The Kingdom of God was foreshadowed in the kingdom of Israel
The glorious God of Love revealed himself to Abraham, the forefather of the people of Israel, while he was still living in Mesopotamia (now part of Iraq). God called him to leave his country and his people to go to a distant land that God would show him.
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3)
By faith Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. When he arrived to the promised land he lived like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents. He refused to settle in any of the cities of the land for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By admitting he was an alien and stranger in the land of Canaan Abraham showed that he was looking for country of his own; that he was longing for a better country � a heavenly one; even though God promised him the land:
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates - the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." (Genesis 15:18-21)
From the covenantal promises God made with Abraham we come to understand that it was through his seed that God wanted to bless every family on earth. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became the founding fathers of the nation of the twelve tribes of Israel. God repeated the same covenantal promises given to Abraham to his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Before Jacob died he gave this prophecy concerning the coming king:
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler�s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and the obedience of the peoples is his. (Gen 49:10)
From this prophecy we understand that God worked towards a time in history when his plan would take a big step forward, people would be obedient to his rule and live in the blessing of salvation.