Last Updated on January 8, 2026 1:01 PM by herald
The Kingdom is Set Up
The next set of scripture is found in Matthew Chapter 4 verse 17. The situation is after Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist and after he was tempted by the devil. The verse reads as follows:
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
Ladies and gentlemen, that was the prophecy of Daniel 2:44 being fulfilled -the prophecy of the setup of the Kingdom of God on the earth! It was the same message being preached by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Some translations render the expression “is at hand” as “is near you”. But as Daniel had prophesied, the kingdom of God on earth would be set up in, “the days of those four kings”. Jesus was born in the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the Roman Empire!
But this was only the beginning. Not only was Jesus going to die for our sins, but in that one act he was going to deal the kingdom of darkness a double-whammy knockout blow. We pick up the point at Luke 4: 5- 8
5.The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6.And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8.Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
First, take careful note that Jesus did not refute Satan’s claim that authority in the earth had been forfeited to him. That forfeiture occurred when Adam disobeyed God, thereby activating a principle laid out Scripture in Romans 6:16. For this reason, Scripture elsewhere calls Satan “the god of this world”.
We have explained this forfeiture and its link to the redemptive work of Jesus in detail in the five-part video series, ‘Why Jesus is called Last Adam” which is available on Rumble or Youtube.
Second, note that authority is vested primarily in kingdoms or governments. Governmental authority is not an evil in itself because it was not invented by man. But it certainly can be used for evil or for good.
Third, the Devil is able to distribute that authority to those he chooses; those who will do his bidding. That might partially explain why so many people in government – politicians and other officials – gravitate towards Satanism or Masonic Lodges.
Fast forward now to Matthew 28:18 where Jesus is speaking in one of his appearances after his resurrection:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”.
Did you get that? The same dominion over the kingdoms of the world the Devil was offering Jesus is the same dominion God gave to Jesus for obeying him even to the point of death on the cross, as declared in Philippians 2:8. Checkmate!
But there is more. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul describes Jesus by the unique title “Last Adam”. Here are his exact words:
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
Not only had Jesus been given all power and authority in heaven and earth but by acting as a substitute for Adam, he recovered the dominion or authority originally given to the first Adam but forfeited to the Devil. What an awesome plan from the mind of God!
That recovered authority is now available to all true believers, – all citizens of the Kingdom of God – to use here on earth.
Jesus gave a taste of that authority to the disciples as he sent them out, even before he made that announcement in Matthew 28:18. This is found in Luke 9:1
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1
In Luke chapter 10, after the disciples returned from their mission in a victorious spirit, Jesus gave even further power and authority.
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Luke 10:18-19
After His resurrection, Jesus announced an even wider range of power and authority for ALL believers. ALL includes anyone who will become a believer in the future. That includes both you and me – if you can receive it. This is found in Mark’s version of the Great Commission:
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16: 17 &18
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