This purpose of God to establish a universal kingdom on earth, with Christ as it's head, has a connection with God's past dealings with the nation of the Jews. This connection must be perceived before the bearing of God's purpose can be clearly understood. To assist in the attainment of this understanding, consider the following facts:

(a) - The Kingdom of Israel, as divinely constituted under the hand of Moses, and existent in the land of Palestine 3,000 years ago, was the Kingdom of God.

And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. (1 Chronicles 28:5; see also 29:23).

Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on His throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: ( 2 Chronicles 9:8).

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; (2 Chronicles 13:8).

(b) - It was divinely overturned and scattered to the winds on account of iniquity.

Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name. (Isaiah 63:17-19).

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.1 (Ezekiel 21:25-27).

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:4-5).

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24; Matthew 23:36-39).

(c) - It is to be re-established.

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. (Psalm 102:13).

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (Isaiah 61:4;33:20-21).

In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: (Amos 9:11).

Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6).

The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.( Luke 1:32-33).

To this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: (Acts 15:15-16).

And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. (Zechariah 2:12).

Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem. (Zechariah 1:16-17).

1 This prediction was uttered in the reign of Zedekiah, the last Israelitish king in the line of David, BC 593; ever since that time, the kingdom has been overturned. It was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar in the days of Zedekiah, and was afterwards successively trampled down by Greece and Rome. Since the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the kingdom of David (i.e. the kingdom of God) has had no existence.

Further comment. Scripture shows that the kings of Judah sat upon the throne of David in Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 22:2), and this is elsewhere styled "the throne of the Lord" (1 Chronicles 29:23). This is the throne promised to the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 2:30-31), which it is the purpose of God to restore (Acts 15:16). When that is accomplished, Jerusalem again will be known as "the throne of the Lord" (Jeremiah 3:17). It will be the centre of Christ's administration over all the earth (Isaiah 2:2-4) - Editor.