The failure of the kingdom of Israel

This phase of Israel’s history was short-lived. Human failure, arrogance and disregard for divine standards prevented it from ever being truly ‘the kingdom of God’. A few hundred years later God brought an end to the royal line. A Babylonian assault on Jerusalem was near – there was to be no more a visible kingdom of God for a long time. The last monarch was told: “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him” (Ezekiel 21:27, KJV). That statement was a forecast of the desolation of the royal line until the greatest heir to the throne should come – Jesus Christ! In other words, until the kingdom of God should again appear on the earth.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there was always a remnant of faithful Jews who were looking for a Messiah from the line of King David of the tribe of Judah. The disciples of Jesus were greatly excited at the prospect of the renewed kingdom of God in the land of Israel. After he had been raised from the dead they asked: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

They were, in fact, in too much of a hurry! They had seen his title “King of the Jews” placarded on the cross outside the city walls of Jerusalem. He had come out alive from the tomb where he had been placed after his death. Once more he was amongst them, alive and well, indeed immortal, and they were impatient to see the crown on his head and the kingdom of God restored there and then. It was not to be – yet. The Gospel of the kingdom had first to be preached to all nations. Jesus told them: “You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

A map showing the location of JerusalemJerusalem – crossroads of the world

We have seen that the concept of the kingdom of God developed from a Jewish State with a Jewish king. Every ruling king has a residence and a capital, a central seat of authority. Jerusalem will be that centre – and what place more fitting? One thousand years before Jesus Christ the poets of Israel declared: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:2, KJV).

It will make a superb capital – more central than Washington, DC, Moscow or Beijing – and convenient to the great land continents of Europe, Africa and Asia.

This kingdom of God is to be a world empire and Jesus Christ the emperor. This was revealed long ago. The prophet Daniel, interpreting a vision which forecast the successive empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, to be followed by a fragmented world of strong and weak governments leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ, pictured God’s agent in the form of a “stone” descending to crush the rebellious nations at the time of the end:

“In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44)

Here is another prophetic statement: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

Judgements on the world

Before we go any further let us remember that the return of Jesus Christ will bring its terrors as well as its blessings. The takeover of the nations will meet a great deal of resistance. Let us note four aspects:

  1. “All nations” gather against Israel but Jesus will destroy the invaders (Zechariah 14; Ezekiel 38,39).
  2. Jerusalem will suffer a major earthquake, with devastating results, when “his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4).
  3. Some governments will challenge Jesus Christ and will “set themselves … against the Lord, and against his Anointed (= Christ)” (Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:26), but there will be judgements on those who oppose him (Isaiah 34; Revelation 18).
  4. There will be a resurrection and judgement. Those who are rejected, because they failed to respond to God’s grace, will be bitterly disappointed. On the other hand, what joy there will be for those to whom the King will say: “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Readers will find more details of these dramatic happenings in the companion booklets, Christ is Coming!, Your Share in God’s Promises and Raised to Judgement.

The kingdom begins

With these events over and the King having led his triumphant army of faithful followers into Jerusalem, the real work of Christ’s kingdom can begin. There is a new temple to be built and the tribes of Israel are to be allocated divisions in the land of Israel.

National ambassadors will begin to arrive to pay their respects to the King: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles (Western nations) will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba (Middle Eastern nations) will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him” (Psalm 72:10,11). Even the survivors of those hostile nations who invaded Israel will come to worship, for “everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

Nations will be rallying their peoples: “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.” They will do this because:

“He will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)

The effect of this education will be remarkable. Nations will “beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks” – a colourful way of describing disarmament. There will be no more war.

The people of the kingdom

We ought to clarify one or two matters about the inhabitants of the kingdom of God. There will be two kinds of people: firstly, the rulers and spiritual leaders, who will be immortal (that is, never-dying) and, secondly, the citizens of the kingdom, who will be mortal (that is, subject to death).

The first group will include Jesus, the universal king; Abraham, David and other great “worthies”, who will have positions of honour in the empire; the twelve apostles, and the faithful followers of Jesus – the “saints” – who will be the administrative rulers and educators of the new age. The second group will consist of the mortal peoples of the world who, at Christ’s return, survive the judgements on the earth and are willing for Jesus to be their king. This will include Jews who are allowed to live in Israel.