What Will God’s Kingdom Mean for You?
“Keep on . . . seeking first the kingdom and [God’s] righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33.
WHAT would it mean for you to live under a government controlled and directed by Almighty God himself? What would life be like ‘if God’s will were done on earth as it is in heaven’?—Matt. 6:9, 10.
Some idea of what it would mean comes from the words of the psalmist who said of God: “You are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.” (Ps. 145:16) Think of it! A time is coming when the legitimate needs and desires of every person will be satisfied, and likely far better than any of us imperfect humans can now imagine!
To get some idea of it, ask yourself: If you had the power to change conditions on earth, what would you do? What kind of human society would you fashion?
ECONOMIC ABUNDANCE
Likely one of the main things you would do is to arrange for an economic system that provides prosperity and stability. Making a decent living is one of the highest priorities in any family today. But now, only a relatively few have an abundance.
Without doubt, you would want to eliminate poverty and provide abundantly for everybody—not just for a privileged few. Yet no system of human rule has ever accomplished that. In fact, judging by man’s history, worldwide economic abundance may seem like an impossible ideal. And it is—from the human standpoint!
However, consider this principle uttered by Jesus Christ: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26) Keep in mind that the Creator of the universe has wisdom and power far, far beyond that of any human. He used those qualities to fashion an awesome universe of countless billions of galaxies, each containing billions of stars like our sun, and all operating in amazing harmony. He also created all the life-forms on earth, which are so intricate and varied that scientists to this day cannot fully understand them. Surely, it would be no great thing for such an Almighty Creator to fashion and regulate a human society that would use this earth and its resources for the benefit of all.
Regarding food, for example, Jesus interestingly commented: “Observe intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses; still your heavenly Father feeds them.” He also noted this about clothing: “Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor do they spin; but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.”—Matt. 6:26-29.
This shows that the Creator can provide abundantly for his “lower” earthly creation. Certainly, under his Kingdom rule God will demonstrate this ability regarding his human creation. In fact, his promise is: “Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples [not just some of them] . . . a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of wine kept on the dregs.” (Isa. 25:6) Further, the Bible says: “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” (Ps. 72:16) Yes, under Kingdom rule, God will see to it that “the earth itself will certainly give its produce.”—Ps. 67:6.
Nor will such abundance be the product of unpleasant, “backbreaking,” monotonous labor. How can we be sure? Well, when God created the first man and woman, he put them in a paradise, where work was a delight. (Gen. 2:8, 9, 15; 1:31) And Jesus promised that this lost paradise would be restored under the rule of God’s heavenly kingdom. (Luke 23:43) So work then will be a pleasure. Personal craftsmanship, the arts and other skills will no doubt reach new heights of expression, beauty and precision.
Yet, what good would economic abundance be if it could be undone every few years by wars, riots and revolutions, as has been the case under human rule? How can material blessings really be enjoyed if there is no security?
REAL SECURITY
If you had the power to eliminate the things that now cause insecurity, would you not do so? Then would you expect the Almighty God to do any less under his rule? No, for he assures us that he “is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth.” (Ps. 46:9) That means worldwide security for the first time in history, unlike today where any peace or security is only temporary, since wars, riots, insurrections and the like are going on somewhere nearly all the time.
God’s Kingdom government will not only enforce earth-wide peace. It will do more. It will continue to educate its subjects in the ways of peace: “He will instruct us about his ways, . . . neither will they learn war anymore.” (Isa. 2:3, 4) With God as Enforcer and Teacher, you can see why the Bible says that under Kingdom rule people “will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”—Ps. 37:11.
Security is also marred by crime. Today human governments cannot stem the tide of lawless behavior. But with the earth ruled by one government, that of God, and under one set of righteous laws, crime will be speedily eliminated. Any who would want to persist in breaking God’s righteous laws then will not be allowed to mar the peace of that new order. The rule will be: “Evildoers themselves will be cut off, . . . the wicked one will be no more.” (Ps. 37:9, 10) Thus, human society will be without jails, without police, without locks on doors, yes, without fear. Hence, God’s promise is that under his Kingdom rule those living “will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble.”—Mic. 4:4.
However, would it not be a shame to enjoy economic abundance, with delightful work, in totally peaceful conditions, only to get sick, grow old and die?
HEALTH AND LIFE RESTORED
If you were a doctor who found a permanent cure for every disease, would you use it? Nobel prizes are awarded to men of medicine who bring only a fraction of such benefits. But whatever doctors can do to ease pain, to halt the spread of disease, and to add a few years to one’s lifespan, the hard fact remains that inevitably sickness, old age and death come on relentlessly—to all.
Under God’s kingdom, however, “neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” “No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’” (Rev. 21:4; Isa. 33:24) The entire process of sickness, aging and death will be reversed by God’s power, so that bodies and minds will be regenerated. They will be restored to perfect health so that ‘a man’s flesh will become fresher than in his youth.’ (Job 33:25) Conditions will be like those described at Isaiah 35:5, 6: “The eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness.”
But if people did not get sick, or grow old, then they would not die. And that will be the case. No sane persons really want to die. Under Kingdom rule they will not have to, since the promise is: “Death will be no more.” (Rev. 21:4) Thus, “the righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”—Ps. 37:29.
Even more than this, God, who created man from the elements of the earth, can also re-create him. That is why the Bible says: “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Acts 24:15) So the dead, too, in God’s ‘memory bank’ (far more marvelous than that of any man-made computer) will be brought back to life and given the opportunity of living forever in a righteous environment, on a paradise earth. What a happy time that will be!
PEOPLE WHO CARE
Still, even with all such benefits, happiness can be marred by unfriendly people, people who are selfish and who do not care for your interests. That is why the Bible says: “Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love than a manger-fed bull and hatred along with it.” (Prov. 15:17) But since God will bring the beasts of the field into friendly relations with man, will he do less among men?—Isa. 11:6-9; Ezek. 34:25.
The same earth-wide education that will teach people ‘not to learn war anymore’ will instruct them in how to ‘love their neighbors as themselves.’ (Isa. 2:4; Matt. 22:39) Furthermore, God’s powerful active force, his holy spirit, working on people will produce amazing benefits, as it will in the animal realm. The fruitage of that spirit is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.”—Gal. 5:22, 25.
What fine qualities for humans to have! And they will, for the dominating spirit of the New Order will be God’s. With that force working through people, and with the elimination of the miserable conditions of today, which cause so many to be hateful, relations will develop between humans that will be truly heartwarming and pleasurable. Then, the social environment will be as described: “Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”—Ps. 133:1.
Does Kingdom rule appeal to you? If it does, then it is well worth your while to learn more about it. For example, just who will be included in God’s heavenly government? What must each of us do to gain God’s approval to live forever on earth? Is there any evidence, right now on earth, that Kingdom rule really works? Has God ever demonstrated that he could bring such amazing benefits to mankind as healing the sick, raising the dead, or bringing people of different races and nationalities into true harmony and love? And if people are to live forever under God’s kingdom, then will there be a problem with overpopulation?
These and many other questions about God’s kingdom are answered in the Bible. Why not ask one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to assist you to see where the Bible comments on these matters? When you do, and you fully learn about the great blessings in store for the future, then you will understand why Jesus told his followers: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and [God’s] righteousness.”—Matt. 6:33.