January 25th, 2026
by Arlie Francis
by Arlie Francis
To understand the scope of the grand story of the Bible, we must look beyond the horizon of human history, into eternity past. An eternal King existed outside of time and space. Before “in the beginning” the King decided to establish a Kingdom comprised of spiritual and physical subjects. The Bible presents His story, a story that transcends a set of moral codes. At the heart of the Kingdom of God is His desire to extend the offer of an eternal loving relationship to all who choose Him over themselves.
The Bible is one unified story that details the progressively revealed Kingdom of God. Mankind lives in a finite world where the story of God is illustrated by what was written through about forty human authors spanning about sixteen hundred years. Think of this Kingdom as a masterfully cut diamond possessing five distinct facets, all working together to reflect the light of God’s glory through His Creation. God stands outside time and space. For Him all of these five facets of His Kingdom already exist!
We must examine how each facet of God's Kingdom program works together, beginning with the foundational act of Creation.
In The Beginning, God…
Before we can grasp the "Very Good" world of Genesis 1 and 2, we must strip away our modern, Western lenses. We live in an era of abstract ideas and digital signals, where "words" are often viewed as mere descriptors for things. Ask Jesus’s followers to describe God, and you will hear words like love, perfect, just, mighty, forgiving, and strong. These are abstract words. But the Bible is an ancient Hebrew text. Its concepts were forged in a world that valued the concrete over the abstract. Ask an ancient Hebrew to describe God and the answers would be He is strong tower, eagles wings, might fortress, and more.
When a king in the ancient Near East issued a decree, the words he use were considered an extension of the himself. In the Hebrew mindset, a word—davar—is substantive. The Word of God, davar, carries the weight, authority, and essence of the One who spoke His entire realm into existence. Four thousand years after God created our world, John wrotes:
In the beginning was the Word (Logos/Davar), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him. - (John 1:1-3)
John identifies the Creator. The "Word" that spoke the universe into existence is Jesus, the King of Creation, the Anointed One, Israel’s Messiah! When Jesus said, "Let there be light," He was releasing His creative power—into the darkness. The Kingdom of God is not a philosophical ideal; it is a physical and spiritual reality constructed by and for Jesus Christ. Every atom of the physical universe and every rank among the heavenly host exists because the Davar, the Word sustains them. Jesus IS the Word.
The Universal Kingdom: Sovereignty Without Border
The first facet of our kingdom diamond is the Universal Kingdom. This refers to God’s absolute, timeless sovereignty and rule over all that exists. It is the broadest expression of His rule. Whether spiritual or human beings acknowledge Him or not, He is King.
Jesus owns the cosmos. Jesus’s realm encompasses:
The Creation account in Genesis is the record of the King "blueprinting" and building His house, His realm. In this facet of the Kingdom, God’s rule is exercised through His providence and His natural laws. He is the Architect who sets the boundaries of the sea and the orbits of the planets. He is the Sovereign who governs the spiritual hierarchies. In the Universal Kingdom, there is no "secular" space. Every square inch is holy, set apart for His purposes.
The Mystery of the Void
As we move into Genesis 1:2, we encounter a profound tension that modern readers often overlook: "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep." If a perfect, all-powerful King creates a world, why does the narrative begin with formlessness (tohu), emptiness (bohu), and darkness? In the ancient Hebrew context, tohu va vohu are terms associated with judgment and the aftermath of a catastrophe.
This tension points to a cosmic insurrection that occurred before the six days of our current world's restoration beginning in Genesis 1:3. The "Creation" text of Genesis suggests that God had already established a spirit / physical kingdom before the world mankind now inhabits. Within that kingdom, an "anointed cherub" or the Satan—led a rebellion against the King.
A formless, empty, and dark void was not God’s original design. It was the result of a spiritual coup. The "void" was the wreckage of a spiritual war. This is crucial for understanding God’s Kingdom program: the restoration of the world in Genesis 1 is the King’s first move in a long-term strategy to reclaim His territory and re-establish His "very good" order in the face of rebellion. The Kingdom program is, from its inception, a story of reclamation.
