Generally, the church’s teachings nowadays seem to ignore the kingdom of God. Yet the reality of the kingdom was emphasized in the teaching of Jesus. He ushered it in. Why do we ignore it today? Are we missing an important doctrine of the Bible?
The biblical teaching of the kingdom is complex. However, maybe we can sort things out enough to begin to understand it.
This is a long post, so take it one major section at a time.
Let’s begin
I. Basic Definitions
A. Brief definition
The kingdom is God’s realm and dominion over which he rules as king.
Kingdom means that God has the right to rule over our lives and societies of humans. It is not abstract but is manifested in people. And he does not have to ask their permission to rule over them even if they do not see it right now, with their limited perspective.
B. Extended definition
From this brief definition the natural inference is that God’s kingdom refers to his dominion over which he exercises his reign, rule, authority, kingship, and sovereignty.
This definition is confirmed by Scriptures. Psalm 103:19 says that the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all. God’s kingdom is his universal rule, sovereignty over all the earth. Psalm 145:11 says that God’s kingdom is his glory and power, and the power speaks of his sovereignty. God’s kingdom is his power. Psalm 145:13 says that his kingdom is everlasting and it endures throughout all generations. It is God’s rule that is everlasting, not his realm, for the realm may shift from one age to the next. Daniel 2:37 says that God of heaven has given Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom power, and the might and the glory—his rulership and sovereignty. So even earthly kings are under God’s sway.
See below for more verses.
C. Hebrew and Greek
The Hebrew word malkuth and the Greek word basileia may indeed be the realm over which the king reigns and the people who belong to that realm, yet the kingdom is bigger than those things. The primary meaning is the king’s rule. Ezra 8:1 speaks of the exiles’ return from Babylon “in the kingdom” of Artaxerxes, that is, his reign. 2 Chronicles 12:1 speaks of the establishment of Rehoboam’s kingdom or rule. Kingdom as a human rule or reign can be seen in these passages: Jeremiah 49:34; 2 Chronicles 11:17, 12:1; 26:30; Ezra 4:5; Nehemiah 12:22 (and so on).
II. Basic data
A. The word kingdom can be tracked in a variety of contexts and phrases in the NT and OT.
“The kingdom of God” occurs these many times throughout the NT:
4 times in Matthew (12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43);
14 times in Mark;
32 times in Luke;
2 times in John (3:3, 5);
6 times in Acts;
8 times in Paul’s letters;
1 time in Revelation (12:10).
“The kingdom of heaven” (just a variation on the “kingdom of God”):
33 times in Matthew;
1 time in a variant reading in John;
“Kingdom”: 9 times (e.g. Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31; 22:29; 1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 1:9);
“Your kingdom”: 2 times (Matt. 6:10; Luke 11:2);
“His kingdom”: 4 times (Matt. 25:34; Luke 12:32; 22:29; 1Thess. 2:12);
“The kingdom of their [my] Father”: 2 times (Matt. 13:43; 26:29);
“The good news [gospel] of the kingdom”: 3 times (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14);
“The message about the kingdom”: 1 time (Matt. 13:19);
“The subjects [sons and daughters] of the kingdom”: 2 times (Matt. 8:12; 13:38);
“The coming kingdom of our father David”: 1 time (Mark 11:10);
“kingdom” is used of the redeemed: 2 times (Rev. 1:6; 5:10)
B. Totals:
Matthew: 52 times (and in addition 3 times it is used of worldly or satanic kingdoms);
Mark: 16 times (and in addition 3 times it is used of worldly or satanic kingdoms);
Luke: 38 times (and in addition it is used 4 times of worldly or satanic kingdoms);
Synoptic Gospels: 106 times (allowing for parallel passages in the Synoptics);
John: 4 times;
Acts: 7 times;
Paul’s epistles: 14 times (in addition it is used 1 time of the satanic kingdom);
General epistles: 4 times (in addition it is used 1 time of worldly kingdoms);
Revelation: 6 times (in addition it is used 2 times of worldly or satanic kingdoms)
Grand Total:
God’s kingdom: 141
Worldly or satanic kingdoms: 14 times
C. Summary of the NT data
In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus preached the kingdom of God often, indicating he was ushering in a new order, a new age.
The Gospel of John was written later, so the author focuses on revealing who Jesus is (God in the flesh; the good shepherd, the door, the bread of life, and so on). And he focuses on a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus (I am the good shepherd, so follow me and hear my voice; I am the bread of life, so partake of me; I am the vine, so connect with me, and so on).
Acts focuses on the progress of the church, and the key and timely appearance of the word kingdom reminds the readers that it is the kingdom of God that advances the gospel and the church. In 1:3 Luke writes about Jesus teaching the kingdom after he had risen, implying that the apostles and other disciples would carry on this biblical truth. In 28:31, the last verse, Luke ends his true historical account saying that Paul was proclaiming the kingdom. These two verses serve as an inclusio or enclosure or bookends to teach us that the kingdom message undergirds the ministry of the apostles and disciples throughout Acts.
Paul’s epistles focus on church problems (e.g. 1 and 2 Corinthians) and theology (e.g. Romans 1-11), but in key places he lifts his readers’ eyes towards God and the kingdom, and so they can gain a right and heavenly perspective—they are part of a new order, a new age that God rules over.
And the same is true of the general epistles. They focus on how to live in the here and now, or how the New Covenant supersedes the Old (Heb. 8-10), but a few times in key and timely verses, the authors lift the readers to a bigger and higher perspective: the kingdom of God.
To sum up, the word kingdom appears in the Synoptics more often than the rest of the NT, but this does not mean God’s kingdom is less important in the other sections. It is not a sheer numbers game, but the weighty content of the verses is more important. Numbers are not decisive; it is the meaning and contexts that are decisive.
Finally, worldly or satanic kingdoms appear in the NT, but clearly God has ultimate kingship and rule over them, though he evidently allows humans and Satan relative free range over their own jurisdictions. We can get a clearer picture of all of this in the next sections in this post and the next.
D. The king and his kingdom in the OT
If Israel obeys the terms of the covenant, God will make them to be a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:5-7).
David calls God King (Ps. 5:2).
The Lord is the king of glory five times (Ps. 24).
The king is enthroned forever (Ps. 29:9).
The son of Korah call him God and king (44:4).
God rules over his kingdom with a scepter (Ps. 45:6).
God is the king over all the earth, and we are to sing praises to him (Ps. 47:2, 6-7).
Zion is the city of the Great King (Ps. 48:2).
The procession of God and the king into the sanctuary has begun (Ps. 68:24).
God is the psalmist’s king who brings salvation to all the earth (Ps. 74:12).
The altar in the sanctuary belongs to God the King (Ps. 84:3).
