Lord, how we praise You for Your precious promises. Your mercy and Your loving-kindness shall follow us all the days of our lives.
We take You as our Shepherd. Oh, we do desire to commit ourselves to You as our Shepherd: to let You lead us, rule over us, and direct us wherever we go. We know that Your goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. How we praise You.
Lord, we do ask You, who have cleansed us with Your precious blood, that at this very moment Your presence may fill this place, that we may see no one but the Lord Jesus, and hear no voice but the Lord Jesus speaking by His Spirit to every one of us.
We do ask You, Lord, to open Your Word to us and make it life and spirit to us for the operation of our lives. We do desire that You would speak, and that we may bow lower and pray for ourselves in the midst of Your people.
We commit this time into Your hands and trust You to bless us. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
We have been fellowshipping together, last night and this morning, from the Gospel according to Matthew.
This is the Gospel according to Matthew. That is to say, it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Matthew was personally an ex-tax collector for the Roman Empire, called by the Lord Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented to us through the evangelist Matthew is the Gospel of the King. It is the call of the King to all of us who believe, that we may commit our lives to Him and be under His kingdom.
The reason why our Lord Jesus came into this world, according to the Gospel of Matthew, was to establish His kingdom on earth. His kingdom consists of those who hear His call, who forsake all and follow Him, and who put themselves under the authority of the King of heaven.
They are the kingdom of the heavens. This is the kingdom that our Lord Jesus is establishing.
When John the Baptist began his ministry, his message was, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” At the beginning of our Lord Jesus’ ministry, He also said, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The King had come, but He had not yet gained His people. A king without a people does not have a kingdom. Therefore, He called people to Himself. After He gathered people around Himself, the kingdom of the heavens began to be established.
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The Gospel of Matthew is the Gospel of the kingdom of the heavens. Sometimes the kingdom of the heavens is synonymous with the kingdom of God, but the expression “kingdom of the heavens” is very specific.
It refers to the kingdom that comes from heaven and is governed by heaven. It refers specifically to those who have not only believed in the Lord Jesus, but who have committed their lives to the Lord and placed themselves under the rule of Christ. There is the kingdom of the heavens.
In the Gospel according to Matthew, we find three aspects of the kingdom of the heavens. By seeing these three aspects, we may have a better understanding of the kingdom of the heavens.
The first is found in Matthew 5 through Matthew 7. This is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens: the spiritual principles of the kingdom of the heavens and what the kingdom of the heavens really is.
The Lord Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world. We know what the kingdoms of this world are, but we do not naturally know what the kingdom of the heavens is. Therefore, the Lord explained, expounded, and described to His disciples what the kingdom of the heavens is.
In other words, we who have the life of Christ in us, if we put ourselves under the authority of Christ our King, what kind of life will we live? Everything found in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 is the outflow of the life of Christ.
No one can keep the commandments of these chapters by natural strength. If we cannot keep the law of Moses, how can we keep the Sermon on the Mount? The Sermon on the Mount is not set before us merely as a moral standard.
The life of Christ can be expressed only if we are under the authority of Christ. Thus, in Matthew 5 through 7, we find the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
The reality is first spiritual. When the Spirit of Christ characterizes our lives, there is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of the heavens is not in letter; it is in spirit.
That is why our Lord Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not,” but then He added, “But I say unto you.” He did not come to make void the law, but to bring us into its spiritual reality.
Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not.
But I say unto you.
The kingdom of the heavens is heavenly. It is not primarily something concerning men; it is something concerning our Father who is in heaven. That is why we are told to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
But seek ye first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
In Matthew 7, the kingdom of the heavens is also very practical. Because it is heavenly and spiritual does not mean that it is impractical. It comes down to earth, yet it is heaven on earth.
The narrow gate and the narrow way lead unto life. So, brothers and sisters, what is the kingdom of the heavens?