The Spiritual Kingdom: The Desire for Fellowship
While the Universal Kingdom is about God’s position as King, the second facet—the Spiritual Kingdom—is about the relationship between the King and His sentient subjects.
Everything God does is for His own glory. To a modern ear, that might sound selfish, but we must remember who God is. He has eternally existed as three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in a state of perfect, infinite, and joyful fellowship. Because God is inherently good, He is not a "taker" of all that is good, but a "sharer" of it.
The Spiritual Kingdom is composed of all thinking and reasoning beings—both spiritual and human—who desire God’s rule over them. God did not create these other beings because He was lonely; He created them out of an overflow of Trinitarian love. He wanted others to enjoy the same eternal fellowship that has always existed within the Godhead.
In the Garden of Eden, we see the ideal state of the Spiritual Kingdom. Adam and Eve were not just subjects; they were “viceroys,” representatives of the King. They were invited into the "inner circle" of God’s presence. The Spiritual Kingdom is where the King’s Davar is not just a law that must be obeyed, but a truth that is loved.
Humanity’s Role In God’s Story
A king governs his territory through representatives. In the creation of man and woman, God established in them the Imago Dei—the Image of God. This was not merely a spiritual likeness, but a functional appointment.
Humanity was designed to be the bridge between the physical and the spiritual. We are made of the "dust of the earth" (physical) but animated by the "breath of life" (spiritual). This unique composition allowed us to function as the King’s stewards on Earth. The mandate to "subdue" and "have dominion" was the first Kingdom Commission.
The King’s intent was for the Spiritual Kingdom to find expression in the physical world through human obedience. As long as the human viceroy remained in fellowship with the Trinity, the light of the Spiritual Kingdom would saturate the physical realm. Each individual who “believes God” has membership in His Spiritual Kingdom. From the very beginning, faith in the revealed Word of God at the time in which they lived, was the mechanism that restored individuals from death to life.
The Sabbath Rest and Shalom
The first chapter of the Kingdom story ends not with work, but with rest. The seventh day of Creation—the Sabbath—introduces the concept of Shalom. In the Hebrew context, Shalom is much more than the absence of conflict; it is wholeness, completeness, and the flourishing of all things under the King’s care.
The Sabbath was the "very good" state of the Kingdom. It was the destination toward which all of creation is moving. A kingdom is only successful when its subjects can rest in the security and provision of their King. The Sabbath represents the ultimate goal of the entire Kingdom program: a universe where rebellion has been quelled, fellowship has been restored, and the King dwells among His people in a state of eternal rest.
The Diamond Reflecting: Genesis Meets John
When we tie the Creation account of Genesis to the Prologue of John, the "fiery light" of the Kingdom diamond is indescribable, beyond spectacular. We see that the King who created the world is the same King who eventually entered the world to save it.
The first two facets of God’s Kingdom program—the Universal and the Spiritual—provide the framework for the rest of the Bible. The Universal Kingdom ensures that God has the authority to act, and the Spiritual Kingdom defines the relationship He is seeking to restore.
Conclusion: Preparing for the Next Facets
The stage is now set. We have a King whose Word is law, a cosmos that reflects His glory, and a human race invited into the fellowship of the Trinity, as it is in heaven. However, as we know, the rebellion that caused the "void" of Genesis 1:2 eventually reached the hearts of God’s human viceroys in Eden, infecting all who came after them.
This disruption necessitated the additional facets of the Kingdom Diamond. The King would not abandon His program. He would begin a specific, mediated rule through a chosen people—a Theocratic Kingdom of judges and kings. He would speak through prophets pointing toward a "Mystery" and a "Millennial" future where the Davar would once again reign supreme over His restored earth.
The story of the Kingdom is the story of a King who refuses to let His creation stay in the dark. It is a story of light, spoken by the Word, and destined to fill the earth.
