The New Form of the Kingdom

The new form of the kingdom, which had been revealed in the
parables of Matthew 13, included the prophecy of the church. And I
also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My
church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven.1 After Christ suffered, He revealed Himself,
giving convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to men for
over forty days and spoke to them about the kingdom of heaven.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He
rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not
believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to
them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned.2 Then He tells them to make disciples of
all nations, which will bring the nations under the authority of Christ.
They were to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.

After receiving the instructions from Christ during the forty-day
period, two disciples wrote their Gospels. These men were Matthew
and Mark. They taught of a new form of the kingdom of God, which
is the church. They came to understand the transition period and how
the new kingdom was to be developed on earth during our present
age. Matthew wrote to explain that Jesus was the true Messiah and
was introduced by God’s appointed forerunner and authenticated
Himself by the miracles He performed. The kingdom He came to
establish was predicated by the promises and fulfilment of the
previous covenants that God had with Israel. In Matthew we follow
the nation’s response to Christ’s offering of Himself as the Messiah
and Matthew showed that the kingdom failed not because it wasn’t
legitimate but because the nation of Israel rejected the offer of the
covenant kingdom.

At this point Matthew proceeded to establish the revelation of the
new form of the kingdom in chapters twenty-four and twenty-five
where Christ outlined the future events for the nation of Israel leading
up to His return and the establishment of the promised kingdom here
on earth. John used his pages in history to authenticate that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God so that those who believe will have eternal
life. John’s testimony does not have to do with the Davidic Covenant
or the reign of Christ during the present, but the salvation that was
made available through the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of
Jesus Christ.

During Christ’s ministry, after His resurrection, He prepared the
disciples in proclaiming a new message offering salvation to all men
where their sins will be forgiven simply by believing that He is the
Son of God. He knew it would be difficult for the disciples to
understand that He is the ultimate sacrifice that paid the penalty for
sin and there would not be any need for the sacrifice of animals used
in the old form of the kingdom. In fact, it would not be until fifty days
later that the disciples understand His teaching through the revelation
of the Holy Spirit.

In the Upper Room where Christ and the disciples met for
Passover, which was on the eve of His crucifixion, Christ revealed to
them the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is the fulfilment of the feast
of Pentecost. It is my opinion that the fulfillment of the feast of
trumpets will be where Christ comes for His church. He explained to
them that He was to return to the Father, and He would ask the Father
to send a Comforter to them to guide them further in their ministry: a
Counselor, a Teacher, and a Companion through life and through all
eternity.

On the day of Pentecost all were filled with the Holly Spirit. He
indwelled this body of believers as His temple. Now, therefore, you
are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are
being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.3

The Spirit indwelled them not only as a group but as individual
believers. They were encouraged to flee sexual immorality. Every sin
that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual
immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price;
therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.4

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost affirms the
supernatural signs that many witnessed on this day. This in no way
implies that this new form of kingdom represents Israel, and it does
not imply that the Davidic Covenant had been established. Peter
closed his quote of Joel’s prophecy with the words that anyone who
calls on the name of the Lord is saved because believing is receiving.
He went on to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He confirmed the
fact that David predicted the resurrection of Jesus Christ and
concluded with the ascension of Christ to the Father.

The good news of salvation is to be delivered to the peoples of all
nations in an orderly fashion starting from Jerusalem, then through
Judea, and then to the ends of the earth. It is called the good news of
the kingdom of God and refers to God’s program of the present age. It
is God’s effort to bring mankind closer to Himself through the
preaching of His Son’s resurrection so that the kingdom is made up of
all who believe by faith and receive Christ as their personal Savior.
The kingdom here is salvation-based rather than prophetically based
so those who believe become part of the present form of God’s
kingdom. The people that believed identified themselves with Christ
through baptism. They became part of the kingdom of God. When the
church had grown into Samaria, people were testifying they had
received the Spirit, so Peter and John went to verify the growth. By
laying of hands on the believers in Samaria they were brought into the
body as a group.

For the church to go beyond Jerusalem and Samaria, God brought
in a new messenger. Paul was brought into service by a special
visitation from Christ. Paul’s name was originally Saul, who was a
persecutor of those who believed. As he walked along the Damascus
highway searching for believers to jail, a brilliant light shone around
him from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard
for you to kick against the goads.” So, he, trembling and astonished,
said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to
him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must
do.”5

Blinded for three days, he went into the city where a servant of
Christ came and restored his sight. In the synagogue he testified to his
experience and how he persecuted Christians and now He is a
believer. Christ changed his name from Saul to Paul the apostle,
telling him to go out into the desert and receive His instructions. Paul
spent two years in the desert and Christ set him apart. He is a chosen
vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and
the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must
suffer for My name’s sake.6

The church in Antioch was set up as a home base for reaching the
Gentiles with the message of the Gospel. In response to the Holy
Spirit’s direction, Paul and Barnabas were commissioned for this
ministry. The ever presence of Satan was stirring up opposition
against the Gospel and the kingdom of God. The unbelief of Jews
culminated in the stoning of Paul. They dragged him out of the city of
Lystra and left him for dead. Many believe he died, and Christ
brought him back to life. Paul tells the story of traveling to the third
heaven where he heard things men were not allowed to speak.
They went about sharing the good news to all who would listen
throughout Asia, and Paul tells us about the suffering that he endured.
From the Jews five times I received forty strips minus one. Three
times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was
shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys
often, in the perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my
own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the
city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger
and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other
things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the
churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble,
and I do not burn with indignation?7

Everything seemed to change from the temple laws, including
what the Jews were allowed to eat. In Peter’s vision he saw heaven
opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners,
descending to him, and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of
four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and
birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
In Peter’s reluctance the voice said, “What God has cleansed you
must not call common.”8 To make sure there was no
misunderstanding, this command was repeated three times.

