“When Shall These Things Be?” Matthew 24—Part 17.

 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. Matthew 24: 45-47.

As we search through the sayings of Jesus himself, we notice a pattern woven into his personal perspective on his return, and what happens thereafter. In the passage of scripture highlighted above, we see that upon the return of the lord, a servant is judged by his faithfulness, and the one deemed to be the most faithful is made ruler over all his master’s goods. We can remember that in the previous chapter of this study we saw that the nobleman, upon his leaving to obtain a kingdom in a far country gave monies to his various servants. Upon his return those who prospered well by trading, were made rulers over cities.

            Since many believe only in the spiritual aspects of the kingdom of God, we recommended that we carefully examine the language of scripture, and perhaps by doing so, we would get a glimpse of the bigger picture. As far as I can remember, every scripture that deals with Christ’s return to earth alluded to the faithful  taking possession and ruling, but never did he take them back to heaven. I think I said this in a previous chapter a while back, but I think it is worth repeating since we are on the subject of being taken back to heaven.

            For years, even back in the 1950s when I lived at home in Jamaica, I used to listen to a broadcast called “The Voice Of Prophecy” that originated in Pasadena, California, under the auspices  of  the Worldwide Church of God, whose pastor and founder was Hubert W. Armstrong. Many years later when I lived in San Diego, California, the founder’s son, Garner Ted Armstrong  had a piece on television in which he took to the streets with microphone in hand and cameras rolling. He stopped people at random and asked each one: Are you a Christian? Usually the answer was yes. If you should die tonight, do you know where you would be going? Usually the answer was “I will be going to heaven.” Ted would then ask: How do you know that you would be going to heaven? Can you provide me with a single scripture to prove your point? I can’t, but I do know that I would be going to heaven! No one offered a single verse of scripture to prove that they indeed would be going to heaven. Well, my Friend! Give it a try and either email me, or write me giving me the scripture or scriptures that have assured you that you will be going to heaven when you die. (Please don’t offer “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” for that says nothing about going to heaven.)

            My former presiding bishop who sponsored me and my family from London, into the United States once said in a Sunday morning sermon in the City of Baltimore, Maryland: “The church is endeavoring to go to heaven, and God is endeavoring to bring heaven down to the church, and John declared that the tabernacle of God IS with men. He saw it coming down!” So let us see for ourselves what happens when Jesus returns, as spoken by the Lord himself. In Matthew 24: 45-47 we learn that upon the lord’s return, faithful servants are made rulers over all the goods and to provide meat in due season. We read in Matthew 25: 34; “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit (take possession of) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  Possessing the kingdom! Does that ring a bell with you? Does that sound familiar to you? Do you remember hearing that very statement before? Try and remember! Was that statement made sometime about B.C.553? Ah! Yes! Our good friend Daniel bore witness to the fact that the saints of the most High will take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. This language seems to suggest very strongly that this phase of the kingdom goes beyond that kingdom within each believer.

            Notice the language and texture or substance of the following verse! “Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19: 28. No matter from which angle one cares to view this text, it seems to point to something with a lot more implications, and greater dynamics than a believer saying the kingdom is within simply by having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. After America won the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many commentators on television said America now needs to launch a campaign to win hearts and minds of the people otherwise we may have won the battle and lost the war. Jesus once said, “Give me thine heart, and I will give you my Father’s kingdom.”

            If you are running for public office, why would you spend thousands upon thousands of dollars in a campaign? To put it in simple terms, if you can win the hearts and minds of the people you hope to represent, on election day you can go fishing or feed the ducks in the park, because your election is sure. Why? Because if you have won the hearts and minds of the people, you have won their votes! By the same token, if God has won our hearts and minds, his kingdom has taken on new roots. Of the increase of his government and peace there is no end, so it must of necessity continue to grow. God has so ordained it!

            I am constantly being carried back to the profound words of Daniel the prophet, as if his predictions are of more importance to us in this our day, than at any other time and to any other people. We are well aware of the fact that the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. We are also aware of the words of Paul to the Romans: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14: 17. However, we notice that Paul was addressing the issue of eating what is deemed to be unclean by some, and clean to others. He purposely addressed the issue by saying: “I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” Verse 14.

            No matter what we wish to write into the language of New Testament scriptures as they pertain to the kingdom of God, the words of Daniel cannot be ignored, and the ultimate realities that they convey cannot be denied in any honest discussion. Let us listen to the prophet yet one more time: “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, (like the American forces closing in on Baghdad, and we finally hear on the news that our men have taken the city) and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 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.” Daniel 7: 18, 27.

