Religion in God’s Kingdom
What will religion be like in God’s Kingdom?
In the past, many nations had a national religion that was imposed upon the people. For example, about 550 years ago, the King and Queen of Spain required all Jews and Muslims to become Catholic or leave the country.
Of course, some people pretended to convert, but continued to practice their old religion secretly.
Today, most people consider freedom of religion to be a fundamental human right.
But what will religion be like when Christ rules the earth?
In a previous lesson, we saw that at the very beginning of Christ’s rule, Satan and his demons will be taken away “so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished” (Revelation 20:3).
Where I live, many people sacrifice to demons not because they want to, but because of fear. They are afraid of what the demons will do if they are not appeased. When all the demons are gone, these people will be free from their bondage.
Others pray to false gods (who are really just demons) in order to get some benefit. But when Jesus returns, all of these “gods” will be gone.
And when Jesus Christ is on earth, ruling from Jerusalem, there won’t be many atheists left.
One prophecy says,
And in this mountain
The LORD of hosts will make for all people
A feast …
And He will destroy on this mountain
The surface of the covering cast over all people,
And the veil that is spread over all nations.
(Isaiah 25:6-7 NKJ)
The veil that is spread over all nations now is a veil of deception. As the Apostle Paul wrote,
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
This deception from Satan, which has divided people into hundreds of religions and denominations, will be gone.
The Jews will be some of the first to come to Christ (Zechariah 12:10).
And what about other nations?
“In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8:23)
But not every nation will worship God immediately. For example, there are many people who hate the Jews for one reason or another. When they see God bless the Jews and all Israel, it may take some time for them to overcome their prejudice. Notice this prophecy about Egypt:
“And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:17-19)
Even today many Christians refuse to keep God’s Feasts because they consider them to be “Jewish” feasts. But when Christ Himself is on earth, keeping God’s Feasts, those who don’t follow Christ will no longer be called “Christians.”
At that time, there will no longer be arguments about the proper days of worship:
“And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the LORD” (Isaiah 66:23).
The temple of God will also be rebuilt in Jerusalem, as the prophet Ezekiel described in Ezekiel 40-48. Even sacrifices will be made again (Ezekiel 43:27; 45:21-25).
Why?
Today, there are no sacrifices, because there is no temple. Jewish Christians actually continued to offer sacrifices after Christ died (Acts 21:26). But in 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the temple, and it has never been rebuilt—yet. So there are no sacrifices at this time.
But did you ever wonder why God told people to sacrifice animals and perform the other “rituals” described in the law?
God created these ceremonies to teach lessons. Some of the sacrifices, for example, teach about the sacrifice of Jesus. Other offerings and sacrifices teach us about the need for daily prayer and the need to give ourselves as living sacrifices to God. In the future, God will use these public ceremonies as physical examples and reminders to teach about spiritual realities.
Of course, rituals do not save us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But the prophecies are clear that God’s law recorded in the “Old Testament” will be the law of God’s Kingdom (Isaiah 2:3).
Even Jesus said,
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).
The Kingdom of Heaven is the same as the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23-24). It is coming from heaven to earth. And in that Kingdom Jesus will teach people to keep God’s law.
And that will surprise a lot of Christians.
If you have been taught that Christians don’t need to keep God’s law, here is an article that explains the main sources of this confusion:
How Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?
If you want a more detailed look at what the “religion” of God’s Kingdom will be like, you can read Ezekiel 44-46.
And if the religion of the kingdom isn’t the religion we practice now, we should ask, “why?” Did God create one religion for Israel and another for Christians? If so, why in the Kigdon will Jesus take everyone back to the religion described in the “Old Testament”?
Is it possible that traditional Christianity is also under “the veil [of deception] that is spread over all nations”?
If you aren’t sure, I encourage you to pray for understanding and search the scriptures daily to find the truth.
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