What is the Kingdom of God?

NOTE: All comments in brackets [ ] or in parentheses ( ) as well as highlighted text (bolded and/or in blue) are from the author of this study.
Bible quotations are in maroon.

All Christians are longing for the day when they will become a part of the kingdom of God but more often than not it is not all that clear in their mind just what it is.

Many see the kingdom of God as a place that someone goes to and where they find absolute freedom from work of any kind. They see themselves as spending eternity in blissful idleness, lying in a hammock sipping a cool drink on a beautiful beach watching the waves come in with a body that no longer grows old and feeble and good looks that never fade.

Not understanding what is the Kingdom of God’s is one of the big reason why certain Scriptures have been greatly misunderstood especially regarding the Millennium and the Last Great Day. The Worldwide Church of God under the leadership of Mr. Herbert W Armstrong taught that there is a time coming when the governments of this world will be taken over by Christ and His glorified saints and that this will result in a 1,000 year time period of worldwide peace, prosperity, abundance and security such as the world has never known; in other words, Christ at His Second Coming would establish God’s Kingdom on the earth among the flesh-and-blood men then alive.

However, the Kingdom of God is not something that can be seen by flesh-and-blood human beings. It is wholly composed of spirit beings whose existence is unknowable to flesh-and-blood human beings whose ability to perceive things is limited to the physical and the material. Furthermore, God cannot rule over the unconverted of the world as they are not subject to His law nor indeed can be (Rom 8:7); they are completely unteachable when it comes to God’s truth. Human beings need to have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in them for their minds to be able to know God’s truth; in other words, they need to have converted minds.

Yes, all will be called during the Millennium and the Last Great Day but it does not necessarily follow that all or even a majority of those called will become converted. Those called must also follow their calling AND remain faithful or endure in the faith until the end of their lives. There is a huge difference between being called and becoming converted. Christ plainly tells us if we will believe our Bible that though many are called, it is the few that are chosen i.e., that follow their calling (Matt 22:14) and of the few that are chosen, it is the many from among them who take the broad way that leads to destruction (Mat 7:13). In other words, mankind to a great extent, will remain unconverted and of those who become converted it will be the few that will remain converted until the end of their lives. God’s Holy Spirit only ever leads (Rom 8:14). God will not rule by force over the unconverted during the Millennium and the Last Great Day anymore than He does now or has done for the last now almost 6,000 years. For more detailed and comprehensive information on this topic, please see the following study: Mass Conversion of the Nations during the Millennium?

The Bible, if we will believe it, gives us a great deal of information regarding how God’s Kingdom will be organized, how it will function; the roles and responsibilities of those who will be a part of it and the territory it will occupy.

In this study, we will explore using the Scriptures, the different elements making up God’s kingdom and hopefully, come to a clear, fully supported by the Bible, comprehension of it.

Let’s get started by determining what is a kingdom.

A Kingdom

In order for a kingdom to exist there has to be four elements present. There has to be a king, subjects, law and a territory over which extends the king’s rule.

The king has supreme authority over everyone in the kingdom and those individuals who are part of the kingdom are those that are under the authority of the king. The authority of the king is exercised directly over his subjects and through others to whom he delegates some of his authority to administer the many and varied services required in the kingdom. The king can’t do it all by himself and in a kingdom everyone is under authority either directly, from officials of the kingdom who exercise authority on behalf of the king or indirectly, through the laws of the kingdom which all emanate from the king.

Lastly, a kingdom requires a territory under the authority of the king and in which the members of the kingdom live.

The kingdom of God will not be all that different as we will see as we go through the relevant Scriptures and see what they say about the 4 elements which are needed for a kingdom to exist.

The King of the Kingdom

Let’s now examine who is the most high or the supreme ruler in God’s kingdom i.e., the king of the kingdom. Presently, God’s Kingdom is made up of only God the Father and Jesus-Christ who is the Logos or Spokesman that we read about in the Old Testament. In the following Scriptures, we see Jesus stating that His Father is greater than all in authority (John 10:29).

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

In John 14:28 Jesus plainly acknowledges that His Father is greater in authority than Him (Jesus).

Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

In John 20:17, Jesus calls the Father, His God i.e., the person that to whom He is in full obedience.

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

And, in John 16:23 we read that when we are praying and asking for God’s blessings in our lives we are praying to the Father who is the One that has the authority to give such blessings. We ask the Father in Christ’s name.

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

In John 16:26 we read that Christ will pray the Father which indicates clearly that the Father is higher than Christ in authority, that the Father is presently the highest in the kingdom and, that Christ is lower in authority in the kingdom.