            Like an architect sitting around his desk drawing up a blueprint for the next shopping mall, when it pertains to the kingdom of God of which we just read, I would not know where to start. I cannot put all the dynamics together for it to make sense to me, let alone making sense to you. However obscure and guarded the realities are from our own perspective, the holy scriptures remain true. There are no traces of uncertainty and speculations in the pronouncements of the prophet Daniel. The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to God’s people. There is not one inch of ground, not a single isolated piece of ground upon God’s green earth that is not included in the text. This high class action supersedes every world power that has been set up by man and run by man, whether it be false religious entities or political governments; all is given into the hands of the saints of the Most High. If we so desire, we can dissect the whole package into a segmented patch work quilt that requires a dozen computers to unravel the truth. But the announcements of Daniel stand sure and the scriptures cannot be broken. I must once again reiterate what I have said before: the language of these scriptures  present to us a reality that goes far beyond the believer having the kingdom within in form of the Holy Spirit. When we think that the earth (the entire earth) shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, we can see no limitations or boundaries that man can set in order to frustrate God’s predetermined plans.

As we put God’s ultimate plans under careful scrutiny, we are left to conclude that we are told what he is going to do, but how he is going to do it is not always clear to our finite minds. For instance, after the Lamb prevailed to open the seven seals upon the book that was in the hands of him that sat upon the throne, we are told: “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5: 1-10.

Who among us can put the inner workings of this master plan as it were, on a table or on a blackboard and teach others every minute detail of the “how” “when” and “where.”

            Speaking of blackboard, I am always amused at preachers who appear on television with blackboard, magic markers and pointers, teaching things that God hasn’t even unveiled yet. For the most part, we teach and preach what he says, much to the limits of our understanding, but we should not be afraid to step back and admit that certain elements of his will and purpose are yet to be revealed to us. We said earlier that the lord when he came back, put the faithful servant to be ruler over his household, but no where do we find that the master (Jesus himself) took us back to heaven. Let us look at another passage that we frequently use in these studies. “But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, (when I come) to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” Revelation 2: 25-27.

            Do we believe that narrative of scripture? Absolutely! Does this sound like tenderly cherishing the kingdom within our hearts? Absolutely not! Have we been well informed and trained into exactly how all of this will unfold and exactly how we will fit into this master plan? Absolutely not! Do we believe that it is going to happen exactly like the bible said? Absolutely! Notice Jesus himself told John what will happen when he comes—hold fast till I come—he said. But as we can see, when he comes, he is not taking any one with him back to heaven. Instead, he is placing overcomers as rulers with him, to rule over the nations with a rod of iron.

            I do not believe that we, of necessity, will have to learn warfare like soldiers in training at boot camps here in the United States. We must continue to believe that God will work by the power of Spirit, till all enemies be made his footstool. But the basic message is that we will be right here on the earth doing what God intends for us to do. The servant who gained ten pounds was made ruler over ten cities, and the one who gained five was placed over five cities. One can argue over what cities and how the servants will rule. To me, that is not an issue worthy of discourse. Jesus himself said that is what the lord did upon his return after he had received the kingdom.

            How it is going to be accomplished is not a matter of concern to me; I simply believe what God says stands firm and overcome the test of time. For instance, look how simple I am! “God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend. For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.” Job 37: 5,6.  I believe what we just read at face value. Scientists, however, have trained themselves to understand what components in the atmosphere cause thunder, and they explain how snow is made by upper layers and lower layers in the atmosphere. They argue about the “Big Bang” theory of how our world came into being. I am satisfied that God spoke and it was done, he commanded and it stood firm, for by the breath of his mouth were the heavens made.

            Paul gave us a good idea of what tools have been given to the people of God in our current battle: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2^nd Corinthians 10: 4-5. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4: 12, 13.

            It should be clear to every one of us, that God has in his arsenal, every piece of weaponry that is needed to subdue the earth, to tame mankind, and to bring all kingdoms to their knees and have them in sincere worship before God. As the seventh angel sounded, the first announcement to be made was as follows: “And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11: 15.  Over and over we read of Christ reigning upon earth, and all nations coming into subjection to his will. After all, he did say that if he was lifted up from the earth he would draw all men unto him. We were told a long time ago that all nations shall call him blessed.

