The Clash of Kingdoms: A Biblical Response to Riots

The Biblical Context

In Matthew 24:7 Jesus tells us that in the last days we will see “wars and rumors of wars,” and that nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Jesus describes these events as the “birth pains” of His second coming: they are conditions that have always existed, yet like labor contractions they will increase in both frequency and intensity just before His return.

The Holy Spirit has impressed upon me that the verses in Matthew Chapter 24 describe human conflict but also extend far beyond it. We readily understand wars between nations because we see them on the news every day. Russia and Ukraine have fought a prolonged war for several years. The US wages an asymmetrical conflict with Iran that includes economic warfare. There is increasing discussion of potential “space wars” and “AI wars.” Many people believe that the Covid-19 pandemic was a form of biological warfare.

Two Kingdoms locked in a Heavenly War

Matthew 24:7: For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

But what does Jesus mean by “kingdom against kingdom“? Is this just a restating of His previous words “nation against nation”, or is there something more here?

Understanding the Clash of Kingdoms

The Greek word for kingdom used here is basileia, referring to royal power, kingship, dominion, or rule. In both the Old and New Testament, it frequently refers to the kingdom over which God or the Messiah rules. In this context, kingdom against kingdom is not referring to earthly kingdoms, but to the cosmic war between the kingdom of darkness (Satan) and the “Kingdom of Light” (Jesus Christ). These two kingdoms have been in conflict since the garden of Eden when Satan sought to overthrow God’s dominion over the earth.

As we approach the second coming of Jesus Christ, this cosmic war between good and evil will intensify until it reaches its zenith in the war of Armageddon.

God’s kingdom brings life, order, and truth, while the kingdom of darkness brings death, chaos, and deception 😈

Jesus Christ, the King, rules God’s kingdom and lives out His reign in the hearts of those who obey Him✝️. The Kingdom of Darkness is Satan’s realm, where he marks his domain with death, disorder, and corruption. He rules it as the “god of this age” who blinds minds to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). Every person aligns with one kingdom or the other; there is no neutrality.

How the kingdoms oppose each other⚔️

Satan’s army is not random. Scripture reveals a hierarchy of demonic forces — demons, principalities, powers, and fallen angels. This host operates in a coordinated, strategic, and deadly way. The Bible portrays Satan as a roaring lion, prowling around in search of someone to devour. His realm actively opposes God, using sin, deception, and violence to corrupt people and enlist them in his purposes.

Jesus’ ministry—his healings, exorcisms, and teaching —was the inbreaking of God’s kingdom into Satan’s domain (Matthew 12:28). Jesus’ death and resurrection ✝️ were the decisive acts of triumph over the powers of darkness. 🙌🏻 As the ascended Christ, He has given His Holy Spirit to believers so that they may remain united to Him and receive spiritual power and authority over the kingdom of darkness.

The Bible portrays Satan’s army as a real, organized, and destructive spiritual enemy, yet one that has been decisively defeated in the cosmic conflict and will be judged eternally.

Believers “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10–18) and stand firm in the truth, bringing God’s light into every area of life. This spiritual conflict is taking place now, but it will only last for a limited time. The parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:36-43) teaches that both kingdoms exist side by side until the end, when God’s kingdom will fully stand and God will remove the kingdom of darkness.

What is a Riot?

A riot is a violent disturbance of public order committed by three or more people—a gathering for an illegal purpose that involves violence. A simple, legal protest is not a riot because there is no violence.

The key words in the simple definition of a riot are violence, violent disturbance and illegal. Riots include chaos as a mechanism to destroy peace. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of peace. The Bible instructs us that we are to “pray for our leaders”, not try to oppose them through violence. The vast majority of victims in a riot are innocent bystanders, and not government officials.

Riots – chaos and deception in Satan’s kingdom of darkness 😈

Recent Examples of Riots

Riots sweeping the US – 2025

The “no Kings” movement signifies far more than simple political opposition to US President Donald Trump. Protestors use the phrase “no kings” to express a rejection of the elected earthly governing authorities, yet the name also carries a spiritual dimension, especially in light of the Bible’s instruction that Christians are to submit to governing authorities.

