The Expositors
1 Peter 3:15 “… always being ready to
make a defense to everyone who asks
you to give an account for the hope that
is in you, with gentleness and
reverence.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Many Biblical Themes
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Love
Promise
Redemption
Salvation
The Law of God
The People of God
God’s Attributes and Character
What is the Bible’s Central Theme?
Kingdom of God
Kingdom of God Has 3 Essential
Elements
• Ruler- A kingdom must have a ruler with
the right, authority, and power to rule.
• Realm- A Kingdom must involve a real
place and with real subjects.
• Rulership- A Kingdom must involve the
exercise of ruling or governing.
“Essential to the word kingdom
is the actual exercise of
authority in a realm over which
one has the sovereign right to
rule. If the exercise of authority
is not in view, the concept of
kingdom is not present.”
Dr. Dwight Pentecost
DTS Professor
J. Dwight Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come: Tracing God’s Kingdom Program and
Covenant Promises Throughout History (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1990), 14.
How is the Kingdom of God Used in
the Bible?
The Kingdom of God has a
multifaceted meaning.
Kingdom of God
• Universal Kingdom- This includes God’s
eternal sovereign rule over all things. (Ps.
10:16; 145:11–13; Dan. 4:3)
Universal Kingdom
“The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations
have perished from His land.”
(Ps. 10:16)
“All Your works shall give thanks to You, O
LORD, And Your godly ones shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power; To make known to the
sons of men Your mighty acts And the glory of
the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion
endures throughout all generations.
(Ps. 145:10–13)
Universal Kingdom
“How great are His signs And how mighty
are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom And His dominion is from generation to
generation.”
(Dan. 4:3)
Universal Kingdom
“But at the end of that period, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven
and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the
Most High and praised and honored Him who
lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, And His kingdom endures from
generation to generation. All the inhabitants of
the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does
according to His will in the host of heaven And
among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can
ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You
done?’”
(Dan. 4:34-35)
Kingdom of God
• Universal Kingdom- This includes God’s
eternal sovereign rule over all things. (Ps.
10:16; 145:11–13; Dan. 4:3)
• Mediatorial kingdom- This includes God’s
rule through divinely chosen human
representatives. (Rev. 19-20)
Mediatorial Kingdom
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a
white horse, and He who sat on it is called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness He
judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame
of fire, and on His head are many diadems;
and He has a name written on Him which no
one knows except Himself. He is clothed
with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is
called The Word of God. And the armies
which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean, were following Him on
white horses. From His mouth comes a
sharp sword, so that with it He may strike
down the nations, and He will rule them with
a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press
Mediatorial Kingdom
of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And
on His robe and on His thigh He has a name
written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS.”
(Rev. 19:11-16)
Kingdom of God
• Universal Kingdom- This includes God’s
eternal sovereign rule over all things. (Ps.
10:16; 145:11–13; Dan. 4:3)
• Mediatorial kingdom- This includes God’s
rule through divinely chosen human
representatives. (Rev. 19-20)
• Spiritual Kingdom- This involves a person’s
salvation and relationship with God through
Jesus Christ. (John 3)
Spiritual Kingdom
“Now there was a man of the
Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews; this man
came to Jesus by night and said
to Him, “Rabbi, we know that
You have come from God as a
teacher; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is
with him.” Jesus answered and
said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
(John 3:1-3)
Spiritual Kingdom
“As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up; so
that whoever believes will in Him
have eternal life. For God so
loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish,
but have eternal life. For God did
not send the Son into the world
to judge the world, but that the
world might be saved through
Him. He who believes in Him is
Spiritual Kingdom
not judged; he who does not
believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed in
the name of the only begotten
Son of God.”
(John 3:14-18)
Kingdom of God
• Universal Kingdom- This includes God’s
eternal sovereign rule over all things. (Ps.
10:16; 145:11–13; Dan. 4:3)
• Mediatorial kingdom- This includes God’s
rule through divinely chosen human
representatives. (Rev. 19-20)
• Spiritual Kingdom- This involves a person’s
salvation and relationship with God through
Jesus Christ. (John 3)
• Kingdom of God- The kingdom of heaven is
synonymous with the Kingdom of God.
Kingdom of God = Kingdom of Heaven
And Jesus said to His disciples,
“Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you, it is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God.” When the
disciples heard this, they were very
astonished and said, “Then who can
be saved?” And looking at them
Jesus said to them, “With people this
is impossible, but with God all things
are possible.”
