Why does it seem that our governments are helpless in the face of widespread problems—or can actually become the cause of even more problems? Corruption plagues governments around the globe. And conflicts between governments seem to spiral out of control as our world becomes a more and more dangerous place.

The statistics, and the human stories behind them, are horrifying. Tyrants and other political leaders of every stripe have cheated, robbed, starved, repressed, jailed, tortured, raped and murdered their own citizens.

For example, some estimates claim North Korea's late dictator Kim Jong Il was responsible for the deaths of 4 million or more of his own people, an incredible statistic considering that under his rule his nation's population was only about 23 million. While he required his malnourished people to watch the public executions of people caught stealing food or trying to flee the country, he himself continued to spend extravagantly on his own lavish lifestyle.

Sadly, we can find many more stories like this today, as there have been throughout history. Think of Suharto, estimated to have embezzled $15 to $35 billion during his rule of Indonesia, and Josef Stalin, who killed thousands inside the Soviet Union in his purges and starved millions more with the worst human-engineered famine in history.

Before them were countless others—from Nimrod to Nebuchadnezzar to Nero to Napoleon—with power and the corruption that seems to inevitably follow.

But Jesus Christ promised a solution to all these problems of human leadership and human governments! He is coming back to earth and promises a perfect form of government that will truly serve the needs of everyone! In this mini-study we'll explore this wonderful news from the Bible of a real King who will return to rescue all of humanity!

Jesus Christ is commonly known as our Savior. What other important roles and titles was He prophesied to have?

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32-33).

"Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered him, 'Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?' Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?' Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.' Pilate therefore said to Him, 'Are You a king then?' Jesus answered, 'You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice'" (John 18:33-37).

Jesus came the first time to give His life to become our Savior. But as He said (and the Old Testament prophets and the angels proclaimed), He was born to be a King. His second coming will highlight this role, as His government and peace will increase forever (Isaiah 9:7).

The "throne of David" had messianic overtones (Jeremiah 23:5-6; compare Isaiah 11:1, 10 and Daniel 7:14). It symbolized ruling over not just one nation, but God's Kingdom, which will expand to include all nations.

When Christ said in John 18:36 that His Kingdom was not of this world (Greek kosmos), He meant it was not of this order of things, this society. He was not saying it was not of this planet. Kosmos can also mean "the whole mass of men alienated from God" and "world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly" (Thayer's Greek Definitions).

What will the world be like just before Christ's return?

"For many will come in My name . . . and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:5-8,

The religious deception, war, famine and disease epidemics mentioned in verses 5-8 parallel and help explain the four horsemen of the Apocalypse described in Revelation 6:1-8. (You can learn more about these in our free Bible study aid booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled.)

Verses 21-22 go on to describe an unprecedented time of trouble called the Great Tribulation. Verse 22 also identifies it as a time when humanity will have the capacity to wipe itself off the face of the earth, something that was not possible before the invention of nuclear weapons. As the dangers in our world increase, we can see that we are rapidly approaching this terrifying time. (See our Bible study aid Are We Living in the Time of the End? for much more detail on this subject.)

What is the good news that Jesus and the New Testament Church preached?

"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).

"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:1-2).

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

"Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him" (Acts 28:30-31).

The word gospel is derived from an Old English word meaning "good news." Jesus Christ, His original disciples, the apostle Paul and others among the first-century Church of God sent out to preach all preached the same good news—that Christ would come back and set up God's government, the Kingdom of God! This will not only prevent human annihilation, but will begin a time of peace and prosperity that will spread around the whole earth.

How will Christ's return be heralded?

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever'" (Revelation 11:15, English Standard Version).

The rule of all nations will be transferred from the incompetent hands of man to the perfect hands of the One through whom God created us, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3, 14; Ephesians 3:9). Christ will bear the glorious title "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16).

What will the King of Kings do when He returns?

"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations [that oppose His coming], as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south . . .

"And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—'The Lord is one,' and His name one [or, the Lord alone and His name alone—as the focus of worship and obedience] . . . And it shall come to pass that 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 14:3-4, 9, 16).

After defeating the deceived armies of the earth who will make a futile attempt to stop His return, Jesus Christ will take over as "King over all the earth" (verse 9). Then will begin the massive effort to teach the way of peace to all nations and to repair the war-torn world. (We'll discuss this more in future studies.)

How is Jesus Christ's approach to leadership completely different from what this world has known?

"But Jesus called them [His disciples] to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'" (Matthew 20:25-28).

Jesus' motivation and methods of leadership are never selfish. In fact, He gave everything—even His life! Everything He does is for the eternal benefit of those He serves. We will see more about how Christ is training His people to serve others in a future study.

In this lesson we have seen that Jesus Christ will come back as a real King to set up the Kingdom of God! In coming studies we'll explore more about this central focus of the Bible and the only real hope for mankind—the good news of the Kingdom of God. The reality revealed in the Scriptures is both a dream come true—and beyond our wildest dreams!

Apply what you've learned now

In discussing the times of trouble leading up to His return, Jesus told His followers, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). The context shows there are two areas we are to watch and pray about—the conditions in the world and our personal spiritual condition.

As you watch world news today, jot down items that show the seriousness of our times and take them to God in prayer. Christ taught us to pray "Your kingdom come" (Luke 11:2). And pray also for God's help to make spiritual changes in your life. Make a commitment to watch and pray about these two areas every day.