This is what they claim:

“NO KINGS is a National Day of Action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies. We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political views, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.”

Although the “No kings” protests were reported to be “mostly peaceful,” there were many documented incidents of violence and lawlessness. Even the organizers of the “No kings” protests admit that violent, radical groups can easily infiltrate.

In Los Angeles California (2025), there were reports of rioters setting cars on fire, looting businesses, vandalizing property, and blocking roads. Rioters broke up large chunks of concrete with sledgehammers to throw off of bridges at vehicles. Miraculously, there were no reports of major injury or death.

The sign that reads 86 47 (above) means “kill” the 47th President (Trump) 😱

Nearly 400 people joined protests across Los Angeles beginning on Friday, June 6th, 2025, leading authorities to detain them. These include 330 undocumented migrants and 157 people arrested on assault and obstruction charges. One report detailed an assailant’s attempted murder of a police officer by throwing a Molotov cocktail at cops.

Riots Sweeping Europe – 2026

Media outlets are depicting the unrest sweeping France as little more than frustrated high school students protesting teacher shortages and crumbling school buildings. However, as reported by JD Rucker at Discern Report, that narrative collapses in light of the widespread arson, looting, and targeted attacks that have left historic sites in ruins and a Paris synagogue vandalized.

By Saturday, October 17, 2026, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez estimated that 550,000 people had taken to the streets nationwide, while organizers claimed the number was closer to 800,000. More than 1,200 people were arrested, including a record 855 in Paris alone, and 150 police officers were injured.

Sinister Forces at Work

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine” while claiming concern for school funding. Songs glorifying Mohammed Merah—the Islamist who murdered Jewish schoolchildren in Toulouse in 2012—have circulated as an unofficial anthem. Place de la République filled with Palestinian flags, according to former lawmaker Meyer Habib. Rioters also broke into and vandalized a synagogue on Burnouf Street in Paris’s 19th arrondissement.

“We are witnessing something extraordinary: an intifada in the heart of Europe”. 😱

Criminals of immigrant background carried out much of the looting while far-left figures supplied ideological cover. One LFI figure suggested violence can sometimes be legitimate; another threatened to set the Élysée Palace on fire. The disorder arrives months before an election in which Marine Le Pen and the National Rally remain the leading alternative to the current establishment.

This is why some far-left figures end up giving ideological cover to radical Islamists. These two groups are not truly aligned, either politically or ideologically, yet we still see an unholy alliance emerging. Why? For now, they share a common agenda: they reject God (YHWH\/JESUS CHRIST) and oppose God’s covenant people (Christians and Jews). They also oppose nations founded on Judeo-Christian values and want to overturn those values and replace them with their own.

What does the Bible say about Riots?

Riots are sinful and lawless. They visibly express the spiritual war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. One of the fruits of the Spirit is SELF-CONTROL, and Christians are commanded to practice this fruit instead of giving in to the deeds of the flesh. To live according to the flesh is to set the mind on death (Romans 8:6).

Biblical Examples of Riots

Riots against Moses and Aaron

In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan and determine what would be required to conquer it. God was GIVING the land to Israel, yet they would still have to fight for it. Ten of the spies declared that the land was truly good, flowing with “milk and honey,” but it was also inhabited by terrifying giants who devoured its inhabitants. Only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, instructed the people to TRUST GOD.

Numbers 13: Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Send out men for yourself to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.

³² So they brought a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel, saying, “The land through which we have gone to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are people of great stature. 

³³ We also saw the Nephilim (tfj: giants) there (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The ten spies who brought back the bad report STIRRED UP FEAR and RAGE in the people. 😱😡

Instead of trusting and obeying God by entering the land, the people rose up against Moses and Aaron, seeking new leaders to take them back to Egypt, where they had been slaves. God had appointed Moses and Aaron to lead Israel, but the people rejected them.