Joh 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

As we can see from these verses, God the Father is the highest in authority in the kingdom, He is the king of the kingdom and Christ is second in authority. They are not both equal in authority. In God’s kingdom there is a hierarchy of authority i.e., God the Father is higher in authority than Christ and Christ will be higher in authority than those who will become members of God’s Kingdom. Without a clearly established, recognized and accepted order of authority there is confusion, strife and chaos and God is not the author of confusion.

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

What is it that they have to agree on? That one is to lead and the other is to follow.

In 1 Corn 14:26-40 (quoted below) Paul is explaining to the members of the Church that things have to be done in order; that not all are to speak at the same time (1 Corn 14:31 quoted below), or in a foreign language if there is no one to interpret (1 Corn 14:27-28), and if something has been revealed to someone who sits by while another is speaking, he is to wait his turn to speak (1 Cor 14:30-31). They may all prophesy i.e., share with others in the congregation the truth that they receive but they have to do it one by one and the others hearing them are to judge (1 Corn 14:29) whether what they are saying agrees or not with the Scriptures which is the only sure criterion for determining the truth of what they are saying.

1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

1Co 14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

1Co 14:30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

1Co 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

And one important last point which is a digression from the main topic of this study but which needs to be highlighted is that any Church member who has anything revealed to him can speak about it to the congregation or as the Bible says it, prophesy to the congregation (1Cor14:30-31) as long as he recognizes the writings of Paul as being commandments from the Lord i.e., that the truth Paul (1 Corn 14:37) is giving them is truth he received directly from Christ.

1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

This truth that Paul received from Christ is the foundational truth of God’s Church (1 Cor 3:10) which is not subject to discussion; no member of God’s Church can speak or prophesy something which goes counter to the truth Paul gives them as he received it directly from Christ. Please note that if there would have been no persecution of God’s Church, the truth received by the apostles and Paul directly from Christ would have been transmitted in one unbroken chain from one generation to the other in the Church until our days and there would have been no need for one to come in the spirit of Elijah to restore them to the Church.

So, it was accepted and expected that Church members who have mastered the foundational truth of God’s Church, could and would receive from God, as they study and pray, truth not forming part of the foundational truth given Paul and the other apostles. Paul says they could share these truths God reveals to them in an orderly way with their congregations. The congregation will then judge i.e., make a determination based on the Scriptures of the validity of the information shared with it. It is possible for an individual member to not have come to a correct conclusion when studying the Bible and through discussion with other members of God’s Church, have his findings confirmed, corrected or invalidated always using the Bible as the final criterion.

I understand and know full well how much this goes against what the ministry and Mr. Armstrong taught and before rejecting it outright, you should spend a bit of time thinking about it and examining carefully 1Cor 14:27-31. Christians are to grow in knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures all through their lives. Paul says that his teachings to the Church are the foundational truth of the Church that others are to build on. It is not everything that can be known.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

The truth restored by Mr. Armstrong, the restoration of all things, to the Church was the foundational truth that had gotten lost through the many years of persecution that came upon the Church but they are not the only truth contained in the Bible otherwise God could never have commanded true Christians to grow in knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures all through their lives. Rehearsing the foundational truths over and over is not growth; they are a foundation on which true Christians are to build on after having mastered them. (See the following study for a detailed review of this topic: Do Christians have to Grow in Knowledge?

It is true that God works through one man at a time in terms of providing leadership to His Church. God’s Church is organized on a hierarchical basis with the Pastor General being the highest level leader in the Church under its living head, Jesus-Christ. The Pastor General delegates his authority to the ordained ministry to whom he allocates different offices of responsibility. But as Paul states indirectly in 1 Cor 14:27-31, he is not the only person to whom truth is being revealed; other members of the congregations he raised up can also receive revelation from God as they pray and study their Bible. These revelations until proven with the Bible are not doctrine and they can change some of the Church’s thinking on different established doctrines if proven true after verification with the Bible.

The criterion of truth of any new understanding that any individual may get is the Bible. When there is an organized ministry, new understandings are shared with the ministry and ultimately the Pastor General. Once a new truth has been fully proven by reference to the Scriptures it would be accepted by the Church. The criterion of truth is not any man be it a minister or even the Pastor General; it is the Bible. In this way there is no division in the Church and no one can be said to be causing division and it is a process which allows for growth in knowledge and understanding of the Bible.

