The title words are included in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples. That prayer confirms that God’s future Kingdom was a reality. In that kingdom God’s perfect will would be done on earth as it is presently in heaven.
The Old Testament has much more to say about the future kingdom than the New Testament. It would take a separate book to adequately describe the attributes of the future kingdom, but we’ll list a couple of examples.
“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains…and all nations shall flow to it.” Isaiah 2:2
The phrase ‘latter days’ refers to the future millennial kingdom. Jerusalem will be the capital and center of Israel from that time to evermore.
Recall when Ezekiel relayed God’s words when He entered the millennial temple.
“Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.” Ezekiel 43:7
One wonders why there is so much unrest when President Trump announced that his administration would begin the process to make Jerusalem Israel’s capital.
“…Your eyes will see Jerusalem…a tabernacle that will not be taken down…(for the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King…)” Isaiah 33:20, 22
The above passage settles the question of the separation of church and state. That premise can be expressed during this Christmas season with the words: Bah! Humbug!
But the kingdom described in Isaiah is in the future, how about the present?
“Now when He (Jesus) was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered…‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation…For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (in a person’s heart).’” Luke 17:20-21
The kingdom of God presently resides within the hearts of the Disciples of Christ by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the kingdom of God is invisible during the dispensation of the church.
However, the day will come when the invisible will become visible. Present day believers embrace the invisible by faith, and such faith is a gift of God.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…” Hebrews 11:1
Jesus also spoke of the reality of the future kingdom to His disciples.
“But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at my table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:28-30
The disciples were excited and confident of the kingdom; however, they didn’t know the timing so they asked Jesus right before His ascension.
“…Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6
Jesus told them that the timing was strictly in the hands of the Father and would not be made known to them.
At that time the disciples didn’t understand that there would be a wide gap of time between Jesus’ departure and His return. The disciples thought that the future kingdom would be established immediately. Jesus did, however, explain it to them.
“…A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come…’ And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” Luke 19:12-13, 15
Jesus would return to heaven for several thousand years, and while he was gone He gave His servants spiritual assets to put to work. When He returned He would judge their stewardship of the assets He had left with them.
The time He would be away is the present time gap between Daniel’s 69th and 79th week.
For more, see my latest book “Looking Backward from the Future: …Until Messiah the Prince”