When Joshua and Caleb attempted to reason with them, the congregation sought to stone them.

Numbers 14:3: So why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!”

¹⁰ But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Riots against the Apostle Paul

In the New Testament, when the Apostle Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Ephesus, a riot erupted. As so often happens, an agitator with an agenda stirred it up. Demetrius, a silversmith from Ephesus, earned substantial profit crafting IDOLS. Paul proclaimed that idols were nothing and called people to turn away from them and TO the TRUE GOD, Jesus Christ. The pagans of Ephesus turned AWAY from idols and toward Christ – HALLELUJAH! 🙌🏻

This was indeed GOOD NEWS, yet not everyone was pleased. Idols were big business, which is why Demetrius was enraged. The nation’s idolatry was lining his pockets, so he stirred up the crowds against Paul, declaring that Paul was a THREAT and a DANGER.

Acts 19:23 About that time a major disturbance occurred in regard to the Way (tfj: Christianity was called “The Way” at that time). ²⁴ For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing considerable business to the craftsmen; 

²⁵ he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 🤑²⁶ You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. 

²⁷ Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

Riots against Jesus Christ of Nazareth

The most infamous riot in the Bible occurred during Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate.

The governor of Judea had found no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4; John 19:4). However, the chief scribes and religious leaders were determined to kill Him, so they stirred up the crowd. 😈 (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11).

The angry crowd—many of whom had only recently hailed His entrance into Jerusalem as King of kings—now turned and shouted, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

What was Jesus’ response? Jesus Christ forgave the people who were CRUCIFYING HIM. 😲

Luke 23:34: But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing His garments among themselves.

Christians are called to submit to the governing authorities

Christians are called to be good citizens so that they reflect God’s character, honor the authority He has established, and positively influence society through obedience, service, and integrity. The Bible teaches that all authority is established by God, and believers are commanded to respect and submit to governing authorities. The only exception is when those authorities require us to sin (Acts 5:29).

Romans 13:1: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This is the hallmark of the Christian, the hallmark of the children of God.

Luke 6:35: But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people.‘

Clash between kingdoms will continue until the end

As we approach the end of all things, nation will continue to rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. This conflict will only intensify. As Christians, we belong to the Kingdom of the Most High God. Kingdom citizens must speak the truth in love, put on the full armor of God, and pray. We are to love all people, including our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. We are also called to submit to governing authorities and pray for our leaders. This may seem passive, but it is a powerful way to live faithfully and oppose the kingdom of darkness.

Christians understand that our true struggle is not ultimately against other people. (Ephesians 6:12) Instead, by the blood of Jesus and our authority in Christ, we fight on our knees in prayer against the spiritual forces of darkness that stir up unrest. Worship, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, kindness, and love are the weapons of our warfare. ⚔️

This war belongs to the Lord, and He will win in the end. The two kingdoms will continue to clash until the final day—when the wheat is gathered into the barn and the weeds are thrown into the fire. 🔥 (Matthew 13:24-30) We can trust that God will have the final word. In the meantime, Jesus Christ is rescuing as many people as possible. For this reason, we pray that those who now serve the prince of darkness will turn from their wickedness and follow the Father of lights, Jesus Christ. At any moment, Jesus can snatch them out of the fire.

A Prayer for Peace and Mercy 🙏🏻

Our prayer to God the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace…. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Father God, have mercy on the United States of America, France, and the world. Help us to remain united and to remove the seed of discord that seeks to divide us.

We pray for all the communities that have been or will be affected by the riots;
For all those left injured, traumatized or afraid;
For the police and law enforcement at the national and local level seeking to restore public order and bring perpetrators to justice;
For places of business or worship that are or will be shuttered, robbed, or vandalized. And all people of faith and goodwill seeking to promote peace and respect in the face of violence and hatred.

For those who have been deceived by the prince of darkness to turn to Jesus Christ and follow Him while it is still day, for night comes quickly.

Teach us, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and lead us in the path of your commandments.

Keep our nation under your care;
and guide us in justice and truth.

Have mercy on us.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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