(Matt. 19:23–26)
“When Scripture uses the word ‘kingdom’ to
refer to God’s kingdom, it could point to any
one aspect of the kingdom or several of its
parts together. The kingdom of God can be
explained in this manner: The eternal triune
God created a kingdom and two kingdom
citizens (Adam and Eve) who were to have
dominion over it. But an enemy deceived
them, seduced them into breaking
allegiance to the King, and caused them to
rebel against their sovereign Creator. God
intervened with consequential curses that
exist to this day. Ever since, he has been
redeeming sinful, rebellious people to be
Dr. John
MacArthur
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic
Summary of Bible Truth (Wheaton: Crossway, 2017), 44.
restored as qualified kingdom citizens, both
now in a spiritual sense and later in a
kingdom-on-earth sense. Finally, the enemy
will be vanquished forever, as will sin. Thus,
Revelation 21–22 describes the final and
eternal expression of the kingdom of God,
where the triune God will restore the
kingdom to its original purity with the curse
having been removed and the new heaven
and the new earth becoming the everlasting
abode of God and his people.”
Dr. John
MacArthur
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic
Summary of Bible Truth (Wheaton: Crossway, 2017), 44.
How is the Kingdom of God
Revealed?
Through the Story of the Bible
5 Major Elements of the Kingdom
Revealed in the Bible
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Creation (Gen. 1-2)
Fall (Gen. 3)
Promise (Gen. 3:15-Mal.)
Redemption (Gospels-Epistles)
Restoration (Revelation)
Kingdom of God
“The kingdom of God is a thread that
runs from the first chapter of the
Bible to the last. The story begins
with God as King and man’s right to
rule under Him [Gen. 1-3]. It then
culminates with God on the throne
and man reigning under Him over the
earth [Rev. 20-22]. God’s kingdom
program involves five major parts or
developments.”
Dr. Michael Vlach
TMS Professor
Michael Vlach, He Will Reign Forever: A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God
(Silverton, OR: Lampion Press, 2017), 22.
Creation
Fall
Promise
Genesis
Redemption
Restoration
Revelation
Jesus Christ
What is the means of bringing about
the Kingdom?
The Biblical Covenants
What is a Covenant?
• A covenant is an unconditional or
conditional agreement between two parties.
• There are 3 types of covenants mentioned in
Scripture (shoe- Ruth 4:7, salt- Num. 18:19
and blood covenant- Heb. 9:18; Ex. 24:3-8).
• The Abrahamic, Mosaic and New Covenant
are all blood covenants.
The Covenants
• Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12, 15)
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The promise of…
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A national land (Gen.12:1, 13:14-17)
Redemption (Gen. 12:3, 22:18)
Many descendants (Gen. 12:2,13:16,17:2-6)
The Covenants
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Palestinian Covenant (Deut.30:1-10)
The promise that…
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The nation will be plucked from the land (Dt. 28:63-68)
There will be a future repentance of Israel (Dt. 28:6368, 30:1-3)
A restoration to the land (Deut. 30:5)
Messiah will return (Deut. 30:3-6)
Israel will be converted (saved) as a nation (Deut. 30:48, Rom.11:26-27)
Israel’s enemies (Gentiles) will be judged (Deut.30:7)
The nation will receive her full blessing (Deut. 30:9)1
1 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, IV, 317-23.
The Covenants
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Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
The promise that…
– David is to have a child…who shall succeed
him and establish his kingdom.
– Solomon shall build the Temple.
– The throne of his kingdom shall be established
forever.
– The throne shall not be taken from Him.
– David’s house, throne, and kingdom shall be
established forever. [1]
[1] John F. Walvoord, “Millennial Series,” Biblotheca
Sacra, 110:96-00, April, 1953.
The Covenants
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The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
– The promise of a renewed mind and heart
(Jer.31:33)
– Forgiveness of sin (Jer.31:34)[1]
[1]
The Church participates in these spiritual blessings now because of
its unique relationship to Christ.
New Covenant Blessings
Fulfilled by death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ and
realized in the millennial kingdom
Matt. 26:28
What does the Kingdom look like in
the future?
The Millennial Kingdom
The Future Millennial Kingdom
“To these He [Jesus] also presented
Himself alive after His suffering, by
many convincing proofs, appearing to
them over a period of forty days and
speaking of the things concerning the
kingdom of God. Gathering them
together, He commanded them not to
leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what
the Father had promised, “Which,” He
said, “you heard of from Me; for John
baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many
days from now.”
(Acts 1:3–5)
The Future Millennial Kingdom
“So when they had come together,
they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord,
is it at this time You are restoring the
kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It
is not for you to know times or
epochs which the Father has fixed by
His own authority; but you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My
witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and even to
the remotest part of the earth.’ And
after He had said these things, He was
The Future Millennial Kingdom
lifted up while they were looking on,
and a cloud received Him out of their
sight. And as they were gazing
intently into the sky while He was
going, behold, two men in white
clothing stood beside them. They also
said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you
stand looking into the sky? This
Jesus, who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will come in just the
same way as you have watched Him
go into heaven.’
