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Christ's Kingdom and the End Times

Month: November 2024

The King and His Kingdom

November 16, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #318 ~

We live in a world divided into all these different countries, and each one has its own leader. But it won’t be long before we see Jesus Christ, the King of kings, return to earth, and He will be its sole leader, and be visibly and powerfully ruling over the entire world. God repeatedly promised that His Son Jesus would be a great King with a glorious Kingdom. Here are some Old Testament verses that are predictive and descriptive of Christ and His kingdom.

2 Sam. 7:12-13 – “I will raise up your descendant… He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever.” God told us that the coming King would be a descendant of David, and Matt. 1 proves this to be true. We also learn that Jesus’ kingdom will forever display God’s name – His character, purposes, and glory.

Psalm 47:2-3 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth…” The coming King is God, the Lord Most High, and He will be more loving and powerful than any other being in history. He will be the most glorious King ever, and be greatly respected and praised. And He will subdue and rule over every nation on earth.

Isaiah 9:6-7 – “A child will be born to us… The government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…” The coming King is both God and man. And He’s wise, powerful, holy, just, eternal, and fatherly. And He will bring real peace to the whole world.

Psalm 2 – “… As for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain…” The leaders of this world are strongly opposed to God and Jesus Christ, and are being warned by Christ that they need to worship Him, or else. But they won’t, and so at the end of this age, Christ will defeat and judge these evil kings and their kingdoms, and then establish His glorious kingdom on this earth.

Many other Old Testament passages speak of the coming King and His Kingdom: Psalm 10:16; Psalm 22:27-28; Psalm 24:7-10; Psalm 29:10-11; Psalm 45:6; Psalm 48:1-3; Psalm 65:8-13; Psalm 67; Psalm 72; Psalm 89:27-29; Psalm 98; Psalm 102:12-22; Psalm 132:10-18; Psalm 145:1-2, 10-13; Isaiah 2:1-4; Jeremiah 10:10; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-14, 23-27; Micah 5:2-5a; Zeph. 3:14-17; Zech. 14:1-9

The New Testament also tells us about Christ the King and His Kingdom.
* Matthew 1-2 speaks about the ancestry of the King, the birth of the King, the birthplace of the King, the mother of the King, the name of the King, the purpose of the King, the worship of the King, the enemies of the King, and the escape of the King. 
* Luke 1-2 talks about Jewish believers who were excitedly looking forward to seeing the King and His blessing upon Israel. There were Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon, and Anna.

* Luke 19:32-38 – Many Jews were saying this as Christ entered Jerusalem – “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” They hoped He would set up His earthly kingdom but they were mistaken, for His primary purpose at His 1st coming was to die to save people from their sins. At His 2nd coming, Christ will rapture the church, judge the world, save a remnant of Jews, and establish Himself as King over this earth. 
* John 19:37 – Jesus told Pilate, “You say correctly that I am a King.” Jesus admitted to Pilate that He was a King, but His goal at that time was not to rule as a King but to be a Savior, to die on a cross and be raised again to save people from sin and from death. 

* Matthew 24:3-31 describes in detail what has to happen before the coming of the King. He tells His disciples that there will be wars, earthquakes, famines, plagues, increasing lawlessness, false teaching, betrayal, the desecration of the Jewish temple, the revealing and rule of the Antichrist, great persecution of Jews and Christians, preaching the gospel to the nations, and signs in the heavens. Lk. 21:7-24; 1 Th. 4:13-18; Rev. 6:1-17, 13:3-18
* Matthew 19:27-28 tells us that in the “regeneration”, the rebirth of the earth in the coming age, Jesus’ disciples will reign with Him over the nation of Israel.

