Put on the full armor of God. Stand in faith! (Ephesians 6:13)
Click the link below to read a thought-provoking post by brother Tim McHyde at EscapeAllTheseThings.com.
In it he asks:
Jesus: “Depart From Me, I NEVER Knew You!” or Missing The 3rd Part To Salvation
How did Jesus perform healings and miracles?
As humans, we all have the same authority Jesus had, so why aren’t we performing similar healings and miracles today? It’s because we haven’t understood (and taken action concerning) the relationship between our authority and God’s power.
On the 6th day of creation, God made man the ruler over the earth and everything in it.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28
Man ruled the earth as God’s delegated authority. The plants and trees of the Garden of Eden fed him, and he named all the animals who were created as his companions. (Genesis 2:19)
Then the Devil caused man to sin, and all of God’s earthly creation became slaves to corruption, death, and decay. (Romans 8:21) The Devil became the ‘prince of this world’, ruling the fallen nations of mankind through sinful men. (Matthew 4:8,9; John 14:30, 16:11)
But, when Jesus the Son of God entered creation, He didn’t become a slave to sin. With God as His father, He was able to live a sinless life, even though He was tempted in every way possible. (Hebrews 4:15) Therefore, the Devil had no foothold of power over Jesus. In fact, Jesus exercised power over the Devil.
No one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. (Mark 3:27)
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
As a sinless man, Jesus exercised His authority over creation. For example: He cast-out demons, healed the sick, cleansed lepers, walked on water, and multiplied 2 fish and a few loaves of bread to feed 5000 hungry men, with 12 baskets of leftovers remaining! (Matthew 14:15-20)
Jesus was exercising the authority God delegated to Adam on the 6th day of creation. Through Jesus, God showed us His desire to deliver creation from its bondage to corruption, death, and decay. The miracles Jesus performed demonstrate God’s desire to bless mankind with healing, prosperity, peace, rest, and holiness. They also demonstrated the reality and superiority of His kingdom on the earth.
How did Jesus do these miracles? As a sinless man, Jesus didn’t need to rely on His rank as a Son of God to perform His miracles. He simply needed to apply man’s delegated authority to energize God’s power over creation.
Through prayer and constant communion with God’s Holy Spirit, Jesus was totally dependent on guidance from Almighty God—His Father.
Jesus said,
“Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
Then, Jesus exercised delegated authority as a man to do whatever the Father showed Him. This authorized the Father to exercise His power on the earth, in mankind’s realm.
So, here are the steps:
Jesus received guidance and commanded using man’s delegated authority. Then, God released the power to fulfill Jesus’ words.
This quote is from Andrew Wommack’s excellent teaching on Our Authority Releases God’s Power
“He wants us to take our authority and command His power.
It’s like electricity. The power company generates the power and delivers it to your house. It’s not your power, but it’s under your control. You don’t call the power company and ask them to turn the lights on. No! They won’t do that. They generate the power, but it’s under your command. You simply flip the switch on the wall and command the power to work. Does this mean you are the power source? Certainly not! You can put a light bulb in your mouth, and it will never come on. You aren’t the power source, but you are the one in control of what that power does. You can plead with the power company all you want, but they won’t flip the switch for you. You have to assume your authority and acknowledge the power is under your command.”
Just like Jesus did:
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10)
The primary message Jesus and His apostles taught and proclaimed was ‘the gospel of the kingdom of God.’
Regarding this ‘gospel of the kingdom of God,’ Frank Viola wrote,
“With rare exception, the gospel that was preached doesn’t exist today.” (Insurgence, pg 27)
Sadly, today if you asked 10,000 Christians “What is the gospel of the kingdom of God,” I doubt if 1 person would have an informed answer.
Christians today are all familiar with the ‘gospel of grace’ and the ‘gospel of personal salvation’, and these are important. But we know practically nothing about the gospel of the kingdom of God, even though this remains God’s primary message to the world.
The gospel of the kingdom is not a seeker-friendly message. In fact, it’s a hard message.
Tithes, offerings, and attendance would all suffer from such a message. Inevitably, I believe this is why the gospel of the kingdom of God has been excluded by church leaders over the centuries, in favor of more-popular ‘gospel’ messages.
