The Kingdom of God

Because our ministry is shaped by the Kingdom of God let me offer a few thoughts that should serve to elucidate it for those who may not have looked into the incomparable Kingdom of God. The term kingdom in the Bible is first mentioned in the Old Testament, identifying both secular and divine kingdoms. When referring to God’s Kingdom, the term was generally understood to mean that sometime in the future a revolutionary change—both material and spiritual—would take place on earth. That life as we know it now would be replaced by a quality of life remarkably superior to anything humans (or animals) had experienced before. While the Hebrew prophets wrote often about this great event, the information they provided was shrouded in mystery, due to lack of specificity regarding the event and the kingdom itself.

Centuries later, Jesus would shed a bright and unexpected light on God’s Kingdom, not only teaching about its unparalleled value, but also demonstrating that value in the most practical ways—healing those with incurable illnesses and diseases. Jesus also illustrated that while the Kingdom is a future event, it is also available to enter now. It became such a prominent part of His ministry that it was impossible to separate Christ from the Kingdom. He began His ministry by announcing that the Kingdom of God was available for all to participate in (Mark 1:14-15). He then continued to teach about it throughout His three years of ministry. Finally, He concluded His time on earth by spending forty days with His apostles, teaching them about the Kingdom (Acts 1:3). The Kingdom of God was central to all Christ taught and did.

In reviewing the Scriptures we find that the Kingdom accompanied the Messiah as part of a divine celebration in the fulfillment of the New Covenant that had been promised for over five hundred years. By using various teaching methods, Jesus made the Kingdom understandable to those who had “ears to hear”. He did what He could do to inform His listeners about the Kingdom so that they had every opportunity to evaluate it and make an informed decision about whether to seek it or not. (Matthew 6:25-34) In various ways, Jesus made it unmistakably clear that the Kingdom was something to be greatly desired, that it was worth whatever sacrifices one had to make to enter it, it was available now and that it would provide unmatched blessings to those who could see it and enter it while on earth.

When Jesus was ministering the majority of the people that came to see Him were mesmerized by all he said and did. The reality of God and the Kingdom in their midst was life changing. The Scriptures illustrate that it was not uncommon for the people “to be astonished at His teaching.” After all they were not only in the presence of their Messiah, but the Kingdom was also present bringing diverse blessings to those in need. Jesus made it clear that the Kingdom was present and in operation, and while not in fullness as it will be eventually, the degree that was available was a great blessing. Just as Jesus came to earth with a different agenda than He will when He returns, the agenda of the Kingdom itself is also different now than it will be when it comes in fullness. While the Kingdom had not yet been released in fullness as it will be in the future when God brings cataclysmic change to order as we know it, but nevertheless it brought great blessings which have not stopped in two thousand years, nor will they stop until it comes in completeness.

What makes the Kingdom such an intriguing subject is that it encompasses a variety of scenarios and meanings, yet with a common purpose to bless humanity in uncommon ways. The Bible illustrates that the Kingdom is a present spiritual reality as well as an inheritance which God will share with those He finds worthy when He brings the Kingdom in fullness (Matthew 25:34). We also find that it is a realm we can enter, and where we can work from within.

While there is an enormous array of explanations as to what the Kingdom is in the Gospels, let us focus on the core meaning. Reading the various teaching on the Kingdom in context to understanding the principle meaning will help illuminate the depth, width and blessings of God’s divine enterprise. This can be done by looking at two references: Webster’s dictionary illustrates that a kingdom is the "rank, quality, state or attributes of a king." It also defines it as one having "authority; dominion, monarchy; and kingship." To support Webster, one can note that the primary meaning of kingdom in both the Hebrew (malkuth) and the Greek (basileia) points to the rank, authority and sovereignty exercised by a king. Therefore, a kingdom is not a realm per se, but the authority to rule. When the Bible speaks of the Kingdom of God, it refers primarily to His reign, His rule and His sovereignty over all things seen and unseen.

As Servants of the Kingdom, we want to be recipients of the manifold blessings of living in the Kingdom, but even more to help others out of their impoverished state. The blessings of the Kingdom are not bound by natural events, human circumstances or the spiritual realm of darkness that oppose God's divine order. Where government, culture and the church has failed to help a growing segment of humanity caught in an endless cycle of poverty, the Kingdom is available and inexhaustible to reverse the present order of dehumanizing poverty. As Servants of the Kingdom, we live sacrificially, offering up our lives so that we may allow the dynamics of the Kingdom to work through us as it did in Christ while He was on earth.