To understand what the Kingdom of God really is, how it is constituted and how it operates, one must understand four basic principles:

1. that all of the redeemed race shall live for ever on the earth, not in heaven!

2. that Adam and all his posterity — the whole human race — shall be subjects of this kingdom, the ones over whom the King of kings and Lord of lords shall rule!

3. that it is the Kingdom of God to which Jesus refers when counseling his followers to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matth. 6:10), and that this is the very same period of time which Acts 3:21 refers to as: “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world [Adam’s world] began”;

4. and that the King, and his governing body — the true Church of Christ: is a heavenly, a spiritual Government.

1. All the redeemed race shall live for ever on the earth, not in heaven!

Yes, indeed, it is the Scriptural teaching that man was created for a life on earth! After creating Adam and Eve, we read in Gen. 1:28 that: “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

In harmony with this, the Scriptures declare: “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Is. 45:18).

And, by the way, since God said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth”, and since God’s purpose from the beginning was that the earth is “to be inhabited” by man: we can be assured that a just, wise, and loving God would not permit the earth to be over-populated!

Also, with regard to the earth itself as the dwelling place for the human race, God used these words regarding the future development of the earth: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool”, and: “I will make the place of my feet glorious” (Is. 66:1; 60:13). The words of Jesus in Matth. 6:10, when he counseled his followers to pray for God’s Kingdom to come, make man’s location in that Kingdom very clear. He declares that, in that future Kingdom of God, God’s will: will “be done on earth, as it is in heaven”.

That is also exactly what is meant in Matth. 18:11 where Jesus said: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” — namely, the eternal life in perfection which Adam had and lost. And when, at the end of “the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began”, Adam and all his posterity will have received that lost eternal life in perfection (exactly that which Adam and Eve had before their disobedience and condemnation), then the human race will be able to do what the imperfect sinful human race could never do: “to subdue it [the earth]: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”.

2. Adam and all his posterity, the whole human race: are subjects of the kingdom.

When speaking about a kingdom, it should be observed that it consists of two parts: the ruling, governing part, and those who are being governed, ruled over (the subjects). But by what, or by whom is a kingdom represented? Who, or what determines a country to be a kingdom? Is it a King, or a Queen, or a Royal Family, or the people, or the country?

Well, history answers this question quite clearly, because when looking at the kingdoms of past: When or how did so many stop to exist as a kingdom?

The simple answer is, of course, when royalty was dethroned. The most typical and most dramatic case to illustrate this is, of course, the French Kingdom. The moment the king was done away with by the French Revolution, France became a Republic, and, though the French people as a nation continued to exist, and the land of France continued to exist, and France continued to be governed (though in a different way than before), France was no more a kingdom. This same principle is applicable to all other expired kingdoms, no matter if the royalties are called Kings, Queens, Kaisers, Emperors, or Czars. This principle is also applicable to the “Kingdom of God”.

When considering the following Scriptures, it becomes quite evident that in God’s plans and purposes, and in God’s own due time, in His “times and seasons”, He, God, will cause that the “King of kings and Lord of lords” will be there, will be ready to receive “the heathen for [his] inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for [his] possession” (Ps. 2:8).

In Is. 42:1–4 we read: “Behold my servant [Christ], whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to he heard in the street [Christ, the “King of kings and Lord of lords”, is a glorious spirit being; his whole government is a spiritual, heavenly one]. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench [symbolic expressions regarding truly humble and God-fearing people, people who worship God “in spirit and in truth” — John 4:24]: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

Is. 11:2–5 speaks of the glorified Christ in this way: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [reverence] of the LORD; and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes [as man does], neither reprove after the hearing of his ears [as humans do]: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth [earth is also used symbolically with regard to organized society], and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked [not only those who stubbornly persist to do evil, but also those who secretly continue to conceive evil]. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins [a girdle is a symbol of ‘service’].”

The reign, the judgment and also the mercy of this great “King of kings and Lord of lords” (who is also the Mediator, the only Mediator, between God and man — 1 Tim. 2:5, and who fills, as well, the office of High Priest — Zech. 6:13; Heb. 4:14–15; 5:5–6) will be so total and thorough that all people on the earth will say the words the Psalmist is using: “Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him [reverence him with all their heart] … Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. … Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps” (Ps. 85:9–13).