“For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”(Philippians 2:21)
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
Jesus prophesied that in the last days “this gospel of the kingdom” would be proclaimed to all nations. This final proclamation will trigger the end of the present wicked age and the birth of a new age, an age of righteousness and peace.
Most people will say the word ‘gospel’ means ‘good news,’ and that’s correct. But it’s only a partial definition.
In ancient times, before electricity and a literate populace, a ‘gospel’ was the official, verbal heralding of a royal proclamation to the citizens of the kingdom, with two goals, information and compliance.
The proclamation informed a king’s subjects of a newsworthy event affecting the monarchy. In the photo above, Prince Harry’s engagement was formally, officially proclaimed.
A gospel message directed the king’s subjects regarding their allegiance and submission to authority.
For example, if there was a new king the proclamation would command citizens to give their allegiance and obedience to the new throne.
After the herald proclaimed the monarch’s ‘gospel message’ to the people, the people were responsible to understand, share, and obey the gospel message.
“Just as the Roman emperor’s messengers traveled to the territories in which he was enthroned as lord to bring the good news of his accession to the throne, so the apostles (messengers) of Christ were sent out to herald the good news that Jesus was now the enthroned Lord of the world.” (Insurgence, pg 315)
“The kingdom makes one fundamental demand: the demand for decision…the basic meaning of repentance is to turn around, to reverse the course of life, to change the whole direction of action, to turn and embrace in decision the kingdom of God…God’s Kingdom makes one demand: Repent! Turn! Decide! Receive the Kingdom, for as you receive it, you receive its life, you receive its blessing, you receive the destiny reserved for those who embrace it.” (George E Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom, Eerdmans, 1959, pg 96-97)
What is the gospel of the kingdom of God? From the very beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry in Galilee, the gospel of the kingdom of God is the good news that Jesus already defeated the Devil.
For 4000 years since Adam’s fall, the Devil used sin to hold mankind in bondage. But, Jesus was sinless, and he subdued the Devil, overpowering him and plundering his kingdom however He willed.
This good news isn’t only about personal salvation. The gospel of the kingdom is the good news that a man, Jesus, overpowered the Devil, his spiritual kingdom, and the effects of sin on mankind. As a result, Jesus is the King we should follow. All who follow Him are freed from the Devil’s authority.
This is the message He preached as He challenged the Jews to turn from the world and its sinful ways and believe in Him and His message.
The gospel of the kingdom of God is the challenge for every person to:
Water baptism is our outward confession of these inward realities.
At the beginning of His ministry, long before the cross, Jesus told them,
“This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29)
Believe in the one God has sent? To us 21st-century Gentiles, this phrase “the one God has sent” isn’t very meaningful. But, to the Jews, this phrase was loaded with meaning! For hundreds of years, the Jews had been expecting God to send a prophet like Moses, a Messiah to Israel, whom they were supposed to listen to and obey. Here’s the passage:
Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. (Deuteronomy 18:15)
When the Jews wanted to know who John the Baptist claimed to be, the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.”
So, when Jesus said, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent,” Jesus was plainly claiming to be ‘the prophet’ that Moses promised would come, the Messiah, the same one the Jews were expecting. The Jews were supposed to listen to Him, learn from Him, and obey Him.
Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God. The Devil is the king of the nations of the earth.
Both John and Jesus proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”
From the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus demonstrated the superiority of His kingdom by overpowering the Devil, his kingdom, and the effects of sin on Jesus’ hearers.
Jesus said, “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.” (Luke 11:21)
The gospel of the kingdom of God was usually accompanied by healings and various miracles. Every healing and miracle was a ‘power encounter,’ demonstrating and attesting to the superiority of Jesus’ rank and power over the Devil, sin, and creation itself.
“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
Jesus taught us to pray,
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
We are to advance God’s kingdom and God’s will on the earth, exactly as Jesus did, through righteousness, prayer, hearing the Spirit’s leading, and exercising authority over the Devil, sin, and creation.
By our own holiness, we can never be clean enough to stand in God’s holy presence. No matter how good you become, your guilty conscience will always condemn you for sins you committed. The ‘consciousness of sin’ (shame) kills faith.
