If we were to rightly divide the Word of Truth concerning this, we would have to by all means mention that which settles the matter, which the Lord Jesus Christ told us plainly, namely "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36)
1. To whom was this said? To Pontius Pilate, Roman governor of Judea
2. When was it said? Before Christ's crucifixion
3. Why was it said? So that Pilate would know that Christ would not be trying to have Himself rescued.
4. Was this a denial that Christ was King of the Jews? Absolutely not. See verses 33-34.
So what was Jesus teaching us here?
1. His present Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom, where He rules in the hearts of His people. At the same time He was literally crucified as King of the Jews, and Pilate was the one who announced this to the whole world in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek.
2. But that spiritual Kingdom will be true only until the Second Coming of Christ "with power and great glory".
4. After His Second Coming, Christ will set up His literal, visible, physical and spiritual Kingdom on earth, and rule the nations with a rod of iron. This will be the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.
REVELATION 20: THE MILLENIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 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.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
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