The program of God's Kingdom

Background

Many speak of God’s Kingdom, but few actually understand what they are speaking of. Are we in God’s kingdom now, or are we waiting for the kingdom, as the Jews are? Is the church part of the kingdom or are we waiting for the kingdom?

Here I use the terminology “God’s economy” which is the realm of the reality of God’s influence; where “economy” can be related to the Greek word oikonomia (see 1 Tim 1:3, 4)[1] which is a compound word from oikos meaning house and nomos meaning law; thus meaning household management or stewardship[2] or administration[3]. Thus in the context of this lecture, God's economy it is much more than money or financial arrangements. Indeed, it is mostly about salvation, but is really around the entire welfare of the individual that comprise the household; it pertains to the governance of the household and its provision. It is this aspect that the word economy is used in theology – it is God’s caring arrangements for humans, which obviously centres on salvation through his son Jesus Christ.

Its scope is universe wide – its concept is based on God’s sovereignty and its implementation unfolds with God’s will. This is where many make the mistake of misinterpreting the phase 'God does not change' – He in and of Himself never changes[4], but how He governs and provides for the economy does change. Indeed, sometimes God has more than one strategy that He could invoke, and choses one of over the other (cf. Exodus 32:14). God did not change under questioning from Moses[5]; but the episode shows His plans are not revokable – He has and will use different strategies over the ages. It changed when Adam sinned while in the Garden of Eden, it changed after Noah, it changed when Jesus Christ died on the cross.

In summary, God manages the economy of this world in various ways, as set out in His divine plan. The implementation of this plan was not manifest at Creation, but rather it unfolded over time. Some aspects have been rescinded, and new aspects have been revealed. For instance, the notion that Jews and Gentiles would both be saved by YWHW through the death of His son was manifest millennia after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God’s Program of the Kingdom

The Program

For want of a better phrase, modern theologians have used the term "Kingdom Program" to describe the economies of the Kingdom of God. In essence it means that the way God has managed, provide for and ruled certain people during certain periods has changed with the ages. This paper describes five different programs – some over lapping (all fit into the Universal Kingdom) and some unrelated to Christians (Theocratic Kingdom – pertaining to the rule of Israel).

Other terminology

Kingdom of God / Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew uses “Kingdom of Heaven” aware of the Jewish sensitivities in this matter e.g. see Matthew 13 and compare with Mark 4 and Luke 8; the latter authors use the term “Kingdom of God”.

• There is no distinction between these terms
• They are synonymous and interchangeable expressions

Its meaning is simply “where God rules”; there may be different means by which He applies His rule and different degrees of authority, but none-the-less it relates to God’s rule.

1. The Universal or Eternal Kingdom

First the obvious must be stated: God the creator and sustainer of the universe is king over all, which is a fundamental and universal truth. He is sovereign and nothing happens outside of God’s will. This is the Universal or Eternal kingdom and thus the program covers all people (and things) and all ages.

Its two aspects are its eternality and its universality. It has always existed, because God has always existed. It is universal because nothing happens outside the will of God in any sphere. It is eternal because the God has no beginning or end, and thus His reign and economy has no beginning or end.

In this program God’s will is on display: which may be directive (commanded by God, found in Scripture, focused on believers [6]), decretive (authoritative commands or rule by degree – these shape the fundamental laws of the universe which have absolute certainty) or permissive (range of actions allowed whether or not in harmony with God’s ideals).

Overview

1. God is always in control; He is sovereign; He is eternal.
2. A believer enters this kingdom upon death or the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:50; 2 Timothy 4:18).

Verses

1 Chronicles 29:11-12; Psalms 10:16, 29:10, 74:12, 90:1-6, 93:1-5, 103:19-22, 145:1-21, 148:8; Proverbs 21:11; Jeremiah 10:10; Lamentations 5:19; Daniel 4:17, 25, 32, 6:27; Acts 17:24

2. The Spiritual Kingdom

The Kingdom Program is not merely universal in the physical sense, but incorporates the rule of God in the heart of a believer. Non-believers do not have this aspect; today, only those that have been born again and thus baptised with the Holy Spirit are within the realm of the Spiritual Kingdom. It also existed in the Old Testament, albeit the role of the Holy Spirit was somewhat different; but the means of salvation was the same – faith in YHWH (e.g. Isaiah 43:3, 11-12; Hosea 13:4).