Here’s how God solved this dilemma. Rather than believing you are good enough to stand in God’s presence, which is impossible, God enables us to clothe ourselves in Jesus’ righteousness, by faith. Clothed with His righteousness, we can confidently stand in God’s presence. (Hebrews 10:22)
In response to our faith in Jesus, His righteousness is given to us by God’s grace, just like Abraham.
“Abram believed YHWH, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:9)
Of course, it’s also important to grow daily in sanctification, or practical, daily righteousness. Of the 144,000 end-time saints in Revelation 14:5, God says they are flawless. For more about this, see pg 82 (Be Flawless) in the Overcomers’ Treasure Map.
This affirmation is my literal translation of Ephesians 3:20. I carry it in my wallet:
“I am strengthened with dominion and power to do exploits through the infinite power of God who dwells in my inner man. He is empowered to do super-abundantly beyond anything that I can ask or think, according to the empowerment that I energize by faith.”
We all know that God’s power is infinite, but according to the last line in Ephesians 3:20 its application is limited by our faith. So, in addition to being clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, how do we get faith to activate God’s power? Here’s the secret:
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the rhema (the spoken word) of Messiah.” (Romans 10:17)
During His earthly ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit. He waited until He heard the rhema, the voice of His Father, then Jesus performed whatever (and only what) His Father wanted Him to do. In the same way, when you hear Jesus’s rhema, you can ‘stand in faith’ to do ‘greater works.’
A policeman directing traffic can raise his hand and a huge cargo truck will stop at his command. The policeman doesn’t have the physical power to make the driver stop his truck, but he has authority, which is backed by the government’s power, so the driver obeys.
Jesus’ disciples are all members of His body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Likewise, we have no supernatural power to heal or perform miracles. But, as members of His body, we have the authority of the King of kings. When we’re doing His will creation must obey, because our authority is backed by God’s omnipotent power.
In praying, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” we need to cooperate with God.
Our responsibility is to decide. Once we’ve heard the proclamation of the king’s message, we’re required to accept it or reject it. We must choose.
Those who repent and submit to 
Jesus as their King and Savior will enjoy the blessings of obedience found in Deuteronomy 28.
But sadly, everyone who hears the gospel of God’s kingdom and chooses to reject Jesus as their King will suffer curses for disobedience found in Deuteronomy 28.
Jesus taught us not to worry about the things of this life. Instead, and above all else, we are to seek the Father’s kingdom and His righteousness in our life. (Matthew 6:24-34)
This post will answer 3 questions:
God’s kingdom is an everlasting, spiritual kingdom that flesh and blood cannot enter. You must be spiritually born-again, through humility, repentance, and believing faith to see it and enter into it.
Here are a few Bible verses that support these statements:
“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
“The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11)
“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from this world.” (John 18:36)
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. (1 Corinthians 15:50)
The first Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:45-48)
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:3-8)
Of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.” (Hebrews 1:8)
The righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:43)
Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Deuteronomy chapter 28 lists the covenantal blessings and curses between God and Israel. These same blessings and curses apply to disciples under the New (Renewed) Covenant today.
For those who fully obey God, He promises to ‘set them high above all the nations of the world.’ In addition, He promised they’d experience all these blessings for their obedience.
However, for those who refuse to obey God, He said all these curses would overwhelm them:
Until Jesus’ physical return to earth at the Battle of Armageddon, God’s kingdom is spiritual, not physical. It’s worldwide, in every person who is being led by God’s Spirit.
Jesus has disciples in every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)
“All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21)
Therefore, today the kingdom of God isn’t seen in buildings, flags, uniforms, or borders. Instead, it’s evidenced in the righteous lives and the actions of people following Jesus through the Holy Spirit’s voice within them.
Starting after Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, God’s kingdom is coming to earth in four stages, with each stage being a greater revelation of God’s kingdom than the last.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)
“And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” (Matthew 4:23)
Jesus, the sinless ‘last Adam,’ proclaimed the good news that the Kingdom of God was arriving, through Him, to the people of Israel.
Before the New Covenant began (Luke 22:20) the Mosaic Covenant between God and Israel still applied. As a result, Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
At this time, all the other nations were still under the delegated authority of the archons–70 spiritual principalities God appointed as authorities over the 70 nations after the Tower of Babel. This event is explained in The Overcomers’ Treasure Map.
