The Kingdom of God in the New Testament
The Kingdom of God in the New Testament
In our last article, we looked at The Kingdom of God as it was presented in the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The Gospels contain important teachings from Christ which help us to understand the remaining teaching on the Kingdom of God presented throughout the remainder of the New Testament writings.
What does the New Testament teach about the Kingdom of God? The New Testament teaches us that the Kingdom of God is an essential doctrine for followers of Christ to understand. The doctrine of the Kingdom of God forms a central element of the ongoing witness of the church. The Kingdom of God is also a major part of the future hope of Christians. This ongoing witness and future hope is consistent with the teachings of Christ on the Kingdom of God found in the canonical Gospels. The entire teaching of the New Testament on the Kingdom of God includes teaching on the present and future, power and suffering, warnings and encouragements, and has implications for every believer in every culture and era. When the doctrine of the Kingdom of God is misunderstood, neglected, or skewed, it has profound negative affect on both individuals and the church at large because it can hinder the testimony of the church and also can produce discouragement in followers of Christ who mistakenly think that the Kingdom guarantees them health, prosperity, and easy lives.
There is a lot of ground to cover. No shortcuts can be taken if we want to truly understand the full teaching of the New Testament on the Kingdom of God. Let’s dive in.
The Centrality of The Kingdom Through Acts
In our last article, we examined the teaching of Christ about The Kingdom in the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). Preaching and teaching on The Kingdom was central to the ministry of Christ. It should not surprise us to find that this emphasis continued in the preaching and teaching of the Apostles.
The book of Acts begins with a brief account of how the risen Christ spent His last 40 days on earth after He rose from the dead.
Acts 1:3 (NASB)
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Prior to the ascension, the disciples asked Christ:
Acts 1:6–8 (NASB)
So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
The Apostles were interested in the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. Christ tells them plainly that this was coming in the future. In the meantime, they were to be Christ’s witnesses in all the earth, beginning from Jerusalem. We will revisit this in our final two articles when we dig deeper into The Kingdom & The Gospel and the Five Key Kingdom-perspectives.
Preaching and teaching about The Kingdom was not confined to the Apostles alone. As people believed the message of the gospel and became followers of Christ, they learned to bear witness to the gospel of The Kingdom and of Jesus Christ in the pattern of the Apostles.
Acts 8:1, 4–5, 12 (NASB)
Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. … Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. … But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
The Apostle Paul and his ministry team likewise taught about the coming Kingdom of God and the difficult path we must walk as followers of Christ.
Acts 14:21–22 (NASB)
After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
The Kingdom was an ongoing topic of the Apostle Paul.
Acts 19:8–10 (NASB)
And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
The Apostle Paul gave a summary of his own personal ministry. His summary includes how he went about preaching the gospel of the grace of God and proclaiming The Kingdom. This was the ministry he received from the Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:24–27 (NASB)
“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”
Paul gave a defense of his life and ministry. He explained his own conduct over his years of ministry. Preaching and teaching about The Kingdom maintained a central role.
Acts 28:23–24 (NASB)
When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.
Paul’s message revolved around The Kingdom of God and Jesus. Paul’s source material was likely much of what we covered in our article: The Kingdom in the Old Testament.
When Paul was teaching on The Kingdom and on Jesus, he was referencing the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Keep this in mind: the testimony God has given concerning His Son and The Kingdom of God is what God’s people are to be witnesses of.
As Acts concludes, we read this summary description of Paul’s ongoing ministry.
Acts 28:30–31 (NASB)
And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
Paul was preaching The Kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. We have thirteen epistles written by the Apostle Paul where we can see more detail on his teaching regarding The Kingdom of God. Remember, these letters were written primarily to people who had heard Paul’s teaching already in greater detail while he was physically present with them and teaching in their midst.
What kinds of things would Paul and the other Apostles been teaching regarding The Kingdom of God? They would have been instructing people in the way they all learned from the Lord Jesus Christ, which we covered in greater detail in our previous articles.
James & The Kingdom
Historians disagree over which New Testament document was written first. The most likely candidates are either Galatians or James. Regardless of which came first, both were written relatively soon after the ascension of Christ described in Acts 1. We will consider the content of James first.
In our previous article, we covered Christ’s teaching on The Kingdom in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). This teaching from Christ was clearly influential on James’s teaching recorded in his epistle; even though the word “kingdom” only appears once (2:5).
