What is the Kingdom?
Copyright (c) 2007, David A. Duncan, All Rights Reserved
Content
Some Facts About the Kingdom
What is the extent of the kingdom of Christ?
But hasn’t God always had a kingdom?
What about O.T. Saints – Are they in the Kingdom?
Is there a Future Kingdom?
Will Messiah Reign Over the Future Kingdom?
The Old Testament Prophesied about a kingdom that would be set
up by God.
Daniel
2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed
The New Testament tells of that kingdom.
In the gospels, Jesus and his disciples preach that the
kingdom is near.
Mt 3:2 And saying,
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus said that some who he spoke to would live to see the
kingdom
Mt 16:28 Verily I say
unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till
they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Jesus explained that his kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom
is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not
from hence.
The Epistles refer to Christians as being in the kingdom.
Colossian letter is addressed to the “saints”
Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ …
The word “saint” means one
who is “sacred” – set apart as holy, one who has been sanctified.
In the Old Testament, the word saint is
used to refer to those who are followers of God – especially Israel
Ex
19:14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the
people; and they washed their clothes.
Ps
148:14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints;
even of the children of Israel,
a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
In the New Testament, those who are saints
are those who are in the church
1 Co
1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth,
to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,
The Colossian epistle, addressed to those
who are saints (those in the church), says to them that they are in the kingdom
Col
1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:
The Saved are in the Kingdom, and in the Church
The “Church” (literal meaning of
the Greek word is “called out”) is the collection of those who have been called
out to serve God. Those who are saved,
God adds to the church
Acts 2:47 … And the Lord added to the
church daily those who were being saved.
The saved are also part of the kingdom:
Col 1:13 Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
Those who believed in the Kingdom, were baptized and thus added
to the church
Ac 8:12 But when
they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and
the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
It is implicit that those who were
baptized were thus saved (Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved), and also that they were added to the church (Acts 2:47 … And the Lord
added to the church daily those who were being saved. )
Questions About the Kingdom
What is the extent of the kingdom of Christ?
In one sense, the “kingdom” refers to those who submit to
the rule of Christ – the Church. So in
Ephesians (1:17-23), we read: “… God … seated Him [Jesus] at His right
hand … far above all principality and power and might and dominion, … And He
put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things
to the church, {23} which is His body, “
Those who are in the kingdom are
the “saved” – the wicked are not in the kingdom.
Eph 5:5 For
this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and of God.
It is only those who submit (by obeying) that are in the
kingdom.
Mt 7:21 ¶ Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Although most often, the word kingdom refers to those who
submit to the reign of Christ, in another sense, the “kingdom” can be used to
refer to the full extent of the dominion of Christ.
As king, Jesus is over “all power and might and dominion” (Eph
1:21). Jesus himself spoke of this while
on earth (Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.) Thus, there are those which are under His
power that do not submit to him. In the
parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus spoke of the saved as “children of the
kingdom”, and those who follow Satan being removed from the kingdom in the Judgment.
Mt 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed
are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked
one;
Mt 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they
shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity;
So, in the most common usage, the Church and the Kingdom
are synonymous. However, when the kingdom is used
to refer to the full extent of the dominion of Christ (e.g. Mt 13:41), the
Church and the kingdom are not the same, but in the Judgment, all those who are
not saved (i.e. not in the church) will be removed from the kingdom.
It is
true that God has always ruled – Ps 59:13 … God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends
of the earth.
Thus, the kingdom
of God in the Old Testament is often
used to refer to Israel
(Jacob). Jesus used the word “kingdom”
in this sense:
Mt 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given
to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
The “kingdom” (those who submit to the rule of God) would
be taken away from the nation of Israel (the Jews – which are the
“you” of Mt 21:43), and given to a nation (a new system of rule – the church).
Jesus said (Mt 8:11) “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”
The redemption provided in Jesus is for all – including
those who lived under the first covenant.
