A PROGRESSIVE KINGDOM -- Monday:
"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end . . . " (Isaiah 9:7)
One of the distinguishing traits of the Lord Jesus is that the Divine government has been placed upon His shoulder (Isa 9:6). That is, He has been given the total responsibility for maintaining that government, and carrying out the purposes determined within it. All power in heaven and in earth have been given to Him for this purpose (Matt 28:18; 1 Pet 3:22). Under His able administration, that government is growing and flourishing to the glory of God. In strict accord with the promise of God, "the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand" (Isa 53:10). There will be no point at which this glorious and God-glorifying prosperity will terminate. It will have "no end."
God's kingdom is always progressive, and is never characterized by digression, retrogression, or decline. It always goes forward, never backward. Noah received more than Adam. Abraham received more than Noah. Moses received more than Abraham. The prophets were given more than Moses. John the Baptist rose higher than all the prophets, and Jesus sent the Apostles out with even a greater and more revealing message. From Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21, the continual thread of progression may be seen. The Kingdom of God is always progressing forward to a determined objective.
This principle is declared repeatedly in the Word of God. "They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God" (Psa 84:7). "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17). "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isa 40:31). "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov 4:18). "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor 3:18). A marvelous Kingdom, indeed!
This situation is apparent for all who have been given eyes to see (Deut 29:4). The tabernacle upon earth has been replaced by a "greater and more perfect tabernacle" (Heb 9:11). The wisdom of Jesus supersedes the wisdom of Solomon (Matt 12:42). The preaching of Jesus is "greater" than that of Jonah (Matt 12:41). Grace is greater than law, and faith is greater than works. What we have in Christ transcends all that was before, and there are no exceptions. The only real issue is whether or not we see and have entered into that Kingdom.
It only remains to establish the superiority of a spiritual kingdom. It is not possible for God to conclude the history of this world by returning to the principle of an earthly kingdom, with an earthly king and earthly exploits. If this is to be the case, the central work of God would return to the realm of types and shadows, after having established a better covenant, built upon better promises. It will take something more than clever interpretations of Scripture to establish that such a thing is even possible. Such a procedure is at a variance with the outworking of Divine purpose. If, as some teach, Jesus is going to come to earth to reign in the flesh, in an earthly city, and within the realm of flesh and blood, then His Kingdom would have gone backward, not forward. At that point, it would have ceased to progress "to glory."
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, open my eyes to behold wondrous things in Your Word.