Thy Kingdom Come

Jesus taught His disciples to pray saying, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV).

Those in the Christian faith have been praying “Thy kingdom come.” for almost 2,000 years and yet not everyone agrees, what “Thy kingdom come” means.  Christians generally agree that this refers to the Kingdom of God when it comes on earth.  However, some people believe the Kingdom of God has already come on earth and Christ reigns over the earth from heaven.  Others believe that Satan is still in control of the world [1] and that the Kingdom of God on earth will not come until Christ physically and visibly returns to earth.

When Christ was on earth at the time of His First Coming, He taught His disciples about the future Kingdom of God on earth.  Here are a few things He said about the coming Kingdom, which show me that the Kingdom is yet to come on earth. 

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34).

I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God (Mark 14:25).

There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28-29).

Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Luke 21:31-32).

‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes’ (Luke 22:15-18).

Each of these passages reveal something that has not yet taken place which indicates that the Kingdom of God has not yet come on earth.  We also know that Jesus currently resides in heaven where He must remain until it's time for Him to restore everything and establish His Kingdom on earth.

He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets (Acts 3:21).

We also know that while Jesus is in heaven, His subjects are considered ambassadors of His Kingdom.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

However, when Christ returns to earth and establishes His Kingdom, His subjects will no longer be ambassadors. They will be priests in the Kingdom of God.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).

The Apostle Paul wrote about the coming Kingdom of God on earth. He indicated that Christ’s followers will inherit the future the Kingdom of God, but, the wicked not. When the Kingdom come the wicked will be weeded out.  Certainly, that has not happed yet.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? (1 Corinthians 6:9)

The Apostle Paul also explained that Christ’s followers must be changed from their present mortal bodies into their resurrected immortal bodies in order to inherit the coming Kingdom of God.  Since,  the followers of Christ have not yet been resurrected, the Kingdom of God on earth must still be in the future.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50).

The earliest indications of the coming Kingdom are found in the Old Testament.  Here is God’s promise to Abraham.

Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him (Genesis 18:18).

Yahweh promised David that his Son would rule over the coming Kingdom forever.

Yahweh declares to you [David] that Yahweh himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (Samuel 7:11-13).

Zechariah describes an earthly rule by the Messiah the King.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:9-10).

This Psalm describes the Messiah’s earthly throne in Zion (Jerusalem).

Yahweh swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-- if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever." For Yahweh has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it-- I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. "Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one (Psalm 132:11-17).

The prophet Isaiah wrote extensively of the coming earthly Kingdom of God.  Isaiah says Messiah’s throne will be in Jerusalem and describes how the Kingdom will be when it comes.

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, 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 Yahweh from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore (Isaiah 2:1-4).

Yahweh says His eternal kingdom will come to Zion.

The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares Yahweh. "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says Yahweh. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says Yahweh (Isaiah 59:20-21).

The prophet Joel describes the arrival of the eternal Kingdom on “the Day of Yahweh” also known as “the Day of the Lord.”

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of Yahweh is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. Yahweh will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But Yahweh will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. 'Then you will know that I, Yahweh your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her (Joel 3:14-17).

Finally, John wrote about the Kingdom this way, “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).

Since, God says what He means and means what He says, we must conclude that when His Kingdom does come on earth, the Messiah will rule from Jerusalem, Israel.

However, until that day comes, Christ will remain in heaven. We are told that His Kingdom will not be established on earth, until the seventh and "Last Trumpet."

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever' (Revelation 11:15)

Therefore, continue to pray, "Thy Kingdom Come."  Because, it's not here yet.

Richard H Perry

[1]  the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19).