The kingdom of the heavens, in its spiritual reality, has nothing to do with time and space. It is eternal. When you come to spiritual reality, it is the simplest thing that you can ever know.
That is why Matthew 5, 6, and 7 do not need much explanation. If you explain them too much, you explain them away. It is very simple.
How can these things become real? First, we must have the life of Christ. Second, we must yield ourselves to our King. Then the life of Christ will come out spontaneously and naturally. This is the kingdom of the heavens.
Unfortunately, the kingdom of the heavens is not all reality. The kingdom of the heavens also has an outward appearance, and this has confused people.
Here we come to Matthew 13. Matthew 13 contains the parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens.
These parables do not deal directly with the church. They deal directly with Christendom, with Christianity as it appears in the eyes of the world. In the eyes of the world, Christianity is the kingdom of the heavens on earth.
But what confusion there is! The world looks at Christianity and assumes that it is the kingdom of the heavens, but there is a great difference between the outward appearance and the inward reality.
The Lord comes to sow the seed, which is the word of the kingdom. Even though many people are unable to receive the word, thank God there are some who receive the word of the kingdom into their hearts and bear fruit: a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold.
In the second parable, the seed is more than the word of the kingdom; it also represents the sons of the kingdom. Those who receive the word of the kingdom become sons of the kingdom. The Lord sows them here and there, strategically, for His testimony.
Then the enemy comes in and sows tares, the sons of the evil one. The result is that in Christendom you find the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the devil growing together.
Their roots are so intertwined that there is no way to pull out the tares without harming the wheat. It must wait until the harvest, when God shall send His angels to separate them.
The mustard seed is meant to be an insignificant vegetable, but strangely it grows out of divine order and becomes a tree. Christianity becomes a great institution and becomes associated with the powers of darkness.
Within it there is leaven—false teaching and wicked conduct—that leavens the whole meal, making it unfit as an offering to God.
Yet, thank God, on the other hand, hidden in the field is the treasure. God has hidden the mystery of Christ, which is the church, in the world.
Christ has found it, but He has not taken it out and made it visible for everyone to see. To the world, the church remains hidden. He has gone and sold all that He had in order to purchase the field.
There is also the pearl of great price. The merchant is willing to sell all that he has in order to obtain it. This is the attitude of our Lord toward His church.
The last parable of the kingdom of the heavens is the parable of the dragnet. It points to the end. At the end, God will send His angels to separate that which is good from that which is bad.
That which is good in His sight will be gathered, and that which is evil will be cast out. This refers to the end of this age, when judgment shall come and there shall be separation.
So, brothers and sisters, when we come to the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens on earth today, it is confusion. The world cannot understand it.
This is why the Lord used parables. Yet He explained these parables to those who were His disciples. In other words, He wants us to understand. If we understand, we will not be discouraged, because we know what the Lord is doing.
This evening, we would like to consider the third aspect of the kingdom of the heavens. This is found in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25.
And Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on His way; and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.
But He answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as He sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?
For as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:
two women shall be grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left.
Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
During the last week before His crucifixion, our Lord Jesus visited Jerusalem. As He was coming out of the city, His disciples looked back and pointed out the buildings of the temple to Him.
They said, in effect, “Look at the buildings of the temple. Look at these precious and beautiful stones.”
The temple at Jerusalem had been built by the Jewish remnant who returned after the Babylonian captivity. The temple they built was small and insignificant.
It was Herod the Great who enlarged the temple at Jerusalem and beautified the city. He used many years to enlarge the temple. It was adorned with beautiful stones dedicated by different people. It was a magnificent building.
To the Jewish people, the temple in Jerusalem was their very life. Their lives centered upon the temple in Jerusalem. It was the most sacred thing to them.
Therefore, when Christ and His disciples were leaving the city, the disciples could not help lingering and looking at the temple. They were captivated by its beauty and magnificence.
They pointed it out to the Lord Jesus: “Look, look, look.” They greatly admired it.
