JEHOVAH God is the universal and absolute Sovereign. But men not recognizing this fact have set up various governments of their own making during the past six thousand years . Whether these have been tribal rulerships, monarchies, city governments, dictatorships, or democratic political systems, yet it must be admitted that they have all come far short of satisfying the people's needs . This is because the rulers as well as the ruled have overlooked the one thing needed, namely, the establishment of the kingdom of God .

The issue of world domination was raised at the time man took himself out from under God's righteous rule and started down the rough road of human government under Satan's invisible rulership . Therefore Jehovah gave his word of promise in the garden of Eden that in the then distant future he would himself set up a universal kingdom. That declaration, the first prophecy given to man, is recorded at Genesis 3 :15. Being a solemn promise concerning a kingdom "seed", such declared purpose of God is a kingdom covenant.

As time went on, God enlarged upon that original promise by making a kingdom covenant with his friends Abraham, Isaac and Jacob concerning the Seed for blessing all the families of the earth . Later it was revealed through Jacob that the Seed promised would come through the tribe of his son Judah. (Genesis 17 :7,8 ; 22 :16-18; 26 :3-5 ; 28 :13- 15 ; 49 :10) Still later God set up a theocracy, this meaning a "God-rule", over Jacob's descendants, the nation of Israel. This, however, was not the kingdom that was promised in Eden. It did not crush the Serpent's head, nor did it bless all the families of the earth . It was merely a picture or type of the greater kingdom that was to come later .

In that typical arrangement the capital was located at Jerusalem, including Mount Zion . The palace of the king and the sacred ark of Jehovah were situated there . It being a government ruled by God, the king was said to sit on the "throne of Jehovah" as his visible royal representative . Accordingly, the people did not elect the king by vote, for God was the real Sovereign and he chose and anointed his own king to represent him . Because David was a man agreeable to God's own heart, of the tribe of Judah, Jehovah made an everlasting covenant for the kingdom with him for the kingdom to continue in his line of descent. (Acts 13 :22; 2 Samuel 7 :12-16) When that typical theocratic kingdom had served its purpose and approached its end, Jehovah declared : "I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it : and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is ; and I will give it him." (Ezekiel 21 :27) The overturning came in 607 B.C. at Jerusalem's destruction. The one "whose right it is" to be king, namely, Jesus Christ, appeared A .D. 29.

Two historians named Matthew and Luke traced down the line of David's descendants individually, and both reached the same conclusion, that Christ Jesus was the rightful heir. He indeed proved to be the "Lion that is of the tribe of Judah". (Matthew 1 :2-16 ; Luke 3 :23-34 ; Hebrews 7 :14 ; Revelation 5 :5, NW) The angels unitedly glorified God at the birth of him who was to bruise the Serpent's head. Then, when he was baptized at thirty years of age and anointed to be King of the heavenly government, God's voice from heaven was heard saying: "This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved ." Such declaration showed that Jesus was there begotten by God's holy spirit to be a spiritual son . A mere man could not be the king of the heavenly government.-Matthew 3 :17, NW; Acts 13 :33; 1 Corinthians 15 :50.

On one occasion this anointed Kingdom Heir said that a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens would be greater than John the Baptist. (Matthew 11 :11, NW) If that is so, what are the requirements for entering the Kingdom? Who and how many are able to enter it? The Revelation limits to 144,000 the number that become a part of the Kingdom and stand on heavenly Mount Zion. Thus it is seen that God never purposed to convert this old world and take all the good to heaven. There are only a few that find entrance into this kingdom-only a "little flock" when compared with earth's population .-Revelation 14 :1, 3 ; 7 :4-8 ; Matthew 7 :13,14; Luke 12 :32 .

This may all seem like a mystery to those who have no knowledge of the Bible and its teachings . Indeed, it is the "sacred secret of the Christ" . (Ephesians 3 :4, NW) Only those who are "called, and chosen, and faithful" from among men reign with the "Lord of lords, and King of kings" . (Revelation 17 :14) Since "flesh and blood cannot inherit God's kingdom", these must become the spiritual sons of God . Even as Christ Jesus told Nicodemus : `Except a man is born again, being born of the water of truth and of the spirit, he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God .'-1 Corinthians 15 :50, NW; John 3 :3-13 ; 1 :12,13 ; James 1 :18.

