I am a fan of The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien. My favorite of the three books is The Return of the King. I am always emotionally stirred by the words spoken by the white wizard, Gandalf, when he placed the crown upon the head of Aragorn, the true king of Gondor. He said, “Now come the days of the king, and may they be blessed.”
There is coming a time when the King of this entire universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, will return to this earth and be crowned King over all of His created order. Zachariah said it! “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth and His name one” (Zachariah 14:9). This small planet, so humble, small, and seemingly unimportant, will become the center of God’s amazing plan. This universal reign will commence when Christ establishes a kingdom over a redeemed earth and reigns over it for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6–9). The Lord Jesus Christ will turn His kingdom over to His Father, who will transform it into a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell forever (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 22:3-5).
The thousand-year segment of this everlasting kingdom will allow God to finally and forever demonstrate to the human race and the angelic realm that the only political system that will ever work for humankind is one in which God alone rules over the hearts of the human race. It will not be a democracy, nor a republic, nor fascism, nor socialism, nor communism, nor any human government. It will be a kingdom ruled over by our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s kingdom will place on display the immense value of the second member of the Holy Trinity. It will be a time for the Christ (humiliated during His first coming) to have His day in the sun.
Though not original with me, the following thoughts express the contrast of what the coming days of the kingdom will be like: Just imagine a world dominated by what is right and fair. The new world will be ruled by a perfect government bringing true peace on earth and goodwill toward men. All weapons of war will be remade into instruments for growing food. No nation will dare to be aggressive against other nations, and war will be no more. The curse from the fall will be removed, and the environment will be restored to the pre-Fall beauty of the Garden of Eden. Wild animals will no longer eat each other in order to survive, and small children will have no fear of any of them. This will be a world ruled by a perfect and glorious ruler.
Imagine a time when there will be no fear of deadly natural disasters or uncontrollable diseases. Envision a time when every court will deliver perfect justice for every case, when truth will be established in every conflict, and when all who deceive will be exposed and judged swiftly. Picture a world where all children from every race and nationality will be fully educated by the King. Physical deformities and social, political, and religious oppression will be no more. All forms of slavery will be abolished. Imagine a world where the length of life will be restored and where the elderly will not grow feeble, will not lose their hearing or sight, and will not fear Alzheimer’s disease or cancer but will grow old with clarity of mind and a sound body.
Imagine a world where what is appropriate and right marks every aspect of life, including relationships between people, businesses, and governments. It will be a world where there is absolute permanent peace and where that peace is enforced, a world filled with joy and good health, so much so that people live for hundreds of years. The days will come when there will be such a world. These will be the days of the King.
The Lord’s Prayer reveals the reality of a kingdom to come such as this. Jesus prayed to the Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” These are powerful words and evidence that God’s heavenly kingdom will come to the earth. The king will bring universal peace. Isaiah described a Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father, and a Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6–7). This speaks of a King yet to come who will bear all the responsibility of governing and rendering perfect justice in every case. That was simply not true during Jesus’s first coming. There will be no end to His reign upon the throne of David and over His kingdom. Every conflict will end in swift and fair judgment, and justice will prevail. And there will be peace – real peace. Stay safe and stay tuned.