Christian's Handbook 4

Handbook 4 highlights God's appointed times and appointed works while emphasizing their importance and urgency for His people throughout their generations.

The Kingdom of God, a Definition

Handbook 4: Article 36 - Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom

"The kingdom of God stands for: God shall rule. This means a constant conflict with man shall rule. Either God is sovereign, or man is sovereign. One of the two must be untrue."

Klaus Bockmuhl

What does God's rule include?

Bockmuhl continues:

"He is the instructor in all matters concerning the kingdom. He is the one who assigns us to our place, gives us daily instructions, interprets our situation in the light of the larger scope of the kingdom and in God's aim for history and decides the steps and actions to be taken, assessments that far exceed human ability or reasoning."

The Present State of the Kingdom on Earth

"The kingdom is the realm where God's authority is exercised. God's plan was for man to exercise this authority and spoil all the works of Satan. It is still His plan, He has not changed His mind!

Man was originally given the responsibility and the power to overcome the devil's power through obedience; instead man fell, leaving Satan in charge.

There are two consequences of man's fall; one is the problem of man's moral responsibility, and the other is Satan's usurping of authority over the earth. On the one hand, man suffered loss, but on the other hand, God also suffered loss. Redemption solves man's problem and man's loss but the loss which God suffered has not been solved. Man's moral responsibility has been dealt with by the cross, but the problem of Satan's authority over the earth must be dealt with by the kingdom. Therefore, the first essential meaning of the kingdom of God, is in regard to dealing with Satan. For the earth and a portion of the heavens are still in his realm of authority."

Watchman Nee


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  1. God's House, Pressing On
  2. Renewing the Kingdom of God
  3. Pressing On, a First Assignment
  4. Seeking the Kingdom and Finding Righteousness
  5. Seeking Righteousness, a Closer Look
  6. The Kingdom of God Has a King
  7. A Brief History of the Earthly Kingdom
  8. The Kingdom of God Has a Special Throne
  9. The Kingdom of God, a Definition

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