Recent events in Israel have many people wondering if there is deeper spiritual significance to the terrible actions by Hamas. This brutality has caused the loss of many innocent lives. Many long to see a quick resolution and peace restored in the Middle East. Through the Bible we can understand that the root cause of this unrest – that has persisted for many years – is due to a rejection of Jesus as the Savior.
This rejection has resulted in a widespread state of depravity and lack of internal peace. We see this unrest not only in Israel and the Middle East, but all around the globe causing turmoil on many levels. The Bible tells us that men and woman will never find peace until they find peace with Christ.
Sadly, many people that are connected to religious groups professing Christianity – while unhappy that these things are going on – believe that the events that are unfolding are a sign. They are waiting in anticipation to see if these events will usher in what they believe will be the Millennial reign. The truth of the matter is that these tragic events are not a sign of a coming Millennium.
In Luke 9:27 it tells us that there were people alive at that time that would not taste of death until they saw the Kingdom of God. The whole mission of Christ coming to earth was to set up His kingdom and provide mankind with a way to be delivered from the power of sin in our lives. Christ came and brought the plan of salvation for both the Jew and the Gentile and established a spiritual kingdom.
Many religious leaders misrepresent Old Testament prophecy, claiming that Christ will come again in the future and set up a literal kingdom. They use passages from Psalms, Daniel, Ezekiel, and other places to predict this. The Bible tells us that Christ fulfilled all these prophecies when He came to the earth many years ago. In His own words He told us that He was the fulfillment of what was written about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament.
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
John 18:36 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.
In the above passage from the book of John, Christ is telling Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world – meaning it is not a literal kingdom. Ever since Christ’s time on earth, many have missed that He came to set up a spiritual kingdom. The Jews looked for a literal kingdom that Christ would reign and they would be subjects of, and today many are still looking for a future literal kingdom that Christ will establish. We see however, in John 18:36 that Christ is telling Pilate that if this was the case, He would have had his servants fight so that He would not be delivered unto them.
If one will carefully read and consider the words of Christ, they will see that He has never been interested in being the king of a literal kingdom, but He has always been interested in being the king of each one of our lives in a spiritual sense. The Bible teaches that the true followers of Christ make up the spiritual Kingdom of God:
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Christ told the disciples that the Kingdom of God is not in the form of a literal kingdom, but we become part of the Kingdom when we ask Jesus into our heart. When we ask Christ into our heart, He becomes our King and we become His servants. This produces a great change in the heart and life of a person!
What we are seeing in today’s world is sinful men striving against one another. God’s interest is not in the literal land we possess; rather, He is deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of man. He wants to live in the hearts of men so that we may all live in His Kingdom of peace. The peace that comes from Christ supersedes all of the tumultuous external factors that exist in the world.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Christ came and established the Kingdom of God over 2,000 years ago. The question is not, “When will the Kingdom of God come,” but “Are you in it?” It is the only way to experience true peace and happiness in this life, and in the life to come.