Rev. 20:4, “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, ..and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
HOW IS THE KINGDOM ESTABLISHED?
AMP., Luke 17:20, “Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, 21 Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you].”
And;
Luke 11:20, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you,” (Matt.12:28).
The finger of God is the same as the Holy Spirit of God who is the carrier of the Kingdom (Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 2:4).
God’s kingdom is not a literal kingdom to be seen with physical eyes but can be experienced spiritually in power. Love is a strong force even though you can’t see love, but it changes things. The wind is the same, a powerful force.
In John 3:8 we are told, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” Here we are told those born into this kingdom are like wind, which is Spirit, the same is word.
Therefore this kingdom can only be experienced spiritually (John 3:3) and entered into in spirit (John 3:5) which is the rest of God.
For the kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:38), that is, it doesn’t take its economic policies and governance from that of this world.
In Rev. 12:7 we read, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”
This has nothing to do with the fable of the Angel Lucifer story.
We see that once Satan is cast out of heaven, the dwelling place of God thence, “Now is COME SALVATION, and strength, and THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD.”
The kingdom of God, appears because man’s accusing power is removed and that is SALVATION.
Hence Jesus would say; Matt. 12:28,
“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
Salvation is a product of the cross, so you can see that this casting out is taking place here on the earth.
But from where then is he cast out?
From the hearts of men so that God would take His place. See it;
AMP., Eph. 2:2, “In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God].”
And this was achieved through the cross such that after His resurrection, the Holy Spirit is received as God to dwell in man His Temple.
Eph. 2:21, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
So God inhabits you through the Holy Spirit.
And here is the final thing that God is working out as Christ reigns in His kingdom.
AMP., 1 Cor. 15:25, “For [Christ] must be King and reign until He has put all [His] enemies under His feet. [Ps 110:1] 27 For He [the Father] has put all things in subjection under His [Christ’s] feet. But when it says, All things are put in subjection [under Him], it is evident that He [Himself] is excepted Who does the subjecting of all things to Him. [Ps 8:6] 28 However, when everything is subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also subject Himself to [the Father] Who put all things under Him, so that God may be all in all [be everything to everyone, supreme,THE INDWELLING AND CONTROLLING FACTOR OF LIFE].”
God shall finally become the indwelling controlling factor of every man. Hence as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons if God.”
To be continued…