The Gospel of the Kingdom
This is the Good News that God plans to set up a Kingdom on this earth over which David’s Son, Jesus, will reign as prophesied in Luke 1:32-33. “He 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 Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”
Two preachings of this Gospel are mentioned, the first is past, and began with the ministry of John the Baptist, then was preached by Jesus and His Disciples before ending with the rejection of Jesus as King.
The second preaching is still future and will be after the Church is taken out. It will be the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 (NAS) “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” This Gospel has no reference to the Gospel of grace and salvation that is now being preached to the nations. The Gospel of the Kingdom is for a witness, that is, the announcement that the time has come to set up the Kingdom. It will be preached first by Elijah the forerunner (Malachi 4:5-6), and by others who will be commissioned to bear the news to all nations as a proclamation of the coming of Christ as King to occupy the throne of David, and for the purpose of regathering Israel to the Promised Land.
So the Gospel of the Kingdom is not for today but is future and has nothing to do with the Gospel of Grace being preached today.
Revelation 20:4 – They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
That there is to be a period of a 1000 years during which Satan will be bound and Jesus will reign on this earth, is plainly stated in the New Testament. This period is mentioned 6 times in Rev. 20:1-7, and is generally called
The Millennium – from the Latin words “Mille” (1000) and “Annum” (year). It is somewhat regretful that the word Millennium ever replaced the Biblical word Kingdom, because it is this period that Jesus taught His disciples to pray for in the petition–“Thy Kingdom Come.“
The time when this Kingdom; will be set up is at the Revelation of Jesus, when He will come with the “armies of Heaven and destroy Antichrist (Rev. 19:11-21) and judge the Nations.
This Kingdom is an earthly, visible Kingdom, and is the millennial kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Form of Government
It will be a Theocracy. God will rule in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 1:30-33 states: But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
There are five wills of God in this passage. Two of them have been fulfilled, as Mary did bring forth a son, He was called Jesus, He was great, and was called the Son of the Most High; the other three must and will be fulfilled.
Consider the promise that Jesus made to His Disciples in Matthew 19:28. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
In all probability this may refer to both the millennial age, and the perfect age, the age which is to follow the renovation of the Earth by fire. The use of the word renewal suggests this, as it refers to the time when the present earth is to be made new.
The Seat of Government
The Seat of Government will be at Jerusalem. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21:24. Then it will be rebuilt. The Prophet Ezekiel gives us a detailed description of the restored land and city in Ezek. 48:1-35.
The size of the new City, the location of the new Sanctuary and the elevation of the Dead Sea, which is now 1200 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, call for great physical changes in the land surface of Palestine. How are these changes to come about?
When Christ comes back it will be to the Mount of Olives from where He went up, Acts 1:9-12. The Prophet Zechariah describes in 14:4,10,11 what will happen then
These great changes will probably be brought about by Earthquakes or volcanic action. Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. 4 The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. Micah 1:3, 4.
These great physical changes will level the land surface of Palestine, and make room for the new City, and raise the Dead Sea, so its waters can flow into both the Red and Mediterranean Seas. Ezekiel tells us that the name of Jerusalem in that day will be Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord Is There. Ezek. 48:35.
