Lesson 31 What Is God’s Kingdom? (2024)

The Kingdom is a government set up by Jehovah God. Its King, Jesus Christ, rules from heaven. (Matthew 4:17; John 18:36)

[Quotation] Matthew 4:17: From that time on, Jesus began preaching and saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” [End Quotation]

[Quotation] John 18:36: Jesus answered: “My Kingdom is no part of this world. If my Kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my Kingdom is not from this source.” [End Quotation]

The Bible says of Jesus: “He will rule as King . . . forever.” (Luke 1:32 and 33)

[Quotation] Luke 1:32 and 33: This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as King over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his Kingdom.” [End Quotation]

As King of God’s Kingdom, Jesus will rule over everyone on the earth.

Jesus does not rule alone. Persons from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation . . . are to rule as kings over the earth.” (Revelation 5:9 and 10)

[Quotation] Revelation 5:9 and 10: And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” [End Quotation]

How many will rule with Christ? Since Jesus came to earth, millions of Christians have become his followers. But only 144,000 of them go to heaven to rule with Jesus. Read Revelation 14:1 through 4.

[Read scripture] Revelation 14:1 through 4: Then I saw, and look! the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who have his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. I heard a sound coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; and the sound that I heard was like singers who accompany themselves by playing on their harps. And they are singing what seems to be a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to master that song except the 144,000, who have been bought from the earth. These are the ones who did not defile themselves with women; in fact, they are virgins. These are the ones who keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. These were bought from among mankind as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, [End of Read scripture]

All other Christians on earth will become citizens of the Kingdom. (Psalm 37:29)

[Quotation] Psalm 37:29: The righteous will possess the earth, And they will live forever on it. [End Quotation]

Even when human rulers try to do good things, they do not have the power to do everything they want. They are eventually replaced by other rulers who may not have the best interests of their subjects in mind. But the Ruler of God’s Kingdom, Jesus, will never be replaced by anyone else. God has “set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 2:44)

[Quotation] Daniel 2:44: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever, [End Quotation]

Jesus will rule over the whole earth, and he will not show favoritism. He is loving, kind, and just, and he will teach people to treat one another in the same way with love, kindness, and justice. Read Isaiah 11:9.

[Read scripture] Isaiah 11:9: They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea. [End of Read scripture]

Jesus Christ has more power to govern than any ruler in history. Read Matthew 28:18, and then discuss the question that follows:

[Read scripture] Matthew 28:18: Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. [End of Read scripture]

How is Jesus’ authority superior to that of any human ruler?

Human governments change often, and each one rules over only a portion of the earth. What about God’s Kingdom? Read Daniel 7:14, and then discuss the questions that follow:

[Read scripture] Daniel 7:14: And to him there were given rulership, honor, and a kingdom, that the peoples, nations, and language groups should all serve him. His rulership is an everlasting rulership that will not pass away, and his kingdom will not be destroyed. [End of Read scripture]

Why is it good that God’s Kingdom “will not be destroyed”?

Why is it good that it will rule over the whole earth?

Why must God’s Kingdom replace human governments?

Play the video What Is God’s Kingdom? Excerpt (1:41), and then discuss the question that follows.

[Disclaimer: The following video is created by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society; however, the audio description has been added by independent blind and sighted volunteers to assist those who are blind or have low vision]

What has been the result of human rule?

Read Ecclesiastes 8:9, and then discuss the questions that follow:

[Read scripture] Ecclesiastes 8:9: All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm. [End of Read scripture]

Do you think God’s Kingdom should replace human governments? Why?

Because our King, Jesus, lived as a human, he can “sympathize with our weaknesses.” (Hebrews 4:15)

[Quotation] Hebrews 4:15: For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in all respects as we have, but without sin. [End Quotation]

The 144,000 faithful men and women who will rule with Jesus have been chosen by Jehovah “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

[Quotation] Revelation 5:9: And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought people for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, [End Quotation]

Do you find it reassuring that Jesus and all of his corulers know what it is like to live as a human? Why?

Governments make laws that are supposed to benefit and protect their citizens. God’s Kingdom too has laws that its citizens must follow. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9 through 11, and then discuss the questions that follow:

[Read scripture] 1 Corinthians 6:9 through 11: Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God. [End of Read scripture]

What do you think the world will be like when everyone follows God’s rules of conduct?* [Footnote * Some of these rules of conduct will be discussed in Section 3. [End of footnote]

Do you think it is reasonable for Jehovah to expect citizens of the Kingdom to respect these rules? Why?

What shows that people who are not obeying these laws can change? See verse 11.

Who are the rulers of God’s Kingdom?

How is God’s Kingdom superior to any human government?

What are some things that Jehovah expects of citizens of the Kingdom?

Read about Jesus’ rulership at Isaiah 11:1 through 10, and consider how it differs from human rule.

[Quotation] Isaiah 11:1 through 10: A twig will grow out of the stump of Jesse, And a sprout from his roots will bear fruit. And the spirit of Jehovah will settle upon him, The spirit of wisdom and of understanding, The spirit of counsel and of mightiness, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah. And he will find delight in the fear of Jehovah. He will not judge by what appears to his eyes, Nor reprove simply according to what his ears hear. He will judge the lowly with fairness, And with uprightness he will give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth And put the wicked to death with the breath of his lips. Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, And faithfulness the belt of his hips. The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb, And with the young goat the leopard will lie down, And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together; And a little boy will lead them. The cow and the bear will feed together, And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the bull. The nursing child will play over the lair of a cobra, And a weaned child will put his hand over the den of a poisonous snake. They will not cause any harm Or any ruin in all my holy mountain, Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah As the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse will stand up as a signal for the peoples. To him the nations will turn for guidance, And his resting-place will become glorious. [End Quotation]

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