“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. ‘Come, let us go 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.'... 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. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:-5, NIV). [Read also Micah 2:1-8 and Zechariah 2:10-13]. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:32-33, NIV).
“His kingdom will never end!” These words of the angel to Mary when he announced that she would bear the Messiah were reechoing the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah. The angel assured Mary of the hope the Jews had held for centuries; Messiah will come! His kingdom will be established! His rule will be forever! The kingdom has three definite characteristics different from all the kingdoms known to that time: a kingdom of peace, a kingdom of power, and a kingdom of permanence. We know the story of Jesus. He came, lived, taught, healed, died, was buried, arose from the dead, was seen of many in His resurrected body, ascended in a cloud as several watched, gave His gathered disciples the Great Commission, and at Pentecost the promise of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, was fulfilled. Where was the kingdom of peace, power and permanence the prophets predicted and the angel declared? How, then and now, is this kingdom being established?
Listen to what the King Himself said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). Heart by heart, person by person this peace is given, and it is not the peace that the world gives. What about the power promised to Kingdom subjects? “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14, NIV). How is this possible? Jesus lives in believers everywhere, and evangelistic, healing, and compassionate ministries in His name are blessed of God and empowered by God so that the works Jesus began when He was on earth are multiplied and expanded. Jesus promised power for the assignments He gave us, and that promise is fulfilled daily in the lives of disciples. And what about the permanence of the Kingdom? We’ve not seen it in the way the prophets pictured: not everyone with unparalleled allegiance to the King coming together in “His holy mountain”—Mt. Zion. Neither have all weapons of war yet been turned into instruments of peace. But all who know the Lord in their hearts are a part already of the permanent kingdom. To God be the glory!
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, December 17, 2010
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