When there is no corporate organization and the Church is made up of scattered members all over the world, new understanding can be tested in discussions with other truly converted individuals through spiritual fellowship. Basically, Christians do not have the option of isolating themselves from others from fear of losing the truth they have. True Christians have to have the courage to venture out into the marketplace of ideas and be ready to make the efforts required to sort the wheat from the chaff and have growth in knowledge and understanding. The servant who hid his talent fearing to lose it, lost his salvation for what he had was taken from him and given to another who had spiritual growth. Spiritual isolation and stagnation from fear of losing the truth we have leads to loss of salvation.

Mat 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Mat 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
Mat 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Mat 25:27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Mat 25:28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
Mat 25:29 For unto every one that hath [growth; who has grown the talent or talents that were originally given him] shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not [any growth no matter how many talents he had originally received] shall be taken away even that [talent or talents] which he hath.
Mat 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It would now be a good time to examine the manner in which the Worldwide Church of God headed up by Mr. Armstrong under its head, the living Christ administered its congregations in light of 1 Cor 14: 27-31. This will result in a major departure from the main topic of this study but I think it is essential that I do so now.

Administration of Congregations

In the Church, there was a great fear that members doing Bible studies on their own could fall into error and jeopardize their salvation. It was understood that Bible studies had to be conducted using the guidance of the Church through its Bible Correspondence Course made freely available to all. The members were also to understand that the ministry were the ones that had the truth and what they said was pretty well the final word on matters of Bible interpretation. The main concern was to prevent the creation of division in the different congregations through the spreading of private and possibly erroneous understandings of the Bible entering the congregations through the membership.

It is a sure thing that newcomers to the faith as babes-in-Christ need to be taught the foundational truths given by Christ to the apostles. However, even then God still places on them the responsibility to prove all things by checking against their Bible everything that is taught them. They are not to rely on any man, not the ordained ministry and not even Mr.Armstrong; the Bible is the criterion of truth, not men.

Once they have mastered the foundational truths of the Bible and are no longer babes-in-Christ, they have to wean themselves from the breast of the Church and begin studying the Bible on their own to see what other truth it contains which are not part of the foundational truth. They have to grow spiritually and like little children who once depended for everything on their parents, they have to become able to tie their own shoes, dress and feed themselves and go out into the world so-to-speak as spiritually mature Christians eager to uncover more of God’s truth available in the Bible.

God commands each and every Christian to have growth in knowledge and understanding. This means that they have to go beyond the foundational truth and, though study and prayer, uncover new truth that does not undo any of the foundational truth but which builds on them as God through Paul in 1 Cor 3:10-15 commands all Christians to do. I have spent a great deal of time providing detailed explanations of this process in the following study: Are Christians Personally Responsible for Proving all Things?

Our salvation depends solely on us with of course Christ doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves and that is, effect the forgiveness of our sins. Growth in knowledge and understanding beyond the foundational truth restored to God’s Church by God’s end-time Elijah who was promised to come and restore all thing, is the lifeblood keeping alive and growing the spiritual embryos that are converted Christians so that they can be born again at Christ’s Second Coming.

In Paul’s days it was accepted and understood that truly converted individuals would have truth revealed to them as they studied their Bible and it was also accepted that the brethren would discuss these things within the congregation as a means of sorting out error from truth with the Bible being the ultimate criterion. It was not considered that God was not revealing any new truth but to the ordained ministry or the Pastor General.

As Paul says: Not for that we [the apostles, the evangelists, elders; in brief, the ordained ministry] have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. (2Co 1:24). The ordained ministry nor any man for that matter can have dominion over your faith i.e., what you believe, even if they wanted to. No man can be made to believe something he has not chosen to believe and that is why Paul says that he and the ordained ministry are helper of their joy i.e., all they can do is assist them; not impose on them what it is they are to believe. Why? Because Church members’ conversion are based on what they have chosen and continue to chose to believe. They stand by their faith, what they have chosen to believe, which is something no man can forcefully change.

Individual members coming up with new knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures that build on the foundation of truth of the Church is something that should be happening with all long term Christians if they have been hungering and thirsting for truth and studying their Bible. They should be skillful in using their Bible, capable of teaching and discovering the strong meat of the Bible which are those truth which are not part of the foundational truth and which build on them.

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Let’s now spend time clarifying in the next section of this study what is a prophet. The common understanding is that a prophet is someone who has a message from God about future events but is that the only meaning of the word as given us in the Bible?

What is a Prophet?

A prophet is usually thought of as someone who has been given the task by God of providing information which God gave him to a person or group of persons. In the Old Testament, men whom God had selected to carry a message on His behalf to other men were given this message in dreams and visions while in New Testament times, this is done through God’s Holy Spirit working in the minds of the converted. Sometimes, the words received from God have to do with future events and this is the general understanding of what it is to be a prophet but God’s words given to converted men are not always about future events; in most cases, they are spiritual truth which God reveals to truly converted Christians by His Spirit which dwells in them and which are not words about events to occur in the future.