See Diagram 1 and consider these parallels.
The Apostle Paul & The Kingdom of God
Like James, the centrality of The Kingdom of God runs through the writings of the Apostle Paul. Space will not allow for us to examine every parallel through all thirteen of Paul’s letters. The reader is encouraged to read all thirteen letters of Paul in a row on your own time.
A suggested six day reading plan:
Day 1 — Romans
Day 2 — 1 Corinthians
Day 3 — 2 Corinthians
Day 4 — Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians
Day 5 — 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy
Day 6 — 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
The reader who takes this seriously will glean much value from this small investment of time. For this article, we will focus our attention on the explicit references Paul makes to The Kingdom.
A Spiritual Kingdom in a Physical World
Romans 14:15–18 (NASB)
For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
The Apostle Paul taught plainly that The Kingdom of God was not about material things like food and drink. Instead, The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For those who make The Kingdom simply about material things, they likely also cause stumbling in others. In context, Paul is teaching that this is not right. Instead, born-again followers of Christ should seek to walk in the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, content with their material circumstances.
We will see this theme repeated throughout Paul’s writings.
Power
1 Corinthians 4:19–21 (NASB)
But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?
Paul teaches that The Kingdom is not about talk. The Kingdom, in truth, is more than a theory. The Kingdom does not consist in religious platitudes, clichés, or empty chatter.
The Kingdom of God is a powerful reality.
A Warning to the Unrighteous
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (NASB)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
A stark warning is given to those who practice unrighteousness. It is a corrective to the false views of grace that are circulated widely. (For more on the dangers of false grace, don’t miss our videos linked at the bottom of this article.)
True, biblical grace is not primarily a permissive thing that allows sinners to continue in sin and go to Heaven when they die. Not at all! Instead, biblical grace is much more amazing and powerful than this. Genuine saving grace is primarily transformative, not primarily permissive. Look again at verse 11 above.
Paul speaks of the transformative power that changed these believers in Corinth from what they were into those who are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God.
This helps us to understand Paul’s previous comment in 1 Corinthians 4:20. The power of the gospel changes people from the inside out. These born-again believers who walk in the transformative power of genuine grace are those who stand to inherit The Kingdom of God. Those who talk the talk but walk in unrighteousness and do not have the evidence of true, life-changing kingdom power do not stand to inherit The Kingdom.
Don’t be deceived.
A Brief Excurses on False Teachers and Their False Teaching
Beware of any teacher who does not make it clear that true believers will be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit in them, over time. The grace of God will work in Christians to transform them into people who display the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, manifest the character of Christ more and more, and who use their spiritual gifts to edify fellow believers and evangelize the world. This transformation does not happen instantly, but it should be evident to some degree and in increasing measure.
It is one of the marks of false teachers that they teach what people want to hear. False teachers encourage people to gratify themselves, rather than deny themselves. They teach that grace enables them to continue in sin and give them nothing but comfort and ease. It is also prophesied that many of these false teachers will have false signs to accompany their false teachings (see, e.g., Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; and Revelation 19:20).
2 Peter 2:1–3 (NASB)
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NASB)
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NASB)
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.1 John 4:1 (NASB)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.Acts 20:25–32 (NASB)
“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”2 Timothy 3:2–7 (NASB)
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NASB)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
False teachers are often motivated by greed. Notice these false teachers will encourage people to follow after themselves, rather than follow Christ. These false teachers will encourage sensuality and immorality, denying the Master who bought them. These false teachers will encourage people to follow the lusts and impulses of their flesh rather than to bring forth the fruit of righteousness by the grace and power of God.
Note also that Paul explicitly says that these false teachers will hold to a form of godliness, yet they have denied its power. The power Paul speaks of in these verses is more about the Holy Spirit’s transforming power to sanctify a person from the deeds of the flesh into the fruit of the Spirit, than it is about performing miracles, signs, and wonders.
We would be wise to avoid teachers such as these, who encourage wickedness and ungodliness and who turn the grace of God into a license to sin.
Jude 1:4 (NASB)
For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
These false teachers present a message that is comforting to the ears and hearts of those who live according to the flesh. We must understand that living according to these false teachings is an insult to the Spirit of grace and causes us to trample underfoot the Son of God and His precious blood.
