The present and future kingdom of God
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed the nearness of the kingdom of God (Mt 3,2; 4,17; Mk 1,15). The long awaited rule of God was at hand. That message was called the gospel, the good news. Thousands were eager to hear and respond to this message from John and Jesus.
But think for a moment what the reaction would have been if they had preached, "The kingdom of God is 2000 years away." The message would have been disappointing and the public reaction would have been disappointing as well. Jesus might not have been popular, religious leaders might not have been jealous, and Jesus might not have been crucified. “The kingdom of God is far away” would have been neither new news nor good.
John and Jesus preached the soon-to-come kingdom of God, something that was close in time to their listeners. The message said something about what people should do now; it had immediate relevance and urgency. It sparked interest - and jealousy. By proclaiming that changes in government and religious teachings were necessary, the embassy challenged the status quo.
Jewish expectations in the first century
Many Jews living in the first century were familiar with the term "kingdom of God." They eagerly wanted God to send them a leader who would throw off Roman rule and restore Judea to an independent nation - a nation of righteousness, glory and blessings, a nation to which all would be drawn.
Into this climate—eager but vague expectations of a divinely ordained intervention—Jesus and John preached the nearness of God's kingdom. "The kingdom of God has come near," Jesus told his disciples after they had healed the sick.Mt 10,7; Lk 19,9.11).
But the hoped-for kingdom did not come true. The Jewish nation was not restored. Even worse, the temple was destroyed and the Jews scattered. Jewish hopes are still unfulfilled. Was Jesus wrong in his statement, or did he not foretell a national kingdom?
Jesus' kingdom did not conform to popular expectations—as we can guess from the fact that many Jews would have liked to see him dead. His kingdom was not of this world. (Joh 18,36)When he spoke about the "kingdom of God," he used expressions that people understood well, but he gave them new meaning. He told Nicodemus that God's kingdom was invisible to most people. (Joh 3,3) To understand or experience it, one must be renewed by God's Holy Spirit (v. 6). The kingdom of God was a spiritual kingdom, not a physical organization.
The current state of the empire
In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus announced that the Kingdom of God would come after certain signs and prophetic events. But some of Jesus' teachings and parables explain that the Kingdom of God would not come in a dramatic way. The seed grows quietly. (Mk 4,26-29); the kingdom begins as small as a mustard seed (vv. 30-32) and is hidden like leaven (Mt 13,33)These parables suggest that the Kingdom of God is a reality before it arrives in a powerful and dramatic way. Besides being a future reality, it is already a reality now.
Let us consider some verses that show that the Kingdom of God is already functioning. In Markus 1,15 Jesus proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled… the kingdom of God is at hand.” Both verbs are in the past tense, indicating that something has happened and its consequences are ongoing. The time had not only come for the announcement, but also for the kingdom of God itself.
After Jesus had cast out demons, he said: “But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Mt 12,2; Lk 11,20)"The kingdom is here," he said, "and the proof lies in the casting out of evil spirits." This proof continues in the Church today, because the Church performs even greater works than Jesus did. (Joh 14,12)We can also say: "When we cast out evil spirits through the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is at work here and now." Through the Spirit of God, the Kingdom of God continues to demonstrate its commanding power over the kingdom of Satan.
Satan still exerts an influence, but he has been defeated and condemned. (Joh 16,11)His rights were partially restricted. (Mk 3,27)Jesus overcame the world of Satan. (Joh 16,33)...and with God's help, we too can overcome them. (1Joh 5,4)But not everyone overcomes them. In this age, the kingdom of God contains both good and evil.Mt 13,24-30(36-43, 47-50; 24:45-51; 25:1-12, 14-30). Satan is still influential. We still await the glorious future of the Kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God is active in the teachings
"The Kingdom of Heaven is still suffering violence, and the violent are seizing it for themselves." (Mt 11,12)These verbs are in the present tense – the Kingdom of God existed at the time of Jesus. A parallel passage, Lukas 16,16, also uses present tense verbs: "...and everyone forces his way in". We don't need to find out who these violent people are or why they use violence
- important here is that these verses speak of the kingdom of God as a present reality.
Lukas 16,16 replaces the first part of the verse with “The gospel of the kingdom of God is preached.” This variation suggests that the advance of the kingdom in this age is, in practical terms, approximately equivalent to its proclamation. The kingdom of God is - it already exists - and it is progressing through its proclamation.
In Markus 10,15 Jesus points out that the Kingdom of God is something we must somehow receive, evidently in this life. In what way is the Kingdom of God present? The details are not yet clear, but the verses we have looked at indicate that it is present.
The kingdom of God is among us
Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. (Lk 17,20)“You cannot see it,” Jesus replied. But Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is within you [i.e., in your midst].” (Lk 17,21)Jesus was the King, and because he taught and performed miracles among them, the Kingdom was among the Pharisees. Jesus is in us today, and just as the Kingdom of God was present in the ministry of Jesus, so it is present in the ministry of his Church. The King is among us; his spiritual power is in us, even though the Kingdom of God is not yet operating in its full power.
