Dr. J. Vernon McGee :: Chapter 3: God's Coming Kingdom on the Earth

CHAPTER 3

God’s Coming Kingdom on the Earth

In thumbing through history’s pages, one must remain at length in the reading of the fabulous nineteenth century—better known as the Victorian Era—for it was in this period, under the reign of Queen Victoria, that the British Empire came to its great expansion through colonization. This was, in truth, the Golden Age. Scientific accomplishments gave impetus to the times, and science began to prophesy that it would bring in a new world order, a new age.

Out of so promising a background, the twentieth century was born in high hopes and aspirations. Perhaps there was never a more propitious time for high ideals and dreams than the opening of the twentieth century. With a fanfare of trumpets, it moved upon the scene. Optimism was the dominant note of the hour. Man was going forth in that day as a knight clad in shining armor. “Onward and upward forever” was the catch phrase of the new day. Just around the comer was the millennial kingdom—coming to pass ipso facto—for man had willed it and had made the world a glorious place!

Now the church, quick to catch the spirit of the age and permeated with this leaven of false hope, spoke bravely of converting the world. In the writings of the year 1901 lies an interesting bit of reading on the Lord’s Prayer. Listen to this kind of daydreaming:

Further, we note that the Student Volunteer Movement of 1912 had as its motto: “The World for Christ in this Generation.” In later years, a minister identified with this movement told me, “It is hard for me today to realize that at that time we actually believed that the world would be won for Christ within the next few years.”

There was a great missionary emphasis in the early part of the twentieth century. Africa, China, and Japan were open fully to the gospel, and inroads were made for the cause of Christ everywhere throughout the world. About that same time, a Peace Conference was held at The Hague in Holland. At this conference men wore little ploughshares made out of swords upon the lapels of their coats. “There will never be another war,” they said. “There will be a warless world—we are coming into a new day.”

It is difficult for us today to relate to the thinking of men in that day. Postmillennialism was in the saddle, and riding mankind was a push towards “building the kingdom.” In fact, the church was made synonymous with the kingdom in that day. But frankly, any suggestion of the coming of Jesus Christ would have been a source of great embarrassment, as His coming would only have interfered with the accomplishments of men, holding up the glorious program they had for self-improvement of the race. Men who were premillennial and did speak of the coming of Christ were looked down upon—they were considered strange individuals. And strange seemed the messages of such men as Dr. Brooks, Dr. Wilbur Chapman, Dr. Morehouse and Dr. Torrey. In his introduction to Dr. W. E. Blackstone’s little book, “Jesus is Coming,” Dr. Torrey stated how difficult it was to preach the precious hope in days when popular opinion would have agreed that the sweeping successes of man would surely bring in the kingdom.

But there has come a great change! In the race today, all the way from statesman down to the humblest ranks, people are disappointed, discouraged, distraught, and disillusioned. What has happened since the dawn of the twentieth century? An inventory includes wars the likes of which the world had never seen. A worldwide depression swept over us, and today a godless ideology threatens Christianity. Science is no longer the savior of the race but the destroyer. In the world of the spiritual, postmillennialism is as dead as a dodo bird. You will not find on the topside of the earth today a reputable theologian who is postmillennial. Now that does not mean that they have become premillennial—they have not. They have become amillennial. They have given up the idea of the Millennium altogether because they have come to the conclusion that they are not getting the contract from God to build the kingdom of heaven here upon this earth.

Your Kingdom Come…

An idealistic character in Robert Browning’s poem, “Pippa Passes,” sings forth the spirit of the nineteenth century:

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hillside’s dew-pearled,
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn:
God’s in his heaven
All’s right with the world!²

But in our present day I fear we shall have to turn to Shakespeare’s Hamlet for a summary of our age of confusion. It is there that we find the line, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”³

There is something definitely wrong in this world in which we live. In spite of that, however, men are still talking bravely about building the kingdom. But, my friend, they are conducting a bankruptcy sale on a new world order and a fire sale on a new social order. I am of the same opinion as Dr. George Guille who said that it seems as if the church is in the business of making the world a better place for men to go to hell in. Yes, the church was engaged, and feverishly so, in its program for making the world religious when it suddenly became infatuated with an idea that greatly expanded its program—namely, that the church could and would bring the kingdom of God here on this earth.