Hebrews 10:26–31 (NASB)
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Don’t be deceived. Don’t deceive others. Walk in the true grace of God. Understand that this path will include suffering and persecution to some degree. Know also that God’s power is able to preserve you and to bring you into His everlasting kingdom in the end. Praise God!
Paul’s seemingly constant exhortation to holy living and avoiding immorality is in direct contrast to the message of the false teachers of his day (and our own). Paul warns over and over that those who do not walk in the true, saving, transformative, sanctifying grace of God are not on the path to inheriting The Kingdom.
A Coming Kingdom
1 Corinthians 15:20–28 (NASB)
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
The fullness of The Kingdom is coming in the future when Christ returns. Christ is currently exalted and sitting at the right hand of the Father. This was prophesied in places such as Daniel 7 and Psalm 2. Christ will reign until all His enemies are put under His feet (Psalm 110:1).
Paul quotes Psalm 8 in 1 Corinthians 15:27. Psalm 8 speaks of humanity’s rule over the works of God’s hands. Christ is the fulfillment of God’s good plans. He has come to restore what Adam lost.
The Necessity of Transformation
1 Corinthians 15:49–53 (NASB)
Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
The Kingdom of God is coming fully in the future. In order to inherit this coming Kingdom, we must be fully transformed. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is speaking of the necessity of a future resurrection and instantaneous transformation of those who remain until the coming of Christ.
Our present nature—even for the born-again—cannot inherit The Kingdom in its fullness. The perishable must put on the imperishable. This will happen for all of Christ’s people when He returns in glory.
Walking in the Spirit or in the Flesh?
Galatians 5:16–24 (NASB)
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Paul is expressing a similar sentiment that we saw in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10.
Those who have experienced salvation through faith in Christ have received the gift of the indwelling Spirit. The evidence of the Spirit is found in the fruit. Paul teaches that the deeds of the flesh are evident. Those who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit The Kingdom of God.
In order to be set free from these deeds of the flesh, we must turn to Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who have received the gift of salvation are commanded to walk by the Spirit. This newness of life would be impossible if not for the abiding grace of God. We are incapable of bringing about this transformation in our own strength, power, positive-thinking, or effort.
What is impossible for us and contrary to our fleshly nature is natural for the Holy Spirit. That’s why it is called the fruit of the Spirit. It is not the fruit of our own efforts, religion, or discipline. Those human efforts are important. Yet, without the Spirit, they will be ultimately fruitless.
An important, but often overlooked, detail in the Scripture is that the fruit of the Spirit is singular. That is, the text says “the fruit of the Spirit is…” and does not say, “the fruits of the Spirit are….” Many people who are not filled with the Spirit have love in their lives. Many people who are not filled with the Spirit can demonstrate joy, peace, and/or patience. However, the singular fruit of the Holy Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these aspects, collectively, are the singular fruit of the Spirit. This means that if you have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, but lack self-control, you are not exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, according to Scripture.
(For a daily reminder of the importance of walking by the Spirit, check out our fruit of the Spirit coffee mug and framed picture.)
Walk as Children of Light
Ephesians 5:3–13 (NASB)
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
Are you noticing a trend in Paul’s teaching? Paul states again that no immoral, impure, or covetous person has an inheritance in The Kingdom. This, Paul says, we can know with certainty.
This is why false teachings about permissive, cheap grace are so dangerous. These empty words encourage people who have not experienced the transformative power of genuine grace to falsely believe they are on the path to Heaven while living according to the flesh.
Delivered from the Kingdom of Darkness
Colossians 1:9–14 (NASB)
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul tells believers in Colossae that he has not stopped praying for them since he heard about their faith in Christ. Paul prayed they would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and be strengthened with all power for attaining steadfastness and patience in this walk.
Paul also declares that believers have been transferred out of the domain of darkness and into The Kingdom of Christ. The powerful grace of God has delivered us from being enslaved to the devil in his domain of darkness. Therefore, Paul says, we ought to live like those who have been set free.
This freedom is not to continue in disobedience and rebellion against God. That’s how we used to live when we were under the domain of darkness. Followers of Christ are called to walk in newness of life. A life marked by righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit who provides the power for us to do so.
