Rulers In The Kingdom
I remember asking a Christian friend years ago who he thought would rule in God’s Kingdom. He replied that it would be people like Billy Graham and Mother Teresa. Today some of the younger generation might not know who those two people were. People today might name some other famous Christian in the headlines. I believe the answer is in the Bible, not in current media headlines.
In the book of Revelation there are twenty-four elders around the heavenly throne. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” Revelation 4:4. I believe those elders are to be the rulers in God’s Kingdom, and I believe they have all been chosen by Jesus Christ.
The rulers in the kingdom are to be the body of Christ (the church of God). “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6. The church of God is represented by a building – a holy temple, built upon a sure foundation. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” Ephesians 2:19-20.
I believe twelve apostles and twelve prophets make up the twenty-four elders in the book of Revelation. They are part of the foundation of the church of God. The first group is the apostles. “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28. Those twelve were: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), Judas (the brother of James), and Judas Iscariot. (Luke 6:14-16). However, Judas Iscariot rebelled against the Lord and was replaced. The apostles chose Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot, but for rulership in the kingdom I believe the Lord chose someone else. There is only one other person the Lord personally chose to be an apostle. That is Paul. I believe Paul will be one of the twelve apostles ruling in the Kingdom of God.
The second group is the prophets. I believe the Lord named all of them. He named fifteen men from the Old Testament: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Matthew 8:11), Moses (Matthew 8:4), Elijah (Luke 4:25), Jonah (Matthew 12:39), Elisha (Luke 4:27), David (Matthew 12:3), Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), Daniel (Matthew 24:15), Zechariah (Luke 11:51), Noah (Luke 17:26), Solomon (Luke 11:31), Lot (Luke 17:28), and Abel (Luke 11:51). The last three, Solomon, Lot, and Abel, did not give forth any prophecies. They were not prophets. Lot warned his relatives of the destruction to come, but not by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, only by repeating what the angels had told him. Noah was a prophet. He prophesied about the future of the descendants of Canaan, and the future relationship between the descendants of Japheth and Shem (Genesis 9:25-27). Some people might say Solomon was a prophet, because he spoke to Israel under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, giving forth wisdom. However, even if he was a prophet, he was rejected by God because he turned away from the Lord and worshipped other Gods. God said he would take the kingdom away from Solomon (1 Kings 11:11). I believe this was a prophecy for the kingdom age, that Solomon would not rule in the Kingdom of God.
I believe there will be two more chief rulers in the kingdom who are not part of the twenty-four elders. Jesus was asked by the mother of James and John to put her two sons on his left hand and his right hand to rule with him in the kingdom. Jesus said it was not up to him, but up to God the Father who those two would be. I believe Jesus knew who those two would be, but they were chosen by God the Father, not by Jesus.
The first chief ruler was Joseph. In his dream, which came from God, he was told he would rule over the eleven stars and the sun and moon (Genesis 37:9). Jacob was angry because it meant Joseph would rule over the other eleven sons of Jacob, over his mother Rachel, and his father Jacob. If Jacob was one of the twenty-four elders, then it meant that Joseph would rule over Jacob and the other twenty-three elders in the kingdom age.
I believe the second chief ruler chosen by God the Father was John the Baptist. He was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb, meaning he had been chosen by God the Father. Jesus said John the Baptist was greater than any prophet of the Old Testament (Matthew 11:11). Therefore, he was greater than any of the twelve prophets named by Jesus. I believe he will sit on the right hand of Jesus in the kingdom age, and Joseph will sit on the left hand. They will be greater than the twenty-four elders.
I only offer my theory on these matters. You may disagree with me. I am just a Bible student that likes to explore various subjects in the scriptures. I may be wrong about who will be the chief rulers with Christ in the kingdom age, but I don’t think it will be Billy Graham and Mother Teresa, as my Christian friend believed.
