Kingdom of God pt3: The Kingdom in the Prophets
The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of judgment and hope.
- The prophets are full of both types of prophecy, announcing judgment to Israel and Judah as well as proclaiming hope to the nations. The hope is that one day a coming Messiah will be king and rule over all the earth and establish God’s kingdom.
The prophets declare God as King of the entire cosmos, this is crucial for understanding how God’s kingdom works in heaven and how it takes shape on earth.
- Isaiah 33:22
- This passage describes God as judge, lawgiver, and King (NIV). This means that we are to see God as the one who decides our fate, the one who we receive instruction from (teacher), and the one who rules over all. We know God rules from heaven but his rulings are for earth just as much as they are for heaven.
Human kingdoms are full of pride and injustice and will eventually fall under judgment. Contrast this with God’s rule and reign of justice and love.
- Daniel 2
- Nebuchadnezzar had built a kingdom sown by cruelty, injustice, and violence. God declares his kingdom will come to an end and all others like it. God’s kingdom will be established and never destroyed (Daniel 2:44). Being part of God’s kingdom means we are a part of a kingdom that is never destroyed and lasts forever.
As the prophets pronounce judgment, they also point forward to a Messiah, a true King who will reign as the earthly kings should be but fail to do.
- Isaiah 9
- Isaiah 9 is a conclusion to chapter 8. Darkness is fierce and will last for sometime but eventually the people will “see a great light”. The Messiah has come and He is our true ruler. His kingdom is established by “justice and righteousness” rather than the wickedness of human nations. God’s kingdom, God’s rule and reign of the world is not dominated by oppression and violence but by a serving human who sacrificed his life and resurrected.
- Jeremiah 23
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