A Powerful Word
1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 (NASB)
For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
Paul trusted in the power of the gospel (see also 1 Corinthians 1:17–25). The word of men may make superficial changes temporarily. The word of God is different. God’s word performs deeply transformative work in those who believe it. It continues working until we are conformed to the image and likeness of Christ (see Romans 8:29).
Many emphasize miracles (like healings and speaking in tongues) as “power.” Paul puts consistent emphasis on the long-term transformation of individuals. While this may not be as dramatic to some, long-term, genuine change of individuals from sinners into saints requires the power of God just as much raising the dead or giving sight to the blind does.
Suffering for The Kingdom
2 Thessalonians 1:3–12 (NASB)
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed. To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul had no illusions or misconceptions that faith in Christ would deliver believers from all their problems and suffering in the world. In fact, he taught the exact opposite. Paul taught that following Christ is difficult. It is accompanied by persecution and suffering (e.g., 2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus taught the same (e.g., Matthew 16:24).
Christ is Coming in His Kingdom
2 Timothy 4:1–2 (NASB)
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
Paul instructed Timothy, a leader, to preach the word. This charge was given in the presence of Jesus Christ, who is coming again in glory to establish His Kingdom and to judge the world in righteousness.
To Him be the Glory
2 Timothy 4:18 (NASB)
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul put his trust in a living Savior. As a result, he had confidence that Christ was able to rescue him and bring him safely into His heavenly kingdom.
We can have the same confidence; that is, if we will walk in this same grace and power that Paul preached. This grace is available only through Christ. It is empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom in the General Epistles
The canon of Scripture is divided into sections. The four Gospels, the historical book of Acts, then Paul’s thirteen epistles. The next section is sometimes referred to as “the General Epistles.”
The General Epistles are:
Hebrews
James
1 & 2 Peter
1,2, & 3 John
Jude
We covered James above. We’ll look briefly at Hebrews and 2 Peter in this section.
A Righteous Kingdom
Hebrews 1:8–9 (NASB)
But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
The general theme of the book of Hebrews can be summarized as: The Superiority of Christ. The author of Hebrews shows that Christ is greater than all else.
In this passage, we see a quotation of Psalm 45:6–7. This passage speaks of the righteous character of the Messiah. The Kingdom of God bears the character of its King. The Kingdom is a righteous kingdom.
An Unshakeable Kingdom
Hebrews 12:25–29 (NASB)
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
The Kingdom is an unshakeable kingdom. It will endure, even when all else is taken away. We should be thankful for this. Show gratitude to God through offering yourself to God with reverence and awe.
Abundantly Supplied
2 Peter 1:10–11 (NASB)
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Peter is describing living according to the transformative grace of God. His words leading up to these verses are similar to what we saw all throughout Paul’s epistles.
Peter expresses confidence in what we can have in the future by living now according to the grace and power of the gospel. If we will practice these things now, we can have confidence that we will be richly welcomed into the eternal Kingdom of Christ in the future.
The Kingdom in Revelation
The final book in Scripture is somewhat difficult to interpret and, as a result, can be quite controversial. Many different interpretive frameworks have been suggested for understanding Revelation. Since each hermeneutical framework is different, it is not surprising that each framework yields different conclusions and meanings from the same text.
Discussing the various interpretive lenses for Revelation is beyond the scope of this article. So, we will simply state that the author of this article uses a Premillennial framework. As a result, the interpretation of Revelation that seems most accurate is that the Millennial Kingdom and return of Christ are still future. They will be literally and physically fulfilled at some unknown time in the future.
The Premillennial view contrasts with views that believe in a spiritual or figurative interpretation, or that believe these things have already been fulfilled in history (either at the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 or at some other point that was future to the original readers but now past to modern readers).
A Kingdom, Priests to God
Revelation 1:4–7 (NASB)
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
This sentiment is similar to what the Apostle Peter wrote:
1 Peter 2:9–12 (NASB)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Peter was quoting from multiple Old Testament passages. He was aware of the overall Kingdom-purpose of God in redeeming a people for Himself. This purpose runs through both the Old and New Testaments.
This Kingdom expectation makes sense of our current purpose on earth: to bring glory, honor, and praise to God. This Kingdom expectation is also our future hope. We await our Savior and Lord who will return from Heaven to gather His people to Himself from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people.