Hebrews 9:15 …He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means
of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant,
that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Thus, all those who have obeyed God from all time have
been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and thus are part of the kingdom, and as
Jesus said (Mt 8:11), this includes Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. For (Matthew 22:32) “God is not the God of
the dead, but of the living.”
There are some verses that speak of a future kingdom. Some examples:
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver
me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom:
to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.
2Pe 1:11 For
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
If N.T. saints are in “the kingdom”, why do they need to
be preserved unto the kingdom? And why
do they need an entrance into the kingdom?
When used in this sense the “everlasting kingdom” is the future
glorification of the church in heaven. Heaven
is where those in the church: are registered, are citizens, have a reward, have
treasures, a place to dwell, have hope of a lasting possession, an inheritance:
Heb
12:23 "…church of the firstborn
who are registered in heaven, …"
Phil
3:20 "For our citizenship is
in heaven, …"
Mat
5:12 ""… for great is
your reward in heaven, …"
Mat
6:20 ""but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, …"
2
Cor 5:2 "… our habitation
which is from heaven,"
Col 1:5 "because
of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, …"
Heb 10:34 "… a
better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven."
1 Pet 1:4 "to an inheritance … reserved in
heaven for you,"
It is this “heavenly” kingdom (i.e. when those who obey have
entered heaven) that is spoken of in 2 Peter 1:11 (an entrance
.. into the everlasting kingdom).
It is not a new kingdom, it is the kingdom when
it dwells in heaven. This entrance into
heaven is spoken of in Hebrews 10, where in the context the “holiest” is used
to refer to heaven. In Hebrews 9 the
writer speaks of the High Priest (under Mosaic law) as going into the “holiest”
(9:3), and then speaks of Jesus as our High Priest (9:11) as not entering the
“holy places” (i.e. the holiest), but into heaven itself (9:24). Then he concludes (10:19) that Christians
can follow Jesus into Heaven (the Holiest) and have
boldness to enter it by the blood of Jesus
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Jesus spoke of this entrance when he prepared his
disciples for his departure:
John 13:36
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus
answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me
now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
John 14:2 In My Father’s house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you
may be also.
A related question is "Does Christ now reign as king?
( For this answer, see http://www.bumby.org/faq/does_christ_now_reign.html
)
The bible speaks of Jesus reigning now. Ephesians (1:17-24) says that Jesus is now in
a position over all things – and that this position will be retained in the age
to come:
… He
worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His
right hand in the heavenly places, {21} far above
all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
Christ now reigns from the right hand of God. Paul said that Christ will continue to reign
until the end of time (death is destroyed) – i.e. the judgment. At that point (the end of time), Christ will
deliver the kingdom to God:
1 Cor
15:25-26 For He must reign till He has put all enemies
under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be
destroyed is death.
1 Cor 15:24
Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when
He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
Christ was raised up to rule from the right hand of God
(Eph 1:17-24) as was proclaimed at Pentecost:
Acts
2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God,
and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit …
Since Christ now reigns from the right hand of God, and he
will continue to reign until the end of time (when death is destroyed – 1 Cor
15:25-26), and after that deliver the kingdom to the Father, there is no future
time when he does not reign. Since he is
now over “all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name
that is named” (Eph. 1:21), there is no possible “expansion” of his reign. There is no reign spoken of from a literal
throne on the earth. In fact, bible text
says that he now reigns (Eph 1:17-24) from the right hand of God (Acts 2:33),
and that reign must continue until the end (1 Cor 15:25-26).
In conclusion, the reign of Jesus will continue in the
future age (Eph. 1:17-24), and that he will continue to reign until all enemies
are conquered (1 Cor 15:25-26), and then at the end of all things, he will
return the kingdom to God (1 Cor 15:24).
Summary
Jesus now reigns from the right hand of God over his
kingdom. The kingdom in this age is
synonymous with the church (the saved), and Christ will continue his reign from
the right hand of God until the end of time and then return the kingdom to the
Father. The reign of Christ is now
universal (i.e. over all things) and will continue so even in the age to come.