The Glorious
Kingdom of Christ
Part I
                                                                                            By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                            March 7, 2017
     "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever," Daniel 2:44.  
Introduction
     After sending out my last study entitled "The Vengeance of God," a fellow believer asked me, why do so many prophecy preachers and teachers write about the coming terrible Tribulation period?  The Pre-tribulation rapture of God's people makes it obvious that true New Covenant believers will not be here for the Tribulation period. We New Covenant believers will be raptured before the Tribulation, and will spend the seven years of the Tribulation on earth, with our Heavenly Bridegroom in the New Jerusalem in glory.  Glory to God!  Hallelujah!
     I cannot answer for other writers, but I have written on the Tribulation because I have a deep concern for the souls of men and women, boys and girls, who are lost in sin and unbelief, and want to see at least some of them turn to Christ for salvation, and not be left behind when the rapture occurs.
     This fellow believer then replied, But since true New Covenant believers will not be here during the Tribulation period, then why not encourage God's people by telling them the "good news" of the coming glorious Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which will be established on the earth after the Tribulation period ends?
     Dear readers, I pray earnestly about what the Lord would have me to write on in my Bible Studies, and I have been in earnest prayer about what the Lord wanted me to write on next for my readers.  So when this fellow believer asked me these questions, it appeared to me that I had my answer from the Lord.  Praise His Holy Name!
      Beginning with this study, I will be writing a series [the Lord permitting] of studies about the coming glorious Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Please join us for this first study, which I pray will be enlightening and a blessing to our readers.......
Solving the World's Problems
     Every serious Bible student knows, or should know, that the past and present rulers of the nations of  this world, have made nothing but a political and economic mess of the whole world system.  Just take a long hard look at the world system today before telling me that I am wrong!
     According to our text passage in Daniel 2:44 [the ten kings], and other similar prophecies in Revelation, during the coming Tribulation period a one world government will become a reality.  All the nations of the world will be reduced to just ten nations, with a king ruling over each of the ten nations, who will be answerable to the evil trinity [the beast, the false prophet, and the anti-christ] who will literally "rule the whole world."     
     Many do not realize that the idea of a one world government has become very popular with a large number of people all over the world today. This is due to almost constant disputes, conflicts, and wars between the governments presently ruling the nations.  This fits perfectly into Bible prophecy, for the prophetic word clearly predicts that a man is going to arise, at any minute now, [the prophesied Anti-christ], who will take advantage of the one world government movement, and will become the ruler of the whole world during the last 42 months of the Tribulation period, Revelation 11:2; 13:5.
     Certainly any true believer who seriously studies God's inspired Word, knows that the Lord God foreknew fallen mankind would come to this place in human history, and determined "from the beginning" to establish His own Kingdom upon the earth for the benefit of mankind, Isaish 46:9-10; Acts 15:18; Matthew 6:9-10.  And what a glorious Kingdom it will be.......
The First Major Problem
     Human government, regardless of how good it starts out, inevitiably becomes corrupt.  Why?  
     [1] Because fallen mankind is corrupt, and there is no way for corrupt men to consistently live or rule righteously.
     [2]  Because fallen mankind refuses to pay any attention to the  instructions set forth in God's Word for those who would rule over other men.  
     So the very first problem in establishing the Kingdom of Christ, is to set up a government which will be totally just and righteous, and which can never be corrupted or ever become corrupt.
     Wow!  What a problem!  But not for our Lord Jesus Christ.  He began working on this problem at His first coming some 2,000 years ago, and
already has the solution to the problem ready to set into place at the appointed time.  And this is basically the subject matter of this study.  
     And what is the Lord's solution to this problem?  The Lord's solution to the problem of a stable government over mankind on the earth, is to raise up a government made up solely of born-again, Holy Spirit filled, resurrected or raptured, glorified, "sons of God."  Read again John 3:1-21, and notice that in this chapter setting forth the need for a "new birth," the Lord specifically mentioned "the kingdom of God" twice in connection with the "new birth;" verses 3 and 5.  
     Now look at the parables the Lord Himself set forth, dealing with the "talents" and the "pounds."  
     In the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, the Lord tells the faithful servants, "I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."  
     Likewise, in the Parable of the Pounds, Luke 19:11-27, the Lord tells the faithful servants, ".....because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities," 19:17; "five cities," 19:19; etc.  
     This truth of rulership being placed on faithful New Covenant believers is emphasized over and over again right on through the rest of the New Testament.  The Lord Himself explicitly stated in Luke 16:10-11, "He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
     If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who shall commit to your trust the true riches?"