Tribulation, Kingdom, and Perseverance
Revelation 1:9 (NASB)
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John says that he participates in the tribulation, the Kingdom, and the perseverance which are in Jesus. These elements are related and intertwined. As we dwell on earth, awaiting the return of our King, we live in the midst of a world that is hostile and rebellious against Christ.
John’s suffering is a result of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. We will look more directly at this testimony in our next article on The Kingdom and The Gospel. God’s redemption of a people for His own possession is so that we will proclaim His excellencies and bear testimony to His goodness and grace. Jesus told us that we are blessed when we suffer and endure persecution as we walk in our kingdom-purpose (e.g., Matthew 5:10–12).
Therefore, do not be discouraged when you suffer for the sake of righteousness and because of your faith in Christ. Be encouraged and endure until the end, walking in the strength and power He provides.
Already, Not Yet
Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB)
And they *sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
“You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
The Kingdom of Heaven can be confusing. There are passages that seem to indicate a present-tense reality of The Kingdom while other passages seem to speak of a future kingdom that is coming.
So, is The Kingdom present now? Or is it coming in the future?
The answer is not either-or but both-and. There is a present tense reality of The Kingdom of Heaven. There is also a future aspect. Both are true. This passage helps us to see both.
Let’s revisit our working definition of a kingdom. In order to have a kingdom, you need three elements: 1) a ruler; 2) subjects, and 3) a territory. As we explore the teaching of Scripture on The Kingdom of God, we see that God and His Christ rule The Kingdom. The subjects of The Kingdom are those who have repented and put their faith in Jesus. The territory is in Heaven (currently) and will one day come to earth (in the future).
Look closely at Revelation 5:10. The context for this passage is established in Revelation 4.
Revelation 4:1–2 (NASB)
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.
The vision takes place in Heaven. Revelation 5:10a, states, “you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” This is exactly what we’ve seen elsewhere in Scripture — both Old and New Testaments. This verb (“have made”) is an aorist indicative. It is emphasizing a completed action in the past. The next clause in Revelation 5:10b states a future-tense reality: “and they will reign upon the earth.”
As we will see in more detail in our next article on The Gospel and The Kingdom, the redeemed people of God currently live on earth as ambassadors of a coming Kingdom. This world is not our home. We are currently citizens of that coming Kingdom, but The Kingdom currently is in Heaven. It is not until the return of Christ in glory when The Kingdom will be fully established upon the earth. Then, we will reign with Him.
The Final Trumpet
Revelation 11:15–18 (NASB)
Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
As the seventh and final trumpet sounds, the reign of Christ is foreseen. The final trumpet signals the return of Christ. The Apostle Paul used this language as well.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (NASB)
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (NASB)
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
The Accuser Cast Down — Being an Overcomer
Revelation 12:10–12 (NASB)
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
Revelation 12 was covered in greater detail in our introductory article. This portion of the passage describes the enthronement of the Messiah in Heaven and Satan being cast down to the earth. The devil knows that his time is short. Therefore, he has great wrath that he exercises upon earth.
Those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb overcome the adversary by the grace of God. Three things are listed. It is important to understand all three. The first two are more well-known because they are part of a well-known Christian song. However, that song leaves out the third element, which is just as important and relevant as the first two.
(For more on a Theology of Song and the importance of having theologically accurate lyrics in the songs that we sing, don’t miss our video linked here.)
This text tells us that the redeemed of God on earth overcame the evil one because of:
The blood of the Lamb;
The word of their testimony, and;
They did not love their life even when faced with death.
Jesus already described wonderful promises to those who overcome in the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2:1—3:22). A promise was made to those who overcome in each church:
To Ephesus — To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God (Revelation 2:7b).
To Smyrna — He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11b).
To Pergamum — To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it (Revelation 2:17b).
To Thyatira — He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star (Revelation 2:26–28).
To Sardis — He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Revelation 3:5).
To Philadelphia — He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name (Revelation 3:12).
To Laodicea — He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Revelation 3:21).
Revelation 2—3 gives us the rewards for overcoming. Revelation 12 gives the means to overcoming.
First, the blood of the Lamb speaks of the need to turn to Christ and believe upon Him.
Second, for those who have believed upon Christ, we have been transferred into The Kingdom of Christ. We have received a new nature and are called to walk in newness of life. This new purpose is in line with the Kingdom-purpose of God from beginning to end. We now have a role in His Kingdom: to proclaim His word and bear testimony to Christ — and our testimony matters!
