Many people feel that the promises of God to set
up a kingdom have, as of yet, gone unfulfilled, since the Jews originally
rejected the Savior. They wait for the day when Christ we will return
to earth to set up a kingdom which shall conquer all others.
What these people do not know is that they wait in vain. Let us look
at several reasons why Christ will not return to set up such a kingdom.
First, the kingdom which God, and Christ, promised
to establish was not supposed to be an earthly kingdom (that was the mistaken
expectation of the Jews), but rather a spiritual kingdom as plainly, "Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of
this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered
to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." (John 18:36).
Second, when Christ returns He will not set foot
on the earth, but rather He will meet the living righteous in the air as
is taught clearly in I Thessalonians 4:17.
Third, Christ, of the line of Coniah, or Jechonias,
cannot according to Jeremiah 22:29,30 ever reign on a throne in Judah.
Fourth, why would Christ want to return to reign
on earth since he is already reigning in heaven (Hebrews 8:1). That
would be like a man who has been in the Presidency deciding that he is
going to step down to manage a fast food restaurant.
Fifth, will we question God's ability to do anything
in spite of the obstacles faced? God is powerful enough that through
any means had He wanted to establish an earthly kingdom He could have done
so a million times over no matter what the odds.
Sixth, why should God establish a physical kingdom
here when His spiritual kingdom is already in place? The Bible teaches
that there is no distinction between the church and the kingdom.
Matthew 16:18,19 tie the promise to build a church with the giving of the
keys of the kingdom of heaven. This promise was fulfilled in Acts
2 (Notice the fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah 2:2,3;28:16; Daniel
2,7; Joel 2:28-31).
It is clear that there is no "kingdom in prospect."