Christ said that after His death and ascension back to His Father, He would manifest Himself to His disciples and to truly converted Christians through the Comforter which God the Father would send.

Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The Comforter will teach the disciples and their spiritual descendants all things. The Father and Christ live in true Christians (John 14:23). Understanding of the Scriptures will be given to New Testament true believers by God’s Holy Spirit opening their minds to see truth in their Bible which before they had not realized was there and not through visions and dreams.

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Christ Ascended back to His Father and to the glory that He knew when He was Holy and a Spirit before His incarnation as a man. He had to go back to His Father so that He could as God the Father’s spokesman open up the mind of true Christians to the many truths of the Bible that build upon the foundational truths He gave to the disciples who became apostles and who taught those foundational truths to First Century Church congregations.

This is how Christ will manifest Himself to true Christians; He will give them knowledge and understanding of the Bible beyond the foundational truths He gave to the apostles. True Christians are commanded to grow in knowledge and understanding all through their natural human lives. This does not occur from limiting ourselves to studying the foundational truths given the Church by Christ. Reviewing the same things over and over again is not growth. Of course, newcomers to the faith have to spend a lot of time and effort learning and understanding the foundational truths and this is as it should be, but one then has to move on and build on these foundational truths. They are not an end in themselves; they are a means to an end i.e., furnishing the true Christians with the knowledge he needs to study the Bible and get more knowledge and understanding out of it.

The foundational truths of the Church are not the only truth that can be known. This is why Paul says truly converted Christians are to build on the foundation of truth he gave them (1 Corn 3: 10-15). On this Web site there are many studies explaining what it means to build on the foundation and the responsibility of Christians to have continuous growth in knowledge and understanding which is how they build on the foundation. I refer the reader to the following studies where these things are fully explained and for which there is really no room to do so here: Building on the Foundation Are You Spiritually Mature? Are Christians Personally Responsible for Proving all Things?

Not all Christians receive understanding of the same truths at the same time and this is why Christians are to prophesy i.e., share with one another or prophesy as the Bible says it, the truth given them by God as they pray and study and build on the foundation of truth given the Church by the apostles. Sharing with others and in this case (1Cor 14:27-31), the whole congregation who will make a judgment based on the Scriptures on the validity of findings made by these members, is an instance of the process of iron sharpening iron spoken of in the Bible. It, like spiritual fellowship, is an excellent means of putting to the test new knowledge discovered in personal study to determine whether it is in conformity or not with the Scriptures. It is always possible to make a mistake and sharing with others on a one-to-one basis or with a group such as was the case in 1 Cor 14 is a good way of filtering out errors if any in individual members’ Bible study findings.

And, of course, the Bible is the final arbiter in all cases in establishing the truth of a matter which is why Paul could say: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1Co 11:1) And, how would they be able to tell if Paul was following Christ? By checking with the Scriptures whether what Paul said was true or not as the Bereans did: ” These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Act 17:11)

Paul did not set himself up as the arbiter or criterion in determining what is and is not truth. (2Cor 1:24); even if he would have wanted to do so, he would not have been able because no man can be taught against his will or made to believe anything he has not chosen to believe. And, 1Cor 14:27-31 makes it clear that it was not unexpected nor unaccepted that individual members would have truth revealed to them that added to the foundational truth taught by the apostles. The only requirement was that all be done decently and in order.

Let’s now look at the different ways in which the word prophet is used in the Bible. It usually is about religious matters but it can also be about non-religious matters.

A prophet is basically a man who is an emissary from God. For those who are unfamiliar with what is an emissary the dictionary definition of the word is: an agent or messenger sent on a mission, especially one who represents a government or head of state; a representative sent on a mission; a delegate.

And the dictionary definition of what is a delegate is: A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy or agent.

So, a prophet is basically an emissary or delegate authorized to act on behalf of another.

Let’s look at a few Scriptures.

1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

Elijah was an emissary or delegate from God and Baal also had his prophets or emissaries who spoke on his behalf. The word “prophet” is also used to describe those who are the representatives of Baal or of false pagan beliefs and this shows that the word prophet does not always refer to someone who speaks the truth on behalf of God or who is a spokesman from God to men about future events which God made known to him.

In the book of Nehemiah, chapter 6 we have an example of the word “prophet” being used about individuals sent to represent not God but a man and for the purpose of giving out a non-religious message.

