The Hope of the Kingdom

Now, it doesn't take a lot of insight to look around and look around at the society and the world that we live in, and to see it's a world of contrast in many, many ways. On one hand, we live in an age that is an age of modern conveniences, modern comforts. We have an age of modern technology, and those things can do a lot of, have a lot of benefits for us. Can do a lot of great conveniences. They can provide for us the ability to communicate with one another. They give us the ability to make our lives easier in many ways. So again, these modern technology and conveniences are, really, it's a good part of the world that we live in. Technology today has produced an interconnected world, and probably any of us that are online would know that that's true. There's social media, there's power to communicate knowledge and information virtually instantaneously anywhere you wish around the world.

The technology of the world also allowed us to conduct business on a global scale in a way that was never possible before, and in many cases from the comfort of your own home. Again, that's something that's quite new to our modern age. Now, as a result, the technological age we're living in, and the time that we're finding ourselves in now, has raised the standard of living to a great degree for many of the peoples of the world.

And it's actually brought it up to a point that's been unparalleled in human history. In this country, in the United States, and as well as other countries around the world, this is a time of great wealth. And along with that wealth has come great opportunities, opportunities for travel, opportunities for this expansion of personal horizons and businesses. And in some ways, it has been the best of times. Now, as I said, it's a world of contrast.

On the other hand, we also live in a world that's a very threatening and a very unstable world. It's a world that, in many ways, morally and spiritually bankrupt. Again, we don't have to look around too hard to find that some of those things are true. We live in a world where nuclear war is a very real threat. We live in a world where you have the nation of Iran, which in defiance to international pressures, continues to develop nuclear technology.

Although they say they intend to use it for upright purposes, the fact is many countries of the world fear that nuclear technology in the hands of a regime such as rules in Iran would be devastating to the world. And so, frankly, you have countries such as Israel, which are in range of Iran, in range of a nuclear weapon, should Iran develop one. And now they're facing a position of watching Iran closely. They're trying to decide what they're going to do. Are they going to sit back and let Iran carry out their plans and see if they're going to be friendly in their response?

Or is Israel going to take military action and respond and cripple Iran's ability to produce nuclear technology? Again, it's one of the real threats we see as we look around the world. The Arab Spring uprising of last year has shown us that many of the Middle Eastern nations are very unstable as well. And terrorism, perhaps even nuclear terrorism, as some of the weapons of those regimes were to fall into terrorist hands, nuclear terrorism is a very real threat, a very real concern. It has many international leaders concerned and poised to take action if necessary.

On the financial front, the world economy has generated vast amounts of wealth for the past couple of decades. And again, we've seen an economic boom in this country in many, many ways, leading up until, frankly, just a few years ago. But also, there's a huge debt burden which is carried largely by the United States as well as many Western European nations. And the fact is, the economic debt load that these nations are carrying could, in fact, lead to an economic meltdown on a global scale that some are saying could be as bad or worse than the days of the Great Depression.

Again, through the redistribution of wealth, through the meltdown of certain economic instabilities, we can see, ladies and gentlemen, the creation of new superpowers that come on the scene in the new future, as well as the downfall of current nations that have a strong standing within the world. And frankly, the fact is, we can see a complete realigning of many of the major power blocks in the world in the not-too-distant future. Here at home, we see there's a moral fabric to our society that's being shredded and degraded on almost a daily basis.

We see the family structure, the structure of just general morality in our nation taking a severe decline. The issue of homosexual marriage is big right now. And probably all of you have seen this week on the news, our President has come out in support of homosexual marriage. And the fact is, very quickly after he made that statement, there was a huge flow of economic support that flowed into the coffers of his party in his re-election campaign, in support of the comments that he made.

Now, that's not all one-sided. Honestly, in response to that, many supported generously as well to the candidate for President on the other side of the aisle as well. But I think we'll see clearly that gay marriage, certain moral issues of our society are going to be front and center in this country in the upcoming presidential election. But certainly, as we look into the pages of the Bible and look at the standard that Scripture sets for us, really we ought to be asking the question, why is it even an issue?