Third, since the world is under the control of the devil, who is warring against God, His purposes, and those He has redeemed, we should not be surprised to see persecution and difficulty in our walk. Since the world is hostile, and Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, it is necessary for overcomers to have endurance. We must understand that faithfulness to this ministry may lead to our lives ending violently and abruptly. History is filled with our faithful brothers and sisters being martyred for the faith. As we pick up our cross and follow Jesus in this world, we must not love our lives even when faced with death for holding to the testimony of Jesus.
Recognizing these truths can help us understand some of Christ’s more difficult statements:
Matthew 5:10–12 (NASB)
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”Matthew 10:23 (NASB)
“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.”Matthew 13:20–21 (NASB)
The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.Matthew 16:24–27 (NASB)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”Matthew 23:34–35 (NASB)
“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”John 15:18–21 (NASB)
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
Some have argued that Christ’s words in these passages were only for the Apostles. However, the Apostles themselves also taught about the suffering that accompanies following Christ and walking in the grace of God.
2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.1 Peter 4:12–14 (NASB)
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
There are many more passages like these. Hopefully, you get the idea. Paul doesn’t teach that whoever desires to live godly lives in Christ might be persecuted. He doesn’t limit it to only some, or a few, or believers in other places that aren’t in the United States of America. He simply states: all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. All means all.
If we misunderstand The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, the need to endure suffering and persecution may not make much sense. Likewise, failure to understand the true nature of the testimony of Christ leads to confusion. Many can’t understand why the world would hate this message so much. We’ll cover the testimony of Christ in much greater detail in the next two articles.
Those who mistakenly believe that the gospel is more about material prosperity and the pursuit of wealth or who think the victory we have in Christ means we will not face problems in this earthly life, are ripe to fall away as the Parable of the Sower described.
Mark 4:16–19 (NASB)
In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Don’t get choked out or scorched. Believe the full testimony of the Scriptures. Be an overcomer by the grace of God. Bring forth fruit whether thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
The Millennial Kingdom & The Eschaton
There are some passages that prophesy about the coming Kingdom of the Messiah that seem, on the surface, the be potentially contradictory. However, a Premillennial view of eschatology does seem to alleviate most of the supposed difficulties. However, the reader must be encouraged to not fight with other believers who have a different view of eschatology. At a bare minimum, we must agree that Christ is coming again. As we discuss timing, these are not tests of fellowship and/or orthodoxy.
Despite the potential arguments, we present the potential issue and describe how a Premillennial view seems the best way to eliminate the difficulty.
In Isaiah, we read prophecies of the coming Kingdom of the Messiah. Isaiah 11 is worth reading in its entirety. Here is just a small portion.
Isaiah 11:4b–9 (NASB)
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
This language looks forward to the return of Christ, the final judgment, and the restoration of all things. Note the hostility between animals and humans is no longer present. There is no time in human history that adequately fits this description. The best interpretation is that this describes the future reign of Christ in His coming kingdom of perfect peace.
Isaiah 66 likewise looks forward to the peaceful Kingdom of the Messiah. It shows that the Messiah rules over all nations. It also speaks of time passing — new moon to new moon and from sabbath to sabbath.
Isaiah 66:22–24 (NASB)
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So your offspring and your name will endure.
“And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord.
“Then they will go forth and look
On the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm will not die
And their fire will not be quenched;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
We see a similar prophecy of the Messianic kingdom in Zechariah 14. You are encouraged to read the full oracle (Zechariah 12:1—14:21) to get the context. A portion of this oracle is copied below.
Zechariah 14:3–16, 20–21 (NASB)
Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.
And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.
And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.
All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.
Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. It will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. Judah also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. So also like this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the cattle that will be in those camps.
Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. …
In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO THE LORD.” And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.
The language Isaiah and Zechariah use both read similarly to what we read in Revelation. The language speaks of the return of Christ, the battle of Armageddon, and the Day of Judgment.
In Acts 1, we saw the Lord ascend to Heaven from the Mount of Olives. The angels told the disciples that the Lord would return in the same way they saw Him ascend (Acts 1:1–12). These prophecies also speak of an existence in a timeline much like we already know and experience—that is, with mornings and evenings, days of the week (sabbath to sabbath), and even seasons and years.
