"Thy Kingdom Come" | thebereancall.org

Dave Hunt

[Published originally in January of 2000]

This phrase is contained in the so-called “Lord’s prayer,” which, in fact, is not the Lord’s prayer (as found in John 17) but the disciples’ prayer. It would hardly have been appropriate for our Lord to pray, “Forgive us our sins...and lead us not into temptation” (Luke:11:4). Nor is it a prayer to be repeated over and over but rather a pattern for prayer for the disciples: “After this manner therefore pray ye” (Matthew:6:9). When Jesus gave this pattern for prayer, He told his disciples, “use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (v. 7). Yet the “Lord’s prayer” is generally used exactly that way—repeated by rote with little thought to its deep meaning.

Contrary to some who preach the “prosperity gospel,” we are not to request earthly blessings for ourselves, much less riches, but only sufficient provision for each day (“Give us this day our daily bread...”); and to be kept from sin in order to live to God’s glory (“deliver us from evil...for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory”). Yet how seldom we think of His glory while we bombard Him continually with endless requests to satisfy our own desires!

“Thy kingdom come” is the heart of this pattern for prayer, and it should be the passion of our lives. Yet for how many of us is this true? Have we not largely forgotten God’s eternal kingdom in pursuit of our own temporal ambitions?

Remember the Y2K hysteria and how many Christians were caught up in it at the turn of the century, spending needless time, money, and effort to assure themselves of food, warmth, and protection? Sadly, the lives of many were all but ruined, their Christian testimony spoiled, and our Lord and His Word ridiculed as a result of their irrational fears of a mysterious “bug,” which they believed had the power to shut down the world!

More recently, word faith ministers such as Jim Bakker continue to profit from fearmongering, selling survivalist food packs that are often more expensive than the same items that could be purchased elsewhere for less. How much better to have heeded our Lord’s admonition not to be anxious, going about saying, “What shall we eat?” or, “What shall we drink?” or, “Wherewithal shall we be clothed?...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew:6:25-34).

Seek ye first the kingdom! Here we have the pattern of life to go with the prayer pattern. But what is this kingdom we are to seek, consumed by the passion, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew:6:10)? What did Christ mean by His frequent references to “the kingdom”?

Christ referred both to the “kingdom of heaven” (found only in Matthew) and to the “kingdom of God.” Significantly, the same things are said about the kingdom of God in the other Gospels that Matthew declared concerning the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we can only conclude they are the same.

For example, in Matthew:4:17, Jesus preaches, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” while in Mark:1:15 He says, “the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” In Matthew’s presentation of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins with “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5:3). But in Luke, Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God” (6:20). For further study, compare Matthew:8:11 with Luke:13:28-29; Matthew 13 with Mark 4 and Luke 8; Matthew:18:1-4 with Mark:10:14-15 and Luke:18:16-17, etc.

It is generally assumed that the “kingdom” refers to Christ’s millennial reign. He promised His twelve disciples, “when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel [ten tribes were not lost after all!]” (Matthew:19:28). Surely this is not a spiritual but a literal reign that will be established at Christ’s second coming when His feet touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah:14:4, Acts:1:11) as He comes to rescue Israel in the midst of Armageddon (Zechariah 12-14). Then “every eye shall see him” (Revelation:1:7) coming to earth “with power and glory” and the angels will “gather together his elect [i.e., the Jews, Isaiah:45:4, etc.] from the four winds” (Matthew:24:29-31) to bring them from all over the world to Israel to share in the millennial kingdom. Having destroyed Antichrist and his kingdom at His second coming (2 Thessalonians:2:8), Christ rescues Israel in the midst of Armageddon (Zechariah 12, 14) and ascends David’s throne (2 Samuel:7:13; Ezekiel:37:24-26, Luke:1:32), from which He will rule the world for 1,000 years (Revelation:20:2-6).

In previous articles and books we have discussed many of the signs Christ gave to indicate the nearness of His return to earth: Israel back in her land (Ezekiel:38:11-23; Zechariah 12, 14, etc.), weapons capable of destroying all life (Matthew:24:22), the technology for a world dictator to control the world militarily (Revelation:13:4,7), and to control all banking and commerce (vv. 16-17), etc. The fact that these signs confront us already can only mean that the Rapture, which precedes the Second Coming, cannot be delayed much longer.

There are no signs for the Rapture, which could therefore occur at any moment! This is why Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples to be ready for His sudden return which otherwise would catch them by surprise: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.... Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matthew:24:42,44).

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord.... Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not (Luke:12:35-40).

Because it is not intended to catch anyone by surprise, the Second Coming must be a separate event from the Rapture. Therefore, it is preceded by many signs. Referring to His second coming, Jesus declares in the Olivet discourse, “...when ye shall see all these things [i.e., the signs He has given in the preceding verses], know that it [the Second Coming] is near, even at the doors” (Matthew:24:33). When all signs have been fulfilled, it will be crystal clear that Christ is about to return to earth. Even Antichrist will know and will go out with his armies to repel Christ’s invasion from heaven:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.... And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS....

And I saw the beast [Antichrist], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet.... These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation:19:11-20).

Another major sign preceding the Second Coming is a revival of the Roman Empire worldwide. This is clear from Daniel’s interpretation of the image of the giant in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2). It represented four world empires: the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman. Each of the first three had a successor, but the Roman Empire did not; it never died, and is in the process of being revived.