And the reason that it is an issue is because this country and this world in many ways has strayed from the morality and from the standard that God's outlined in the pages of the Bible, the way that people need to live in order to form a society and a people that would be holy and righteous before him. Again, that holy righteous standard is just not present today. If we look around as well in our society and look at the entertainment that we all enjoy, if you're like me, you turn on the television, you flip through 120-150 channels and find there's very few things to watch.

And the fact is our entertainment has at its base a culture that defies God. It promotes entertainment on the level of rejecting God, rejecting morality, and in fact mocking those things that Christianity stands for. I think what we can see as we take a look at these things is the result of this is the world and this nation in which we live is on a collision course. It's on a collision course with troubles of unprecedented proportions. Again, on one hand, it is the best of times.

And as I've just laid out for you, in many ways, it is also the worst of times. Matthew 24 describes the prophecy that Jesus Christ gave about the conditions of the world and its affairs just before his return. If you'd like to turn there with me, we're going to begin this afternoon in Matthew 24 and verse 21. This is an important prophetic address that's made by Jesus Christ. Matthew 24 verse 21, it says, "...for then there will be great tribulation," speaking of the end time, "...such as not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." So what this verse is showing us is that this world is heading for very dire conditions in the not too distant future. And according to Jesus Christ's own words, it's going to spiral out of control to the point that unless God intervenes, unless He sends His Son Jesus Christ to intervene in the affairs of this world, no human flesh would be saved. Now, of course, as humans, we don't like to hear those things.

You know, we don't like to see such a bleak picture painted for us. We like to stop and say, well, just give us a minute. You know, we're intellectual people. We can lift our own devices and use our own wisdom and intelligence. You know, we can figure these things out. We like to think we can solve our own problems and kind of bring order back to chaos.

But the Word of God shows that the simply is not the case. Now, why do I begin this afternoon by bringing these things up? Why would I focus on so many of the negatives in the world around us? Well, the answer is to help us understand that there is a sincere need in this world, the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

This world needs the Kingdom of God, and it needs it now. The reality is, ladies and gentlemen, again, mankind can't solve their own problems. They can't fix these situations on their own, but Jesus Christ can. There's not a world government or a government on this world or on this earth anywhere. There's not a Kingdom that can bring global peace and global stability. You know, there are certain nations that try. There are certain nations that, in a sense, try to police the world, that try to bring a sense of stability, but that's largely brought about through mainly superior military and just the ability to keep certain uprisings down.

But the fact is, no one can bring global peace that is true and lasting. Only the Kingdom of God can do that. Again, that's what this world desperately needs. This afternoon, I'd like to show you why the Gospel of the Kingdom of God should give us hope and should give us encouragement as we live in these troubling times at the end. Now, to begin with, this afternoon, the word gospel basically means good news. So what I'd like to do is take a look at the scriptures and see what it has to show us regarding the good news of the Kingdom of God.

I want to see what the scriptures show in reference to what this world will be like as the people of this earth live under the reign of the Kingdom of God. Now, we're going to cover a lot of scriptures today, and that's because I don't want you to leave this room having heard the opinion of a man. I don't want you to leave having heard my opinion, but I want you to leave having seen what the scriptures, what the Word of God tells us about these days of encouraging hope and future that lies ahead for all of mankind. Again, God's recorded the events that will lead up to the Kingdom of God, and He's also recorded for us the wonderful hope and future for all of mankind.

And today, I'd like to just draw out some of those scriptures to hopefully give us hope and inspiration as we leave this room today. I'd like to begin by reminding us that the Kingdom of God was a primary message of the teaching and the ministry of Jesus Christ when He walked this earth. Let's turn over, please, to Mark 1. Mark 1. This is a springboard scripture for our Kingdom of God Bible Seminars. Again, it's what we've structured this seminar around. Mark 1, verse 14.

Mark 1, verse 14 begins with, Now after this, John was put in prison, and Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. So again, that was His primary message as part of His primary focus when He walked the earth. He was preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Verse 15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe in the gospel.

So the message that Jesus Christ brought is a message of hope.

The message He brought is the message of the Kingdom of God.

Now, in His words here, He said, The time is fulfilled.

And what that indicated was that His arrival on the scene actually fulfilled prophecies that have been declared among men for thousands of years.

Prophecies that have been declared and are recorded in the pages of your scripture.

