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The change to the Kingdom of God
The coming time of great change
Nobody would question the fact that we live in a rapidly changing world. In some places people are
becoming healthier, wealthier, better educated and living longer.
Elsewhere our world is more corrupt, congested, warmer, dangerous,
divided and unemployed − and the pace of change is increasing.
All of us have an interest in "the world of tomorrow".
We want to know where the jobs will be, where to live, what skills to acquire, how to feed our families and how we
can live well. If we could know the future more accurately, then we should be able to prepare for it.
The question is, what will the world be like?
Will it be as many people expect:
- A familiar world, a world with winners − but also losers?
- Or a world in crisis, on course to self-destruction and where natural resources are wasted?
- Or will it be, as the Bible predicts:
- A world with a single government and leadership that can be trusted, where resources are well managed, in which the
quality of life is drastically improved, and where there is a long-term vision for the planet?
There are very good reasons to believe what the Bible predicts about the future. A time of great
change is coming on our world very soon.
What the whole world is waiting for
The early Christians did not believe in human 'progress' and neither should we.
They did not think the world was getting better and better
under its own steam. They knew God had to intervene and do
something significant to put things right.
Neither did they believe that the world was getting worse and worse and that they should try and escape
it altogether. They had heard and believed the gospel or good news about the coming kingdom of God,
when corrupt and inept human governments would be swept away and replaced.
They believed God's promise that He would eventually make His own Son, Jesus Christ,
king over all, giving him the task of mending our broken world.
Meanwhile, as Christians, they tried to copy the example of Jesus and
live in a way that helped their bit of the world to be a better place.
A mended world
The Bible says that when God finished creating the world he was pleased with what He had done.
It was excellent in every way. Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way for
long! It soon stopped reflecting God's glory, as it once did in the beginning.
So our world now needs mending. Given the state it is in, that might seem impossible. But God, who had
the power to create this world originally, also has the power to
"make all things new"
The result will be amazing! The Bible tells us what it will be like:
A peaceful society
We all need peace and security, with freedom from the threat of danger. God's kingdom will be
entirely peaceful. Wars and war preparations will be unknown.
Violence between individuals or nations will be a thing of the past.
"The Lord will settle international disputes; all the nations will convert their weapons of war into implements of peace ... all wars will stop and all military training will end."
The Living Bible (TLB) states:
"Come, see the glorious things that our God does… how he ... causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon."
Plenty of food and water
Another world problem is famine. While rainfall is decreasing in some places and deserts expanding,
floods in other places are destroying crops and homes.
Millions starve to death, while food elsewhere is wasted. In God's kingdom there will be plenty for all,
with copious supplies of food and water.
"... the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ... The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon."
"... waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water ..."
"There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains… and those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth."
Honesty and justice
One of the tragedies of our present world is that the poor and the weak are often denied justice.
They cannot defend themselves and are frequently exploited.
Organised crime is endemic, with drug use increasing. When the kingdom of God is established there will be
care for the underprivileged and mis-carriages of justice will stop.
Jesus, as king over God's worldwide kingdom, will:
"...bring justice to the poor of the people… save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor."
"He will not judge by appearance, false evidence, or hearsay, but will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked who oppress them."
- An example of rare flowers growing near top of a mountain.
Homes for all
There are few greater inequalities in the world today than the type of houses people live in. Housing has
always been high on the agenda of many governments, yet still the problem remains. Shanty towns are
a world-wide phenomenon and make-shift camps for vast numbers of refugees provide very little
shelter, encouraging crime and disease.
By contrast, the Bible's picture of the future is of a serene and contented people living in houses
they can permanently call their own, surrounded by their own plot of land:
"In those days, when a man builds a house, he will keep on living in it. It will not be destroyed by invading armies as in the past... People will plant vineyards and eat the fruit themselves – their enemies will not confiscate it."
Long and healthy lives
Such an idyllic picture would be ruined unless the inhabitants of the kingdom of God were given good
health to enjoy the blessings.
Healthy minds and bodies will be a feature of that future age. Long, happy and healthy lives will be
quite normal. A person dying a hundred years old will be considered just a child!
When Jesus comes:
"... the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped ... the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing."
- Leap like a deer.
- Photograph by Diodewijks/Dreamstime.com
"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years."
"For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands."
These passages from the Bible, and many others like them, build up a picture of life in the kingdom of
God. Peace, happiness and security will replace the evils and injustices that cause so much pain, anxiety
and anguish today. Everybody will be given food, shelter, health and a very long life to enjoy these
blessings to the full.
Cause and effect
You could be excused for thinking that this picture in the Bible is of a completely materialistic society,
living for its own gratification and satisfaction. That's not correct. These changes have another purpose:
"... the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."
These great and far-reaching changes will happen because of a change in peoples' attitudes.
These God-given benefits are not an end in themselves.
They are the result of men and women turning to God and knowing Him better.
Many people are familiar with a Bible quotation that is linked to the birth of Jesus, when the angels used
these words in praise to God:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!"
These words represent "cause and effect".
When there is glory to God then, and only then, the world and its inhabitants will enjoy peace.