     In all of these Scriptures, the Lord Jesus was obviously looking forward to the "bema" judgment of the works of believers, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
     The Lord expects His people to be faithful in loving and serving Him in this present life.  If we do seek to be faithful to our Savior and Lord, it will pay eternal dividends.  It may not have occurred to some readers, but the Lord throughout this present dispensation, has been selecting those faithful children of God who will "rule and reign" with Him in His Kingdom, .  
       The Apostle Paul explicitly stated to the Corinthian church, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful," 1 Corinthians 4:2.  Why?  Read the rest of the chapter.  
The Bema Judgment
     Surely most or all of our readers know that there is going to be a "bema" judgment for every true believer, 2 Corinthians 5:10.  It is at this judgment that our faithfulness to Christ [or lack of it] will be judged, and we will receive our rewards, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23.  It is at this "bema" judgment that some believers will be assigned positions of rulership in the Kingdom of Christ, which will be established on the earth following the Tribulation period.  On the other hand, some believers, because of their lack of dedication to the Lord Jesus, and their unfaithfulness in living for the Lord, will lose the rewards they could have had, if they had just taken their salvation in Christ seriously.  Instead of receiving a place of authority and rulership in the Lord's Kingdom, these unfaithful servants will be ruled over during the Millennial Kingdom, Matthew 25:24-30; Luke 19:20-26.  Now which reward would you prefer to receive?   The life you are living right now in the Lord, will determine your rewards in the future, 1 Corinthians 3:13.     
     Folks, the Lord who watches over His believing people, is right now selecting His government to "rule and reign" with Him in His Kingdom, 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 5:7-10.  Take heed!   
Declaring the End from the Beginning
     In Isaiah 46:9-10 is one of the most profound, and often overlooked or ignored, statements in the entire Word of God,
     "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me,
     Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."  
      Now let's take the truth stated here, and see how it applies to the return of Christ to establish His Kingdom upon the earth.  Glory!  
The Return of Christ
     The Lord Jesus Himself explicitly stated in Matthew 24:29-30, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars [asters...asteroids]  shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
     And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  
     Dear readers, these Scriptures spoken by our Lord Himself, explicitly state that the entire earth will be plunged into total darkness as the Tribulation period is brought to an end, just prior to the Lord's literal, visible, bodily, personal, return to the earth.  I highly suspect this will be three days of total darkness over all the earth.  During this period of total darkness over all the earth, asteroids will shower down upon the earth, becoming flaming red hot as they fly through earth's atmosphere at hundreds or thousands of miles per hour, and they will smash down and destroy, or burn up, the trees and vegetation,  and every man made structure left on the face of the whole earth.
     You have never heard any prophecy teacher state this before?  Why not?  It is stated right here in the Scripture, and was declared in advance by God many centuries ago.  What!  Where?  I'm so glad you asked!  
     Folks, just before the Lord God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt some 3,500 years ago, Exodus chapters 9 - 12 records the "signs" that the Lord poured out upon the land of Egypt.  In view of what the Lord plainly predicted in Matthew 24:29-30, study these chapters carefully!
     Each of the "signs" the Lord poured out upon ancient Egypt [a type of the world], is predicted in God's Word to occur again, either during the Tribulation period, or in connection with the Lord's return at the end of the Tribulation.  Is this just "coincidence," or did the Lord God declare "the end from the beginning," using the deliverance of Israel as His type?  Every honest reader knows the answer to this question!      
     One of the final signs  the Lord gave in ancient Egypt was three days of total darkness over all the land of Egypt.  Why three days? Dear readers, there is a vast difference between the Lord's coming at the time of the rapture, and the Lord's return to the earth at the end of the Tribulation period.  
     The rapture of God's people will occur in an instant; "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed," 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.  
     However, the return of Christ to the earth will slowly take place before the eyes of all the wicked still alive on the earth.  Christ explicitly stated that the sun would be darkned and the moon would not give her light, so there will be total darkness over the whole earth for a period of time.  The amount of time is not actually stated, but it will take enough time for every person on the earth to see it happening; perhaps a day or two or three as the earth revolves on it's axis, Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7.  
     Total darkness for up to three days would be fearful enough for those on the earth at that time, but then a tiny point of brilliant light will suddenly pierce the darkness in the heavens above the earth.  I seriously doubt if there will be any astronomers around to tell the people what the point of light is in the heavens.  But it will become obvious as time passes.  Christ Himself will be that glorious point of light, and the point will expand more and more as the Lord's angels, and yes, His glorified saints,  appear in the heavens with Him.  Due to the revolutions of the earth upon it's axis, I emphasize again that the Lord's coming will take long enough for every  living person on earth to see it happen, Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:24-26; Luke 21:25-28.
