The first event featured in the New Testament was the birth of Jesus Christ. Interwoven into the birth narratives, in Matthew and Luke, references to Christ's Millennial Kingdom abound. There is more emphasis on the fact that Jesus, as the Messiah, would rule as King, than on His role as Redeemer.
Luke 1:31-33
Jesus will rule over Israel, and His Kingdom will last forever. Gabriel was alluding to Isaiah's prophecy.
Isaiah 9:6
In both of these prophecies, the birth of Christ was announced by proclaiming His Millennial Kingdom. The angelic choir's announcement to the shepherds, "Peace on earth," also referred to this Kingdom, [Luke 2:14]. The wise men came looking for "He that is born King of the Jews" [Matt. 2:2]. In fact, Herod's massacre of the infants was an attempt to stop the fulfillment of the Millennial Kingdom. John the Baptist's father also prophesied of this hope.
Luke 1:68-74
The referrence to the Abrahamic Covenant, and Israel's living at peace, is a referrence to the Millennial promises.
The Ancient Hope of the Saints
Matthew 25:34
This hope was not confined to the Jewish nation, but was very real before there was a nation called Israel. Even the oldest book in the Bible speaks of this hope. Job, who even predated Abraham, expected to be raised from the dead to witness the reign of Christ on earth.
Job 19:25-27
Long before the prophets wrote of the coming of this Kingdom, King David showed that the Jewish people were already well acquainted with this hope. He wrote plainly, in Psalm two, of Christ's overthrowing the kingdoms of this world and establishing His Kingdom, with the 'Son' ruling the nations. Other Psalms speak with equal clarity of the coming Kingdom, and its role as the reward of the saints, [See: Psalm 37]. How can we account for this familiarity with the Millennial hope by Job and David? Apparently it was passed down through oral tradition from generation to generation "from the foundation of the world." Later it was more fully developed by the Prophets.
The Destiny of the Redeemed According to Jesus
Matthew 19:27-29
Jesus placed the "everlasting life" in His Millennial Kingdom. The reward for the followers of Christ will be the Kingdom of God, not heaven. While speaking to the scribes and Pharisees who rejected Him, Jesus said:
Matthew 8:11,12
The "children of the Kingdom" were the Jews, to whom the covenants belonged. Jesus told the unbelieving Jews that they will end up in outer darkness and Gentiles will inherit the Kingdom prepared for the Jews. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the patriarchs of the Jewish people. Yet, Gentiles will inherit their eternal reward. Notice the connection between the reward expected by the Jews and the promised reward of the Gentile believers. It is one and the same, the Kingdom of God on earth.
The phrase "kingdom of heaven" does not mean the kingdom will be in heaven, but it is from heaven. This phrase is used only by Matthew and is interchangeable with the phrase "Kingdom of God" used in the other Gospels and throughout the New Testament. This is easily demonstrated by comparing the parallel passages in the synoptic Gospels. In each case where Matthew recorded Jesus saying "Kingdom of heaven," the parallel passages in Mark and Luke recorded "Kingdom of God." From this we may conclude the phrases are interchangeable. Those who have developed doctrinal positions based on distinguishing these phrases are mistaken.
When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, He had in view the same Kingdom that was promised in the Old Testament, the Kingdom the Jews eagerly awaited. In fact both phrases (Kingdom of Heaven & Kingdom of God) are derived from Daniel's prophecy.
Daniel 2:44
Jesus taught this Kingdom would also be the reward and destiny of the Gentiles who would be saved through the ministry of the Apostles. Speaking to the Jews who did not believe, Jesus said:
Luke 13:26-29
Notice the contrast to the Kingdom of God is hell. The Jews who rejected Christ will end up in hell while the Gentiles and Jews who accept Him will inherit the Kingdom of God on the earth, promised to Israel in the Old Testament. Notice also our Millennial inheritance will be shared with the saints of the Old Testament. Jesus made no distinction in final destiny between the saints of the Old Testament and those of the New. When Jesus spoke of those from the east, west, north and south he included the whole world. Jesus was including us in the promise of the Millennial Kingdom. It is the destiny of Christians.
The teaching of Jesus Christ, about the Millennial Kingdom being the destiny of the righteous, was not new. He simply reaffirmed the Old Testament teaching in the New Testament.
Psalms 37:9,18,22,28,29,34
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth....
David was not speaking here of the Jews inheriting the promised land. They were already occupying the land of Israel. He said the righteous will inherit "the earth."
