Lesson 33: The Church and the Kingdom | Biblical Foundations for Living
Sunday, June 29th, 2008Lesson 33: The Church and the Kingdom
Why am I here? I am here to participate in the reign of Jesus Christ. Besides knowing that Christ will one day conquer His enemies, I also know that I will take part in His kingdom . Christ will establish a perfect and eternal kingdom, and every church-age believer will reign with Him in it.
Before proceeding any further, we must clarify the difference between two biblical kingdoms: God’s universal kingdom and His mediatorial kingdom. The universal kingdom is God’s absolute sovereignty over all His creation. The mediatorial kingdom is His personal rule of specific individuals through a mediator (or representative). This latter kingdom began in the Old Testament and is the ultimate goal of history (see Lesson Twenty Two). It is in this kingdom that believers will one day co reign with Christ their King.
[A mediator is a go-between or representative. A mediatorial kingdom is an earthly, political, kingdom in which God rules thru a mediator. God’s universal kingdom is the fact that God rules over the universe.]
The mediatorial kingdom is known by various names, such as “the kingdom of heaven,” “the kingdom of God,” or simply “the kingdom.” Generally, the context determines which of these two kingdoms (universal or mediatorial) the author has in mind. In this lesson, “the kingdom” refers to the mediatorial kingdom.
[The Schofield Reference Bible makes a distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, but the two are synonymous and used interchangeably. Most dispensationalists make no distinction between the two.]
One should not confuse the kingdom with salvation or the church. Though people often use these words interchangeably, the kingdom is a distinct idea.
[I.e., "Joe has entered the kingdom," meaning "Joe got saved." There are a couple of passages which teach that one enters the kingdom in some sense at the point of salvation. However, we'll see that it's best to keep the kingdom and salvation separate ideas. The kingdom will be a physical reality. The church does not fulfill all the kingdom promises.]
This lesson will explore the nature of the mediatorial kingdom, its history, and the church’s relationship to it.
[Remember that when we use the word "kingdom" in this lesson, we're talking about the mediatorial kingdom, not God's universal sovereignty or salvation.]
I. The Nature of the Kingdom
The Bible indicates that the kingdom of God includes three elements: (1) a divinely-chosen ruler , (2) a realm of subjects to be ruled, and (3) the actual act of reigning . Unless all three are present, there is no kingdom. David bears this out when he says:
Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons–and the LORD has given me many–he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 1 Chronicles 28:4 5 [show]1 Chronicles 28:4
[4]Yet the LORD God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. (ESV)
1 Chronicles 28:5
[5]And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. (ESV)
The prophet Daniel also stressed these three elements when he wrote of the Messiah’s future reign:
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:13 14 [show]Daniel 7:13
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
[13]"I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
Daniel 7:14
[14]And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
[According to this definition, is Jesus Christ currently ruling over His kingdom? No. Some might say that He is ruling the church as its head, or that He rules the hearts of believers, but this is not in keeping with the kingdom idea Jesus and the apostles taught. They taught a literal, earthly kingdom, not an invisible, spiritual one.]
II. The History of God’s Kingdom
Throughout the Bible, God has consistently ruled through human representatives. Following are some of the men God has used or will use in this way.
A. Moses
This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, “Who made you ruler and judge?” He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. Acts 7:35 [show]Acts 7:35
[35]"This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?'--this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. (ESV)
Moses was God’s representative. God ruled Israel through him.
B. Saul and David
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed [David] in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 1 Samuel 16:13 14 [show]1 Samuel 16:13
[13]Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. (ESV)
1 Samuel 16:14
David in Saul's Service
[14]Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. (ESV)
Saul was God’s representative king. However, because of his disobedience, God took away his right to rule (1 Samuel 15:23 [show]1 Samuel 15:23
[23]For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king.") and the special anointing of the Spirit that went along with it, the “ theocratic anointing .” [Review the idea of the theocratic anointing.] At this point, we should note two facts: (1) At the moment that the theocratic anointing was given to David, it was taken from Saul (David feared the same fate later in life according to Psalm 51:11 [show]Psalm 51:11
[11]Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me..). (2) God began a dynasty with David through which He would rule His people. From that time on, every king over God’s kingdom had to be from David’s line.
C. Solomon
[God] said to [David]: “Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.” 1 Chronicles 28:6 7 [show]1 Chronicles 28:6
[6]He said to me, 'It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. (ESV)
1 Chronicles 28:7
[7]I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.' (ESV)
D. Christ
As mentioned above, every mediatorial king since David had to be of Davidic descent. This included Christ (Isaiah 11 [show]Isaiah 11
The Righteous Reign of the Branch
[11:1]There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
[2]And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
[3]And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
[4]but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
[5]Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
[6]The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
[7]The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
[8]The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
[9]They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
[10]In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
[11]In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush,(1) from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
[12]He will raise a signal for the nations
and will assemble the banished of Israel,
and gather the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.
