). This meant he would have to “walk (live) even as He (Jesus) walked” while on earth as a man (1 Jn. 2:6), which was possible only by keeping himself “pure even as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3), which is made possible on by the continuous “washing by the water by the Word” of God (Eph. 5:26).

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that any of the above can be accomplished. The Word (Jesus) could create the universe by the power of the Spirit (Jn. 1:3). One can resist Satan’s “fiery darts” of temptation, “purify himself” of sin and “cleanse himself” of all that is not holy ONLY by the power (Spirit) of God. What works in the physical realm also works on the spiritual realm. One does not keep one’s body clean by bathing once each week, but by bathing daily and cleansing oneself thoroughly each time. The more often we bathe, and the more thoroughly we scrub each time, the cleaner we are. externally. Word-washing does the same job internally (2 Tim. 2:15) as the Holy Spirit empowers us to believe and obey God’s Law/Word/Truth/light/will–the Holy Bible.

Throughout His ministry Jesus set the standard for those who would follow in His spiritual footsteps and qualify to “… sit with Me on My throne” in the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:21). Unfortunately, only a few will enter His church and walk His path leading to God’s kingdom (Mat. 7:13,14/ 22:14). He warns that most salvation seekers will enter Satan’s church and walk his path that supposedly leads to heaven. The two primary entities involved in this spiritual war involve the Messenger (Jesus or Satan) and the Message (God’s kingdom or heaven). We must choose God’s strait gate and walk His narrow way in order to rise in the first resurrection, meet Christ in the air, go with Him to the Holy Land and help Him create the Kingdom of God.

In Matthew 4:23 we find that Christ’s singular message (the Gospel of Christ) concerned “the Gospel of the Kingdom of God” which He mentions 148 times in the New Testament. When asked about His Kingdom, Jesus replied that His kingdom was “not of this world” (Gk. aion–age). Recall that in His model prayer He noted that God’s kingdom was then (and now) in heaven, but that it would one day come to earth (Mat. 6:10). When He proclaimed that that one must “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” He was referring to God’s church which would come into being approximately three years later (Mat. 4:17). Only those in the kingdom of heaven (God’s true church) upon His return will join him in the Kingdom of God which He will create at that time. Requirements for entrance are the same for both kingdoms. Christ’s final mention of God’s kingdom is found in Matthew 24:14 where He proclaims that “This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all people in every nation, then the end (of this world) will come” and Jesus would establish His Father’s kingdom in the Holy (Promised) Land. Read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom. Due to the internet, television, etc. people in all nations have access to the Gospel in one form or another.

In this series I will highlight some of the characteristics of the coming Kingdom of God. Time in the kingdom will consist of two periods: the millennium, followed by eternity. Following Christ’s return to earth and the resurrection of His “firstfruits” (the Very Elect) He will establish God’s kingdom and the millennium (1000 years) will begin. During this period everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected, each in his own time. Read The Three Resurrections. Key word–Three. During this time unregenerate man will be given the opportunity to embrace Jesus Christ and live forever in the kingdom–BUT NOT IN KINGDOM HEADQUARTERS WHERE ONLY THE VERY ELECT, GOD AND CHRIST WILL ABIDE. The kingdom will be world-wide as Revelation 11:15 tells us: “The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” Now let us examine what the Scriptures tell us about the earth-encompassing Kingdom of God.

In Isaiah 2:2-4 we are told that all people will periodically come to New Jerusalem (headquarters) to hear God’s Word: “All nations will flow into the House of the Lord.” People will say, “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God, for out of Mt. Zion (Moriah) will go forth the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. From there He will judge many people.” As a result, “… the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9).

There will be only one language spoken throughout the world: “For then I will give to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one voice” (Zeph. 3:9).

There will be one theocratic government: “… and He will rule (over the nations) for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). God’s saints will rule with him: “And they will live and rule with Him (over the earth) for 1000 years” (Rev. 20:4-6). In Revelation 2:26,27 it is written: “And he that overcomes and keeps my works (walks My walk) unto the end (of life), to him I will give power over the nations. And he (the overcomer) will rule them (the nations) with a rod of iron … and I (Jesus) will give him the morning star,” making the overcomer like Jesus Himself. In Revelation 22:16 Jesus says of Himself, “… I am the bright and morning star.” In Revelation 5:10 we are told that God’s royalty will be made kings and priests who “… will rule over the earth forever.”

But that is just the beginning. GOD’S VERY ELECT ARE DESTINED TO RULE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE FOREVER. Read God’s Very Elect: Future Caretakers of the Universe. Key word–Caretakers. L.J.