God is the king and the holy one of Israel (Ps. 89:18).
God is the great king over all the gods (Ps. 95:3).
God is the king (Ps. 98:6).
God the king is mighty and loves justice (Ps. 99:4).
God’s kingdom rules over all (Ps. 103:19).
God is the great king (Ps. 145:1).
God has a kingdom (Ps. 145:11-13).
Israel is to be glad in their king (Ps. 149:2).
Isaiah saw the king, the Lord almighty (Is. 6:5).
The Messianic child will grow upon to rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom (Is. 9:7).
A king will reign in righteousness (Is. 32:1), presumably a prophecy about Jesus.
God is Israel’s Holy One, Creator and King (Is. 43:15).
The Lord almighty is Israel’s king and redeemer (Is. 44:6).
God the king is aroused to anger over Judah’s idols (Jer. 8:19).
God is king of the nations (Jer. 10:7).
The living God is the eternal king (Jer. 10:10).
The Lord almighty, the king, declares that Moab will be destroyed (Jer. 48:15).
The Lord almighty, the king, declares judgment on Babylon (Jer. 51:57).
God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom; the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms (Dan. 4:3, 17, 25, 32).
Nebuchadnezzar praises the king of heaven (Dan. 4:37).
The Lord, the king of Israel, is always with you, and you will suffer no more harm (Zeph. 3:17).
The king comes to Zion and Jerusalem, riding on a donkey (Zech. 9:9).
The Lord will be king over all the earth (Zech. 14:9).
People must gather to worship the King, the Lord almighty (twice in Zech. 14:16-17).
God is the great king, and his name is to be feared in all the nations (Mal. 1:14).
E. Summary and totals
God is said to be king or rules over his kingdom or the world’s kingdoms 45 times. The references to his kingship and kingdom cluster in the Psalms 22 times.
One striking feature of these OT totals is that the OT makes up 70% of the Bible, and the NT makes up the remaining 30%. Yet references to God’s kingdom appears 141 times in the NT, and 110 times in the four Gospels. But the OT calls God king many more times than the NT does. The OT carries through with the logic that a kingdom must have a king and calls God king many more times than the Father or Jesus is called by that title in the NT.
The theme of the king and his kingdom does not seem like a major theme in the OT.
G. Analysis
Though it is not a numbers game necessarily, those differences between the OT and NT must mean something. Clearly the NT emphasizes the kingdom of God because Jesus was establishing it in a new way, differently from how the OT presents it. Jesus said that when he works his miracles by following his Father and by the power of the Spirit, this indicates that the kingdom is here with him. Jesus brought focus to the kingdom of God by clarifying that the kingdom was being manifest down here on earth. This was a different focus than the proclamation in the OT that God was king over his kingdom and ruled over all the world’s kingdoms. In the OT, God seemed to remain in heaven, though in Psalm 84:3, the altar in the sanctuary belonged to God. But this verse still feels different from the kingdom of God as Jesus preached it because an altar in a small temple seems restrictive.
This may explain the differences: In the OT, the king remained in heaven. In the four Gospels, the king came down to earth.
Jesus also fulfills the Davidic kingship. God appointed David as king and gave him an eternal kingship (2 Sam. 7). Jesus fulfills this promise through his reign (Is. 9:7). “The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32b-33).
So, to sum up so far, Jesus fulfills all the OT verses about God’s kingship and kingdom by proclaiming it and bringing it down from the heavenly realm to earth by shepherding the people with his message of good news. And out of his love and care for them he works miracles for them, a sign that the kingdom God is near and here.
In addition, whenever God’s people, by the power of the indwelling Spirit and the gifts he distributes to them as the Spirit determines (1 Cor. 12:11), heals and liberates people by the gospel of the kingdom and by God’s power (not by the kingdom’s power), then the people will know that God is in their midst and his kingdom is being manifest, in part, but not yet in full, until the Second Coming. Though the kingdom of God is not as prominent in the epistles as in the four Gospels, it still is referenced. But the shift refocuses on Christ the Lord and the Spirit living among God’s people. His Lordship over kingship, but not replacing his kingship and making it disappear. Why? Probably because when the gospel went beyond the borders of Israel and was proclaimed to the Gentiles in the Roman empire, the church wanted to proclaim that Jesus, not Caesar,.is Lord.
H. Kingdom theology as a metanarrative?
Kingdom theology can be a metanarrative to explain the overarching story of the Bible. It is a worthy theme. And maybe those 45 references in the OT suffice to build this metanarrative. But it is not clear (to me at least) that kingdom theology has enough explanatory power to be the major, overarching theme of the Bible. I don’t recall that the NT quotes from those 45 verses to apply to Jesus, except Isaiah 9:7 and Zechariah 9:9 (I may have missed some other verses).
Kingdom theology as a metanarrative can be contrasted with finding Jesus the Messiah and Son in all the major sections of the Bible. Jesus taught Cleopus and his unnamed traveling companion the entire Bible, saying that he fulfills the themes, patterns, and sometimes specific verses (Luke 24:27). He said the same to the eleven with an emphasis on his suffering, death, and resurrection (Luke 24:45-47). The proclamation in the first eight chapters (and beyond) in Acts also repeats this fundamental truth. Jesus also told the religious leaders that the Scriptures testify about him (John 5:39). So an excellent metanarrative is Christology. I need to study this more to understand it, since I am a lifelong learner.
Here is a link to start the Christ-centered metanarrative:
In the final analysis, I cannot criticize an attempt to use kingdom theology as a metanarrative to understand the Bible.
Now let’s continue our study of the very important theme and truth of the kingdom of God.
III. Introduction to the Kingdom
A.. Basic ideas to ponder
1.. What is the kingdom of God?
Is it social justice? Is it an apocalyptic realm that will arrive only at the Second Coming? Is it reduced only to the heart? Is it the ideal pattern for history? Is it the reach of the gospel, so that when it goes around the world the kingdom is established for all to see, before the Second Coming? Is the kingdom just the church? Heaven? Answering these questions can explain Jesus’s main teaching.
2.. The Hebrew Bible and New Testament
They promise that the flow of history is moving to a new age, an age where the wolf and the lamb will feed and live together (Is. 11:6-9; 65:25), when men will beat their swords into plows (Joel 3:10; Mic. 4:3). The one who will rule over this new age is the King, the Lord God (Is. 6:5) and His Son, who is also the King (Rev. 19:16), so both will rule as One, in unity.
3.. Complexity
If you were to look up every reference to the kingdom, the topic is complicated. The kingdom is a present spiritual reality: The kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy (Rom. 14:17). We can experience those three things right now. Yet the kingdom is a future inheritance: The king will say to those (the sheep) on his right to come in and inherit the kingdom prepared for them before foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). How can the kingdom be a present spiritual reality and a future one?