[13]The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
[14]But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west,
and together they shall plunder the people of the east.
They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites shall obey them.
[15]And the LORD will utterly destroy(2)
the tongue of the Sea of Egypt,
and will wave his hand over the River
with his scorching breath,(3)
and strike it into seven channels,
and he will lead people across in sandals.
[16]And there will be a highway from Assyria
for the remnant that remains of his people,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from the land of Egypt.
Footnotes
1. [11:11] Probably 'Nubia'
2. [11:15] Hebrew 'devote to destruction'
3. [11:15] Or 'wind'
, Matthew 1 [show]Matthew 1
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
[1:1]The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
[2]Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, [3]and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,(1) [4]and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, [5]and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, [6]and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, [7]and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,(2) [8]and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, [9]and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, [10]and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,(3) and Amos the father of Josiah, [11]and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
[12]And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,(4) and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, [13]and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, [14]and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, [15]and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, [16]and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
[17]So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
[18]Now the birth of Jesus Christ(5) took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed(6) to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19]And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20]But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21]She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22]All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
[23]"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel"
(which means, God with us). [24]When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, [25]but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [1:3] Greek 'Aram'; also verse 4
2. [1:7] 'Asaph' is probably an alternate spelling for 'Asa'; some manuscripts read 'Asa'; also verse 8
3. [1:10] 'Amos' is probably an alternate spelling for 'Amon'; some manuscripts read 'Amon'; twice in this verse
4. [1:12] Greek 'Salathiel'; twice in this verse
5. [1:18] Some manuscripts 'of the Christ'
6. [1:18] That is, legally pledged to be married
, and Luke 3 [show]Luke 3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
[3:1]In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, [2]during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. [3]And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [4]As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,(1)
make his paths straight.
[5]Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
[6]and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
[7]He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8]Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. [9]Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
[10]And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" [11]And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics(2) is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." [12]Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" [13]And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." [14]Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
[15]As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, [16]John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. [17]His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
[18]So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. [19]But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, [20]added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
[21]Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, [22]and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son;(3) with you I am well pleased."(4)
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
[23]Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, [24]the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, [25]the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, [26]the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, [27]the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,(5) the son of Neri, [28]the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, [29]the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, [30]the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, [31]the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, [32]the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, [33]the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, [34]the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, [35]the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, [36]the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, [37]the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, [38]the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [3:4] Or 'crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord'
2. [3:11] Greek 'chiton', a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
3. [3:22] Or 'my Son, my' (or 'the') 'Beloved'
4. [3:22] Some manuscripts 'beloved Son; today I have begotten you'
5. [3:27] Greek 'Salathiel'
).
1. Christ’s kingdom was foretold .
Because of Israel’s rebellion, God temporarily ended His kingdom arrangement with the nation. [This occurred in 586 BC with the Babylonian Captivity.] However, from that point on the prophets foretold that God would one day restore His kingdom in an eternal fashion.
The former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4:8 [show]Micah 4:8
[8]And you, O tower of the flock,
hill of the daughter of Zion,
to you shall it come,
the former dominion shall come,
kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Isaiah 9:7 [show]Isaiah 9:7
[7]Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
[Note that the same sort of kingdom that David had will be restored. Was David's kingdom a spiritual one? No, it was literal, earthly, etc. So will be Christ's.]
2. Christ’s kingdom was offered .
Both Christ and John the Baptist preached a kingdom message. Christ came to earth as the promised king, the Messiah . However, the Jews rejected His offer and brutally murdered Him.
John the Baptist preached:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” - Matthew 3:2 [show]Matthew 3:2
[2]"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (ESV)
Christ likewise proclaimed:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17 [show]Matthew 4:17
[17]From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (ESV) (See also Matthew 4:23 [show]Matthew 4:23
Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds
[23]And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. (ESV) and Luke 11:19 20 [show]Luke 11:19
[19]And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. (ESV)
Luke 11:20
[20]But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (ESV).)
The disciples were told to preach:
“The kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 10:7 [show]Matthew 10:7
[7]And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' (ESV)
Note: The offer of the kingdom to Israel was a genuine offer. However, God’s plan included Israel’s rejection and Christ’s death . Thus, Christ came to earth for two reasons: First, He came to offer the kingdom to the Jews. Second, He came to make involvement in the future kingdom possible. By allowing Himself to be crucified, He provided the way of salvation so that men could know Him as King.
[There is some debate regarding what would have happened had the Jews accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Some say that the Millennium would have begun right there. It's a moot point because Israel did not accept Jesus as their Messiah at this time.]
3. Christ’s kingdom was postponed .
The kingdom of God has been postponed. It is not in existence today. After His resurrection, Christ gave His disciples further instruction concerning His coming kingdom (Acts 1:3 [show]Acts 1:3
[3]He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (ESV)). The disciples assumed He would immediately restore the kingdom to Israel and begin to reign. Christ, however, taught otherwise.
