The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God - Apostle Israel Onoriobe @ www.wvcom-international.org
The subject of the Kingdom of God is one that is very important to our faith as believers. This vast subject is misunderstood by many. If we fully discover and understand the abstract ideas of the concepts and principles of the Kingdom of God, that understanding will enact a change in every sphere of our life and give purpose to our existence.
Firstly, we need to define what the Kingdom of God is not, and then what it is!
"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17).
We need to understand that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink. It is not something that is superficial or of natural character, but the Kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The apostle Paul reveals to us that the Kingdom of God goes beyond the natural existence of man and it causes him to experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which are righteousness, peace and joy.
The Kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy, and it is found in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is indwelling in us. In other word, the Kingdom of God is something that is spiritual dwelling within us. The Kingdom of God is first a spiritual condition that resides within us.
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21).
The word “Kingdom” comes from the Greek word “basileia”, and from the Hebrew word “malkuth”, which means royalty, rule, or a realm or authority and sovereignty exercised by the king. A kingdom is primary a realm over which a king exercises his authority; by this we must understand that the Kingdom of God is a realm that is overruled by God as the King. The Kingdom of God is that dimension in which the will, wish and desire of the King is the same as if it was His laws. (Matthew 7:21-23).
The second meaning of a kingdom is the people belonging to a given realm. A kingdom is a kingdom by virtue of the people that belong to that realm. By this we must recognize the remnant of people to whom the Kingdom of God is given. It is His people to whom He calls to His rule.
The four-gospels use two phrases, ‘The Kingdom of God’ and ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’. The Kingdom of Heaven is commonly used in the gospel of Matthew, while The Kingdom of God is commonly used in the gospel of Luke. The Kingdom of God and The Kingdom of Heaven are two interrelated phrases that mean the same thing. To some degree, the Kingdom of Heaven speaks about a spiritual place that is governed by the principles of God and it speaks of His throne, while the Kingdom of God speaks more about the rule of God. When the word refers to the Kingdom of God, it always refers to His reign, His rule, His sovereignty, and to the realm in which it is exercised.
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103: 19).
"They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power;" (Psalm 145:11).
"Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." (Psalm 145:13)
It is very important to understand that the realm of God’s rule is the heaven and the earth, and His rule is everlasting. (Daniel 2:37).
The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority. When this is realized, then we can go through the New Testament and find passage after passage where this meaning is evident, where the Kingdom of God speaks of the Kingdom as God’s rule and reign, and not an empire in the sky or people. Jesus said that we must “receive the kingdom of God as little children” (Mark.10:15).What is received is God’s rule. In order to enter the realm of the kingdom, one must submit himself in perfect trust to God’s rule here and now.
In the Old Testament the fruition and manifestation of God’s Kingdom was always an eschatological revelation that was spoken of in future tense; “Behold, the days are coming” or “it shall come to pass in those days”. In the New Testament we encounter a change. The tense is a definite and resounding present indicative: the Kingdom of God is here!
"….The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15).
In Jesus Christ who is the Messiah, the old order was ended and a new order began. The central theme of the Old Testament is the ‘coming of the messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom of God’. The whole history of the Jews has been in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament was the establishment of God’s Kingdom that has begun. The New Testament proclaimed Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and prophesies. Jesus Christ was and is the promised Messiah who has come to set up His Kingdom after the manner of God. With unshakable assurance, the New Testament declared that the hope of Israel has become present in the fact of Jesus. To the Jews, Jesus’ claim as a Messiah was an intolerable claim. The vision and understanding of the Kingdom of God that the Messiah will establish was contrary to the goal that the Jews deeply desired to see in their days. They were looking for a political and nationalistic kingdom. This is the same confrontation we are having within the church circle of those who are trying to interpret present truth revelation of the Kingdom of God with past experience and knowledge, and as a result they are missing and limiting God.
The Jews were nurtured with an apocalyptic hope of a sudden intrusion of God’s Kingdom in the clouds of heaven, with the Messiah coming to establish the Kingdom of God and to challenge and overthrow the Roman Empire that was in rule by force. Roman legions marched through Jerusalem. Authority rested in the hands of a pagan Roman, Pilate. Idolatrous, immoral Rome ruled the world. Harold Antipas ruled in Galilee. The form Jesus took and His rejection of a political and nationalistic kingdom was a challenge to the Jews and His declaration that His kingship was not of this world, neither had He any intention of setting up a Kingdom after the pattern of the world system. They were looking for a new warrior spirit as King David had, one who would be a physical deliverer rising up against the Greek and Roman hierarchy.
