What are believers really requesting when they pray 'thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven'?
Believers are requesting the promised earthly Kingdom, promised since Abraham, over which Christ offers Himself as King and will one day rule and reign. It is the Kingdom on earth described in Isaiah 11, for which the twelve were instructed to pray; heaven comes down to earth rather than believers going up to heaven.
Les explains that the average church goer or believer voices the words “thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven” without having the foggiest notion of what they are really talking about. What they are really requesting is the Kingdom that has been promised ever since Abraham, the Kingdom over which Christ is offering Himself as the King, and it is going to be here on the earth. Les contrasts this with the common idea that when the earth passes away and time as we know it ends, believers go up to heaven and spend eternity there. He says that flies in the face of Scripture, because heaven is going to come down on earth. To show this, Les takes his audience back into the Book, turning to Isaiah chapter 11 as one of the most obvious graphic descriptions of this Kingdom on earth, the Kingdom the twelve were instructed to pray for and over which Christ will one day rule and reign. Isaiah 11:1 speaks of a rod coming forth out of the stem of Jesse, Jesse being the father of David, and out of David comes this Branch; Christ is also referred to as the Branch in several other Old Testament places, so it is a reference to the Messiah.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Do average believers understand what they are praying when they say 'thy kingdom come'?
No. The average churchgoer or believer can voice 'thy kingdom come' without having the foggiest notion of what they are really requesting. They are asking for the promised earthly kingdom, the kingdom over which Christ offers Himself as King, which heaven will come down to earth to fulfill.
What is the kingdom that Jesus tells his disciples to pray for in the Lord's Prayer?
The kingdom is the earthly Kingdom promised ever since Abraham, over which Christ offers Himself as King and will one day rule and reign. In the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven,” asks for that Kingdom to be established here on earth.