The Kingdom of God (and its equivalent form in Matthew’s Gospel, the kingdom of heaven) describes God’s sovereignty and control over creation, particularly as it is exercised in Jesus Christ and for the benefit of humanity. It is not so much a physical region nor a political state, but a spiritual domain where God’s will is done and God’s authority acknowledged. This is a fundamental teaching of Christian theology, and of what Jesus taught. This essay studies the Kingdom of God as it stands out in the Bible. It helps us understand the bond of the Church with this divine rule and ends with the thought of its final consummation. It makes Christian belief about the Kingdom of God as clearly understandable as possible.
The Biblical Basis and Essence of the Kingdom of God: What is the Kingdom?
It is the Kingdom of God made known in Scripture, and therefore we see the movement from one end of the Bible to the other of God’s constant intention to bring His reign into the human community. The notion of the kingship of God is often overlooked, especially by certain Old Testament critics. The Psalms proclaim, “the Lord is King for ever and ever” (Psalm 10:16), and prophets such as Daniel envisioned a heavenly kingdom “which shall never be destroyed, nor … left to another people” (Daniel 2:44). These prophecies raised the hope of a future period of divine rule.
Announcement and Inauguration of the Kingdom of God by Jesus Christ
The Kingdom of God was the major subject of Jesus Christ’s preaching. His first public announcement was, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The Kingdom had come near, through his person and work. Jesus didn’t just talk about the Kingdom, He brought it about in His deeds, in His miracles, exorcisms, and instruction. These were not just awe-inspiring acts but God’s power bursting into the human situation in direct competition with sin and its works. For instance, healing the sick and exorcising demons demonstrated God’s reign triumphing over the powers that stand against His will. In these signs the Kingdom is present.
TWO FOLD-LOOSE ASPECTS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: ALREADY-NOT YET?
The Kingdom of God is “already and not yet.” It is “already” here because Jesus, in His first coming, His death, resurrection, and ascension, inaugurated God’s reign and brought it within reach of believers. When Jesus said, “Truly, the kingdom of God is within you” or “among you” (Luke 17:21), He was speaking of the spiritual, inward rule for those who believe in Him. Believers taste of the Kingdom now in their lives in the form of the Holy Spirit who brings righteousness, peace and joy. This experience can influence the way we live our lives daily and form a community living God’s values. Yet the Kingdom is also “not yet” fully realized. Its full realization is yet future, with the second coming of Jesus, which will finally bring His perfect reign to all of creation, totally vanquish evil, and re-create the heavens and earth. This future-oriented aspect is why it is that believers dwell in a “tension-filled” time, already-tasting-to-be-sure but not-yet-but-oh-soon pending the fullness of the Kingdom. This “not yet” dimension sustains hope and strong-willed persistence in the midst of open adversity. Numerous prophecies of the future Kingdom coming in its entirety fill both prophetic sections of the Old Testament and New Testament apocalyptic literature (including Revelation).
What is the Essence of the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is identified by certain values and features which form its nature and set it apart from earthly kingdoms. These are not just ideas; they are the way that those who are in the Kingdom exist.
What is the meaning of righteousness, peace and joy in the Kingdom?
The Kingdom consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as we read in Romans 14:17: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Righteousness means being in line with God’s standard of morality, which is absolutely perfect and holy. It is living out a life that is morally and ethically right, in line with the commands of God. This righteousness comes through faith in Christ from God and is received by faith, and yet it is also worked into the lives of believers by the Holy Spirit, who enables it to be lived out in practice. Peace, in a biblical sense (shalom), means much more than the absence of conflict; it refers to a state of being that involves well-being and health: individually, relationally with others, relationally with God. It also encompasses peace and reconciliation. Joy is a profound experience of well-being that is not dependent upon circumstances: It comes through God’s presence in our lives and his work in our lives. It’s a fruit of the Holy Spirit and an indicator of God’s reign in a person’s life. These three factors are intimately related and are the hidden aspects of the Kingdom of God.
What, then, does love and justice look like in the Kingdom of God?
