The Kingdom Is Coming!

Kingdom—the Cry for Shalom

“Come, come! Oh come Massiach, come!” One does not have to spend much time at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to hear this passionate plea from orthodox Jews.

This is the passionate cry of many Jews who long for Messiah —the One who will bring emancipation from their oppressors, from their enemies, the One who will establish his Kingdom of shalom, of peace, one who will bring hope for their future.

Through long history, Jews, including those who have come to faith in Yeshua, as well as Christian Gentiles, share the hope for a Kingdom—one of shalom led by Messiah, the graced, anointed One of God. Looking to a time when all in creation would be again as God designed it to be—when as Isaiah saw the righteous Branch, the Messiah, would issue in a new era—a time when

the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cocatrice’ den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:6-9, KJV).

In the New Testament, Yeshua/Jesus entered his earthly ministry preaching the Good News. The Kingdom of heaven is drawing near, is coming!

He taught His followers to pray:

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be your name;
Your kingdom come, your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9-10, KJV).

Kingdom. Let Your Kingdom come. Come, come, Massiach, O come! We are longing for Your Kingdom reign over our broken world!

Out of eternity past, the creation took shape as the stars sang together and the heavenly beings danced for joy. The Kingdom of the Holy One was established. Shalom, life as created and intended by creation’s King moved forward—all in harmony, all in peace, all with plenty. Life in Eden was rich with fulfillment

Then the enemy of shalom who challenged the King’s authority in the heavenlies challenged it on earth as well. The human family swallowed the seducer’s line. Placing themselves as their own ‘god’ in place of the Maker of the universe, they found themselves barred from the glory of Eden’s shalom!  Life as designed by the Maker was inverted, and tragically perverted.  Submission became revolt, righteousness became rebellion, harmony became dissonance, peace became fear, ease became struggle, plenty became want, brotherliness became murder, primitive holiness became destructive sin.

Conflict . . . but THE Kingdom is Coming!

And here we are today . . .  in a world that is, well . . . something so far less than the Creator’s shalom, so far from the glory of life in Eden . . . sin-broken. And the forces of evil grow darker, and the challenges to the King grow bolder.  The holy Scriptures are pushed aside as sinister darkness rises exponentially.  These forces of evil seek to elbow the King from His throne; to replace the word of the holy One with that of humanity.  To establish its darksome culture to cover the earth.  A kingdom of evil.

But while kingdoms on this earth are in conflict, the Kingdom, is coming!  It has come.  It is coming.  It has not yet fully come in its final splendorous climax.  It is not yet fully established.  It’s the already, but the not yet Kingdom. We live in the overlap of the ages.  In this transition period, believers in the atoning sacrifice of Messiah experience His forgiveness and the beginnings of His shalom even in a world still sin-broken.  They come to know the power of what He accomplished as the reign of sin is broken in their lives and in the community of Christ followers.  And the power of that grace reaches out as they step forth into the world around them.

Clearly, the Kingdom was God’s plan from the very beginning, before sin wreaked havoc.  That Kingdom IS coming, and it WILL finally arise in all the splendour and glory of the ancient prophecies! The One who is seated on His throne says, Behold, I am making all things new (Rev. 21:5, NASB). And the Kingdom is coming!

In fulfilment of the prophecies of Scripture, the Jews are gathering from all corners of the globe to the land God gave them. Names of towns and cities from ancient days are still there, including the meaning-filled name of Jerusalem (City of Shalom). And through God’s covenant with Abraham—who heard, who believed, who obeyed—through Abraham’s descendants have flowed the incredible promises and blessings of our covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.  Blessings have flowed through the Children of Israel to all the peoples of the earth—through them has come the Messiah, Savior of the world for all who believe.  Through you, God said, all the families of the earth will be blessed! And God through his incredible Missio Dei, His Kingdom mission plan, is bringing the Kingdom to you, and to all the peoples of the world.

Out of eternity past and toward eternity future, the Kingdom is coming!

In the age-old conflict of the forces of right over against the forces of evil, dark clouds gather on the horizon. Evil rises rapidly and presses its challenges with intentionality. But while the storm gathers its forces, securely behind it, the Son of Righteousness shines! He will shine forth!  In Him is hope!

As His Kingdom is forever established, evil will be conquered.

We will experience the reality of John the Revelator’s vision as expressed by the heavenly elders bowing before the Lamb:

. . . they sang a new song . . .
“You are worthy to take the scroll
     and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
     and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    And they will reign on the earth.”
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon
    thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne
    and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they were saying:
     “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
          to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
          and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:9-12, NIV).

On a tour in Israel, I was struck with the words on a plaque at Megiddo, high overlooking the vast Valley of Jezreel:

. . . . Perhaps that is the reason Megiddo has been chosen to serve as the
eternal symbol of hope for the future. Right here, beside you and around you, man’s most important conflict will take place in the last of days—the greatest and final war. In the New Testament, St. John predicts that the decisive battle between the forces of good and evil, to end all destruction and persecution, will take place at Megiddo, or in its other name, ARMAGEDDON.[1]

 Hope–yes!  Evil will be conquered. The Kingdom is coming!

In our conquering Christ is our hope as we know “the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever! (see Rev. 11:15, KJV).

Allelujah !

 

 

 

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[1] Reference to this place is in Revelation 16:16..