Christians view current events as important preparations for Christ’s 1,000-year Kingdom. Christ’s soon-to-be established kingdom is called the “new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13) They will not be literal new heavens or literal new earth but new spiritual control and a new earthly society.
Satan is now “the prince of the power of the air (the old heavens) the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2 What tools does he work with? – pride, prejudice, selfishness, power, lies, deceit, immorality, etc.
Satan’s arrangement is being dissolved (2 Peter 3:11) or broken down. Christ is working behind the scenes to bring issues to mankind’s attention. This causes controversies. Our unjust societies are breaking down to be replaced by something better. A contractor cannot build a new building until the old owner (Satan) is evicted and the crumbling building is destroyed.
Christ “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then [as a result of this exposure eventually at the end of the thousand years] shall every man have praise of God.” (1 Corinthians 4:5)
Christ’s current arrangement is to “gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:41) The gathering out is done by exposing the wrongs causing mankind to desire something better.
The pride of man needs to be brought low. Evil needs to seen for what it is. “I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. [The end result is] I will make a man more precious than fine gold.” Isaiah 13:11, 12
His righteous Kingdom will not fully come until “the times are ripe for it.” Until mankind sees the futility of running the world with selfishness. Satan will be unable to deceive the nations. (Revelation 20:3)
In Ephesians 1:9, 10 (Weymouth) ”He made known to us the secret of His will. And this is in harmony with God's merciful purpose for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it–the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.”
Soon, the prayers of Christians will be answered, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth AS in heaven.” In heaven, all are obedient to God’s will and respect and honor God as the giver of all good things. All work peacefully together with love. Eventually, it will be that way on Earth, as Christians have been praying for centuries.