(Acts 1:6–11)
The Expectations of the Kingdom
• They expected a literal kingdom for Israel’s
future.
The Expectations of the Kingdom
“Whatever view one holds of the
kingdom, this fact must be
grappled with. The apostles who
had their eyes opened and
received 40 days of kingdom
instruction from Jesus [Acts 1:3]
were expecting a literal restoration
of the kingdom to Israel.”
Dr. Michael Vlach
TMS Professor
Michael Vlach, He Will Reign Forever: A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God
(Silverton, OR: Lampion Press, 2017), 402.
The Expectations of the Kingdom
• They expected a literal kingdom for Israel’s
future.
• The word restore [apokathistemi] means to
bring to its former state. The restoration
expected a return to Israel’s former glory,
which will occur when Christ returns.
• The disciples did not ask a “what” question,
rather a “when” question.
The Expectations of the Kingdom
“The question concerning the timing
of the kingdom also confirms that
when the apostles preached the
nearness of the kingdom…they were
not teaching that the kingdom had
arrived. If they had, they would not
be asking a question concerning
when it would come. Why ask about
the coming of something that had
already arrived? ”
Dr. Michael Vlach
TMS Professor
Michael Vlach, He Will Reign Forever: A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God
(Silverton, OR: Lampion Press, 2017), 402.
The Future Millennial Kingdom
• What is the Millennial Reign of Christ?
The Future Millennial Kingdom
• The Millennial reign of Christ will occur
when Jesus returns to the earth with the
Church (Rev. 19) and will rule the earth from
the Temple Mount in the city of Jerusalem.
Zech 14:9 says, “The Lord will be king over
all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the
only one, and His name the only one.” It is
interesting to note that the Bible never
mentions how long the Lord will rule and
reign until Rev. 20, where John tells us that
it will be for 1,000 years.
The Future Millennial Kingdom
• What is the Millennial Reign of Christ?
• What are the Components of the
Millennium?
The Future Millennial Kingdom
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Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Rev.
20:1-3)
Israel will be fully restored, which will
include:
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regeneration (Jer. 31:31)
a national regathering (Deut. 30:1-10; Isa. 11:1112:6; Matt. 24:31)
Israel will have full possession of the Land (Gen
15:18)
Jesus will rule (Isa. 2:3-4;11:2-5)
The curse on the creation will be lifted from the
earth except for death (Isa. 65:20)
“Never again will one of her infants live just a few days or
an old man die before his time. Indeed, no one will die
before the age of a hundred, anyone who fails to reach the
age of a hundred will be considered cursed. They will build
houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat
their fruit. No longer will they build a house only to have
another live in it, or plant a vineyard only to have another
eat its fruit, for my people will live as long as trees, and my
chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have
produced. They will not work in vain, or give birth to
children that will experience disaster. For the LORD will
bless their children and their descendants. Before they
even call out, I will respond; while they are still speaking, I
will hear. A wolf and a lamb will graze together; a lion, like
an ox, will eat straw, and a snake’s food will be dirt. They
will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal
mountain,” says the LORD.”
(Is. 65:20–25)
“The government [of Christ]
will deal summarily with any
outbreak of sin…Any overt
act against authority of the
King will be punished with
physical death.”
Dr. Dwight Pentecost
DTS Professor
J. Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1964), 569.
The Future Millennial Kingdom
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Satan will be released at the end of the
1,000 years (Rev. 20:7-10)
“When the thousand years come to an end, Satan
will be let out of his prison. He will go out to
deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in
every corner of the earth. He will gather them
together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless
as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as
they went up on the broad plain of the earth and
surrounded God’s people and the beloved city.
But fire from heaven came down on the attacking
armies and consumed them. Then the devil, who
had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake
of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false
prophet. There they will be tormented day and
night forever and ever.”
(Rev. 20:7–10)
The Future Millennial Kingdom
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Satan will be released at the end of the
1,000 years (Rev. 20:7-10)
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The Great White Throne Judgment occurs
at the end of the Millennium. (Rev. 20:11-15)
The Future Millennial Kingdom
• What is the Millennial Reign of Christ?
• What are the Components of the Millennium?
• How does the Church function in the
Millennium?
The Future Millennial Kingdom
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The Church will rule and reign with Christ
(Rev. 3:21)
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Jesus told his disciples that they would sit
on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of
Israel. (Matt. 19:28)
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Paul tells the church (2 Tim. 2:12) that if we
endure, we will also reign with Him during
His reign.
Points to Ponder
• The overarching theme of the Bible
concerns the kingdom of God.
• Jesus primary message was preaching
the kingdom of God.
• The realization of the kingdom is still
future. As a citizen of this kingdom are
you engaging in the duties that the King
has established?