And of your Bible, they were declared by the prophets of old.

Long before Jesus Christ walked the earth.

Jesus Christ in that statement was also declaring that the time of man's ways of doing things was nearly at an end. And the time had come to actually begun to fulfill the process of re-establishing the Kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ also said the Kingdom of God is at hand.

And that was literally the case. Because Jesus Christ was the King of that Kingdom.

Jesus Christ came to earth walking among men.

He was establishing relationships with them. He was leading them. He was teaching them. And He was exemplifying the standards of the Kingdom of God.

The teachings Jesus Christ brought revealed the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

For those that would hear and respond, again, is in a message of encouragement and hope.

Now the phrase, the Kingdom of God is at hand, also means, again, that that Kingdom of God is soon to be established on the earth.

It was true during the day of Jesus Christ. And it is even more true, more immediate in our day today.

Now that message of hope that Jesus Christ brought, that message of the Kingdom of God, and the teachings of it, it didn't stop with Jesus Christ.

In fact, Jesus Christ instructed His disciples to go out. And He instructed them to bring the same message as they went. Let's go to Luke 9, please.

Luke 9.

You can see the progression of how the gospel began to be spread.

Luke 9, beginning in verse 1.

Luke 9, verse 1. It says, Then He, speaking of Jesus Christ, called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and the cured diseases, and He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

So not only did Jesus Christ preach that message, He sent His disciples out to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God as well.

Now, if we go forward to Acts 28, it shows that this message continued to be preached in church.

Even after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 28, verse 23.

So we're looking at the time of the Apostle Paul.

Acts 28, verse 23.

It says, So even Jesus Christ taught the gospel of the Kingdom of God. He instructed them as to the role Jesus Christ played in the fact that He came to be the sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. And He opened the door that allowed entry to the Kingdom of God to one day be possible for all of mankind. And again, as it says, these were things that were recorded back in the time of the law of Moses and the prophets down through the ages.

So what that tells us is actually the Bible is a continuing story.

There's not the Old Testament. You kind of keep set apart over here. That's old and done away with. And in the New Testament that now we embrace and keep as the whole matter of everything. The fact is the Old Testament, the New Testament, the entire flow of the Bible is one story. It's one plan of God's desire to bring all mankind to salvation.

It's a plan that God has laid out through repentance and forgiveness.

And again, like I said, and as this scripture shows, it was laid out in scripture from the beginning.

Now the Apostle Paul continued to preach that message. And from there, that message went out. And wherever the followers of Jesus Christ went, the truth of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was spread.

And in fact, it continues to be preached by the Church of God to this day.

Now Jesus Christ, the own words that he gave, and he gave it in the form of an in-time prophecy, foretold that the Gospel message would go out right up to the end of the age.

You can see that in Matthew the 24th chapter. It's like to follow me back there. Matthew chapter 24.

We're going to begin in verse number 14.

Matthew 24 verse 14. Here again, a prophecy by Jesus Christ.

And he says, And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached, and all the world is a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.

So that Gospel message is, again, that same Gospel that we seek to preach.

The same message that we seek to share with you today in this Kingdom of God seminars.

Now, in Matthew 6.33, and I'll quote it for you, Jesus Christ said, But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

That's the ultimate goal of every Christian.

The ultimate goal should be to obtain the kingdom of God and to put on the holy righteous character of God. The two go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. If you're going to be in the kingdom of God, you have to develop the holy and righteous character of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Now, also what this passage shows us is that not only should we be preaching the Gospel and sharing the Gospel, we should be seeking in our lives and everything we do to develop the character and the nature to one day be allowed an entrance by God's grace into the kingdom of God. Now, what is that kingdom? What is the kingdom of God and what will it be like? And what will the followers of Jesus Christ be doing when that kingdom is reigning here on the earth? These are important questions that I'd like to answer in the remaining time we have this afternoon. If you turn back with me, please, to Zachariah the 14th chapter. Zachariah chapter 14 gives us an important indication as to how these events will occur.

Zachariah chapter 14, we're going to begin in verse number 4.

And here we have a prophecy once again, and it says, And in that day his feet, speaking of Jesus Christ, 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 mountains have moved toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Verse 5, Then ye shall flee through my mountain, that the mountain valley shall reach to Ozzelles, and yes, ye shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of the Isaiah king of Judah. And here it's referring to the remnant of the Jews that will be in the region of Jerusalem at that time.

