The subjects of the kingdom of glory are the same as that for the kingdom of grace–believers and holy angels.  The kingdom of grace is governed by means of the Word and sacraments administered by the pastoral office.  The subjects of the kingdom of grace are translated into the kingdom of glory either at death or on the last day.  The kingdom of glory is ruled by the Triune God directly. There is a difference in the mode of knowledge and conditions of their members.  In the kingdom of grace, believers receive by faith through the Word the revealed knowledge of God, while in the kingdom of glory believers experience the beatific vision of the glory of God. While in the kingdom of grace believers experience cross and tribulation, but in the heavenly kingdom will share in Christ’s glory.

Handout 1: The-Third-Genus-King-p25-26-only.pdf
Handout 2: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf

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The kingdom of the devil is a kingdom of unbelief governed by the devil himself, who is a liar and murderer. The devil has not created anything, but only seeks by deception to get people to deny and/or misuse God’s gracious gifts. Revelation 12:9 says that he is “called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” According to Ephesians 2:1-3, even those later came to believe “were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

The Lutheran Confessions explain that “the punishment and penalty of original sin, which God has imposed upon the children of Adam and upon original sin…” includes not only “death, eternal damnation, and also other bodily and spiritual, temporal and eternal miseries…” but also “the tyranny and dominion of the devil, so that human nature is subject to the kingdom of the devil and has been surrendered to the power of the devil, and is held captive under his away, who stupefies [fascinates] and leads astray many a great, learned man in the world by means of dreadful error, heresy, and other blindness, and otherwise rushes men into all sorts of crime” (FC, Ep. I. Original Sin 13).

Thankfully, “… Christ was given to us to remove both these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the kingdom of the devil, sin and death…” (Apology, II 50). “For human nature is far too weak to be able by its own powers to resist the devil, who holds as captives all who have not been freed through faith. There is need of the power of Christ against the devil, namely, that, inasmuch as we know that for Christ’s sake we are heard, and have the promise, we may pray for the governance and defense of the Holy Ghost, that we may neither be deceived and err, nor be impelled to undertake anything contrary to God’s will. [Otherwise we should, every hour, fall into error and abominable vices.] Just as Ps. 68, 18 teaches: Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for man. For Christ has overcome the devil, and has given to us the promise and the Holy Ghost, in order that, by divine aid, we ourselves also may overcome. And 1 John 3, 8: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (Ap IV, III, 17-18).

Handout 1: The-Third-Genus-King-p21-24.pdf
Handout 2: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf
Handout 3: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf

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In the kingdom of power, the Triune God rules without means according to His omnipotence and omnipresence. God has always been and will always be the King of heaven and earth.  At the incarnation of the Son of God, the human nature of Christ was given authority in heaven and on earth.  Although all things have been put in subjection to Him, not all things are subject to Him.  “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Cor 15:25).

This class examined the two kingdoms: this world(the state) and grace (the church).  In the kingdom of this world, God rules the subjects of this kingdom, both believers and unbelievers, by means of law and the governing authorities.  Human reason is the guide for governance in this world.  In the kingdom of grace, God rule the subjects of this kingdom, only believers, by means of the Word (both the law and the promise of the Gospel) and sacraments and the apostolic/pastoral office. Although these two kingdoms are distinct they are not mutually exclusive.  The church is IN the world, but not OF the world (John 17:11-15).

Handout: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf
Handout 2: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf
Handout 3: Kingdom of Power, This World, and Grace, p.17-20

Overhead 1: One Page Overview of “Kingdom” in Scripture
Overhead 2: Walkthrough-of-Individuals-in-Two-Kingdoms.pdf
Overhead 3: Page 3 has Pope’s Three-fold Tiara

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In the first part of this study we conclude a historical walk-through of “king” and “kingdom” found in the Old Testament up to the coming of the true Davidic King, Jesus Christ. Each kingdom is distinguished based upon the subjects of the kingdom and the governance of the kingdom.

In the second part of this study we examine the kingdom of power.  The subjects of the kingdom of power include all things: believers and unbelievers, good and evil angels, and irrational creature and the inanimate creation. The Triune God governs this kingdom of power by His omnipotence and omnipresence. At the incarnation, “all authority in heaven and earth” was given to the human nature of Jesus, while His divine nature always possessed it.

Here is a summary of the history (in the first part): The Prophet Daniel (Chapters 2, 7 and 8) foretold of four world powers: Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece(including the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, Maccabees and Hasmoneans), and Rome. Last week we concluded with the Jewish return to Jerusalem under Cyrus the Persian.  When the Old Testament draws to a close (apx. 400 B.C.), Judea had been province of Persia for 138 years. Although the exiles were allowed to return to Canaan in order to rebuild the Temple, only a small number of Jews actually returned. The exiled Jews had set down roots and were scattered over 128 provinces.

The religious practices of Judaism began to change, as they lived apart from the Jerusalem temple, and without the nation of Israel or a Davidic king. Scribes grew in importance, as the Jews retained their identity by clinging to the Word. Emphasis was placed on personal prayer, Sabbath observance, and justice(morality). As the people adopted Imperial Aramaic for their language instead of Hebrew, there was the need for a Methurgeman (interpreter) to paraphrase the readings for the people.

Even those Jews who returned were not free.  They were a vassal state of one country and then another.  Sometimes they enjoyed a mild rule and were allowed to practice their faith.  Other times they were severely persecuted.  The Jewish reactions were varied, as seen by Pharisees, Sadducees, and zealots. Alexander the Great conquered the world and spread Greek language and culture wherever he went.  After the death of Alexander, the kingdom split into four parts and fighting for power ensued.  In 320 B.C. Ptolemy took over Egypt and Jerusalem without resistance.  The Hebrew Scriptures were translated into the Greek language in the 3rd century B.C. Although many rulers were kind to the Jews, Antiochus IV Epiphanes sought to make all people devotees of Greek culture.  The Jews objected to this Hellenization program on religious grounds and were severely persecuted.  This persecution caused the Hasmodian period of Independence with the Maccabean revolt by Mattathias and his five sons.  Though they had some success, the Jews always returned to a vassal state.  In 63 B.C. Pompey conquered the city of Jerusalem with the killing 12,000 Jews. When Jesus arrives, Herod The Great had been ruling since 37 B.C.  Although he ruled with an iron fist, it was during his reign that the Temple had been restored.  This concludes the history of “king” and “kingdom” until the coming of Jesus Christ.

Handout: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf
Handout 2: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf
Overhead 1: Persian.pdf

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