4.. Realm we must enter
Still another idea about the kingdom is that it is a realm into which one must enter. God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loved (Col. 1:13). So believers are already in the kingdom. John 3:3 says: “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “See” means “experience.”.
B.. The kingdom of God contrasts with other kingdoms.
We can get a better definition by contrasting it with other kingdoms. The kingdoms of humanity are controlled by men and women. The spiritual kingdom of darkness, invisible to the unaided eye, is under Satan’s control. And the kingdoms of man and Satan overlap. But God’s kingdom cannot ultimately be hindered by powerful humanity or Satan. God is large and in charge. God’s kingdom will sweep aside the inferior kingdoms at the Second Coming (Rev. 20-21).
C.. The kingdom in the ancient Roman context
It was in this historical context that Jesus began to proclaim the kingdom. The church took up his message in Acts, the epistles, and the Revelation. Proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” in the Roman empire was like saying “Caesar is not Lord.” It was like saying, “The true king and his kingdom are here!”
D.. Already and Not Yet
Let’s introduce an important concept now, which will be developed in another section (below). There is an aspect of the kingdom of God that is gradually descending or being revealed to humanity. It is called the “already and not yet,” combined. Around the globe, the kingdom is already here in part, but not yet here in its fullness.
E.. The kingdom and the church
The kingdom creates and works through the church. They are not identical. The kingdom of God existed before the birth of the church. Kingdom citizens are not the kingdom itself but are kingdom subjects. By analogy, citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) live in this kingdom but are not the kingdom itself. When the ancient people of Israel lived in the kingdom of God and earthly kings, they were kingdom citizens, but not the kingdom itself.
Therefore:
The Church ≠ The kingdom.
So teachers who say the kingdom = Converted people are not quite right.
Instead:
Converted People = Kingdom citizens
Yes:
Kingdom = God’s realm over which he rules as king
His realm = His creation, including all human societies and even authority over the satanic kingdom, though they are not mixed.
Objection: However, Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 says that God made his people a kingdom. This sounds like people are the kingdom. In reply, The Greek does says “made,” but I believe John the Revelator was saying that God formed them into a kingdom. John’s Greek in the Revelation has quirky aspects.
F.. Purpose of the kingdom
The purpose is to offer people salvation, so they can be lifted above worldly kingdoms and out of Satan’s kingdom. The main goal is redemption. People live by their mammal nature and impulses (2 Pet. 2:12, 17-22). They need a new, divine nature to escape from the corruption of the world (2 Pet. 1:4).
Yet another goal, ultimately, is that God will subject everything under Christ, who will be subjected to the Father, (though this is not the same as subordinationism, which says the Son is inferior in being to the Father). Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 15:24-28 sums it up best:
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor. 15:24-28, citing Ps. 8:6)
Some interpreters that the last clause (“God may be all in all”) means that the Son is a member of the Godhead, so after the Son submits himself in humility, God will be three persons with one substance.
See also Revelation 21:1-6, where the new heaven will come down and meet the new earth. It will be the eternal kingdom.
G.. Summary
Jesus proclaimed and launched the Kingdom of God in a new and dynamic way, though the hints were there in the OT. He began a new era and New Covenant. His death or atonement and resurrection ratify the new era and New Covenant, heading towards a grand culmination and climax in his Second Coming, when the Kingdom of God will be fully manifested and ruled over by King Jesus and the new heaven and the new earth will meet.
Further, the kingdom creates the church by saving or rescuing us and transferring us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. Paul: “For he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14).
Following Jesus, those disciples who have entered the kingdom of God by being born again and transferred into it proclaim the truths of the kingdom, like the gospel and surrender to the king and discipleship, etc.
The kingdom of God is rising like waters that cover the sea (Hab. 2:14) and as the Spirit goes forth in great power and touches everyone who has an open heart (Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28-32). Peter goes on to apply this promise to everyone who is “afar off,” that is, you and me. (Acts 2:38-39)
IV.. The Old Testament Kingdom
A.. Brief intro.
The cultures surrounding ancient Israel valued kings. Thus, monarchy worked its way into Israel, but only with God’s permission. This section provides background material for the kingdom Jesus proclaimed. Let’s begin with God as king, and then proceed to Israel’s new monarchy.
Here I depend on Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
B.. God the King
He is the ultimate king both over the entire universe, and particularly over Israel, a small nation, his chosen people. These psalms, for example, proclaim God king over Israel: (Ps. 24) and these psalms over the universe (Ps. 93, 95-98). In Exodus 19:6, God was about to make a covenant with Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai, and he announced that they shall be a kingdom of priests. In Numbers 23:21 Balaam, the prophet-for-hire, said he saw no flaw in Israel, Jacob, but instead the shout of the King was among them. It is amazing that God the King shouts among his people—the shout of victory and support.
The covenant made or remade between God and Israel in Joshua 24 is a royal covenant between king and people. This means that God would be their king and take care of them, on the condition that they remain his subjects and serve him.
Gideon just scored a miraculous victory over the Midianites, and the people acclaimed that he should rule over them. He replied that he would not, nor would his son, for the LORD would rule over them (Judg. 8:22-23). The people were not yet willing to submit to kings. However, one refrain in the Book of Judges is that people did what was right in their own eyes because they had no king (17:6; 21:25).
C.. Kings are predicted for Israel
In the Abrahamic times, ten kings appear (Gen. 14:2-9), one being Melchizedek, king of Salem. These Canaanite kings gradually led Israel to wanting an earthly king for themselves.
Kingship was predicted for Israel. In Genesis 17:6 God himself spoke that kings would come from Abraham’s descendants. In Genesis 35:11, God tells Jacob to return to his people in Canaan and predicts that kings will be among their descendants. In Genesis 49:10 Jacob was in the process of blessing his sons and predicted that the royal scepter would not depart from Judah. Jesus was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, so this prophecy is fulfilled in him (Rev. 5:5). In Numbers 24:17 Balaam prophesied that a star and scepter would arise out of Jacob and crush his enemies. These prophecies show that God was not completely opposed to kingship over Israel.
Israel clamored for a king, like the other nations had (1 Sam. 12:12). Samuel the prophet took their request to God, who said they were not rejecting Samuel, but God himself. God allowed them to have a king, but he told Samuel to warn them what this really would mean (1 Sam. 8:5-8). See below for the sections The King’s court and the King’s revenue, for a fulfillment of Samuel’s warnings.