And the verse continues and concludes here in verse 5. It says, And thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you.

So this prophecy in Zachariah describes Jesus Christ's literal return to this earth.

And it describes the fact that the saints of God, of Jesus Christ, will be accompanying him at his return to establish the kingdom of God on the earth.

Now a saint is someone who believes in Jesus Christ.

It's someone who has, through the process of baptism and conversion, become Jesus Christ's follower, your sheep of Jesus Christ. If you kind of come through that process, you've been baptized, you've been converted, you've had your sins forgiven. Again, that's what makes you a saint of God and of Christ. Now those individuals will descend to the Mount of Olives, as it says, which overlooks Jerusalem. Their feet will be planted on the Mount of Olives alongside Jesus Christ, and they will assist him, again, in the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth.

Now other prophecies that we see contained in Scripture show that there will actually be enemy forces which will try to resist the return of Jesus Christ. Those individuals are going to be influenced largely by Satan the Devil. They're actually going to attempt to fight Jesus Christ at his return, but as biblical prophecy shows, those individuals will be easily defeated at the return of Christ. Again, that's something we've covered in more detail in the previous kingdom of God seminar. Now the influence of Satan the Devil will have to be removed upon the establishment of the kingdom of God, because I think as we know, and as we look around the world today, we can see that his influence is rampant. Jesus Christ will have to put that influence at bay. He'll have to remove it from his kingdom so that the earth can come under a reign of peace and prosperity, and the sin of Satan the Devil and his influence in our lives can be completely removed.

Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 2 describes Satan the Devil as the prince of the power of the air.

It says, he's the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. So Satan's a pot-stirrer.

He's a troublemaker, and he has to be removed for this world to live in peace.

Revelation chapter 20 describes that removal. I'll turn over to Revelation chapter 20 and verse 1.

This reveals the fate of Satan. He's temporarily at the return of Jesus Christ.

Revelation chapter 20 and verse 1.

Here it says, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

And he laid hold of the dragon that serpent involved, who was the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast them into the bottomless pit and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. So what we see is that Satan is not going to be allowed to have his influence be around the people of the earth. He's going to be restrained from the people of the earth, from the presence of the kingdom of God, in that sense. And for a thousand years, he'll be allowed to deceive the nations no more.

Now, after these events occur, mankind is going to discover the blessing of living under the reign of the kingdom of God. It's a blessing that will be established on the earth, as this wonderful transformation takes place under the rulership of Jesus Christ. And during that time, people are actually going to begin to be looking to God, not themselves, as to how to live, how to solve their own problems, and how to deal with these many situations that we find in life.

Again, they'll realize that their ways don't work. Mankind's ways will never work if they're not in sync with the truth and the standard of God. Again, that standard will be established at the return of Jesus Christ. Let's turn over to Isaiah the second chapter and take a glimpse at this wonderful time ahead. Isaiah chapter 2.

We're going to begin in verse 2, because as we'll see during that time, the peoples and nations of the earth are actually going to go up and seek instruction.

They're going to seek the information and the knowledge that they need to live by, and they're going to seek the spirit which comes from God in order to help them live according to the standards of the kingdom of God. We see that here in Isaiah chapter 2, beginning in verse 2. It says, Revelation chapter, keep your finger here, Revelation 11 verse 15, and I'm just going to quote it for you. It says, So what we find is that the establishment of the kingdom of God on this earth, the kingdom of God will rule over all the kingdoms and nations of this earth.

They will be a part of the kingdom of God, and they will come to seek the righteous instruction that will flow out from Jerusalem. Again, that will be the center of the kingdom of God on this earth.

Verse 3 of Isaiah chapter 2 says, So the laws of God and the words of the Lord are going to flow out, again, all over the world, as the standard for living. People of that age will want those standards, they'll want that law, and they will seek them, and they will find it.

You'll notice here that Jerusalem, again, that it's that ancient city that's been around for thousands of years. It's been a focal point, pretty much since the beginning of its history. It's been a focal point for war, for conflict, for bloodshed. It will be again in the end time.