The Bible clearly states that men and women throughout the world need to change and be changed.
Everybody will eventually acknowledge God as the Creator, who gives the blessings this world
enjoys now, and will give even more blessings when Jesus rules as its king:
"The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him will praise the LORD... All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you."
When you consider the vast number of different religions in the world today, you get an idea of how
much the world needs change. Some religions are completely incompatible with others and some
are atheistic. Even within the same religion there are different beliefs, often causing hatred and violence.
- Today, razor wire frames the view of the Temple site in Jerusalem.
- In the future the Temple Mount will no longer be divided by religious hatred.
- Picture by Rodrickbeila/Dreamstime.com
God's kingdom will change all that. There will be just one religion and many will recognize that they have
been mistaken in their past beliefs. With God's help, the prophet Jeremiah was able to look forward
to this time of change:
"... to you (God) the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" Therefore I will teach them – this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD."
This wide-spread recognition of the true God will bring about a tremendous change to the world.
Men and women will be willing to live and worship in the way God wants:
"Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us to up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths". The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."
Rightly or wrongly, people often blame religion for many of this world's problems, including wars
and terrorism. But a world with just one religion will be a vast change for the better and bring with it
those countless blessings.
Making the change
Bringing about this change will need to involve God Himself. But first of all He will fight, and win a
final battle against all those who threaten the land of Israel (God's favourite land – see Deuteronomy
11.8-12) and who oppose His plan to use Jerusalem as the capital of His kingdom.
The end-result will be the removal of everything that is evil in the world and a change in the way
everyone thinks about God:
"... When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness."
"... the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer."
"... I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Meanwhile, there is work to be done – and another war to be won – a battle with ourselves!
Changing ourselves first
To share this hope of being part of God's plan for the future, we may have to change too.
When Jesus preached the "good news" about the coming kingdom of God, he made this very clear:
"The time has come ... The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
For some, that change may be a complete U-turn! For others, simply a change in the direction of
their lives. But that change must happen ... and the time left to do so is short. Why not make that change
now, while you still have time?
The last section is a summary of the steps required to make that all important change.
The Kingdom of God and YOU
The changed world of the kingdom of God is almost beyond our imagination. As we have already
noted, the sorrows and hardships of this life will be greatly alleviated for the remaining mortal
population of the world. But people will need to change too − to focus
on the worship of God and to lead righteous lives. The Bible tells us
that the benefits of this will be felt by all:
"The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever."
This will fulfil the promise to Abraham that
"in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
God's declaration to Moses about His plan for the world will then be accomplished:
"... truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD"
Resurrection and judgment
When Jesus returns a process of 'cleansing' the world of ungodliness will take place before the
time of righteousness and peace can be established. Those who he calls his 'friends' will assist him. He
said to his disciples
"You are my friends if you do whatever I command you."
The friends of Jesus will not be like the mortal population of the earth.
They will be made immortal like Jesus because when he returns his first task will be to raise
"the dead in Christ"
This will be followed by a gathering together of believers to the place of
judgment (2 Corinthians 5.10). Those who have tried to develop
characters like that of Jesus will be rewarded by him with the gift of
eternal life. They will then be privileged to assist Jesus in bringing
all nations under his control and teaching the mortal population to
develop godly characters.
The time to prepare
If we believe that Jesus is soon to return and bring about these far reaching
changes, then we need to prepare for that time now.
How can we do this?
Just before his ascension to heaven, Jesus gave his apostles a very clear commission, to continue the work
that he had begun:
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."
The apostles responded to these instructions immediately. Only a
few days after Jesus' ascension, Peter preached in Jerusalem and his
words touched the hearts of many who heard him. "What shall we do?"
they asked. Peter responded without hesitation:
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
Repentance'
Repentance is a word that literally means "to perceive afterwards". It implies a change of mind and a
change of direction in our lives. It always means a change for the the better – understanding and believing
God's Word, and forsaking our former way of life. The Bible tells us about our natural state as
sinners and what God requires of us to become His servants rather than the servants of sin. It teaches
us to follow the example of Jesus rather than our natural inclinations.
Once we have learned what God requires of us and we want to be a part of the things He has promised,
then we need to act on this. In following Jesus we learn that we too must be baptized. Jesus himself
set the example by being baptized (Matthew 3.13-17).
What is baptism?
Baptism is the first active step to take as part of our preparation for that new life in the kingdom of
God, but what is it? The established church teaches that sprinkling holy water from a font on a person's
head is sufficient. Others teach that it is necessary to have moving holy water, so this is poured on the head
from a jug rather than sprinkled. Then there is baptism by full immersion, which means that the
person is completely covered with water. But what does the Bible say about baptism?
The Gospels record that John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea to the east of
Jerusalem. The people of the cities and villages went out to hear what he had to say and those who
accepted his message were baptized by John in the river Jordan.
He didn't go into the cities and villages with a supply of holy water and sprinkle people there.
No, they went to him and were baptized in the Jordan where they would be immersed in the water
just like Jesus.