We have already been transferred to God's kingdom (Kol 1,13)We are already receiving a kingdom, and our proper response to it is adoration and reverence. (Hebr 12,28)Christ “has made us [past tense] a kingdom of priests” (Offb 1,6)We are a holy people—already and present—but what we will be has not yet been revealed. God has freed us from the dominion of sin and brought us into his kingdom, under his ruling authority. The kingdom of God is here, Jesus said. His listeners did not need to wait for a conquering Messiah—God already reigns, and we should now live in his way. We do not yet possess a territory, but we are coming under God's rule.
The kingdom of God is still in the future
Understanding that the Kingdom of God already exists helps us to devote more attention to serving others around us. But we don't forget that the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God still lies in the future. If our hope rests solely in this age, we don't have much hope. (1Kor 15,19)We do not harbor the illusion that we can bring about the Kingdom of God through human effort. When we suffer setbacks and persecution, when we see that most people reject the gospel, we draw strength from the knowledge that the fullness of the Kingdom is in a future age.
No matter how much we try to live in a way that reflects God and His Kingdom, we can not turn that world into God's kingdom. This must come through a dramatic intervention. Apocalyptic events are necessary to usher in the new age.
Numerous verses tell us that the Kingdom of God will be a glorious future reality. We know that Christ is a King, and we long for the day when He will use His power in a great and dramatic way to end human suffering. The book of Daniel foretells a Kingdom of God that will rule over the whole earth (Dan 2,44; 7:13-14, 22). The New Testament book of Revelation describes his coming (Offb 11,15; 19,11-16).
We pray that the kingdom may come. (Lk 11,2)The poor in spirit and the persecuted await their future “reward in heaven” (Mt 5,3.10.12). People will enter the Kingdom of God on a future “day” of judgment (Mt 7,21-23(Luke 13:22-30). Jesus told a parable because some believed that the Kingdom of God would soon come into power. (Lk 19,11)In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus described dramatic events that would occur before his return in power and glory. Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus looked forward with anticipation to a future kingdom. (Mt 26,29).
Paul speaks several times of "inheriting the kingdom" as a future experience (1Kor 6,9-10; 15,50; Gal 5,21; Eph 5,5) and, on the other hand, indicates through his language that he regards the kingdom of God as something that will only be realized at the end of the age (1Th 2,12; 2Th 1,5; Kol 4,11; 2Tim 4,1.18). When Paul focuses on the present manifestation of the kingdom, he tends either to introduce the term “righteousness” along with the “kingdom of God”. (Röm 14,17)or to use it instead (Röm 1,17). Please refer Matthäus 6,33...in relation to the close connection between the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God. Or Paul (alternatively) tends to associate the Kingdom with Christ rather than with God the Father. (Kol 1,13). (J. Ramsey Michaels, “The Kingdom of God and the Historical Jesus,” Chapter 8, The Kingdom of God in 20th-Century Interpretation, edited by Wendell Willis [Hendrickson, 1987], p. 112).
Many passages about the "Kingdom of God" could refer to the present Kingdom of God as well as its future fulfillment. Lawbreakers will be considered the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mt 5,19-20)We leave families for the sake of the Kingdom of God. (Lk 18,29)We enter the Kingdom of God through tribulations. (Apg 14,22)The most important thing in this article is that some verses are clearly written in the present tense, and some are clearly written in the future tense.
After Jesus' resurrection, the disciples asked him: "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Apg 1,6)How could Jesus answer such a question? What the disciples meant by “kingdom” was not what Jesus had taught. The disciples were still thinking in terms of a national kingdom, rather than a slowly developing people made up of all ethnic groups. It would take them years to realize that Gentiles were welcome in the new kingdom. Christ’s kingdom was still not of this world, but it was to be active in this age. Therefore, Jesus didn’t say yes or no—he simply told them that there was work for them and the power to do that work (vv. 7–8).
The kingdom of God in the past
Matthäus 25,34 tells us that the kingdom of God has been in preparation since the foundation of the world. It was there all along, albeit in different forms. God was a king to Adam and Eve; he gave them dominion and authority to rule; they were his viceregents in the Garden of Eden. Although the word "kingdom" is not used, Adam and Eve were in a kingdom of God - under his dominion and possession.
When God gave Abraham the promise that his descendants would become great nations and that kings would come from them (1Mo 17,5-6)He promised them a kingdom of God. But it began small, like leaven in dough, and it took hundreds of years to see the promise realized.
When God led the Israelites out of Egypt and made a covenant with them, they became a kingdom of priests. (2Mo 19,6), a kingdom that belonged to God and could be called a kingdom of God. The covenant he made with them was similar to the treaties powerful kings made with smaller nations. He had saved them, and the Israelites responded—they agreed to be his people. God was their king (1Sam 12,12; 8:7). David and Solomon sat on the throne of God and reigned in his name. (1Chr 29,23)Israel was a kingdom of God.