If Herod knew that God’s Kingdom was not of this world, he wouldn’t have been threatened by the coming of Jesus and he would not have sought to kill Him. The Kingdom Jesus came to establish was not like the popular expectation of the people. His kingdom was not of this world. When Jesus talked about the "Kingdom of God”, He used a phrase the people knew well, but He gave it a new meaning. He told Nicodemus that God's Kingdom was invisible to most people, and to understand it or experience it, a person must be renewed and restored by God's Spirit (John 3:3-8). The Kingdom of God was a spiritual Kingdom, not a physical organization or a religious cult.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36).
The Kingdom of God has to be viewed based on balanced understanding. It is future, but yet it is present. It is not of this world, yet it can be entered into now. There is a future fulfillment we cannot see with the natural eyes, but the Kingdom of God is everywhere.
Understanding the Kingdom of God:
Some of the concepts of the Kingdom of God that we need to understand are that the Kingdom of God is established wherever demonic spirits are cast out. The Kingdom of God is established by the eviction of the squatters and illegal occupants, which are demonic spirits.
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” (Matthew 12:28).
Jesus said, after casting out demons, the Kingdom is here, and the evidence is in the exorcisms. This proof continues in the Church today, and the Church is doing even greater works in destroying the works of the enemy. We can also say, "If we cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is working here now." The Kingdom of God will be fully established on earth when the devil and his demonic agents are cast down.
We have already been brought into God's kingdom. We are in the Kingdom, but clearly there is yet more to be revealed. Paul also reveals to us that the Kingdom of God is something that we have entered into as a result of our being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13).
The word “translated” in Greek is “methistemi” which literally means to change sides or to transfer.
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 24:34).
The Kingdom of God is bigger than the Church. We need to realize that Jesus did not come to establish a worldly church, but the Kingdom of God. If we are to move in the dimension that God wants us to move in, we must have eternal or universal vision, thereby allowing us to see into destiny first to those we minister to, then to ourselves for a continual refreshing. It is imperative therefore to have a Kingdom focus and mentality, and move beyond church perspective and standpoint, because the Kingdom of God is bigger than the world church. The Church is only a means to an end!
The Kingdom has always been in preparation since the foundation of the world.
“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” (Hebrews 12:26-28).
Everything will be shaken and removed except the Kingdom of God. That which is not planted and established by God, which is not of His Kingdom is temporal. The earthly that has been made by men will be shaken and removed including religion and traditions, but the Kingdom of God is an everlasting Kingdom that will not be removed.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:10-11).
The Kingdom of God is a government, and it is not primarily about earthly government. It is about a spiritual government that influences the earth realm. The Kingdom of God is here; but instead of destroying human sovereignty, it has attacked the sovereignty of Satan. The Kingdom of God is here; but instead of making changes in the external and political order of things, it is making changes in spiritual order and in the hearts of men and women.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21).
The Kingdom of God is the subjugation of every other kingdom under the authority of God.
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44).
The Church is designed by God to be the ultimate government over the earth through the administration of the Kingdom of God; and the Kingdom of God will be given to Jesus who will in turn give it back to the Father, that God may be all in all.
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
The Church has been mandated and given governmental positions upon the earth to administer the purposes of God and His Kingdom. The Church has the sole responsibility of understanding the Kingdom and to declare and reveal the Kingdom upon the earth. Only then will we as a Church begin to see a reformation of all things according to the original pattern and plan of God.
“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. 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.” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
The Kingdom of God in the earth has been given unto men to govern and to administer, and as a result the Kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people are laying hold of it.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12).
The Kingdom of God is taken by force, but we do not enter the Kingdom by force. There is a difference between “taking’ and “entering”. The Word of God declares that the Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent are the ones who will take it by force. We know that this is not speaking about a physical taking by violence, but we need to understand that there will always be conflict in any advance of God’s Kingdom. Unless we are born of the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).
“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4).
The Kingdom of God is pre-eminent and it is contagious. It does not submit or subject itself to any kingdoms of the earth. Though it comes unrecognized, but it is sure to invade every corner of the earth and take over, as related in the parables of Jesus.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” (Matthew 13:31-33).
The Kingdom of God is revealed and manifested when we declare by our mouth the word of God, because our word becomes the word of God that brings the change for Kingdom reformation. The Hebrew translation of “word” is “dabar”. It means the words of God. The word of God is a divine entity that carries a divine unction to accomplish that which is spoken. The unction is the finishing grace. It is the authorization to conclude Kingdom purposes. The word of the Lord spoken is the mind and purpose of God that does not fall to the ground, but accomplishes what it has been sent out for. Spiritual authority is exercised through the decree of our spoken words.
When the Kingdom of God is revealed in righteousness, all other things follow. The first thing a Christian should do is to seek the Kingdom of God – We are to seek the rule and the reign of God in our lives.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
There is only one Sovereign King over the Kingdom of God, the person of Christ Jesus. Many citizens have equal rights under the governmental rule of the Kingdom, yet there is absolute divine order.
Sons of the Kingdom:
The Sons of God must be manifested in the fullness of God in other to bring forth perfect administration of divine law to establish the Kingdom of God in the earth.
