Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Jesus Christ, our King, Lord, and Redeemer, spent His entire ministry preaching and teaching The Kingdom of God. In the past six weeks, I’ve asked Believers questions about The Kingdom of God to see how many understand “what” The Kingdom is, “where” The Kingdom is, “when” The Kingdom was created, “why” The Kingdom is so important to us, and “how” The Kingdom works. It wasn’t scientific and many times the questions or discussion was during impromptu or group meetings. However, what became clearly evident to me was the majority of Believers, unless they’ve been specifically taught or studied it themselves, don’t really understand The Kingdom of God. They have ideas, notions, guesses, and bits and pieces of Truth, but they couldn’t define and defend The Kingdom of God if asked to do so. This is not meant to be a condemnation, but it points to why there is so much weakness in The Body of Christ in this earth. The good news is there is a lot of “Kingdom” teaching and preaching occurring for this very reason. The Holy Spirit has moved upon The Body to learn because it is imperative at all times, but especially in these “the last days of the last days.”
Jesus’ entire ministry was to preach, to teach, and to perform signs in The Kingdom of God. He came to reconnect man to The Blessing of God spoken in Genesis 1:28. Even though man fell, The Blessing was never removed from man. The following four verses are illustrative of Jesus’ mission (Luke 4:18-19) to preach and teach The Kingdom of God to all in the Nation of Israel.
Luke 4:43
And He said unto them, I must preach The Kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Luke 8:1
And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of The Kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him,
Luke 16:16
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time The Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Acts 1:3
To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to The Kingdom of God:
Notice in Acts 1:3 that even upon the resurrection, ascension, and return of Jesus Christ for 40 days and 40 nights upon the earth, before now sitting at the right hand of God, Jesus is doing what? Yes, still preaching and teaching all things pertaining to The Kingdom of God. Do you think The Kingdom of God is important? Don’t you think we should be extremely knowledgeable of it since it is so important to The Father and The Son? Let’s continue.
This first message on The Kingdom of God, I’m going to answer some of the “what, where, when , why, and how” of The Kingdom. Let’s start with the “what.” What is The Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is a government with a King, Jesus Christ. Notice in Isaiah 9:6-7 Jesus, as King, orders it and establishes it with judgment and justice forever.
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David [physical kingdom], and upon His Kingdom [a Spiritual kingdom], to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 is prophecy about the birth of Jesus Christ and His eternal role. Religion taught me “the government shall be upon His shoulder” was the Roman Government that lorded over the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Of course, because I didn’t study, I bought it hook, line, and sinker. The Truth is “the government” in verse 6 is The Kingdom of God. Verse 7 tells us His government, The Kingdom, will increase, and it shall bring peace into both the physical (Throne of David) and Spiritual (upon His Kingdom) realms. Verse 7 goes on to say Jesus will “order it” and “establish it with judgment and justice (His Spiritual laws and moral and ethical commandments).” “To order” is the Hebrew word “kun” which means “to be firm, arrange, direct.” Jesus has arranged the Father’s Kingdom, is firm with the laws and commandments, and directs the operation. Notice “who” helps Jesus put this in place and enforce it? Verse 7 speaks to “the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Who are the “hosts?” Yes, His angels which are innumerable – so many that they can’t be counted. The Lord and His angels have established Jesus’ Spiritual Kingdom, The Kingdom of God. The Lord and His angels will establish His physical Kingdom on earth during the Millennial Reign. And we, as Believers, will rule with Jesus.
I want to call your attention to the Word in Isaiah 9:6 speaking to “the government shall be upon His shoulder.” What is the significance of Jesus’ shoulder? If you want to be a student of God’s Word, you have to learn to spot and ask these questions. Why “shoulder?” Let’s look at something Jesus had to say in Matthew.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
You’ve heard and read the verses of Matthew 11:28-30 many times. Where is a “yoke” worn? Yes, on the shoulders. Jesus is telling us to throw off the yoke of bondage from satan and put on His yoke, the yoke of The Kingdom of God. In fact, this is prophesied in Isaiah 10:27.
Isaiah 10:27
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his [satan] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his [satan] yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke [of bondage] shall be destroyed because of the anointing [Jesus the Anointed One – this is what “Christ” means – “The Anointed One”].
Jesus is telling us in Mathew 11:28-30 that “The One”, “The Anointing”, prophesied of in Isaiah 10:27 is here, and He has destroyed the yoke of bondage used by satan. Take “MY” yoke upon you. Isn’t this awesome!! But why do many Believers put themselves under satan’s yoke voluntarily through their free will? We’ll answer this at a later time.
I’ll leave this for you true “students” of The Word of God to mine further. There is a city called “Shechem” located in a valley between two mountains: Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. “Shechem” means “shoulder or back” in Hebrew. Read in Deuteronomy about the two mountains and what they were used for by the Israelites led by Joshua. Shechem was the first location God had Abram lodge at in the land of Canaan in Genesis 12. Put it all together and discover the connection to Isaiah 9:6-7 and Matthew 11:28-30. Every SINGLE Word in The Scriptures is there for a reason (in the original and early translations).
The next question we’ll answer is about the location of The Kingdom. Where is The Kingdom of God?
Like “faith” itself, The Kingdom of God is not visible because it is Spiritual. However, we can see the manifestation of The Spiritual Laws of The Kingdom of God in our lives and in our families just as we can see the manifestation of faith. Faith is the currency of The Kingdom of God. As you will see in Luke 17:20-21, The Kingdom of God is within you, in your heart.
Luke 17:20-21
20 And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when The Kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo [behold] here! or, lo [behold] there! for, behold, The Kingdom of God is within you.
So, in very short order, and not exhaustively, we’ve established The Kingdom of God is a government ruled by Jesus Christ and enforced by His angels. It is both a Spiritual and a physical government. Please note that until Jesus returns to physically rule The Kingdom of God on earth, we are to rule it as Believers. What?? Me rule what?? Ha, that is the usual look or utterance by many Believers. We, as Believers, have to learn just HOW powerful we really are if we have wisdom, knowledge, and faith and decree God’s Word with expectation. We can DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST…… And Jesus Christ Himself charged us to “occupy until I come.” “Occupy” in this verse does not mean “hunker down and wait for His return.” It means to go on the offensive, take ground continually, and never give the ground back to satan – who is nothing but a squatter, one who has NO LEGAL RIGHT to this earth or anything in it any longer. Jesus saw to this when He took the keys to hell and death from satan (Revelation 1:18).
We’ve also clearly established “where” The Kingdom of God resides until The King returns to earth. In our hearts, in The Spirit of Christ which indwells us as Believers.
Let The Word do the work!!
In Christ,
Larry