Do We Really Want to Reign

What a great question, and one that I can identify with. It seems as though what I see from “leaders” in this world is not really something that I would want to do or be. I will say that I am leader in my house and in my role in my work. Yet, what I see in “leaders” in the world is not what I expect. And, frankly, when I am in the New Heaven and New Earth, I am told that I will be able to rest, being a leader does not seem like rest.

“²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Jesus says the above, and if you only look a the one verse, you will get the sense that rest is indeed what we will have. But we would be looking at things from a very narrow perspective.

Think of it this way. What is it that you like to do more than anything else and you seem to get lost in yourself and that thing to the tune that time seems to pass quickly. You may be completely worn out at the end of the time, but you look forward to that thing again and again and again. This is the idea that if you love what you do, it is not work. You find joy in the actions and want to do them more and more.

Well, this is what it will be like in the New Heaven and New Earth. I will be focused on the joy of God that whatever role I am tasked to take on will be glorious and I will find much joy in it. It will be light work from the perspective of on my soul. It may have difficulty in the task, but it will bring joy that I am working for the LORD. See below the next two verses from Jesus.

“²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30 (ESV)

Jesus tells us that when we are in with Him, all things will be lighter since He has taken the heavy load upon Himself.

Reigning in the New Heaven and New Earth will not be a burden. We will be doing so from a position of the “family business” as Randy Alcorn indicates in my study. And since we are in the family of God, we are rulers with Him and each other.

But what about the challenges that come with ruling? A truly valid question. Well, there will not be any. Why you say. As we are all there to do the will of God, only need someone to direct us of where and what. Remember, there is no sin in the New Heaven. There won’t be any animosity. There won’t be any push back. There won’t be any insubordination. There will only be getting the work done in worship to the LORD so we can get back to worship of the LORD.

But, I don’t want people to be telling me what to do. I hear you, and that will not be the case. We will be receiving direction not orders. We will know of what needs to be done, and there will be someone there to direct us as to where it is to be done. And we will be directing others of where.

The New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with rulers (us) and filled with subjects (us). “We’ll be governed by Christlike rulers, and all of us will be under the grand and gracious government of Christ Himself” – Randy Alcorn

What view do you have of ruling? Are you of the school of slave driving authoritarians? What if you embraced ruling in the New Heaven and New Earth as doing that thing that brings you joy, bringing glory to God?

So, We Will Reign with Christ?

In short, YES.

“²⁸And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

Here we go. We, as man, were always supposed to reign and rule on the earth. God created man in His own image to have dominion over all on the earth. But, Adam and Eve failed, falling into sin thanks to the evil one and his deception. Adam and Eve were to be the king and queen of earth and they did not make it.

Then, God sent Jesus to demonstrate to the world, how it was supposed to play out. Jesus reigned on the earth in the way that God intended. He loved and cared and protected and healed in this world showing His dominion. And then He died giving us the path back to righteousness. Jesus reigned in this world, and died to show us the way back to where we would again reign.

How is it that we do not see that we will reign over the New Earth? Well, I don’t know the answer to that, other than I am blinded by the sin in my life and know that it is one of the tactics of the evil one. What I can say is that when we turn to the Word of God, we will find the truth throughout. Whether introduced, mentioned, discussed, and repeated, there are many places where we will find what our role is and will be in the New Earth.

“³Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” – 1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV)

Here in Paul’s letter, he makes it clear that we will be reigning and ruling in the New Earth over all. We will be returned to out place of dominion that we lost with the fall. Jesus provided us the way back to our rightful created place in God’s Kingdom. We will indeed reign with Him forever.

“⁵And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:5 (ESV)

What do you think about reigning? Are you of the thought that you will simply be a subject in the Kingdom? What if you review God’s Word and know that not only will you be a member of the Kingdom of God, but you will be returned to the place of dominion that you were intended for?

God’s Eternal Kingdom

This morning I was reminded that the eternal kingdom of God will be just that, a kingdom. He will be seated on the throne as King of Kings. There will be us as the subjects in the kingdom. There will be the territory of rule. There will be a culture of worship. I forget that it will be a physical place, and not just some sort of spiritual realm.

Without getting too deep into the rest of this final week of study of Heaven, there is more. We will be elevated to priests and will reign also.

“¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

— Revelation 510 (ESV)

So, God’s Eternal Kingdom is going to be a kingdom like what we as man can imagine, but it will be much more as we will be reigning there also with Him.

This is completely contrary to the thinking of this world. And why not. God’s Kingdom is not of this world.

“³⁶Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’” – John 18:36 (ESV)

As God’s Eternal Kingdom will not be of this world, then it makes sense to me that it will function not as this world does. Oh, it will have the features of this world and this earth, but it will be different. Not like anything we have seen before. Imagine a place where all reign together. But again, I don’t want to get ahead of the study.

So, God’s Eternal Kingdom will be the best of all kingdoms. There will be the King (God) on the throne, there will be palaces and walls and gates. There will be land territories and subjects (us) working those lands. And there will be priests (us) reigning with God over all the land. Remember back to the beginning and know that we will return to there, as God intended.

“²⁶Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

What is your view of the Kingdom of God? Are you of the view that it will have feature vastly different from what we know kingdoms to be here in this world? What if you looked at God’s Kingdom as having similar features, only better and in complete harmony?