BACK TO THE FUTURE – PART 2

In this second post on the kingdom of God I would like to explain what the kingdom is. If you haven’t read BACK TO THE FUTURE – PART 1 I would recommend you do this first. There I explain the importance of the kingdom and why we do not know much about this. The reason why could make all the difference in whether or not you will remember anything about the kingdom after you finish reading PART 2.

The Hebrew and Greek word most often translated kingdom in the Bible has nothing to do with a physical location. There are times when God refers to a specific location concerning the kingdom and when He does there will be a location attached to the word kingdom that describes where this is. For example, in Matthew’s gospel it refers to the kingdom of heaven numerous times. The location doesn’t define what the kingdom is. Instead, it describes the location of the kingdom that is being referred to.

The definition of the word kingdom as used in the Bible is determined by two things; one is the language of the culture it is written in and the second one is how God uses it in the Bible. In the Hebrew and Greek language the word kingdom primarily refers to the rule of a sovereign, monarch, emperor, prince, potentate, king, or lord. The vast majority of times that the word kingdom is used in the Bible the person who is ruling is seen as even more important than the rule because the sovereign ruler in God’s kingdom is Jesus Christ. This is the most important aspect of the kingdom, not where it is.

Think back to the Matthew 25:34 verse. It says those who are favored by the Kings Father, will inherit the kingdom. God is not talking about a place here. He is referring to the reign of His Son. This is what waits in the future for God’s favored ones to inherit. The future reign of Christ over everything was the focus of God’s plan back at the very beginning of creation.  

And why is the reign of Christ so special? Because it is the all-powerful rule of Christ that abolishes everything wrong in our present world. It is the all-powerful rule of Christ that creates God’s future world of everlasting righteousness. He simply wishes or speaks and matter obeys and comes to life. It is the all-powerful Jesus, the ruling king, who will lavish all God’s favored ones with grace and kindness forever in the new world. It is the all-powerful ruling king Jesus who not only died for the sins of the entire world but resurrected, because it was impossible for Him to stay dead. He is much too powerful for death to reign over His life therefore it is the all-powerful Jesus who gives new life to the dead. Everything that is good and right will emerge victorious at the end of this world because of the all-powerful rule of Christ. And it is the all-powerful rule of Christ that reigns victorious in the life of weak, sinful humans when they are born again. This is why satan is so afraid of the kingdom. Compared to the all-powerful kingdom rule, satan is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

This is why the all-powerful rule of Christ was the focus of the prayers of the Apostle Paul. He knew that if a human could fully grasp this concept, nothing would ever be able to hold them down. Look at two of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:18-23)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)

The all-powerful kingdom rule is at the heart and soul of these two prayers. You can see why satan would not want anyone to understand the kingdom for if they did, satan’s rule would lose all its influence over them. With an understanding of what the kingdom is a new and vastly different world would open up to all those who fully grasp the significance of this powerful, kingdom rule of Jesus. Do all you can to understand the kingdom of God for the degree that you do will determine how much the strength of His might rules in your life.

See you soon