But the Lord answered them very quietly: “You have seen these things. The day shall come when there shall not be one stone left upon another.”
His answer shocked them. They did not know what to think. The temple represented the life of the Jewish people, their most sacred possession, and their great national pride.
Yet the Lord said that there would not be one stone upon another. In other words, there would be total desolation. They could not take it.
They followed the Lord quietly and silently, without saying anything, but they were deeply disturbed. When they crossed the brook and climbed the Mount of Olives, the Lord sat down there.
From there they could see the temple of Jerusalem in all its splendor. Then the disciples came to Him privately and asked, “When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the completion of the age?”
They dared not ask openly, because if anyone even suggested that the temple would be destroyed, the Jewish people would have reacted violently. So they asked the Lord in private.
As we read these words, perhaps we do not immediately see the connection. The disciples were actually asking two questions.
First, “When shall these things be?” That is, when shall there be no stone left upon another stone in the temple?
Second, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the completion of the age?”
To us, these may seem like two separate questions. Why did the disciples immediately think of the Lord’s return and the end of the age when they heard Him say that the temple would be destroyed?
To the Jewish mind, if the temple in Jerusalem were destroyed, that must mean the end of the world. If the temple were gone, then surely the Messiah would come and restore the nation.
The Jewish people read the Old Testament prophets, and those prophecies spoke of the coming of the Messiah. But in those prophecies the first coming and the second coming of Christ were not clearly distinguished.
Some prophecies present the Messiah coming in splendor and glory. Other prophecies present Him as a suffering Messiah. They could not reconcile these two aspects.
That is why they tried to explain the suffering Messiah as referring to the suffering of Israel. How could the Messiah come in glory and yet suffer so much? They could not understand.
To the Old Testament prophets, the coming of the Messiah appeared as one event. They could not see the interval between the first coming and the second coming of Christ.
The church is a mystery hidden from the ages. The church stands between the first and second comings of Christ. Take away the mystery of the church, and the coming of the Messiah appears to be one continuous event.
The mystery of the church was revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets of New Testament times.
Therefore, when the Lord Jesus said that there would not be one stone left upon another, the disciples thought that this must mean the end of the age, the coming of Messiah, and the restoration of Israel.
To them, it was one event. But today we understand that the destruction of Jerusalem and the completion of the age are distinct matters, with the period of the church between them.
There is another principle we should remember concerning prophecy. Usually, when a prophecy is given, there is first an immediate and partial fulfillment. Then, in the future, there is a full and complete fulfillment.
Thus, when the Lord spoke concerning the destruction of the temple, there was a fulfillment, but it was also a token pointing forward to His coming and the completion of the age.
For convenience, and to help us understand more easily, may I put it this way? In Matthew 24 and 25, the Lord’s answer is directed more toward the second question.
In Luke, however, the answer is directed more toward the first question. In Luke 21, the Lord speaks of false Christs, wars, famines, pestilences, persecutions, witnessing before kings, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, and Jerusalem’s destruction.
Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. Then the Lord would return.
Thus, Luke 21 emphasizes the first question, then leads on to the second. Matthew places the emphasis more upon the second question, using the first matter as an introduction.
If you study the passages carefully, you will find the difference. We do not have time to go into all the details, but I put this before you as a help.
When shall these things be? If we know anything about history, we know that in A.D. 70 the Roman army came against the city of Jerusalem because the Jewish people had rebelled against the Roman Empire.
Under Titus, the Roman army surrounded the city. The people within suffered terrible famine. People died in the city, and when the Romans finally entered the houses, they found piles of corpses.
Those who came out of the city seeking food were captured and crucified. The trees in the area were cut down because so many people were crucified outside the city.
The Jews retreated to their last stronghold, the temple. Because it was built with massive stones, they shut themselves inside it and made their final resistance.
Josephus, the Jewish historian who surrendered to the Romans, wrote of these events in The Wars of the Jews. It appears that Titus did not desire the temple to be destroyed.
