STEEMCHUCH: TEACHINGS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
JESUS once said: "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). And it's true: when something really matters to us, we all like to talk about it. Therefore, judging by what Jesus taught during his ministry, we know that one of his greatest interests was the Kingdom of God.
What is the Kingdom of God? It is a government that God has established and that is under the command of a king. This government constituted the central theme of the message of Jesus, as illustrated by the fact that there are over one hundred and ten references to him in the four Gospels. How can we learn more about this Kingdom and what it will do for us? Paying attention to what Jesus did and said.
Who is the king of the Kingdom of God? It is not named by popular vote, but it is God who chooses it. And Jesus indicated that God selected him for this position.
As Jesus well knew, the Bible predicted that the promised Messiah would be the ruler of an eternal kingdom. Esus also spoke of a group of people who would reign with him. Being a limited group, I referred to them as "small flock". And he explained: "His Father has approved to give them the kingdom." The last book of the Bible indicates that, in total, 144,000 are chosen for this honor.
Where is your headquarters? Speaking with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, Jesus said: "My kingdom is not part of this world" (John 18:36). This being so, the Kingdom of God will not use any human organization to exercise its mandate. It is evident that it must be a celestial kingdom, because Jesus repeatedly called it "the kingdom of heaven".
Jesus knew that, once his mission on Earth was over, he would return to heaven. There he would 'prepare a place' for the elect, which would make it possible for them to join him.
What is your mission? In teaching his followers to pray to God, Jesus said: "Thy kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, also on earth "(Matthew 6: 9, 10). The will of God is already being done in heaven and, through the Kingdom, will also be fulfilled on Earth. To achieve this, this government will make radical changes on the planet.
What changes will it make on Earth? As indicated by Jesus, the Kingdom of God will end all evil. How? Erasing from the face of the Earth those who commit evil. Then cruelty and corruption will end once and for all. As Jesus pointed out, in the world there will be only people "of gentle genius", just, compassionate, "of pure heart" and peaceful.
In addition, everyone will enjoy a wonderful environment, free of dirt and pollution, because Jesus promised that the Kingdom of God will completely transform our planet. When a person condemned to death asked Jesus: "Remember me when you enter your kingdom", he assured him: "Truly I say to you today: You will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42, 43). In effect, the Kingdom of God will make the Earth a paradise like the one that existed in the garden of Eden.
When will it come? Jesus taught that the beginning of his reign would coincide with the beginning of a singular period of time which he called his "presence". When would this period begin? He pronounced a detailed prophecy that would allow to know: in all the world great disasters would happen -such as wars, famines, earthquakes and epidemics- and there would be an increase in crime. These and other events predicted by Jesus became especially evident after 1914, the year in which the First World War broke out. What does this indicate? That Jesus is already King in the heavens. Therefore, there is very little left for the Kingdom to come and the will of God on Earth to be done.