Two Kingdoms: Light & Darkness (Part 3 of 4)‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back.  This week we will examine the Kingdom of Light defined in the Holy Scriptures and how it is superior to that of the darkness of this world...  Enjoy!

The Kingdom of Light

The presence of God's kingdom is characterized by light:

Psalm 27:1, 119:105; Proverbs 29:13; Isaiah 2:5, 9:2, 60:1; Matthew 4:16; Luke 16:8; John 1:4, 9, 3:19-21, 8:12, 12:46; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5, 7; Revelation 21:23.

As we discussed last week, Satan's kingdom is characterized by darkness:

Psalm 107:10-11; Luke 22:53; John 3:19; Ephesians 5:8, 6:12; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9

There are two divine kingdoms mentioned in the Bible: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven.  The kingdom of God is the practical sphere of God's rule (Psalm 22:28, 145:13; Daniel 4:25).  That is the place where God's will is always done.  This is a spiritual kingdom rather than a physical kingdom, and Christian believers are the subjects of this spiritual kingdom.  However, this physical earth and its immediate heavens are the scene of universal rebellion against God (1 John 5:19; Revelation 11:15-18, 12:13).

Therefore, the actual sphere of God's rule is wherever His rule is acknowledged; it is in the highest heaven and in the hearts of His believing children.  It is not coerced.  It includes the angels that did not rebel and born again people who belong to God.  God's rule has been acknowledged in the hearts of His children throughout the ages.  This kingdom now is really a spiritual kingdom, in that it exists spiritually and not materially.  It includes all those who have acknowledged the rule of God through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for their sins.

Jesus said:

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23 NKJV).

The expression "kingdom of heaven," or literally, "of the heavens," is one that is peculiar to Matthew's gospel.  It refers to the rule of the heavens, i.e., the rule of the God of heaven over the earth as illustrated in Daniel (Daniel 2:44, 4:25, 32).  The kingdom of heaven is similar in many respects to the kingdom of God and is often used synonymously with it; though emphasizing certain features of divine government.  When contrasted with the universal kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven includes only men on earth, excluding angels and other creatures.

The kingdom of heaven is the earthly sphere of people who profess faith in Jesus.  It includes those designated as wheat and tares; the latter are cast out of the kingdom (Matthew 13:47).  The kingdom of heaven is also compared to a net containing both the good and bad fish which are later separated (Matthew 13:47).

The kingdom of heaven is revealed in three aspects.  First, it is "at hand" (Matthew 4:17).  The kingdom is offered in the person of the King, of whom John the Baptist was the forerunner (Matthew 3:1).

Secondly, this kingdom is being fulfilled in the present age.  The kingdom of heaven is presented in seven mysteries (Matthew 13), revealing the character of the rule of heaven over the earth between the first and second coming of Jesus.

Thirdly, this kingdom is fulfilled after the second coming of Jesus.  The kingdom of heaven will be realized in the future millennial kingdom predicted by Daniel (Daniel 2:34-36, 44-45) and covenanted to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Zechariah 12:8).  This millennial form of the kingdom of heaven will be wholly future and will be set up after the return of Jesus (Matthew 24:29-25:46; Acts 15:14-17).

The kingdom had been prophesied to Israel for over a thousand years before the first advent of Jesus Christ (2 Samuel 7:11-17; Psalm 89:20-37).  The Jews looked forward to the kingdom which God had promised to them (Matthew 11:12; Luke 1:33, 12:32; Acts 1:6; Hebrews 12:28).  Many Jews were expecting the imminent appearance of their Messiah just prior and during the time that Jesus was born (Luke 2:25, 36-38, 23:51).

A large body of extra-biblical apocalyptic literature was written by Jews during this period.  Jewish sects, like the Essenes, sprang up in Israel during this time.  These writings show that the Jews expected a literal physical kingdom to be inaugurated by God; when the nation of Israel, with Jerusalem, would be the center of world rule by the Messiah.

Even a vocabulary had developed regarding the kingdom age in the first century BC.  The term "eternal life" or "everlasting life" was well known during the time of Jesus' earthly ministry.  Nowhere is this term defined in Scripture; nor was Jesus ever asked what He meant by it.  We can conclude that everyone in Israel knew the term.

God had prepared that age for the advent of the Messiah in many ways (Galatians 4:4).  This term "eternal life" is found in the Jewish rabbinical writings and is basically eschatological in outlook.  The rabbis used to refer to the "life in the age that is eternal," referring to the kingdom age and the eternal state.  Life in the kingdom age, or in the age to come, is eternal in quality, free from the limitations of time, decay, evil and sin.

The prophesied kingdom was offered to Israel by Jesus (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, 23; Mark 1:15) at His first advent.  But they rejected Him as Messiah; and so rejected the kingdom as well (Matthew 23:37-39).  Referring to Himself as the King, Jesus said to the Jews, "The kingdom of God is in the midst of you" (Luke 17:21).  The "you" in the Greek is plural, which rules out the meaning that the kingdom is inside each of you, singular.

Paul clearly stated that God has not cast away His people, Israel (Romans 11:1-2).  Thus the church cannot be the replacement for Israel.  Christians must be careful not to expropriate promises made to the nation of Israel for themselves or the church!  That is the error of replacement theology.

The covenants still belong to Israel (Romans 9:4).  Israel is only temporarily set aside because of their unbelief (Romans 11:20).  In the future millennial kingdom, God will deal with Israel as a nation and fulfill the promised Old Testament covenants with them (Romans 11:26-27).  The Abrahamic covenant is the dominant covenant of Scripture (Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17, 15:4-6, 12-20, 17:1-2; Romans 4:13-25; Hebrews 11:8-22, 39-40) and is superior to the Mosaic covenant.

The very name Israel means "governed by God" (Genesis 32:28-30).  So when Paul says, "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel" (Romans 9:6); Paul is saying not all Jews are governed by God, even if they use the name Israel.  Jews who are governed by God have put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, their Messiah.  Paul said:

"It is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all" (Romans 4:16).

Therefore, the apostle could also say "And so all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26) because Jews who believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah were governed by God.  The Jews who were not saved used the name Israel even though they were not truly governed by God.  Today this is still true of the Jews.
Please join us next week as we conclude this important series by investigating the promised return of Jesus Christ prophesied in the Scriptures...



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