D.. Transition
Saul and David are the transitional figures. Saul was not obedient to the prophet’s command, which shows how powerful prophets were, particularly Samuel. The king was going to be ripped from Saul’s hands and given to a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; 15). Saul committed suicide in his backslidden and lost state (1 Sam. 31). David took over and was the psalmist of Israel and was a good and righteous (not perfect) king over Israel. He will set the gold standard against which all kings would be measured after him. Most failed. When Solomon appoints his son Rehoboam, then the hereditary dynasty is complete (1 Kings 11:43) and will govern Israel.
E.. The king’s powers and functions
Israelite kings drew their authority from God, implying he was the ultimate king. Samuel anointed David and called him the Lord’s anointed (1 Sam. 16:6). David executed the man who killed Saul, the Lord’s anointed (2 Sam. 1:16). God anointed these kings.
The king was called the Lord’s captain or prince, implying a military ruler. Samuel was called to anoint Saul ruler or prince or captain over Israel, so he could deliver them from the hands of the Philistines (1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1). In a sad moment in Saul’s life, Samuel announced to him that the LORD had rejected him and found a man after God’s very heart and appointed him ruler of his people (1 Sam. 13:14). Saul later found out it was David.
The king had no absolute power over life and death, though David took Uriah’s life (2 Sam. 11), and Jezebel, Ahab’s queen, murdered Naboth for a vineyard (1 Kings 21:14).
The king was not exempt from obeying civil law, and prophets denounced them when they disobeyed the law. Elijah condemned Ahaz for his complicity in the plot (1 Kings 21:17-24). Nathan denounced David for plotting to kill Uriah (2 Sam. 12:1-15). Elisha rebuked Jehoshaphat when he panicked because Naaman sought for healing from his leprosy. Why panic? A prophet is here (1 Kings 21:17-24).
Most importantly, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 lists the rules a king must follow: he must be among their brothers, not a foreigner; he must not acquire many horses to make the people go back to Egypt to acquire many horses; he shall not acquire many wives; nor is he permitted to acquire excessive gold or silver; he must copy out the book of this law and read it all the days of his life, so he may learn to fear the Lord, and so that his heart not rise above his brothers or turn aside from the commandment, and so that he may continue long in his kingdom, and his children.
F.. Summary
The Old Testament seeds are growing up into Jesus’s universal kingdom (Matt. 13:31-33), but with him as the sole, all-powerful ruler (Rev. 17:14; 19:16). Jesus lifts the kingdom of God beyond the borders of tiny Israel and takes it around the globe after his resurrection and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And we as his subjects (Col. 1:13; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).
V.. The Mystery of the Kingdom
A.. Brief intro.
Let’s first define a biblical mystery. It is not a riddle, a deep secret that should not be revealed, as the Greco-Roman pagan mystery religions taught. To this day, specialists do not know anything close to the details of these secret, mysterious pagan rites and customs. They were designed to be kept secret to all outsiders. Even some of the initiates or beginners did not fully know what they were.
In contrast, a biblical mystery is a truth or plan that was kept in the council chamber of God, sprinkled here and there in in the OT, and finally revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
See Ladd, chapter 4.
Also see my post: What Is a Biblical Mystery?
B.. Paul explains what a biblical mystery is:
25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom. 16:25-27)
Notice how the mystery was kept secret for long ages, but was revealed through the prophets, notably Isaiah, and others too. What was the mystery formerly hidden now revealed? Paul says it is the gospel of Jesus Christ. One primary example in the prophetic writings is Jesus the Messiah. Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22:18m Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:32, Psalm 34:20, Zechariah 12:10—all say that Jesus was supposed to suffer and die.
For example, Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in which he saw a succession of kingdoms. Then God revealed to the king a kingdom that shall never be destroyed and will break in pieces all other kingdoms.
44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Dan. 2:44; see Zech. 9).
How can this be expectation of irresistible power and majesty be fulfilled, when those OT prophecies referenced above say that Jesus would not eliminate all competing kingdoms, but instead he would die and his followers would scatter? The answer is the mystery of the kingdom that Jesus preached.
C.. Synoptic Gospels.
John predicted that the Messiah would baptize people in the Spirit and burn away their inner chaff in unquenchable fire (Luke 3:16-17). John wanted an apocalyptic Messiah as he had read in Daniel and Zechariah. Jesus replied that the works of the Messiah were being done: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those with skin disease are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed (Luke 7:22). Jesus was ushering in the kingdom with those deeds, but not in its fulness. Instead, it must proceed secretly and without irresistible power.
In Luke 8:4-15, Jesus told the Parable of the Sower (or the Parable of the Four Soils). A farmer threw seeds, as he swung his handful of seeds back and forth. The mystery or secret of the kingdom is that it is so quiet and unobtrusive that it does bowl people over. In fact Satan can steal or eat the seeds (8:12).
The kingdom comes with persuasion and wooing. I like what Ladd wrote about this parable: “The mystery of the kingdom is like this: The Kingdom of God is here but not with irresistible power. The kingdom of God has come, but it is not s stone grinding an image into powder. It is not now destroying wickedness” (Ladd p. 56).
In Luke 13:18-21 Jesus told two related similes (“this is like that” is a simile). A mustard seed is like the kingdom of God. The seed is small and unobtrusive, not much to look at. The point: the kingdom appears insignificant, but God is in it, so that it will grow large, but without majestic power and glory. I like what Ladd wrote about this simile: “One truth is set forth: the Kingdom of God which will one day shall fill the earth is here among men but in a form which was never before expected. It is like an insignificant seed of mustard. The tiny thing is, however, God’s kingdom and is therefore not to be despised (Ladd, p. 59, emphasis original).
The second related simile says that the kingdom is like a small amount of yeast or leaven put in a large lump of dough. The yeast is insignificant, but it will work quietly, unseen, and grow the lump of dough. That’s the mystery of the kingdom. It works in the hearts of people and cause spiritual growth, quietly, without fanfare or trumpet blasts. Ladd again:
The leaven does not here refer to evil. It illustrates the truth that the Kingdom of God may sometimes seem to be a small, insignificant thing. The world may despise and ignore it. What could a Galilean carpenter and a dozen Jews accomplish? But do not be dismayed, the day will come when God’s Kingdom will fill all the earth, even as the leaven fills the whole bowl. God’s purposes will not be frustrated. (p. 62)
D.. Dominionism
Let us briefly correct an error in the section about the mystery of the kingdom because this political movement denies the mystery. Dominionism teaches that Christian should govern politics and society by creating laws based on their understanding of biblical law, drawn especially from the Torah.
However, the kingdom transcends any Christian political movement. Individuals Christians can get involved as deeply in the world systems as God calls them, say, in education or politics or business. But the church as an institution should not gobble up these systems of the world, though they may certainly create schools that honor God and his kingdom. That will happen only when Christ sweeps them aside at his Second Coming. Before then, the best way to introduce the kingdom of God to the world and see it expand is by preaching the gospel.
