The Establishment of the Kingdom of God

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

This article (and others) may be read online at the following link:  Millennium

Some Facts, Data, and Information have been borrowed from several papers written by Dr. Stephen Jones of “The New Kingdom Order” website.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Interpretation

The last section of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation within chapter 2 envisions the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ and the initiation of the Kingdom of God.  The four beast kingdoms will not be discussed at this time since they have already occurred and are past history, i.e. Babylon; Medo-Persia; Greece; Rome.  The world is currently under the reign of the “little horn” (extension of the Roman Empire) along with the beast from the earth which has been a secret but is not slowly being revealed.  Thus the name of the 2^nd beast (or earth beast) is Mystery, Babylon but soon all the secrets or mysteries will be made known to the amazement of the majority of the world.

Daniel 2:34-35 NET  You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces.  (35)  Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

Daniel 2:44-45 NET  In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.  (45)  You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.”

The everlasting kingdom will begin with the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ with judges, priests, and administrators consisting of the first resurrection overcomers or the elect.  The Kingdom of God will not suddenly and immediately envelope the entire earth but will be accomplished over a period of one thousand years.  The stone “became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.”  It has been said that the word translated as “patience or endurance” in Revelation 14:12 is almost impossible to translate to English.  A possible translation could be “to gain more and more area or territory”.

A Millennial Understanding of Jesus

After the great faith of the Centurion is revealed, Christ briefly related the plan of spreading the kingdom during the Millennium.  Many, from all over the world, will come to learn the ways of God but some who oppose His rule and are not willing to learn, repent, or obey will be “thrown into the outer darkness”.

Matthew 8:11-12 NET  I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,  (12)  but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The outer darkness is not hell, Hades, or imprisonment in a dark place, but a contrast with the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Light.  The nations can only enter the New Jerusalem as believers seeking the light and knowledge of the law and ways of God, otherwise they will be outside the light of God.

Isaiah 2:3 NET  All the nations will stream to it, many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the LORD’s mountain, to the temple (figurative) of the God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his standards.” For Zion (figurative) will be the center for moral instruction; the LORD will issue edicts from Jerusalem (figurative).

Growth of the Kingdom

The stone grows to cover the earth, encompass all nations, and incorporates all people as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Even at the end of the Millennium, the Kingdom of God has not filled the entire earth.  Satan will be briefly set loose and he will deceive “the nations which are in the four corners of the earth”.

Revelation 20:7-9 NET  Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison  (8)  and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea.  (9)  They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely.

Not everyone will come to salvation until after the White Throne Judgment which occurs at the end of the Millennium.  At that time all will be resurrected where many will be brought to trial and judged.  The time periods are unknown but their judgmental internment may last as long as another thousand years.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

New Heaven, New Earth

At some point in the future, there will be a new heaven and a new earth.  It may occur at the end of the first thousand years called the Millennium in scripture, or it may happen at some later time.  There is no actual scriptural proof that I am aware of, but is has been conceived by some there will be several millennial periods until at least the fiftieth or Sabbath millennium.

Revelation 21:1 NET  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more.

The word “new” in most versions does not actually mean the current planet will be completely annihilated and a brand new one will then be created, however it could be a possible but unreasonable definition.

The most likely meaning would be “fresh” or possibly “unworn” which could be defined as redone as in the appearance of the original creation.

Thayer Definition:

1) new

1a) as respects form

1a1) recently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn

1b) as respects substance

1b1) of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, unheard of

The “new earth” may also witness the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:6-8 where the wolf dwells with the lamb.  This situation most likely will not happen during the so-called Millennium, but could happen during the 2^nd thousand years.

Isaiah 11:6-8 KJV  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  (7)  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  (8)  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.