In chapter 6, we read that Nehemiah is overseeing the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and that the enemies of the Jews did not want them to complete the wall. They tried to lure him away from Jerusalem by asking him to come to a meeting that would be held outside of Jerusalem. Nehemiah knew their ill intentions towards him and refused to go saying he was too busy supervising the rebuilding of the wall. In one last effort to get him to meet with them they send Nehemiah a letter.

Neh 6:6 Wherein [in the letter] was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

They were accusing Nehemiah of wanting to become the king of the Jews and that was why he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. They were hoping this accusation would be sufficiently shocking to Nehemiah that he would go to them to explain that it was not so. They could then do mischief to him. That is the context of the 6th chapter of Nehemiah which brings us to Neh 6:7 where we see Nehemiah’s enemies falsely saying that Nehemiah had appointed prophets (spokesman, emissaries) to preach about him in Jerusalem saying there is a king in Judah i.e., Nehemiah.

Neh 6:7 And thou [Nehemiah] hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

Here in Neh 6:7 we see that a prophet is a man who is an emissary or delegate who will preach or in this case, announce to the people of Jerusalem that Nehemiah is going to be their king. A prophet in this case are men that Nehemiah would appoint as his agent or spokesperson to carry to a given group of people a message on his behalf which is of a non-religious nature. The word “prophet” is used in Neh 6:7 to describe such a non-religious message which is also not a message from God of events that are to occur far out in the future.

Prophesying is not always about things religious nor about future events. There is a religious and a non-religious use and meaning to the word “prophecy.” The men supposedly delegated by Nehemiah to speak to the people are called “prophets” and their message is about Nehemiah and is not from God.

Hopefully, these explanations are sufficiently clear for you to understand that prophesying as used in the Bible is not always God using men to predict future events and that someone delivering a message on behalf of another human being is also referred to in the Bible as being a prophet.

Finally, prophesying can be about converted men sharing their understanding of truth given them by God in an iron sharpens iron attitude with other converted members of God’s Church where the speaker stands ready to be corrected should it be determined in discussions with the congregation and by reference to the Scriptures that his understanding is erroneous. At other times, it is used simply to indicate that individuals after their conversion can and will speak the truth of God to one another in Christian fellowship as the Holy Spirit makes it available to them as they pray and study. This particular meaning of “prophesying” can be found in Joel 2:28.

Joe 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

The meaning is not that all the sons and daughters of men in the days when God pours out of His Holy Spirit upon all flesh will start prophesying in the sense of talking about events which are yet to come to pass and which God has revealed to them. Rather, it means that they will come to know some of God’s truth upon being called and that they will talk about it and share it with other individuals who are also being called or who have become converted.

This was a long digression but one which I feel was necessary for you to understand the different meanings of the word “prophet” as found in your Bible.

Now, going back to the topic which is the main focus of this study. So far we have established that God the Father is the king of the kingdom of God and that Christ is second to Him in order of authority. This means there is an hierarchy of authority in God’s Kingdom; that not all will be equal in authority and that all will be under authority.

How will this authority be exercised?

Hierarchy in God’s Kingdom

In 1 Corn 12 we find Paul explaining to the Church, them and us today, how the Church is made up of many members with different abilities and spiritual gifts but who despite these individual differences between them, the Church constitutes one body.

In Eph 5:22-33, Paul explains that the relationship between a man and a woman in a Godly marriage is a physical level example of the relationship between God the Father and Christ and that it is also an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Christ is the head of the Church as the husband is to be the head of the wife so that they can live together in peace and harmony. Two separate, distinct, autonomous human beings self-willingly and in obedience to God apply God’s government to their relationship. The husband is to lead and the wife is to follow (not because she is less intelligent or inferior to men but in obedience to God) and in this way, they become one; two individuals acting as one as is the case with God the Father and Christ by means of the authority structure or hierarchical order decreed by God for a man and woman becoming husband and wife.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
A married couple is a new creation where two separate and distinct individuals with their own minds and personalities become one. They are made one by their maintaining their relationship in accordance with God’s government i.e., one leads and the other willingly follows in the same way that Christ is in perfect obedience to His Father and He and the Father are thus one.
Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we [the members of God’s Church] are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. [members of God’s Church are an integral part of the body of Christ as we submit to God’s government in our lives. We are not our own anymore doing as we please, we are members of Christ’s body and we follow Christ as we follow God’s law which governs what we can and cannot do. The law is from God the Father and Christ is in perfect submission to His Father and the law as a wife is to submit to her husband.]
Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. [A new creation where by applying God’s government to the relationship two separate and distinct individuals begin acting as a single entity. Either part of this new being is not free to act independently from the other or as the saying goes today “To do their own thing.”There are mutually binding requirements for the husband and the wife.]
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Ephesian 5 reiterates the idea that in God’s Church (Eph 5:32) and in a Godly marriage there is an order of authority and that this order of authority is established by God. It also establishes that as a man and a woman in a Godly marriage become one flesh, one being; they are no longer separate and distinct individuals free to act as they wish independently of each other and so is the situation with those who become part of God’s Church. The Church is the body of Christ and Christ is the head of the body; all are part of the body regardless of their role in the body and all are in submission to Christ.