All the people on the earth will then also say: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him [in the far corner of our heart we have hoped that there would be such a God], and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9).

For all the people on the earth to finally come to this attitude and conclusion, the God of heaven will provide also the necessary knowledge and understandng about His four attributes: His Justice, His Wisdom, His Power and His Love.

In Is. 11:9 we read: “For the earth [all the societies of the earth] shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” There will be no one of the Adamic race who will be able to claim ignorance.

For all this, and toward all this, and for all that which “the man Christ Jesus” did (to give himself “a ransom for all”, in that he, “by the grace of God should taste death for every man”, so that: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” — 1 Tim. 2:5–6; Heb. 2:9; 1 Cor. 15:22), the Apostle Paul emphasizes: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9–11).

Then: “The wisdom of their wise men [in the worldly, as well as in the religious systems] shall perish”, to which the Apostle Paul adds his voice in declaring: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise [the “learned”, the “scholars”, the “powerful”, the “esteemed”, the ones in “high” positions], and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent [those so looked upon from the human standpoint by the standards and traditions within the various societies: worldly, or religious — Is. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:19].”

Indeed, then: “he” will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness [lies, hypocrisy, deceptions, fraud, chicanery, contrivances, etc., etc., etc.], and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man [every person] have praise of God” (1 Cor. 4:5). Then, all people on earth — by and by: Adam and all his posterity (all the subjects of that Kingdom to come, which is not very far off anymore) — will also worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23–24).

3. “The Kingdom of God” = “The Times of Restitution of All Things”

First of all, since there are no indications that “the times of restitution of all things” have begun, viz, no acts of restitution have occurred: “The Kingdom of God”, as far as the the world of mankind is concerned, has not yet begun. However, there are Scriptures which tell us that “the King of kings and Lord of lords” will be present — albeit unseen to the world, as the Scriptures also point out — before “the times of restitution of all things” will begin. For instance, in the second Psalm we read:

Psalm 2

Verse 1  “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? [It should be remembered, that in Scriptural terms the expression “heathen” is referring to all the people on the earth, with the exception of the people of Israel with whom God had made a special arrangement.]

Verse 2  “The kings of the earth set themselves [in their attitudes and actions], and the rulers [the mighty ones in the political, financial, and economic systems] take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed.

Verse 3  “[But God says to his anointed:] Let us break their bands asunder [their agreements, their alliances, their covenants, etc., etc.], and cast away their cords from us [all the things by which, and with which they try to prevent, even unconsciously, the unpreventable procedures of God’s plans and purposes].

Verse 4  “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh [not literally, of course]: the LORD shall have them in derision [they will be perplexed and not know anymore what to do].

Verse 5  “Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath [in his indignation], and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

Then shall God speak to them — not by a human language, of course, but by divine action and power; a language they (those mighty ones on earth) will then understand, as expressed in Rev. 6:15–17, in these words:

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens [secret societies, or other special societies] and in the rocks [fortresses of society, civil and ecclesiastical] of the mountains [kingdoms, or other established governments]; and said to the mountains and rocks [to those established powerful ones — be they royalties, or any other established entity of force], Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth [now] on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb [the now ruling Christ]: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

The Scriptures elaborate in many ways upon this “great day of wrath”, of God’s great indignation, which is not directed against the masses of the people, but against the evil systems and their upholders: they are the ones to be destroyed!

Verse 6  “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”

With this statement: “Yet have I set my king …”, the LORD God declares categorically that: no matter what man will plan, conceive, do or try to do, openly or in secret: it all will come to nothing, because the king who is designated by God to rule and reign over all the earth: is the one in charge to control and overrule all events and developments in preparation for God’s Kingdom, in which God’s will: will “be done on earth as it is in heaven”. How can it be otherwise, since God also declares:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Is. 55:8–11)

Verse 7  “I will declare the decree [the one anointed to be the King]: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee [at Christ’s resurrection, when he became “the first that should rise from the dead” (Acts 26:23), “the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18), “the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5)].