But before his command could be obeyed, a soldier threw a torch into the temple, and it began to burn. Finally, the Romans captured the temple and gained control of the whole city.
The temple was overlaid with pure gold. When the fire burned intensely, the gold melted and ran down between the stones.
The Roman soldiers wanted the gold. Therefore, they pried apart every stone until literally there was no stone left upon another. The Lord’s word was fulfilled in A.D. 70.
But this was only a partial fulfillment. It pointed onward to the coming of the Lord and the completion of the age.
When the Lord returns, He will establish His kingdom. The spiritual reality of the kingdom of the heavens is already here, but the world does not know it.
To the world, it is merely Christianity or Christendom, and it is confusion. But one day, at the return of our Lord Jesus, He will establish the kingdom of the heavens publicly upon this earth.
This is the third aspect of the kingdom of the heavens: the public manifestation of the kingdom.
We are living in this age, but this age will come to an end. Then there will be the age to come, which is the kingdom age. Beyond that lies eternity.
What is the sign of Thy coming and of the completion of the age? The Lord Jesus said that there would be false prophets, false teachers, and even false Christs.
There would be wars. Kingdom would rise against kingdom, nation against nation, and people against people. There would be international wars, civil wars, famines, pestilences, and death everywhere.
But the Lord said, “These are not yet the end.” These are only the beginning of birth pains.
Now, brothers and sisters, whatever interpretation you may take is all right with me. I am not arguing with you about interpretation.
Personally, as I compare the Scriptures, I feel that when the Lord speaks of wars, pestilences, famines, and these things, He is describing the beginning of birth pains that commenced from the ascension of our Lord.
If you connect this with Revelation 5 and Revelation 6, you will see the similarity.
In Revelation 5, there is a scene in heaven. A Lamb is standing before the throne, and He alone is worthy to receive from the One sitting upon the throne the sealed book.
He is worthy because He has redeemed men out of every nation, tribe, tongue, and people by His blood, and has made them kings and priests unto God.
This is the ascension scene of our Lord Jesus. In Revelation 4 we find the creation scene; in Revelation 5 we find the redemption scene.
After our Lord completed redemption, He ascended into heaven. As Psalm 2 says:
Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.
Our Lord victoriously accomplished His work on Calvary’s cross. He ascended to heaven and received from the Father the title deed of this world.
God has never given up His ownership of the world. Satan is a usurper, but he is not the owner. God has never surrendered His ownership.
The Father delivered the ownership—the title deed of this world—to Christ. Christ begins to claim the world for God.
Then He begins to open the seals. What do we find in the first four seals? The white horse, the red horse, the black horse, and the pale horse.
All the troubles and sufferings in this world, from two thousand years ago until now, have been increasing in intensity and scope.
Formerly, there might have been war between two tribes. Then there were wars among nations. Now there are global wars.
Formerly, perhaps there was an international war every forty or fifty years. Now international wars occur within much shorter periods. These things have continued from two thousand years ago until the present time.
They have always been here, but they have increased in intensity and frequency. This is why some people become confused.
They say, “These are signs of the return of the Lord, but these things have been present for two thousand years. The world has always had wars. The world has always had suffering.”
Brothers and sisters, that is true. But remember one thing: these things are being intensified because the end is approaching.
Those who do not know God say, “Where is God? If God is just, if God is love, how can He allow wars, famine, pestilence, and suffering?”
To them, these things seem to be meaningless suffering. But to those who know the Lord, brothers and sisters, these things are the beginning of birth pains.
A woman who is about to bear a child has to suffer birth pains. Yet out of death comes life. The world has to go through these things in order to bring forth the kingdom.
It is not wasteful. God has a purpose behind it all. When we look at the things happening in this world, we need not be as hopeless as the people of the world.
We can see that the world has to pass through these things in order to be released and in order that the kingdom of the heavens may be established upon this earth. It is birth pain.
