7 Ways Christ’s Rule Will Be So Wonderfully Different

In early 1776, writer and philosopher Thomas Paine penned these words in his influential pamphlet Common Sense: “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” He believed that while government is essential for order and protection, it is inherently flawed and can easily become corrupt.

It doesn’t matter what part of the world we live in or which country we’re referring to, we can see shortcomings in our local and national governments. Administrations are often rife with inefficiency, bureaucracy, abuse of power, corruption and blatant disregard for the well-being of citizenry.

Of course, this is nothing new. History is filled with examples of ineffective government leaders who didn’t do what they said they would or what they should have done, or misused their positions for personal gain.

Yet government in and of itself isn’t bad. It was originally instituted by God. For humanity, He intended it to oversee the functioning of society, directing people’s lives in the right way, and to provide justice and protection. It was meant for peace, safety and prosperity for all.

Thomas Paine was correct when he said that government is necessary, yet it’s not inherently an evil. The truth is, government can and should be something very good. We just need a different kind of rulership here on earth. And thankfully that is coming.

Before human misrule goes too far, Jesus Christ will return as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16; 11:15; Zechariah 14:9) to establish God’s government, the Kingdom of God, on earth. He will be assisted by the resurrected saints—those who have faithfully submitted to God during their physical lifetimes in this age—who will serve as kings and priests in administering God’s rule and teaching people about God and His ways (Revelation 5:10; Revelation 20:4-6).

At last the people of the world will come under righteous rule! Christ’s administration will be wonderfully different from man’s governments during the previous six millennia. Here are seven major distinctions, just for starters:

1.  God’s perfect laws will become the law for everyone.

Since human beings are flawed, it follows that the laws they devise will be flawed too. However, when Christ sets up His government on earth, He won’t be governing by faulty regulations. He’ll be establishing God’s perfect laws, outlined in the Bible, as the prescribed rule of conduct and moral code for all people on earth. Humanity will be taught directly by Christ and His ruling saints and will reap the blessings that come from living God’s way of life.

One of the features that set God’s laws apart is they always benefit us. When we obey them, they liberate and guard us from our destructive human ways. Psalm 19:7-9 describes the laws of the Lord as perfect, sure, right and pure—and says they convert the soul, make the simple wise and endure forever. God’s laws don’t ever need to be modified or require amendments, as God’s character and standards do not change (Numbers 23:19). We’re further told in 1 John 5:3 that God’s commandments are not burdensome.

Laws of human devising, on the other hand, can often seem onerous, oppressive and confusing. Accompanying the global development and reshaping of government bureaucracy, infrastructure, industries, technologies, manufacturing, commerce, finance, education, employment, transportation, travel, international relations, migration, etc., have been an avalanche of associated laws. And all these laws have created a massive burden of changing regulations that citizens must gain awareness of, navigate through and then try to understand how to comply with. (See “Man-made laws and regulations out of control” on page 22 as an illustration of the problem.)

In contrast, God’s instructions for living are concise—spelled out in a single volume, the Bible. During the Millennium, people will easily grasp what God expects from them. They won’t struggle with confusing laws that are continually in flux. Also, because God’s ways are not burdensome, it’s doubtful that people will be subjected to a lot of bureaucratic controls (such as having to pay for numerous permits and licenses just to do a home remodel or start a business), as is often the case in modern societies.

2. Civil and religious rule will be united under Christ.

Christ’s administration will be a true theocracy, which literally means having God as King—then over the whole world. Historically, theocracies have typically been mere rule by religious leaders. Ancient rulers of Mesopotamia, Egypt and China were installed by priests and ruled as priest-kings and even demigods, part of pagan mass deception.

Only one ancient nation had a true theocracy—ancient Israel, wherein the true God was actually King and ruled through a system of judges, priests and prophets, until the people asked for rule by a human king (see 1 Samuel 8:7; 12:12). Even then there was still acknowledgment of God as the true King. Yet during all this period, the wayward hearts of the people prevented widespread submission to the rule of God.

In our modern age, the nations considered to be theocracies are primarily Islamic states. Among these are the governments of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Vatican City is a Catholic theocracy with the pope as the head of its government.

