“He Who testifies to these things says, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” – Rev. 22:20-21.
These are the very last Words of the whole Bible. In them we are encouraged to long for and hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are reasons for such a Kingdom attitude.
So, we will begin this chapter by considering the benefits of knowing about the Kingdom world to come, by the coming of the King of kings, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Four benefits of knowing the Kingdom-future
1. Purity booster
Believers can live in sin when they lose sight of the coming of our Lord Jesus and the Kingdom-future ahead of us – 1 Jn. 3:1-3,
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us…Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Potential purity
Please understand that all believers are pure in spirit already by the new birth. Eph. 4:24, tells us “that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
So, note that “according to God”, (not mankind), you are already “created” in true righteousness and true holiness, not fake ones. It is not now that God will create your spirit righteous and holy. Righteousness here is the root and holiness is the fruit – See also Rom. 6: 19, 22.
Beloved, understand that your brand new human spirit is already righteous and holy by God’s standards. Yes, even your body is already holy too, as a believer – 1 Cor. 6:19,
“Or do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit who is in…”
“If anyone defiles the Temple of God, God will destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, which Temple you are” – 1 Cor. 3:17.
Let us put these two quotes together, and you will clearly see that your body is holy already. Hallelujah!
Practical purity
But, this holiness or purity will have to be seen in your everyday life. This is where the type of love with which God has loved us, and the hope of the revelation of Jesus come in.
In other words, the Scripture says, when you know that God loves you unconditionally, and you have the hope of being practically like Jesus at His appearing, you will unavoidably purify yourself to meet Him.
The apostle of hope, i.e. Peter speaks to this too – 2 Pet. 3:10-11, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness”
Indeed, when you lose sight of God’s love and the eternal Kingdom-future, you will automatically live as you wish and not as God desires. (So keep reading this book of hope)
2. Comfort in trouble
Another benefit of knowing the Kingdom future is that it is a comfort in trouble. For example, the death of a beloved one can be very troubling. It actually makes some believers backslide in heart, filling them with their own ways – Prov. 14:14a.
But, when the beloved one died as a believer, then you have comfort in the coming of our Lord Jesus for His people.
This is because, according to the apostle Paul, all dead believers will rise again, and believers who are alive will be caught up with their loved ones in the air, to meet Jesus and will ever be with Him – 1 Thess. 4:15-18,
“For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
So, the word of comfort upon losing loved ones who are believers is to know that, we will be together again forever. You know, sometimes, people leave us for them to be made better by God, so that we later receive them forever in a perfect state.
So, take comfort in these inspired words when you lose a loved one.
3. Preparations for a great future Kingdom life
God often reveals the future in order for us to prepare for it – Amos 3:7. So, the knowledge of the Kingdom-future ahead of mankind is to motivate you to lead the Kingdom life now in order to have a great Kingdom-future later.
Yes, when you are faithful in ruling over self, situations, society and Satan, in the Kingdom-way of Christ, you will then be recognize as such when the Kingdom of God is fully expressed on earth – Lk.19:11-12,16-17,
“Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: A certain nobleman (i.e. Jesus) went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return…
Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, well, thou good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities”. Emphasis mine.
Beloved, Jesus the “nobleman” is about to establish His literal rule on earth in the Kingdom-future. But, your authority in this Kingdom-future is directly related to your faithfulness in ruling over what rules the world as God’s rival i.e. money – Matt. 6:24.
This is partly why God wants us to rule as kings in this present life by Christ Jesus through actively receiving His abundance of ruler-ship grace and His gift of everlasting righteousness – Rom. 5:17.
Yes, your ruler-ship now is in preparation for ruler-ship with Jesus in the Kingdom-future – Rev. 1:6,
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nations; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”
Rev. 20: 6 – “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years”.
4. Hopeful living
The final benefit of focusing on the Kingdom-future is that it gives you hope. Hope has to do with a bright future. Yes, the mind of the believer is to be full of the glorious future – 1 Thess. 5:8.
This is a shield for the believer against the troubles of this life. So, as you go through this life, you are to set before you the joy of Jesus our hope of glory – Col. 1:29.
Yes, in this Era of grace, we can only have a taste of God. The real eating or big deal will be in the Kingdom-future to come. So, look forward to this consummation of God because He is faithful to it. He will not give you a taste of Himself, if He does not intend to avail Himself and His realm in the biggest way to you.
Believers are to know that God “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” – Eph. 2:6-7.
Beloved, there is ‘excess’ grace and kindness yet to be shown you by God in the Kingdom-future. This is the reason why He seated you spiritually with Jesus in the first place.
And, this is why He gave you a down payment of His Holy Spirit in this Era of grace – Eph.1:13-14. Yes, the Holy Spirit in you is a pledge by God or a foretaste of the unspeakable blessings of ruler-ship He is yet to bestow on you in the Kingdom-future.
Be spiritually enlightened to see the Kingdom-future
So beloved, there is a hope of Jesus’ calling as a ruler or Lord of all. And you are firstly to be enlightened on this; not firstly enlightened on God’s will about who to marry, what business to do, what your choice of subjects or career must be, when to travel etc – Eph. 1:18,
“the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…”. So, the hope of Jesus’ calling is the reason for enlightened spiritual eyes here, which Apostle Paul prayed for believers.
In other words, Jesus has a calling and you are to derive hope from it. This hope is that one day, Jesus’ calling as Lord or ruler will be fully expressed through you on earth and in Heaven as well – 2 Tim. 2:12a, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
Therefore my friend, let this encourage you to look for the Kingdom-future with hope.
Yes, understand that you will be shown more grace even during the judgment which is part of the Kingdom future – 1 Jn. 4:17; Jas. 2:12-13.
So, don’t ‘hide from’ or ‘deny’ the Kingdom-future. Rather, think on it with hope and long for and hasten its coming by receiving the spiritual revelation of Jesus. Amen!
