GOD RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN
GOD RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN
Daniel 4:30-32
“30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.”
As we look down through history we can see how God’s hand has been engaged among the nations making this passage a reality among the Kingdoms of Men to serve God’s Purpose.
Yes man might think he is in control of his own destiny and that is true when it comes to believing in God of not and living forever or dying forever.
But God has a purpose with man and this earth and that purpose has been revealed in the Bible for all to read and learn of. More than 3000yrs ago we have specific prophecies spoken by God that have all come to pass and are yet coming to pass in the very world we live in today.
No matter what look at whether it is the rise of the successive Kingdoms of man from Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece, Rome or the rise of the EU or BREXIT or the latest 2016 USA Presidential Elections we can see God’s hand in all of this ensuring that His Purpose overall is and will be accomplished despite what man my think or do.
Through all of the Bible we are told that Israel is central to God’s purpose, so that whatever happens with Israel we can be sure that God’s hand will be involved somehow either in allowing it to happen or in saving His people from an otherwise dangerous situation.
The Nation of Israel is God’s Witness to this world
It is a fact that literally thousands of Bible verses speak of Israel’s future:
Consider the following passages that have been fulfilled:
- Scattering of Israel, Deuteronomy 28 v 64 (fulfilled in AD 135 by the Romans),
- Persecution of Israel, Deuteronomy 28 v 65 – 67 (fulfilled down the ages, and most notably by Hitler),
- Regathering of Israel, Deuteronomy 30 v 1-5, Ezekiel 37 v 6, 13; 38 v 23 (fulfilled in 1948 when the state of Israel was once again declared),
- Present conflicts with the Arabs, Ezekiel 36, Obadiah (ongoing fulfilment until Christ returns).
- Ezekiel 38 reveals to us the alignment of nations who will engage in one final last conflict with Israel at the centre.
Just step back and let it sink in as to how unlikely it would be for anyone to be able to predict the history of the Jewish people in advance. It would be unthinkable that Wales (part of the UK and being a country roughly the same size as Israel) could be invaded, its people scattered throughout the world and continually persecuted. It would be even more unthinkable for the Welsh to be gathered back to Wales 2000 years later. How could the Welsh maintain their identity? The whole situation is improbable. Even more improbable is the suggestion that someone could have predicted that this would happen. Yet this has happened to the Jews, and the Bible did predict it. Surely the Bible is worth a hearing then?
If something occurs incessantly against all the laws of probability, then all accusations of coincidence must logically be dropped. It is not just down to chance that these things are happening, there must be a purpose behind them!
So how do you explain the accuracy of these Bible predictions? The people who wrote them claimed that they were inspired by God, as is evident from all the declarations such as “This is what the LORD says…” etc. and passages like 2 Timothy 3 v 1 6,17; 2 Peter 1 v 20,21. Can you honestly give any other reasonable explanation?
And there’s more…
The Bible goes on to say that there will be a terrible, but successful, attack on Israel:
“I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city” (Zechariah 14 v 2).
The fact that “all nations” are gathered to fight at Jerusalem seems very probable in the light of the recent terrorist attacks. We can see all nations being set against each other, due to an event which – at a first glance – seems unconnected with Israel.
This apparently successful overthrow of the nation’s capital, Jerusalem, is given as an ultimate sign that Jesus Christ’s return is very close!
For it is when half of the Jews are to be led into exile, and the rest held in Jerusalem, that Jesus shall come back:
“Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of Battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem…” (Zechariah 14 v 3).
Significantly, the Mount of Olives was the exact spot from which Jesus ascended into heaven, so it is appropriate that he should return to this place. For here, also, the firm promise of his return was given:
“This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1v 11).
The End of all of This Suffering
Jesus will, then, return and save the remnant of his people from total destruction.
The return of Messiah is the only solution to the Jew-Arab conflict, and to evil acts of terrorism. Eventually the present crisis might lead to peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians, but these will always be broken. Only when the Lord Jesus Christ returns will Isaiah the prophet’s picture of Jewish-Arabic and world harmony actually happen:
“The LORD almighty will bless them saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria [now Iraq] my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance'” (Isaiah 19 v 25).
What’s it got to do with Me?
The return of Jesus will not only solve the Middle East problem but all world problems, and all our personal problems. It is a message of good news and hope!
When Jesus returns he will set up God’s kingdom on earth forever. Then the meek will inherit the earth, and the words “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..” will be reality! All the evidence the Bible bombards us with is more than enough to convince any rational person that this is not just an impossible dream. The fact that it has been accurate in its countless predictions concerning the Jews – which happened against all odds – means that we can have confidence in its promise of the return of Jesus.
Jesus clearly stated, though, that not everyone will enter God’s wonderful kingdom. Indeed, most people will foolishly reject Christ – thus sealing their own fates – just as most people rejected him in the first century, and just as most people today have not the time to be bothered. Hopefully, the one good thing that might come from this dreadful carnage, death and destruction, is that we might be ready to welcome the Lord Jesus when he returns. Jesus made it plain that only those who believe the true Gospel message, have repented and have been baptised by total immersion in water will enter God’s kingdom – and only then if they really try to follow him faithfully in their daily lives (John 3 v 5; Mark 16 v 16; Acts 2 v 38; Matthew 10 v 38, 39; Hebrews 11). Of course, no-one can earn their way into God’s Kingdom, eternal life is His gift to us. We are saved by His grace (Romans 3 v 23, 24).
God’s kingdom will come very soon. The question is will you be there!?!
Please, please look into this before it’s too late. God wants you to be ready for his kingdom.
How You can be part of God’s Purpose
