Gospel of the Kingdom of God

 

We Have a Commission

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

How does it go out to all the world if we stop it at any time?

How could we have this opportunity that we now have if it were not for the preaching of the gospel?

Mark 16:16 …will be saved
The process of God saving us will not be finished until our resurrection at the time of Jesus Christ’s return.

It is crucial that we continue to preach the gospel

What Is a Gospel?

Define

Gospel in Greek euaggelion

eu good and aggelos word for angel or messenger

So the good message or the good news

It is important to define

False Gospels

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Galatians 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. [2 Corinthians 11:4]

So What is the True Gospel?

This is not a surprise that many are confused on the subject:

Mark 4:11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

Let Jesus Christ define it:

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,

Luke 9:11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

Luke 4:42 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;
Luke 4:43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Luke 4:44 And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

Even after His Resurrection

Acts 1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Acts 1:2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Disciples Preached the same message

Notice how He sent them out

Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
Luke 9:2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Continues today

Part of our commission

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

What is the Kingdom of God?

Kingdom is composed of four main elements: ruler, territory, law, and subjects

Let’s start from the end:

Revelation 22:3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
Revelation 22:4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

This is the GOOD NEWS that is the gospel and has always been the Gospel:

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings [same word as “good news”] of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

When we put all this together it sounds like a government…because it is! The Kingdom of God is the government of God

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end,

He puts these two together.

It has not been peaceful for probably billions of years.

God has had a plan from before the world began

This has always been the Gospel (Old Testament times, New Testament times and:

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

When His plan is complete and His Kingdom is in place then there will be no end to what we all can do together in harmony.

Let’s see WHAT else is associated with the Kingdom of God?

As we begin to paint this picture of the Kingdom of God we see that there many things associated with it and components to it:

Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
Mark 10:19 You know the commandments: ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ ‘DO NOT MURDER,’ ‘DO NOT STEAL,’ ‘DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.'”

Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Matthew 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Mark 10:20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

[He had to change]

Mark 10:22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Mark 10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Mark 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
Mark 10:29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
Mark 10:30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

Also note that they had not yet entered it – they were looking forward to it in the future

Different Names and Aspects of the Greater Message

One of the sometimes confusing is that the Bible refers to this gospel in different ways:

Kingdom of God tells us whose Kingdom it is and where it originated

Another way of saying Kingdom of God is: God’s kingdom; it is possessive and shows whose it is when there is a person or personage tied to it.

We need to bear this in mind because scripture occasionally calls the gospel by names other than “the gospel of the kingdom of God.”

Gospel of God

Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

Shows origination, but it doesn’t stop there

Gospel of Christ

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

His gospel too, the one that He preached that He got from the Father

hold your finger in Romans

Acts 10:36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ

Gospel of Peace

Now back to Romans that this Gospel has many aspects to it and they are all apart of the encompassing plan and wonderful future that God has for mankind:

Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!”

Gospel of Grace

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

This aspect of the gospel message has to do with us, His subjects

By grace we are called and saved. It is the out pouring of His love, beyond what we deserve, so that we can have a chance to be a part of His Kingdom

Gospel of Our Salvation

Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Gospel of the Glory of Christ

2 Corinthians 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Part of the gospel is about Jesus Christ – not ALL of it though

Of course we have to understand some of the very crucial parts that He played in it, but it is not solely about Him.

WHEN does the Kingdom of God come?

Or has it already come?

Kingdom of God is “Within You”

Luke 17:20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;
Luke 17:21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

I think it would be ridiculous to conclude that the Kingdom of God was bound up in the hearts of the Pharisee. They were hypocrites, who hated and wanted to kill Jesus. Their hearts were evil and desperately wicked and stony…God’s law couldn’t be written there. They were not receptive to Christ’s word and His ways. So this is not possible what it could mean.

There are many other translations that have it better rendered. A couple of the literal versions I use:

(ISV)  People won’t be saying, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ because now the kingdom of God is among you.”

(LITV)  nor will they say, Lo, here! Or, Lo, there! For behold the kingdom of God is in your midst.

Better translation of the Greek word entos and of course it makes more sense especially when we know that the King is associated and often synonymous with the Kingdom.

Did it come with Jesus Christ the first time? This is what the Jews were expecting! Why because they read it in the Old Testament….that Jesus Christ would come with power and establish the Kingdom but it would be His second coming.

Matthew 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

This is the way that they were to continue to pray. Even though Christ was there among them, He told them to pray that it come some time in the future.

Still Yet in the Future

Luke 21:31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

What things? Olivet prophecy; Parallel in Matthew 24;

Luke 21:10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Luke 21:11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

This is the end-time;

Luke 21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
Luke 21:26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Luke 21:31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.

These things have not happened yet; so therefore the Kingdom of God has not come yet

At His Return

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Part 2

WHO gets to be a part of the Kingdom of God?

As we mentioned before, the Kingdom of God is the Government of God (Isaiah 9:6-7) and this is a system that is led by spiritual beings. So to be a part of it we can no longer literally be flesh and blood.

It is conditional

Many do not like to hear this, but it is true and makes sense. A relationship cannot be one-sided – in this case it cannot be God doing everything right and us doing whatever we want. Does that make sense?

The Narrow Path

Luke 13:23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. [Because there is only one way] Luke 13:25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
Luke 13:26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
Luke 13:27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

Let’s note Luke 13:23-24: We must strive, put effort into it, to enter through the narrow gate into the Kingdom of God. So Christ is telling us that MANY will seek to enter it, but they will not be able to. But they would not be successful. Why?