So what do you need to know and do before Christ returns?
1. Learn from God’s word what needs to happen before Christ returns. Mark 13:23
2. Pray for the coming of Christ and His kingdom. Matt. 6:9-10 – “Our Father, who are in heaven, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
3. Be diligently doing the work God wants you to do. Eph. 2:10
4. Be alert for you don’t know when Christ is coming. And be ready for Christ, watching for Christ, and looking forward to being with Christ. Matt. 24:42-51

Here is a summary of the millennial kingdom age:
1. Jesus Christ will reign over the entire earth, over all the nations. Ps. 72:8
2. Christ will reign from the city of Jerusalem. Ps. 48:1-2, Zech. 14:9
3. The earth will be restored, be renewed, be remodeled. Acts 3:21, Rom. 8:20-21
4. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Isaiah 11:9
5. The earth will be filled with the glory of God. Ps. 72:19
6. This part of Christ’s kingdom will exist for exactly 1,000 years. Rev. 20:1-7

7. The heavens will be glad and the earth will rejoice during this kingdom age. Ps. 96:11
8. The gospel will be preached to all nations, and many will be saved. Ps. 96:2, 98:2-3
9. Israel will be greatly blessed as a nation, and God’s blessing on them will result in the entire world being blessed. Is. 12, Is. 60
10. Every knee will bow to Christ, and every tongue confess that He is Lord. Phil. 2:9-11
11. The kings and the nations of the world will serve Christ. Ps. 72:11
12. The millennial kingdom will not be an evil age, but a good age. Hab. 2:14

13. Agriculturally, the earth will be extremely fruitful and productive. Ps. 65:9-13
14. The apostles will rule with Christ over the nation of Israel. Matt. 19:27-29
15. Believers will reign with Christ. 1 Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 5:12, 20:6
16. Believers will be gifted and empowered to carry out Christ’s work. Luke 19:16-19
17. Jerusalem will be a holy city, and no one will be weeping or crying. Is. 65:19
18. Christ will have mercy on the poor and needy, and help them. Ps. 72:13

19. People on earth during the kingdom age will live a very long time. “The one who does not reach the age of 100 will be thought accursed.” Is. 65:20
20. Animals will get along, for the “wolf will dwell with the lamb.” Is. 11:6-9
21. Even children and snakes will get along, for “the weaned child will put his hand in the viper’s den.” Is. 11:8
22. Satan will be released at the end of this age, gather sinners to himself, lead a rebellion against Christ, be quickly defeated, and then be cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:7-10
23. Christ will abolish all rule, authority, and power; all things will be subject to Him; and He will cast death and Hades into the lake of fire. 1 Cor. 15:24-28, Rev. 20:11-15
24. The millennial kingdom will be followed by the eternal kingdom. Rev. 21:1

Do you see where we are now at and where we are going? We are living in the end-times and God wants you to be fully informed about these last years before Christ’s coming and His 1000-year kingdom. He wants you to be encouraged, to have hope, to be looking forward to seeing and being with Christ and worshiping and serving Him in the coming kingdom age.

“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.” Revelation 1:4-7a

P.S. One of my favorite subjects is the coming kingdom age. I like it and I need it because it gives me hope, and you need hope too. Here are two other posts on this important subject of the millennial kingdom age: “The Coming Kingdom Age – 1000 Years of Glory”, “The KING of Kings is Coming.”

THE ELECTION, THE CHURCH, AND CHRIST’S KINGDOM!

November 2, 2024 /

By Steven J. Hogan

~ A Saturday Morning Post #317 ~

The King is coming back! And for 1,000 years, Christ the King will perfectly reign over this earth, bringing justice, peace, and love. Now you live in an evil world that is increasingly becoming more sinful and corrupt (Matt. 24:14). And you need hope – you must know that Christ is returning soon to clean up this world and begin reigning over it.

But now you live on earth, and there’s an important election in this country. As a Christian, vote for that person who most aligns with God’s truth and values, who promotes freedoms that enable you to share the gospel, and to “lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-6 ). May God have mercy on us!

But don’t ever put your hope in a human king or leader. God commands you, “Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to earth” (Ps. 146:3-4). It is true that God ordains governing authorities at this time (Rom. 13:1-7), but you must never put your trust in them.