Now this term “kingdom” causes, I suppose, more confusion than any other term in Scripture. What meaning is wrapped up in that word? I do not want to appear too dogmatic where good men differ, but there are certain basic principles that we can state. And I would like the liberty of making this personal observation. For years I thought that the Old Testament and the Epistles were difficult since they contained doctrine. But I thought the Gospels were simple and, in a measure, quite easy to comprehend. May I say to you that I have arrived at the conclusion that the Old Testament and the Epistles are simple, while the most difficult portion of the Word of God is the Gospels. It is in the Gospels that we find the theme song, “The Kingdom.”

Now if I can make clear to you something of what this kingdom means, it will help you, I believe, more than any other one thing to get a correct perspective of the Word of God and of life. Basically, mention of the kingdom lies in the Old Testament. When John the Baptist appeared with the Lord Jesus Christ, they began with the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now, neither the Lord Jesus nor John explained it; neither shed any light upon it in the sense of attempting to define it. This argues that the people to whom they were speaking understood what they meant. It is that kingdom which, at first, had been vouchsafed to David, of which God said to him, “I’ll bring One to sit on your throne, I’ll bring the Messiah, and He will reign in righteousness and justice and peace on this earth” (see 2 Samuel 7:12-17).

The prophets took up this song and sang it in the dark hours of the night. A day was coming when Jerusalem would become the very center of this earth—the Capital City, if you please. It was the bright ray of hope in the darkest hour of these people. They sang that the entire earth would be ruled over by this One who was to come. Even nature would be affected. The desert would blossom as the rose. The sun, moon and stars would be affected. Just as the events that took place in Bethlehem made it outshine all the other thousands of cities of Judah, so is this little planet of ours made the jewel of the great universe of God—for here is where the glory of God was to break!

May I say that this kingdom is a progressive and growing thing. Isaiah said:

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7)

My own point of view—and like many McGee theories, it may not be too good—is that this kingdom will increase and grow throughout eternity. That is going to be one of the glories of it. There will be nothing static or sterile about this kingdom at all; it will be characterized by constant growth! And I think it is defined in our petition, “Your kingdom come.”

Your Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What does the Lord Jesus mean as He gives this petition? Is it that the will of God, which is all prevailing in heaven, shall ultimately prevail here upon this earth? Yes, His glory will shine forth on this earth! It is God’s intention that His will shall someday prevail here where rebellion has broken out and man lives in sin and unbelief. May I give you just one verse out of many found in the Old Testament:

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)

That is the kingdom toward which God is moving.

While this kingdom is not altogether spiritual, it has a spiritual aspect. Some will say, “Yes, but you know the Bible says that the kingdom of God is not meat or drink but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Let me illustrate my point: The Preamble to the Constitution of these United States says that we are given freedom for the pursuit of happiness. It does not guarantee happiness, but it guarantees the right to pursue it in liberty. Now happiness, while an abstract term, is spiritual and is to be sought by us while we are in a physical world of mountains, rivers, seacoasts, deserts, plains, and valleys. With this in mind, let us go back to the thought of the kingdom.

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

That righteousness is to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, and it is a peace that only He, who is the Prince of Peace, can bring to this earth!

This brings us to the all-important question: Is the church part of this kingdom? The Lord Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world…” (John 18:36). Someone will reply, “Now you see, it does not pertain to down here.” Yes, but He said the same thing concerning believers—that they are IN this world but not OF it. His kingdom is to be in this world, but it is not to be established by the world’s methods. It is not moved forward by the politics of this world. His kingdom will contain no Republican or Democratic platform. It will be established and maintained on a different basis from that of our world.

Again we ask the question: Is the church part of this kingdom? Some of my good brethren say that the answer is no. So I want to be very careful at this point. When you say that the church is not the kingdom, I think you are accurate; but when you say that the church is not part of the kingdom, then I think you are wrong. May I illustrate: California is part of the United States, but California is not the United States. Nor is the church the kingdom; it is merely part of the kingdom. And how does she become a part of the kingdom? Well, she will be the bride of the King of that kingdom.

Therefore, let us consider again the laws under which the bride must live in that new kingdom. They are to be found in the Sermon on the Mount. The church—the bride to be—is now under grace, living under new principles by the Holy Spirit. But that does not mean that she can flout the Sermon on the Mount and despise it. Come, my fundamental friend, my premillennial brother, and let us, as members of that church, go once again up to the top of that mountain where He gave the Sermon. Let us look into His face. We need to, you know. This is His law. I know that we are not under law, but—at the same time—we do not despise law. He values honor and integrity. Faithfulness and righteousness are things that He counts as valuable. And, my friend, purity still counts in the high court of heaven. How we have dipped our colors and come to the place in fundamental circles where we close our eyes to these things that we need to recognize.