What we see here now is, under the kingdom of God, Jerusalem is going to be a city at peace, and it's going to be the city from which the word of God flows out to the rest of the world.

Now, let's take a look as we go forward now. Again, we'll see some more prophecies in Isaiah. Let's look at some of the most beautiful prophecies that the Bible shows us about what life will be like on this earth under the reign of the kingdom of God. Let's go forward to Isaiah 51.

Isaiah 51, verse 3.

Here, Isaiah 51, verse 3 says, For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in it, and thanksgiving in the voice of melody. So here, the earth, barren wastelands, are going to be transformed to an Eden-like environment. It's going to be the restoration of all things that God intended from the beginning of creation. It's going to be very beautiful and a very abundant place. It's going to be a time where mankind, again, will have not only the opportunity, but the environment around them to foster a very beautiful and a very intimate relationship with their God. Under the reign of the kingdom of God, fruitfulness will abound.

Again, it's a diversion from how this world functions today. We have some small pockets of near paradise. I think we happen to live in one of them myself. But frankly, this is not how most of the world is structured. This is not the blessing of abundance and fruitfulness that most of this world has, even at this time. In the kingdom of God, fruitfulness will abound on the earth. Go to Amos, the ninth chapter. Amos chapter 9. Let's look at verse 13. Amos 9 verse 13 says, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowmen shall overtake the reaper.

The crop won't even finish being harvested before they're coming behind them, plowing up the ground and putting in new seed. Incredible abundance. The plowmen shall overtake the reaper, the treasure of the great hymn who sows seed. The mountain shall drift with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. Again, at the time of great abundance, and yet it's not poured out for no cause, it comes as a result of the obedience of mankind to the government of God. It comes as a result of blessing that God pours out in response to those individuals who respond to the kingdom of God and seek to learn God's ways and to implement His instructions in their lives. Again, basically, wherever seed is sown, fruitfulness springs forth. Let's go back now again to the book of Isaiah 35.

Isaiah 35 and verse 1.

You have a little more insight as to how this earth will be living physically under the world, under the kingdom of God. Isaiah 35 verse 1. It says, The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with the joy of singing, and the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it.

It says, The excellence of Carmel and of Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God. Verse 7 says, The park's ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. The habitation of jackals where each lay, and there shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

So here, even the desert, it says, are going to rejoice because of the blessing.

Rain will fall and do season, spring forth in abundance, and people are going to take notice of the source from where those blessings come. They're going to turn and glorify God.

Under the reign of the kingdom of God, this world will also see miraculous healings.

We're still here in the book of Isaiah, chapter 35. Let's look at verse 5 and 6.

Isaiah 35, verse 5 and 6, it says, The eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame man shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing, for water shall burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. So here, we're looking at physical healing that's going to take place. It's going to take place as a blessing because God the healer, God the creator, God the sustainer is ruling over this earth, and people are living according to his way of life.

Now, this physical healing is also a type of the spiritual healing that people are going to realize when that kingdom is here. As God's word is poured out, and as the Holy Spirit is poured out, it's going to be like water that's poured out on the desert. Life and vitality are going to fall. Life and vitality are going to spring forth in the minds and hearts of the individuals living during that time. Their eyes and their ears are going to be open to the truth of God.

The dumb and the mute, those that can't hear, those that can't see, those that can't walk, they're going to be able to see the truth of God. They're going to be able to hear the truth of God, they're going to be able to walk in the ways of God, and they're going to be able to sing and rejoice And the understanding that they received at that time. Again, it's through the abundance of that living water of God's Holy Spirit that's poured out on the reign of His kingdom. Now, in the reign of the kingdom of God on this earth, it's going to be a time when the nations will be at peace. It's going to be a time when mankind will learn war no more.

Let's go to Micah 4.

Micah 4.

We'll look at verse 3.

Micah 4.3, this is a continuation and a parallel to what we read earlier in Isaiah 2.

Micah 4.3, it says, This is Jesus Christ.

This is going to be a time of great peace and harmony among mankind.

But it's not going to be because there aren't any weapons. It's not going to be because the swords are now plowshares and the spears are now pruning hooks. It's not going to be because it's an agricultural society and that just somehow makes everything better. After all, Cain was a tiller of the ground, was he not? Cain rose up and slew his brother Abel. The fact is, a person could still pick up a pruning hook and kill their fellow man with it quite easily.

