“⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:9-10, KJV)

When Jesus began His ministry about AD 27 He repeated John’s declaration that the kingdom was at hand (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15).  He taught His disciples for three and a half years (the first half of the 70^th week of Daniel’s prophecy) exhorting them to seek the reign of heaven (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31), teaching them the correct meaning of the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5-7), and sent them out to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10:5ff) , those spiritually “lost” Jews who were living in the 1^st century AD both in Jerusalem, and in all of the cities of the diaspora throughout the lands of the ancient Middle East and eventually into western Asia.

Jesus specifically told His twelve disciples that they would not finish going through those cities before He came again.

“…for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.” (Matt. 10:23, YLT)

In other words, those twelve disciples He named in Matt. 10:2-4, those twelve who lived with Jesus in the 1^st century AD were the ones who were sent out to all of the cities of the Jews (the lost sheep of Israel) who were sending their tithes back to Jerusalem every year.  And, Jesus told those twelve disciples they would not finish their mission through those cities before He returned.

The kingdom was declared to be “at hand” in the first century AD!  Jesus told them repeatedly that it was coming soon, that He was coming soon; that the kingdom was near.  His ministry on earth was to complete the plan of salvation, and to prepare them for the full establishment of His kingdom and His reign.  His kingdom was about to take over from the old Mosaic covenant, and was fully established when that covenant was abolished.

“⁴ for if, indeed, he were upon earth, he would not be a priest — (there being the priests who are offering according to the law, the gifts,

⁵ who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for `See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;’) —

⁶ and now he hath obtained a more excellent service, how much also of a better covenant is he mediator, which on better promises hath been sanctioned, ….

in the saying `new,’ He hath made the first old, and what doth become obsolete and is old [is] nigh disappearing.”  (Heb. 8:4-6, 13, YLT)

When Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed in AD 70, the old covenant was completely abolished.  The new covenant of the gospel of Christ was firmly, legally, and forever set in place.  Jesus’ second appearance promised in that generation was an appearance of judgment just as John the Baptist had foretold.

““You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?…¹¹ `I indeed do baptize you with water to reformation, but he who after me is coming is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to bear the sandals, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,

¹² whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat to the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.’ (Matt. 3:7, 11-12, YLT)

That baptism, or immersion with fire was not a promise of salvation, but the promise of YHVH’s judgment and destruction upon all those unbelieving scribes, & Pharisees, all those Sadducees who had plotted to kill and caused the crucifixion of Christ, the promised Messiah.

“²⁷ `For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work.

²⁸ Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign.’”  (Matt. 16:27-28, YLT)

Coming in his reign, that is coming in His kingdom, coming in His glory, and sitting upon His throne.

`And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory; (Matt. 25:31)

His kingdom is already here.  Jesus has been reigning at the right hand of the Father since His ascension. His return was to destroy that old system of animal sacrifices which would never take away sin.  He made all things new (Rev. 21:5) with the abolishment of that old temple, under His gospel, because His sacrifice was the last blood sacrifice that YHVH would ever again accept for forgiveness of our sins.  The new covenant replaced the old, and His reign is now forever.

Therefore, as His kingdom is already established, and has been in existence since AD 70, then are we today to still pray for His kingdom to come?  What we call the “Lord’s prayer” was given to the disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry before His crucifixion.  First audience perspective applies.  The time in which Jesus spoke is important.

May I suggest that we adapt that prayer to the reality of His existing kingdom today? Could we instead say “Thy kingdom is forever,” or “Thy kingdom flourish,” or “Thy kingdom shine throughout all the lands”?   Isn’t it better to acknowledge that His kingdom is already within us, is already here with us (Rev. 21:1-3) and accordingly offer a prayer that affirms His reign?

We are not the disciples of the first century AD that were looking ahead to His kingdom.  We are the disciples that know His kingdom is already here.  Our prayer should be shouting it.

“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name,

[Thy kingdom is forever], Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”