Justice and love are verbs in the Kingdom of God. The character of God is by nature just, and in His Kingdom, there are principles for establishing justice, fairness, and protection for those who are weak. Justice: Jesus’ teachings were the clarion call for Justice, especially for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. The words of the Kingdom invite its citizens to be the people of justice in the world, confronting all systems of injustice, instead of pursuing what is good for oneself at the expense of another. The Kingdom is characterized above all and irresistibly by love, and especially agape love. It is loving with a self-giving, no-strings-attached love, that looks for the best of others and enemies. It is as simple as Jesus summed up the commandments and what we should abide by as His followers, love God with all you are and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). This love is the impetus of love in action; compassion, forgiveness, and service. The Sermon on the Mount in particular contains many examples of love expressed in Kingdom living, such as loving one’s enemies and praying for persecutors.
What is the Place of God’s Authority and Rule in the Kingdom?
A divine authority and sovereignty is grown within the Kingdom of God. And God also is a King above all, whose power and command is over all. To his government there is no appeal. It’s a nation governed by His divine statutes as set forth in His Word. This authority is exercised by the Son of God, Jesus. “Heaven and earth are full of your glory,” we proclaim at Mass. And when I look at Jesus, I hear Him say, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). This is seen in His authority over disease, the elements, demons, and death. So that those who come into the Kingdom, they recognise that the King is God and that is where our ultimate loyalty is. This is not an oppressive surrender but a surrendering that frees – to emancipation and to purpose. The Kingdom’s working is wholly subject to the will and power of God.
How does One Get In and Work of the Kingdom?
Union with the Kingdom of God is not by works, but by required spiritual conditions. Jesus emphasized that only those who undergo a radical change of heart would be allowed to participate.
What is meant by Repentance and Faith as the Conditions of Entrance Into The Kingdom?
Repentance and belief are in order to the Kingdom of God. It is a conversion, a turning to God, and a turning from sin and self-government. It is a subconscious or conscious acknowledgment of the need of God’s calling and a desire to follow God’s will for one’s life. The first thing that Jesus said was “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Faith is the acceptance and trust of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Faith in Him includes belief in His person, His atonement on the cross, and His resurrection. By faith, men obtain remission of sins and are reconciled to God, and, being regenerated, are made citizens of His Kingdom. These two responses are inextricably related: there can be no real repentance without faith, and no true faith without repentance.
What is the Significance of Being Born Again for Kingdom Inclusion?
To be “born again” represents spiritual renewal, as Jesus said you must be “born again” to both see and enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). This birth is not physical, but spiritual, a work of the Holy Spirit in the inner man. It’s getting a new nature, a new heart, a new spiritual life. This transformation empowers people to know and do God’s truths, to live under His Spirit, and to participate in existential dimensions of the Kingdom. It is a miraculous happening that brings one into a relationship with God and into His family, the family of God and Kingdom of God. This birth enables us to live Kingdom-life.
What Must We Do as Disciples and Subjects of the Kingdom?
Discipleship and obedience is an active request for anyone in the Kingdom of God. Discipleship is about following Jesus, learning from Him, and bringing one’s life into alignment with His teachings and example. It means pledging allegiance to Jesus as Lord and willingness to renounce all other allegiances that are at odds with His Lordship. Jesus said, “Take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24), which referred to a life of self-death and death to self. People will naturally obey what he has commanded as a fruit from a genuine saving faith and love for God. It’s not a way to earn salvation, but a sign of one’s submission to God’s authority and a representation of a heart transformed. The Sermon on the Mount is full of the Kingdom’s ethical demands – poverty of spirit, mercy, meekness, purity of heart etc. These are the requirements of life as a Kingdom citizen.
What is the Connection between the Church and the Kingdom of God?
The nature of the relationship between the Church and the Kingdom of God is an important theological topic. They are separate but intimately connected. The Church is not the Kingdom, but is an instrument through which the values and the reality of the Kingdom are proclaimed on earth.
Why and in What Ways Does the Church Participate as an Instrument of the Kingdom of God?
The Church is an Agency for the Rule of God in that it is God’s Rule lived out in the Church and exercised in the World. The Church as God’s Righteous Kingdom brought and embodied in righteousness, peace, and joy is only as she, the community of the righteous, come in by faith and regeneration, called to live out the righteousness, peace and joy of God’s rule. That means working for God, teaching God’s word, fellowshipping and being on mission. The mission of the Church involves evangelism, sharing the good news of the coming Kingdom, and social action, reflecting the love and justice of God in works of service and compassion. The Church is supposed to be a tangible presence of the rule of God, a hint of the fully present Kingdom, a marker towards the realization of the Kingdom. It is an ever-present testimony of the dominion and rule of God.
What is the Difference between the Church and the Kingdom?