E.. Summary
The kingdom is a mystery, for now. It is growing gradually, mostly imperceptibly; only kingdom citizens can perceive its growth and expansion around the globe. However, when Jesus returns at his Second Coming, he will then eliminate all rival kingdoms. Then all political systems will be thrown in the ash heap. The kingdom will one day transform the entire worldly order has entered.
Yes, at present the kingdom works quietly and seemingly insignificantly and humbly. It comes like a seed that is planted in the hearts of people, who can then resist or reject it. The kingdom does not force itself on people. It can be choked out and wither and die. Despite all of this, the kingdom of God is real and subtly powerful. It leads them to God’s divine rule and sovereignty. “It is the supernatural work of God’s grace” (Ladd 64-65).
Finally, dominionism takes certain biblical truths too far. Kingdom citizens can become salt and light in society, but not take it over from the top down. It is best to proclaim the gospel instead of politicizing it.
VI.. The Kingdom Is in the Present and Future
A.. Brief intro.
Christians are living in eternity right now. We just do not see its full power yet, because the kingdom of God is not fully manifested—for now. This is the great idea of the already and not yet. The kingdom of God is already here, but only in part, and not yet in its fullness. At the Second Coming it will arrive in its fullness.
More dependence on Ladd, chapters 2 and 3.
B.. The Flow Chart
Call this section the big picture, a sweeping overview of the kingdom of God. Here are the stages in a flow chart in relation to God’s timeline from Genesis 1 and creation, when God began his kingship over all his creation, to Revelation, when God will consummate the old heaven and earth with a new heaven and earth:
← Kingdom of God →
Creation → Israel → Jesus → Church Age → ↓ → Consummation →
Second Coming
We can also call the flow chart the Grand Kingdom Narrative in six acts, including the Second Coming. Though I personally am not a dispensationalist. I see these major themes in Scripture.
E. Explanation
The two arrows on either side of the kingdom of God means that it covers the entire existence of the world and its history, from creation to the Second Coming and the completion or consummation of the worldly kingdoms. The rightward arrows on the second level symbolize one continuous flow of forward progress. They do not represent precise measurements of centuries or years. The church age adds up to the past two thousand years and could last for centuries longer. The down arrow is the Second Coming. After this, the Church Age and everything in the past will be completed and a distant memory. That is the consummation.
That sequence reflects God’s Global Rescue Project–he wants humanity to know him and be in relationship with him. and rescue or save them from themselves, Satan, and the polluted world.
VII.. Life in the Kingdom
A.. Brief intro.
Here I borrow from Ladd, chapters 5, 6, 7.
B.. Eternal life in the kingdom
They belong together, and you can experience them right now. First, John 17:3 says that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent. So eternal life is knowledge, but this knowledge has to be directed towards two persons: the Father and the Son. It cannot be open ended knowledge. We must know God through his Son, and we must have fellowship with him. We must experience the Father in Jesus’s name. Knowledge means a personal relationship with him, not merely a set of beliefs that define Christian theology.
The second meaning of eternal life is that God’s Spirit lives in us. A person must be born of Spirit, and the Spirit blows where he wills (John 3:5, 8). Our bodies will be raised a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:42-44). A spiritual body is one that is energized by the Holy Spirit. Mortality will be swallowed up by eternal life (2 Cor. 5:4). God has given us the earnest or down-payment of the Spirit (2 Cor. 5:5).
Further, in Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul writes:
“13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13-14).
The words “deposit” can also be translated as “down payment,” “guarantee,” “first instalment,” or “pledge.” The Spirit, therefore, is the deposit of our ultimate inheritance of our now-redemption, an inheritance we will fully receive in the age to come.
IN a down payment of money, and a substantial amount, we can experience life in the Spirit right now, in the present evil age, but this is only a partial experience. We will fully experience the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Age to Come. Until then, the Spirit is our down payment.
C.. Righteousness in the kingdom
These are the ethical aspects of living in the kingdom.
1.. No Anger in the kingdom
Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 that murder is wrong and liable to judgment. But he also went right into the heart. Kingdom citizens who have already surrendered to the reign of God do not let bitterness and grudges fester to the point of visual anger, behavior that can be seen. Kingdom citizens purged out the anger before it erupts.
2.. Sexual and relational purity in the kingdom
In Matthew 5:27-28 Jesus said adultery is wrong, but if a kingdom citizen looks lustfully on a woman, then he has committed adultery in his heart (not by outward behavior). How do we interpret this tough demand? Jesus is referring to the tenth commandment. The kingdom citizen must cut covetousness and strong desire out at the very beginning, taking serious action against it in his mind. The kingdom citizen sees her as being made in the image of God, not a sex object, so lust leading to adultery won’t progress one step farther (Jas. 1:14-15).
3.. Honesty in the kingdom
In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus said that teachers of the law and Pharisees urged people to keep their oaths and not break them. Kingdom citizens should not even swear an oath at all, but let their word by yes or no, and anything more than that comes from the evil one.
4.. Love in the Kingdom
In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus said that is commonly believed that people should love their neighbor and hate their enemy. But he taught a higher way: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” First note that this statement is in the kingdom community, not international relations. Second, the context is persecution from religious leaders. How does the kingdom citizen reply to persecution? Love is not merely an emotion or a feeling. Love is active and outworks in behavior. Therefore the kingdom citizen must pray for the persecutors. (Please note that Jesus also said we can flee persecution; cf. Matt. 10:23).
5.. Forgiveness in the kingdom
In Matthew 6:12, in the Lord’s Model Prayer, Jesus said to forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. In this case the debt is moral, not financial. The kingdom citizen must release his grudge and anger. In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus if Peter should forgive seven times. He must have thought seven times was a full number. Jesus replied, no, but seventy times seven. It has been wisely said, is like a poison pill that you take, wishing that it will poison the person who offended you. And so the kingdom citizen must not hold a perpetual grudge or be touchy. Pray for the offending person.
D.. The demand of the kingdom
The kingdom places one demand on anyone who surrenders to God’s sovereignty and authority: decision. We have to assume, according to the doctrine of salvation and grace, that God is wooing and calling people to respond to the kingdom with decisiveness. It is a recipe for failure if we do not depend on his grace. He said that no one can come to him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). God is always working behind the scenes to convict the world of sin, righteousness, judgment. So what do these decisions look like?
1.. Decision to repent
This decision must involve repentance. Peter proclaimed to the Jerusalem crowd, “Repent and turn to God” (Acts 3:19). Here both words appear, so though they are full synonyms. Repenting is the change of mind, while turning is the new direction, a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.
