October 5, 2025 | By Jay Ashbaucher
When Jesus was born, there was a prophecy from an angel sent by God that was given to his mother, Mary. The prophecy is found in Luke 1:31-33: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
When Jesus grew to manhood, he began to preach about the kingdom of God. Mark’s gospel in 1:14-15 puts it this way, “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” Gospel means good news. Luke 4:43 reports what Jesus said and did: “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 8:1 says, “He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God.” The Kingdom of God was not only a phrase referring to the heavenly realm, but it was also a political phrase referring to a country on the earth in which “Jesus is Lord and King”. God’s two-fold kingdom can be taken as an answer to what Jesus prays in the prayer he taught his disciples. Matthew 6:10 says, “Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
After Jesus died on a cross, and rose from the dead, the day came for Jesus to leave earth and return to his Father in heaven. The disciples of Jesus witnessed this event, which the Bible reports in Acts 1:9-11. It says, “He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.” They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Before Jesus ascended, the disciples asked a question about when his kingdom would come and be restored to Israel. This had been promised in the Old Testament, and it was their understanding of what their Messiah would do. Jesus answered that the Father has fixed a time, but in the meantime, they were to be his witnesses to the remotest part of the earth (read Acts 1:6-8).
The Bible reports in many places what will happen when Jesus comes as king. Acts 3:19-21 says, “Times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord. God will send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” What does it mean that the coming king will restore all things? As reported in this Acts 3 passage, we must go to the holy prophets to see what they spoke.
The holy prophet in Isaiah 9:6-7 confirms the prophecy that was given to Mary at Jesus’ birth. Isaiah says, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” Christ’s kingdom will be a kingdom of justice and righteousness. No more murders, rapes, robberies, racism, or any other crimes will be allowed in his kingdom. He will establish a world of perfect justice and right living among all peoples.
God’s holy prophet, in Micah 4:3, said, “And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war”. The coming King will restore peace on earth among men. No more war in Christ’s kingdom (see also Isaiah 2:4).
Again, we refer to the holy prophet in Isaiah 11:6-9, where he gives us a bit of information about how the earth and nature will be restored under the coming king’s rule. Isaiah says, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling (fattened steer) together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Another thing the coming king will restore is a good life for his people Israel. Isaiah 65:18-23 says, “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed. They will build houses and inhabit them; they will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They will not build and another inhabit, they will not plant and another eat; for as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, and their descendants with them.”
When the King comes and establishes His kingdom, all nations will benefit in the joy and prosperity of God’s people, Israel. This blessing of God’s people includes all born-again believers in Christ. Why? Because all who have Christ Jesus living in them are said to be the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14, 27-29). Committed followers of Jesus will be partakers in the inheritance and blessings of Abraham, who is the father of all who have faith in Christ (see also Romans 4:16-17). However, not all who live in the King’s coming kingdom on earth will commit to following Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Many will refuse God’s offer of eternal life, and at some point, a final judgment of God will come upon them. Only those who have joined Christ Jesus and are on his side will be allowed to continue forward into God’s eternal kingdom. When all authorities have been subject to Christ’s Lordship, and death is the last enemy destroyed, Jesus will hand over his kingdom to God the Father, and God will be all-in-all (see 1 Corinthians 15:23-28).
So then, how do we become members of the kingdom of God? It is all by God’s grace, for no one can save himself or herself. None can enter God’s kingdom through his or her own efforts. Entering the kingdom is God’s work from beginning to end. He draws us to Himself through convicting us of a need, or by helping us realize there is something more in life. Perhaps we see going our own way is not working out, or we are convicted of being wrongdoers who need God’s forgiveness. When God sends us His word through His messengers, however that may happen, we are called upon to respond. Upon hearing God’s word, if we repent and believe, God completes His saving process. Christ comes to live in us, and we are declared not guilty. God’s Holy Spirt is given to us; our hearts are changed to want to live for Him; and the Spirit helps us become holy as God is holy. We also will have a resurrected body like Jesus. Our hope is then a glorious future in His kingdom. Check out these scriptures for brief statements of what the Bible says about being saved: Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; John 1:12-13, 3:3-8; and Romans 8:5-14, 10:8-17.