The fact is, what we're seeing here is that it's a transformation of the man's heart and spirit that will take place. Again, as they implement the calling of God, as they implement the standard and the laws and the morality that they have poured out upon them in the kingdom of God. Again, the change in mind and attitude is because of living according to God's way of life.

Now, as the people of that kingdom, the people that live under the reign of that kingdom, as they submit themselves to the laws of God, again, peace, not war, will break out on the earth. What a wonderful time that will be. Verse 4, still in Micah, Chapter 4, it says, I can't think of a more beautiful passage and something that's just inspiring and hope-filled for us to look forward to, again, as a result of the kingdom of God on this earth.

Additionally, what we can see from the prophecies is that under the reign of the kingdom of God will be a time where the nature of the animals are changed. Let's go back once again to the book of Isaiah, this time the 11th chapter.

Isaiah, Chapter 11, Verse 6, it says, The calf and the young lion and the fat lean together, and the little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, the young one shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. And why are these things going to occur? What is the atmosphere that's going to lend to these things happening?

Verse 9 tells us, Again, none of God's creation during this time is going to be harmful. Not harmful to man, not harmful to each other. And the fact is, their behavior is a reflection of the fact that the peoples and the nations of this earth are at peace.

Isaiah 19, verse 24 says that in that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land. When has that ever happened? When has Israel, Egypt, and Assyria been a blessing together for the world? It will happen under the reign of the kingdom of God. And again, just like the animals, these nations, nations that have traditionally been mortal enemies, nations that traditionally can't live together in peace, again, they're going to be a blessing together. And it's going to happen because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Again, that's just as the waters of the ocean cover the ocean floor and there's not a dry place in the midst of the ocean. In the same way, there won't be a dry place on this earth where the truth and the knowledge of Jesus Christ has not been spread. Once again, Jesus Christ, and if we take the time to study into it, and I encourage you to do that on your own at some point, Jesus Christ is referenced as the Prince of Peace. He's the one who will bring and establish true peace and harmony to this earth.

So again, it's going to be a beautiful time. It's going to be a wonderful time under the reign of the kingdom of God, under the rulership of Jesus Christ. Again, it will be blessing and prosperity to this earth, but not just for prosperity's sake. Again, it is in response to the fact that this world will learn to live according to the standards and the laws of God. What I'd like to do now is to shift gears a little bit and come back to something we read in Zechariah 14. You don't need to turn there, but in verse 5, it indicated to us, and it showed that Jesus Christ will not come back to the earth alone. As you'll recall, it concluded with, Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you. What this is telling us is that Jesus Christ, when He returns to the earth to establish the kingdom of God, will bring His faithful saints with Him. Now, we might ask the question, and we will ask the question, how does that occur? What set of circumstances actually bring us to the point where the saints are with Jesus Christ, and they're now returning to establish the kingdom of God? Well, the answer is there will be another miraculous event that's going to take place, and we'll accompany the return of Jesus Christ. And that's the resurrection of the saints from the dead. Let's go to 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians 4. We'll look at the writings of the Apostle Paul, and get some insight as to how this will play out. 1 Thessalonians 4. We'll begin in verse 13. Here's the Apostle Paul. He says, I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest use sorrow as others who have no hope. Here Paul is actually trying to comfort the church because they're fully expecting that Jesus Christ will return in their lifetime. And as time goes by and members of the congregation begin to die, they're becoming concerned just over what will the end result of these things be. Paul says, I don't want you to be ignorant about these things, and I don't want your sorrows, those who have no hope. So he's going to give them, again, some insight. What we need to understand is the word of God, when it describes death, it describes it as sleep. Sleep is the state of the dead. The dead have no conscious awareness. They're in their grave, and they await the saints, await the resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ. Here again, 1 Thessalonians 4. Continue on in verse 14.

Here Paul is saying, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means perceive those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. And he says, therefore comfort one another with these words. And so what we have is all the faithful saints at the resurrection upon the return of Jesus Christ will rise to meet them in the clouds. They'll return to this earth, and as we saw in Zechariah, the feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.

