"Thy Kingdom Come" | thebereancall.org

Hunt, Dave




How many Christians were caught up in the Y2K hysteria and spent needless time, money and effort to assure themselves of food, warmth and protection? Sadly, the lives of many were all but ruined, their Christian testimony spoiled and our Lord and His Word ridiculed as a result of their irrational fears of a mysterious "bug" which they believed had the power to shut down the world! How much better to have heeded our Lord's admonition not to be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mat:6:25-34).

Seek ye first the kingdom! Here we have the pattern of life to go with the prayer pattern. But what is this kingdom we are to seek, consumed by the passion, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Mat:6:10)? What did Christ mean by His frequent references to "the kingdom"?


For example, in Matthew:4:17 Jesus preaches, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," while in Mark:1:15 He says, "the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." In Matthew's presentation of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus begins with "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (5:3). But in Luke, Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with "Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God" (6:20). For further study, compare Matthew:8:11 with Luke:13:28-29; Matthew 13 with Mark 4 and Luke 8; Matthew:18:1-4 with Mark:10:14-15 and Luke:18:16-17, etc.

Generally it is assumed that the "kingdom" refers to Christ's millennial reign. He promised His twelve disciples, "when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel [ten tribes were not lost after all]" (Mat:19:28). Surely this is not spiritual, but a literal reign that will be established at Christ's second coming when His feet touch the Mount of Olives (Zec:14:4; Acts:1:11) as He comes to rescue Israel in the midst of Armageddon (Zec 12-14). Then "every eye shall see him" (Rev:1:7) coming to earth "with power and glory" and the angels will "gather together his elect [i.e., the Jews, Isa:45:4, etc.] from the four winds" (Mat:24:29-31) to bring them from all over the world to Israel to share in the millennial kingdom. Having destroyed Antichrist and his kingdom at His second coming (2 Thes:2:8), Christ rescues Israel in the midst of Armageddon (Zec 12,14) and ascends David's throne (2 Sam:7:13; Eze:37:24-26; Lk 1:32), from which He will rule the world for 1,000 years (Rev:20:2-6).

In previous articles and books we have discussed many of the signs Christ gave to indicate the nearness of His return to earth: Israel back in her land (Eze:38:11-23; Zec 12, 14, etc.), weapons capable of destroying all life (Mat:24:22), the technology for a world dictator to control the world militarily (Rev:13:4,7) and to control all banking and commerce (vv 16-17), etc. The fact that these signs confront us already can only mean that the Rapture, which precedes the Second Coming, cannot be delayed much longer.













Those who believe in the Rapture cannot be enticed to look for a "Christ" who comes to rule the "kingdom" they've established. They expect "to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thes:4:17) above earth to be taken to heaven. Critics deride this belief as a "secret rapture theory," but Scripture says, "the dead in Christ shall be raised...we which are alive...shall be caught up together with them..." (1 Cor:15:51-57; 1 Thes:4:13-18) to be taken to His Father's house (Jn:14:1-3).

The great hopes being placed in the new Millennium now being celebrated (which actually begins January 1, 2001) will only increase the satanic delusions that blind the eyes of unbelievers. With Y2K conquered, and with the new software and high tech equipment developed, there will be an explosion of technology to bolster mankind's belief that it no longer needs God. Ecumenism will take giant strides and fewer believers will expect the Rapture. The Pope (Catholicism denies the Rapture) has great plans for what he calls "The third millennium of Christianity." Sadly, many evangelicals are adopting the same terminology. Ambitious plans for the new Millennium will push Christ's kingdom even further back in the minds of many believers.

Surprisingly, Christ's millennial reign is not the ultimate Kingdom for which we are to pray. Christ told Nicodemus unequivocally, "Except a man be born again, he cannot [even] see...[much less] enter into the kingdom of God"(Jn:3:3-5). We are also told that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor:15:50). Yet there will be many flesh-and-blood people living during the Millennium, and among them multitudes who have not been born again of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the Bible declares repeatedly that God's kingdom is "an everlasting kingdom" (Ps:145:13; Dan:4:3, 7:27); that Christ shall reign on "the throne of his father David...over the house of Jacob [Israel] for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Lk 1:32-33)....Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end..." (Isa:9:7). But the Millennium lasts only 1,000 years; and its peace ends with earth's final war.


The true kingdom of God with endless peace will only come in the new heavens and new earth. Paul writes, "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father" (1 Cor:15:24-28). Here we see that Christ did not refer to the Rapture when He said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Mat:24:14). Obviously, the Rapture is not "the end" to which Christ referred, but that which Paul explains.