2.. Decision of the will
The decision involves the act of the will. People are often self-willed, but there is a problem here. They are also short-sighted. And short-sightedness leads to moral blindness. This moral blindness is in turn motivated by strong animal desires and instinct (2 Peter 2:10, 13). The only way out is to follow God and surrender to his sovereignty by relinquishing your will. And this happens by the first point: Repent! Turn! Surrender!
3.. Resolute decision
The one decision for the kingdom must be final and quick and resolute. Luke records a series of possible disciples, who promised they would follow Jesus instantly (9:57-62). One of them said he would follow Jesus wherever he would go. Jesus said that foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.
Next, Jesus saw a man and said, “Follow me.” He replied that he had to first bury his father. There is nothing wrong with taking care of funeral arrangements, which often involved at least a week, but if other people in his family could do it, then they should. The kingdom is paramount.
Finally a third man said that he would follow Jesus, but first he had to go back home and say goodbye. Jesus said that he should act now and not look back. Apparently, Jesus perceived that the possible follower was reluctant. In effect Jesus told him not to get bogged down in the past.
All decisions for the kingdom must be firm and unconditional.
4.. Radical decision
The kingdom demands a radical decision. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is preached and men of violence take it by force (Matt. 11:12) and everyone enters it violently (Luke 16:16). So why a violent entry into the kingdom? This is a metaphor for a firm decision. Let’s look at some other examples of “kingdom violence.”
In Luke 14:26, if we do not hate our family compared to our desire to enter the kingdom, then we cannot be his disciple. Hatred is a kind of violence. (By the way, hatred v. love in the kingdom is the language of covenant; hatred speaks of absolutely rejecting the old covenant and love means absolutely accepting Jesus’s new way he is inaugurating. It can be rightly translated as “prefer” the kingdom over your parents.
Jesus said that if a kingdom citizen’s right hand or eye offends him, he should cut it off and gouge it out (Matt. 5:29-30; Mark 9:43-47). This metaphor of cutting and gouging speaks of violence.
Jesus said to strive to enter the kingdom, and the Greek verb for strive relates to our word “agonize” (Luke 13:24). We have to strain our will to decide the enter the kingdom.
Humanity today is casual about various things in life, particularly his religion. People can take it or leave it. They go to church for a while; then they quit. Jesus says no, for they must make a radical decision and stick with it.
5.. Costly decision
The kingdom demands a costly decision. Peter said, “We have left everything and followed you” (Matt. 19:27). He asked what they would receive. Jesus replied that the twelve would sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and everyone else would receive a hundredfold of the families they left. This does not mean literally a hundredfold number of biological parents, but spiritual parents (and brothers and sisters and children), no doubt because of the Christian community or family. They will inherit eternal life too.
The context of this point shows the rich young man who was unwilling to give it all away. Jesus had placed the demand to follow him by giving away all he had (Matt. 19:16-30). Apparently Jesus saw in him that money possessed him. He was breaking the tenth commandment against coveting. Following Jesus may cost you plenty.
6.. Eternal decision
The kingdom requires us to make an eternal decision. Jesus said: “I tell you, ‘Whoever publically acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God’” (Luke 12:8-9). If you deny him now, he will deny you in the eternal, fully manifested kingdom. But the good news: the Son of Man will also acknowledge you in the eternal, fully manifested kingdom, if you return the acknowledgement.
VIII.. Table of Kingdom Teaching
A.. Brief intro.
This table is a summary of the aspects of the kingdom which we experience. It answers the questions: What demands do the kingdom put on kingdom citizens? How does it interact with the worldly systems? What must kingdom citizens do and understand about the kingdom?
We enter the kingdom—God’s realm—when we surrender to his sovereignty and power and rule and authority. The entry is described in the first four points. Then kingdom requires its citizens to live in righteousness and follow the demand of the kingdom—a costly, radical, and eternal decision to surrender to it.
B.. Table of kingdom teaching
Each numbered item in the list is a summary of what the verses say. A kingdom citizen is the same as a kingdom disciple or follower of Jesus the king.
|
Kingdom Teaching |
|
| 1 | People enjoy the eternal privilege of being born again, in order to enter the kingdom. (John 3:3-5) |
| 2 | People get to repent and enter the kingdom that Jesus was ushering in, in a new way. (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15) |
| 3 | People enjoy the privilege of entering the kingdom like little children. (Matt. 18:4; 19:14; Mark 10:14-15) |
| 4 | People are transferred from the dominion of darkness and into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loved and in whom they have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:13) |
| 5 | People are healed because Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom. (Matt. 4:23; 9:35) |
| 6 | Kingdom citizens are called great in the kingdom when they practice and teach the commands of the law until all is accomplished. (Matt. 5:19) |
| 7 | Kingdom disciples who are the least in the kingdom Jesus is ushering in are greater than John the Baptist. (Matt. 11:11; Luke 7:28) |
| 8 | Kingdom citizens who are poor in spirit or are poor are blessed because the kingdom belongs to them. They see their need for the kingdom. (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; Jas. 2:5) |
| 9 | Kingdom disciples who are persecuted and falsely accused because of righteousness are blessed because the kingdom belongs to them. (Matt. 5:10) |
| 10 | Kingdom citizens are blessed because they seek first the kingdom and God’s righteousness, and then all the other things will be added to them. (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31) |
| 11 | The Father has been pleased to give kingdom citizens the keys to the kingdom. (Luke 12:32) |
| 12 | Kingdom disciples experience the truth that the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy. (Rom. 14:17) |
| 13 | Kingdom citizens are blessed with healing and deliverance from demons because the apostles and the seventy(-two) preached the good news of the kingdom. (Matt. 10:7-8; 12:28; Luke 9:2; Luke 10:9 |
| 14 | Kingdom disciples preach the kingdom of God signs and wonders happen. (Acts 8:12) |
| 15 | Kingdom citizens realize that the kingdom is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor. 4:20) |
| 16 | Kingdom disciples enjoy the privilege of working for the kingdom of God. (Col. 4:11) |
| 17 | Kingdom citizens they enjoy the privilege of praying down God’s kingdom and will in heaven to come down on earth. (Matt. 6:10; Luke 11:2) |
| 18 | The kingdom has been advancing forcefully, and advancement is the plan of God. (Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16) |
| 19 | Kingdom disciples are willing to go through hardships to enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) |
| 20 | Kingdom citizens endure trials and persecutions and suffering for the kingdom of God. (2 Thess. 1:5; Rev. 1:9) |
| 21 | The secrets or mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to kingdom citizens when God chooses to do this. (Matt. 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10) |
| 22 | Kingdom disciples realize that entering the kingdom is radical, costly and permanent. (Luke 9:57-62) |
| 23 | Kingdom citizens will shine after the weeding out of the people of the evil one. (Matt. 13:43) |
| 24 | Kingdom disciples will feast in the new, eternal kingdom. (Luke 13:29; 14:15) |