            Let us not forget one simple fact: Man owns nothing in this life, not land, not material things, not even his own life; we are simply stewards over another man’s goods. Let us not forget who the real owner is! “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. (meaning every hill.) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” Psalm 24:1; 50: 10; Ezekiel 18: 4; Haggai 2: 8.

            It would seem a daunting task for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, but as a matter of fact, all earthly kingdoms are nothing but subordinate kingdoms, and are subservient to the real Master. “The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” Psalm 103: 19. The king of Babylon was told that his kingdom would be cut down like a tree, but a stump would remain: “And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.” Daniel 4: 26.

            To the ordinary person on the street, indeed, to the casual onlooker, Christians are a bunch of “do-gooders” with most of them putting on Sunday morning fashion shows as they file into their mega cathedrals. But to God, his people are unique on the earth through whom he has chosen to work. Listen to what he said to an ancient prophet: “Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and the rider; with thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.” Jeremiah 51: 20-23.

            This is very strong and aggressive language, which, to many, does not become a God of love and peace. But I have found over the years of learning the psychology of people, many of those who insist that God is a God of love with no strings attached, are folks who hate the thought of being made accountable for their choices and their actions. Paul puts it this way: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” 2^nd Corinthians 5: 11a. “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinners appear?” 1^st Peter 4: 18. But here is something of great interest that every person should understand. God’s judgments are his wonderful acts of love, and only when we see him in his judgments can we understand his love. Because of his judgments, the nations of the world will learn righteousness. See Isaiah 26: 9.

            Although God speaks of his people being involved in an ongoing warfare, we must revert to the account Paul gave, indicating that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; not man-made bullets and chemicals, and electronic devices designed to kill upon contact. The weapons of the believer are mighty through God, designed to pull down strong holds, to cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, even to bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The reality of man’s success or failure is not erected around material objects. Much of what is seen and utilized by man in his quest for knowledge and success are only “means to an end” but not the end itself. The true believer knows that the things that are seen, and can be handled, can be broken and mended, are temporal, but that which are not  seen are eternal. 2^nd Corinthians 4: 18.

            God has no need to build himself a militia fighting a gorilla warfare, striking at night and fading away during the daylight hours. Jesus, in his revelation to John said: “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Revelation 1: 16;19:15,21. This is a brief description of what Paul alluded to in  2^nd Corinthians 10: 4-5.

            It is obvious that the kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ because of his WORD. The word of his mouth is likened unto a sharp sword. In fact, we can revisit the scripture that spells it out clearly for good measure. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4: 12-13.

            If it were in a court of law, a lawyer would say; “I rest my case!” Indeed, God rests his case! What more can we add, or what can we oppose and deem to be obsolete and void? God has covered all possibilities and has left no loop holes for some wise guy to wiggle his way through. In sports we would say that God has all bases covered! He has left nothing to chance for in his dealings with men, nothing is ever left to chance. He deals with us deliberately and with purpose, not as shooting in the dark, hoping to hit a target. Like a wise master builder, God, from the foundation of the world, has drawn up his blueprint and in his wisdom has determined the end while still working at the beginning. Before he begins the task, he already knows the result!   

            Men, for their knowledge and feeling of greatness need only to look into the mirror of God’s word to discover his might and goodwill to all who fear and trust him. In the final analysis one has to ask, how great and powerful is man anyway? “Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Isaiah 40: 13-17; 46: 10b.

            This stark description of man and of earthly nations as a whole, should leave us with no doubt at all, that bringing all earthly kingdoms and earthly powers under his control is no impossible task for God to accomplish. Based solely upon the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure (simply because he wants to) “in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Ephesians 1: 10.  No country, no nation, no tribe, no culture, indeed, nothing is left out that will not be gathered together in one in Christ. Between now and then, many things have happened that have perplexed the average believer, who cannot take his or her eyes off what “the Devil is doing.” Although Christ gave himself a ransom for all, these dear people are grievously taunted and even traumatized by the thought of the multitudes burning in hell. Their concern for the unfortunate lost souls is so great that they cannot see the new day of total redemption when even death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire, and Christ shall remain King over all the earth. “Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Return ye children of men.” Psalm 90: 3. Cherubims with a flaming sword were placed at the east of the Garden of Eden to “keep” the way to the tree of life. That way has been preserved and mankind is finding his way back to that unique tree that gives life to the whole world. A wise man said: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29: 2. Surely, as the kingdoms of this world move in step with God, voices of praise and joy will increase, and sorrow and pain will cease.

To be continued...

Royce O. Kennedy

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