False theocracies have often been characterized by tyranny. And modern nations have typically sought for more secular rule to allow for personal religious freedom. That will no longer be necessary when Christ’s government is established on earth, as its rulers will also be the spiritual leaders, who will administer God’s perfect laws.

There will be one religion and one belief system. Everyone will be taught to live by the same core spiritual principles. Allowances won’t need to be made for those who “believe differently.” All will understand the truth (Isaiah 11:9; Hebrews 8:11). There won’t be some people keeping the Sabbath and others going to church on Sunday, for instance. God’s Spirit will be poured out on people everywhere to help them all follow God (Joel 2:28). This will help bring about true harmony, in a way the world has never seen. 

3. It will be a government that leads the people without being controlling or abusive.

In Mark 10:42, Jesus summed up the tendency of human leaders by telling His disciples: “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them” (New Living Translation 1996, emphasis added). The rulers of that time often manipulated, dominated or bullied their subjects.

To “lord it over” means that the rulers were subjecting the populace to their power, explains Gene Wilkes in Jesus on Leadership: “It implies that someone is the master and someone else is the subject . . . The concept of lord implies absolute power over another. You don’t have to deal with questions or dissension. You herd people together and tell them what to do. If they disagree, you eliminate them” (1998, p. 106).

A form of “lording it over” today is often termed government overreach, which encompasses actions taken by public officials or agencies that infringe on personal freedoms. This might include intrusive surveillance measures in community venues (often using facial recognition technology), Internet censorship to control the flow of information or prevent political dissent, prohibitions on private gatherings, and social credit scoring systems, allowing a government to remove what it considers “privileges” if individuals say or do something deemed subversive—all of which can be very troubling when that government does not support biblical truths.

Christ’s administration will be a stark contrast to this type of rule. Those in government positions will seek to lead and guide the people through education and coaching, not coercion or control. Isaiah 40:11 says Christ will “feed His flock like a shepherd” and “gently lead.” The primary “feeding” will be spiritual—teaching humanity about God’s way of life. The people will be taught, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). If they do something that goes against biblical principles, they will be given an explanation for why God’s laws are better and how they work (rather than simply be told to do it or else).

This is not to say that Christ and those ruling under Him will not exercise firm power when needed. At times it will be necessary to maintain harmony and prevent individuals from hurting themselves or each other. Isaiah 2:4 indicates some people will require rebuke and discipline. However, any correction will not be abusive, and will always be for the good of those being governed.

4. Government leaders will put the needs of the people first, not themselves.

Those assisting Christ as rulers in God’s Kingdom won’t misuse their positions, as has often been the case with mankind’s governments. Rulers won’t take bribes to influence legislation, accept laundered funds or insider stock information, make promises they don’t intend to keep to garner support, or in any way abuse their positions for personal gain or aggrandizement.

Instead, Christ and those who assist Him will use their positions to serve those they govern. Christ told His disciples: “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 20:26-28). This is how rulers will lead in God’s coming Kingdom. They will exhibit an outgoing concern towards others, rather than self-centeredness.

Christ said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” And so will it be for everyone in Christ’s administration. These servant leaders will use their positions to benefit the people living in their jurisdictions. No longer will citizens be concerned that their public officials might be on a power trip or push their own selfish agendas. People will know that their leaders have their backs.

5. Private property rights will be respected.

The Bible supports the private ownership of property. Two of the Ten Commandments address the matter, prohibiting stealing and the covetous desire to steal (Exodus 20:15, 17). Restitution of property rights (after a violation) is covered in Exodus 22:1-15. The passing down of property from one generation to the next is spelled out in Deuteronomy 21:15-17 and Numbers 27:8-11.

The Jubilee law mandates as liberty (Leviticus 25:10) that debts be canceled and lands be returned to original owners every 50th year. Prohibitions against moving boundary markers are listed in Deuteronomy 19:14 and 27:17, acknowledging God’s approval of private property. The same directives will apply once Christ establishes His rule on earth.

