Reasoning from the Scriptures page 226
Kingdom
Is God's Kingdom a real government?
Who are the rulers in the Kingdom?
Rev. 15:3: "Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity."
Dan. 7:13, 14: "“I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! with the clouds of the heavens someone like a son of man [Jesus Christ, see Mark 14:61, 62] happened to be coming; and to the Ancient of Days [Jehovah God] he gained access, and they brought him up close even before that One. And to him [Jesus Christ] there were given rulership and dignity and kingdom, that the peoples, national groups and languages should all serve even him. His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin."
Mark 14:61, 62: "But he kept silent and made no reply at all. Again the high priest began to question him and said to him: “Are you the Christ the Son of the Blessed One?” Then Jesus said: “I am; and YOU persons will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Rev. 5:9, 10: "And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” (At Revelation 14:1-3 these "bought from the earth" to be rulers with the Lamb [Jesus Christ] on heavenly Mount Zion are said to number 144,000.)
Rev. 14:1-3: "And I saw, and, look! the Lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound out of heaven as the sound of many waters and as the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was as of singers who accompany themselves on the harp playing on their harps. And they are singing as if a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to master that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been bought from the earth."
What effect will this Kingdom have on human governments?
Dan. 2:44: “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite;"
Ps. 2:8, 9: "Ask of me, that I may give nations as your inheritance
And the ends of the earth as your own possession. You will break them with an iron scepter, As though a potter’s vessel you will dash them to pieces.”
What will God's Kingdom accomplish?
Sanctify Jehovah's name and uphold his sovereignty
Matt. 6:9, 10: "YOU must pray, then, this way: “‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Here the sanctifying of God's name is closely associated with the coming of His Kingdom.)
Ezek. 38:23: "And I shall certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.’ (God's name will be cleansed of all reproach; it will be treated as holy and deserving of respect, and all who live will be persons who willingly uphold Jehovah's sovereignty, delighting to do his will. Upon such sanctification of Jehovah's name the peace and well-being of all the universe depend.)
What Is God’s Kingdom?
http://watchtower.org/e/20060715/article_01.htm
WHAT a terrible disaster struck mankind early in human history! An angel rebelled against the authority of the very One who had created him. This rebel enticed the first woman, Eve, to eat the forbidden fruit. Referring to her and her husband, Adam, the angel said: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:1-5) The rebellious angel came to be called Devil and Satan.—Revelation 12:9.
Did Eve pay attention to Satan’s words? The Bible tells us: “The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something to be longed for to the eyes, yes, the tree was desirable to look upon. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward she gave some also to her husband when with her and he began eating it.” (Genesis 3:6) Yes, the first couple, Adam and Eve, joined Satan in his rebellion. As a consequence, they lost Paradise for themselves and for their descendants. Children who were to be born perfect with eternal life ahead of them would instead inherit sin and death.—Romans 5:12.
How did Jehovah God, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, respond? He purposed to make provision for the forgiveness of sins. (Romans 5:8) Jehovah God has also established a governmental arrangement to manage the crisis. This arrangement is called “the kingdom of God.” (Luke 21:31) Set up as a subsidiary to God’s universal rulership, this Kingdom has a specific purpose.
What is the purpose of God’s Kingdom? What are some of its aspects, and how do they compare with human rulership? When was the Kingdom to begin ruling? These questions will be discussed in the following article.
God’s Kingdom Superior in Every Way
http://watchtower.org/e/20060715/article_02.htm
JESUS CHRIST taught his followers: “You must pray, then, this way: ‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.’” (Matthew 6:9, 10) This prayer, known to many as the Our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer, explains the purpose of God’s Kingdom.
By means of the Kingdom, God’s name will be sanctified. It will be cleared of all the dishonor that has been heaped upon it as a result of the rebellion of Satan and man. This is vital. The happiness of all intelligent creatures depends on their holding God’s name sacred and willingly accepting his right to rule.—Revelation 4:11.
In addition, the Kingdom is set up to “let [God’s] will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.” And what is that will? It is to restore the relationship between God and humankind, which Adam lost. The Kingdom will also serve the purpose of the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah, to establish a paradise on earth where good people can enjoy life forever. Yes, God’s Kingdom will undo all the damage done by original sin and will make God’s loving purpose for the earth a reality. (1 John 3:8) This Kingdom and what it will accomplish is, in fact, the main message of the Bible.
Superior in What Ways?
God’s Kingdom is a real government having great power. The prophet Daniel gave us a glimpse of just how powerful it is. Long ago, he foretold: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that . . . will crush and put an end to all [human] kingdoms.” Moreover, in contrast with human governments, which come and go over the course of history, God’s Kingdom “will never be brought to ruin.” (Daniel 2:44) That is not all. In every respect, this Kingdom is far superior to any human government.
God’s Kingdom has a superior King. Consider who that King is. In “a dream and visions” given to him, Daniel beheld the Ruler of God’s Kingdom as “someone like a son of man” brought before Almighty God and given lasting “rulership and dignity and kingdom.” (Daniel 7:1, 13, 14) That Son of man is none other than Jesus Christ—the Messiah. (Matthew 16:13-17) Jehovah God designated his own Son, Jesus, to be King of His Kingdom. When on earth, Jesus said to the wicked Pharisees: “The kingdom of God is in your midst,” meaning that he, the future King of that Kingdom, was among them.—Luke 17:21.
(to read more on the second article please click on the link to read more.)