For clarification before I asked you the relationship between the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of earth, and why there is so little mention of a kingdom of earth in comparison to the kingdom of Heaven.
The Bible has much to say about the coming kingdom of God which will be manifest right here on earth. I am going to give you a very good example of this from the second psalm. The reason why I am choosing this psalm is because much of it is interpreted for us in the New Testament, so we can know, of a certainty, what it actually means.
Psa 2:1
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed,
saying,
Psa 2:3
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Here, we are told of a four-party conspiracy against the LORD, and against his anointed, and the four co-conspirators are the heathen, the people, the kings of the earth, and the rulers. We find the proper interpretation of these verses in the New Testament.
Act 4:24
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou
art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Act 4:25
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Act 4:26
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
In the opening verses of the second psalm, David, under Divine inspiration, foretold of the time when Herod (the kings of the earth), Pontius Pilate (the rulers), the Gentiles (the heathen), and the people of Israel (the people) gathered together against the Lord (God the Father), and against his Christ (Jesus), or of the time when they took part together in his crucifixion. If you are wondering exactly who the Gentiles were, then Jesus told us who they were here:
Mat 20:18
Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Mat 20:19
And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify
him: and the third day he shall rise again.
The Gentiles who mocked, scourged, and crucified Jesus were the Roman soldiers. Here is how God responded to the four co-conspirators who crucified Christ.
Psa 2:4
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
After laughing at them derisively, God told them that Jesus will still be his set king upon his holy hill of Zion or upon Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. How can the crucified Jesus yet be God's set king at a future point in time? Just keep reading.
Psa 2:7
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou
art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Here, Jesus is heard declaring the decree of the LORD, or the decree of God the Father, and that decree is that Jesus is his Son who will be begotten on a specific day in time, and the New Testament plainly tells us exactly what this means. Here is an excerpt of a sermon that the Apostle Paul preached.
Act 13:32
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
Act 13:33
God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
While quoting directly from Psalm 2:7, Paul said that it was a promise which was made unto the fathers or forefathers which was fulfilled on the day when God raised Jesus from the dead, or on the day when Jesus was begotten. The conversation between God the Father and Jesus continued in the next two verses of the second psalm.
Psa 2:8
Ask of me, and I shall give
thee the heathen
for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for thy possession.
Psa 2:9
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Here, God the Father told Jesus to ask of him, and he would give him the heathen, or the nations, for his inheritance. We, as
joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), will share this inheritance with Jesus at his second coming, and it will be shared right here on earth which is where these nations will be. Do not miss the part about Jesus breaking the nations with a rod of iron, and dashing them in pieces like a potter's vessel, because we are given the proper interpretation of this in the New Testament.
Rev 2:24
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
Rev 2:25
But that which ye have
already hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Here, Jesus told the saints in Thyatira to hold fast to that which they had already received of him until he comes, or until his second coming. He went on to tell those who would overcome and keep his works unto the end that they would be given power over the nations at his second coming, and that they would rule them with a rod of iron, while breaking them to shivers like the vessels of a potter, even as he received of his Father back in Psalm 2:8-9. Again, this is Christ's inheritance, and this is the true inheritance of all
joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). You told me in a previous response that you believe that the events recorded in Revelation chapter 19 are yet future events (and I agree), so pay close attention to what is said here:
Rev 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him
was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12
His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on his head
were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13
And he
was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14
And the armies
which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16
And he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here, Jesus is seen returning as the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, and he is returning so that he might rule the nations with the very same rod of iron that we read about in Psalm 2:8-9. Of course, if we were to continue reading straight through Revelation chapter 20, then we would get a very good glimpse into the coming Millennial Reign of Christ, right here on earth, where this will all ultimately be fulfilled.
I ran out of space, so please keep reading in my next post.