The Kingdom Of God
In Scripture, the kingdom is expressed in several ways,
Matthew 6:33, “The kingdom of God,” Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:43, 6:20.
John 3:13, with verse 5, Jesus said, “No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven, with,
Verse 5, “Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 13:41, “His (Jesus) kingdom,”
Matthew 20:21, “Thy (Jesus) kingdom,”
Revelation 1:9, “In the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:5, “Kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Mark 11:10, “Kingdom — Of David.” Further, but only in
Matthew 3:2, and 4:17, “Kingdom of heaven,”
2 Timothy 4:18, “Heavenly kingdom.”
Likewise absolute, Matthew 8:12, “Children of the kingdom,” Matthew 9:35, “Of the kingdom.” All these expressions are in N.T. synonymous, and signify the divine spiritual kingdom, the glorious reign of the Messiah. The idea of this kingdom has its basis in the prophecies of the Septuagint where the coming of the Messiah and His triumphs are foretold; as in Psalms 2, and Psalms 110. Please read.
Isaiah 2:2-4, “It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. Many people shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD —- And he (Jesus) shall judge among the nations —-nations shall not lift up sword — neither shall they learn war any more.”
Follow the pattern laid down by God in the following verses concerning the kingdom of God. Sequels follow;
Isaiah
11:1, “There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesus and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”
Present participle of sequel follows,
Jeremiah 23:5, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” Sequel follows,
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” Sequel to follows,
Jeremiah 32:37, “Behold, I will gather them (the whole house of Israel) out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto the place (Israel,) and I will cause them to dwell safely (future.)” Sequel follows,
Jeremiah 33:14, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” Sequel follows,
Ezekiel 34:23, “And I will set up one shepherd over them (Israel,) and He (Jesus) shall feet them, even my servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their shepherd.” Sequel follows,
Ezekiel 37:24, “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and od them.” Still future! Sequel follows,
Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Daniel 7:14, “And there was given him (Jesus) dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that ALL people, nations and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Sequel follows,
Daniel 7:27, “And the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him,” still future. Sequel follows,
Jesus reign is here figuratively described as a golden age, when the true religion and with it, the Jewish theocracy should be re-established in more than pristine purity and universal peace and joy shall prevail. All this was doubtless to be understood in a spiritual sense; and so the devout Jews of Jesus time appear to have received it; Zacharias received it, Luke 1:67. Luke 2:25, As Simeon received it. Luke 2:36, As Anna received it. Luke 23:50-51, and Joseph.
But the Jews at large gave to these prophecies a temporal meaning; and expected a Messiah who should come in the clouds of heaven, and as king of the Jewish nation, restore the ancient religion and worship, reform the corrupt morals of the people, make expiation for their sins, free them from the yoke of foreign dominion, and at length reign over the whole earth in peace and glory.
The kingdom in a Christian sense:
In the N.T.as designating in its Christian sense, the Christian dispensation, or the community of those who received Jesus as the Messiah, and who, united by His Spirit under Him as their Head, rejoice in the truth and live a holy life in love and in communion with him.
This spiritual kingdom has both an internal and an external form. As internal, it already exists and rules in the hearts of all Christians, and is therefore present. As external, it is either embodied in the visible church of Christ, and in so far is present and progressive; or it’s to be perfected in the coming of the Messiah to judgment and His subsequent spiritual reign in bliss and glory, in which view it is future. But these different aspects are not always distinguished; the expression often embracing both the internal and external sense, and referring both to its commencement in this world and its completion in the world to come.
In the N.T:
1. In the Jewish temporal sense, by Jews and by the apostles before the day of Pentecost,
Matthew 18:1, “The disciples came unto Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom?”
Matthew 20:21, “She said unto him (Jesus,) Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom.”
Luke 17:20, Jesus said, “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Luke 19:11, “As they heard these things, He (Jesus) added and spake a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.”
Acts 1:6, “They asked him (Jesus) Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?”
2. In the Christian sense, as announced by John, where perhaps something of the Jewish view was intermingled,
Matthew 3:2, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Compare also,
Luke 23:51, “He (Joseph of Arimathea,) — who also himself waiting for the kingdom of God”
As announced by Jesus and others, Matthew 4:17-23, 9:35, “Gospel of the kingdom” Matthew 10:7, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 10:9-11, Acts 28:31.
3. In the internal spiritual sense;
Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat = (food) and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” Mark 10:15, Luke 17:21, 18:17, John 3:3-5, 1 Corinthians 4:20.
4. In the external sense;
As embodied in the visible church and universal spread of the gospel, Matthew 6:10, 12:28, 13:24-31-33-41-47, 16:28, Mark 4:30, 11:10, Luke 13:18-20, 2 Peter 1:11, “Into the everlasting kingdom,”
Revelation 12:10, “I (John) heard a voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.”
In this view it means especially the joy of heaven which is to be enjoyed in the Redeemer’s kingdom, as in eternal life,
Matthew 8:11, 25:34, “Come, you blessed of my (Jesus) Father, inherit the kingdom,”
Mark 9:47, Luke 13:28-29, Acts 14:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15:50, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, 2 Timothy 4:18, “Heavenly kingdom,” Hebrews 12:28, James 2:5.
Spoken generally, Matthew 5:19, 8:12, “Sons of the kingdom,” as in the Jews, who thought the Messiah’s reign was destined only for them; but,
Matthew 13:38, “Children of the kingdom,” are the true citizens of the kingdom of God. Matthew 11:11-12, Matthew 13:11, “Mysteries of the kingdom,” Matthew 13:19, “Word of the kingdom,” Matthew 13:44-45-52, “Instructed into the kingdom,” Matthew 18:4-23, 19:12-24, 20:1.
Spoken also, generally of the privileges and rewards of the kingdom both here and hereafter, Matt.5:3-10-20, 7:21, 18:3, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Colossians 1:13, “Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His = (the Father’s) dear Son,”
1 Thessalonians 2:12, “That you would walk worthy of God, who gas called you unto his Kingdom and glory.”
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com