A lesson from the Old Testament
Long before the time of Jesus we read in the Old Testament about a man, a successful Syrian army
commander called Naaman, who was a leper. He was told by the prophet Elisha that he would be
cured of his leprosy if he washed in the river Jordan seven times. This was something his pride would not
allow him to do and he was indignant at this instruction, feeling that the Syrian rivers were far better
than the river Jordan.
Naaman was reminded by his servants that if he had been asked to do something grand he would
certainly have done it. He realised his error, swallowed his pride,
washed in the Jordan as instructed and was cured of his leprosy. You
can read about this in 2 Kings chapter 5.
We can learn much from this incident. First, sufficient water is required for us to be completely
cleansed of our 'leprosy', which is used in the Bible to represent sin. Second, we need to humbly submit
to baptism by full immersion in order to please God and obtain forgiveness of past sins. Once
cleansed in this way, we can start our journey along the path that leads to eternal life in the kingdom of God.
A lesson from the New Testament
This need for immersion in water is also shown in the record in Acts about the conversion of an
Ethiopian eunuch. He was reading a Bible passage as he returned home after a visit to Jerusalem.
Philip joined him in his chariot and explained the meaning of the passage from Isaiah chapter 53, a
prophecy about the work of Jesus as the Saviour.
- The original word for 'baptize' was used in the dyeing industry, where cloth or leather was submerged in the dye to bring about a complete change of colour.
- Picture of a traditional dyeing vats in Morocco.
- Photograph by Paulo Rainho/Dreamstime.com
When he understood what he must do to be saved through the work of Jesus, the Ethiopian asked Philip:
"See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may."
On hearing the Ethiopian's confession of his faith, the record in Acts tells us that
"... both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him."
Baptism unites us with Jesus
Baptism unites us with Jesus Christ. We become his friends, with the aim that the rest of our lives are
willingly spent in his service. In his letter to the Christians at Rome, the
Apostle Paul sets out the full significance of baptism for those
who wish to become the friends of Jesus. We recommend that you
read Romans chapter 6 carefully for a clear understanding of the significance of baptism.
The teaching of this chapter clearly shows why we need to be completely covered with water
when we are baptized:
"... do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
How can we be "buried with him through baptism into death" if we
are not completely covered by the waters of baptism? Jesus rose to a
new life and Paul shows that at baptism we also start a new life.
We should no longer please ourselves but dedicate our lives to God and
make it our priority, in Jesus' words, to
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."
The hope of resurrection
What happens if we die before Jesus comes? The answer to this is given in Romans chapter 6:
"For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Now if we died with Christ, (through baptism) we believe that we shall also live with him."
- On the morning of the first day, the tomb was empty.
- Jesus had risen from the dead, the first-fruits of a new creation in which we too can have our place.
- Photograph by Moti Meiri/Dreamstime.com
The Gospel accounts explain that after three days in the tomb Jesus was raised from the dead and this
was the main theme of the apostles' preaching. Peter wrote to those
"... who through him believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
Paul reminded the Corinthians that
"Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep."
The resurrection of Jesus as the 'first-fruits' of the harvest, gives his disciples the assurance that they
too will be raised from the dead at his coming when the full harvest is gathered in. This is not a vain wish
but a confident expectation of the fulfilment of God's promises.
If we have been baptized into this hope, then there is no fear that we will be overlooked at Christ's
appearing if our present life ends before his coming. We will be raised from the dead and if found
to be among the friends of Jesus, we will be given divine nature. We will be fitted for the role of ruling
the nations and teaching those who have not heard or understood the gospel message.
The hope of the resurrection is not just a New Testament doctrine. In
the book of Job we learn about a man who lived many centuries before Christ. He is described as:
"... blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."
Despite undergoing very severe trials he maintained his confidence in God and expressed his hope in this way:
"... I know that my Redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God."
The prophet Daniel was told about the state of the world just prior to
the return of Christ. It is described as "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation" and
the passage continues: "At that time your people shall be delivered"
(Daniel 12.1).
Not only will the living be delivered but the dead will also be raised, as we learn from the next verse:
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament (heavens), and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever."
Conclusion
We have thought about the need for change in our lives. Before anything else, we must come to
know what the Bible teaches and be moved by a real desire to be involved in its wonderful promises.
A conviction of the truth of these things will lead us to repentance
and baptism into the saving name of Jesus.
Baptism associates us with the work of Jesus, bringing forgiveness of our former sins.
It is also a public confession of our beliefs before witnesses and a figurative burial
and resurrection to a new life "in Christ".
This sets our feet on the path to God's kingdom.
There is nothing else in this life that offers so much promise for the future and is so certain to be fulfilled.
It is our sincere wish that you may be among those who share the honour of being with Jesus in his coming kingdom.
"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."
Based on the "Light on The Kingdom of God" special issue in 4 parts:
- Introduction to the Kingdom of God series and the central theme
- The Kingdom of God in the Past
- The Kingdom of God in the Future
- The change to the Kingdom of God and YOU
This is the final article of the series.
Author Many people were involved in writing and checking this article
Country UK
Source Light on a New World special edition: "Light on The Kingdom of God"
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