"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (Romans 8:19-23).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2).
We are the Sons of God, but we are not yet manifested or unveiled. The apostle Paul equates this revealing or unveiling with the redemption of our body.
“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” (2 Corinthians 5:4).
It is an apocalypses in the earth when we are clothed upon with immortality. It is being filled with all the fullness of God.
“….that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19).
The revelation of God’s glory in the earth is through men who are walking in the fullness of God. When the fullness of the Sons of God begins to manifest, we will see men walking in the glory, but still in the earth realm. What a vision to behold the matured sons of God walking in full glory!
“When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” (Psalm 102:16).
The apocalypses of the glory will only come when there is a Kingdom enactment through the obtaining of Sons in Zion. God is raising a remnant of Kingdom people who will deliver the earth from its bondage (Romans 8:19-21). For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the Sons of God in the earth. Hey Church! It is time to rise up and walk in our fullness. Creation has been subjected to futility and vanity by God and it must be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the Sons of God.
The Earth & the Kingdom of God:
The expression ‘Kingdom of God’ is a very misconstrued term within the Church. Many have come to believe that anyone using this term may belong to the sect called the ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’, popularly known as the Watch Tower Society. I am not a member of the Watch Tower Society, neither do I endorse their doctrines, even though there is a measure of truth in some of their teachings. But beneath is the falsehood of occultism. Many religious groups have a measure of truth in their establishment, but they have all moved into apostasy. We need to be very careful in our discernment.
The entire Bible speaks much about the Kingdom of God and His purpose for the New Earth, and we need to contemplate and explore upon this. The earth does not belong to Satan, it belongs to God and He has given it to us for a purpose. One of the problem of the Church is due to ignorance, we have taken the scripture out of context and this has given the devil “a limited right” to control the earth, because we have given him the right to do so. This has resulted to the Church finding an escape route out of the earth. It is imperative to know that God has not capitulated His title deed to the earth, and He has not relinquished it to satan.
“The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1).
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:” (Exodus 19:5).
“The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.” (Psalm 89:11).
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11).
The intention of God is to cut off the wicked from the earth and cause His people to inherit it. The earth is God’s heritage for us (Psalm 115:16). With the concept of the rapture theory and the thought of the earth’s destruction, it is beyond man’s comprehension to believe that the earth is God’s inheritance for us. We read in the scriptures of the earth being established forever and God’s people inheriting the earth. What do we think about this? Is God just making a statement or does He have any purpose for us in the earth? The earth will experience a transformation when the wicked shall be cut off. The earth’s transformation will result in the appearing of God’s glory that will likewise change our vile body. The earth is about to have a heavenly visitation. There is about to be an invasion of God’s glory through the Church that will cause the earth to become the Kingdom of God – a realm where God’s government rules and reigns. It is the complete establishment of God’s Kingdom that transforms the earth into a new earth.
Men have corrupted the design of God for the earth because every imagination and thought of his heart is evil continually. This has caused wickedness to prevail, but there is coming a cataclysmic and catastrophic judgment of God in the earth. It is the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth that will ultimately purify and cleanse the earth of evil, and cause us to enter into a new era of God’s ordained plan and purpose. It is going to be as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-38). The earth will be preserved by the sovereign act of God, but there will be a complete alienation of this wicked age and the beginning of a new age of righteous people inheriting the New Earth forever. This present world and age will come to an end and there will be the beginning of a new season and age in God. This is not the holocaust of the earth, but the consummation of all things that will bring the beginning of the Kingdom age in the Earth.
“For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us,” (Psalm 47:2-4).
“For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:9).
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:11).
“For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.” (Psalm 37:22).
We are going to reign on earth and not in heaven as the scripture states. The place of our reign is in the earth, as the Kingdom of God is established. We need to begin to realize that our eternal destiny and state will be the New Earth.
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelations 5:10).
The Lord spoke to Moses to build Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among His people. The desire of God is a dwelling among His people in the earth, it has never been to carry them suddenly to heaven.
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (Exodus 25:8-9).
New Heaven & New Earth:
Some of our thoughts and expectations of heaven and the earth underscores human blindness and man’s ignorance towards his ultimate destiny. Many have accurately written about heaven, but very few have expressly spoken or written about the New Earth.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:31-34).
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:31-34).
Heaven is not a grand and glorious castle or mansion in the sky that is filled with golden streets that we are to inherit. I have heard many speak of their mansion next to the mansion of Jesus, as they have been taught. We need to get rid of our fantasies and come into the reality of the truth of God’s word. We need to burst the bubbles now! There is nothing of a grand and glorious castle or mansion in the blue sky. Heaven is a spiritual reality where the perfect order and will of God reigns. It is a purposeful realm that is prepared to invade the earth as the eternal home of the redeemed is established in the New Earth. There is a big difference with the scripture speaking about heaven as the throne of God and the New Jerusalem, or the New Heaven and New Earth that is being established by God.
