Who Rules God's Kingdom?
God revealed to Bible writers details by which one could know who would rule God's kingdom. The following should apply to this regent:
Chosen by God "I myself have appointed my king . . . I will give you nations for an inheritance, the ends of the earth for a possession" (Psalm 2:6, 8).
A descendant of King David "A child has been born to us, a son has been given to us . . . His dominion shall ever be extended, and peace shall be endless upon the throne of David and in his kingdom. By justice and righteousness it will be established and sustained" (Isaiah 9:6, 7).
Born in Bethlehem "You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, . . out of you will come forth for me the ruler . . . shall be . . . His greatness . . . [will] reach to the ends of the earth" (Micah 5:2, 4).
Rejected and executed by men "He was despised and meant nothing to us . . . . he was pierced for our transgression. For our transgressions he was bruised" (Isaiah 53:3, 5).
Raised and glorified "You will not leave me in the grave. You will not let him who is loyal to you see the pit . . . . In your presence there is endless joy, at your right hand everlasting happiness" (Psalm 16:10, 11).
Jesus Christ - most suitable
In the entire history of mankind, there has been only one person who corresponds to the ideal image of a ruler: Jesus Christ. An angel had said to his mother Mary, "God will give him the throne of David his father . . . and his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:31-33).
Jesus never reigned on earth. As King of God's Kingdom, he was to rule over people from heaven. Why is he the ideal regent? Let's take a look at what he did on earth.
Jesus was there for others Jesus helped men and women, young and old, rich and poor (Matthew 9:36; Mark 10:16). Once someone who was suffering from a terrible disease asked him, "If you will but make me well." Jesus had deep compassion for the man and healed him (Mark 1:40-42).
Jesus explained what God expects of us He said, "You cannot serve God and wealth." He also advised treating others as you would want to be treated - a principle that became known as the golden rule. In addition, he made it clear that God is not only interested in our deeds, but also in our thoughts and feelings. Thus, to please God, we would have to pay attention to our innermost feelings and motives (Matthew 5:28; 6:24; 7:12). Jesus explained what happiness means, "Happy is the one who hears God's word and lives by it" (Luke 11:28).
Jesus taught what it means to love What Jesus said and did had great impact and touched his listeners deeply. "Then the people were just amazed at his way of teaching, for he taught them as one with authority" (Matthew 7:28, 29). Jesus urged them, "Do not stop loving your enemies." And he even prayed for those who carried out his death sentence, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Matthew 5:44; Luke 23:34).
Jesus fulfills all the requirements of an ideal world ruler. He is accessible and happy to serve others. But when does he begin to rule?
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