Many of the Jews of Jesus' day made the same mistake that many Jews make today. Based on the fact that the Messiah would be Jewish, He would rule from Jerusalem, and the prophets of Israel predicted His Kingdom, they assumed that being "Jewish" was all that was required to enter that Kingdom. The Kingdom had lost its significance as the reward of the righteous, as Psalm thirty-seven and Daniel seven so clearly state. It had become only the hope of a political revolution to many Jews.
Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who was well acquainted with the Millennial hope, that an inheritance in Messiah's Kingdom was not automatic just because someone is Jewish. Nor could it be attained by the good works practiced by the Pharisees.
John 3:3,5
Nicodemus came to Jesus because of Jesus' claim of being the Messiah. Jesus did not tell him his concept of the Kingdom was all wrong, but how he could enter that Kingdom he so eagerly desired. Being "born again" is the only requirement. The Jews of His day who were not 'born again' would not see the Kingdom of God because they would not be resurrected in the resurrection of the just.
Jesus Taught There Would be Two Comings
The religious leaders were not the only ones of this opinion. The disciples and others believed this also. We find Jesus spending much time explaining that it was not yet time to set up His Kingdom.
Luke 19:11
Jesus had quite a crowd following Him as He walked from Jericho to Jerusalem. Many of them believed Jesus was the promised Christ. They apparently thought when they reached Jerusalem Jesus would establish His Kingdom. Jesus tried to correct this error in the following parable.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
Jesus was showing them He must first go away before the Kingdom of God would come.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Here, Jesus instructed His followers to serve the Lord with the expectancy of His return.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
These were the Jews who at the crucifixion said, "away with this man .... crucify him".
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Jesus will judge His followers when He returns at His Kingdom. Now let's see what the rewards are.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
Since the rest of this parable appears meant to be taken quite literally, these rewards should also be taken literally. And why not? The crowns, mentioned in the Epistles, are for rulers in the Kingdom.
Unbelieving Jews Will be Excluded from the Kingdom
Luke 13:24-29
As believing Gentiles, we will inherit the Kingdom of God. The Jews who rejected Jesus will be weeping and wailing when they find a great gulf fixed between them, their father Abraham, and their Messiah.
The self-righteous priests, scribes, and Pharisees were quite confident that they would have the highest positions in the coming Kingdom of Messiah. In Jesus' parable of the husbandman who lent out his vineyard, Jesus angered them with the idea that this Kingdom would be torn from them and given to someone else.
Matthew 21:33:41
The Jewish leaders were the husbandmen who wanted to seize the inheritance. Jesus made it clear that they were being disinherited by God and replaced by more faithful husbandmen. Those faithful husbandmen were Jesus' disciples.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant to be made with Israel that was to supersede the covenant given on Mt. Sinai.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
The New Covenant was established by Christ with His disciples.
Mark 14:23
There can be no doubt Jesus was referring to Jeremiah's prophecy. Yet, Jeremiah clearly stated the New Covenant would be made with Israel. Here Jesus established the New Covenant with His disciples, who became the elders of the Church. Is there some discrepancy? Not at all. The disciples were Jews. The leaders of the nation of Israel had rejected the New Covenant by rejecting Christ. The parable of the wicked husbandmen, that Jesus directed at the unbelieving Jewish leadership, ended with the following statement by Jesus.
Matthew 21:42-43
Jesus did not mean the Kingdom would be given to another nation besides Israel. He meant it would be given to a pure Israel, an Israel with the unbelievers removed. It would be given to a pure remnant of Israel with circumcised hearts. Notice what Jesus told the disciples.
Luke 12:32
The New Covenant cannot be disconnected from Israel. The text of Jeremiah will not allow this. The disciples, as Jews, replaced the priests, scribes and Pharisees, receiving the positions in the Kingdom that should have gone to them. Jesus made this clear to the disciples in the upper room.
Luke 22:15-20,28-30
The disciples, as the new leaders of a purified Israel, without the unbelieving element, received the New Covenant and the most honorable places in the Kingdom of Christ, ruling beside Him from the Millennial Temple. The idea that God's programs for the "Church" and "Israel" are entirely separate, is not biblical. Christianity is the fulfillment of true biblical Judaism. The Church's firm foundation is Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah. The Apostles of the Church are Jewish, and received the Jewish New Covenant as their charter. Because the New Covenant was later broadened, and allowed Gentile inclusion into the Jewish Church, we now have the right to reign with the Jewish Messiah from His Jewish Temple, with the Jewish Apostles.