The reason seems to be that they GAVE UP. They ceased obeying God and still thought they would be able to enter the Kingdom of God.

Priorities

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
2 Peter 1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Keep the commandments

Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Matthew 19:17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Use it or Lose it

God expects us to use what we know and what He has given us

God expects us to grow our talents

Luke 19:24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’

Luke 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Luke 19:12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
Luke 19:13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

[submission required; we acknowledge that we are subject to Them]

Luke 19:15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

1 to 10; 1 to 5; 1 to 0

Luke 12:43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Psalm 119 law, testimonies, His ways, precepts, statutes, all Your commandments, righteous judgments, word, ordinances, and knowledge.

Good Works – A Requirement for Salvation Pt 1

Luke 12:44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

We Will have to give account

Like in the parable of the minas… the mina gained 10 or 5

Even in the sense of accounting – we will have to give a profit or loss statement so to speak

Romans 14:10 … For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Romans 14:11 For it is written: “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.”
Romans 14:12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

It will be for the good, the bad and the indifferent

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

In other words our good works, bad deeds, and the things that we did not do that we should have [the sins of omission that James speaks about: James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.]

This why Peter states that judgment has already begun on the people of God (1 Peter 4:17)

Because there will be a reckoning

[The Spiritual Books]

We Must be Spirit

To be a part of the government of God we must be spirit.

The only thing that we can do about this is what we have just mentioned.

Even that being, if we did all of it perfectly we still could not accomplish this last part on our own.

Only God can give it to us.

Nonetheless it is a condition of entering the Kingdom of God.

This also shows that we are not currently in the Kingdom of God nor is the first major implementation of it going on now.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed

Christ speaks of this change in: John 3

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Not all will be in the Kingdom of God

We have implied this and touched on it, but let’s be clear about it: there is a lake of fire for a reason:

Revelation 21:8 But the … unbelieving [and sinners] shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

There will be no eternal life for the wicked

Let’s pickup where we left off in:

Luke 19:20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.
Luke 19:21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
Luke 19:22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.
Luke 19:23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
Luke 19:24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’
Luke 19:25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’)
Luke 19:26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Luke 19:27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ “

[Other parables show that the unprofitable servant is killed by casting him into lake of fire]

He did not receive ANY rulership position, nor receive eternal life and He did not enter the Kingdom of God but died in the lake of fire as a physical being at the time of his judgment.

There are conditions and with these conditions we have choices. When we are aware, we get to make the choice to be in the Kingdom of God or we can say that we say that we do not want to follow God or be in subjection to His ways. So in this sense the Lake of fire is our choice.

So we must realize that the one talent he was or we are given, was not and, is not enough to assure entry into the Kingdom of God. Think about that for a second.

So it is not enough to be called, it is not enough to know the Bible backwards and forwards, it is not enough to do what we think is right; to be able to make it into the Kingdom of God.

WHERE will the Kingdom of God be?

Much confusion:
It’s here now
It’s in our hearts
It’s in heaven
Where we go when we die

Heaven

Kingdom of God; Kingdom of Heaven; shows origin as we talked about before, yet some take this to mean that this is where the Kingdom of God is and where we go when we die.

Acts 2:29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

Not only that but he states it another way

Acts 2:34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

So when we die we do not go to heaven and we stay buried in the ground like a seed waiting to transform when the conditions are right. This is the:

Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
1 Corinthians 15:36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
1 Corinthians 15:37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.
1 Corinthians 15:38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.
1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.
1 Corinthians 15:40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1 Corinthians 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.
1 Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.
1 Corinthians 15:43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.
1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [the return of Jesus Christ]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The Kingdom of God will be on Earth

There is an overwhelming amount of scripture that shows that the Kingdom of God will be on Earth

Finish this verse for me: Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit….

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

Daniel 2:34 You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
Daniel 2:35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Isaiah 11:6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
Isaiah 11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isaiah 11:8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.

Now to one of the greatest mysteries that still exists today:

The Plan of God Comes in an Order

If the world knew this one aspect of the plan of God it would answer SO MANY questions that are still considered unanswerable or unknowable.

It coincides with the three festival seasons of the year and the harvest at each time

Passover (Spring; time of first growth) – wave sheaf was cut; “harvested” before any thing else could be taken/harvested from the field. Christ was the first of the firstfruits.

Then Pentecost  – the next harvest; still a small harvest by comparison to the last one; this is the one of the rest of the firstfruits.  

We Will Rule With Christ in the Kingdom

Daniel 7:27: “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven (that is, on this earth) shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.  His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.  And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
Revelation 2:27 ‘HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER’S VESSELS’— as I also have received from My Father;

The reward [The Gifts and Rewards of the Next Life] for having lived a Christian life is a position of rulership in the Kingdom of God.

Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

We will be a part of the God Family God’s Plan for Man

The Kingdom of God Will Grow

Then Fall Festival Season (specifically Feast of Tabernacles) is the final and great harvest when the rest of humanity will have had their opportunity.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

And so the God Family will grow, and the government of the Kingdom of God will grow too, that is, it will reach into the uttermost parts of the earth, and after that, into the entire universe 

Luke 1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Luke 1:33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Luke 13:18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
Luke 13:19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
Luke 13:20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

It begins small, but grows.  Right now, the Kingdom of God, which is the Family of God, consists of God the Father and Jesus Christ.  But the God Family is a growing Family.  God is adding to His Family.  God is reproducing Himself. 

And then in the very end:

Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.