All this will be another much-needed improvement! History is replete with examples of governments blatantly stealing from private citizens by seizing real property or other assets without any due process or judicial oversight. An infamous example from the Bible is when King Ahab accepted the help of his queen, Jezebel, in seizing a vineyard by having its owner, Naboth, murdered (1 Kings 21). Of course, theft sometimes happens more subtly. Today, for instance, budget-strapped retired adults sometimes lose their homes because they cannot afford to pay their ever-increasing property taxes.

During Christ’s reign, private property rights will be upheld, and people will not fear their homes or any other possessions being taken from them—by the government or anyone else (Micah 4:4). Everyone will know stealing is a sin and that they will be held accountable for their actions. God knows that protecting private ownership ultimately leads to economic growth in a nation, and overall satisfaction for its people.

6. Christ’s government will be fiscally responsible.

National debt is a growing concern for countries around the globe. Stated simply, national debt is money a national government owes to creditors, including foreign governments, domestic lenders and private individuals (holders of treasury bonds). Governments go into debt when irresponsible spending that exceeds what they take in via tax revenues leads to excessive borrowing to finance deficits.

In terms of raw dollars, the United States is unquestionably the most indebted nation in the world, with an unprecedented $37 trillion national debt as of June 2025. China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France round out the list of the nations with the largest debts.

Proverbs 22:7 states, “The borrower is servant to the lender.” Nations burdened by debt do not have much freedom to decide how to use what they collect in taxes because they’re obligated to servicing their debts. Overextended, they can’t finance public services and infrastructure to meet the people’s needs.

Amid such circumstances, governments today might resort to quantitative easing or printing additional money, devaluing the currency—a form of theft, as it fuels inflation and reduces citizens’ purchasing power. Or the governments might raise income taxes. Either way, the citizenry won’t be able to fully enjoy the fruit of their labor (see Psalm 128:2), being forced to finance their governments’ debts.

This won’t happen under Christ’s rule. Government won’t spend more than what is collected in revenue (via tithes and offerings), nor will it be wasteful or fraudulent. Enjoying a stable and free economy, citizens will no longer worry about whether they’ll be able to afford groceries or a home, or have to work multiple jobs just to get by.

7. Perfect justice will be administered.

One of Christ’s tasks will be what’s addressed in Romans 13:3-4, and that is to punish wrongdoing and reward good behavior. He will do so fairly, without any favoritism. Isaiah 11:3-4 says, “He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” Deuteronomy 10:17 says God “shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.”

There won’t be a two-tiered system of justice where different ethnic or social groups receive unequal or unfair treatment. Christ’s “leadership team” will not resort to tactics like false charges, arbitrary arrests or staging unfair trials to make life “extra tough” for any perceived opponents to His administration. When someone has indeed sinned, there will be room for forgiveness (and withholding deserved punishment), as God is merciful (Luke 6:36)—something not always seen in mankind’s judicial systems.

Christ will base His judgments and decisions on God’s perfect, righteous laws, which benefit all involved (Deuteronomy 6:24-25). He won’t allow any wrong influences to sway His decisions. Today, political parties, special interest groups and other lobbyists are quite adept at influencing the legislative and judicial branches of government. There have also been instances of judicial manipulation—where political leaders appoint judges who will benefit their personal interests. These kinds of infractions won’t happen in Christ’s administration.

Those in leadership positions will judge and lead with integrity, meaning they will always interact with others ethically, honestly and honorably. There will be no lies, deceit or double-talk. The people will be able to trust those who are judging them and enforcing the laws. Having just leadership will bring stability and social order to the nations (Proverbs 29:2, 4).

In closing, when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God, He will make a lot of necessary changes. His rule will truly be for the good of the governed. Earth’s inhabitants will experience lasting peace and prosperity (Isaiah 9:6-7).

We certainly don’t have that now. While there may be human leaders who are sincerely trying to help their constituencies, they can only do so much. Many of the challenges in this world are far bigger than any human being can fix. It will take Christ’s future rule to bring the needed changes. He will solve the problems and injustices we see in our societies today and finally bring righteous governance to this world. God speed that day!