Study & Tell the Story of Creation
The Bible is one unified story that details the progressively revealed Kingdom of God. Mankind lives in a finite world where the story of God is illustrated by what was written through about forty human authors spanning about sixteen hundred years. Think of this Kingdom as a masterfully cut diamond possessing five distinct facets, all working together to reflect the light of God’s glory through His Creation. God stands outside time and space. For Him all of these five facets of His Kingdom already exist!
- Universal Kingdom
- Spiritual Kingdom
- Theocratic Kingdom
- Mystery Kingdom
- Messianic / Millennial Kingdom
We must examine how each facet of God's Kingdom program works together, beginning with the foundational act of Creation.
In The Beginning, God…
Before we can grasp the "Very Good" world of Genesis 1 and 2, we must strip away our modern, Western lenses. We live in an era of abstract ideas and digital signals, where "words" are often viewed as mere descriptors for things. Ask Jesus’s followers to describe God, and you will hear words like love, perfect, just, mighty, forgiving, and strong. These are abstract words. But the Bible is an ancient Hebrew text. Its concepts were forged in a world that valued the concrete over the abstract. Ask an ancient Hebrew to describe God and the answers would be He is strong tower, eagles wings, might fortress, and more.
When a king in the ancient Near East issued a decree, the words he use were considered an extension of the himself. In the Hebrew mindset, a word—davar—is substantive. The Word of God, davar, carries the weight, authority, and essence of the One who spoke His entire realm into existence. Four thousand years after God created our world, John wrotes:
In the beginning was the Word (Logos/Davar), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him. - (John 1:1-3)
John identifies the Creator. The "Word" that spoke the universe into existence is Jesus, the King of Creation, the Anointed One, Israel’s Messiah! When Jesus said, "Let there be light," He was releasing His creative power—into the darkness. The Kingdom of God is not a philosophical ideal; it is a physical and spiritual reality constructed by and for Jesus Christ. Every atom of the physical universe and every rank among the heavenly host exists because the Davar, the Word sustains them. Jesus IS the Word.
The Universal Kingdom: Sovereignty Without Border
The first facet of our kingdom diamond is the Universal Kingdom. This refers to God’s absolute, timeless sovereignty and rule over all that exists. It is the broadest expression of His rule. Whether spiritual or human beings acknowledge Him or not, He is King.
Jesus owns the cosmos. Jesus’s realm encompasses:
- The Spiritual Realm: The "unseen" dimensions populated by angelic hosts, cherubim, and seraphim.
- The Physical Realm: The "seen" universe, from the farthest galaxies to the microscopic elements of life.
The Creation account in Genesis is the record of the King "blueprinting" and building His house, His realm. In this facet of the Kingdom, God’s rule is exercised through His providence and His natural laws. He is the Architect who sets the boundaries of the sea and the orbits of the planets. He is the Sovereign who governs the spiritual hierarchies. In the Universal Kingdom, there is no "secular" space. Every square inch is holy, set apart for His purposes.
The Mystery of the Void
As we move into Genesis 1:2, we encounter a profound tension that modern readers often overlook: "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep." If a perfect, all-powerful King creates a world, why does the narrative begin with formlessness (tohu), emptiness (bohu), and darkness? In the ancient Hebrew context, tohu va vohu are terms associated with judgment and the aftermath of a catastrophe.
This tension points to a cosmic insurrection that occurred before the six days of our current world's restoration beginning in Genesis 1:3. The "Creation" text of Genesis suggests that God had already established a spirit / physical kingdom before the world mankind now inhabits. Within that kingdom, an "anointed cherub" or the Satan—led a rebellion against the King.
A formless, empty, and dark void was not God’s original design. It was the result of a spiritual coup. The "void" was the wreckage of a spiritual war. This is crucial for understanding God’s Kingdom program: the restoration of the world in Genesis 1 is the King’s first move in a long-term strategy to reclaim His territory and re-establish His "very good" order in the face of rebellion. The Kingdom program is, from its inception, a story of reclamation.
The Spiritual Kingdom: The Desire for Fellowship
While the Universal Kingdom is about God’s position as King, the second facet—the Spiritual Kingdom—is about the relationship between the King and His sentient subjects.