A man and a woman in a Godly marriage is a type of the relationship of God’s Church to Christ. In both instances, they are a new creation where separate and distinct individuals become a new entity through the application the authority structure of God’s kingdom to their relationship i.e. God the Father is higher in authority than Christ, the husband is higher in authority than his wife, and Christ is the highest authority in God’s Church. This authority structure is the very basis of God’s Kingdom where in time a great number of converted individuals will become a part of it and come under the authority structure of God’s Kingdom. This authority structure will ensure that though the kingdom will be composed of untold number of autonomous individuals with independent mind power, they will all be under the authority of God the Father and others to whom authority will be delegated and as such operate as a single entity or body.

Ancient Israel was set up according to the pattern of God’s Kingdom in that God ruled over Israel through Moses who delegated authority to other men in the congregation of Israel who administered the law over the people who were to live their lives in accordance with the requirements of the law. This authority structure is what made Israel the nation that it became i.e., a strong, prosperous and wealthy nation. A nation’s law defines it whether it be Old Testament Israel or modern-day nations.

Deu 4:5 Behold, I [Moses] have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Deu 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Deu 4:7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
Deu 4:8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Deu 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

Now let’s continue with 1 Corn 12 where Christ emphasizes that the Church is made up of many members but is one body. The different members have received different spiritual gifts and God sets each member in the body in such as way that the body can best profit from their individual spiritual gifts. All members are essential and are a part of the body regardless of their abilities which is illustrated by a physical analogy with the human body. In the human body we find different parts with different abilities and functions and all are essential to the body as all in their own way work toward and contribute to the well being of the physical body. In the same way, God’s Church which is the body of Christ has different members with different spiritual gifts who along with all other members of the body are essential and contribute to its well being.

I have highlighted in blue in the following quotation of 1 Corn 12 the verses and parts of verses pertaining to the matters we have just examined.

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
1Co 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
1Co 12:24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1Co 12:25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

The human body, in how it is organized with its various organs which perform different functions which are all needed by the body and make it complete, is like the body of Christ which is made up of individuals with different spiritual gifts which God has placed in the body of Christ as it pleases Him. Each member of God’s Church is assigned by God the Father, a level of authority and responsibilities which best suit the needs of the body.

The body of Christ, the Church is like a human body. In the human body all parts cooperate with each other for the good of the body and in the body of Christ, truly converted members willingly submit to God’s will and exercise the authority and assume the responsibilities given them.

In Ephesians 4:15-16 we read of how Christ’s body is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies or provides. In other words, all members of God’s Church which constitute the body of Christ all fit together perfectly as each member assumes the responsibilities given it in the body in accordance with the spiritual gifts received and as God sets them in the body. They do not choose their role or responsibilities in the body.

Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, [the members of God’s Church which collectively is the body of Christ] may grow up into him [may become like Christ as much as is possible in this life] in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom [the Head, Jesus-Christ] the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

The authority structure that is in the Church is what makes the body of Christ one though composed of many members or individuals. Through the willing acceptance of God’s authority, the members of God’s Church are one with Christ and God the Father. There are many members but only one body as all members cooperate and fulfill the roles given them by God in the body of Christ.

More about this in the next part of this study.

True Believers are One with Christ and God the Father

A fundamental characteristic of God, His Kingdom and truly converted Christians is that of oneness. It is a very important concept without which many Scriptures can be, and are, grossly misunderstood. Let’s examine what it means to be “one”?

Christ says that He and His Father are one.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

As we have seen in the example of marriage (Eph 5), a man and a woman though remaining two distinct individuals with their own personalities become one in marriage through the authority structure God put in marriage. We have also seen how the Church which is the body of Christ is made up of many different members with different spiritual gifts who remain individuals with their own personality and who in the Church constitute one body (1 Corn 12) as they are all in submission to or under the authority of Christ.

