The Now Present and Coming Kingdom

 

Luke 17:20-21

“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is in your midst.’”

Here Jesus it talking about the Kingdom realm. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Jesus clearly told people that His Kingdom was not from this realm. In John 18:36 he says, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”

We have been born again into this new Kingdom realm. We get glimpses of this other realm throughout the Bible. There are people like Enoch and Elijah who were taken up in it and didn’t come back. We also have John who was called up into this realm, but he did come back. He entered through a door standing open in heaven (Revelation 4:2). We see Jesus disappearing into this realm and coming back through.

We know that when someone enters this Kingdom realm that they are in the Spirit just as John was when he entered. It is the place that the throne of God resides and there is where the angels reside as well. We also know from Revelation that people reside in this realm. The 24 elders, those who were martyred and those who come out of tribulation are all mentioned besides others. It is our eternal destination.

There is more than one level or period in heaven as Paul speaks of someone taken up into the third heaven and not knowing if they were in the body or outside of the body. Also, we know that demonic powers and authorities reside in the unseen realm (Ephesians 6:12).

People often refer to the 3rd heaven as being the place of the Throne of God and the second heaven being the place where high level demonic forces are operating where the first heaven is the atmosphere around us where also some demonic forces operate. Other than this reference, I don’t have any significant biblical reference of this.

When I was first called, many years ago, to pray and fast for an outpouring of the Spirit for churches and events, that night I had an experience in my sleep of this other realm. While I was there, I unzipped out of my body and worshipped around the throne with the angels. I sang, “Holy, Righteous, Anointed One” with the angels. As I sang, my heart was burning with such an explainable fire. It was amazing.

I have also had some experiences of the unseen realm while I intercede. I can see angels, Jesus or a glistening river when there is an open heaven. I have also seen some people who have passed on including my mom. For mother’s day, while I was interceding, I got to see her in the unseen realm and tell her I loved her one more time. I have also awakened once at 2:22am and was walking in this unseen realm with someone else for a few hours of time while we prayed. One other time, my first pastor, who passed away with cancer, hugged me from this realm shortly after she passed on when I was at a conference getting prayer for grief from her pastor and her best friend. It was so special to get a hug one last time from her.

While for many years, I felt uncomfortable speaking about these things at all, for seeing Paul was careful not to mention this, I think this was more to do with a fear that people would see me as odd or different. I am learning to have more confidence in planting my feet in what God does because it is not about me, but about Him. It is a reality He has for us, not just me. If we never talk of anything that appears unusual, it can be like tongues that edify us but fear of man keeps us from mentioning it and helping people grow more spiritually. I long to know more about this realm and understand it better. I feel like a toddler that is just beginning to adventure out and learn about this Kingdom realm we are now born into.

We also know that the “fall” was from the unseen realm in Paradise. And that this Paradise still exists (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). We died a form of death that pushed us out of this realm of glory and into a realm where, without being born again through Jesus, it is a realm that Satan claims rule and authority. If we are not saved or if we have not closed the door on some known sins, it is possible for demons to enter into people and possess them partially or fully.

There was a time that demonic possession had overtaken the earth and men were willingly joining themselves with demonic forces to make a name for themselves as superheroes with supernatural capabilities. Like we see with the seven sons of Sceva trying to deliver a man, in Acts 19:14, demonic possession can give someone supernatural strength and abilities. And as Genesis and some other places imply, generational demonic possession can even result in exceptional size in the future generations. When God flooded the earth because of evil, he was cleansing it from a union between man and fallen angels (demonic forces) called Nephilim who had joined with them and became giants.[1]

Finally, we know from Scripture that both earth and heaven will both pass away and that a new one will be established as man comes back to dwell with God in Paradise for eternity. When Jesus returns and comes for His bride, the old order that is ruled by Satan will be completely wiped away and a new one that is centered completely around Christ will be established.

You ever look around and have an overwhelming feeling of joy and contentment? I imagine this is what heaven is like but even more so. I remember some years ago as the church I was at and some other places were in the midst of revival and God was powerfully moving all around me, as well as moving through me with dreams, visions, and connection with Him, I went up to the cross at church and was praying. All I could say is, “I have never felt so satisfied. I have never felt so content.” My life had aligned with Perfection and it felt perfect.

Revelation 21:1-5 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Coming back to the initial verses, this Kingdom realm is not in a specific location. Rather it is already among us and all around us. When He comes, Jesus tells us that it will not be a physical appearance in a specific location. Rather, we are to anticipate Him to come and light up the skies with His love for us. He will come in a cloud of glory with peals of lightning and thunder. Just as Enoch and Elijah crossed over into the Kingdom realm, Jesus will cross over into this realm and completely fill it as He makes it new.

Luke 17:22-24 goes on to say, “Then He [Jesus] said to His disciples, ‘The time is coming when

You will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There He is!’ or ‘Here He is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.”

Peals of thunder and flashes of lightening speak of God coming in power and glory as the answer to prayers. Revelation 8:4-5 says, “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightening and an earthquake.”

While we do not know the time, we anticipate that His return will come back in glory when the 7th angel blows the 7th trumpet (Revelation 10:7). It says about this in Revelation 11:15, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.’”

Let that sink in. The kingdom of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord. The unseen realm will fully overtake this realm. It will be made new, into a new heaven and earth. In other words, it will be fully redeemed from sin and born again. It will no longer be corrupted but filled with purity, holiness and worship through Christ, our Redeemer.

Revelation 11:16-19 goes on to say, “And the twenty-four elders, who were seating on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and earthquake and a severe hailstorm.”

Coming back to the verses in Luke, the Lord speaks of His coming as being like Noah, Sodom and Gomorah when He arrives suddenly. What this says is that people will be doing their thing and there will be those who hear and follow the Lord, entering the way of escape during wrath, while there will be others who close their eyes and hearts and are overwhelmed and overtaken by it all. (Luke 17:26-19)

He goes on to speak these verses about the day the Son of Man is revealed to let all else go and not turn back, He says, “Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it” (Luke 17:33). This seems to imply a time of the rising up of the flesh (fears, anger/frustration/offense, wants, lusts) but letting go of all of them, abandoning them rather than acting upon them. He says in Luke 17:37 about where this will happen, “Where there is a carcass [the flesh] there the vultures [demonic that prey on flesh] will gather.”

He also speaks about being taken up which are scriptures seen to validate the rapture—besides Him meeting us in the air [this earthly kingdom, see Ephesians 2:2]. Luke 17:34 tells us that there will be two in bed and one will be taken [paralambanó –receive from, gathered up close alongside] and the other left [aphiémi -sent away, permitted to suffer].

It doesn’t say anything about disappearing or escaping tribulation. Rather it is speaking of being gathered up to the Lord. We already see this in a sense in that two can be in one household and one knows the Lord and the other doesn’t. One is received and the other is not because by their will, they refuse to receive Christ. In end times, rather than disappear, I believe that His people will be taken up into His rest as they know, look to and trust the Lord while stepping into His purposes while others are tossed in the storm of tribulation without His comfort.

And In being gathered to the Lord at the end, it says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.”

We will receive this new heaven and earth where we are with God for all eternity. Perhaps those who already are with Jesus in the unseen realm because they have passed from this realm, will be raised into this full redemption first or this could be speaking of those who do not know Christ being raised from the dead as it says that all will be judged and every tongue will confess He is Lord. Then those who are alive in this realm will become fully alive to the Kingdom.

Lord Jesus, We long for Your return and want to see more. Come quickly Lord!

1. For more information see Who Were the Nephilim? Fallen Angels or Giants? (crosswalk.com)