So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” Acts 1:6 7 [show]Acts 1:6
The Ascension
[6]So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (ESV)
Acts 1:7
[7]He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. (ESV)
[This is a good text that shows that the disciples were expecting a literal, earthly kingdom. If the kingdom was a spiritual one (i.e., salvation), they wouldn't have asked this question, because the kingdom would have been in effect.]
4. Christ’s kingdom will one day be established .
At His second coming, Christ will establish His earthly reign. It will be a literal, physical kingdom centered in Jerusalem.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. Revelation 22:3 [show]Revelation 22:3
[3]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants(1) will worship him. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [22:3] Greek 'bondservants'; also verse 6
(See also Isaiah 9:7 [show]Isaiah 9:7
[7]Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this., Daniel 7:13 14 [show]Daniel 7:13
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
[13]"I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
Daniel 7:14
[14]And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed., and Luke 1:31 33 [show]Luke 1:31
[31]And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. (ESV)
Luke 1:33
[33]and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (ESV).)
III. The Church and the Kingdom
God’s mediatorial kingdom actually involves three stages: the Old Testament theocracy , the millennial kingdom, and the eternal kingdom. As mentioned in Lesson Thirty Two, the Tribulation will culminate with the second coming of Christ. At that time, Christ will utterly destroy His enemies, temporarily bind Satan, and set up His millennial kingdom (”millennium” means 1,000 years). After the Millennium, Satan will be released from his temporary bondage, lead a final revolt, suffer defeat, and be condemned to eternal punishment (Revelation 20:1 10 [show]Revelation 20:1
The Thousand Years
[20:1]Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit(1) and a great chain. (ESV)
Revelation 20:10
[10]and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [20:1] Greek 'the abyss'; also verse 3
). God will then judge the unsaved of all ages at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11 15 [show]Revelation 20:11
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
[11]Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. (ESV)
Revelation 20:15
[15]And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)), destroy the present heavens and earth and create new ones (2 Peter 3:10 13 [show]2 Peter 3:10
[10]But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies(1) will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.(2) (ESV)
2 Peter 3:13
[13]But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [3:10] Or 'elements'; also verse 12
2. [3:10] Greek 'found'; some manuscripts 'will be burned up'
and Revelation 21:1 [show]Revelation 21:1
The New Heaven and the New Earth
[21:1]Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (ESV)), and establish His eternal kingdom (Revelation 21:2 [show]Revelation 21:2
[2]And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (ESV)ff).
A. Church age believers are citizens of the kingdom.
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Colossians 1:13 [show]Colossians 1:13
[13]He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (ESV)
Our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 [show]Philippians 3:20
[20]But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (ESV)
One must interpret these verses in terms of “positional” truth. Positional truth describes that which the believer possesses but does not experience. Thus, even though we still live in this sin-darkened world, and Christ’s kingdom has not yet been established, we are free from the power of sin and are citizens of Christ’s kingdom positionally.
B. Church age believers will reign in the kingdom.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:21 [show]Revelation 3:21
[21]The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (ESV) (See also Revelation 20:6 [show]Revelation 20:6
[6]Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (ESV).)
In this verse, Christ is speaking to church-age believers. The word “overcomers” refers to those who have overcome Satan by faith in Christ (1 John 5:4 5 [show]1 John 5:4
[4]For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. (ESV)
1 John 5:5
[5]Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (ESV)). Therefore, all church-age believers will be part of the royal family. We will co reign with Christ in the eternal kingdom.
[This is true only of church-age saints. OT believers will have no part in the millennium.]
Learning to Live It
1. The trials of life are numerous. Jobs, family, ministry, and illness often cause difficulty. How might the material learned in this lesson affect the way one deals with the trials of life?
It should help us to cope with them better/persevere through them, knowing what awaits us at the end (Rom 8:18 [show]Romans 8:18
Future Glory
[18]For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV), Heb 11:10, 13-16, 24-26 [show]Hebrews 11:10
[10]For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (ESV)
Hebrews 11:13-16
[13]These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14]For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15]If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16]But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (ESV)
Hebrews 11:24-26
[24]By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, [25]choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26]He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (ESV)). We know that there is more to life than this life. Everything in history and in the universe is moving to its predetermined end. Our trials play their part in God’s plan for history. We know the end of the story. We’re on the winning team. Our trials are really quite temporary. We have an eternity to be free of them and to enjoy true happiness.
2. How might the knowledge of these facts affect the way one views the short time during which he lives upon this earth?
It is relatively insignificant when compared to eternity. Our eternal destiny, however, is determined in this life. A great time of joy is in store for us. Also, we don’t need to “go for the gusto” now, as if this is all there is. We can defer/put off some pleasurable things until later. We ought to live in light of eternity.
