The Establishment of the Kingdom of God

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Some Facts, Data, and Information have been borrowed from several papers written by Dr. Stephen Jones of “The New Kingdom Order” website.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Interpretation

The last section of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation within chapter 2 envisions the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and the initiation of the Kingdom of God.  The four beast kingdoms will not be discussed at this time since they have already occurred and are past history, i.e. Babylon; Medo-Persia; Greece; Rome.  The world is currently under the reign of the “little horn” (extension of the Roman Empire) along with the beast from the earth which has been a secret but is not slowly being revealed.  Thus the name of the 2^nd beast (or earth beast) is Mystery, Babylon but soon all the secrets or mysteries will be made known to the amazement of the majority of the world.

Daniel 2:34-35 NET  You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces.  (35)  Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

Daniel 2:44-45 NET  In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.  (45)  You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable."

The everlasting kingdom will begin with the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ with judges, priests, and administrators consisting of the first resurrection overcomers or the elect.  The Kingdom of God will not suddenly and immediately envelope the entire earth but will be accomplished over a period of one thousand years.  The stone “became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.”  It has been said that the word translated as “patience or endurance” in Revelation 14:12 is almost impossible to translate to English.  A possible translation could be “to gain more and more area or territory”. 

A Millennial Understanding of Jesus

After the great faith of the Centurion is revealed, Christ briefly related the plan of spreading the kingdom during the Millennium.  Many, from all over the world, will come to learn the ways of God but some who oppose His rule and are not willing to learn, repent, or obey will be “thrown into the outer darkness”.

Matthew 8:11-12 NET  I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,  (12)  but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

The outer darkness is not hell, Hades, or imprisonment in a dark place, but a contrast with the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Light.  The nations can only enter the New Jerusalem as believers seeking the light and knowledge of the law and ways of God, otherwise they will be outside the light of God.

Isaiah 2:3 NET  All the nations will stream to it, many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the LORD's mountain, to the temple (figurative) of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards." For Zion (figurative) will be the center for moral instruction; the LORD will issue edicts from Jerusalem (figurative).

Growth of the Kingdom

The stone grows to cover the earth, encompass all nations, and incorporates all people as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Even at the end of the Millennium, the Kingdom of God has not filled the entire earth.  Satan will be briefly set loose and he will deceive “the nations which are in the four corners of the earth”.

Revelation 20:7-9 NET  Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison  (8)  and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea.  (9)  They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely.

Not everyone will come to salvation until after the White Throne Judgment which occurs at the end of the Millennium.  At that time all will be resurrected where many will be brought to trial and judged.  The time periods are unknown but their judgmental internment may last as long as another thousand years.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

New Heaven, New Earth

At some point in the future, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.  It may occur at the end of the first thousand years called the Millennium in scripture, or it may happen at some later time.  There is no actual scriptural proof that I am aware of, but is has been conceived by some there will be several millennial periods until at least the fiftieth or Sabbath millennium.

Revelation 21:1 NET  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more.

The word “new” in most versions does not actually mean the current planet will be completely annihilated and a brand new one will then be created, however it could be a possible but unreasonable definition.

The most likely meaning would be “fresh” or possibly “unworn” which could be defined as redone as in the appearance of the original creation.

Thayer Definition:

1) new

1a) as respects form

1a1) recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn

1b) as respects substance

1b1) of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of

The “new earth” may also witness the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:6-8 where the wolf dwells with the lamb.  This situation most likely will not happen during the so-called Millennium, but could happen during the 2^nd thousand years.

Isaiah 11:6-8 KJV  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.  (7)  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  (8)  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

Millennial Survivors after the Wrath of God

MILLENNIAL SURVIVORS AFTER THE WRATH OF GOD

 

Isaiah 2:2-4 KJV  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.  (3)  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  (4)  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

In the last days (In the latter end of the days – Young’s Literal Translation) all nations will go to the house of the Lord.  Many people will go to the Lord to learn of His ways and to walk in His paths.  The law of God will go forth from Zion (Word Study:  The meaning of the word is most likely "fortress," and the word refers to the city of Jerusalem).  The Lord will judge the nations (yes, there will be nations) and many people will be corrected or rebuked.  War will come to an end with the most prominent occupation being agriculture as it was for Adam and Eve.