Verse 8  “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

Oh yes, He, Christ, will be “the King of kings and Lord of lords” to rule and reign over all the earth, over all his subjects: over Adam and all his posterity! — But before that will come about, first this:

Verse 9  “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron [solid authority, solid control] ; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel [destroy them — the Gentile governments, systems, and their arrangements: political, financial, economic, sociological, judicial, educational, and even religious systems, organizations, and their arrangements].”

Can it not easily be seen and understood, that the destruction of these man-made systems and arrangements must occur first? must be accomplished first? before God’s Kingdom on earth can begin to operate? Oh yes, and for two specific, Scriptural reasons:

1. God said: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5).

2. The Scriptures declare that in God’s holy Kingdom: no evil will exist, all evil having been destroyed before Christ’s reign of righteousness upon the people on the earth will begin; before the “restitution” of all things can begin; before the Apostle Paul’s declaration becomes actively applicable: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22); before Christ would apply the merit, the value of his “ransom for all” on behalf of the human race — which he has not yet done (more about this last point a little later); before God will begin to also make the earth “glorious”, as exemplified in the garden of Eden, because God did say: “The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool … and I will make the place of my feet glorious. … For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited” (Is. 66:1; 60:13; 45:18).

Verses 10–12 of the second Psalm are a suggestion for the mighty ones of these systems, for what they rather should do, namely, to yield submission to the Lord.

One more Scripture shall be given to show that “the King of kings and the Lord of lords” is present before “the times of restitution of all things”, before God’s Kingdom begins to operate on behalf of all mankind. This particular Scripture is Dan. 2:44, which reads:

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

This verse is the culmination of a dream the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) had, of which Daniel gave him the interpretation. The interpretation of this dream involves the image of a statue which is divided into four parts (Dan. 2:31–35), which represent four empires (verses 36–44). Since it is generally understood and accepted, even by our modern televangelists (because of the further prophetic interpretations of Daniel), that these four empires are: Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman empire, and that the Roman empire did pass away, as did the three before it, but then revived again, I shall not elaborate any further on it in any details, which, for the purpose of the stated reason at the beginning, is not necessary anyway.

The essence of all this is verse 44, namely that: “In the days of these kings …”, viz, at a time when the revived Roman empire will exist by the collaboration of a number of individual parts (governments) of that revived empire (as symbolized by the ten toes of the image, ten being a Scriptural symbolic number representing a total, irrespective of the actual number), “… shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom”. Furthermore, as Dan. 2:34–35 shows: “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands [an instrument not created by man], which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them [no more human empires, no more human powers, no more man-made systems]: and the stone that smote the image [which was not man-made] became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

This picture clearly and distinctly shows the order of developments: “The Kingdom of God”, as applicable to the human race, comes into existence after the destruction of all human powers of any kind. The destruction of all human powers of any kind was caused by the same stone which afterwards grew “to fill the whole earth”.

By this picture: the Word of God clearly declares that the Second Presence of Christ begins before “the times of restitution of all things”, before God’s Kingdom will become operational, applicable toward and on behalf of all mankind in which His will: will “be done on earth as it is done in heaven”.

4. The King and his governing body — Christ (the head) and the true Church of Christ (his body): is a heavenly, a spiritual Government!

In contradiction to all the voices in Christendom (especially those on radio and television) which proclaim that the Second Coming of Christ is near, and that he will come in human form to establish God’s Kingdom, and then reign here on earth for a thousand years from the literal throne of David in the soon-to-be-rebuilt temple in Jerusalem: the Word of God does not teach any of these things!

The Scriptures leave no doubt that “the King of kings and Lord of lords”, as well as his associates — the true Church of Christ, the “little flock” of only 144,000: are spiritual beings and, as such, reign and govern over the human race. Consider the following Scriptures:

John 18:36  “Jesus answered [Pilate], My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world [if my kingdom would be one according to human arrangement and tradition], then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence [I shall not reign as an earthly, human king; my throne is not on the earth, “is not from hence”].”

To his Disciples (in whom all the true Church of Christ is represented) Jesus said:

John 14:2–3  “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

At this point it is necessary to use some Scriptural declarations pertaining to God himself and His abode and His throne:

Eccl. 5:2  “God is in heaven”, and man is “upon earth”.

