The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 1301-C, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 5." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1976. All Rights Reserved.
Question
In what way are we dealing with the kingdom today? The millennium, obviously, hasn’t come, yet it says clearly that we have been, according to Colossians 1, "...We have been transformed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.” We’re in the kingdom, right? We’re citizens of the kingdom and yet, this can’t be the millennium.
Answer
Now, we talk a lot about this—“and Jesus came as well as John the Baptist preaching the kingdom… so came Jesus preaching the kingdom.” The question says, “What way are we dealing with the kingdom today? The millennium, obviously, hasn’t come.” Listen, friends, if this is the millennium, we’re in real trouble. You’re right, it isn’t the millennium.
“Yet it says clearly that we have been, according to
Colossians 1, we have been transformed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.”
We’re in the kingdom, right? We’re citizens of the kingdom and yet, this can’t
be the millennium?
No. Now watch—and this is not easy to explain so kind of keep your brain alert
on this. But we are experiencing at this time all of the features of the
kingdom that are spiritual. For example (maybe I can get you involved in this),
think of the millennium and think of some of the things that will occur in the
millennium. What are they? Have you got any ideas? Peace—that’s one we always
think about. Absence of Satan. Ok—for part of it. Justice… Ok. How about
this one: the rule of Christ.
Well, you know, you could go on with some things like this and just talk about the various features of the kingdom. There is going to be—we have to include this—salvation, righteousness… And you know, we don’t need to go any further than that. Let’s leave it like that. There are some basic things.
Now, think about this. The beautiful thing about this: this is all going to happen in a physical world. This is all going to take place in the physical, and the whole world will be dominated by these things. But let me ask you this: you’re a Christian and you’re living today…Do you have peace? Sure. Do you have it in your life? If you don’t, you’re in trouble. Has Satan been dismissed from your life and replaced by the Spirit of God? Yes. Is there justice in your life? Is Christ ruling in your life? Yes. Salvation? Has He given you his righteousness? Do you see, in a spiritual sense, you have already begun to experience all that will be fully revealed in the physical sense in the kingdom. In that sense, we are at a form of the kingdom now.
Some say this is the mystery form of the kingdom. The King is absent and yet He has sent his Holy Spirit to begin to plant within us all of the features of the kingdom that are spiritual. Someday in the millennium, they’ll all become both spiritual and physical, and Christ will literally bring peace on the whole earth; literally Satan will be bound; literal justice and He’ll rule with a rod of iron; that Christ will actually sit at the seat of the throne of David; salvation will be all around the world; Israel will be restored and redeemed; and God’s righteousness will rule the world. Now, all of that will be in a total sense fulfilled the worldwide, physically, really, literally. But now, it is being fulfilled within us who are part of the kingdom spiritually. Do you see?
So in a sense we are experiencing all the spiritual benefits of the kingdom while we yet wait for the physical fulfillment of all that the kingdom is.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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