If the Jews in Jesus’ day would’ve repented and followed Jesus, they could have been born-again as citizens of God’s kingdom, with Jerusalem as His capital city. They’d enjoy all the blessings of Deuteronomy 28, and history of mankind would’ve been rewritten.
But, alas, the Jewish leaders 
rejected Jesus. As a result, their nation was invaded, their temple destroyed, and their people scattered to the wind for 1878 years, from 70AD to 1948. Instead of the blessings of Deuteronomy 28, they received the curses. Here are Jesus’ words:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!” (Matthew 23:37-39)
“Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” Matthew 21:43)
Before His crucifixion, Jesus proclaimed God’s kingdom only within Israel.
At the end of His earthly ministry, however, as “the Son of Man’ Jesus established the ‘New Covenant’ between God and all of mankind, in His own blood, when He was crucified as the Passover ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’ (John:29).
Three days later, His body was resurrected and Jesus became the first immortal, incorruptible, glorified, heavenly man. As a result of His crucifixion, Jesus’ kingly authority now extends everywhere in heaven and on earth, including all nations.
At present, we do not see everything subject to him, but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)
After His resurrection, but before Pentecost 50 days later, Jesus commissioned His disciples, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Because Jesus lived a perfect and sinless human life, and then became the atoning sacrifice for the world’s sins, Jesus stripped Satan of all earthly authority that he stole from the first Adam.
And having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly — having triumphed over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
Also, as a resurrected and glorified man, Jesus can never again be tempted to sin, so His position as the Lord of everything in the spiritual and material universe is forever secure.
On the Day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, God poured the Holy Spirit into 120 disciples from many nations. They carried the good news of God’s kingdom back to their nations, empowered by the Spirit of God.
Later, the Apostle Paul would teach and proclaim the Kingdom of God to the nations as God’s ‘apostle to the Gentiles.’
Jesus is now seated at God’s right hand, waiting for all His enemies to be made His footstool. This will be accomplished as a result of the ‘culmination of the gospel in this age’ (see #3 below).
In 28A.D., Jesus’ last earthly command to His disciples was to use His authority to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” (Acts 14:22, 19:8, 20:25, 28:23, 28:31)
Today, after almost 2000 years, God’s kingdom on earth appears to be in shambles. All the nations live in rebellion to God, and the worldwide Church is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3:17)
While Christian believers and disciples exist in every nation, all the nations reject Jesus’ lordship over them. Even Israel and the USA walk in rebellion toward God. For example, they actively promote the sins of Sodom, kill unborn children, and forbid the name of the King of kings (Jesus or Yeshua) to be honored in the public arena.
“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless 
‘the apostasy’ comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
‘The Apostasy’ is also called ‘the great falling away’, referring to the sinful, powerless, unbelieving state of the visible Church in the end-time. The Apostasy is happening now, but not for much longer.
In Matthew 13 Jesus told the Parable of the Tares, or weeds, which the Devil maliciously plants in God’s kingdom. The weeds are children of the devil. At the end of the age, God will send His angels to gather these weeds out of His kingdom and burn them with fire.
“The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
After the weeds are removed from the Church, probably through persecution, the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Romans 8:19 says “The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the manifestation (unveiling) of the sons of God.” This will be the most glorious event since 120 disciples received the Spirit at Pentecost in 28AD.
This ‘manifestation of the sons of God’ is the Culmination of the Gospel of the Kingdom in this age.
For a more in-depth teaching about the manifestation of the sons of God, read Arise, Shine!
When the glory of God is unveiled in the mature sons of God (‘sons’ includes female disciples) and the glory of God visibly radiates from them, multitudes will see God’s glory and billions of people from all nations, including kings, will seek them to learn the way of the Lord.
For more details about this, read Arise, Shine!
“Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Revelation 12:10)
While God’s kingdom on earth appears to be in shambles today, that’s because He hasn’t yet started His end-time offensive to defeat His enemies and take control of the nations and the earth. (For background on God’s enemies, their conflict, and God’s eternal purpose and plan, read The Overcomers’ Treasure Map.)
