What is God s Kingdom? | God is My Source!

It has always been God’s intention to establish his kingdom on the earth. A kingdom is the reign of a supreme ruler over a nation or territory. For a time, God’s kingdom existed on the earth in the Garden of Eden. There God gave the first man and women dominion and commanded them to fill up and subdue the earth according to his instructions. Yet, Satan persuaded them to disobey God which resulted in the forfeiting of their right of dominion and ended God’s rule over the earth. The earth and all who lived on it fell under the dominion of Satan and his kingdom.

Yet God’s purpose was not to be thwarted. Thought the ages that followed, God continued work toward the restoration of his kingdom. First with Abraham, God established a relationship with a man who would trust and would be obedient to him. That trust and obedience would become the foundation of his kingdom. In response to Abraham’s commitment God promised to make him a father of many nations, to bless him, to make him a blessing and give him a land. How much land was God going to give Abraham and his descendents? The whole world; see Romans 4:13. Later when the kingdom of Israel was established under David, God promised that one of his descends would continue his reign. The prophets of the Old Testament foretold of the coming deliverer; Isaiah said, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this,” KJV.

Thus, when Jesus came on the scene he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom; that God’s rule from heaven was about to be restored: “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel,” Mark 1:15 KJV.

We understand from the Lord’s prayer that God’s kingdom is realized when his will is done on earth as it is in heaven. But for anyone to participate in God kingdom he or she must receive the seed of the word of the kingdom (Matthew 13:19) and experience the new birth. Jesus said in John 3:5-7: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” It requires a spiritual birth because mankind has been spiritually dead since the fall of Adam.

This kingdom has two components: one for the present and the other the final consummation that is yet to come. For now the kingdom of God is within us, an invisible reality, as Jesus explains in Luke 17:20, 21. The world will not see the kingdom or what is going on in side of it, but they can see its effects in the world and in the lives of God’s people. And in this invisible reality we Christian must learn to operate if we are to experience the power of God’s kingdom in our lives. And then final consummation will come on the day when Jesus will be unveiled and he will set up his administration on the earth.

The ministry of Jesus demonstrated the kingdom of God in action. The Apostle Peter described it in Acts 10:38: “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him,” KJV. It is this same kingdom that Jesus told his followers to demonstrate in our world today: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father,” KJV.

Jesus taught us to place seeking his kingdom before fulfilling our own needs of food, clothing and shelter. It is his desire that we subordinate our actives to his concerns, and then as a result, our needs will be taken care of.