Overview

1. The Spiritual Kingdom always existed; in this present age, from Acts 2 until the Church is removed in the Rapture, the Spiritual Kingdom and the Church are synonymous.
2. Means of entry is regeneration by the Holy Spirit.

Verses

John 3:3: Except one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:33, 19:16, 23-24; John 3:3-5; Acts 8;12, 14:22, 19:8, 28:23; 1 Corinthians 4:20, 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 1:13-14, 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:5

3. The Theocratic Kingdom

The aspect where God ruled over a specific nation – Israel – established under Moses is the Theocratic Kingdom. Its constitution was through the Law, given to Moses. Initially God ruled Israel through mediators (judges), where Samuel was the last judge, and after the rejection of King Saul by God (1 Samuel 15:26, 16:1) (where God tested man’s ability to rule), God ruled through the monarchs of the House of David. The Theocratic Kingdom declined in time as Israel’s wickedness became more evident due to their idolatry. God then, through the prophets, proposed an end of this kingdom program and its replacement in the future with a much better program – where Christ will be king. Its end came when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem around 586 BC; and the Times of the Gentiles commenced with the bold statement by Cyrus King of Persia (2 Chron 36:23). This continues until this present day.

Overview

1. This Kingdom comprised the House of Israel and the House of Judah, under God’s rule
2. Only those from the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob comprised the kingdom
3. The kingdom has ended with the Times of the Gentiles commencing, and continuing today

Verses

Exodus 19 to 2 Chronicles 36 comprises the Scriptural reference to this kingdom

Exodus 6:6-8 sets out the commencement of the Theocratic Kingdom

2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 portraits the end of the Kingdom

4. The Messianic or Millennial Kingdom

Since the Theocratic Kingdom failed due to man’s inability to obey God, the Kingdom Program yet to be unfolded as its replacement is the Messianic Kingdom also known as the Millennial Kingdom. This is a literal earthly kingdom – it’s not a metaphor for the Church.

In this Kingdom, the Messiah Himself will rule, seated on the Throne of David as promised and which will last one thousand years, hence the alternative name: “Millennial Kingdom”. The Kingdom will be earthly since it involves the Throne of David, seated in Jerusalem, where the Messiah will rule the entire earth – both Israel and the Nations of the Gentiles. Its establishment is found in the Davidic Covenant, a promise to David and his descendants (2 Samuel 7:11-16; 1 Chronicles 17:10-14; Psalm 89:1-52 etc.[7] ).

This comprises:

• an eternal house,
• an eternal kingdom,
• an eternal throne, and an
• eternal descendant

When John the Baptist proclaimed the Kingdom to be at hand (Matthew 3:2; 4:17) it was the Messianic Kingdom he was speaking of.  Jesus came unto his own (John 1:11) and offered it the Jewish people (Matthew 10:7; Mark. 1:14), but the Jewish leaders rejected their Messiah - Jesus (called Yeshua) and thus rejected the Kingdom, and for that reason the offer was rescinded for that generation, and in 70 AD Jerusalem was sacked, Jews were dispersed and the time of the Gentiles came into full force. However, the offer was not taken away forever, as replacement theology[8] makes it; the Messianic Kingdom has been postponed (Romans 11:1-10). From the God’s perspective, the rejection was part of His plan, since it led to the planned death of Messiah who provided the necessary propitiation for our sins, allowing the gospel to be extended to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:1-13). The Messianic Kingdom will be re‑offered to the believing remnant of Israel at the end of the Tribulation. The basis of this re-offering comes when Israel looks unto the Messiah:

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look unto me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)

Overview

1. The Messianic Kingdom will come into being when the believing remnant of National Israel confess their sin.
2. It is literal kingdom, seated on the Throne of David, in Jerusalem, Israel. Messiah will rule.

