CHAPTER 4  Nation of Israel as a Type of the Kingdom of God

There are many parallels between the nation of Israel, as God established her in the Old Testament, and the Kingdom of God in the New Testament.

Kingdoms or nations are generally established based on a covenant.  For instance, the United States was established based on a covenant between the original thirteen colonies or states.  We know this covenant as the Constitution of the United States.  Likewise, God made a covenant with the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai when he gave them the Ten Commandments as recorded in the 20^th chapter of the book of Exodus.  Then God gave them the laws and ordinances to govern them as recorded in the remainder of Exodus chapter 20 through the first part of Exodus chapter 24.  The children of Israel ratified this covenant when they said in Ex. 24:3 “And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.”

Likewise, God established the Kingdom of God with a covenant as we read in Hebrews 8:6-12 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

In the Old Covenant the Ten Commandments were written on two tables of stone and the laws of God are written in the tables of the heart and mind in the New Covenant. 

There are three major attributes of any government.  There is the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial attributes.  In the nation of Israel, God gave the laws to the nation, thus God was the sole Legislative body of the nation.  Likewise, in the Kingdom of God, Christ has given us the laws and ordinances to govern and guide us in the New Testament.  He is the sole Legislative body of the Kingdom of God. 

 In the executive and judicial attributes, God gave to the nation of Israel the regulator manual in which to carry out the execution of his laws and ordinances including giving judgment and executing judgment.  Also, God established a council in which to oversee and direct the carrying out of this execution and judgment.  He gave that each tribe would have a prince who would represent the tribe in the execution and judgment and affairs of the nation.  In addition, he appointed 70 elders.  The 12 princes and the 70 elders formed the Sanhedrin Council.  In comparison, Christ gave to the church 12 apostles and 70 elders in the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  These men were foundational as we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.  Moreover, thru the apostles and prophets, God gave us the rules and ordinances and guidelines for the execution and judgment that the Kingdom church is to carry forth.

In any kingdom there is a king who rules over the kingdom.  Originally, God was the king of Israel.  However, after several hundred years the children of Israel asked to be governed by a king like unto the other nations and God granted their petition and gave them Saul as their king.  After Saul’s rebellion, God gave Israel David to be king and subsequently his lineage to be kings over Israel after him.  The Kingdom of God has Christ as her king: Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  The word “Christ” literally means “the anointed one.”  Kings are anointed to be king and thus Christ is our king.

In the nation of Israel two things were required for someone to be a citizen of Israel.  First, they had to be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The second thing was that the males in the family had to be circumcised.  Likewise, citizenship in the Kingdom of God is limited to only the elect family of God and only to those who have been circumcised with the circumcision made without hands.  This is the spiritual circumcision of the heart and takes place in the new or spiritual birth. 

 In the nation of Israel there was a path to citizenship for those who were strangers sojourning in Israel.  These had to be circumcised and agree to observe the laws and ordinances as handed down to Israel by the hand of Moses.  In the Kingdom of God, everyone who is a citizen of the Kingdom comes through a path to citizenship.  This will be discussed in a later essay.

Nearly all nations have a city which is the seat of government.  In the United States this is Washington, D.C.  The nation of Israel had different cities that served as the seat of government until David established Jerusalem to be the permanent seat of government.  In the Kingdom of God, the seat of government is the church.

A military is essential for the survival of any nation.  God gave to Israel, the requirements for the men to serve in the army.  The Lord has an army in the Kingdom of God as well.  The members of the New Testament church make up the Lord’s army.  They are to put on the whole armour of God and to fight the good fight of faith.

In the Old Testament days, each kingdom had its own god.  What separated Israel from the other nations is that their God was the true and living God.  God gave to Israel the manner of their worship.  He established the High Priesthood after the order of Aaron.  Moreover, the priests were to be the sons or descendents of Aaron.  There was another order of the service that was carried out by the descendents of Levi.  Today, our High Priest in the Kingdom of God is Jesus Christ, a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.  The members of the church make up the priesthood as God has made them kings and priest unto God.  They are to offer up spiritual sacrifices.

Israel first had a tabernacle and later in the days of Solomon a temple was built in which to worship God.  In the Kingdom of God we worship in the church which is called the temple of God: Eph. 2:19-22 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”