The difference between the Church and the Kingdom is significant. The Kingdom of God is the rule of God which has begun in Christ and will be completed at His return. No, it is wider than the Church, for God’s dominion is over all things, Church or no Church. The Church, meanwhile, is the gathered body of those who have knowingly placed themselves under God’s rule, through faith in Christ. That is, it is an organized body: some particular body or fellowship of believers. The Church is “in” the Kingdom of God and does the work of the Kingdom, but it is not the Kingdom. The Kingdom is the godly reign; the Church is the human answer to that reign, the society whereby it is felt. This is a power of action or of life. Many people on the receiving end of the Kingdom are not technically members of the “institutional church,” as they would be part of the universal Church.
What is the Eschaton of the Kingdom of God?
The consummation of the Kingdom of God is its consummation in its full, perfect, and complete form at the end of the age. This is the “not yet” of the Kingdom come to its fruition.
In what way will the Rule of God be Perfectly Executed at Christ’s Return?
The Kingdom of God is to be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus Christ. And then Jesus Christ himself, in His majesty and power, will return to judge the living and the dead, to conquer all His enemies, and to rule over a perfected creation. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Cf. Philippians 2:10-11). This is the end of human history and the beginning of eternal state in which God’s will is perfectly done free from any resistance. Realized eschatology includes the return of the dead to life, the judgment, and the advent of the new heavens and new earth.
Constituent Elements of the New Heavens and New Earth in the Consummated Kingdom?
The consummated Kingdom of God will feature a “new heavens and a new earth” (Revelation 21-22). This is no mere resurrection of the original creation as we already saw; but a new creation, where God himself will reside directly among His people. There is going to be no more sorrow and pain and death and wickedness. From heaven the “New Jerusalem,” a figure of a perfect abode of God with man, will come down. This new creation will be a world of perfect righteousness, and peace, and joy, and the glory of God will fill it all. It is the final realization of God’s redemptive intent, and a future home in heaven for those who are His. There are very few, if any, concrete details available regarding this future state, but a continuous theme is perfect peace between all people and union with God.
How Does God’s Rule Fit into the Larger Picture?
God’s reign transcends the particular notion of “the Kingdom of God” as it is introduced by Christ. It is in this sense that it includes that eternal sovereignty and authority over all areas of existence, time and space, from the cosmos to the minutest details of human existence. This universal sovereignty entails the sense that God’s power and control are part of the very essence of God as Creator and Sustainer of all things. It is not merely a rule over believers, nor is it confined to particular historical periods, but it is an overarching reality that rules over all of creation. He rules over each atom as over each star.
What Are the Fundamentals of Christian Theology?
Some of the central tenets of Christian theology are that there is only one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), that God became human in Jesus Christ and that his crucifixion and resurrection brought about the salvation of the world, humanity’s victory over sin and death, and that those who believe in the atonement may receive salvation, that the Bible is divinely inspired and that, in the End Times or after death, Jesus will establish the Kingdom of Heaven. These tenets form the lens through which we can begin to understand the Christian belief.
What is the Philosophy of Prophecy in Various Christian Churches?
Various segments of Protestantism have different interpretations of these prophecies, such as those held by many interpretations of Christian eschatology (historicism, futurism, Preterism, and Idealism). Such interpretations bear of course upon eschatology, including the timing of the rapture, the millennium, and the character of the end of times. There are no less than 4 major views on the millennium itself.
How Does Prayer Shape Christian Existence?
Prayer in Christian life is the primary means of communication with God and is used to express worship, confession, thanksgiving, and petition. It is considered a necessary spiritual discipline that intensifies one’s intimacy with God, enables believers to identify with the divine will of God, and invites divine interference. Christians pray personal and communal prayer.
What are the Principal Christian Holidays?
The primary Christian holidays include Christmas (celebrating the birth of Jesus), Easter (commemorating the resurrection of Jesus), Pentecost (celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit), and, to a much lesser extent, Advent (the period of preparation for Christmas) and Lent (the period of preparation for Easter). These festivals’ religious significance derives from their observation of particular incidents in Christian history, and from historical and theological connections with the Jewish feasts and the Old Testament. These are the 5 festivities that almost all prefer to celebrate.
What does Christian Ethical Conduct look like?
Influencing conduct in everyday life are the ethical teachings of the Bible, including the Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. They give direction to people about honesty, integrity, compassion, justice, sexual purity, and the value of others, affecting motives, choices, and destinies in life, in society, and in business.
