The third aspect of the kingdom of the heavens is the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens on earth involves the reigning and governing of Christ and His overcoming saints on the earth with heavenly authority for one thousand years. The Lord spoke of this in the prophecies on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24 through 25.
1. “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21, see also v. 23).
The Lord’s words in these two verses relate to the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Whoever is faithful in serving the Lord today will be called by the Lord into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens when He returns; he will be in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, ruling the world and entering into the joy of the Lord.
2. “You who have followed Me, in the restoration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28).
The twelve disciples who left everything to follow the Lord will sit with the Lord on thrones in the day of restoration and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
3. “He who overcomes....to him I will give authority over the nations; and he will shepherd them with an iron rod, as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces, as I also have received from My Father” (Rev. 2:26-27).
The overcoming believers who keep the Lord’s commandments today will receive authority from the Lord in that day, and together with the Lord, they will rule over the nations who are on earth in the millennial kingdom.
4. “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them...And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”; “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection;...they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4, 6).
Those who have been martyred for the Lord in every age and the overcoming believers who have died will be resurrected in that day and given authority in the millennial kingdom to reign with Christ, rule the nations, and judge the peoples, bringing the authority of God and Christ to men. They also will be priests of God and of Christ, offering men’s worship to God and Christ. In addition to these verses, Matthew 20:21, 23; 24:46-47; Luke 19:17, 19; 2 Timothy 2:12; and Revelation 3:21 speak of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. The believers who are faithful, who endure, and who overcome for the Lord today will obtain authority to sit on the throne with the Lord and to reign with Him over everything when He comes again.
The Bible shows that when the Lord returns, the kingdom of the heavens will come to earth to reign and rule over the earth. The Lord Jesus will establish His kingdom on earth and rule the earth for one thousand years. Christians who leave everything to follow the Lord and who are good, faithful, long-suffering, and overcoming will reign with the Lord Jesus during this one thousand year period. They will sit in glory on thrones together with the Lord to reign and enter into the joy of the Lord in the kingdom.
Despite the fact that both the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, which is so-called Christendom, and the reality of the ruling of the kingdom of the heavens in the overcoming Christians are present on earth today, the kingdom of the heavens is still a hidden mystery to the world. Christendom is merely the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, not the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Even the submission of the overcoming Christians to heavenly authority is not the full manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens but only a small, mysterious reality of the kingdom of the heavens that is hidden from the worldly people. Although worldly people today can see the outwardly great and magnificent appearance of Christendom, they cannot see the authority and glory of the kingdom of the heavens, and although they can see overcoming Christians who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens with pureness, brightness, goodness, meekness, unselfishness, and with no attachment to the world, they have no understanding of the source of this reality. The kingdom of the heavens is hidden from the worldly people, but it will be manifested when the Lord Jesus returns to rule the earth. Then all will see the authority and the glory of the kingdom manifested before them.
According to the Bible, Satan and his angels are presently ruling this dark world (Eph. 6:12). In the future the Lord will return to deal with Satan (Rev. 20:1-3), and the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of the Lord (11:15). Then the Lord and the overcoming Christians will take back the earth, which has been usurped by Satan and his angels, and they will reign over the earth in glory. Then the kingdom of the heavens will be manifested. The Christians who will participate in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens are those who have lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens by submitting to the heavenly authority, receiving the heavenly restriction, and overcoming. In the glorious appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, there will be no portion for defeated Christians, much less for false Christians. This is the third aspect of the kingdom of the heavens.
In conclusion, when the Bible speaks of the kingdom of the heavens, there are three aspects. First, the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens includes all who are called Christians, both believers who are saved and false believers who are not saved. Second, the reality of the kingdom of the heavens includes the overcoming Christians who submit to the heavenly authority, receive the restriction and governance of the heavens, and allow the heavens to exercise authority in them today. Third, the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens includes the overcoming Christians who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today by allowing the heavens to rule them, by receiving the heavenly restriction, and by overcoming to the end, even unto death. When the Lord Jesus returns, only they will enter into the manifestation of the kingdom.
In order to be clear about the kingdom of the heavens, we must clearly differentiate between these three aspects as well as differentiate between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God, the millennial kingdom, the messianic kingdom, the heavens, and the church. Therefore, we need to spend more time to examine these differences.