"The doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven, which was the main teaching of
Jesus, is certainly one of the most revolutionary doctrines that ever stirred
and changed human thought." - H G Wells
The Kingdom has a particular
lifestyle, one that does not necessarily match modern North American
Christendom. It is a lifestyle that is to be so radically different that it is
attractional: something that others want to be a part of.
The following is adapted from our book Living In Kingdom Authority
Since we are going to delve into
the Attractional Lifestyle of the Kingdom, we should spend a moment defining
the Kingdom. I do not plan to give an exhaustive study, but to give us a
context or framework of God's kingdom perspective. Grasping an understanding of
the Kingdom will transform our concepts of the church, its purpose and our
individual involvement.
It is interesting to note that
Jesus' inaugural message was very pointed about one thing: "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew
4:17) Mark's version quotes Jesus as
saying: "The time has come...The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the
good news!" (Mark 1:15) The implication of this statement is that there was a
time line of Kingdom manifestation and its appearance was the good news, or the
Gospel.
So, What is the Kingdom?
Since Jesus placed such
significance on the arrival of the kingdom, it prompts the question "What is
the Kingdom and its importance?"
In the above quoted texts, the
Greek word translated kingdom is basileia and means "sovereignty, royal power,
dominion," (Vine's). It also can mean "rule, or a realm" (Strong's) and can be
translated as reign. So Jesus was saying that the power, dominion or rule of
heaven was at hand. Or it could be stated the realm or reign of God was at
hand. Further, the English word kingdom is said to be derived from two words;
"king - meaning head of a kin" and "dom - meaning state, condition or power,
position of domain." Or it could be
stated: "kings domain." It is the territory or area over which a king reigns
and rules. Therefore, the Kingdom is the reign or rule of God, whether in heaven
or on earth. It is the place where His dominion or power is expressed. It is
also the purpose or intent for the extension of his rule or reign.
Thus, Jesus' proclamation in
Matthew 4:17 was an introduction that the dominion or rule of God had come near.
This declaration was of great spiritual, prophetic and cultural significance
for His intended audience. To the Jewish people, the idea of the Kingdom was a
prophetic fulfillment linked with the Messiah. Their concept of messianic
deliverance was not an escapist view of a far away place called heaven: It was
packaged in the idea of Kingdom restoration. Thus Jesus' statement carried
profound revelation and signified a major step in God's prophetic timeline.
The Kingdom IS His Plan
To grasp the truth of the
Kingdom, we must put it in proper context. It is not part of God's plan: it IS
His plan! The Kingdom theme can be traced through the word of God, from the
creation story of Genesis to the book of Revelation. The Kingdom was not
intended as a one-time event or just an Old Testament governmental structure:
it has been in the mind of God for eternity. The psalmist tells us: "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion
endureth throughout all generations." (Psalm
145:13) Daniel stated to King Nebuchadnezzar that God's Kingdom was "an
everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation" (Daniel
4:3). Regarding Jesus, the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary stating that God would
give to him David's throne and "he shall reign over
the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:32-33)
The Kingdom IS His plan!
Not only is the Kingdom an
everlasting one, but also the saints are to have an active part in its
manifestation. Again, the psalmist tells us that they will "speak of
the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of
men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom."
(Psalms 145:10-12) Daniel weighs in again prophetically and tells us that
the saints will take the Kingdom and posses it "for ever, even for ever and
ever" (Daniel 7:18). Further on, we will elaborate more on the saints or
church's involvement, but suffice it to say we are to play an integral part in
His kingdom manifestation. Yes, The Kingdom IS His plan!
The Kingdom Established
From the first verses of Genesis,
we see God's plan unfold. Understanding the idea that the Kingdom is where the
reign, domain or dominion of God exists, gives us the context to view its
establishment in the creation process.
As part of the process, God
created Adam in a special way for a unique purpose. What set Adam apart from
the rest of creation was his being in the image and likeness of God. Based on
this distinction, he was given dominion and rule over creation. It was through
Adam, God planned to manifest Himself and reign over creation. If Adam were to
obey the command to be fruitful and fill the earth, God's image and dominion
would be established throughout the earth. Unfortunately, because of disobedience,
Adam and his offspring, lost the right and ability to demonstrate God's
dominion. From that time on, we see God working to reestablish his domain
(kingdom) on the earth.
Israel, God's Kingdom Demonstration
Now, fast-forward many centuries
to God's next manifestation of His kingdom, this time in the nation of Israel.
After delivering Israel from Egypt, God, via Moses reveals his purpose for
them: "And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy
nation." (Exodus19:6) It was His
intent that as they lived under the theocracy of God, revealing a distinct
culture, they would be His instruments on earth demonstrating His reign. It was
this Kingdom (dominion/reign) that would be the method of revelation to the
nations of God's identity.
Much like Adam and Eve, Israel
did not always provide the best demonstration of God's kingdom. Yet, because
the Kingdom IS His plan, we see God continuing to bring about Kingdom
restoration. His next step: the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.