But the people did not obey their God. God sent them away, but he promised to restore the nation with a new heart. (Jer 31,31-33)A prophecy fulfilled in the church today, which shares in the New Covenant. We, to whom the Holy Spirit has been given, are the royal priesthood and holy nation, something ancient Israel could not achieve. (1Pt 2,9; 2Mo 19,6)We are in the Kingdom of God, but there are now weeds growing among the grain. At the end of the age, the Messiah will return in power and glory, and the Kingdom of God will once again be transformed in appearance. The Kingdom that follows the Millennium, in which everyone is perfect and spiritual, will be drastically different from the Millennium.
Because the Kingdom has historical continuity, it is correct to speak of it in the past, present, and future tenses. In its historical development, it has had, and will continue to have, major milestones as new phases are ushered in. The Kingdom was established at Mount Sinai; it was established in and through the ministry of Jesus; it will be established at His return, after the judgment. In each phase, God's people will rejoice in what they have and rejoice even more in what is yet to come. While we now experience some limited aspects of the Kingdom of God, we gain confidence that the future Kingdom of God will also be a reality. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of greater blessings. (2Kor 5,5; Eph 1,14).
The kingdom of God and the gospel
When the word Kingdom or Kingdom is heard, we are reminded of the realms of this world. In this world, kingdom is associated with authority and power, but not with harmony and love. Kingdom can describe the authority that God has in his family, but it does not describe all the blessings that God has for us. That is why other images are used, such as the family term children, which emphasizes the love and authority of God.
Each term is accurate but incomplete. If any term could describe salvation perfectly, the Bible would use that term throughout. But they are all pictures, each describing a particular aspect of salvation - but none of these terms describe the whole picture. When God commissioned the church to preach the gospel, he did not limit us to using only the term "kingdom of God." The apostles translated Jesus' speeches from Aramaic into Greek, and they translated them into other images, especially metaphors, that had meaning to a non-Jewish audience. Matthew, Mark, and Luke often use the term "the kingdom." John and the Apostolic Epistles also describe our future, but they use different images to represent it.
Salvation is a rather general term. Paul said that we were saved. (Eph 2,8), we will be saved (2Kor 2,15)...and we will be saved. (Röm 5,9)God has given us salvation, and he expects us to respond to him in faith. John wrote about salvation and eternal life as a present reality, a possession. (1Joh 5,11-12)...and a future blessing.
Metaphors like salvation and the family of God - as well as the kingdom of God - are legitimate, even though they are only partial descriptions of God's plan for us. Christ's gospel can be called the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of salvation, the gospel of grace, the gospel of God, the gospel of eternal life, and so on. The gospel is an announcement that we can live with God forever, and it includes information that this is possible through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God, he didn't emphasize its physical blessings, nor did he clarify its chronology. Instead, he focused on what people should do to have a part in it. Tax collectors and prostitutes enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus said. (Mt 21,31)And they do this by believing the gospel (v. 32) and doing the Father's will (vv. 28-31). We enter the kingdom of God when we respond to God in faith and faithfulness.
In Markus 10 A person wanted to inherit eternal life, and Jesus said he should keep the commandments. (Mk 10,17-19)Jesus added another commandment: He commanded him to give up all his possessions for the treasure in heaven (v. 21). Jesus remarked to the disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (v. 23). The disciples asked, “Then who can be saved?” (v. 26). In this passage and in the parallel passage in Lukas 18,18-30Several terms are used that point to the same thing: Receive the kingdom, inherit eternal life, store up treasures in heaven, enter the kingdom of God, be saved. When Jesus said, “Follow me” (v. 22), he used a different expression to indicate the same thing: We enter the kingdom of God by aligning our lives with Jesus.
In Lukas 12,31-34 Jesus points out that several expressions are similar: seeking the kingdom of God, receiving a kingdom, having treasure in heaven, relinquishing trust in physical possessions. We seek God's kingdom by responding to Jesus' teaching. Lukas 21,28 and 30, the Kingdom of God is equated with salvation. In Apostelgeschichte 20,22 Up to chapter 32, we learn that Paul preached the gospel of the kingdom, and he preached the gospel of God's grace and faith. The kingdom is closely linked to salvation—the kingdom would not be worth preaching if we could not have a part in it, and we can enter only through faith, repentance, and grace; therefore, these are part of every message about the kingdom of God. Salvation is a present reality as well as a promise of future blessings.
In Corinth, Paul preached nothing other than Christ and his crucifixion. (1Kor 2,2). In Apostelgeschichte 28,23.29.31 Luke tells us that Paul preached in Rome both the kingdom of God and about Jesus and salvation. These are different aspects of the same Christian message.
The kingdom of God is not only relevant because it is our future reward, but also because it affects how we live and think in this age. We are preparing for the future kingdom of God by living in it now, in accordance with the teachings of our king. As we live in faith, we acknowledge God's reign as the present reality in our own experience, and we continue to hope in faith for a future time, when the kingdom will come to fulfillment, when the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
by Michael Morrison
