Let's get specific...
The notion of the Kingdom of God is characterized by 4 truths:
- It is timeless: God is eternal, and He has absolute sovereignty over creation (Ps. 10:16, Ps. 74:12, Jer. 10:10, Ps. 145:13)
- It is universal: there is no realm outside of God’s authority (I Chron. 29:11-12; Ps. 103:19; Ps. 139:7-10; Dan. 4:17, 25, 32; Amos 9:2)
- It is administered through appointed representatives (Gen. 45:7-8; Prov. 21:1; Is. 10:5-6; Is. 45:1-4)
- It is miraculous: God’s sovereignty is manifested through direct intervention of God in the affairs of men
We know that God’s Kingdom predates the creation of the earth. We also know that it will exist into eternity. And yet Jesus spoke uniquely about God’s Kingdom in the present age.
In fact, the words “Kingdom of God” occur within the New Testament a total 65 times. 51 of those times are within the gospels. Jesus viewed the message of the Kingdom of God as being so important that after His resurrection, when He appeared to his disciples over that period of 40 days all we are told is that he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
It is important to note that while some of these passages refer God’s present realm and reign, other passages refer to the realm of reign of God’s future kingdom. However, regardless of how the word kingdom is used, Webber observes that there are 3 underlying themes regarding the Kingdom of God:
- The rule of God in Christ over all areas of life
- The Kingdom is a gift
- Jesus Himself as the embodiment of the Kingdom
Kingdom Communities Painting a Picture of the Future
It is also important to note that God has always had an earthly Kingdom. No realm is outside of His authority, and He has always administered His Kingdom through appointed representatives. But there is something unique about the Kingdom that Christ invited people to be born-again into. When Philip went to Samaria to preach the gospel, we are told that the gospel he preached was the “good news of the Kingdom of God” (Acts 8:12). The good news is that, through Christ, our hearts and minds and lives can be ruled by God. We can be made free of the rule of sin. This Kingdom is a salvational Kingdom! We don’t have to wait until we die to enter God’s eternal Kingdom. In a very real sense, we enter it as soon as we accept Christ. As members of this Kingdom, we inherit riches endowed to us through Christ. As inhabitants of this Kingdom, we live in a shadow, a foretelling, of God’s eternal Kingdom.
In fact, the community of Christians is called to be a testimony of God’s future Kingdom:
- to embody in community what a redeemed people can look like (Acts 2:42-47).
- to witness to the world that the powers of evil have been defeated (Eph. 3:10).
- to call the world to live under the reign of Jesus Christ who is Lord of creation (Gal. 1:15-2:10).
- to go and tell the world the good news (Acts 1:8).
- to call the world to repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
- to invite all to live in the fellowship of God’s new community (Eph. 2:19-22).
- to enlist the world in expectation of Christ’s coming to set up his kingdom and rule forever (2 Pet. 3:10-18).
- to model exemplary lives (2 Pet. 3:14).
(Webber, Journey to Jesus, p. 20)
The Administration of God’s Kingdom in the Present
We noted above that God administers His Kingdom through appointed representatives. Dwight Pentecost observes that the Bible identifies 4 realms of authority in the present Kingdom:
- Civil Government
- All men are to be in subjection to governmental authorities (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14)
- Obedience is commanded because civil authorities are God’s ministers (Romans 13:4)
- Governmental authorities are not ministers of the gospel but rather are administrators of God’s rule in the portion of the realm to which he or she has been assigned (ex. Governors over their state, etc.)
- Their responsibilities are to curb lawlessness, punish evildoers, provide an atmosphere in which righteousness may flourish and men may live in peace without fear
- They are to be supported by taxes and respected as God’s administrators over their assigned civil jurisdiction
- The Home
- Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Peter 3:1-7
- The responsibility to curb lawlessness is placed on the husband
- Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church (see "I'm a Submissive Husband" by my friend, Israel Steinmetz, for a great explanation of this)
- Wives are to be in submission to their husbands as a representation of their submission to the Lord
- Responsibility is placed on the children to recognize the authority of their parents and submit to the rule of their parents
- The husband or father portrays the authority that belongs to Christ
- The wife represents the believer
- The husband is responsible to protect his family
- Employer/Employee
- Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Peter 2:18-20
- Slaves and hired servants are to recognize and submit to the authority of their masters or employers because God has given them administrative authority over that particular realm
- The submission is the same submission that the employee is expected to give to Christ
- Any service that the employee does for the employer is viewed as a service for Christ.