“……Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mathew 18:3).
According to this particular chapter, the scripture does not speak of ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’ as a literal place that exists somewhere in the sky as we may think. It is referring to the active rule of God occurring in a person’s life – it is a dimension of Kingdom living that is manifested even now. The Kingdom of Heaven is a reality of the will of God in heaven, taking its place in our heart, and affecting the earth. The desire of God for us is to prepare for the coming glory of God’s Kingdom that is to be fully revealed in the earth. We need to get rid of some of our uncertainties of treasures and mansions in the sky, and start translating into the revelatio of the Kingdom.
Indeed, there is a heaven that is established as the throne of God, which is the administrative seat of God’s government, and we should not be deceived about this. Heaven exists, but we need to accurately understand what it is, and what God is seeking to do in the earth through the Church.
First, we must understand that the earth and the heavens were created perfect – God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good. This began the rule of God’s Kingdom on earth when He placed man in the garden.
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…..Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (Genesis 1:31; 2:1).
Again we must understand that the earth will remain forever. In fact, the scripture speak of a restoration of all things that will take place in the earth, and the original order of God will come into place again (Acts 3:21). Redemption is coming to the earth as God seeks to recover and restore the earth back to His original purpose.
“And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He hath established for ever.” (Psalm 78:69).
“Who (God) laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” (Psalm 104:5).
“But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:17-18).
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:21).
The scripture speaks about the earth and the heavens as vesture being changed, and they shall be changed. This change is something beyond the expression and understanding of the human mind, especially when the present realities are war, crime, hunger, sickness, diseases and aging. The process of change the earth will go through, is divinely purposed, and God has His own way and plan to bring this. God has in no way given up on His original creation, but His desire is to recover, redeem and restore the earth back to its original form and condition as it was in the garden of Eden before man fell.
This present earth will be changed and transformed, but the world will not come to an end (Ephesians 3:21). There will be ages after ages, but the world is without end. The earth has always been and will always be, but there will be the end of ages and the beginning of a new age in God that will be called a New Earth that will be kept by the word of the Lord.
“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
What comes to mind is the question of the scripture speaking about the earth being destroyed with a fervent heat. Consider Matthew 12:32, Hebrews 6:5, 2 Peter 3:5-7. When the scripture speaks of “the world to come”, and “the passing away of the present world”, it uses the original Greek for “world” as “aion”, which translates “age”. The same expression for “world” is used for “age”. It is a dispensation, a length of time of a generation and not the natural structure of the present earth. The context speaks of this age or ages, but there will always be the beginning of a new age and generation that will inhabit the earth, because the earth remains forever.
It is as in the days of Noah. It is a generation that was destroyed, which brought about the ending of that age, but the earth itself which is the natural world, was not destroyed. God began a new age with a righteous generation in Noah to repopulate the same earth which we now live in.
Consider the writing of Anthony Hoekema that says, “In His redemptive activity, God does not destroy the works of His hands, but cleanses them from sin and perfects them, so that they may finally reach the goal for which He created them. Applied to the problem at hand, this principle means that the New Earth to which we look forward will not be totally different from the present one, but will be a renewal and glorification of the earth on which we now live”.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17).
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:13-18).
Read Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 3:12.
The New Earth will be a company of righteous people living on earth, and the New Heavens will be a perfect order of God’s Kingdom or government ruling over them in that new age. God’s original purpose has not changed, it is eternal and will be fulfilled as planned by God. The purpose of God is to see a righteous order of His people residing in the New Earth forever.
“The righteous shall inherit the land (“erets” – earth, world), and dwell therein for ever.” (Psalm 37:29).
“and for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise we do wait, in which righteousness doth dwell” (2 Peter 3:13 YLT).
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).
Our eternal house that we earnestly desire to be clothed upon with is the New Heaven and the New Earth, which is coming from heaven above to the earth which will change the whole course of things into the New Earth.
Paul Marshall writes, “Our destiny is an earthly one: a new earth, an earth redeemed and transfigured. An earth reunited with heaven, but an earth, nevertheless”.
I strongly recommend the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. He said, “God’s redemptive plan climaxes not at the return of Christ, nor in the millennial Kingdom, but on the New Earth. Only then will all wrongs be made right. Only then will there be no more death, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1-4).
“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:15-18).
Be it known that the Lord seek to destroy those who are destroying the earth. His desire has never been to abandon the earth or give any terrain to satan, but to restore the earth into a New Earth. God will restore everything in the earth. As Randy Alcorn vividly puts it, “We won’t go to Heaven and leave Earth behind. Rather, God will bring Heaven and Earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard the Heaven’s perfection from sinful mankind (Genesis 3:24). God’s perfect plan is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
The subject of the Kingdom of God is one that is very important to our faith as believers. This vast subject is misunderstood by many. If we fully discover and understand the abstract ideas of the concepts and principles of the Kingdom of God, that understanding will enact a change in every sphere of our life and give purpose to our existence.
