How Jesus Christ Will Rule In the World To Come
The return of Jesus Christ and the Millennial reign of Christ on the earth. Remember that this is the central focus of the very Church of God. The Bible study should be led by an elder where possible. Otherwise, we encourage that it be led by the minister. If no one is able to be in a congregation for the study, then the study can be conducted in your own home.
TODAY, many people the world over are all speaking of how they desire a day to come when all the world problems will be finally solved and how at that day, we can be free from all the wars, diseases, sufferings and all the other problems which plague our society.
Leaders of today have talked about how the only hope for world peace will come in the form a world government—one universal government that has the supreme power and authority over all the nations of the earth.
But, these same leaders further go on to admit that they could never seem to be the ones to bring that world government to power and light. They admit that the only hope seems to be a force not of this world or at least this present age. They then further say that such hope for real world peace is just pointless because they do not see any way that it will be brought to light.
Yet, the truth is found within the Bible—a truth that is plain and most wonderful, for it is indeed a truth that shows us the awesome future of what is going to happen upon the earth and how it is going to affect each person alive.
Jesus Christ is indeed coming again and he will come to establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth, restoring and administering that government and thus, providing us with the awesome utopia that we have so long talked about.
Just what will be the way that God will be establishing this upon the earth and in what manner will Jesus Christ really rule? This study will answer that very question as we review a number of basic scriptures that will describe plainly what Christ’s government will be like in the new world tomorrow.
1. Where did Jesus Christ go after his resurrection? Acts 1:11, Rev. 12:5. Will he again return to earth? John 14:3, Acts 1:11
2. How long is Christ going to remain in heaven before he returns? Acts 3:20-21. Will he come with great power and glory? Matt. 24:30, Rev. 19:11-16. Just how is Christ going to begin his rule on earth? Rev. 19:15
The glorified Christ is again going to come to restore the earth. The very government of God was taken from the earth when the archangel Lucifer (Satan), whom God had made ruler over the earth rebelled. Satan then sought to dethrone God and to replace God as the very ruler of the universe (Isa. 14:12-14).
Christ is going to return and we can be sure that he will return visibly. We can see that earth’s inhabitants will refuse to yield to the authority of Christ when he does return. Therefore, Christ is going to powerfully subdue the world and force man, at first, to submit to his rule.
Christ is going to use a "rod of iron" which symbolizes absolute authority. He is going to rule with power, not hesitating to use it when needed. Men, influenced by their habits and attitudes formed in this world of evil of the devil (2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2), will have to be forced to learn the fruits of living God’s way.
3. Will Christ rule supreme in the coming government of God? Rev. 19:16. Where will the throne of Christ be located—his headquarters—be found? Jer. 3:17.
The very government of God will not be a democracy. Government will be from the top down just as it is now in the Church of God with the headquarters of Christ being found in Jerusalem, Christ’s rule will then spread over all the earth.
4. Will the born-again sons of God—those Christians that have voluntarily come under the government in the Church of God in this present age and have proven loyal to God during their mortal lives—assist Christ by reigning with him in the world to come? Rev. 2:26-27, 3:21, 5:10, 20:4. What then did God inspire Daniel to prophesy of? Dan. 7:13-14, 18, 22, 27. Will many also be rulers over cities? Luke 19:16-19.
5. How will these immortal spirit rulers serve the people in the Kingdom? Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 1 Cor. 6:2.
In the United States today, we have the executive, legislative and the judicial branches of our government and they are each separate. Then there is the teaching field, which, in democratic countries, is separate from (though in most cases overseen by) the government.
In God’s great Kingdom on earth, however, these four functions will all be united as one. The God Family establishes the laws (the legislative function). The God Family will then enforce the laws (the executive function). It will also then interpret those laws (the judicial function). And then the God Family will be responsible for the education of all people—it will faithfully teach the people on earth God’s laws, which is the way to peace, prosperity, and happiness.
Each divine ruler will be serving his subjects in real and honest love and concern (1 Jn 4:16) and will never act selfishly.
6. How much power will each of the rulers have under Christ, in his own area? Rev. 2:26-27.
There will be absolute and definite authority that will truly exist on the spot in all parts of the world. Yet all governmental policies will be based upon the pattern that is laid down from world headquarters by Christ himself and each ruler under Christ will then be responsible directly under Christ. God’s government is going to be perfectly organized, devoid of useless red tape and excess baggage bureaucracies.
7. Will this divine government be a permanent one? Dan. 7:14, 18.
No time or money will be wasted upon useless campaigning and elections. There will be no politicians to cater to special, organized groups to gain votes. In the world tomorrow, God is going to appoint his saitns as the rulers and educators, and no lobbyists or other pressure groups are going to ever be able to influence or corrupt them.
There is going to be no insurrections, no rebellions and God will never be overthrown. Satan’s failed coup proved that! Nor will there be any member of the God Family who will ever turn into another adversary (1 Jn. 3:9).
8. Will the nations finally begin to seek Christ and will they ask for instruction in God’s way of life? Mic. 4:1-2. Will people learn the real way to real peaceful productivity? V.3.
I want you to again notice that within God’s eternal plan for world rule, religion and government are not separated, but are united. In addition to ruling as the supreme king over all the nations, Christ is also going to be the supreme educator—educating the world in truth and righteousness.
To bring mankind to repentance, Christ is going to be reeducating the world in his real way of life—the way of God’s law of love—so that people may, of their own free accord, decide to follow his way to physical and spiritual blessings.
9. What is going to happen to those nations which refuse to become reeducated in God’s way? Zech. 14:16-17. And if they still don’t obey then what? Vs.18-19.
Christ is going to immediately begin reeducating the people through the Holy Days. Remember, God’s people now are learning the Holy Days and learning what they mean. In the world tomorrow, all nations will be taught the Holy Days and will be taught to obey them and to keep them. The world will come to know that Christ is truly Lord and that God’s master plan does teach the way to real physical and spiritual blessings and salvation. Those who stubbornly refuse to keep the Feast of Tabernacles will be suffering from drought and plagues until they learn to submit to God and keep the Feast.
10. Will God’s spirit teachers take a personal part in bringing about the complete knowledge of God’s law, and in directing people to take right action? Isa. 30:20-21.
God’s own spirit-born children will be able to appear suddenly or speak as if from nowhere—lawbreakers will freeze the act and potential crimes will be prevented from happening. Thus, with proper guidance from Christ and with Satan’s sinful influence being restrained (Rev. 20:1-3), violence and crime will be stamped out completely.
11. How successful will the priest-teachers be in teaching the knowledge of God’s way to the world? Jer. 31:34, Hab. 2:14, Isa. 11:9. As a real result, will the Millennium become one great feast of rejoicing? Isa. 25:6-7.
Remember that during this time period, no religious confusion will exist because Satan will have been restrained at the coming of Christ. Humans will then be teachable—their eyes will be opened to God’s truths that are revealed.
People will truly begin to live the way of God and they will learn peace, happiness, well-being, joy and spiritual salvation!