   The Glorious Army of the Lord
        In Revelation 19:11-14 is prophesied the literal, bodily, visible, second coming of the Lord back to the earth.  Notice that in verse 14, it is clearly stated that "...the armies [plural] which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."  Who are these armies?  
     These armies returning with the Lord can be divided into two distinct groups.......  
     [1]   The prophetic Scriptures clearly state that when Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, He will be accompanied by "...His angels...," Matthew 16:27; 25:31; Mark 8:38; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8.  The angels will return with the Lord to carry out whatever task the Lord assigns to them.  One of their special tasks will be the regathering of the Jewish people.  But that is another subject for another time.  I want to concentrate the attention of our readers on the other army which will return with the Lord.  
     [2]  The prophetic Scriptures are quite clear that when Christ returns, He will be accompanied by "all His saints" who have previously lived upon the earth, Zechariah 14:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:13.  Now who are  these "saints," and how do we identify them?    
      Compare the statement about their clothing being "fine linen, white and clean," with the description of the "four and twenty elders" in Revelation 4:4, and the Lord's Church and bride in 19:8.   The twenty-four elders seen in Revelation 4, are the saints of God who will have been  raptured prior to the beginning of the Tribulation.  
     Some of our readers may not take Bible numbers seriously, but God is the God of numbers; the Supernatural Mathematical Genius of all time.  In Ephesians 2:8 the inspired Word explicitly states, "For by grace [5] are ye saved through faith [19]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"  Now folks, what does "5," the Bible number which signifies "the grace of God," and "19," which signifies "faith," add up to?  Twenty-four!   Is this plain enough?
     And these twenty-four elders are dressed in "white raiment," just like the armies which come back to the earth with the Lord in 19:14.  But don't fail to notice that these twenty-four elders have "on their heads crowns of gold."  They are kings!  Returning with the Lord in 19:14 to "rule and reign" with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom.  Again, compare what these twenty-four elders have to say in 5:8-10, as they are singing and worshiping the Lord; "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou.......hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."  This is exactly what the Lord promised His faithful servants in the two parables previously mentioned in Matthew 25 and Luke 19.  Glory to God!  
     Dear readers, this army of God's people is coming back with the Lord as an army of occupation.   There is nothing said in the prophecies about them fighting!  The Lord Himself will do the fighting, Isaiah 63:1-6; Zechariah 14:1-5; Revelation 14:20.  But as the Lord destroys the incorrigible wicked upon the earth, this army of New Covenant believers will move in and take up the positions assigned to them to "rule and reign" over the nations and peoples upon the whole earth.   Every position of governmental authority on the entire earth, will be filled by one of the Lord's glorified saints, all of whom will be answerable to King Jesus ruling and reigning from His throne in the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem, Ezekiel 43.  The Lord's prayer will finally be answered as "The Kingdom of God" will finally be established on the earth.  The Lord's Kingdom of "righteousness and peace" will have arrived.  Glory to God!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  
The Lord's Perfect Government
     As this army of redeemed and glorified "saints," returning with the Lord, take up the positions assigned to them, this problem of human government over the nations will be solved, then and forever.  And what assurance do those who study and believe God's Word have of this?  Yes, I am so glad you asked and I will now give our readers eight Scriptural reasons why this army of redeemed saints will serve as the Lord's perfect government over mankind forever.
     [1]  This army of redeemed saints are now, and will be in the future, "new creations in Christ, " 2 Corinthians 5:17.
     [2]  This army of redeemed saints will have received new resurrected and "glorified" bodies, like the body of our Lord, Acts 3:13; Romans 8:11; 8:16-17; Philippians 3:20-21.  
     [3]  This army of redeemed saints will have been made "partakers of the Divine Nature," 2 Peter 1:4.  
     [4]  This army of redeemed saints, which presently is limited by the flesh, should then have no trouble fully exercising in all matters "the mind of Christ,"  1 Corinthians 2:14-16.  
     [5]  This army of redeemed saints will then be "sinless," and incapable of sinning, Romans 5:1; 1 John 3:9; 5:18.   
      [6]  This army of redeemed saints will be "incorruptible," 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.     
      [7]  This army of redeemed saints will be "young" and will never
have to be replaced due to growing old, Job 33:23-26.
     [8]  This army of redeemed saints will never have to be replaced by  "dying or passing away,"  1  Corinthians 15:53-55.  
     Now how could there ever be a more perfect governing body than this one created and brought into perfection by our Lord and Savior?   If any reader is not weeping or praying, and praising the Lord right now, for "these exceeding great and precious promises" [2 Peter 1:4], what is your problem?  Doesn't the "blessed hope" of our eternal future thrill and excite you, as it does me?
     And the Ages to Come.......