Firstly, we need to define what the Kingdom of God is not, and then what it is!
"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17).
We need to understand that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink. It is not something that is superficial or of natural character, but the Kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The apostle Paul reveals to us that the Kingdom of God goes beyond the natural existence of man and it causes him to experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which are righteousness, peace and joy.
The Kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy, and it is found in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is indwelling in us. In other word, the Kingdom of God is something that is spiritual dwelling within us. The Kingdom of God is first a spiritual condition that resides within us.
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21).
The word “Kingdom” comes from the Greek word “basileia”, and from the Hebrew word “malkuth”, which means royalty, rule, or a realm or authority and sovereignty exercised by the king. A kingdom is primary a realm over which a king exercises his authority; by this we must understand that the Kingdom of God is a realm that is overruled by God as the King. The Kingdom of God is that dimension in which the will, wish and desire of the King is the same as if it was His laws. (Matthew 7:21-23).
The second meaning of a kingdom is the people belonging to a given realm. A kingdom is a kingdom by virtue of the people that belong to that realm. By this we must recognize the remnant of people to whom the Kingdom of God is given. It is His people to whom He calls to His rule.
The four-gospels use two phrases, ‘The Kingdom of God’ and ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’. The Kingdom of Heaven is commonly used in the gospel of Matthew, while The Kingdom of God is commonly used in the gospel of Luke. The Kingdom of God and The Kingdom of Heaven are two interrelated phrases that mean the same thing. To some degree, the Kingdom of Heaven speaks about a spiritual place that is governed by the principles of God and it speaks of His throne, while the Kingdom of God speaks more about the rule of God. When the word refers to the Kingdom of God, it always refers to His reign, His rule, His sovereignty, and to the realm in which it is exercised.
“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103: 19).
"They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power;" (Psalm 145:11).
"Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." (Psalm 145:13)
It is very important to understand that the realm of God’s rule is the heaven and the earth, and His rule is everlasting. (Daniel 2:37).
The Kingdom of God is His kingship, His rule, His authority. When this is realized, then we can go through the New Testament and find passage after passage where this meaning is evident, where the Kingdom of God speaks of the Kingdom as God’s rule and reign, and not an empire in the sky or people. Jesus said that we must “receive the kingdom of God as little children” (Mark.10:15).What is received is God’s rule. In order to enter the realm of the kingdom, one must submit himself in perfect trust to God’s rule here and now.
In the Old Testament the fruition and manifestation of God’s Kingdom was always an eschatological revelation that was spoken of in future tense; “Behold, the days are coming” or “it shall come to pass in those days”. In the New Testament we encounter a change. The tense is a definite and resounding present indicative: the Kingdom of God is here!
"….The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15).
In Jesus Christ who is the Messiah, the old order was ended and a new order began. The central theme of the Old Testament is the ‘coming of the messiah and the establishment of the Kingdom of God’. The whole history of the Jews has been in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament was the establishment of God’s Kingdom that has begun. The New Testament proclaimed Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and prophesies. Jesus Christ was and is the promised Messiah who has come to set up His Kingdom after the manner of God. With unshakable assurance, the New Testament declared that the hope of Israel has become present in the fact of Jesus. To the Jews, Jesus’ claim as a Messiah was an intolerable claim. The vision and understanding of the Kingdom of God that the Messiah will establish was contrary to the goal that the Jews deeply desired to see in their days. They were looking for a political and nationalistic kingdom. This is the same confrontation we are having within the church circle of those who are trying to interpret present truth revelation of the Kingdom of God with past experience and knowledge, and as a result they are missing and limiting God.
The Jews were nurtured with an apocalyptic hope of a sudden intrusion of God’s Kingdom in the clouds of heaven, with the Messiah coming to establish the Kingdom of God and to challenge and overthrow the Roman Empire that was in rule by force. Roman legions marched through Jerusalem. Authority rested in the hands of a pagan Roman, Pilate. Idolatrous, immoral Rome ruled the world. Harold Antipas ruled in Galilee. The form Jesus took and His rejection of a political and nationalistic kingdom was a challenge to the Jews and His declaration that His kingship was not of this world, neither had He any intention of setting up a Kingdom after the pattern of the world system. They were looking for a new warrior spirit as King David had, one who would be a physical deliverer rising up against the Greek and Roman hierarchy.
If Herod knew that God’s Kingdom was not of this world, he wouldn’t have been threatened by the coming of Jesus and he would not have sought to kill Him. The Kingdom Jesus came to establish was not like the popular expectation of the people. His kingdom was not of this world. When Jesus talked about the "Kingdom of God”, He used a phrase the people knew well, but He gave it a new meaning. He told Nicodemus that God's Kingdom was invisible to most people, and to understand it or experience it, a person must be renewed and restored by God's Spirit (John 3:3-8). The Kingdom of God was a spiritual Kingdom, not a physical organization or a religious cult.
