THE SAVIOR of mankind came to earth over 1,900 years ago with a message – the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. We call
that message the “Gospel” – an old English word that meant “good news.” The Kingdom of God will rule over all nations, and the Supreme Ruler on earth will be Jesus Christ Himself.
But Christ will not rule over thousands of millions of people all by Himself while Spirit-born Christians take an eternal vacation. The Bible shows they will rule the earth with Him!
In 1948, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain gave birth to her first son, Charles. Everyone knew he was destined to become monarch over the British Commonwealth. From his birth he has received the education and training necessary to prepare him to become the next king of England.
And now Prince Charles' firstborn son, Prince William, will also be trained to become king.
Just as surely as Prince Charles was born into the reigning family of England to become a king, you, if you are a Spirit-begotten child of God, are destined, when born of God's Spirit into the ruling Family of God, to reign as a far greater and ETERNAL KING! As Prince William is heir to the throne his father will someday inherit, you are the heir of a spiritual King! (Rom. 8:16-17.)
And as the royal heirs of the throne of England receive special training for their future position, so do true Christians. The Christian life is the preparation and training necessary for rulership in the eternal Kingdom of God!
A kingdom is a nation composed of people, as well as the government of that nation. The Kingdom of God is the divine Family of God, presently composed of God the Father and God the Son (Christ) in heaven, and of Spirit-begotten sons and daughters – not yet born – on earth.
God's Family is a ruling Family. And it is the Spirit-begotten children of God who will, at the first resurrection, be born of God and become part of that divine ruling Kingdom! Notice:
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan. 7:27).
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). And after that? “They shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).
Those whom Daniel called “saints” will be resurrected or changed to immortality and given positions of rulership in God's Kingdom. But who will they rule over? And where will they reign? Notice Revelation 2:26-27: “And he that overcometh... to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”
The Kingdom of God, with Christ as King (Rev. 11:15; 19:16), will rule over all mortals on earth (Rev. 5:10). And the law by which Christ and the immortal saints will rule is the law that expresses the loving nature and character of God – the Ten Commandments!
God has an exciting future beyond imagination in store for those who willingly follow His way of life, grow and overcome spiritually. Not only will they inherit eternal life as the free gift of God and become eternal members of the God Family, they will also be rewarded – not with the temporary rewards of men, but with rewards of eternal responsibility. Every Christian's reward will be exciting and fulfilling for all eternity!
In God's government will be many important offices of responsibility. God will give these responsibilities to those who have qualified for them during their training period. In complete fairness, all will be rewarded according to the “works” they did during their Christian lives (Matt. 16:27). And because every member, when born into God's Family, will be completely yielded to God's government, everyone will be completely satisfied with the responsibilities and power God will give them.
Let's understand how God will reward those who have been freely given the opportunity to become His children. Let's see how one can prepare for exciting power in God's ruling Family!
But before we begin, get your Bible, some paper, and a pen or pencil. Look up the Bible verses given in answer to the questions and read them. You may also want to write these scriptures down. Many of our students have discovered that writing them out helps to increase their understanding and memory. Now let's begin.
