The Kingdom represents a great deal more than just the Church. The Kingdom of God represents His Lordship and authority over the whole earth (Matthew 28:18). It represents His Lordship over the nations, and over every realm that you can think of, such as the financial world, the world of art, the economic world. All of these things really belong under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ…1
Revelation 11:15 tells us that “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” This verse establishes that God’s Kingdom is being manifest on the earth, and is not just a heavenly reality. Jesus illustrated this when He taught His disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). A faith for the Kingdom of God, however, does not mean that believers should attempt to take over the rule of the world by natural means (John 18:36), or disobey their governments. On the contrary, the Scriptures advocate submission to governing authorities (Romans 13:1).
By our human efforts we will not bring forth the Kingdom of God. It will be God’s holy energy in us that works, but it will not be accomplished through human domination or human control or human legislation.2
Ultimately, the governments of this world will become a part of the Kingdom of God. The prophecy in the book of Daniel concerning the Kingdom was that it would be like a stone cut from a mountain that would grow until it filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45). The parables of the Kingdom found in Matthew 13 also portray how the Kingdom will co-exist with the world for a time, first taking root within God’s people, and then growing until it takes over the entire earth. Therefore, Stevens believed that the Kingdom of God is established gradually, and that it has been manifesting in the earth since the time of Christ (Matthew 11:12-13; 12:28), although it has not yet been seen in its fullness. An author once misinterpreted John as declaring that Christ would return in 1979. This is untrue3, and it goes completely against Stevens’ teachings that the Kingdom is a progressive manifestation, culminating in the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, and preceded by His appearing in His people (II Thessalonians 1:10).
Philippians 3:20 states that our citizenship is in heaven. Christians must claim their heavenly citizenship, and from that place begin to manifest the Kingdom on this earth. The Kingdom is a nation of kings and priests (Revelation 5:10). Stevens taught that Christ’s believers are to become those kings and priests who rule and reign with Him.
The Kingdom is coming! The Kingdom is here! When did it start? It started in your heart some time ago, for the Kingdom is within you (Luke 17:21). The King began to reign. He began to be Lord over you! It is inevitable that it will take place everywhere, because it is already happening within you. It will manifest itself in every area. God is invading every area of your life. Do you think He will stop there? Not until He has filled the whole earth, for the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). That day is coming. It has already started. Just be open to it.4
Citations
1. Stevens, John Robert: “Thy Kingdom-Church Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth”, This Week, Vol. XII, No. 7, pp. 10-11: Copyright © 1980 by The Living Word.*
2. Stevens, John Robert: “Control or Change?”, The Unfolding Part IV, This Week, Vol. XIV, No. 4, p. 52: Copyright © 1982 by The Living Word.*
3. Stevens, John Robert: “Jubilee—Neither Prisoner nor Pauper”, This Week, September 22, 1974, pp. 7-8: Copyright © 1974 by John Robert Stevens & The Living Word.*
We know it would be wrong for us to set a date. We could set a date, but we still wouldn’t know what is going to happen in 1978, except that we do know the Lord is going to begin to proclaim certain things. We would never go so far as to say that this is the date of His coming. We don’t know the day nor the hour. No one knows that, only the Father. Even Jesus Christ Himself had either refused that knowledge or had been refused that knowledge, for He said He did not know the hour that He would return. If Jesus didn’t know it, we surely don’t know. This knowledge is in the heart of the Father, who holds a sovereign plan for all of these things to unfold and to be completed.
4. Stevens, John Robert: “The Humble Shall Prevail”, The Shape of Things to Come, p. 137: Copyright © 1976 by John Robert Stevens & The Living Word.*
References
Stevens, John Robert: “All Chiefs and No Indians”, This Week, December 19, 1976: John Robert Stevens, 1976. 76111708R
Stevens, John Robert: “I Will Awaken the Dawn”, This Week, March 14, 1976: John Robert Stevens, 1976. 76020302R
Stevens, John Robert: “I Was Not Known as Jehovah”, This Week, January 8, 1978: John Robert Stevens, 1977. 77120105R
Stevens, John Robert: “Control or Change?”, The Unfolding Part IV, This Week, Vol. XIV, No. 4: The Living Word, 1982. L8TW83XIV-04
Stevens, John Robert: “His Kingdom or Our Kingdoms?”, Walking Together: John Robert Stevens, 1973. 97042501R
Stevens, John Robert: “The Kingdom is Inherited”, This Week, April 20, 1975: John Robert Stevens, 1975. 74072302R
Stevens, John Robert: “The Humble Shall Prevail”, The Shape of Things to Come: John Robert Stevens, 1976. 73122602R
Stevens, John Robert: “How Will His Kingdom Prevail?”, This Week, September 9, 1979: The Living Word, 1979. 79071109R
The term Kingdom appears 7,069 times in Stevens’ written materials.
The term Kingdom of God appears 1,221 times in Stevens’ written materials.
The term Kingdom of heaven appears 214 times in Stevens’ written materials.
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