These spiritual sons of God, receiving the "spirit of adoption", are able to say : "The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children . If, then, we are children, we are also heirs : heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ." (Romans 8 :15-17, NW) Such heirs are brought into a covenant for the Kingdom, as Jesus stated : "I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones ." (Luke 22 :28- 30, NW) In the capacity of priests and kings of God they reign a thousand years with Christ Jesus . This "royal priesthood" is spoken of by the apostle Peter as "a holy nation, a people for special possession", who inherit the Kingdom because they bring forth its fruits . All together, they constitute the royal family of God the Father .-Revelation 20 :4,6 ; 5 :10 ; 1 Peter 2 :9, NW; Matthew 21 :43-45.

From all the above it is manifest that the Kingdom is not earthly, but heavenly . It is the invisible or heavenly part of the "new world" . "I am not from this world," said Jesus, and again, "My kingdom is no part of this world ." (John 8 :23; 18 :36, NW; Isaiah 65 :17; 2 Peter 3 :13) So the King Christ Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was resurrected an invisible spirit creature . Therefore the world will see him no more . He went to prepare a heavenly place for his associate heirs, "Christ's body," for they too will be invisible spirit creatures . Their "citizenship exists in the heavens".-1 Peter 3 :18, Dy; John 14 :19; John 14 :2 ; Philippians 3 :20, NW.

Further showing that the Kingdom is heavenly, Jehovah says : "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool ." Christ Jesus says he sits down with the Father in His throne . (Isaiah 66 :1; Revelation 3 :21) It is wholly inconsistent to think that the Kingdom rulership over the entire universe will be administered from his lowly footstool, the earth .

If it is to be a heavenly kingdom, who will be the subjects of its rule? In the invisible realm angelic hosts, myriads of them, will serve as faithful messengers of the King . And on earth faithful children of the King Christ Jesus, including faithful forefathers of his then resurrected, will be "princes in all the earth" . (Psalm 45:16) A few of such princely representatives are mentioned in Hebrews, chapter eleven . Then, too, the "great crowd" of his "other sheep", described at Revelation 7:9-17 (NW), will continue to "serve him day and night", and many of them will also be "princes". Surviving the universal war of Armageddon, they will "multiply and fill the earth" in righteousness, and their children will become obedient subjects of the King Christ Jesus . And finally the "unrighteous" ones that are to be resurrected then, to prove their integrity, must joyfully submit themselves to theocratic rule . (Acts 24 :15, NW) Those who prove rebellious or who turn unfaithful during the loosing of Satan at the end of Christ's thousand-year reign will be annihilated with Satan the Devil .-Revelation 20 :7-15 .

The kingdom of God is a paternalistic government, its subjects receiving life from the Father through Christ Jesus, the reigning King . All, therefore, including the King, submit themselves in faithful obedience to Jehovah God . As King David said : "Thine, 0 Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty : . . . thine is the kingdom, 0 Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all ." (1 Chronicles 29 :11, AS) Unlike man-made democratic government, all the judicial force, legislative power and executive authority reside solely in the Theocrat . Says the prophet : "Jehovah is our judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king." (Isaiah 33 :22, AS) And yet such rule is not a harsh, dictatorial and cruel authoritarian regime. Perfect are Jehovah's works and his ways are just. -Deuteronomy 32 :4, AS.

NOW AT HAND

"If the Kingdom is to be heavenly, why did both John the Baptist and Christ Jesus proclaim : "The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near"? It was because the anointed King was personally in their midst proclaiming the thrilling Kingdom message. So when the faithless Pharisees demanded to know when the Kingdom would come, the King answered : "Look! the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Matthew 3 :2; 4 :17 and Luke 17 :20, 21, NW) As long as Christ Jesus was in the midst of them the disciples likewise proclaimed the presence of the Kingdom. (Matthew 10 :7; Luke 10 :8-11) But there is no record that they continued to do so after his ascension on high . Such an announcement would not be appropriate until his return and second presence .

On this point the disciples asked what sign would indicate Jesus' return, the consummation of the old system of things, and the setting up of his kingdom. (Matthew 24:3; Acts 1 :6-8) Jesus knew a long period of waiting was foretold at Psalm 110 :1, 2 . He also knew that men would be unable to see the invisible heavenly kingdom when it was set up. So he told them what visible sign to look for. It was really a long-range prophecy leaping nearly 1900 years .