Verses – David Covenant

Psalm 2; Psalm 72; Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-16; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 32:14-17; Ezekiel 34:23, 37:24; Hosea 3:4-5; Micah 4:6-8, 5:2; Malachi 3:1-4

5. The Mystery Kingdom

At the time of Jesus' walk on this earth, the Mystery Kingdom program was revealed. This occurred when the Jewish leaders rejected their messiah and thus the Messianic Kingdom (Matthew 12) and Jesus taught the Mystery Kingdom program (Matthew 13). The name of this program is derived from Jesus’ speech: about the mysteries of the kingdom (Matthew 13:11).  The mysteries (there were more than one) were unknown in the Old Testament (it was hidden, being the meaning of ‘mystery’), and revealed by the New Testament Apostles (Ephesians 3:3-5, 9; Colossians 1:26-27).  To paraphrase the two passages amalgamated:

The Old Testament saints did not know, because God had hidden it, but now God has chosen to reveal the mystery to the New Testament Apostles who made the facts known to both Jews and Gentiles, that the Gentiles would also partake of the promises of Jesus Christ through faith and therefore salvation would come to them.

The Mystery Kingdom is described by a number of parables, which covers the time between Jesus Christ first coming and his second coming as Messiah.[9] Thus, the period is the time between Nation Israel’s rejection of Jesus Messiahship in Matthew 12 until the remnant of Nation Israel accepts Jesus Messiahship ushering Jesus Second Coming (Matthew 23:37‑39; Micah 7:18-20).

The Mystery Kingdom is best described by the term “Christendom”, thus is the visible church, comprising believers and non-believers. Thus, the Mystery Kingdom is not the:

• Eternal or Universal Kingdom (although the latter is superior and operates at the same time),
• Spiritual Kingdom (because the Mystery Kingdom comprises believers and non-believers),
• Theocratic Kingdom (because this is limited to National Israel and comprises a literal King),
• Messianic Kingdom (because this is not a mystery – Jews have and are been looking forward to its establishment, and Messiah is not currently visibly and physically ruling this earth from Jerusalem), nor
• Church, although it encompasses the Church, but includes non-believers who say they are Christian but are not (Matthew 7:21, 22; Luke 6:46, 13:25)

Characteristics of the Mystery Kingdom from the Parables (Matthew 13) [10]

1. Sowing of the gospel seed will occur throughout this age (Parable of the Sower)
2. The sown seed will spring to life of its own accord (has an inner energy, as a literal seed has) – but not all will bear fruit (Parable of the Seed)
3. The age will be frustrated by false counter-sowing (Parable of the Tares)
4. The Kingdom will assume very large dimensions (Parable of the Mustard Seed)
5. The Kingdom will have very large inward doctrinal corruption (Parable of the Leaven [11])
6. There will be a (believing) remnant from Israel (The Parable of the Hidden Treasure)
7. It will comprise a (believing) remnant from Israel (The Parable of the Hidden Treasure)
8. It will comprise believers from among the Gentiles (The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price)
9. This Age will end with the judgment of the Gentiles where the unrighteous will be excluded from the Messianic Kingdom, and the righteous will be taken in (The Parable of the Net)
10. Some aspects of this Kingdom Program are like other aspects and facets of God’s Kingdom Program but other aspects are brand-new (The Parable of the Householder)

Overview

1. The Mystery Kingdom comprises Christendom; but will include the Tribulation
2. The parables of the mystery of the kingdom describe the conditions on the earth during the Church age – in essence, during the absence of the King while He is in Heaven (acting as High Priest).

Endnotes

The Mystery of the Kingdom and the Rejection of Messiahship: Posted on December 9, 2011 by Ariel Staff https://raptureforums.com/forums/threads/the-mystery-of-the-kingdom-by-dr-arnold-fruchtenbaum.128731/ (accessed 6 February 2025)

Understanding God’s Kingdom Program https://truthfellowshiplive.com/blog/understanding-gods-kingdom-program/ (accessed 6 February 2025)