"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36).
The Kingdom of God has to be viewed based on balanced understanding. It is future, but yet it is present. It is not of this world, yet it can be entered into now. There is a future fulfillment we cannot see with the natural eyes, but the Kingdom of God is everywhere.
Understanding the Kingdom of God:
Some of the concepts of the Kingdom of God that we need to understand are that the Kingdom of God is established wherever demonic spirits are cast out. The Kingdom of God is established by the eviction of the squatters and illegal occupants, which are demonic spirits.
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” (Matthew 12:28).
Jesus said, after casting out demons, the Kingdom is here, and the evidence is in the exorcisms. This proof continues in the Church today, and the Church is doing even greater works in destroying the works of the enemy. We can also say, "If we cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is working here now." The Kingdom of God will be fully established on earth when the devil and his demonic agents are cast down.
We have already been brought into God's kingdom. We are in the Kingdom, but clearly there is yet more to be revealed. Paul also reveals to us that the Kingdom of God is something that we have entered into as a result of our being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13).
The word “translated” in Greek is “methistemi” which literally means to change sides or to transfer.
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 24:34).
The Kingdom of God is bigger than the Church. We need to realize that Jesus did not come to establish a worldly church, but the Kingdom of God. If we are to move in the dimension that God wants us to move in, we must have eternal or universal vision, thereby allowing us to see into destiny first to those we minister to, then to ourselves for a continual refreshing. It is imperative therefore to have a Kingdom focus and mentality, and move beyond church perspective and standpoint, because the Kingdom of God is bigger than the world church. The Church is only a means to an end!
The Kingdom has always been in preparation since the foundation of the world.
“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” (Hebrews 12:26-28).
Everything will be shaken and removed except the Kingdom of God. That which is not planted and established by God, which is not of His Kingdom is temporal. The earthly that has been made by men will be shaken and removed including religion and traditions, but the Kingdom of God is an everlasting Kingdom that will not be removed.
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:10-11).
The Kingdom of God is a government, and it is not primarily about earthly government. It is about a spiritual government that influences the earth realm. The Kingdom of God is here; but instead of destroying human sovereignty, it has attacked the sovereignty of Satan. The Kingdom of God is here; but instead of making changes in the external and political order of things, it is making changes in spiritual order and in the hearts of men and women.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21).
The Kingdom of God is the subjugation of every other kingdom under the authority of God.
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44).
The Church is designed by God to be the ultimate government over the earth through the administration of the Kingdom of God; and the Kingdom of God will be given to Jesus who will in turn give it back to the Father, that God may be all in all.
“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
The Church has been mandated and given governmental positions upon the earth to administer the purposes of God and His Kingdom. The Church has the sole responsibility of understanding the Kingdom and to declare and reveal the Kingdom upon the earth. Only then will we as a Church begin to see a reformation of all things according to the original pattern and plan of God.
“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. 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.” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
The Kingdom of God in the earth has been given unto men to govern and to administer, and as a result the Kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people are laying hold of it.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12).
The Kingdom of God is taken by force, but we do not enter the Kingdom by force. There is a difference between “taking’ and “entering”. The Word of God declares that the Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent are the ones who will take it by force. We know that this is not speaking about a physical taking by violence, but we need to understand that there will always be conflict in any advance of God’s Kingdom. Unless we are born of the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).
“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4).
The Kingdom of God is pre-eminent and it is contagious. It does not submit or subject itself to any kingdoms of the earth. Though it comes unrecognized, but it is sure to invade every corner of the earth and take over, as related in the parables of Jesus.
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” (Matthew 13:31-33).
The Kingdom of God is revealed and manifested when we declare by our mouth the word of God, because our word becomes the word of God that brings the change for Kingdom reformation. The Hebrew translation of “word” is “dabar”. It means the words of God. The word of God is a divine entity that carries a divine unction to accomplish that which is spoken. The unction is the finishing grace. It is the authorization to conclude Kingdom purposes. The word of the Lord spoken is the mind and purpose of God that does not fall to the ground, but accomplishes what it has been sent out for. Spiritual authority is exercised through the decree of our spoken words.
When the Kingdom of God is revealed in righteousness, all other things follow. The first thing a Christian should do is to seek the Kingdom of God – We are to seek the rule and the reign of God in our lives.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
There is only one Sovereign King over the Kingdom of God, the person of Christ Jesus. Many citizens have equal rights under the governmental rule of the Kingdom, yet there is absolute divine order.
Sons of the Kingdom:
The Sons of God must be manifested in the fullness of God in other to bring forth perfect administration of divine law to establish the Kingdom of God in the earth.