Another reference to the resurrection of the saints can be found in 1 Corinthians 15. Follow me there, please, the 1 Corinthians 15 chapter.

1 Corinthians 15, beginning in verse 50.

Here again the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Corinth.

He says, now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. So if someone tells you you're already living in the kingdom of God, if someone tells you you're in the kingdom of God now, don't believe them. You're still flesh. Tint yourself if you doubt it. Jesus Christ said, or Apostle Paul here said, inspired by Christ, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Now in the flesh and blood we can live our lives today as we live under the authority of the kingdom of God. We can live our lives today by the standards and the laws and the morality of the kingdom of God. But we will not literally be in the kingdom of God until we're in the spirit. Verse 51, it says, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. Again, speaking of death. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In the moment the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. And we shall be changed. For this incorruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

I think that's a beautiful prophecy.

I think it's something that should give us incredible hope. The fact that the living and the dead in Jesus Christ will be changed to spirit. They'll receive eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ.

That is a promise to God's people from God.

Now we might ask, what are those resurrected saints going to be doing?

What would their position, what would their role be as part of the kingdom of God reigning on this earth? Well, we can get a clue to that in the book of Revelation, chapter 20. Revelation, chapter 20, beginning in verse 6.

Revelation 20, verse 6 says, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such a second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

This says they'll be priests of God and Christ. The saints will be priests. The saints, in that sense, will fill the role of teachers and helpers alongside Jesus Christ. They'll minister to the needs of mankind living on the earth during that time. Part of the job description of the saints, again, will be to assist Jesus Christ in his work to bring many sons to glory.

Part of our life that we live today is preparation for that time. It says that the saints will reign with him for a thousand years. The certain events that are going to take place during a thousand-year period of time here, just following the return of Jesus Christ. But what we need to understand is that this thousand years is simply the beginning of eternity in the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ. I'd like to quote for you Daniel 7 and verse 18. Daniel 7 and verse 18 says, "...but the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." Other scriptures show that the saints will be the bride of Jesus Christ. And as the bride of Christ, they'll be assisting their husband, Jesus Christ, in all he does. Not just for a thousand years, but for all eternity as members of the family of God and participants in the kingdom of God. As we begin to wrap things up, I'd like to answer the question, who will be among those saints? You might be asking yourself, who will be among the saints? Who will be in that first resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ? Well, the answer to that is found in Revelation 3 verse 21. Revelation 3 verse 21 says, Jesus Christ overcame the pole of sin. Jesus Christ came to this earth with flesh as a mortal being. Scripture says He was tempted in all ways as we were, as we are, and yet without sin. Jesus Christ overcame sin, even unto death, and He outdidst at the right hand of God. So for those who overcome sin today through repentance, through the forgiveness of their sins, by the blood of Jesus Christ being applied to them, those who become converted to the process as well of baptism and receiving of the Holy Spirit, they are the ones who will be granted to sit on the throne of Jesus Christ and reign with Him. We need to understand that God is preparing a people to step into this role now. He has been preparing a people, in fact, since the opening pages of the Bible. Each person whom God has called and chosen has the responsibility to remain faithful to that calling, to remain faithful to the standards of God until the end. Each person has the responsibility to live their life in preparation for the role that they'll play in the kingdom of God. This life is a proving ground for those who have called out now. It's a training ground by which God is watching, and He's looking to see, will we develop the character that is fitting and that is useful to Him in His Son and His kingdom? That's really what the calling to live according to biblical Christianity is all about. As a faithful servant that is useful to God the Father and Jesus Christ, that's what we're living our life to produce in ourselves, in the way of our character, and in the fulfillment of this calling we've been given. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, you're hearing the good news of the kingdom of God. The question then becomes, what will you do with it? How will you respond? Will you make it a part of your life? What are you going to do as you look through the pages of the Bible and you see these prophecies? You see these valuable truths that have been recorded for us. Hopefully what you've heard today gives you hope. Hopefully what you heard motivates you to take action in your life. And if it does, I invite you to stick around for our next presentation. Because my friend Mr. Akimbo will give you more about the response that God expects from everyone who embraced that wonderful future. And the response he expects from everyone who places their hope in the soon-coming kingdom of God.