The Old Testament chronicles the long line of 17 judges, ending with Samuel, and his sons Joel and Abijah (1 Samuel 8:1-2). [Editor’s Note: Typically, Bible students acknowledge that there were 15 judges raised up by God, despite Samuel appointing his sons to be judges. In the absence, however, of a specific enumeration concisely in a singular passage of Scripture, some commentators cite fewer, or in this case more, than that number. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Israel became dissatisfied and requested a king. The people desired to be “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). This request troubled Samuel.
“Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Note that God himself had been ruling over them; He had been their King. An earthly kingdom was granted with Saul, followed by David and then Solomon.
However, God had in mind a better kingdom arrangement – an arrangement whereby He would once again be the King. He gradually revealed His plan. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of the peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever” (Isaiah 9:6-7 ca. 750 B.C.). The “Prince of Peace” would be a king over His kingdom. Later, one of Daniel’s prophecies revealed that the kingdom would be established during the days of a fourth world empire, namely the Roman (Daniel 2:44).
Once Jesus came (during Roman rule as predicted), He began speaking about His kingdom (Matthew 4:17). However, many misunderstood the nature of the kingdom. Most supposed it would be a restoration of the old physical type. Jesus explained: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of heaven is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). When Jesus spoke about how to get into this spiritual kingdom (John 3:3), Nicodemus mistakenly thought in physical terms. So Jesus explained further that entrance requires a special kind of birth – of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). When people in the first century submitted to the Gospel, they were delivered “out of the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (Colossians 1:13). At this early time, saints were not waiting for the kingdom; they were in the kingdom! John wrote to his fellow Christians and said he was their brother, and along with them, he was in the “kingdom” (Revelation 1:9). At the time Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians, he said Christ “must reign” (15:25). In the original text, the present tense is more graphic, indicating Jesus was then reigning and must continue to reign. When the end comes, Jesus will not set up a kingdom (as so many assert), but rather, He will “deliver up the kingdom,” which already exists, unto God (1 Corinthians 15:24 please read carefully).