But the kingdom that is mentioned in Scripture—the one that we pray about—is coming in glory. It is that glorious kingdom that shall be established someday on this earth—His millennial kingdom. The kingdom in creation, the whole creation, is groaning and travailing, waiting for the day; even we, ourselves, are awaiting that day, for “it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him…” (1 John 3:2). The King will be revealed, His glory will be extended on this earth, and righteousness and peace will cover this earth as the waters cover the sea.

Our prayer looks even beyond the millennial kingdom. “Your kingdom come.” Whose kingdom? “Our Father in heaven, Your kingdom come”—that eternal kingdom that is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 where we are given an order and a development of the kingdom. Let us notice it briefly:

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

He is back from the dead, and after Him those that are His are going to arise. He is merely the firstfruits. And then we read:

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)

Does that mean that the millennial kingdom is coming to an end? Oh, no, it is an everlasting kingdom. What shall be happening is revealed in the following:

Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

After the Lord Jesus reigns on this earth for one thousand years, after Satan is put down eternally, after the lost have been judged—He returns to His place in the Godhead that God may be all in all. But He will continue to reign and this earth will continue to be the kingdom and the place of blessing. This is the day of His rejection; this is the day when men turn their backs upon Him. His glory is not manifested today, but it is a time when you and I can bow to His scepter. Everything is sweeping toward that kingdom.

Do you have a passion for His kingdom? Are you looking forward to His coming in glory? It is that kingdom spoken of in Revelation 21 and 22—a kingdom in which there will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no pain and no fear. I ask you, are you looking forward to it? Today you and I can say, “Your will be done on earth” if our hopes and longings are bound up in this blessed thought.

Now the church is in the very heart of His program as He is sweeping events toward that glorious kingdom. Are you moving forward with Him? I think God’s great men of the past moved with Him. When John Knox said, “Give me Scotland or I die,” he was praying, I think, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When the Puritans came to this country and established a place where they could worship God and propagate the gospel of Christ, they were saying, in fact, if not in word, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” And there are times when you and I arise to that high level and say from our hearts, when a passion is there, that His will might prevail here on this earth.

This part of the Lord’s Prayer—“Your kingdom come”—is corporate, I believe. It speaks of the global purpose of God in this world. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” has, I believe, a personal angle. When we say it, we are pledging allegiance to Him. This makes it difficult for a sleek, sophisticated congregation to repeat it in a very glib way on Sunday morning.

Paul was a son of God, and he exalted that truth. He gloried in the fact that by regeneration he had come into the place of sonship. “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ…” (Romans 1:1), he wrote of himself. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ! Yes, I also am a son of God; but I must bow to His scepter if I want His will done in my life. I am His prisoner. Christ is King, and He wears the crown and holds the scepter. He is the greatest of dictators. He wants your body, your heart, your mind, your soul—He wants you. In these days of His rejection, have you bowed to Him? If not, do not dare say, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

God’s Word yields a beautiful incident, the knowledge of which brings a demand for decision on our part. The story lies in the days of David’s rejection. David was God’s anointed king, but Saul was pressing him hard so that he had to leave the throne, Jerusalem, and even his kingdom. He went across the Jordan River and camped there. David had on guard one of his own men to watch at the banks of the Jordan, though the river was at flood stage. Suddenly the guard ran to David with the message, “There are men swimming the Jordan over toward us.” David went down to the water’s edge and said to the strangers, “If you come peaceably, your heart will be knit to me. But if you come to do me harm, I will do you harm.” And these men lifted their voices as best they could while swimming against the current and said, “Oh, David, we want to join you.” When they got to the other side, exhausted from swimming against the current, they fell down before David. And Amasai said, “We are yours, O David; we are on your side, O son of Jesse!” (See 1 Chronicles 12:15-18.)

This is the day of Christ’s rejection. If you want to bow to Him, you must swim against the currents of this world. If you are going to yield to Him today, you will go contrary to everything in which this world is interested. But it is worth it because He is moving toward a kingdom. Someday He shall reign here. What a privilege it is to bow to Him now! Are you among the number swimming against the current that you may cross to be on the Lord’s side?

Footnotes:
1. Author unknown.
2. “Pippa Passes,” part I, lines 221-228
3. Hamlet, act 1, sc. 4, line 90