The kingdom of God in the past

Matthew 25:34 tells us that the kingdom has been in preparation since the foundation of the world. It has been in existence all along, albeit in different forms. God was a King to Adam and Eve; he gave them dominion or authority to rule; they were his vice-regents in the Garden of Eden. Although the word “kingdom” is not used, the first humans were essentially in a kingdom of God, under his rule and ownership.

When God promised Abraham that his descendants would become great nations and that kings would come from him (Genesis 17:5-6), he was, in effect, promising a kingdom of God. But it started small, like yeast hidden in a batch of dough, and it took hundreds of years to be seen for what it was.

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and made a covenant with them, they became a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), a kingdom that belonged to God and could rightly be called a kingdom of God. The covenant he made with them was similar to treaties that ancient empires made with smaller nations. God had saved Israel from slavery, and the Israelites responded—they agreed to be his people, as a nation in his empire. God was their king (1 Samuel 12:12; 8:7). David and Solomon sat on the throne of God, ruling on his behalf (1 Chronicles 29:23). Israel was a kingdom of God.

But the people wouldn’t obey their King. God sent them away, but he promised to restore the nation with a new heart (Jeremiah 31:31-33), a prophecy that is being fulfilled in the church today. We who are led by the Holy Spirit are the royal priesthood and holy nation that ancient Israel could not be (1 Peter 2:9, Exodus 19:6).

God has always been a King, and there has always been a kingdom, and there always will be a kingdom. But this one kingdom appears in different ways at different times – it looks one way with Adam and Eve, another way with Abraham. It is transformed again with the nation of Israel, and transformed again with Jesus and the church. We are now in the kingdom, but there are weeds growing in among the grain. At the end of the age, the Messiah will return in power and glory, the weeds will be removed, and the kingdom of God will again be transformed in appearance. The final form of the kingdom, in which everyone is perfect and spiritual, will be dramatically different from the millennial one (no matter how you understand the millennium).

Since the kingdom has historical continuity, it is proper to speak of it in past, present and future tenses. In its historical development, it has had and will continue to have major milestones as new phases are established. The kingdom was established at Mt. Sinai; and again in Jesus’ ministry; it will be established again at his return and the day of judgment. In each phase, God’s people rejoice in what they have and look forward to more yet to come. One phase builds upon the other. As we now experience some limited aspects of the kingdom, we gain confidence that the future kingdom will also be a reality. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of greater blessings (2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:14).

What the kingdom looked like in the past is not what it looked like in Jesus’ day, nor what it will look like in the future. In some respects the phrase “kingdom of God” has different meanings at different times in history. But the fact that the same phrase may be used for the first-century manifestation and the future manifestation, causes us to look for a common denominator, something that the kingdom in all ages has in common, despite its dramatically different appearance at different times in history. A more abstract term such as “rule” can be helpful, and indeed, that seems to be what the Greek word basileia focuses on.

Jesus told a parable about a man who went to a foreign country to receive a kingdom (Luke 19:12). He went not to receive the territory and bring it back with him. Rather, he went to receive the authority to rule. He then returned to the territory and had to exert that authority. The Jews were well acquainted with a historical example: Herod had gone to Rome, seeking to be appointed king. He was so appointed, but when he returned to Judea he had to raise an army and conquer the territory. What he was given in Rome was not the territory, but the permission to be its king. The Greek word basileia is focused on authority, not on territory.

The kingdom and the gospel

When we hear the word kingdom, we are reminded of the kingdoms of this world, perhaps the kingdoms of medieval Europe. In this world, kingdom is associated with authority and power, but not harmony and love. Kingdom can describe the authority God has in his family, but it does not describe all the blessings God has in store for us. It is a metaphor, and it cannot convey all that God’s realm is. That’s why other metaphors are used, too, such as the family term children, which emphasizes God’s love and authority.

Each term is accurate, but incomplete. If any one term could describe salvation perfectly, I suppose that the Bible would use that term consistently. But all are metaphors, each describing some aspect of salvation—but none of the terms describes the complete picture. When God commissioned the church to preach the gospel, he did not restrict us to using only the phrase “kingdom of God.” The apostles translated Jesus’ sayings from Aramaic to Greek, and they translated them into other metaphors, choosing concepts that were more meaningful to a non-Jewish audience. Matthew, Mark and Luke use “the kingdom” often. John and the epistles also describe our future, but they generally prefer other metaphors to do it.