Jesus' Ushered In the Kingdom
With his ministry, Jesus steps on
the scene as the ultimate manifestation of God and his rule. As previously
stated, his first message centered on the Good News (Gospel) that the Kingdom
was here. However, not only did he declare the Kingdom's presence, he stepped
it up a notch and demonstrated the power and dominion of the Kingdom like none
other. Matthew tells us "Jesus went about
all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the
people." (Matthew 4:23) I believe the miracles performed by Jesus
were to reveal the presence of the dominion of His kingdom. In fact, when the
source of his miraculous power was attributed to Beelzebub, Jesus responded
with this statement: "if I cast out
devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
(Matthew 12:28) He was clearly declaring that the miracles he performed
were the proof that the Kingdom of God had come to earth.
The Kingdom and His Church
Unfortunately, again Israel, did
not grasp the significance of their purpose as God's kingdom people. Their
crucifixion of Jesus resulted in the Kingdom demonstration being transferred to
a new nation or people group, the New Testament church. Jesus used the Parable
of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-42) to illustrate Israel's rejection of himself
and the Kingdom, followed by a prophetical statement: "The
kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth
the fruits thereof." (Matthew 21:42)
The Jewish people had such a nationalistic concept of the Kingdom of God; they
rejected their King (Matthew 26-27). It is a sad commentary that they did not
learn the lessons of history.
In his first letter, Peter gives
further clarification to the church regarding their Kingdom role.
"But you
are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own
possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light." (1
Peter 2:9 ESV)
In this text, the word "royal" is
basileios and means "royal, kingly or regal." (Thayer's) So it could be stated we are a kingly
priesthood, obviously then, we must be associated with a kingdom.
It is interesting to note the
obvious similarities in verbiage used by Peter and God's calling of Israel in
Exodus 19:5-6 when he called them to Kingdom manifestation. Remember He
referred to them as His possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. It
is no coincidence: both were called to be His kingdom representatives.
It is now God's intent that
through Jesus Christ, the church is the vehicle of Kingdom demonstration. As
born again believers, we are the representatives of the King and His kingdom.
You and His Kingdom
It is wonderful to know that God
has chosen to manifest His kingdom plan today through his church. But to me,
the greater wonder is to grasp that we, not buildings or organizations, are the
church commissioned to demonstrate His kingdom. It is a personal thing!
In a dialogue between Jesus and
Nicodemus, a religious leader of his time, we are presented the method of our
access to the Kingdom. Jesus stated:
·
"Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3)
·
"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" (John 3:5)
Jesus' statements clearly tell us
that our new birth experience not only allows us to see the Kingdom, but also
allows us to enter into the kingdom. It is at our born again experience we
change citizenship from the kingdom of darkness into God's kingdom.
Paul references this transference
of kingdoms when writing to the church at Colossi stating: "Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son." (Colossians
1:13) The Greek word used for
"translated" is methistemi and means: "to transpose, transfer, remove from one
place to another: change of situation or place." (Thayer's) The New Living Translation puts it this way:
"he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son." Paul is further
elaborating that we have been transferred or moved from the kingdom of darkness
to the Kingdom of Jesus. This is a present active event, not something we are
waiting for.
To the church at Thessalonica,
Paul states that we have been called into His kingdom and glory. He states: "That ye
would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:12) The word "called" here is kaleo and it means
"to call anyone, invite or summon" (Vine's).
The word unto in the original is "eis" and means "to or into (indicating
the point reached or entered), of place, time" (Strong's). So Paul is saying we have been invited or
summoned to a particular place, that being the Kingdom!
Finally, while we have been
invited and placed into His kingdom, we have not received all there is in the
kingdom. In fact, we are in a process of regularly receiving more of the
kingdom until that final day when He returns and His kingdom will be fully
manifest. The writer of Hebrews tells us we are in the process of receiving a
kingdom:
"Wherefore
we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28)
For our current discussion, the
focus of this verse is on the word "receiving" and its application for us
today. The original Greek used here is paralambano and means: "to take with
oneself, to join to oneself, to receive something transmitted" (Thayer's). Now
to me, the exciting point of this word is the fact it is a verb in the present
active mood. For us this means we are presently and actively involved in
receiving the Kingdom.
The Kingdom we are receiving is
one that cannot be shaken. Why? Simply
put, it is His plan! It has been His intent or plan to establish His manifested
dominion or reign since creation and Adam. The Kingdom IS His plan!
Now I am not claiming that the
fullness of the kingdom is here, but I am saying that at our new birth, we are
placed into His kingdom spiritually. We now become part of the kingdom of
priests to minister and demonstrate who He is to this world. We are his
representatives or ambassadors, to show this world what it will be like to live
under his reign. Eventually, at his coming, he will literally establish his
kingdom on earth and sit on the throne of David. Until then, we are to live a
lifestyle that reflects His kingdom, making it attractive to those around us.
In the next note, we will discuss
the idea of culture.
Martin Schmaltz
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