"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (Romans 8:19-23).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2).
We are the Sons of God, but we are not yet manifested or unveiled. The apostle Paul equates this revealing or unveiling with the redemption of our body.
“For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” (2 Corinthians 5:4).
It is an apocalypses in the earth when we are clothed upon with immortality. It is being filled with all the fullness of God.
“….that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19).
The revelation of God’s glory in the earth is through men who are walking in the fullness of God. When the fullness of the Sons of God begins to manifest, we will see men walking in the glory, but still in the earth realm. What a vision to behold the matured sons of God walking in full glory!
“When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” (Psalm 102:16).
The apocalypses of the glory will only come when there is a Kingdom enactment through the obtaining of Sons in Zion. God is raising a remnant of Kingdom people who will deliver the earth from its bondage (Romans 8:19-21). For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the Sons of God in the earth. Hey Church! It is time to rise up and walk in our fullness. Creation has been subjected to futility and vanity by God and it must be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the Sons of God.
The Earth & the Kingdom of God:
The expression ‘Kingdom of God’ is a very misconstrued term within the Church. Many have come to believe that anyone using this term may belong to the sect called the ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’, popularly known as the Watch Tower Society. I am not a member of the Watch Tower Society, neither do I endorse their doctrines, even though there is a measure of truth in some of their teachings. But beneath is the falsehood of occultism. Many religious groups have a measure of truth in their establishment, but they have all moved into apostasy. We need to be very careful in our discernment.
The entire Bible speaks much about the Kingdom of God and His purpose for the New Earth, and we need to contemplate and explore upon this. The earth does not belong to Satan, it belongs to God and He has given it to us for a purpose. One of the problem of the Church is due to ignorance, we have taken the scripture out of context and this has given the devil “a limited right” to control the earth, because we have given him the right to do so. This has resulted to the Church finding an escape route out of the earth. It is imperative to know that God has not capitulated His title deed to the earth, and He has not relinquished it to satan.
“The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1).
“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:” (Exodus 19:5).
“The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.” (Psalm 89:11).
“Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11).
The intention of God is to cut off the wicked from the earth and cause His people to inherit it. The earth is God’s heritage for us (Psalm 115:16). With the concept of the rapture theory and the thought of the earth’s destruction, it is beyond man’s comprehension to believe that the earth is God’s inheritance for us. We read in the scriptures of the earth being established forever and God’s people inheriting the earth. What do we think about this? Is God just making a statement or does He have any purpose for us in the earth? The earth will experience a transformation when the wicked shall be cut off. The earth’s transformation will result in the appearing of God’s glory that will likewise change our vile body. The earth is about to have a heavenly visitation. There is about to be an invasion of God’s glory through the Church that will cause the earth to become the Kingdom of God – a realm where God’s government rules and reigns. It is the complete establishment of God’s Kingdom that transforms the earth into a new earth.
Men have corrupted the design of God for the earth because every imagination and thought of his heart is evil continually. This has caused wickedness to prevail, but there is coming a cataclysmic and catastrophic judgment of God in the earth. It is the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth that will ultimately purify and cleanse the earth of evil, and cause us to enter into a new era of God’s ordained plan and purpose. It is going to be as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-38). The earth will be preserved by the sovereign act of God, but there will be a complete alienation of this wicked age and the beginning of a new age of righteous people inheriting the New Earth forever. This present world and age will come to an end and there will be the beginning of a new season and age in God. This is not the holocaust of the earth, but the consummation of all things that will bring the beginning of the Kingdom age in the Earth.
“For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us,” (Psalm 47:2-4).
“For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:9).
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Psalm 37:11).
“For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.” (Psalm 37:22).
We are going to reign on earth and not in heaven as the scripture states. The place of our reign is in the earth, as the Kingdom of God is established. We need to begin to realize that our eternal destiny and state will be the New Earth.
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Revelations 5:10).
The Lord spoke to Moses to build Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among His people. The desire of God is a dwelling among His people in the earth, it has never been to carry them suddenly to heaven.
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (Exodus 25:8-9).
New Heaven & New Earth:
Some of our thoughts and expectations of heaven and the earth underscores human blindness and man’s ignorance towards his ultimate destiny. Many have accurately written about heaven, but very few have expressly spoken or written about the New Earth.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:31-34).
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:31-34).
Heaven is not a grand and glorious castle or mansion in the sky that is filled with golden streets that we are to inherit. I have heard many speak of their mansion next to the mansion of Jesus, as they have been taught. We need to get rid of our fantasies and come into the reality of the truth of God’s word. We need to burst the bubbles now! There is nothing of a grand and glorious castle or mansion in the blue sky. Heaven is a spiritual reality where the perfect order and will of God reigns. It is a purposeful realm that is prepared to invade the earth as the eternal home of the redeemed is established in the New Earth. There is a big difference with the scripture speaking about heaven as the throne of God and the New Jerusalem, or the New Heaven and New Earth that is being established by God.