| 25 | Kingdom citizens watch tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom before the religious leaders do—kingdom citizens in their past may even have been those “undesirables” in society! (Matt. 21:31) |
| 26 | Kingdom disciples are blessed because the kingdom is in and among them. (Luke 17:21) |
| 27 | Kingdom citizens leave behind family when called on and will receive many more in the Christian community. (Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30) |
| 28 | Kingdom disciples get to carry on the mission of preaching the kingdom to the whole globe. (Matt. 24:14) |
| 29 | Kingdom citizens understand that God will rescue them from every evil attack and bring them safely into God’s kingdom. (2 Tim. 4:18) |
| 30 | Kingdom disciples will not stumble and lose out, and therefore they will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 1:11) |
| 31 | The kingdom, which is the kingdom citizens’ inheritance, has been prepared before the foundation of the world. (Matt. 25:34) |
| 32 | Kingdom citizens realize Jesus’s kingdom is from another place and is not of this world. (John 18:38) |
| 33 | Kingdom disciples enjoy the promise that Jesus will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. (1 Cor. 15:24) |
| 34 | Kingdom citizens’ body will be transformed into glorified body, so they can inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 15:50-54) |
| 35 | Kingdom disciples will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. (Heb. 12:28) |
| 36 | God has made kingdom citizens to be a kingdom and priests who serve God and Father. (Rev. 1:6; Rev. 5:10) |
| 37 | Kingdom disciples are called into the kingdom and glory, so they live worthy lives. (1 Thess. 2:12) |
| 38 | Kingdom citizens are charged to do the ministry, in view of the Second Coming and the kingdom. (2 Tim. 4:1) |
| 39 | Kingdom disciples live in the truth that Jesus’s kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:33; Heb. 1:8) |
| 40 | Kingdom citizens will be blessed because salvation and the power and the kingdom of God and the authority of the Messiah will have come at long last! (Rev. 11:15; 12:10) |
C. Summary
The kingdom teaching guides its citizens to live a life pleasing to God. we need to pray that we have entered the kingdom by being born again. Then we need to pray daily to be empowered to live a life worthy of the King and his kingdom. Let’s be sure we are in a personal and right relationship with him, so he can guide us by his Spirit to do what he asks.
IX.. Application
A.. God’s rule and the problem of evil
1.. Physical creation.
He spoke the universe into existence, and now it is moving forward by secondary causes (natural causes and effects). When and why God intervenes is sometimes not a mystery, but ultimately it is. I just know that when people are in danger zones, like Tornado Alley, they need to prepare and pray! And in the harmless aspects of nature, they can sunbathe and enjoy the beach or mountains and scenery. God’s creation is good, but he does not meticulously control the details, so people must learn how to work with it and in it.
2.. The invisible satanic kingdom
God has temporarily allowed Satan his moment to test and tempt people; First John 5:19 says that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Second Corinthians 4:4 calls Satan the “god of this age.” However, God has given people his very best—his Son—the gospel and his Spirit to bring them out of the satanic kingdom and into the kingdom of his light. Soon Satan’s partial reign will come to the end at the Second Coming. Until then, we preach the gospel to rescue people out of the evil one’s kingdom.
B.. Meaning of “your kingdom come”
Let’s explore four aspects of this kingdom dynamism.
1.. God’s rule actively invades Satan’s kingdom.
At Jesus’s baptism, God was inaugurating Christ’s invasion down here on earth and against Satan’s kingdom. In demon expulsion, Jesus expels the spirits of darkness that have taken up residence in people’s hearts and minds. Jesus will destroy Satan at his Second Coming (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10), but Satan is already defeated and he is bound by the stronger, Christ, so people can experience release (Matt. 12:29).
When the disciples are sent out, they have authority over Satan’s power and dominion, and he is overthrown for those with faith and enter God’s kingdom (Luke 10:18). In this way Christ could say God’s kingdom was present (Luke 17:21). So his kingdom is dynamic in fighting and defeating Satan.
2.. The kingdom of God has invaded history, during the rule of the Roman empire.
In Christ’s birth and ministry, we can track the kingdom’s progress under various worldly rulers, like a variety of Herods and the governor Pontius Pilate at Christ’s passion (suffering) and death. We know that Christ’s kingdom invaded a geographical region called Israel, which had boundaries, established by culture, history, and Rome. If we have eyes to see, we can track the kingdom’s works in history. The four Gospels and the book of Acts can train our eyes to do this.
3.. The kingdom comes at the end of the age
It sweeps aside the old kingdoms and governments of human rulers and Satan’s kingdom, and ushers in the new age of the unrivaled and unending Messianic reign. Jesus separated the present and future dominion. The fullness of the kingdom, which will finally be manifest at his Second Coming, is in the future.
And so it is not yet manifested fully before our eyes. Jesus taught us to pray for his kingdom to come (Matt. 6:10; Luke 11:2). However, as noted in the second point under this question, God’s kingdom, inaugurated by Christ, has already invaded history, and Satan is defeated. And therefore we have the already and the not yet of God’s kingdom. In the meantime, we are in a battle to see God’s kingdom advance so the not yet retreats, and the already advances.
4.. The kingdom is supernatural.
Only a supernatural kingdom can defeat Satan’s supernatural kingdom. God intends to rescue people from Satan’s kingdom. In Jesus’s ministry, signs and wonders pushed back disease and darkness. In the book of Acts, signs and wonders did the same. Now what about today? Renewalists believe that they happen—must happen—today.
C.. Praying the kingdom will come
When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10), we are not praying for a realm or people, but for his rule and reign and authority and sovereignty to come on earth. When we seek first his kingdom (Matt. 6:33), we seek his sovereignty and authority in our lives. When we receive the kingdom as little children, we receive his authority and rule over our lives.
But mainly the prayer in Matthew 6:10 refers to God’s kingdom to be fully manifested and powerful; it sweeps aside all injustice and unrighteousness, at his Second Coming. Then we will have God’s Son as King over all new creation.
Some object that this prayer of calling the kingdom to come down to earth does not include kingdom benefits like healing or prosperity. They say that marriage is not done in heaven, do we want to call down “no marriage”? Evangelism is not done in heaven. Do we want “no evangelism” to come down to earth? Death does not happen in heaven. Is it realistic to pray for death to stop in the current age?
In reply, the kingdom is coming gradually right now. It is partly present and partly absent—the already and not yet. We can pray accurately for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, by checking out the ministry of Jesus as he was ushering it in. Death will be the last enemy to be defeated (1 Cor. 15:26). Until that time, let’s pray for kingdom healing to manifest because Jesus healed. Let’s evangelize until the kingdom fully manifests because Jesus sent out all disciples to make more disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). God allows many people to get married in this present age, too. Let’s keep praying for demon expulsion to happen, because Jesus expelled demons. Let’s keep calling on God to send his kingdom power for the salvation of souls. All these kingdom things are done by the power of the Spirit and by the authority of Jesus’s name.
