Heirs of the Kingdom of God
By Tara Chapman
April 2008
Someone replied to me the following quote in blue. The remainder (which is in black) is my answer:
“The disciples weren't promised kingship anywhere in scripture over the twelve tribes--they are however pillars/stones, etc.. Yeshua will be the one and only King. There is also no place showing that the first resurrection people will be teaching and ruling over those coming through the tribulation.”
I Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
But, we will be changed—born into the family of God—into Spirit children of God with immortal spirit bodies:
I Corinthians 15:51-53 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
And we WILL inherit the kingdom of God:
James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
Colossians 1:2 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
(Some of those who will NOT inherit the kingdom of God: I Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; )
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Yes, in kingdoms, who are the usual heirs? The king’s children! In monarchies all through history, children are the usual heirs of the throne. So it is with God the Father’s Kingdom. Christ is the heir, and WE can be joint-heirs!
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
You don’t hear of a king’s slave becoming an heir, but you DO hear about a king’s child becoming an heir. If we are children of God, then we become heirs.
Heirs of a kingdom and heirs of eternal life:
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Psalm 37:22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
Jesus spoke of HIMSELF in the following parable, where HE is the heir of His Father’s Kingdom:
Mark 12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's. (See also Matt. 21:38 and Luke 20:14)
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Remember, we are joint-heirs, sharing an inheritance with our elder brother:
Isaiah 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.
God promised David that he’d always have an heir on his throne:
2 Chronicles 7:18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
That throne is the modern-day throne of Britain. There is ample history documenting this, and the prophecies bear this out. Obviously, there is no longer the throne in the modern-day nation people call Israel. For thousands of years there has been no king there, and it’s been a long time until 1941 that “Israel” (really that is Judah right now) was even a recognized nation. But, Jeremiah the prophet escaped the captivity with the king’s princess…the rest is history. There are ample books documenting all the details, including many included in the bible prophecies. Anyway, the main point is that God is not a liar. The throne still exists. It was overturned three times and will remain the way it is now, until Christ comes to inherit it (Ezekiel 21:27). It was overturned to Ireland, than Scotland, then England. (By the way, British is a Hebrew word meaning “covenant man.”)
Above, I documented that Hebrews 1:1-2 stated that Christ was the Father’s heir of all things, and I’ve also documented that we who are begotten children of God are joint-heirs (Romans 8:17). Okay, so continuing:
Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Most do not understand the simple meaning of being a SON or a CHILD of GOD. It’s a sad thing too, b/c the truth is awesome. He is our FATHER who loves us VERY much and wants us to be his CHILDREN.
Psalm 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
(Time out, let’s back up to WHAT God promised Abraham. Genesis 13:14-17 says, “And the ETERNAL said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.”
And Hebrews 11:13 said he and all the others died without ever seeing the promises (YET), for it says they could see them “afar off” (same verse).)
Continuing:
Isaiah 57:13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
Isaiah 60:21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
And MANY more verses like these. We will inherit the earth and inherit ALL things (the whole universe). But, the earth is where we will RULE as KINGS with our elder brother and Lord Jesus Christ over flesh and blood human beings to teach them God’s ways:
Christ is not the only King. He is the King of kings.
I Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Revelation 17:4 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
We will be kings and reign WITH Christ:
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Again, Christ will inherit the Kingdom and reign:
Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
And again, we will reign with Him:
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 2:26-27 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (Study also Psalm 2, especially verses 8-9).
Revelation 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.
Keep in mind, I’ve not once repeated a single verse. There are just a LOT of scriptures that teach this. It’s undeniable truth.
Daniel 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
The Answers.com dictionary defines “dominion”: n.
So, clearly there will be dominions/territories of control. Christ will be the HEAD, and all dominions will obey Him. But, why dominions? If He is truly the ONLY King and the only one in control, then what are these “dominions”? Why not just ONE dominion? It’s obvious here that others have dominions. The answer is in the verse—the saints of the most High were given the Kingdom, too. In all the other scriptures, I’ve already shown that we reign WITH Him.
Daniel 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
People (flesh and blood humans) are seen here has serving Christ when all the kingdoms of this world become HIS Kingdom (given to Him by His [and our] Father).
Daniel 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Again, we see here that the saints (Spirit children of God—born of God and cannot sin—see I John 3:9) also possess the Kingdom. We who are born as Spirit children of God at the first resurrection will reign with our elder brother over the peoples and nations. Just as today there are kings/presidents, vice presidents, governors, mayors, etc., we will also be given certain dominions, certain rulership positions.
And yes, Jesus DID tell his apostles that they would sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel:
Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke 22:30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
TWO special people will get to sit on Jesus’ right hand and left hand, but we simply do not know yet who they will be:
Matthew 10:35-40 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
Obviously, the Father gets to pick those two people, as Jesus said it wasn’t His to give, but He did say that it shall indeed be given to some “them.”
Matthew’s account renders it this way and actually does state that our Father is the one Who decides who will get to sit at Jesus’ right and left hands:
Matthew 20:23 but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
In closing, I want to share the parable of the talents and some scriptures beyond:
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(All that are called in this lifetime and answer the calling are to use whatever God has given us to do good works. People are given different things and different amounts. We are to wisely use these things to increase our standing. If we do nothing, then we are no better than the wicked and will not be inheritors of the Kingdom. I believe this is rather clear.)
Continuing on with verse 31:
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to fall into that category. It’s a night and day difference.
Anyway, notice how verse 34 talked about the inheritance of the Kingdom. We inherit eternal life/immortality (remember that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God), and we therefore inherit the Kingdom of God, and during the remaining time of God’s salvation plan for mankind—the 1,000 year reign of Christ we will reign with Christ—and during the Great White Throne Judgment period for all those who never had the opportunity to learn the truth during their first life, whether because of death as a child or living out life in a pagan nation or even in a false “Christian” nation and had never heard the truth, the true gospel of the Kingdom while living their first life, we as the saints/children of God will also still be with Christ and forever after that to enjoy ALL that we have prepared for us in the VAST universe.
And note the verses that talk about rulership given. How and how much we increase our good works will determine with what we are entrusted when Jesus comes to establish the Kingdom given to Him by the Father. Yes, that’s the wonderful truth of the matter. We who endure until the end and run a good race and are born as children of God at the seventh trumpet will be given rulership positions as our inheritance in the Kingdom. What an awesome truth God has shared with us in His Word!