But the end is not yet. These things will continue. Matthew records many other matters that we do not have time to consider in detail, because that is not my purpose tonight.
My purpose tonight is this: what is the sign of His coming and the completion of the age, especially in relation to the kingdom of the heavens?
The word translated “coming” is the Greek word parousia. Parousia means presence.
What is the sign of Thy presence and the completion of the age? If we are to understand the coming of the Lord, we must understand that parousia is not simply one single event.
It includes a period of time and a number of events.
Let me give one illustration. When the Lord ascended to heaven, He led His disciples to the Mount of Olives. There He was taken up.
As He went up, His disciples looked upward. They saw Him going up, going up, going up. But when He went up a certain distance, the Bible says that a cloud received Him.
He was in the cloud, still going upward. The men of Galilee continued looking upward. They could no longer see Him because He was in the cloud, but He was still ascending.
He finally ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Then two men in white apparel said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.”
How did Christ go up to heaven? In two stages: from the Mount of Olives to the cloud, which was visible; then from the cloud to the throne, which was invisible.
In like manner He shall return, but in reverse order. His parousia begins from the throne to the cloud, the invisible part. Then there is the visible part, from the air to the earth.
Thus, parousia is not one event. It is a series of events, especially involving His descent from the throne to the air and then from the air to the earth. This is the return, the coming, of the Lord.
For this reason, we find two different descriptions of His coming. The coming of the Lord is like a thief.
When a thief comes to your house, does he telephone you and say, “I am coming tonight”? No. He comes at the most unexpected time.
A thief seems to have an instinct for choosing exactly the time when you do not expect him. He comes without letting you know. He comes quietly.
And what does a thief take from your house? He does not go to the garbage can and steal your garbage. Let him take the garbage. He does not want that.
A thief goes to the treasure. He steals the precious things that you have.
Brothers and sisters, the coming of the Lord is like a thief. Nobody knows when He is coming. No one knows the hour or the time; only the Father knows.
In the days of Noah, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Everything seemed to go on as usual.
There had never been rain. People thought there would never be a flood. They continued eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage.
Then suddenly Noah entered into the ark, the gates of heaven were opened, and the flood came upon the earth.
In the days of Noah there was worldliness, spiritualism, immorality, and violence. All these things were present. Then judgment came.
Some people say that we must wait until one prophecy after another has been fulfilled, and then the Lord will come. May I tell you this? Every prophecy necessary for His coming as a thief has already been fulfilled.
There is nothing—absolutely nothing, so far as prophecy is concerned—standing in the way of His coming.
That is why Matthew 24 says that two men will be in the field: one shall be taken and one left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill: one shall be taken and one left.
Luke 17 speaks of two men sleeping in one bed: one is taken and one is left.
At midnight, two men may be sleeping. In the early morning, two women may be grinding. At noon, two men may be working in the field. The Lord may come at any hour, because the earth is round.
To some it will be morning, to others it will be noon, and to still others it will be midnight. But when the Lord comes, you find two people together.
They may both be sleeping, resting, or working. Outwardly, there may be no difference between them. They are doing the same thing and occupied with the same things.
But the Lord knows the difference. Of two sleeping, one is precious to Him and He takes that one. Of two women grinding, one is precious and He takes her. Of two men working in the field, one is precious to Him.
The Lord does not take garbage. The Lord takes treasure. He comes as a thief.
One day, suddenly, all over the world, some people will disappear.
Those who have followed the Lord faithfully, whose hearts are toward the Lord, who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, and who have maintained a good testimony—the Lord will take them to Himself.
This is Revelation 12 and the man-child. They overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and because they love not their lives even unto death.
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,
and because of the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their life even unto death.
Outwardly, those who live for the Lord and those who do not follow the Lord may not seem very different. We all go to church. We may all do the same things.