- An employer is responsible to treat employees as Christ would treat them
- The Church
- 1 Peter 5:1-7
- The elders are to oversee the flock so as to curb lawlessness and to bring those in the flock into subjection to the authority of Christ
- Elders are to tend to the needs of the flock
- Younger ones (members) are to submit themselves to the elders
A few key principles:
- Regardless of the sphere, submission to the administrator is submission to Christ.
- Through these administrators, Christ’s plan is to provide a Kingdom in which peace prevails and righteousness persists, lawlessness is curbed, and those living in the Kingdom can enjoy the blessings of Christ’s rule.
- Authority is limited to the realm to which an administrator has been assigned.
- Ex) A believing child may not rebel against the authority of a parent because the parent is an unbeliever. However, he/she may disobey if the parents demand something that is contrary to the Word of God.
What does this mean for us as Christians? For one thing, we affirm Christ’s rule in our lives by submitting to the administrators of His Kingdom. However, as we mentioned earlier, while Satan does not own the realm, he does have the power to rule “in the hearts of the people and in the life of the world” through those whom he rules. Even more powerfully, as Christ rules over our hearts and over every aspect of our lives, we become administrators of God’s authority over the world around us – over our circle of influence. This was also evidenced above in the description of how the Church (the Body of believers) serves as a testimony of God’s future Kingdom.
The Law of God
The Law of God
The New Testament can be a little confusing to read because sometimes Paul refers to the Law of Moses as the Law and sometimes when he uses the word law, he is referring to the ultimate Law of God.
Yes, God has laws! If you question this, look at gravity! The laws of nature were all instituted by our Creator! However, the ways of His Kingdom are also His laws...and they are laws that reflect His heart. It is in living out these laws that we create a Kingdom atmosphere. However, these laws aren't of a cut-and-dry "do this" "don't do this" type of thing. They can also be referred to as "theological principles". Theological principles are underlying truths about God, His ways, and His character that are "applicable to all of God's people at all times" (Duvall/Hays). That's right. They are unchanging, just like like God is. And they can be found all throughout the Bible. They will just be lived out differently according to their culture and context.
Fortunately, we are no longer "declared right" before God based on how well we obey His laws, but rather we are "declared right" because of our faith (belief) that Jesus has perfectly fulfilled God's laws on earth for us.
"The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”[b]
Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”[c]
And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. (Hebrews 10: 15-18, NIV)
One of the beauties of Jesus' Kingdom is that He writes His laws on our hearts! But that doesn't mean that we are to just live out out life "from the heart" according to what seems good to us because our hearts are deceitful. Fortunately, God's is not. Just as God reveals the laws of His heart in nature, we can also search out the laws of His heart all throughout the Bible. And as we discover them, we ask Him to make them part of ours, so that we can live life "from the heart".
Conditions in the Millennial Age of the Kingdom
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Specific scripture references can be found on p. 335-336 of Thy Kingdom Come by Dwight Pentecost. These conditions are noted throughout the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, and Zechariah.
The Millennial Age refers to a thousand year period ushered in by the Second Coming of Christ. Satan will be universally "bound" during this age and receive his punishment upon its conclusion. "The kingdom established here on earth, after it has run its appointed course, will issue into the eternal kingdom over which Jesus Christ will be appointed as eternal King (I Cor 15:27-28) (Pentecost, p. 318).
I like looking to this time period because it casts such a beautiful vision of God's heart for communities of faith, recognizing that my home houses a small subset of a community of faith.
The Millennial Age refers to a thousand year period ushered in by the Second Coming of Christ. Satan will be universally "bound" during this age and receive his punishment upon its conclusion. "The kingdom established here on earth, after it has run its appointed course, will issue into the eternal kingdom over which Jesus Christ will be appointed as eternal King (I Cor 15:27-28) (Pentecost, p. 318).
I like looking to this time period because it casts such a beautiful vision of God's heart for communities of faith, recognizing that my home houses a small subset of a community of faith.
