By age thirteen, I had learned about the world\u2019s empires and kingdoms, past and present. And I had lived through one called the Third Reich, which was supposed to last a thousand years but thankfully ended after a mere twelve (1933-1945).<\/p>\n
I read the Bible for the first time at age 28 and was surprised to find much about kingdoms, like Canaan (Psalm 135:11) and Babylon \u2014 called the \u201cglory of kingdoms\u201d at first (Isaiah 13:19) but banished into darkness in the end (47:5). I was amazed that the people of Israel should want their nation to become a kingdom, like others, even after Samuel told them what a king would demand (1 Samuel 8).<\/p>\n
In the New Testament I came across numerous references to the kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God. I read about the Devil taking Jesus up to a high mountain and promising to give Him all the power and glory of the world\u2019s kingdoms if He would fall down and worship Satan (Matthew 4:8, 9). Unlike Israel earlier, Jesus did not fall to the temptation of the kingdoms of this world.<\/p>\n
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He twice stressed the Father\u2019s kingdom: \u201cThy kingdom come . . . For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen\u201d (6:9-13).<\/p>\n
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus began, \u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven\u201d (5:3). And concluded it \u201cBlessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven\u201d (v. 10).<\/p>\n
Throughout history, the poor and the righteous have borne the brunt of persecution and oppression. The early Christians in Rome suffered even unto death under several emperors. Paul wrote to them that if we suffer with Christ, we will be glorified together and that our sufferings now can\u2019t compare with the glory to be revealed in us (Romans 8:16-18).<\/p>\n
Paul encouraged the Corinthians, \u201cThen cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:24).<\/p>\n
Indeed, hundreds of years earlier, Daniel had seen visions of that event (see Daniel 7:13, 14).<\/p>\n
Under the sway of the Devil, humanity still wants its kingdoms, its own forms of governments. We have tried just about everything: small monarchies, big empires, dictatorships, communism, democracies, and republics \u2014 and at times, even anarchy. All have failed or are failing.<\/p>\n
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews lists God\u2019s faithful who refused to live by the world\u2019s systems and lived instead by His rule: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David \u2014 to name a few. Verses 35-40 describe what many of them suffered, such as torture, mockings, and scourgings. Verse 40 was written to Christians long ago, as well as to us, here and now: \u201cGod having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, as we stand between the kingdoms of this world and God\u2019s coming reign, we are reminded to \u201cwalk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory\u201d (1 Thessalonians 2:12). We can do this now, together, knowing that someday soon the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord (Revelation 11:15).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By age thirteen, I had learned about the world\u2019s empires and kingdoms, past and present. And I had lived through one called the Third Reich, which was supposed to last a thousand years but thankfully ended after a mere twelve (1933-1945).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":368,"featured_media":2365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n