The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus gave them a model prayer that we today call the Lord's Prayer: "And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of his disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And He said unto them, When you pray, say, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."" (Luke 11:1-4 KJV.)

Everyone is familiar with the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ and most Christians probably have it memorized and use it as a model prayer every day in their personal prayers. But notice in this prayer that Jesus did not say to pray about going to heaven when you die. Jesus said to pray: "Thy Kingdom Come." (Request our free article: "Are You Going to Heaven?")

The book of Mark begins with the statement about the gospel: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1 NKJV). "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, {15} and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"" (Mark 1:14-15 NKJV).

Did you notice what Jesus was preaching? He was preaching the gospel.

The gospel of what? He was preaching the gospel of "the kingdom of God"!

The word "gospel" means "good news", "glad tidings" or "good message". So Jesus came preaching the "good news" of the "kingdom of God".

Notice in verse 15 that we must "repent and believe this gospel".

This message that Jesus brought to us about "the kingdom" is very important. The "kingdom of God" message was the main focus of Jesus' ministry. Much of Jesus' preaching was done in parables. "But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples" (Mark 4:34 NKJV).

A parable is like a riddle. The meaning was hidden in the riddle. The people that heard Jesus were fascinated with these parables but did not understand their meaning. When the disciples got Jesus alone, they would ask Him the meaning.

If the parables of Jesus were not explained in the Bible then we would not know the meaning either.

In most cases these parables related to the "kingdom of God".

Let's notice that the "gospel of the kingdom of God" was also to be preached by the apostles: "Then He (Jesus) called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases." "He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:1-2 NKJV).

The apostle Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom of God: "And he (Paul) went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8 NKJV).

Let's notice that the gospel must be preached before the end will come: "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" (Matthew 24:14 NKJV).

Now, let's look at this Kingdom that Jesus was preaching about.

It begins with king Nebuchadnezzar who had a dream. The wise men of Babylon could not interpret the dream, So Daniel prayed to God and God revealed the dream to Daniel.

Let’s look at: Daniel 2:28-45 (NKJV):

"But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: {29} As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. {30} But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. {31} You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. {32} This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, {33} its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. {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. {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. {36} This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. {37} You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; {38} and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all; you are this head of gold. {39} But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. {40} And the fourt

h kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. {41} Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. {42} And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. {43} As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. {44} And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. {45} Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

This dream revealed that king Nebuchadnezzar was the first real world ruler over a world empire.

Following the Nebuchadnezzar’s Chaldean empire would be the Persian, Greco-Macedonian and the Roman empires.

Then in the "end time" God will destroy all the other kingdoms and set up His kingdom which will never be destroyed.

When Jesus returns, He will resurrect the Saints in the first resurrection.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. {17} Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV).

"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!"" (Revelation 11:15 NKJV).

Let's notice that Jesus Christ will be the head of that kingdom. "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. {12} His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. {13} He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. {14} And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. {15} Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. {16} And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:11-16 NKJV).

Jesus Christ will be the king of this kingdom. He will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

"Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." {37} Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice"" (John 18:36-37 NKJV).

"Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14 NKJV).

Dominion means sovereign or supreme ruling authority. Jesus' dominion will be over "all nations" of the earth.

Jesus will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. {9} And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, {10} And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth"" (Revelation 5:8-10 NKJV).

"Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" {6} And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! {7} "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." {8} And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. {9} Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." {10} And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." {11} Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. {12} His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. {13} He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. {14} And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. {15} Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. {16} And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:5-16 NKJV).

"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:" (1 Corinthians 1:2 NKJV).

A "saint" is a person who is pure, blameless, consecrated and holy to God.

The saints are the Church, people called out of the world to be God’s own people. It has nothing to do with a church declaring that certain individuals are "saints" and officially recognizing them through canonization as preeminent for holiness.

How long will the saints rule the earth with Jesus Christ?

"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. {5} But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. {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" (Revelation 20:4-6 ).

The Saints will reign with Christ for one millennium - 1,000 years.

First of all, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and the Saints.

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. {2} He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; {3} and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while" (Revelation 20:1-3 NKJV).

Then the kingdom of God will be established on the earth for 1,000 years. This will be a divine Government.

All governmental offices and responsibilities will be given to the saints who have been resurrected, converted to spirit beings who then would have eternal life.

Some will rule over ten cities and some over five cities. ""And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' {18} "And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' {19} "Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities'" (Luke 19:17-19 NKJV).

Let's notice how Jesus and the saints will rule and judge: "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. {3} His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; {4} But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked" (Isaiah 11:2-4 NKJV).

All judgement will be based upon God's Ten Commandments, laws, Statutes and judgments.

All crime, violence, drugs, abuse and rebellion will be put down by divine supernatural force.

Jesus will begin to reeducate and to spiritually convert the world by writing God's laws in peoples' hearts.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Hebrews 8:10).

"Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them" (Jer 10:2 NKJV).

Deuteronomy 12:30-31 (NKJV) says: ""take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' {31} "You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods."

God's holy days, the seven annual festivals, will be commanded to be observed: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. {17} And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. {18} If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. {19} This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-19 NKJV).

God’s Holy Days pictures God’s plan of salvation. (Request our free booklet "God’s Holy Days" for more information about each of the Holy Days.) The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles is the Holy Day period that pictures the 1,000 year millennium of the Kingdom of God here on planet earth with Jesus Christ ruling as King of kings.

Each week all people will worship God on His holy seventh day Sabbath.

"And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the LORD" (Isaiah 66:23 NKJV).

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. {2} Many nations shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {3} He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more" (Micah 4:1-3 NKJV).

Let’s read Isaiah 35 (NKJV): "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; {2} It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God. {3} Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. {4} Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you." {5} Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. {6} Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. {7} The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. {8} A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. {9} No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, {10} And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

"Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard." (Isaiah 58:8 NKJV).

"For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,' says the LORD, 'Because they called you an outcast saying: "This is Zion; No one seeks her"'" (Jeremiah 30:17 NKJV).

"Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. {2} "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God: {3} "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. {4} "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. {5} "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl" (Deuteronomy 28:1-5 NKJV).

"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. {24} In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria; a blessing in the midst of the land, {25} whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance" (Isaiah 19:23-25). 

A Pure Language

"For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord" (Zep 3:9 NKJV).

"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. {7} The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. {8} The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. {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" (Isaiah 11:6-9 NKJV).

The millennium will be a paradise on earth. The deserts will bloom, good health will prevail, peace will endure, animals will become tame, there will be abundant supply of food and it will rain in due season. All of mankind will worship God in spirit and in truth.

God will bless the earth and man abundantly.

When you pray: "Thy Kingdom Come", realize what you are praying for.

You are asking God to establish His government on the earth for 1,000 years.

You are asking the living Christ to return in power and glory as "King of kings and Lord of lords" to rule over all the nations.

You are asking to be a ruler under Jesus Christ to help govern this earth in love, joy and peace.

Hopefully the next time you pray: "Thy Kingdom Come", it will have much more meaning for you.

The Bible says: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16 NKJV).

Remember to pray fervently: "Thy Kingdom Come!"