Rome was divided in two as the giant’s two legs foretold: politically in AD 330 when Constantine moved his capital to Byzantium, which he had captured in 328 and renamed Constantinople; and religiously in AD 1054 between Roman Catholicism in the West and Orthodoxy in the East when Pope Leo IX imperiously excommunicated Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople.

The ten toes on the feet attached to the two legs correspond to the ten horns on the fourth beast, which Daniel:7:24 says are ten kings. Missing from history, however, is any record of ten kings reigning simultaneously over Rome. Therefore, Rome, the fourth kingdom, must be revived with ten sub-rulers under Antichrist. That is the worldwide kingdom that Christ destroys to establish His millennial reign. Once again this is clear from Nebuchadnezzar’s image. Directly after its description of the feet and ten toes (Daniel:2:40-43) verse 44 declares, “In the days of these kings [represented by the ten toes] shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” A “stone cut out without hands” smashes the image, becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth (vv. 34-35). These events must be future: i.e., in the days of these kings.

This stone can only be Christ, and the great mountain His eternal kingdom. The smashing of the image by the stone clearly means that Christ’s kingdom will be established by His sudden personal intervention from heaven to destroy Antichrist's kingdom—not by the church gradually taking over the world as so many teach. What folly to imagine that the church is supposed to establish the Kingdom—or to claim, as many do, that the Kingdom has already been established on earth and Christ is ruling it from heaven!

We have often warned of the solemn fact that those who expend themselves in the attempt to clean up society and to establish God’s kingdom on earth are playing into Antichrist’s hands, for his kingdom will be established prior to Christ’s millennial reign. In fact, a major purpose of Christ’s second coming (in contrast to the Rapture in which He takes His bride to heaven) is to destroy Antichrist and his kingdom: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord ...shall destroy with the brightness of his coming....” (2 Thessalonians:2:4-9).

Far from the obviously evil ogre he is generally thought to be, Antichrist will be so appealing and popular that “all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him” (Revelation:13:8). His kingdom will begin in peace and prosperity. Tragically, multitudes are being led astray by leaders in the “signs and wonders” movement who claim to use “miracles” to establish the Kingdom; and they believe that only when they have done so will Christ then return to rule over the kingdom they have established in His name. Those who reject the Rapture and look for a “Christ” who comes to this earth to reign without first taking the church to heaven are setting themselves up to embrace Antichrist and his kingdom.

Those who believe in the Rapture cannot be enticed to look for a “Christ” who comes to rule the “kingdom” they’ve established. They expect “to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians:4:17) above earth to be taken to heaven. Critics deride this belief as a “secret rapture theory,” but Scripture says, “the dead in Christ shall be raised...we which are alive...shall be caught up together with them...” (1 Corinthians:15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians:4:13-18) to be taken to His Father’s house (John:14:1-3).

The great hopes being placed in the new Millennium now being celebrated (which actually begins January 1, 2001) will only increase the satanic delusions that blind the eyes of unbelievers. With Y2K conquered, and with the new software and high-tech equipment developed, there will be an explosion of technology to bolster mankind’s belief that it no longer needs God. Ecumenism will take giant strides and fewer believers will expect the Rapture. The Pope (Catholicism denies the Rapture) has great plans for what he calls “The third millennium of Christianity.” Sadly, many evangelicals are adopting the same terminology. Ambitious plans for the new Millennium will push Christ’s kingdom even further back in the minds of many believers. [Dave’s year 2000 perspective, which has come to pass!]

Surprisingly, Christ’s millennial reign is not the ultimate Kingdom for which we are to pray. Christ told Nicodemus unequivocally, “Except a man be born again, he cannot [even] see... [much less] enter into the kingdom of God” (John:3:3-5). We are also told that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians:15:50). Yet there will be many flesh-and-blood people living during the Millennium, and among them multitudes who have not been born again of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the Bible declares repeatedly that God’s kingdom is “an everlasting kingdom” (Psalm:145:13; Daniel:4:3, 7:27); that Christ shall reign on “the throne of his father David...over the house of Jacob [Israel] forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke:1:32-33).... Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end...” (Isaiah:9:7). But the Millennium lasts only 1,000 years, and its peace ends with earth’s final war.

The Millennium, in fact, is the final proof of the incorrigible self-centered evil of the human heart. No longer can anyone complain that Adam and Eve alone had the unique opportunity of living in Paradise and that if only they (the complainers) had been there, they wouldn't have sinned. Billions will live in an even better Paradise because Christ will rule it and Satan will be locked up for 1,000 years. Yet when he is at last released, Satan will “deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,” and they will attack Jesus Christ at Jerusalem (Revelation:20:7-9).

The true kingdom of God, with endless peace, will only arrive in the new heavens and new earth. Paul writes, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father” (1 Corinthians:15:24-28). Here we see that Christ did not refer to the Rapture when He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew:24:14). Obviously, the Rapture is not “the end” to which Christ referred, but that which Paul explains.

May what has been for many a “vain repetition” become a passion for prayer without ceasing: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” May our hearts turn from earth to seek first the ultimate Kingdom in which heaven and earth are one in the new creation, rebellion is a thing of the past and God’s will alone is truly done because it has become the will of all creatures. And as that passion grows within us, we will find that our wills are more and more in harmony with His because “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 Jn:3:3). 

TBC

Original Feature Date: 
Saturday, January 1, 2000