This could be and most likely is the age of the Millennium that will be concerned with the earthly “wrath of God” survivors.  Yes, there will be survivors.  The first resurrection or the so-called rapture has already taken place just prior to the Armageddon fiasco.  These resurrected individuals are called the Overcomers or the First Fruits by some Bible teachers.  They do not represent all the dead or the living at the beginning of the Millennium.  These first fruit overcomers will judge the nations and individuals as priests of God and of Christ as they reign with Him during the Millennium age.

Revelation 20:6 KJV  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The remainder of the dead will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium age to be presented at the great White Throne judgment.  The marginal so-called Christians will be beaten with stripes, which is probably symbolic rather than literal, but who knows?  Notice in Luke 12:47 the servant who is beaten with many stripes (not more than 40) is still called a servant.  He was aware of the Lord’s will but just didn’t perform it.

Luke 12:47 KJV  And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

On the other hand, the servant who did not perform the Lord’s will but was totally unaware of the will of the Lord will be beaten with fewer stripes because of ignorance and not rebellion.

Luke 12:48 KJV  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

It is my opinion, the same procedures will hold true at the second resurrection and these verses in Luke 12 may be a statement on that age.  They will not be tortured in fire for eternity but will be disciplined as were the survivors of the wrath of God.  Even Nero will be seated at the feet of God worshipping Him.

The city of God will be present on the earth at the second resurrection.  All who accept Jesus as the King of the Kingdom and the laws of God and His righteousness will be able to enter the gates of the city of God and partake of the Tree of Life.

Revelation 22:14 KJV  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

John 5:28-29 NET  "Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  (29)  and will come out — the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation.

Some will gladly recognize Jesus as the King of kings, submitting to the refiner’s fire; others will only do so by constraint of the law. Some will be refined in a short period of time; others will need a very long time to pay all the restitution for their crimes against God and men.

When all enemies have been subjected to the King of the Kingdom then the Son of God will be subjected to the Lord God so that, “God may be all in all”.

1 Corinthians 15:27-28 NET  (27)  For He has put everything in subjection under His feet. But when it says "everything" has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the One who put everything in subjection to Him.  (28)  And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be subjected to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Jesus said that the wicked would be cast into “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). This will be everything outside the New Jerusalem or the city of God.  The New Jerusalem will be a kingdom of Light because we are told that the city of God has no need for light fixtures such as the sun and moon, since Jesus will be the Light.  The earth will not be a literal darkness, for the sun and moon will continue to shine on them even as today.  There is no indication the sun and moon will stop shining upon the rest of the earth.  And so this “outer darkness” is comparable to the spiritual darkness in the world today (Matthew 4:16).  There will be actual darkness approximately 12 hours each day as opposed to complete light in the city of God.

Matthew 8:11-12 NET  I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,  (12)  but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 4:16 NET  the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,: and on those who sit in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned."

It is my opinion the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is more of a “oh woe is me” attitude and not actual pain and torment particularly if the resurrected individual had a high class job wearing a suit and tie in an air-conditioned office driving a Porsche to work.  This would definitely be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" for that person and many others.

The wrath of God will definitely leave survivors.  There are too many scriptural verses that verify these survivors, sorry SDA.  Each year they will be required to go and worship the King or the Lord Jesus and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles.  Those who refuse will be punished with a severe drought, or perhaps it is the “rain” of the Holy Spirit – difficult to be certain.  At the end of the final age all creation and people will be restored to God.

Zechariah 14:16-19 NET  Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the LORD who rules over all, and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles.  (17)  But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD who rules over all, they will get no rain.  (18)  If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain — instead there will be the kind of plague which the LORD inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.  (19)  This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 NET  (22)  For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.  (23)  But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to him.

There is no Lord God but the Lord God.  Certain angelic entities, called Watchers or Princes, are referred to in scripture as “sons of God” or “gods” because they exist in the Heavenly realm; are eternal; and have certain supernatural capabilities but they are not the Lord God who created and rule them.  Some may have attempted to present themselves as a “god” or may have been considered as a “god” by various earth people.  Some of the “gods” may have initiated certain religious systems to thwart the plans of the Lord God, but they have failed or will all eventually fail.  Apparently these “gods” are not omniscient or they would have known their efforts were futile.  They may not be as knowledgeable as we sometimes believe they are.  From reading the Word of God, at least I know that much as do many others.