Is. 66:1  “Heaven is my throne.” (also Acts 7:49)

John 4:24  “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Ex. 33:20  “For there shall no man see me, and live.”

John 1:18  “No man hath seen God at any time.” (also 1 John 4:12)

1 Tim. 6:16  “Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”

John 5:26  “[God only had immortality, but:] as the Father hath life in himself [immortality]; so hath he given to the Son [at his resurrection] to have life in himself [immortality].”

When considering the following Scriptures, then it becomes also clear, that the above Scriptures are also applicable in the fullest sense to Christ: from the moment of his ascension to the Father (Acts 1:9–10; John 20:17), as well as to the glorified true Church of Christ, the “little flock” of only “144,000”, the true “saints of God”, but to none else! That is why the true followers of Christ are also called “the elect of God” (Col. 3:12), those of whom God saith that they “have made a covenant with me by sacrifice” (Ps. 50:5); God also calls them: “my jewels” (Mal. 3:17).

It is there, in heavenly places, in the presence of the Father, where the Lord went to prepare a place for all those who truly are the Lord’s footstep followers, who truly are members of his body, his future associates in that promised Kingdom. It is for the same reason that Jesus also told his Disciples:

John 14:19  “[For] yet a little while, and the world [the people of the world, human beings] seeth [shall see] me no more [when, after his crucifixion, he will be raised a spiritual being]; but ye [shall] see me [in due time, when I come again, to “receive you unto myself”]: because I live, ye shall live also.”

Oh yes, Jesus went to his Father, where he does live, where he did prepare a place for his true followers: for those who have been baptized “into his death” (Rom. 6:3–5), those who “keep my commandments” (John 14:15; 15:10).

Eph. 1:20  “… he raised him [Christ] from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

Heb. 12:2  “… who for the joy that was set before him [Christ in his pre-human existence] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Eph. 2:6  “And hath raised us up together [by the promise of God in due time], and made us sit together in heavenly places in [or, by] Christ Jesus.” — Oh yes, God is faithful to his promises, and because of it the Apostle Peter exclaims:

2 Pet. 1:4  “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust [with all its vices which man conceives and acts upon].”

That the members of his body, the true Church of Christ, will be partakers of the divine nature, Christ confirms himself with these words:

Rev. 3:21  “To him that overcometh [which cannot apply to anyone else but the 144,000 of the “little flock”] will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

From a different standpoint, actually the fundamental standpoint of the Scriptures, Christ at his Second Presence: will never — could not ever again — come as a literal person, as a human being, because when he died on the cross: he gave up his humanity. The following is a very concentrated explanation of this doctrine of God: the doctrine of the “Ransom”.

The Scriptures inform us that Jesus was “sent” to earth by “the Father” (John 5:36–37; 8:16; 12:49; 14:24; 16:28). That means, of course, that Jesus the man, had a pre-existence. And so the Scriptures declare:

John 6:62  “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?”

Rev. 3:14  “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.”

Col. 1:15–17  “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [the first brought forth] of every creature [of all creation]: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible … and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

John 1:1–3  “In the beginning was the Word [the Logos — the one created by God himself (God himself does not have a beginning: He is from eternity to eternity; He “inhabiteth eternity” — Is. 57:15)], and the Word [the Logos] was with God, and the Word [the Logos] was God [was a God, a very mighty one]. The same was in the beginning with God [Gen. 17:1; 35:11; Rev. 21:22]. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

The Apostle Paul is expressing it this way: “But to us [the enlightened members of the true Church of Christ, the true members of His body] there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Cor. 8:6).

This glorious, powerful being became also the center of God’s most wonderful Plan of Salvation for Adam and all his posterity. This glorious, powerful being is also known in the Scriptures as the Archangel Michael (Dan. 12:1), God’s “arm”, God’s “mighty arm” (Ps. 89:13; 98:1; and others), and also, with regard to His Plan of Salvation, “mine elect” (Is. 42:1). It is this glorious, powerful being of whom it is said:

John 3:17  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”, for it is God’s will to “have all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4). Jesus himself said:

Matth. 18:11  “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost [in the garden of Eden by Adam when he disobeyed his creator’s law and was condemned to death, forfeiting his eternal life in perfection].”

