The Kingdom of God

The term “Kingdom of God” is widely misunderstood, if it’s understood at all, by believers today. When we think of a kingdom, we usually default to a vision of a monarchy, such as the ones still in place today in England, Spain, the Netherlands, and other countries around the world. However, as professing Christian believers, we need to develop a more concrete vision of the Kingdom of God, which is not of this world, but is present with us, within us and around us at all times.

Both in the Old and New Testaments, the term “kingdom” is understood as dynamic in nature and refers primarily to the rule or reign of a king. It is seldom used in a static sense to refer to a territory. As a result, in the vast majority of instances, it would be better to translate the expression “Kingdom of God” as the “rule of God.” (Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary)

In the Old Testament, God advanced His Kingdom through Abraham and his descendants. He established a covenant with the Hebrew people and promised them three things: a nation, a land and a blessing.

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:2-3

“Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” – Genesis 12:8

“And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” – Genesis 26:4

God’s Kingdom, His rule of law, was established through this covenant, and put into writing by His own hand, through the Ten Commandments. The Hebrews understood what was expected of them and they abided by the rules as a way to try to be “good enough” to keep God’s wrath at bay. This skewed version of His Kingdom wasn’t what God was after, however. He wanted a personal, intimate relationship with His people, where they turn to Him for everything, with all confidence that He will hear them, answer them, love them and protect them. Therefore, He chose to send Jesus to establish His Kingdom in the here and now, palpable and real, right here on earth. Jesus told His followers that the Kingdom was right there among them.

“The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” – Mark 1:15

“And saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom,and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” – Matthew 3:2; 4:23

The Kingdom of God is mysterious and hard to grasp due to its spiritual nature – God is Spirit and we worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Jesus likened the Kingdom to a mustard seed, which grows into such a large tree. It starts small, then expands.

The Kingdom of God is within us. Did you know a very crucial part of our lives as Sons, Kings, Priests and Prophets, is knowing who we are as Kingdom citizens? We need to know this, in order to live in our true identity, out of the fullness of what the Lord really intended for us. I believe our history and worldview in reference to our nation, culture, community, and family has played a huge part in how we have in the past reflected our view of Kingdom. But what does the Kingdom really look like from a biblical standpoint?

Let’s take a walk with our Father through His word, starting our quest from the beginning (which is the word Re’shiyth in Hebrew, meaning firstfruits). The establishment of the Kingdom of God was given to us in Genesis 1. If we look carefully, we will see the Lord’s strategy. He established a plan for his government that would be without end, from the beginning.

In the first chapter, the Lord made the container which was void or uninhabited. He then filled it with everything you and I would ever need to steward his kingdom. Once the container was complete, he sowed himself into the earth like a seed, and formed man with intricacy, purpose and great detail. He gave us His breath of life. The King of kings spared nothing, He shared all his power and authority with us. That even baffled angels to the point of questions. (Psalm 8:4)

The Lord laid out his governmental leadership plan for us in Genesis 1:28. Though we as man in our free will failed, the Kingdom did not end. Nothing comes as a surprise to the Lord, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. His plan included a bridal story of redemption. When the enemy in his slyness, came with persecution and lies, the Lord lifted up a standard. He sowed himself again, into an earthen vessel, named Mary. He came down to rescue the bride of His Kingdom. He walked with us and manifested the perfectly intended Kingdom plan.

He did only what he saw the Father do, spoke only what he heard the Father say, and he went only where Abba sent him. He came to restore the breach. Yeshua is the gate. He is the Tree of Life. He is The Kingdom within us. Yeshua is our only way back to The Father’s original intent for kingdom living. His stewardship is so beautifully displayed in the gospels. Take a walk through the book of John. Can you see how the son of God, son of man, Yeshua (name meaning: redeemer, savior, deliverer) reigned? He taught only on the Kingdom of God. He humbly bowed low as a servant leader, ruled with all power and authority, and clearly demonstrated our duties as Ambassadors of the King of kings.