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Hi Everyone!!
I looked back over the previous subjects and didnt see a topic for the Kingdom of God!
The Kingdom of God is spoken of quite a bit in the scriptures!
Heres my take, what is yours?
Keith
The word Kingdom is used 342 times in scripture!
Since we are primarily dealing with the Kingdom that Jesus preached, most of the scriptures will be New Testament Greek! However feel free to use Old Testament references for there are many good examples to be found depicting the Kingdom of Christ and our God!
The Greek word for Kingdom is basileia {bas-il-i'-ah} which means:
1) Royal power, kingship, dominion, rule
a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom
2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king
3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the MessiahThe Kingdom of God is the rule of God. In a Kingdom there is a throne and a King that sits on that throne.
Matt 13: 31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
[32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
[33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Jesus in the above passages shows us what and where the Kingdom is, if we have an ear to hear!
The Kingdom of God has been sown into the hearts of every born again believer who has received Jesus Spirit!
Again the Kingdom of God is the Rule of God, his throne has been set up in every follower of Christ who sets on that throne! Many parables had Jesus spoken besides those above showing this truth that the Kingdom has come!
Listen to he words of Jesus here,
Matt 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.
But before they tasted death they Saw the Son Of Man come in his Kingdom by the out pouring of his Spirit in the earth!
They had become his companions in the Kingdom.
(Rev. 1:9). “I John, who also am your brother…and **companion in the kingdom** of Jesus Christ”
“Some people think that the kingdom of God has been held in abeyance, it has been held up in heaven somewhere, until Jesus comes back and establishes it in the earth.
Why, my beloved friend, you are just about two thousand years behind time!
Don’t you know Jesus already came and established His kingdom in the earth?
“Now after that John was put into prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, and saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the good news!” (Mk. 1:14-15).
“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man is pressing into it” (Lk. 16:16). You say, “Well, we’re waiting for Jesus to come back and make the kingdom take over.” Well, my beloved, He has come back in you in His fullness to make it take over! “That you may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven…when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe in that day” (II Thes. 1:5-10).
That’s how it’s going to take over! There will be no other take over of the kingdom of God except it comes in and through you who are hearing the word of the kingdom, who by faith and obedience are entering into the kingdom of God. The kingdom has been planted in the earth and God is now preparing and equipping a company of king-priests to expand it, extend it, and increase it, until every enemy is defeated and all things are subdued unto Jesus Christ the King!
One glorious day the firstborn Son of the living God walked among men and announced, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” The new reign of God had come to the birth! The call went forth throughout all the earth in the power of the Spirit for men to become willing subjects of the kingdom of God. First twelve, then seventy, then vast multitudes responded to the call. On the day of Pentecost alone about three thousand precious souls, quickened by the Holy Spirit with eyes to see and ears to hear, answered the call and were gathered into the reign of God. No longer did devout men wait for the kingdom, but they were in it, and they ate new heavenly food and drank new heavenly wine with Christ in the kingdom of heaven! Let God be praised! For His rule in ransomed hearts had begun. Everywhere men and women were translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. Even in lonely exile on the isle of Patmos, John the disciple could exult that he was a brother and a companion to the saints “in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.”
The kingdom of God is established in that domain where God’s saving power has defeated all opposition, broke down every wall, transformed all that is contrary to God’s nature, mind, and will, and has brought men into willing submission to His authority. Where the nature of God and the mind of Christ have mightily conquered, the state of things is called the Kingdom of God. Where hearts are changed, where sin and error and darkness have been defeated, where truth and righteousness advance, where the will and ways of God are raised up as reality and life in a people, where the mind of Christ rules out of union with God — there the kingdom of God has come and is advancing! In the kingdom it is no longer God ruling over you by His sovereignty from without, but the life, mind, heart, nature, power, wisdom, knowledge and will of God entering into you, becomes your very own reality.
The kingdom of God that John was in, and the kingdom of God that I am proclaiming today is composed of that company of elect sons of God who have aligned themselves with God; who lean upon His breast, who listen to His voice, who put on His mind, who obey His commands, who walk in His nature, who do His will and carry out His divine purpose in the heavens and on the earth. They are loyal subjects of His kingdom, for they ever do His bidding. Their King is the Lord God Almighty and He is their Father. They obey without question; for it is their nature to do only and always those things that please the Father! They are true citizens of the kingdom of God! They are first under His rule and authority, but they are ambassadors of that divine and heavenly kingdom. They are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ! They are destined to share all His glory and sit with Him upon His throne! They are the members of the government of God and the kingdom of heaven is expressed through them and the power and the glory of the kingdom is being committed into their hands for the age and the ages to come.”
The Kingdom of God is at hand! Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
[18] For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Blessings
This subject already has a thread, but perhaps this subject is so large that it deserves two. Or perhaps not.
Something I would like to add:
JESUS HAS CO-RULERS, JOINT HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM
DANIEL 7:18
“But the holy ones of the Supreme One will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom for time indefinite, even for time indefinite upon times indefinite.’”
