When the Bible speaks about the kingdom of God, we can say that it refers in a general way, to the reign or dominion of God over everything that exists. God is the Creator of the universe and everything belongs to him. He reigns and will reign for all eternity!
In a more specific sense it can also be applied to the future reign of Jesus. One day, he will reign for a thousand years. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, and there will be no more sin, no more death, and no more pain. God will reign forever and his reign will be one of peace (see Revelation 20:1-6).
However, we must remember that God reigns today in the lives of his children. The kingdom of God manifests itself every day among people who have Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Colossians 1:13-14). The presence of God accompanies them and he is the King of their lives.
We can say that the lordship of God is constantly manifested. Where God reigns, his power makes itself known and everything changes. Souls are saved, healing both physical and spiritual spreads and those who previously lived in slavery to sin and anguish can live in freedom.
Because the kingdom of God is not a matter of words, but of power.
(1 Corinthians 4:20)
The kingdom of God is not a specific place, for it is not physically limited. God reigns over all. However, because of sin, man rejected the reign of God over his life and lives with the consequences of that decision. Man’s sinful life has affected his relationship with God, with other human beings, and with nature. The world we live in today is one that is fragmented because of sin.
Jesus came into the world to restore the reign of God over the lives of people. Every time a person accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior, the kingdom of God comes to his heart, transforming his life and his story for all eternity.
The kingdom of God is near
Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. In fact, his first preaching at the beginning of his ministry was the following:
From then on Jesus began to preach: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
(Matthew 4:17)
After John was imprisoned, Jesus went to Galilee to announce God’s good news. “The time is up,” he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
(Mark 1:14-15)
The main work or ministry of Jesus was to announce the good news of God, the gospel of salvation. And the summary of the gospel is precisely that: sincere repentance of sins is necessary, because the kingdom of God is near. Jesus brought the kingdom of God closer to the human being. He is the bridge between God and men.
Jesus, being the promised Messiah, did not just talk about the kingdom. He showed the great power of him! Although the people of his day hoped for a king who would free them from the oppression of the Romans, the kingdom that Jesus told them about was even better and of eternal value. He was one of salvation and freedom from the oppression of sin. In Christ, they had the opportunity for a new beginning and a life filled with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
your kingdom come
However, there is a future dimension of the kingdom that has not yet manifested itself on earth. As we let God work in our lives, we can see glimpses of his kingdom. But it is important that we seek and ask for the kingdom of God to draw near to us. Jesus himself, when teaching his disciples to pray the Our Father prayer, included this petition to the Father:
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10)
We must invoke the manifestation of the kingdom of God in us, in our families, in the nations and in everything around us. By praying your kingdom come, we open the door for God’s power to flow in and through us. Those words express our longing to see this wonderful future expression of the fullness of God’s kingdom come to pass. Praying your kingdom come also fills us with peace and brings us closer to the Lord.
The kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God?
In the gospels we see that the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are synonyms. For example, in Matthew 19:23-24, after Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler, he explained to his disciples how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven. In the first sentence he talks about the kingdom of heaven, but in the next he talks about the kingdom of God, implying that they are the same thing.
I assure you – Jesus commented to his disciples – that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
(Matthew 19:23-24)
The use of the phrase the kingdom of heaven occurs mainly in the Gospel of Matthew. We can see parallel texts between Matthew and the other gospels referring to the same event or the same parable where they use the terms interchangeably.
Some examples are the following:
- Jesus referring to John the Baptist
I assure you that among mortals no one has risen greater than John the Baptist; however, the smallest in the kingdom of heaven is bigger than him.
(Matthew 11:11, emphasis added)
I tell you that among mortals there has been no one greater than Juan; however, the smallest in God’s kingdom is bigger than him.
(Luke 7:28, emphasis added)
- Jesus explaining to his disciples why he used parables
It has been granted to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of heavens; but not them.
(Matthew 13:11, emphasis added)
To you has been revealed the secret of God’s Kingdom he answered them; but to outsiders everything comes through parables.
(Mark 4:11, emphasis added)
- The parable of the mustard seed
He told them another parable:the kingdom of heaven it is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, when it grows it is the largest of vegetables and becomes a tree, so that birds come and nest in its branches.
(Matthew 13:31-32, emphasis added)
He also said: “With what are we going to compare God’s kingdom? What parable can we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed: when sown in the ground, it is the smallest seed there is, but once sown it grows into the largest of vegetables, and puts out branches so large that birds can nest in its shade. ».
(Mark 4:30-32, emphasis added)
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