Everything God does is for His own glory. To a modern ear, that might sound selfish, but we must remember who God is. He has eternally existed as three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in a state of perfect, infinite, and joyful fellowship. Because God is inherently good, He is not a "taker" of all that is good, but a "sharer" of it.
The Spiritual Kingdom is composed of all thinking and reasoning beings—both spiritual and human—who desire God’s rule over them. God did not create these other beings because He was lonely; He created them out of an overflow of Trinitarian love. He wanted others to enjoy the same eternal fellowship that has always existed within the Godhead.
In the Garden of Eden, we see the ideal state of the Spiritual Kingdom. Adam and Eve were not just subjects; they were “viceroys,” representatives of the King. They were invited into the "inner circle" of God’s presence. The Spiritual Kingdom is where the King’s Davar is not just a law that must be obeyed, but a truth that is loved.
Humanity’s Role In God’s Story
A king governs his territory through representatives. In the creation of man and woman, God established in them the Imago Dei—the Image of God. This was not merely a spiritual likeness, but a functional appointment.
Humanity was designed to be the bridge between the physical and the spiritual. We are made of the "dust of the earth" (physical) but animated by the "breath of life" (spiritual). This unique composition allowed us to function as the King’s stewards on Earth. The mandate to "subdue" and "have dominion" was the first Kingdom Commission.
The King’s intent was for the Spiritual Kingdom to find expression in the physical world through human obedience. As long as the human viceroy remained in fellowship with the Trinity, the light of the Spiritual Kingdom would saturate the physical realm. Each individual who “believes God” has membership in His Spiritual Kingdom. From the very beginning, faith in the revealed Word of God at the time in which they lived, was the mechanism that restored individuals from death to life.
The Sabbath Rest and Shalom
The first chapter of the Kingdom story ends not with work, but with rest. The seventh day of Creation—the Sabbath—introduces the concept of Shalom. In the Hebrew context, Shalom is much more than the absence of conflict; it is wholeness, completeness, and the flourishing of all things under the King’s care.
The Sabbath was the "very good" state of the Kingdom. It was the destination toward which all of creation is moving. A kingdom is only successful when its subjects can rest in the security and provision of their King. The Sabbath represents the ultimate goal of the entire Kingdom program: a universe where rebellion has been quelled, fellowship has been restored, and the King dwells among His people in a state of eternal rest.
The Diamond Reflecting: Genesis Meets John
When we tie the Creation account of Genesis to the Prologue of John, the "fiery light" of the Kingdom diamond is indescribable, beyond spectacular. We see that the King who created the world is the same King who eventually entered the world to save it.
- Jesus, the Architect: He is the Davar that entered the void.
- Jesus, the Bridge: He is the perfect union of the physical and spiritual.
- Jesus, the Goal: He is the "Lord of the Sabbath" who provides the rest mankind rejected in the Eden.
The first two facets of God’s Kingdom program—the Universal and the Spiritual—provide the framework for the rest of the Bible. The Universal Kingdom ensures that God has the authority to act, and the Spiritual Kingdom defines the relationship He is seeking to restore.
Conclusion: Preparing for the Next Facets
The stage is now set. We have a King whose Word is law, a cosmos that reflects His glory, and a human race invited into the fellowship of the Trinity, as it is in heaven. However, as we know, the rebellion that caused the "void" of Genesis 1:2 eventually reached the hearts of God’s human viceroys in Eden, infecting all who came after them.
This disruption necessitated the additional facets of the Kingdom Diamond. The King would not abandon His program. He would begin a specific, mediated rule through a chosen people—a Theocratic Kingdom of judges and kings. He would speak through prophets pointing toward a "Mystery" and a "Millennial" future where the Davar would once again reign supreme over His restored earth.
The story of the Kingdom is the story of a King who refuses to let His creation stay in the dark. It is a story of light, spoken by the Word, and destined to fill the earth.
Study & Tell the Story of Creation
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