The Powerful Kingdom - Book 2 (The Revealed Kingdom 3-Book Series) (eBook)

Chapter 11 - The Extraordinary Kingdom

As we are brought into God's extraordinary kingdom through ordinary means, we are remade, no longer fashioned as competitors for commodities in a world of scarce resources, but as co-sharers with Christ in the circulation of gifts that flow outward from its source without running out.

- Michael Horton -

I sometimes wonder if we as Kingdom disciples realise what a marvellous and wonderful Kingdom we find ourselves in.  Jesus made a statement before Pilate that, if we really start to imagine and think about it and try and comprehend the greatness of what He meant, would blow our imagination.  But it is not only imagination, it is what we experience, it is real, it is within us, and it is growing in revelation in such a way that we will be amazed even more.

In John 18:36 (AMPC) Jesus said to Pilate:

“My Kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews.  But now My Kingdom is from another place!”

Literally, it is “out of this world!”. The God that we serve is not ordinary, but He is an EXTRAORDINARY GOD!  Therefore just think what His Kingdom will be like: it is an extraordinary Kingdom that we experience.  And yet not even in its fullest measure!  In our human limitations, we only experience the Kingdom of God in measures, of what we have discovered and what has been revealed to us, in our growth and experience of what the Kingdom of God looks like and how it works.  The journey is still continuing for all of us, where some have ventured through avenues that others have not yet been to.  In the Kingdom of God, it’s all about discovery, and revelation that leads to understanding.

Matthew 13:11-13 (AMPC)

“11 And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  12 For whoever has (spiritual knowledge), to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  13 This is the reason that I speak to them in parables…”

The Meaning of Extraordinary in the Kingdom

For us to understand this unusual and remarkable kingdom, we need to look at a few examples of how it manifests in the earth, and in what way is it extraordinary.  In Latin, it is also described as “outside the normal course of events”:

1. The WORKS that are done in the Kingdom, are unusual and extraordinary.

Even the ordinary works of the Kingdom are called miracles in our terms.  God worked with the apostles in confirming His Word when they preached, and miracles were in the order of the day.  To them it was a natural “supernatural” way to live: they’ve seen what Jesus did, He gave them authority to do it and now they do it!

Acts 4:16 (AMPC)

“Saying, what are we to do with these men?  For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.”

Acts 19:11 (AMPC)

“And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul.” 

Other examples of extraordinary Kingdom works are the miracles in Egypt when Moses came before Pharaoh and his magicians could not match what Moses did.  And Daniel who revealed and interpreted the dreams of the king.  Countless examples of miracles and works are just a natural outflow of the manifestation of God’s Kingdom in this world.

Daniel 4:2-3 (NIV)

“2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.  3 How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders!  His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

2. The POWER operative in it is incomparable to anything in this world.

Just think about the awesome power that raised Christ from the dead, conquering the grave and rising to life.  And that power that exalted Him far above any other name or power or authority, is also at work within us!?

There is no other kingdom on earth that can be compared to the power operative within the Kingdom of God.  Even Scientists still stand amazed and do not have answers for the many powerful manifestations of Kingdom on the earth.

Ephesians 1:19-21 (AMPC)

“19 And (so that you can know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,  20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His (own) right hand in the heavenly (places),  21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named (above every title that can be conferred), not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come…”

3. It RULES over all the kingdoms of this world.

An extraordinary kingdom is the one that stands out among the rest, and that is God’s Kingdom.  Not one of the kingdoms on the earth in all of its history and existence, has ever overpowered the Kingdom of God.  Many kingdoms came, and are gone today. 

Even the kingdoms existing in the world today, will in the end all bow before the Kingdom of God according to the book of Revelations.  This book is often known as the "Apocalypse" of the New Testament, having some of the characteristics of apocalyptic literature, such as metaphors, symbolic language, dreams and visions, excessive use of numbers, celestial and demonic powers in war against the armies of heaven.

Revelation 11:15 (AMPC)

“The seventh angel then blew (his) trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! (Ps.22:28; Dan.7:13, 14, 27).”

Revelation 1:5 (NIV)

“Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”

Psalm 103:19 (AMPC)

“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”

4. This Kingdom CANNOT BE SHAKEN.

Nothing on earth or in the heavens can destroy His Kingdom.  It gives peace and security in the knowing that the Kingdom of God is stable, stands firm and nothing can move it!

Hebrews 12:28 (AMPC)

“Let us therefore, receiving a kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe…”

5. It will LAST FOREVER and never come to an end.

The vision in Daniel 2 about the large statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had, describes how the God of heaven set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed but will endure forever.  It will crush all the other kingdoms and bring them to an end. (See Dan.2:44)

It is not usual for anything to last forever, it is extraordinary.  There is a saying amongst people that all good things come to an end, but that is not biblical, it’s not Kingdom.  The Bible clearly states that God’s Kingdom and all the good about it will never come to an end, it will last forever.  That is a long time for anything to last!

Daniel 7:27 (AMPC)

“Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. ...