However, I agree with the critics that the clause in the Lord’s prayer (“Your kingdom come; your will be done”), Jesus was telling us to pray for his Second Coming and the ushering in of the eternal kingdom, where justice and peace and righteousness will reign forever. And I believe ministers of the gospel over-apply this calling down of the kingdom of God. This could be considered “over-realized eschatology.” We live in the “not yet,” and the fulness will come when the King returns.
D.. The slow and steady growth of the kingdom
If you do not see the kingdom yet, do not fret. It is gradually spreading around the globe. The parable of the seeds illustrates how the kingdom grows (Mark 4:26-29). A farmer sows seeds, and they grow of itself. Seeds represent the word, and we preach it, and the kingdom grows by God, not us (Matt. 10:7; Luke 10:9; Acts 8:12; 28:23, 31). We do not build the kingdom down here on earth by worldly methods or laws or dominion thinking. God builds it. People can receive the kingdom through the preaching of the word, but God sends it forth; it is his kingdom working through people (Matt. 19:12; Luke 18:29; Col. 4:11; 2 Thess. 1:5). People can inherit it (Matt. 25:34; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:20), but on their death they cannot bequeath it to others.
You are part of the great and glorious kingdom of God. You cannot see its glory in its full manifestation, but you can watch for it, in part, working in the gospel that goes forth and lands in people’s hearts. You can see it in changed lives. You can see it when down-and-outers come into the church and undergo transformation. You can see it when the dysfunctional become functional. You can see it when drug addicts are set free and leave the drugs behind. You can see it by deliverance from Satan’s power and clutches. You can see it when people are healed of diseases. You can see it in signs and wonders, which in the four Gospels and Acts are mostly healings and deliverances. You can see it when immature believers grow in Christ and become mature ones. You can see it when the word of God renews people’s minds.
E.. Seeking his kingdom first
When God’s kingdom comes into our lives or we receive it as a little child, we give up our own sovereignty over our lives. We surrender all of our life to him. We say, “Lord, I surrender my own sovereignty and rule over my life. I have made a mess of it. I give it to you. You be the king of my life. Make of it what you will.” If you have not yet made a mess of it, then just wait; by the time you get in your fifties and sixties, there is a good chance that you will mess up. At that time, it will still not be too late to surrender all your life to the King. But do it now. Then he will lead you towards righteousness and the blessings that you need to live a life of joy and peace and familial and neighborly harmony. Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom, and all these things [food, clothing, shelter and other things] will be added to you.” Seek his kingdom first.
F.. Proclaiming the kingdom
Those who preach the gospel must not use authoritarian compulsion. They are emissaries of God who plead, but not demand. God will not drive people into his kingdom. Yes, the preaching takes on a quality of strength and anointing, so that the listener can feel compelled to come in, but it is not by violent coercion from the outside (Luke 14:23; 16:16). The emissaries of the kingdom pray for the people’s hearts to be open, so the people can voluntarily invite and surrender to his sovereignty and rule and reign and authority and power of the kingdom. This surrender and invitation does not come with irresistible force that crushes all inner questions (Ladd, p. 64).
G.. Depend on God’s grace and empowerment
Kingdom righteousness is impossible to carry out, when the world does not surrender to the King. But you have chosen to surrender to the King and his kingdom So how do you live by the high standard of kingdom righteousness?
1.. Priorities
Jesus said to seek his kingdom and his righteousness first (Matt. 6:33). It’s a seeking or process. It is not an arrival.
2.. Provision
God provides for what he demands. He gives us grace. Without it, we could not even come close to working out kingdom righteousness (= kingdom living as citizens).
3.. New birth
The Spirit causes us to be born again, and at our new birth, we enter the kingdom, as the previous article said. Only the Spirit living in us can empower us to smile during persecution or forgive anyone, like a spouse, who offends you 490 times in a year (or a week or a day!).
4.. Die daily
Jesus said we must pick up our cross daily and follow him (Luke 9:23). We must live the surrendered life. We give up our selfishness, sinfulness, vices, and self-will, and selfish ambition. We do not surrender to fate, circumstances, Satan, crime, or domestic violence. No. Instead, we surrender to his rule, power, sovereignty, authority and reign—his kingdom. Upon our surrender, we do not keep a death grip on our own strong will but give it to him. We live each day as he leads.
5.. Strength through weakness
Have you ever prayed for your weakness—that God would give you the inner strength and anointing and power not to fold or flag during satanic or your broken human attacks? If not please start now.
6.. It starts in the heart.
Each kingdom principle (and there are many others) are issues of the heart. God moved kingdom righteousness from externals to internal attitudes. Pray that your heart will remain strong so that you can live as kingdom citizens.
7.. God’s forgiveness
When you fail and repent, God is gracious and kind to forgive you. Mic. 7:19 says that he treads on your sins and hurls them into the sea. So don’t brood on your recent failures. Just pick yourself up and say, “I’m still a kingdom citizen, and the King still loves me!”
H.. Responding to the kingdom
The kingdom of God demands a final and costly and resolute and irreversible decision to surrender to God’s redemptive rule and power and authority and sovereignty and to follow Jesus. But God enables you to be born again, so the decision you make will be sustained by the Spirit and will come by God’s grace. I believe that no one can strut into God’s kingdom without being wooed first. God invites everyone, and the wooing is started by the preaching of the word and the Spirit energizing it.
So the question is: Are you willing to enter and receive the kingdom right now? You need to surrender to his rule, reign, authority and power and sovereignty by placing your faith in Christ, who is the king. Then he saves and redeems you and fills you with his Spirit. The Spirit causes you to be born again and then enables you to live in his kingdom and righteous and loving citizens.
You can enter the kingdom by praying a simple prayer, sincerely and from the heart.
“Father, I repent of my self-will and my sins. I have badly offended you by my defiance and refusal to follow your ways. I now see the errors of my ways and surrender to your Lordship and Kingship of your Son Jesus Christ. Cause me to be born again by your Spirit. Accept me into your kingdom. And now by your sustaining grace I will follow you for all my days, no matter the cost. In the name of the Jesus, the Son of God I pray, amen.”
If you sincerely prayed that prayer, find a solid Bible-believing, Spirit-filled church. Go there regularly. Be baptized. Read Scripture regularly. Pray often.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I depended on G.E. Ladd’s The Gospel of the Kingdom, in several of my major sections, but as usual I went my own way or I also read the systematic theologians. The table of kingdom teaching is mine.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 