John 10:16
In this article, we have seen a unity between the Old Testament and the teaching of Christ regarding the Kingdom of God. It is clear Jesus never spoke of heaven as the destiny of any redeemed people. Some may object to the idea that the Kingdom of God, as taught by Christ, is the physical Kingdom which will come at the second coming. Many have interpreted the phrase "Kingdom of God" in the Gospels as God's sovereign rule over the universe, the rule of Christ over the Church, or any number of other definitions. However, the grammatical-historical requirement, that Scripture make sense to its original audience, compels us to view this phrase in its Jewish setting, with the Old Testament backdrop. There is most definately a continuity in the destiny of faithful Israel in the Old Testament and the destiny of the followers of Jesus Christ.
Some might claim that the emphasis changed, after Pentecost, to a heavenly hope. But, this idea is not founded on Scriptural evidence. There is Scripture that indicates the Kingdom exists today in a spiritual sense. This in no way diminishes the hope of the literal Kingdom, as the destiny of the saints. We are now recruiting people, bringing them into Christ's spiritual Kingdom, so they can participate in the Kingdom from heaven, when it replaces the kingdoms of this world. In Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, the emphasis is still the Millennial Kingdom as the destiny of the redeemed.
Acts 14:22
Acts 19:8
Acts 20:25
Acts 28:23
1 Corinthians 15:50
2 Timothy 4:18
Hebrews 12:28
James 2:5
2 Peter 1:11
Revelation 11:15
[See: Acts 1:3,6, 8:12, 1 Cor. 6:9,10, Gal. 5:21, Eph. 5:5, 1 Thess. 2:12, 2 Thess. 1:5, 2 Tim. 4:1]
Understanding Jesus' emphasis on the Millennial Kingdom, as the reward of the righteous, is essential to understanding the progressive unfolding of Bible prophecy. We must avoid the common mistake of superimposing post-apostolic Christian philosophy on the text of Scripture. This only serves to undermine its message. The modern idea of both A-millennialists and Dispensationalists, that the destiny of the Church is an eternity in heaven, traces its roots, not to early orthodox Christianity, but to Greek mythology.
Go to: Origins of the Heavenly Destiny Concept
31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Israel forever: and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
(KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will preform this.
(KJV)
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
(KJV)
The coming physical Kingdom of God was the universal hope of the saints since the beginning, even before Israel was a nation.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
(KJV)
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
(KJV)
When Jesus spoke of the destiny of the saved, He spoke only of the Millennial Kingdom of God. The resurrection of the righteous would be accomplished so they could participate in that Kingdom. Jesus never spoke of an eternity in heaven for the saved. Nor did the disciples ever hear of such a teaching because it cannot be found in the Old Testament either. Therefore, this idea could not have been a part of the gospel Jesus commanded to be preached until the end of the age. Jesus' teaching regarding the Kingdom of God is of supreme importance because He is the King.
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration 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.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
(KJV)
11 And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
(KJV) (See also Dan. 7:13,14)
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But He shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
18 The Lord knoweth the ways of the upright: and their inheritance shall be forever....
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off....
28 For the Lord loveth judgement, and forsaketh not his saints, they are preserved forever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever....
34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land, when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it.
(KJV) [see also; Daniel 7:18,27]
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God....
5 Jesus answered, Verily verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
The Scribes and Pharisees only knew of one coming of Christ. They believed when He came He would deliver them from their Roman oppressors and establish the Kingdom of God. They knew of the prophecies about the birth of Christ, but it is obvious the religious establishment had no idea He must die for the redemption of the world, and there would be a long interval of time before He would set up His Kingdom on the earth.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
(KJV)
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, be thou also over five cities.
We have seen that Jesus, when preaching the gospel, did not speak of heaven as the reward of the saved. Rather, He spoke of the same Kingdom promised to Abraham and his seed. We have also seen the hope of this Kingdom includes Gentiles, the adopted sons, as well as the Jews of Jesus' day. We are those who come from the east, west, north and south. Yet, Jesus also warned unbelieving Jews that they would be cut off from His Kingdom.
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut the door, and ye [unbelieving Jews] begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are;
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye [unbelieving Jews] shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.
29 And they [believing Gentiles] shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. [brackets mine]
(KJV)
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
(KJV)
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
(KJV)
23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.
(NKJV)
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
(KJV)
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
(KJV)
15 Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 "for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves;
18 "for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you....
28 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.
29 "And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,
30 "that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
(NKJV)
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd.
(KJV)
22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
(KJV)
25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
(KJV)
23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
(KJV)
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(KJV)
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(KJV)
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
(KJV)
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
(KJV)
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
(KJV)
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
(KJV)
