There is no thought which is given greater prominence in the word of God than that expressed in the above sentence. All through the pages of both the Old and New Testaments, it stands out prominently as a leading thought in the minds of prophets and the apostles.
Paul in Titus 2:13, calls it "the blessed hope." It was that to which the church in all ages looked forward, as the brightest prospect which their faith revealed, and the realization of their fondest hopes.
In the heart of every true Christian this thought, this hope, will be uppermost. We are taught to give it this prominence by the Lord himself. The very first petition of the "Lord's prayer" is: "Your kingdom come." (Matthew 6:10)
And this prayer is one for all Christ's followers. In the sermon on the mount, also, the first utterance is one concerning the coming kingdom: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
Other sentences which follow allude to the same thing. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
This inheritance cannot be until the coming of the kingdom, by which the wicked shall be destroyed "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power." (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9), and the earth made ready for its future inheritors. "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:10-11) "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
The time of comfort of the saints is when: "The tabernacle of God is with men, ... And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying." (Revelation 21:3-4) "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)
They shall see Him at the coming of His kingdom. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)
The blessings which come to the poor in spirit, the meek, the pure in heart, and other possessors of heavenly graces, are many in this life; but they are not to be compared with those that will be realized at the coming of the kingdom of God.
The very first prophecy that was ever uttered by inspiration, so far as we have any record, is a prophecy of the coming of Christ in His kingdom. We find the record in: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord comes, with ten thousands of His saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (Jude 14-15)
Note the very last prophecy of the Bible is also a prophecy of the same event. "He which testifies these words says, Surely I come quickly." (Revelation 22:20)
The sacred writer adds, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)
This is the prayer of every Christian heart, the goal toward which he strives, the event for which he labors. Let others make their pilgrimages to Mecca, or to the shrine of "our lady," or to Rome; the Christian's pilgrimage is to Mount Zion. And the one inspiring thought that leads him on over the rough and narrow passage is: "That blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)
Would you be of the mind of Enoch, and of John, and of Paul, and of Christ? If so you will say with them, "Your kingdom come." (Matthew 6:10)
For that you will hope, that you will pray, for that you will work. And in the hour of trial you will find comfort in the thought, "Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off." (Isaiah 33:17)
Your Kingdom Come
Your kingdom come! thus day by day,
We lift our hands to God and pray;
But who has ever duly weighed
The meaning of the words he said?
Your kingdom come! O day of joy,
When praise shall every tongue employ;
When hate and strife and war shall cease,
And man with man shall be at peace!
Jesus shall reign on Zion's hill,
And all the earth with glory fill;
His word shall paradise restore
And sin and death afflict no more.
Then bears and wolves, no longer wild,
Obey the leading of a child;
The lions with the oxen eat,
And dust shall be the serpent's meat.
God's holy will shall then be done
By all who live beneath the sun;
For saints shall then as angels be,
All changed to immortality.
--Unknown, ~1840
--Present Truth, November 16, 1893.