The cure for darkness is light and the cure for evil is love.
So many Christians are confused about what the Kingdom is, where it is and whether it has arrived. Even though Jesus was clear that this kingdom was coming into the world in His day, perhaps the confusion is emanating from our inability to divide the word of truth appropriately. Preachers have added more complications to Jesus' teaching than He intended.
People seem to have mistakenly waited for extra events, not realizing that Jesus accomplished all the events necessary for our atonement. It is absolute that Christ died and was buried; It is also absolute that He rose again for our justification.
Jesus’ teaching is much simpler, plain and joined than some have realized. Just as Jesus is here, in us, and around us, than some have realized, yet many people are still in confusion.
People have painted many unrealistic images in their minds, they think of a future physical city, mansion or kingdom coming out of the sky or from somewhere.
What is the kingdom of God?
It is not physical:
Paul says the Kingdom is not something you taste or touch like physical food, not even in talking but the Kingdom is in the realities of righteousness, peace, joy, and power in the Holy Ghost who is Jesus living in us.
(Rom 14:17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(1Co 4:20) For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
It is not of this earthly world:
"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." (John 18:36)
The Kingdom of God is within US. His Kingdom is a present reality. God is making the heart His home and His dwelling. Here, NOW!
He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1Co 6:17). Humanity is now being fused with divinity as God tabernacles in the hearts of mortals.
When was the kingdom established?
Daniel 2:44 is a pivotal verse, as it states the timing for the setting up of God’s eternal kingdom:
Let’s investigate;
(Dan 2:44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom” Which days?
Daniel, later had a vision of four beasts, the fourth of which was “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong,” and having 10 horns
(Daniel 7:7). Daniel also foresaw “One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven” to the Ancient of Days – a picture of Jesus’ ascension.
What is this fourth kingdom which was “dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong,” and having 10 horns?
Daniel describes four beasts. (Daniel 7:3-7)
The first was like a lion. (Babylon)
The second, like a bear. (Medo-Persia)
The third like a leopard. (Greece)
The fourth beast had ten horns. (?)
John also saw the same beast in the Revelation of Christ Jesus?
(Rev 13:2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
The description of the beast John saw.
• like unto a leopard (Leopard)
• his feet were as the feet of a bear (Bear)
• his mouth as the mouth of a lion (Lion)
• ?
Uncovering the identity of the ten horns
(Dan 7:3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
(Dan 7:4) The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
(Dan 7:5) And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
(Dan 7:6) After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
(Dan 7:7) After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
(Dan 7:8) I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
(Dan 7:9) I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
It is very easy to identify the ten horns because the fourth kingdom mentioned in the prophecy by Daniel is Rome, and Daniel said it would have ten horns (kings) and that it would be in the days of those kings that Jesus would come and establish His eternal kingdom.
Further evidence
(Rev 12:10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
The coming of salvation was the coming of the kingdom and was also the defeat of the devil. Salvation of human race started after the resurrection of Christ because if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is a delusion and we are still lost in our sins. (1Co 15:17)
(Mat 16:27) For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
(Mat 16:28) Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Observe that Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near in His days. Jesus promised that His kingdom will come while some of His disciples were still alive.
Listing main points
Daniel 2 reveals that God would set up His kingdom during the fourth kingdom, which is Rome. And the Messiah appeared exactly at this period, a period where the Jews were under the Roman Empire.
Daniel 7 reveals that Jesus would receive His kingdom at the time of His ascension to His Father’s throne. It also confirms that God’s kingdom would be put into the hands of His people (the church) during the time of the Roman Empire/the beast.
Jesus declared that the kingdom of God was near in their day. Jesus promised to come in His kingdom while some of His disciples were still alive.
I think we can agree that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus established the everlasting kingdom/the church/his body.
When Jesus said destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (Joh 2:19) He was referring to His body, the church which is the kingdom.
How did the gospel massacre the kingdom of darkness?
(Dan 2:45) Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
The gospel is the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, which breaks the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold into pieces. (The kingdom of darkness)
(Mar 3:27) No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
In this dark speech, Jesus was prophesying what would happen to the strong man; the devil. Jesus was going to bind him and collect the spoil.
What is the spoil?
(Isa 53:12) Therefore will I (God) divide him (Jesus) a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
The words [God] and [Jesus] in bold are for bringing clarity.
The verse raises some questions.
Therefore I [God] will give him [Jesus] a portion among the great. Who is the great?
What are the spoils that Jesus will divide with the strong, and who is the strong?
The word spoil is from the Hebrew word “shâlâl” which means prey, spoil, booty, plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
Spoil is a prize given to the deserving after victory in a warfare.
After victory in a battle, the spoil was divided to the great men of war.
(1Sa 30:26) And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;
(2Ki 3:23) And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil.
(Zec 2:9) For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.
Who is the great/ strong man?
(Mat 12:28) But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
(Mat 12:29) Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
You can see that Satan is the strong man in this narration.
Dividing the spoil with the great can be seen as the reward given to the gallant soldier of the cross after defeating the strong man in the spiritual battle.
The spoils, therefore, are the people whom Satan was holding captive under the shell of sin and death. As the scripture says, "When he went up to the very heights, he took many captives with him; he gave gifts to people." (Eph 4:8) GNB
Satan is the ruler, king of the kingdom of darkness and his dominion was in the hearts of man. His modus operandi is to occupy the hearts of man and advances his mission of stealing, killing and destroying through people.
You remember when Cain killed his brother Abel in the book of Genesis, Jesus didn’t say Cain killed Abel but rather cited the devil as the murderer. It was Satan who occupied the heart of Cain and killed Abel. Cain was just an instrument or a vessel, but the real culprit was the devil, the murderer, the prince of darkness.
You see that’s how the devil operates. He uses people, and if he has no one to use he is as useless as a dead horse.
The good news is that, over 2000 years ago, the cross bound him. The gospel stripped him naked. The resurrection of Christ Jesus defeated him. That’s why Peter said, ‘be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour’: (1Pe 5:8)
Notice, he is not a lion anymore. Yes! he was powerful before the cross and he was destroying lives before the cross but now the only weapon at his disposal is deception, and the cure for deception is the accurate, precise and revealed knowledge of Christ Jesus.
He is just blinding the minds of the unsaved with deception. Brother Paul would say:
(2Co 4:3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
(2Co 4:4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Here is the takeaway.
The more the gospel spreads, the more people are snatched from the kingdom of darkness to light and the more the everlasting kingdom grows; the more the kingdom of Satan diminishes.