In the book of John we see repeated the idea that Christ and the Father are one and that true believers i.e., those constituting God’s Church are one with Christ (see John 14:20 quoted below). In John 15:23, Christ says there is no difference between Him and His Father; that if you hate one you are also hating the other because they are one. They speak the same things and agree on everything all the time; Christ agrees to be perfectly in submission to His Father and in this way is a perfect representative of Him.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Joh 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Joh 17:21 That they [true Christians] all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye [true Christians] in me, and I in you.

God the Father is in Christ and Christ is in the Father and both of them are in true believers. The implication of this oneness between the Father and Christ and true believers is that the Church which is made up of true believers is a type of the very Kingdom of God and this is something we will explore in the next part of this study.

The Church — a Type of God’s Kingdom

Presently, the Kingdom of God is made up of 2 personages, God the Father and Christ. In this kingdom there is a hierarchy of authority with God the Father being the most high and Christ being fully in submission to His Father. The manner of their existence reveals to us an important characteristic of God’s Kingdom and that is that in it we find a hierarchy of authority with God the Father as the supreme ruler and Christ fully submitting to His Father. There are therefore different levels of authority and an established order in which this authority is exercised.

Christ says He is in the Father as the Father is in Him and as they are in true believers who collectively constitute the body of Christ. The body of Christ as we have just seen is described as being organized like a human body with every part being assigned a level of authority and responsibilities the same way in the Church, God the Father sets every member with their different spiritual gifts as it pleases him and in a way that best profits the body or Church.

Therefore, the Church which is the body of Christ is a human level type of God’s spiritual Kingdom in which levels of authority and responsibilities will be allocated by God the Father. The many members with all their individual differences nevertheless constitute one body in the same way the different parts of the human body constitute one body where every part harmoniously contributes to the well-being of the body.

What makes it possible for a very large number of different, autonomous, individuals with mind power to be able to function as one, is the form of God’s government that exists in His Kingdom. God the Father is supreme in authority and Christ is 2nd in authority to God the Father but is not free to do as He pleases; the Father’s will is His will. All members of God’s Kingdom will find themselves placed as God determines in offices of responsibility in a vast hierarchy of authority where they will contribute in the best possible way to the well-being of the body.

It is through the hierarchical authority structure of God’s government that all members of God’s Kingdom will be one. And it is through this same authority structure applied in the God’s Church that the Church is a human level type of God’s Kingdom. Of course it not possible for this authority structure to be perfectly applied in an organization made up of fallible human beings but despite unavoidable shortcomings in applying this government structure in the Church, the Church remains a physical type of God’s Kingdom.

Since there will be a very large number of individuals making up God’s Kingdom as there are a great number of parts to the human body, how will it be possible for all these different parts to cooperatively and harmoniously exist together and in service to the Head of the Kingdom which is God the Father?

God’s Law

The many and different parts of our human, physical bodies work perfectly together because of unchangeable laws that regulate their individual activities. These are laws which science is still in the process of discovering and which may never be fully known by men so complex is the human body which the Bible describes as being “…fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Ps 139:14).

The law regulating the functioning of our bodies are an integral part of our bodies. They are not something which is outside the body and which can vary from body to body. All human bodies work according to the same laws.

God says there is a time coming when He will write His law in the hearts or minds of men.

Eze 36:26 A new heart [not physically speaking but rather a new, unchanging attitude of mind] also will I give you, and a new spirit [God’s Holy Spirit] will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart [your previous inability to obey God’s law (Rom8:7)] out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.[a mind that can be taught God’s spiritual truth and which can be in submission to God if the person chooses it.]

That will be the time of Israel’s calling on its return from its end-time captivity and it will also be the time when God will pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh at the beginning of the coming Millennium.

Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, [this will happen for all those who choose to follow their calling] and cause you [not force but give men the possibility of obeying God] to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. [not in their own strength but through Christ in them who perfectly obeyed His Father]

Imperfect flesh-and-blood men who are unable to perfectly keep God’s law which is spiritual will become able to do so through Christ in them. When a called out person chooses to follow his calling and commits to submit to God’s authority in his life as expressed by God’s law as found in the Bible then God the Father imputes Christ’s perfect holy righteous character to him and the grace that abounded from His perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind covers their sins. This is a topic which constitutes a whole study in itself and which I cannot pursue here so as not to make this document overly long. Detailed information is provided on this topic in the following studies available by clicking on the following hyperlinks: Salvation by Imputation and Does the Holy Spirit Make it Possible for men to Obey God?

God’s kingdom will only be made up of individuals who have been called, chosen and who have remained faithful until the time of their death. They become part of God’s Kingdom and will constitute the subjects over which God the Father, the King of the Kingdom, will rule once they become glorified spirit beings through a resurrection from the dead.