“……Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Mathew 18:3).
According to this particular chapter, the scripture does not speak of ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’ as a literal place that exists somewhere in the sky as we may think. It is referring to the active rule of God occurring in a person’s life – it is a dimension of Kingdom living that is manifested even now. The Kingdom of Heaven is a reality of the will of God in heaven, taking its place in our heart, and affecting the earth. The desire of God for us is to prepare for the coming glory of God’s Kingdom that is to be fully revealed in the earth. We need to get rid of some of our uncertainties of treasures and mansions in the sky, and start translating into the revelatio of the Kingdom.
Indeed, there is a heaven that is established as the throne of God, which is the administrative seat of God’s government, and we should not be deceived about this. Heaven exists, but we need to accurately understand what it is, and what God is seeking to do in the earth through the Church.
First, we must understand that the earth and the heavens were created perfect – God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good. This began the rule of God’s Kingdom on earth when He placed man in the garden.
“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…..Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (Genesis 1:31; 2:1).
Again we must understand that the earth will remain forever. In fact, the scripture speak of a restoration of all things that will take place in the earth, and the original order of God will come into place again (Acts 3:21). Redemption is coming to the earth as God seeks to recover and restore the earth back to His original purpose.
“And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He hath established for ever.” (Psalm 78:69).
“Who (God) laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” (Psalm 104:5).
“But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:17-18).
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:21).
The scripture speaks about the earth and the heavens as vesture being changed, and they shall be changed. This change is something beyond the expression and understanding of the human mind, especially when the present realities are war, crime, hunger, sickness, diseases and aging. The process of change the earth will go through, is divinely purposed, and God has His own way and plan to bring this. God has in no way given up on His original creation, but His desire is to recover, redeem and restore the earth back to its original form and condition as it was in the garden of Eden before man fell.
This present earth will be changed and transformed, but the world will not come to an end (Ephesians 3:21). There will be ages after ages, but the world is without end. The earth has always been and will always be, but there will be the end of ages and the beginning of a new age in God that will be called a New Earth that will be kept by the word of the Lord.
“One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
What comes to mind is the question of the scripture speaking about the earth being destroyed with a fervent heat. Consider Matthew 12:32, Hebrews 6:5, 2 Peter 3:5-7. When the scripture speaks of “the world to come”, and “the passing away of the present world”, it uses the original Greek for “world” as “aion”, which translates “age”. The same expression for “world” is used for “age”. It is a dispensation, a length of time of a generation and not the natural structure of the present earth. The context speaks of this age or ages, but there will always be the beginning of a new age and generation that will inhabit the earth, because the earth remains forever.
It is as in the days of Noah. It is a generation that was destroyed, which brought about the ending of that age, but the earth itself which is the natural world, was not destroyed. God began a new age with a righteous generation in Noah to repopulate the same earth which we now live in.
Consider the writing of Anthony Hoekema that says, “In His redemptive activity, God does not destroy the works of His hands, but cleanses them from sin and perfects them, so that they may finally reach the goal for which He created them. Applied to the problem at hand, this principle means that the New Earth to which we look forward will not be totally different from the present one, but will be a renewal and glorification of the earth on which we now live”.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17).
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:13-18).
Read Revelation 21:1-27 and Revelation 3:12.
The New Earth will be a company of righteous people living on earth, and the New Heavens will be a perfect order of God’s Kingdom or government ruling over them in that new age. God’s original purpose has not changed, it is eternal and will be fulfilled as planned by God. The purpose of God is to see a righteous order of His people residing in the New Earth forever.
“The righteous shall inherit the land (“erets” – earth, world), and dwell therein for ever.” (Psalm 37:29).
“and for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise we do wait, in which righteousness doth dwell” (2 Peter 3:13 YLT).
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).
Our eternal house that we earnestly desire to be clothed upon with is the New Heaven and the New Earth, which is coming from heaven above to the earth which will change the whole course of things into the New Earth.
Paul Marshall writes, “Our destiny is an earthly one: a new earth, an earth redeemed and transfigured. An earth reunited with heaven, but an earth, nevertheless”.
I strongly recommend the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. He said, “God’s redemptive plan climaxes not at the return of Christ, nor in the millennial Kingdom, but on the New Earth. Only then will all wrongs be made right. Only then will there be no more death, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1-4).
“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:15-18).
Be it known that the Lord seek to destroy those who are destroying the earth. His desire has never been to abandon the earth or give any terrain to satan, but to restore the earth into a New Earth. God will restore everything in the earth. As Randy Alcorn vividly puts it, “We won’t go to Heaven and leave Earth behind. Rather, God will bring Heaven and Earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard the Heaven’s perfection from sinful mankind (Genesis 3:24). God’s perfect plan is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).
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