“Heaven is here right now
Heaven is here right now
What we long to see
Is happening happening
Here right now
Heaven is here
Here comes Heaven”
Here Comes The Glory, David and Nicole Binion
“Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.”
Psalm 144:5
When Jesus started His ministry He went from place to place declaring: “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
It is easy for us to listen to this – as I did for a very long time – and think that Jesus was talking about a coming time where the Kingdom would be established on Earth… But the nearness described here is not temporal but rather spatial: “The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now, in your midst!”
The Psalms and the Prophets are filled with the desire of the people to SEE God – to see His Kingdom come.
Even the disciples ask Him in Acts 1:6 when it is that He will restore the kingdom (the basileia – dominion, authority and sovereignty) to Israel.
The Kingdom here refers to the sovereign theocratic rule of God that was originally established at Mt. Sinai.
Psalm 144:5: echoes this desire specifically when the psalmist asks God to bow the Heavens and set the mountains on fire. We read in Exodus 19 that after coming out of Egypt Moses led the people to the foot of the mountain to meet with God. It says in verse 18 that Mount Sinai was covered in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire.
It is here that God first institutes His theocratic government through His covenant with Moses and the Israelites.
David writes: “Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.” (Psalm 144:7-8:)
The disciples ask: Lord, when will You restore the Kingdom to Israel?
At this time Israel is drowning in the mighty waters of the Roman Empire – being ruled over by foreigners and corrupt officials.
Jesus’ answer is probably not very satisfying: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
What Jesus is saying might not be what they were looking for – but it is what we all need: He wasn’t about to restore the kingdom to Israel – but was here to establish His Kingdom in their hearts and the heart of every believer to come.
We as the church cry out: Lord, when will You restore Your Kingdom?
We are drowning in the mighty waters of a sick and corrupted world with its political and moral philosophies running so contrary to the Word of God…
At Sinai God calls the Israelites – through faith and obedience – to be His treasured possession. A Kingdom of priests – a nation holy unto God.
When we open up our minds and hearts and allow God to step in and flood our lives, what we long to see starts happening – He transforms us. As His Kingdom comes in our lives it starts pouring out through us and we see His Kingdom come in the lives of those around us.
We see revival starting and this revival leads to awakening in society and a holy nation and royal priesthood is raised up – but it all starts with us today saying: Lord, come establish Your Kingdom in our hearts – come establish Your Kingdom in my life so that I may be Your witness in my Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the Earth.
It starts with us, today, resolving to pray – as individuals and together – like the disciples gathered in the upper room! It starts with us looking to and waiting on the Lord!
Prayer: Lord, today I open up my heart and ask You to flood my life. Come in and take over. Help me, through Your Spirit, live a life of faith and obedience. In doing so, my God, I pray that I will make a difference in the lives of those around me. Let Your Kingdom come in me, through me, and around me – let Your will be done. Come rule and reign in my life. In the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.