This glorious, powerful being also points out his total obedience to the Father:

Ps. 40:7–8  “Then said I [the Logos], Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

2 Cor. 8:9  “… though he was rich [in his pre-human existence], yet for your sakes he became poor” (see also Matth. 8:20; Luke 9:58). Yes, it was this glorious, powerful being of whom John spoke:

John 1:29  “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world [“sin”, singular; namely: Adam’s sin].”

Now, to take away “the sin of the world”, the sin which rests upon the world because of Adam’s action of disobedience (having become imperfect, he transmitted his imperfection upon all his posterity), the only way acceptable to God’s absolute Justice is: that an other perfect human being would voluntarily give up his life, and, not having violated God’s justice, not having sinned, would maintain his right to live! It must be pointed out with great emphasis: that the one who would give up his life on behalf of the condemned Adam (and, by extension, of all his posterity), to effect his release from the death sentence pronounced by the absolute justice of God: must by legal consequence be another perfect human being! It must be an absolute equal to Adam before his act of disobedience, before he became imperfect. No other kind of being could be acceptable to God’s absolute Justice.

That is exactly what is involved in the Apostle’s statement:

1 Tim. 2:6  “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

The word “ransom” is translated from the Greek word “anti-lutron” which has the specific meaning of a corresponding price, an absolutely equal price. That is why that glorious, powerful being: had to give up his existence as the Logos: to become a human being, as is also stated in these words:

Phil. 2:6–8  “But made himself of no reputation [the Diaglott translation, the direct Greek to English, says: “divested himself”] and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

The Apostle Paul elaborates on this doctrine of God, on the “Ransom”, the corresponding price, in these Scriptures:

Rom. 5:12  “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Rom. 5:18  “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [by the man Jesus Christ] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

Rom. 5:21  “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1 Cor. 15:21  “For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [the man Christ Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead” — as a fact in God’s plans and purposes; but its fulfillment, with regard to Adam and all his posterity, is still to come: in “the times of restitution of all things”.

1 Cor. 15:22  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

As a logical conclusion to the foregoing, to this doctrine of God, the Apostle declares, in a very simple but clear way, this fact:

2 Cor. 5:16  “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth [after his resurrection, by which he left his humanity — his right to live as a human being] know we him no more.”

In this context, consider our Lord’s prayer shortly before he was crucified. With great humility he asks his Father:

John 17:5  “O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was [Adam’s world].” Yet, God, who said of him: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matth. 3:17; 17:5), glorified and exalted him even more, and far higher:

Phil. 2:9  “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”

Eph. 1:20–21  “  when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”

It has already been pointed out that the true “Church of Christ”, also referred to as “the body of Christ”, is to share the glory of the exalted Christ, but there is one other aspect pertaining to the true “Church of Christ” which needs to be dealt with: Who really are those who are so highly favoured to be called “the bride of Christ”? Well, the Scriptures identify them in specific ways, or terms:

John 14:15,21,23  “If ye love me, keep my commandments. … He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. … If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

John 15:4,7,10  “Abide in me, and I in you. … If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will [not just anything, but what is in harmony and in accordance with God and with Christ], and it shall be done unto you. … If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

2 John 9  “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”

1 Cor. 7:19  “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”

Heb. 10:36  “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

1 John 2:17  “And the world passeth away [not the earth, but that which the people on earth have made and created for themselves], and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (read also verses 15 and 16).

In the light of these Scriptures (and there are many more) the weight of the following Scriptures becomes very evident:

Matth. 20:16; 22:14  “For many be called [to become footstep followers of Christ], but few chosen.”

Rev. 3:21  “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Only 144,000 will reach that goal (Rev. 14:1–4); they are the wheat among all the tares to be harvested (gathered in) in the end of this Gospel age (Matth. 13:24–30,36–43). They are that “little flock” Jesus is referring to in Luke 12:32; they are the Lord’s true sheep of which Jesus speaks in the 10th chapter of John; they are the ones of whom the Apostle Paul says: “So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death” (Rom. 6:3–4).