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 18      God's Coming Kingdom

We have been reviewing the sort of good instruction to be received by the worshippers who go up to Jerusalem in Christ’s kingdom, seen in those words of God recorded by Solomon in the book of Proverbs.

We have seen earlier how the exodus of Israel from Egypt is a parable of the salvation which was revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The book of Exodus also contains various parables of individual features which are associated with that salvation. One of these in the law of Moses was God’s instruction that Israel should annually “observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end” - Exodus 34:22.

The firstfruits of wheat harvest pointed forward to the awarding of immortality to the faithful at the return of Jesus. The feast of ingathering (main wheat harvest) was a foreshadowing of the final giving of immortality to the faithful mortals who lived during the thousand years reign of Jesus, and so making up the full number of the permanent, immortal population of the earth.

We return to the form of spiritual education which will be given during the thousand years, as illustrated by the example of the book of Proverbs.

Those who truly respect God will pay attention to His instruction, and not do things their own way. They will see anything that God forbids as evil, and will want to turn away from it. If they do, said Jesus, they will have a part in the future of this earth when Paradise is restored.

“Those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age ... can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection” - Luke 2:35-36. That is when they will receive “length of days and years of life,” that is, immortality.

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” - Proverbs 3.

God gives some beautiful figurative speech, calling Wisdom a woman who offers the resources to obtain everlasting life, riches and honour. This shows, above all else, that the salvation of those who receive that education depends on them applying their minds to wisdom. This means that God expects them to make an ongoing mental effort in their spiritual education.

• “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 

“Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.”

The teachers in the kingdom of God will show that the source of true wisdom is in the written word of God - in the Bible. This has been the ongoing textbook of God’s education, and will be then - 2 Timothy 3:16-17, leading to everlasting life on this earth. These are the “teachers” referred to by Daniel 12:3, who will “shine like the stars…”.