Salvation is probably the most general term. Paul said we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8), are being saved (2 Corinthians 2:15) and shall be saved (Romans 5:9). The salvation that we already have, just like the kingdom we are in now, is a foretaste of greater things to come – but it is salvation and kingdom nonetheless. God has given us salvation, and he expects us to respond to him with faith. John wrote of salvation and eternal life as a present reality and possession (1 John 5:11-12) and also a future blessing. We have now a small foretaste of what we will have in the future.

Metaphors such as salvation and family of God—just as much as kingdom—are legitimate although partial descriptions of God’s plan for us. Christ’s gospel can be called the gospel of the kingdom, gospel of salvation, gospel of grace, gospel of God, gospel of eternal life, etc. The gospel is an announcement that we are destined to be in loving relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit forever, and it includes information about this has been made possible—through Jesus Christ our Savior.

When Jesus talked about the kingdom, he didn’t emphasize its physical blessings or clarify its chronology. He focused instead on how people get in that kingdom, and how they live. We enter the kingdom when we respond to God with faith and allegiance, when we come under his authority; we then seek to live in way that is reflective of that kingdom.

In Mark 10, a man wanted to inherit eternal life, and Jesus said he should keep the commandments (verses 17-19). This was apparently just a teaser of an answer, because Jesus soon added another command: He told him to give up all his possessions for the heavenly treasure (verse 21). Jesus commented to the disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (verse 23). The disciples asked, “Who then can be saved?” (verse 26).

In this passage, and in its parallel (Luke 18:18-30), we see several phrases used to indicate the same thing: receive the kingdom, inherit eternal life, have treasure in heaven, enter the kingdom, be saved. When Jesus said, “follow me” (v. 21), he was using another phrase to indicate the same thing: We enter the kingdom by orienting our life to Jesus – and it is not possible for us to do it – but it is possible with God. He makes the impossible possible.

In Luke 12:31-34, Jesus also indicates that several concepts are similar: seeking the kingdom, being given the kingdom, having a heavenly treasure, giving up trust in physical possessions. We seek God’s kingdom by responding to what Jesus taught, and that is also the way that we enter the kingdom. (We are talking about a metaphor of allegiance here, rather than physical movement to a new territory.) God’s kingdom is the realm in which God’s will is done. In Luke 21:28, 30, the kingdom is parallel to redemption.

In Acts 20:21, 24-25, 32, we learn that Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom, and he preached the gospel of God’s grace, repentance and faith. The kingdom is closely connected with eternal life—the kingdom would not be worth preaching if we couldn’t be part of it, and it wouldn’t make sense to risk our lives for it in this age unless we were promised life in an eternal age.

We can enter the kingdom only through faith, repentance and grace, so those are part of any message about God’s kingdom. Salvation is a present-tense reality as well as a promise of future blessings. Acts 28:23, 29, 31 tells us that Paul preached not only the kingdom but also about Jesus and salvation. These are different ways to describe the same Christian message. One focuses on the result; one on the means by which we get that result.

In Corinth, Paul preached nothing but Christ and his crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:2). In Acts 28:23, 29, 31, Luke tells us that Paul in Rome preached both the kingdom and about Jesus and salvation. These are different aspects of the same Christian message.

The kingdom is relevant not merely because it is our future reward, but also because it affects how we live and think in this age. We prepare for the future kingdom by living in it now, following our King. We are bringing the future into the present. As we live in allegiance to Jesus, we recognize God’s rule as a present reality in our own experience, and we continue to hope in faith for a future time when the kingdom will be filled to the full, when the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

##################################

Isn't it wonderful that we can know that we are in the Kingdom of God right now! We can do all that Christ did through His name and His Spirit, if it is His Will. What awesome power we possess to use for His Glory. The power of prayer being an unstoppable weapon against the enemy, one we need to keep sharp and ready at all times. What an honor to be His servants as He makes us His kings and priests, and look forward to our eternal Kingdom home.

All glory to our All Powerful Lord and Mighty King!

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.