When the Davidic kingdom is reinstituted, the kingdom will not
only include the physical descendants of Abraham but a multitude of
Gentiles as well. Therefore, it was settled that Gentiles did not need to
be circumcised in order to participate in the new kingdom. Apart from
the Mosaic Law, having faith in Christ made Gentiles equal
participants with believing Jews. This made many Jews angry and
when Paul was in Ephesus he told the elders, “I go bound in the spirit
to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,
except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains
and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I
count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with
joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify
to the gospel of the grace of God.”9 Paul knew none of those with
whom he had shared the Gospel would ever see him again. Paul was
arrested in Jerusalem and given the opportunity to share the Gospel
with the Jewish and Roman leaders there. He was later imprisoned
and sent to Rome where he was beheaded.

There is a list of things that disqualifies us from the kingdom. In
this list are the things that qualify individuals as belonging to the
kingdom of Satan. The works of the flesh are evident, which are:
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person
who is not his or her spouse, sexual intercourse between people not
married to each other, sexual intercourse with someone of the same
gender, moral impurity, the unlawful indulgence of sex, the worship
of something or someone other than God as if it were God, sorcery
(drug use), hatred, violence, jealousies, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness,
revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also
told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.

Whereas someone who is in the kingdom of God has the fruit of
the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. With a person who
possesses these virtues, the law has no bearing because they have
crucified the flesh and have abandoned its passion and desires. These
things will allow us to enter the future eternal kingdom when Christ
returns or upon our death. And the Lord will deliver me from every
evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To
Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!10

The present form of the kingdom while we are still here on earth
is made available to us through faith. He has delivered us from the
power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of
His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins.11 To enter the kingdom one must participate in its
present form, which is to live a life worthy of God. It is a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ in faith through daily Bible study and
prayer. This relationship is demonstrated through the works of the
Holy Spirit. Do not be disheartened if you are struggling with desire
because even some of the greatest saints struggled. Saint Jerome
struggled with sexual desire. The key is to continue to resist no matter
what. Never give up because humility cures worldliness! Therefore,
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.12
Entrance into the kingdom of God is for those who are rich in
faith. Since the Emperor of Rome, Constantine, turned to Christ it
became quite fashionable for the wealthy to join the church. Many
who were the true Christians at the time left, moved out into the
desert, and started monasteries. The church has been controlled by the
wealthy ever since. I can assure you those who are rich in worldly
goods will not inherit the kingdom of God. Please do not be fooled by
the demands on your time and money because the church today is no
more than a country club run by business executives. There are still
churches today that resemble the first century church, but they are far
and few between.

A true follower of Christ is a servant who works for the wellbeing
of others. Paul considered himself a laborer on behalf of the kingdom
of God. Even this great apostle never accepted money from the
church but worked a job so he could give to the church, not take from
it for services rendered. To those who use the church as a source of
income, they have received their just reward, and more than likely if
they make it to heaven, they will be paupers. However, I would rather
be the poorest man in heaven than be the richest man on earth.

God has temporally set aside the nation Israel and it is now
viewed as a branch in the tree drawing its life from the root because
the nation became unproductive. It has been cut off for a period of
time so the wild branches of the Gentiles can be grafted in. Now the
Gentile nations can receive the blessings by grace drawn from the
root. In John 15, the Gentiles were given a warning to either produce
fruit or have their branches cut off and burned up in the fire. At the
culmination of all things, how much more readily will the natural
branches (the house of Israel) be grafted into their own tree. Paul
views the root as the covenant promises to Israel, and it is guaranteed
restoration to their proper position when Christ turns the ungodliness
from the root of Jacob.

The ministry of Jesus Christ is superior to the Aaronic priesthood.
He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also
Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better
promises.13 Here God the Father is saying, :I have set My King on My
holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me,
You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will
give You, the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the
earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.”14 The LORD has
sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the
order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall
execute kings in the day of His wrath.15

The Mosaic Covenant was a temporary and transitional covenant
whereas the New Covenant is everlasting. Even though the Davidic
form of the covenant kingdom was postponed until the second coming
of Christ, we as Gentiles receive the blessings that are made available
to us because the Israelites rejected their Messiah. We wait with
anticipation of His second coming and the blessings for the world
through His covenant people, and we look forward to the blessings
that His true covenant people will receive when they turn by faith to
Him in repentance.

1.) Matthew 16:18-19
2.) Mark 16:14-15
3.) Ephesians 2:19-22
4.) 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
5.) Acts 9:4-6
6.) Acts 9:15-16
7.) 2 Corinthians 11:24-29
8.) Acts 10:15
9.) Acts 20:22-24
10.) 2 Timothy 4:18
11.) Colossians 1:13-14
12.) James 4:7
13.) Hebrews 8:6
14.) Psalm 2:7-9
15.) Psalms 110:4-5