God's Coming Kingdom

God, in the pages of the Bible, often speaks about the coming kingdom of God on earth. This page is a continuing series of articles about this coming kingdom, as shown in the Bible.

Part 14      God's Coming Kingdom

According to a Wikipedia quote from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the 2024 world military expenditure was equivalent to US$ 2,718,000,000,000. The prophecy of Joel shows that this number will grow considerably before Christ returns as Prince of Peace.

“Proclaim this among the nations: ‘Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears; let the weak say, '’I am strong’.”

Rogue nations have been increasing their military spending. And so leaders among the richer trading blocks are even now urging their allies to spend ever greater proportions of their national GDP to enlarge their armed forces. But instead of using this expanded power against those “usual suspect” nations, Christ will suddenly appear as the new ruler of Israel and demand international recognition. All nations will then unite against Israel.

“Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones [Christ’s immortal believers] to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.

“Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for their wickedness is great”, because the nations have rejected Christ’s claim to be sent from God.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” This speaks of all nations being involved in this end-of-times war. But Christ will be victorious, because “the sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness,” that is, the current political and religious authorities will be overthrown and replaced by Christ’s immortal kings and priests - see Revelation 5:10. Jesus, as “the lion of the tribe of Judah,” - Revelation 5:5, will then sit on the throne of the kingdom of God in Jerusalem, in the land which God promised to Abraham and his offspring, when “the Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel” - Joel 3:9-15.

Then will commence the promised pacifying of the earth, which will fulfill the divinely inspired words in Psalms 46:8, “Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth” [that is, Christ’s overthrow of the armies which opposed his authority].

Not only will Jesus put an end to international conflict; “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.” Jesus will also immediately commence ridding the world of armaments. “He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.”

Mankind has sought in vain for such peace since the Tower of Babel project, but only Jesus will bring that peace to all the world. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” International recognition of this fact will see this peace endure.