Just as Israel was judged in 70A.D. for rejecting the King, so the nations will be judged for following Satan and rejecting Jesus as their King.
In the next few years, every nation on 
earth will be thrown into great tribulation. The whole earth will convulse with economic collapse, wars, famines, genocides, natural catastrophes, etc. These are the birth pangs that will result in the Kingdom of God on earth.
Just as in human childbirth, once the birth pangs of the new age begin there will be no turning back until His saints are glorified, Satan is cast down to earth, the nations are subdued, and God’s kingdom is established from Jerusalem over the entire earth.
TEOTWAWKI: The End of the World As We Know ItThe birth pangs of the new age are beginning.
For more details about prophetic end-time events, go to the TEOTWAWKI page.
For a proposed schedule of end-time events, read When Will End-time Events Occur?
When I hear the words ‘post-apocalyptic,’ movies like “The Road” and “Mad Max” have me programmed to think of desert wastelands and ruined, lawless cities.
But in contrast, the Bible paints a very positive picture of what life will be like after Armageddon when our Messiah returns to set up His kingdom on the earth!
The coming age will be much better than our current situation.
Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! (Micah 4:4)
Planet Earth is starting the birth pangs of the age to come. Natural disasters, wars, and economic collapse loom on the horizon. These will increase until the kingdoms of the present world system are destroyed and replaced by the millennial reign of our Messiah.
Apprehension about this future is natural. However, just as childbirth is difficult and painful, but the pain is quickly forgotten when a new child is born, the coming birth of a new age will be difficult and painful, but the result will be glorious.
Here is what you can expect to experience in the coming, post-apocalyptic earth…
At His coming, Jesus will completely defeat the current, evil rulers of this world. Satan, the angelic powers of darkness, and corrupt human rulers will all be cast down when Jesus establishes His reign over all nations on earth.
the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)
Jesus will reign as King over all the whole earth.
And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:16)
Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. (Isaiah 32:1)
For 1000 years after Armageddon, resurrected martyrs shall reign with Him, as princes in His government.
Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)
Every region will have an administrative and learning center, led by immortal, resurrected sons of God who connect each region to the kingdom’s capital in Jerusalem—the ‘city of the great king’. (Matthew 5:35)
‘Immortal, resurrected sons of God’ are those martyrs resurrected in the 1st resurrection, who reign with the Messiah for 1000 years. (see Rev 20:4 above). They provide:
Each local town will have a group of elders, providing:
Each family will have a small homestead, with a house, animals, and garden that abundantly feeds and shelters them.
Drawing from The Self-Sufficiency Handbook by Alan and Gill Bridgewater, 2007
Each family’s land will be assigned as a 1000-year allotment from God.
Homes will be functional, comfortable, and attractive; built from local materials with help from local neighbors and regional craftsmen, like an Amish barn-raising.
No rent, mortgage, or taxes.
Each family will belong within a local community that provides a trading center, local eldership, secular and religious education, and communal worship.
Family homesteads will produce almost all of what’s needed for a full, healthy life.
However, some trade will be necessary to get things a homestead can’t produce, like the wind generator and solar panels in the drawing above. Also, industrial workers and traveling specialists, such as craftsmen, sailors, and teachers won’t always be able to raise their own food, or sleep in their own house every night.
Trade options:
The earthly reign of Jesus begins after He completely subjugates (casts down) all these entities:
Afterward, YHWH will be universally recognized as the only true God, and to know Him everyone must humbly come through the door to heaven, which is Jesus.
Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
Glorified sons of God will teach God’s truth in all nations.
Each person will be encouraged to learn and grow in God’s character until they grow into mature sonship, like Christ Himself.
If a person rebels, his property and work won’t be blessed.
Blessing: Everyone who ‘walks with’ YHWH will be blessed with spiritual and material abundance, prospering in life, health, and relationships.
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war. (Isaiah 2:4)
Cursing: Everyone who chooses to rebel against YHWH will lack provision, wither in health, and eventually die.
And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague the LORD inflicts on the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:18)
In the coming Great Tribulation, rulership of this world will be wrenched from Satan’s hands.
The glorious result will be 1000-years of life, prosperity, and blessing.