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Very few Christians believe that the church will establish the
Kingdom of God in this age. They believe that the gospel will be
successful at times and that some churches will grow very large.
However, the possibility that the Kingdom of God will be
established does not occur to them. This idea doesn’t even
figure in their dreams.
They do not expect the kingdom to be established now. In
fact, if things on earth get worse, it is a sign that the of Jesus
is getting closer. Therefore we often don’t really want to see the
kingdom being established.
This doctrine that Jesus will return to establish the Kingdom, is Satan’s
greatest lie. He has used this lie to successfully cripple the
church.
The teaching that Jesus will personally come back to establish
the Kingdom of God is not true. The Bible teaches that Jesus will
return to receive the kingdom from the church, so that he can hand
it back to the father (1 Cor 15:24,25).
Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God incessantly. His gospel
was a gospel of the kingdom. It was not a gospel of Kingdom at the
end of age. It was a gospel of the Kingdom of God at hand, now. He
commissioned the church to establish the kingdom, now.
This is strange. Jesus' view of the Kingdom is different from
the view that most Christians have of the kingdom. The reason is
that many Christians have unwittingly accepted a lie from Satan.
He has fooled us into believing that Jesus will establish the
Kingdom when he returns. He has fooled us into believing that we
don’t have to do it, because Jesus will do it. The problem with
this is
that he has robbed us of our inheritance. The Kingdom of God is
our inheritance.
When we read the Scriptures, we tend to shift the passages that
promise victory to after the Second Coming. The Scriptures that
promise hard times are assigned to the current age. This is part
of the lie that Satan has sold us. The reality is that most of the
passages about victory are meant for this age. We have been robbed
of the promises of hope.
A corporate mental stronghold is a false idea that takes hold
in a culture so that it is wisely accepted. The belief that Jesus
will build the Kingdom of God when he returns is a corporate mental stronghold
that has crippled the Church .
The second coming of Jesus will not
achieve anything spiritually that would destroy the forces of
evil. Seeing Jesus will not be enough. Many people saw Jesus when
he lived on earth, but continued to reject him. Those who teach a
"millennium" after the second coming often imply that
Jesus will establish the Kingdom by force. It is hard to imagine
how Jesus would do this. Even if he sat on a throne in Jerusalem,
he could only control those in the immediate vicinity. Those
further abroad could escape his power. Jesus can accomplish far
more in the present age through the Holy Spirit. Working through
him, Jesus can extend his power and influence throughout the
entire earth.
The Jews expected Jesus to establish the
Kingdom of God by force. He refused to do this, and said,
My Kingdom is not of this world. If it
were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest… (John
18:36).
He said this to show that his Kingdom
would not be established by worldly means. Yet this is what many
Christians are wanting him to do. Jesus refused to use force, even
though he could have called on his Father to send a whole host of
angels to his aid (Matt 26:52,53). His Kingdom is not to be
established by the sword. Jesus knew that true converts cannot be
won by force. God has a much better way; to win the hearts of men
through the inner work of the Holy Spirit, as the church proclaims
the gospel.
Jesus will not return to establish a
kingdom, but will return for judgement.
The Lord is coming with thousands
upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone (Jude
14,15).
When Jesus returns it will be for the last
judgement. This is confirmed in the parable of the Minas (Luke
19:11-27). In this parable the nobleman goes away to receive his
kingdom. He returns when he has been made king. His servants are
then judged for what they have achieved. This describes Jesus
ministry. He ascends into heaven to receive his Kingdom. When it
is established he returns for judgement. He then hands his Kingdom
over to the Father (1 Cor 15:23-25). The same passage teaches that
his second coming will be "the end". It is not followed
by another age.
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