DANIEL 7:22
“until the Ancient of Days came and judgment itself was given in favor of the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the definite time arrived that the holy ones took possession of the kingdom itself.”
DANIEL 7:27
““‘And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One. Their kingdom is an indefinitely lasting kingdom, and all the rulerships will serve and obey even them.’”
REVELATION 1:6
“and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—yes, to him be the glory and the might forever. Amen.”
REVELATION 5:9,10:
“You [Jesus Christ] were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”
(At Revelation 14:1-3 these “bought from the earth” to be rulers with the Lamb on heavenly Mount Zion are said to number 144,000.)
ROMANS 8:17
“If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.” (See Heb 1:2)
JAMES 2:5
“Listen, my beloved brothers. God chose the ones who are poor respecting the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him, did he not?”
REVELATION 3:21
“To the one that conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, even as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
REVELATION 20:4
“And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.”
REVELATION 22:3-5
“And no more will there be any curse. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [the city], and HIS SLAVES will render him sacred service; and THEY will see his face, and his name will be on THEIR foreheads. Also, night will be no more, and THEY have no need of lamplight nor [do they have] sunlight, because Jehovah God will shed light upon THEM, and they will RULE AS KINGS forever and ever.”Quote This subject already has a thread, but perhaps this subject is so large that it deserves two. Or perhaps not. Something I would like to add:
JESUS HAS CO-RULERS, JOINT HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM
DANIEL 7:18
“But the holy ones of the Supreme One will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom for time indefinite, even for time indefinite upon times indefinite.’”
DANIEL 7:22
“until the Ancient of Days came and judgment itself was given in favor of the holy ones of the Supreme One, and the definite time arrived that the holy ones took possession of the kingdom itself.”
DANIEL 7:27
““‘And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One. Their kingdom is an indefinitely lasting kingdom, and all the rulerships will serve and obey even them.’”
REVELATION 1:6
“and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father—yes, to him be the glory and the might forever. Amen.”
REVELATION 5:9,10:
“You [Jesus Christ] were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”
(At Revelation 14:1-3 these “bought from the earth” to be rulers with the Lamb on heavenly Mount Zion are said to number 144,000.)
ROMANS 8:17
“If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together.” (See Heb 1:2)
JAMES 2:5
“Listen, my beloved brothers. God chose the ones who are poor respecting the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him, did he not?”
REVELATION 3:21
“To the one that conquers I will grant to sit down with me on my throne, even as I conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
REVELATION 20:4
“And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had worshiped neither the wild beast nor its image and who had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.”
REVELATION 22:3-5
“And no more will there be any curse. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in [the city], and HIS SLAVES will render him sacred service; and THEY will see his face, and his name will be on THEIR foreheads. Also, night will be no more, and THEY have no need of lamplight nor [do they have] sunlight, because Jehovah God will shed light upon THEM, and they will RULE AS KINGS forever and ever.”Hey David!
Do you believe the Kingdom is future or has it already come and begun in his people?
Hi WJ.
I don't think I ever noticed your post before.
Quote Do you believe the Kingdom is future or has it already come and begun IN HIS PEOPLE? I'm not so much a believer that the kingdom is “in” his people, as his people are “in” the kingdom and are the kingdom.
REVELATION 1:6
“and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.”
REVELATION 5:9,10:
“you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God.”Just as people make up a government and are in the government, the Bible indicates that people would make up the kingdom. (Verses above.)
So when you ask if the kingdom is yet “in his people” I have to wonder what influenced you to say that. It has to be this lonely verse. All other verses make plain what God's kingdom is. This is the only verse in the whole Bible that people use to show that God's kingdom is “within” people:
LUKE 17:21
“neither will people be saying, ‘See here!’ or, ‘There!’ For, look! the kingdom of God IS WITHIN YOU.”
(KJ, NIV)
(Both the KJ margins and the NIV footnote give alternate translations: (“among you” and “in your midst”)I have to think the alternate translations are the correct ones. Here's why.
…1. CONTEXT! Read Luke 17:20 and 21. (Not just 21)
(He “answered” the pharisees. His statement was directed towards them. Do you think the kingdom of God is in the hearts of the pharisses? Jesus called them “hypocrites” and “serpents” and said “how are you to flee from the judgement of Gehenna?”
Is God’s kingdom in such ones?
…2. MODERN BIBLES translate it “in your midst” or “among you.” (Even KJ and others that have “within you” also have “among you” as an alternate translation in the margins.)
…3. MANY SCRIPTURES SHOW KINGDOM TO BE A GOVERNMENT–dan 2:44; Is 9:6,7; 1 cor 15:24; Rev 1:6; 5:9,10.Quote Do you believe the Kingdom is future
To make this simple, let me just say I believe most of the things it will do are still future.Example:
DANIEL 2:44
““And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite;”david
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