Psalm 146:5 goes on to say, “How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” You must trust in God, for He is the only One who can really help you. Only He can spiritually bless you, can save your soul, forgive your sins, and take you to Jesus. If there’s any physical blessing from human leaders, it’s God who wanted it, ordained it, and caused it to happen. Truly, both spiritual and physical blessings are from God. Ps. 103, Ps. 146:6-10

So don’t be overly focused on elections – don’t ever think that what some leader may do for you is most important, for it’s not. What’s most important is your relationship with God, loving Him, knowing Him, and experiencing His love, joy, and peace in your heart. What’s important is setting your mind on the things above, on the kingdom of God, not on the things below, on the kingdoms of men. Ps. 73:25-26, Ps. 91:14-16

It’s being preoccupied with doing God’s will, knowing that He will physically bless you, will meet all your needs. So what is God’s will, what does He want you to do?
– Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Matt. 6:33
– Jesus says, “I will build the church” (Matt. 16:18). Work with Jesus in building the church.
– Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world… and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). Join with the church in preaching the gospel.
– Jesus says, “Go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them… and teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). Do your part in making disciples.

(Notice the word “end” in the last two verses? God wants you to do His will in view of the fact that Christ will come back at the end of this age. You can only carry out God’s plans as you see the big picture, as you have hope, as you are looking for Christ to return to take you to heaven, and then set up His kingdom on earth.)

So God tells you what to do but He also instructs you to pray: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). What can you learn from this and related verses?
1. That God will establish His kingdom on earth, and it will be a 1000-year kingdom, immediately followed by an eternal one. 1 Cor. 15:24-28, Rev. 20-21
2. That God’s kingdom is heavenly and godly kingdom in nature. And God’s will, His holy and heavenly purpose for earth, will be carried out during this time.
3. That God wants you to be regularly praying for Him to set up His kingdom on earth.

4. That this kingdom will be led by Jesus Christ. He is holy and will reign on this earth, fulfilling all God’s purposes, enacting justice and giving mercy. Ps. 72
5. That we need hope. We live on an evil earth, in a corrupt, unjust, unloving world. And you must know that things will get supremely better, and you should be looking forward to the coming of Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. But be patient and persevere, wait on God and trust His timing. Jms. 5:7-11

6. That we live in the end-times – that’s because the Jews came back to their land, to Israel. Therefore, it won’t be long before the church is raptured, the world is judged, Jews are saved, and Christ sets up His kingdom on earth.
7. That you are to do the work God assigned to you. Your work, in conjunction with the work of all the believers on earth at this time in history, is part of God’s overall plan in sending His Son back to this world. Mk. 13:33-34, 1 Thess. 1:9-10
8. That Christ will be building both a spiritual kingdom and a physical kingdom during this 1000-year age. But now, during this church age, we are to be focusing on the church, the spiritual kingdom. Matt. 6:33, 16:18, 24:14, 18:19-20

Let me conclude with a number of verses about Christ the King, and His kingdom:
* Zech. 14:3, 4, 9 – “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… And the Lord will be King over all the earth.”
* Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms but will itself endure forever.”

* Luke 1:32-33 – “He (Jesus) will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David; and He will reign over the house of David forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”
* Isaiah 9:6-7 – “A child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

* Rev. 11:15 – “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
* Rev. 19:15-16 – “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
* Psalm 2:6 – “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

* Psalm 47:2 – “The Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”
* 1 Cor. 15:24 – “Then comes the end, when He (Christ) hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
* Psalm 10:16 – “The Lord is the King forever and ever.”
* Psalm 145:1, 13 – “I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever… Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”

P.S. For me, thinking about the coming kingdom age is extremely motivating. Here are two other posts on this most important subject: “God’s Kingdom Work”, and “The Present Church Age and the Future Kingdom Age.”

© Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven J. Hogan and ChristsKingdom.org with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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