“Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne.” (Mt 19:28)
There is a new world coming. Peter wrote:
“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Pe 3:13)
Today, as we are quickly approaching the Day of Judgment, righteousness is more and more driven out of society. But a day is coming when Messiah will sit on his father David’s throne in Jerusalem and then righteousness will dwell in the earth and rule mankind. The kingdom of God will be manifest in the earth. What a glorious hope!
Paul wrote: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Ro 14:17) This is a reality that we can enjoy already now in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Eph 1:14)
But one day “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14) Then righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit will fill the whole earth. Now we experience the kingdom of God in a limited way, but then it will come in its fullness. The kingdom of God is “at hand”, it is “within reach” already now in the Holy Spirit. It is possible already now to live a life of righteousness peace and joy. But the kingdom of heaven is not yet here in its fullness. We are still waiting for the return of the King.
Some theologians have tried to make a distinction between the expressions “the kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of heaven”. They say that the kingdom of God is already here, but the kingdom of heaven is referring to heaven. The words of Yeshua earlier in this chapter dispel this myth.
“Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mt 19:23-24)
It is very clear from this passage and many others in the Gospels that the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “Kingdom of God” are synonymous. Heaven is simply another way of referring to God, since it is the abode of the only true God, who is the Creator of heaven and earth.
The “new world” is not talking about going to heaven. It is the transformed heaven and earth where righteousness dwells, which will be manifest when the Messiah comes to take up His throne in Jerusalem. What a day that will be. It is important to restore the true biblical hope!