    Dear readers, I know a little about the Grace of God, for by God's grace, I know I am saved, and therefore I have and do presently experience some of God's grace, Ephesians 2:8-10.  But listen carefully to  the precious prelude to this passage in God's Word,
     "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,
     "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [made us alive] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
     "And hath raised us up together. and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
     That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:4-7.   
     Yes, dear reader, if you are truly saved, then you too know a little about the present Grace of God.   But neither you nor I yet know anything about "the exceeding riches of His grace."  The "exceeding riches" are reserved for "the ages to come."  
     But in meditating on these Scriptures, as an example think about the vastness of the Universe, all of it created by our Creator God.  Then read and believe the statement made in Revelation 21:4, ".....there shall be no more death....." Folks, this means what it says! Following the consequences of the Great White Throne judgment prophesied in Revelation 20:11-15, no person still living in their natural body on the earth will ever die, not by natural means [disease; old age; whatever], nor by war. Following the war instigated by Satan, recorded in Revelation 20:7-10, there will never be another war among mankind in all of eternity, for "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," Isaiah 2:2-4; 26;9; Micah 4:3.     
     Oh yes, there will be some saved people of various nations and tongues all over the earth, who will be living in their natural bodies, who will have survived the terrible judgments of the Tribulation period, just as Noah and his family survived the flood.  These people, living in their natural bodies out of many nations and tongues [Revelation 21:24-26], will perhaps be those who call upon the Lord as they see and watch Him slowly coming at the end of the Tribulation, and the Lord will have mercifully saved them.  The Lord God will also remove the sin nature from mankind, so there will be no sin and death.  Such is explicitly stated about Israel in Joel 3:20-21.  Sin is in the bloodstream of mankind, and the bloodstream of redeemed mankind will be cleansed when Christ returns to the earth at His second coming.  Glory to God!
     Every reader should have no problem understanding, that with  people living on the earth in their natural bodies having children, and no one dying, the earth will soon fill up with all the people it can support.  Then what will happen?   Didn't the Lord God, some 6,000 years ago, place on the earth air and water, and everything else that was needed,  enabling mankind to live on the earth?  If you are a true believer, you know He did!   So isn't the Lord still capable of reaching out into the solar system, or even elsewhere in the Universe, and "fitting" another planet with all the necessities for mankind to live on it?  
     And, "Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be  no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His 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 9:7.   
     Now perhaps some reader would like to tell me how the Kingdom of Christ is going to "increase.....for ever," without children being born to mankind, just as the Lord intended in the beginning, Genesis 1:28.  Glory to God!  Praise the Lord!  
     Yes, every true believer should be able to visualize the Lord God one day in "the ages to come" choosing one of His glorified saints to rule over the colonists He has placed upon Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, or even beyond elsewhere in the Universe.  
     Folks, I haven't lost my mind!  I am speaking here, not of just what the Lord God may do in "the ages to come," but of THE GREATNESS AND MAJESTY OF OUR GOD.  I hope every reader has felt His greatness and majesty in their own soul as you have read this study.   
     May our Gracious God add His blessings to this message is my prayer.  
Conclusion     
     Let's lay it right on the line.......if the reader is not truly saved by faith in Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord, YOU are going to miss it all!   
     You will miss the rapture, Luke 21:36.  Therefore you will miss receiving a glorified body, made in fashion like the glorious body of the Lord, Philippians 3:20-21.  Therefore you will miss being in the glorious army of the Lord, which will return with Him when He comes back to the earth at His second coming, Revelation 19:14.  Therefore you will miss ruling and reigning with Christ in His glorious Kingdom, Revelation 5:10.  You will miss your name being written in the Book of Life, Revelation 20:12-15, but you will not miss "being cast into the lake of fire."  
     The only solution to your problem, if YOU are not truly saved is to open your Bible, and read, and truly believe, and act upon, such Scriptures as John 3:16-18, 5:24, 14:6, Acts 4:12, 16:20-21, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 2:8-10, and 1 John 1:8-10.  Our Great God is faithful, who will never turn a deaf ear to, or fail to hear, the sincere, earnest, prayer of a truly repentant sinner, Psalm 6:9; Proverbs 15:8; 15:29.  Try Him and see for yourself!  
     May our gracious Lord God grant His Grace to every honest seeker.   
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This series to be continued as the Lord permits
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     Permission is granted to any true believer or Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.  
    Thank you dear brothers and sisters in Christ, for your prayers, and for your gifts, for and in support of this Bible study ministry.   I always keenly feel the need of the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Thank you so very much.  
     All comments, questions, and correspondence should be addressed to: Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 County Road 8120, Rolla, Missouri 65401.  For those who would prefer to call, my phone number is 573-201-0491.  I am usually home most of the time, except on Sunday mornings.  
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