When the faithful are resurrected, God’s law will be written on their heart i.e., their mind; it will be an integral part of their unchanging spiritual being and character. They will be God as God is God and unable to sin as God’s perfect spiritual law will define them as it defines God the Father and Jesus-Christ or Logos.

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

And, as has been mentioned in other studies on this Web site, the Bible clearly states that there is a spirit in man, or a spirit essence which is in the man but not a part of him like a marble that one would swallow. At death this spirit goes back to God and the body goes back to the dust of the ground.

Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

This spirit essence that goes back to God at the time of death is a perfect copy of all that person has been and will be used by God when that individual is resurrected. All of mankind has this spirit essence in them which goes back to God at the time of death and which is a perfect spiritual mold of all each person who ever lived has been.

Those that have died in Christ will have in their spirit essence the abiding attitude of obedience they had while alive as flesh-and-blood humans. When resurrected as glorified spirit beings this attitude of obedience will become a permanent and unchangeable part of their spirit being which will make it possible for them to become perfectly fitting members of God’s Kingdom as they willingly and happily assume the roles and responsibilities that will be assigned to them by God, the King of the Kingdom.

There will never be any dispute over who is to rule or over who is to follow who. All will be in perfect obedience to God’s will as is Christ.

So, so far we have established who is the King of the Kingdom, who will be the subjects of the Kingdom, what will be the law of the Kingdom and now we have to look into what will be the territory over which the King will reign and that His subjects will inhabit.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

In the Bible we see flesh-and-blood men of greater or lesser importance wondering why it would be that God would have any interest in them.

Job 7:17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

David in the Psalms while looking at the vastness of the universe, the millions of stars in the sky and which were all created by God wonders why it is that God should be mindful of man which by comparison to the universe created by God seems to be so small and insignificant that really, God should have no interest whatsoever in such a puny being.

Psa 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. [Man was created a little lower than the angels for the purpose of later being crowned with glory and honour and this providing certain conditions are satisfied; must be called, chosen and faithful.]
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: [Mankind was made by God to rule over the universe, the work of God’s hands; all of God’s creation is to be made subject to mankind.]
Psa 8:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
Psa 8:8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
Psa 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

In the book of Hebrews we have the same topic being addressed and which adds to what is said in the Psalms.

Heb 2:6 But one [David in the Psalms] in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Heb 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
Heb 2:8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. [Mankind was made to rule over God’s creation; that is why mankind was created but now is not the time when mankind is to do so but there is a time coming when He will.]

We know that this present universe will pass away.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

The Scriptures also plainly tell us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth created.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

The creation of the new heaven and of the new earth occurs after the 3rd resurrection where all those who have refused their calling or turned away from it after having followed it, will die the second death in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:14; 21:8)

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Malachi 4 allows us to know that the time of the Lake of Fire is also the time when the wicked die the second death by being burnt up in the Lake of Fire.

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, [they will die in the Lake of Fire] saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. [It is a death from which there can be no resurrection, no root or branch will be left from which new life could spring up.]
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Mal 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, [this is the time of the resurrection of God’s Millennial and Last Great Day saints who together with God’s first resurrection saints, will tread down the wicked who will have died in the Lake of Fire and of which there will only be ashes left] saith the LORD of hosts.

And 2 Pe 3:10 makes it clear that the time when the new heaven and the new earth will be created, when God makes all things new, is the time when the earth becomes a great lake of fire, the elements melt with fervent heat and the earth and the works that are therein are burnt up

Mankind was created to have dominion over God’s creation however, the creation over which he is to rule is not God’s current creation but a new heaven and a new earth which God will create when He makes all things news. Only God beings can rule over earth and especially the universe where space and time make it impossible for mortal, flesh-and-blood human beings to even reach the closest star to the earth. These God beings will be God’s resurrected saints who were formerly flesh-and blood mortal human beings which had no such power. The reward of those saved is not to rule over mankind during the Millennium but over a new heaven and a new earth.

Summary

At this point we have determined who is the King of the Kingdom, who will be the subjects of the Kingdom, what will be the law of the Kingdom and where and when the Kingdom will exist.

God the Father is the King of the Kingdom, the subjects of the Kingdom will be God’s resurrected saints, the law of the Kingdom will be God’s law and the territory of God’s Kingdom will be the new heaven and the new earth which God will create after the third resurrection and the Lake of Fire which burns up the wicked and continues to extend to the whole earth and the universe which are consumed;then God creates new ones.

Hopefully, all these things are clearer to you and add to your knowledge and understanding of what will be the Kingdom of God.