But the Lord knows. The Lord knows who is living in the life of Christ, who has committed his life under the authority of Christ, and who has not.
One day, suddenly, some people will disappear. They are taken up to the throne.
As they are taken to the throne, they must pass through the air, where Satan has his headquarters. If you can pass through the headquarters of your enemy, your enemy is defeated.
Their life on earth has defeated the enemy. They are able to pass through the enemy’s territory and ascend right up to the throne. This becomes the basis of their victory.
Michael and his angels then come down into the air to fight against Satan and his angels. There is no longer any place in the air for Satan and his angels, and they are cast down upon the earth.
The way is then opened for Christ to descend from the throne to the air.
Brothers and sisters, this is the counsel of God.
Why is the Lord delayed? It is not because He does not long to come. He is ready. He is waiting.
But the reason the Lord is not yet able to come is that the way for His coming has not been cleared. According to the counsel of God, this way is cleared by the church.
It is cleared by the overcomers in the church. When there are overcomers, the way is clear for the Lord to come back.
This is the first stage of His coming. He descends to the air. Satan is cast down upon the earth, and that becomes the time of the great tribulation.
Afterward, the seventh trumpet shall sound. At the last trumpet, all who are the Lord’s and who have died shall be raised. Those who are still living and remain on earth shall be changed.
We shall all be caught up—not to the throne, but to the air, because the Lord is already there waiting. We shall be caught up to meet the Lord.
There will be the judgment seat of Christ to determine who will be rewarded with the kingdom of the heavens, who will rule with Him for a thousand years, and who will have authority over cities.
Those who have been overcome and defeated will be cut off from the kingdom. They will have no share in the glory of the kingdom, although they are saved and shall be in eternity.
After the seven bowls of the wrath of God are poured out upon the earth, the Lord shall come back with His victorious army from the air down to the earth.
What is the sign of the second part of the parousia? It is like lightning.
The Lord said that people may say, “Christ is here,” or “Christ is there,” but do not listen to them. When He returns, it will be like lightning flashing from east to west, and the whole world shall see it.
The first part of His coming is like a thief, but the second part of His coming is like lightning. Everybody shall see it. Every eye shall see Him.
He shall come down upon the Mount of Olives at the time when the Jewish people are surrounded and Jerusalem is under attack.
The Mount of Olives will be divided in two, and the people will flee through it. The Lord has come. The Messiah has appeared.
There will be the final battle, the battle of Armageddon. After that comes the judgment of Israel. God will take Israel and judge them.
There will also be the judgment of the nations, as described in Matthew 25: the sheep and the goats. Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit.
Then the kingdom of the heavens shall be established upon this earth for a thousand years. This is the completion of the age. This is the coming of the kingdom.
As we look forward, brothers and sisters, we have something to look forward to. The people of the world have nothing to look forward to.
As Luke says, when men see the things coming upon the world, they faint with fear. But for us there is blessing. Our Lord shall return.
This is the time when He shall reward His servants. Brothers and sisters, once again: if we do not live today in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, how can we share in the glory of its public manifestation?
How we need to come before the Lord, that we may not only have His life, but also yield ourselves to His rule.
Only then shall we be in the reality of the kingdom. The spiritual power of such a life will bring about the downfall of the enemy’s kingdom and will bring in the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
May the Lord bless His Word to us.
Oh, Father, You have taught Your church to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” Through all the ages and centuries, Your church has been crying, “Thy kingdom come,” because Your kingdom has not yet fully come.
Oh, Lord, do enable us to see that it is not because You do not desire to establish Your kingdom. It is because we who are Yours have not been faithful. We are not living in the reality of Your kingdom.
There is not the spiritual strength to overthrow the enemy’s kingdom. Oh, Lord, we pray that by Your grace You will take us up, that we may daily live by Your life and live under Your authority.
May Your kingdom soon be brought back to this earth. To You be all the praise, the glory, and the honor, because they all belong to You. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.