There are many Christians who erroneously believe that the second coming of Christ was accomplished in AD 70, and that He has already established His Kingdom on earth. That this idea is completely delusional is proven by the history of the world since that time, as well as the evil which we see happening worldwide daily, and even as we speak. If this is evidence of Christ’s Kingdom, then the one who gets the last laugh is Satan.
There are some other Christians who believe that Christ’s eternal Kingdom is strictly spiritual and invisible, and that is all there is to it. This too has no support in Scripture, since it ignores all the prophecies related to this subject.
The Bible is very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of Man – will one day destroy all the kingdoms of this world and establish His own Kingdom on earth, with universal peace, justice and righteousness, and His saints will reign with Him. We see an intimation of this in the prophecy of Daniel, but all the prophets testify that this is to become a reality after His second Coming.
Daniel 2:34,35,44,45
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king... And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel 7:13,14,18,21,22,26,27
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed... But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever... I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom... But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
How should we interpret Daniel in the light of the rest of Scripture?
1. The Ancient of Days is God the Father. and the Son of Man is Christ the Son.
2. The Stone cut out of the mountain is the Stone which the builders reject – Christ the Solid Rock.
3 God sets up His Kingdom with Christ as the King over “the whole earth”, while the saints of the most High also possess this Kingdom.
4. All other kingdoms of the world are destroyed, and all dominions “shall serve and obey Him” (Christ)...“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”.
The above prophecy makes it clear that this will be a real, literal, visible, tangible Kingdom in which Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and rules the earth with a “rod of iron”. Daniel said that “the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” which means that you can take it to the bank.
While the initial phase of that Kingdom will be the Millennium (1,000 years), it will not end there. After the New Heavens and the New Earth are brought into existence, God will have His eternal Kingdom on earth (and throughout the universe) with Christ as the King. That is because all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him.
There are some other Christians who believe that Christ’s eternal Kingdom is strictly spiritual and invisible, and that is all there is to it. This too has no support in Scripture, since it ignores all the prophecies related to this subject.
The Bible is very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of Man – will one day destroy all the kingdoms of this world and establish His own Kingdom on earth, with universal peace, justice and righteousness, and His saints will reign with Him. We see an intimation of this in the prophecy of Daniel, but all the prophets testify that this is to become a reality after His second Coming.
Daniel 2:34,35,44,45
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king... And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel 7:13,14,18,21,22,26,27
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed... But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever... I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom... But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
How should we interpret Daniel in the light of the rest of Scripture?
1. The Ancient of Days is God the Father. and the Son of Man is Christ the Son.
2. The Stone cut out of the mountain is the Stone which the builders reject – Christ the Solid Rock.
3 God sets up His Kingdom with Christ as the King over “the whole earth”, while the saints of the most High also possess this Kingdom.
4. All other kingdoms of the world are destroyed, and all dominions “shall serve and obey Him” (Christ)...“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed”.
The above prophecy makes it clear that this will be a real, literal, visible, tangible Kingdom in which Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and rules the earth with a “rod of iron”. Daniel said that “the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” which means that you can take it to the bank.
While the initial phase of that Kingdom will be the Millennium (1,000 years), it will not end there. After the New Heavens and the New Earth are brought into existence, God will have His eternal Kingdom on earth (and throughout the universe) with Christ as the King. That is because all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him.