By, Michael Harley

God’s Throne is in “the farthest sides of the north” (Isa. 14:13)[i] If a person could travel north from Earth, leave our galaxy, and pass north of all other galaxies, he would reach God’s holy mountain. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. (Psalms 48: 1,2) This is why God is the God Most High, “For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth (Psalms 47: 2)”

Jesus Christ in time past left the dwelling place of God, in the northern most parts of the universe, a place of universal rule, to the earth, the only place in the vast universe in which Scripture states that disobedience entered God’s universal Kingdom. Jesus came from the farthest sides of the north to accomplish that which man, who was created to rule the earth, was not able to accomplish. Jesus came as a Man and was completely obedient to God so that man could realize that which he was created for in the beginning – to rule the earth.

“Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things”. (Ephesians 4:10)

Jesus came from heaven as a Man and was completely obedient to God the Father and overcame all things, Therefore God has given Him rule over the part of God’s overall Kingdom in which rebellion has entered – the earth. This is the gospel which Jesus spoke of continually. The gospel of the Kingdom of heaven. The good news of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God which Jesus Christ when he returns will rule – The Kingdom over this earth. One place in a vast universe. Christ will sit on His own throne. He will leave a universal throne, at God’s right side, return to earth and sit on His own throne and rule over the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years.

“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. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24 – 25).

It will take 1,000 years for Christ to put an end to all disobedience. This is why Revelation chapter 20, verses 1 through 7 state the Kingdom being 1,000 years six times – because that’s exactly what it means: 1,000 years. [ii]

When Jesus commanded Jews, who were a saved people, to follow Him, He meant to follow in His footsteps, and just as He found Himself in a position to rule over the earth, those who followed Him would also find themselves in a position to rule over the earth. And this is exactly what you find in the Scriptures: They forsook all and followed Him.

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4: 18-19)

11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11)

27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. (Luke 5:27-28)

11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, [iii] (Luke 9:11a)

And because they left all and followed Him, Jesus promised them positions of power and authority in the Kingdom of heaven.

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[a] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:27-29New King James Version NKJV)

It is impossible for anyone to be where Jesus is unless they follow Him, for He is “the Way.”

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 37 – 39)

Just as Jews 2,000 years ago followed Christ will find themselves in positions of power and authority in the coming age, Christians today who follow Christ will find themselves in of positions of power and authority in the coming age, in the Kingdom of heaven, when that in Matthew chapter 25, verse 31 comes to pass, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”

 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:21)

26: And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; (Revelation 2: 26-27).

Man was created to rule the earth. Scripture begins this way, and Scriptures ends with man realizing that which he was created for in the beginning. The Man Jesus Christ will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and those who deny themselves and follow Jesus will also sit on His throne and be given power over the nations. Christians minds need to be off the world and set on the age to come. This age is passing away and everything with it, but the coming Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom.

 

[i] For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north; Isaiah 14:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

[ii] Revelation 20:1-7New King James Version (NKJV)

Satan Bound 1,000 Years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

[iii] 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. Luke 9:11

 by Michael Harley

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Matthew 19: 16-29

The preceding verses are about salvation into the Kingdom of heaven (vs. 23); about salvation into the Kingdom of God (v. 24), not salvation from eternal damnation. The one who came to Jesus in verse 16 was a Jew who was just as saved as any Christian is saved today. The nation of Israel had been shedding the blood of lambs since the days of Moses, for the forgiveness of sins, all the way up to the time of Jesus Christ. When this saved Jew asked in verse 16, “what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” he was speaking about life for an age. The Greek word for eternal is aion[i], which means age. An age is a period of time, having a beginning and an end (Ephesians 3:9; Matthew 13:49)[ii]

He was speaking about life in the Messianic Age when Jesus Christ sits on the throne of His glory. He also asked “What good thing shall I do?” Salvation from eternal damnation is “by grace,” “not of works” (Eph. 2:8,9)[iii]. There was nothing that this man could do to save himself from eternal damnation, but to have salvation into the Kingdom of heaven is something that saved man must work for. He must “strive to enter” (Luke 13:24).[iv]

Jesus said to him, “if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (v17) Once again demonstrating that this life is something that the saved individual has to work for himself. The young man said that he had kept all these commandments from his youth and asked what he still lacked (v 20). So Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.” But the young man was not willing to give up his earthly possessions in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Although the young man was not willing to give up his possessions to have salvation into the Kingdom of God, Perter and the disciples were willing and had given up all and followed Jesus. And because of this Peter asked, “Therefore what shall we have?” (vs 27). “So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me, will also sit on the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (v. 28).

The Kingdom of heaven is the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man returns sits on the throne of His glory, and rules over the nations for 1,000 years. And just as the disciples who left all and followed Jesus will sit on the thrones in the Kingdom of Heaven and rule over Israel, Any Christian who leaves all and follows Jesus will sit on Jesus’ throne in the Kingdom of heaven and rule over the nations.  26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’ as I also have received from My Father; Revelation 2:26-27New King James Version (NKJV)

Man was created to have “dominion over all the earth” and God is not going to change His mind about why He created man “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). Man will realize the purpose for his creation “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. Matthew 25:31New King James Version (NKJV) All Scripture moves toward this purpose.

[i] αἰών (aiōn 165)

ever [KJV]

ages [KJV]

(from ἄω, ἄημι (aō, aēmi) blow, breathe), the life which hastes away in the breathing of our breath, life as transitory; then, course of life, time of life, life in its temporal form; then the space of human life, an age, or generation (αἰών (aiōn 165) looks at a generation from the point of view of duration, while γενεά (genea 1074) does from that of race), αἰών (aiōn 165) always includes a reference to life, filling time or a space of time. Accordingly — the unbounded time, in which the history or life of the world is accomplished; and hence, the world as filling the unmeasurable contents of immeasurable time. Reference(s)

eternal [KJV]

(from ἄω, ἄημι (aō, aēmi) to blow, breathe) the life that hastes away in the breathing of our breath, life as transitory; then, the course of life, time of life, and generally life in its temporal form; then, the space of human life, an age. αἰών (aiōn 165) always includes a reference to the life, filling time or space of time, hence, the unbounded time past and future, in which the life of the world is accomplished; immeasurable time (Genitive plural of ages). Reference(s)

course [KJV]

the life that hastes away in the breathing of the breath, life as transitory, course of life, and generally life in its temporal form; then, the space of human life, a space of time, time as moving, an age, time so far as history is accomplished in it; an age or dispensation. Reference(s)

In phrases:

εἰς αἰών (eis 1519 aiōn 165) ever (for); *with the article, unto the age. [KJV]

εἰς (eis 1519) into, unto.

[ii] Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; New King James Version (NKJV) Matthew 13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, New King James Version (NKJV)

[iii] Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. New King James Version (NKJV)

[iv] Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 4New King James Version (NKJV)