Bible Truth FAQs

THE KINGDOM HAS ALREADY COME ?

Many say that Christ is coming back to earth to set up his kingdom. They say that because he was rejected on his first attempt, he instituted his church as a "stop gap" to last until he comes again.

Jesus himself said to the multitude (Mark 9:1), "..there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." If the kingdom is still in the future, those people which stood there are getting quite aged. In Matt. 16:18-19 Jesus used the terms "church" and "kingdom" interchangeably. Paul stated to the church at Colosse (Col. 1:13) that they had been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ. The kingdom must have arrived if Paul and these Colossians, all alive and well, were already in it. Further, the writer of the Hebrew letter confirmed the kingdom's reality (Heb. 12:28).

The Bible doesn't say that Christ will return to set up his kingdom. What it does say is that when he returns, he will deliver up the already-established kingdom to his Heavenly Father (I Cor. 15:24). When that happens, all the saved will be in it. Anyone can enter the kingdom by obedience to the gospel of Christ (John 3:5; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41, 47). Don't be misled by false doctrines regarding the kingdom. (See II Thess. 2:7-12.)

Another Way To Put It...THE KINGDOM IS NOW!

A popular religious doctrine is that Christ is to return, set up a literal earthly kingdom, and reign a literal thousand years. This doctrine is based upon a misunderstanding of scriptures presented in figurative and symbolic language to the neglect and disregard of passages in plain language.

The prophecy in Dan. 2:31-45 indicated that God would set up a kingdom in the days of the kings of the Roman Empire, the divided kingdom represented by the feet and legs of the greet image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Jesus said in Mark 9:1, "Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." The timing agrees perfectly with the prophecy of Daniel, and this was two thousand years ago.

Jesus will return, but, contrary to doctrines of men, it will not be to SET UP a kingdom but to DELIVER UP an already-established kingdom to his Heavenly Father (I Cor. 15:24). Instead of looking for some future kingdom, it would be wise to look for the kingdom which is already in existence. (See Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:28).

 

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