To most people a kingdom is a nation, or land area, ruled by a king. That is a very simple and logical definition. However, what land area or what nation has Jehovah as its king? Well, none, you say! Most nations no longer have kings, although dictators abound, and nearly everywhere is claimed as national land. So, it seems obvious that Jehovah’s Kingdom cannot be the same as a human kingdom, ruling over the earth and the people it contains. Or, can it?

That Jehovah’s Kingdom is a real thing was emphasised by Jesus, who said in his model prayer that we should pray for it to come, in Matthew 6:10, "Let your Kingdom come." This tells us at least two things: 1) that Jehovah’s Kingdom was not present in Jesus’ time, for if it were already present he would not have prayed for it to come; and 2) that the Kingdom belongs to Jehovah, as Jesus said, "let your Kingdom come".

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus will be the King of Jehovah’s Kingdom, but that does not mean that he has ultimate authority over it, rather, his kingship is delegated from his father, Jehovah. It was not uncommon for Emperors to have kings in subjection to them, ruling over a kingdom: Caesar and King Herod are an example of that relationship in Jesus’ own time. So it is with Jesus as the King of Jehovah’s Kingdom.

In fact, the Bible talks of a time when Jesus returns the Kingdom to Jehovah, thus showing who has the ultimate authority. It is found at 1 Corinthians 15:24, 28, "Next, the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has brought to nothing all government and all authority and power … But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone." This tells us that Jesus is the King in Jehovah’s Kingdom but will return the Kingdom to Jehovah when he completes the task Jehovah gave to him: to restore mankind to the condition Jehovah originally intended.

So what is the kingdom? In the book of Daniel chapter 2:44 there is a prophecy regarding empires and kingdoms which will dominate the world. Verse 44 tell us the final result of those events. It says, "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." This makes it clear that Jehovah’s Kingdom is a government in the same way that other kingdoms are governments. The difference is that Jehovah’s Kingdom replaces those other kingdoms but will never be replaced itself.

Kingdoms also have a king and subordinate rulers, so will this kingdom have rulers? We have already spoken about Jesus being the king of this kingdom, subject only to Jehovah, but there will also be subordinate rulers. In Matthew 5:3, Jesus promised that, "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the Kingdom of the heavens belongs to them."

Also in Revelation 5:9-10, this comment is made about the resurrected Jesus, "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." Then in Luke 12:32, he commented to his followers, "Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom." This last statement not only tells us that a minority group of his followers would receive special responsibilities within this kingdom, but also stimulates us to ask another question: If there is a "little flock", is there also a "big flock"? Yes, indeed! John 10:16 records that Jesus said, "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those too I must bring in, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd."

This "big flock" is mentioned in Revelation 7:9-10, "After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep shouting with a loud voice, saying: ′Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.′ " These, then are the subjects of Jehovah’s Kingdom, people who stand before the throne of God and before Jesus, just as in ancient times subjects stood before a king and his chamberlain to show the acceptance of his rulership by people who lived in the land governed by him.

But now another question arises, that is: "Who will be the subjects of this kingdom and how will they be chosen?" The answer is found in 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." A further identification is made in Matthew 7:21, where it says, "Not everyone saying to me, ′Lord, Lord,′ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will." Notice that Jesus said it would be limited to: "only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens!"

What will living in this kingdom be like? Isaiah 11:6, describes it as, "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." and in Revelation 21:4, the promise is made that "He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."

Would you like to be one of those living as a subject of this kingdom? Would you like to know what the will of Jesus’ father is? If so, please ask a question about this or any other bible subject, in an email.