Since 1914 world-shattering events have followed one another in quick succession . These mark that year as the time when Christ Jesus began to rule in the midst of his enemies. It was a time when the nations became wrathful . The birth that year of the heavenly government pictured by a male child that would rule all nations with an iron rod precipitated a war in heaven, resulting in the ousting of Satan, who has since then brought great woe to the earth and the sea, just as foretold . -Revelation 11 :17,18; 12 :1-12, NW.

Another feature described by Jesus that would indicate the Kingdom's establishment was, "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations ." (Matthew 24 :14, NW) This is not the good news of a kingdom coming, but the news of one now established. So from and after 1919 the most sustained publicity campaign ever given on earth has been to the effect that "the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" .

With the heavenly kingdom's establishment and Satan's ousting, God's will has now come to pass in heaven . It can therefore be said that his kingdom is here . This being so, is it proper when uttering the Lord's prayer to include the words, "Let your kingdom come"? If anything, it is even more proper since 1914 to pray so, for Satan has been ousted from heaven and hurled down to earth and Jehovah's will now is done only in the heavens. Christians will therefore continue to pray for that kingdom to come in all its destructive fury against Satan's remaining forces at the battle of Armageddon. They will continue to pray that God's will come to pass, "as in heaven, also upon earth."

NOT SEDITIOUS

But is it not seditious to say the Lord's prayer and announce that the Kingdom has drawn near? Why do we ask? Because Jesus was so charged for making a similar proclamation . As then, so now, the sectarian clergy charge that the Kingdom message proclaimed by Jehovah's witnesses is seditious. (John 18 :28-32 ; Luke 23 :1, 2) But no honest court of justice would make such a ruling, even if the coming to pass of God's will on earth means destroying present human governments and replacing them with the majestic kingdom of the heavens. For there is no power except by God . The Kingdom is of God.-Romans 13 :1,2.

The very purpose of the Kingdom is to crush out all rebellion and restore righteousness universally . Hence Satan and his wicked organization will be destroyed beneath the irresistible power of that theocratic government . (1 Corinthians 15 :25) Then under a righteous Kingdom rule the original purpose of the Creator will be carried out, namely, the populating of the earth with humans who will serve, praise and honor their loving God . All this will vindicate the name, word, purpose and sovereignty of Jehovah God. Since it is the kingdom of the heavens that will accomplish this, it follows that the Kingdom is of greater importance than anything else. Such importance is also indicated for it in that the greatest doctrine, yes, the whole theme, of the Bible is the Kingdom . The prophecies given under inspiration by God, and Jesus' parables and teachings, all carry as their main burden "the kingdom of the heavens" .

Humans who will live under its rule must likewise make the Kingdom the most important thing in their lives. Why, the Creator loved the new world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son to be its King. The Son of God emptied himself and humbly became the target of Satan's fiendish attacks in order to qualify as God's vindicator . (John 3 :16 ; Philippians 2 :5-8; Hebrews 5 :8, 9) He sold everything he had in order to purchase that treasure . The apostles, following Jesus' example, sought "first the kingdom" . The way one of them expressed it, `There is one thing about it, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the calling above, cost what it may.' (Matthew 13 :44-46 ;, 6 :33; Philippians 3 :13,14, NW) People of good will who hope to live on earth in the new world do not split their affection and allegiance with this old satanic world, but make the Kingdom the allimportant thing in their lives .

The undefeatable purpose of Jehovah God to establish a righteous kingdom in these last days was fulfilled A.D. 1914 . At the coming battle of Armageddon it will smite full force against the entire organization of Satan the Devil and destroy all its parts, high and low, visible and invisible, as foretold by the prophet Daniel : "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed : and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2 :44) Not only will it last forever, but of the increase of Christ's government and peace there shall be no end. (Isaiah 9 :7 ; Daniel 7 :14; Luke 1 :33) It is beyond the imagination of frail men to conceive the blessings that this glorious kingdom will bestow on all who are privileged to live under its righteous rule .

The climax of the centuries has been reached, and the great issue of universal sovereignty is about to be settled once and for all time by the Kingdom. So, awake, everyone who wants to live under that righteous government! Put not your trust in the princes of this old world who have set up a worldly international organization in defiance of God's rightful Kingdom rule . Obey the King Christ Jesus and flee, while there is still time, to the Kingdom heights. (Romans 13 :11; Matthew 24 :15-20) Time left is short, for "the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near" .