However, at the end of Revelation we read:
Revelation 21:22–26 (NASB)
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it;Revelation 22:3—5 (NASB)
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Interestingly, the end described in Revelation 22 seems to be of a singular, never-ending day. Zechariah and Isaiah prophesied of days, seasons, and years. Also of interest, Zechariah speaks of those who make sacrifices in the temple (“the house of the LORD”), but Revelation 21–22 tells us that there is no temple and the Day never ends.
How do we reconcile this? By understanding the difference between the Millennial Kingdom and the Eschaton. Both are yet future from our current place in time and history.
The Millennial Kingdom
The term “millennial” in our modern language often evokes thoughts about the generation of people born between 1981–1996. That’s not what we mean when we speak of the Millennial Kingdom. Instead, we are referring to The Kingdom described in Revelation 19:1—20:6. We encourage you to read this entire section on your own time.
This section of Revelation records:
The Second Coming of Christ (coming with the armies of Heaven behind Him);
Satan being bound for a thousand years;
The first resurrection (of the righteous saints).
We read this description at the end of this section:
Revelation 20:4–6 (NASB)
Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
The “Millennial Kingdom” speaks of this future, literal kingdom which will be established after Christ returns and after the first resurrection. Then, those who returned with Christ from Heaven and those who were raised in this first resurrection will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years.
This is near the end. However, there is still more to come. It is in this Millennial (“thousand years”) Kingdom where we see the fulfillment of the passages which refer to evenings and days, seasons and years. This Millennial Kingdom will contain a Temple. Days will pass for a thousand years.
At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released again. A final rebellion will take place.
The Eschaton
After Satan is released, there is a final rebellion. It is put down swiftly.
Revelation 20:7–9 (NASB)
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
After this, Satan is judged and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10). Then, we read of the Great White Throne Judgment and the second resurrection—this resurrection is of the wicked. All the wicked are judged by their deeds and anyone whose name is not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15).
Then, we see the New Heavens and the New Earth established. The first Heaven and the first earth pass away (Revelation 21:1; cf. 2 Peter 3:10–13). This final state is what theologians refer to as “The Eschaton.” This name comes from the Greek word eschatos which means “last.” This word appears in Revelation 22:13.
Revelation 22:13 (NASB)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last [ho eschatos], the beginning and the end.”
Those who die before Christ returns, and before the coming resurrections, are separated from their bodies. Their soul/spirit goes to be present with the Lord (e.g., 2 Corinthians 5:6–8). These disembodied spirits await the resurrection to come. This is “Heaven.” Even so, there is greater joy to come after the resurrection of the righteous.
When Jesus returns, those who are alive will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 2 Thessalonians 4:13–18). These will reign with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom on earth along with the saints who are raised in the first resurrection. This will be even more glorious than the disembodied spirits experienced previously. Even so, a greater joy is yet to come in the Eschaton.
It is only after the thousand years are over and death, Satan, and all the unrighteous are cast into the lake of fire when the actual end comes. This glorious state is the pinnacle of God’s redemptive plan. It will surpass the glory even of the Millennial Kingdom on earth.
Concluding Our Study of The Kingdom in the New Testament
The New Testament continues to build upon the foundational teaching about The Kingdom of God throughout the Old Testament. We see revelation about the nature, character, and location of both the King, subjects, and territory of The Kingdom of God. We eagerly look forward to the coming of the Eschaton and the New Heavens and New Earth in which only righteousness dwells.
In the meantime, we should live according to God’s Kingdom-purpose while we eagerly anticipate our Lord’s triumphant return. This will be the focus of our final two articles.
Related Questions
Where is the Kingdom of God mentioned in the New Testament? The phrase “Kingdom of God” is found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, and Revelation. Ephesians 5:5 mentions “the kingdom of Christ and God.” The Kingdom of God is also mentioned with various phrasing in 1 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, Hebrews, James and 2 Peter. Altogether, the Kingdom is referred to explicitly in 17 of the 27 books in the canonical New Testament.
How many times is the Kingdom of God mentioned in the New Testament? The Greek phrase “Kingdom of God” is found 68 times in the New Testament. The word “kingdom” (Gk: basileia) appears 162 times in the New Testament, with 142 of these referring to the Kingdom of God.