Chapter Four

The Centrality of the Kingdom of God in the Scripture

The dispersed Jewish nation dreamed of returning to their motherland and their understanding of the Kingdom of God is tied to the concept of how  God will restore the nation of Israel to the land.  Ever since the rebuilding of the temple, the hope of the coming of the Mesia as King remained an unfulfilled dream. 

By the time of Jesus there were four major religious groups in existence.
(1) The Sadducees, were rationalist materialists of the three.  They refused to accept any such dream and concentrated on what is now and here. Indeed, had no participation in these dreams.

(2) Pharisees  remained faithful to the prophetic traditions.

(3)  But it was the  Zealots who embraced in it and actively tried to pave way by forceful entry with the hope of the advent of the mesia, which was expected from Daniel’s prophecy. 

(4) The true custodians, of these hope were the Prosdechomenoi, - they that “waited for the kingdom of God.” To this class belonged such men as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (Luk 23:51)

When we come to the New Testament, the central theme seems to be this crossing of the chasm by the by the bridegroom – The Christ – and taking up the bride the Church and eventual realization of the Kingdom of God in its fulness.

John the Baptist: The King is coming

Before the King himself comes to the scene, he sends his messenger John the Baptist with the message, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Mat 3:1-3 And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.

He describes the Kingdom as follows:

Luk 3:4-6  as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth;  and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

The King appears

When the King himself appears, John introduces him with the enigmatic proclamation

Joh 1:29  On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!

Thus we are led to another aspect of the Kingdom – which is to be a sinless world.  This also directs us to the total redemption of the cosmos which is kept under decay till the time of redemption. 

We see the King here not as a wearer of crown and authority wielding a sword but as one coming to serve and to die for this world.  These have long reaching implications.

As John the Baptist’s ministry came to an end Jesus takes up the mission and the message that Jesus brings is exactly same as that of John.

Jesus went forth proclaiming the identical message

Mar 1:14-15  Now after that John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, The time(kairos)  is fulfilled (pleroô), and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel.

Matt 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has drawn near (êggiken).

Luke 16:16   The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the Kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it violently. 

Matt 11:12  From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven forcefully advances, and men of violence take it by force. 

The Ministry of the Twelve: Recruiting Jews

When Jesus sends out the twelve to the Jews, he tells them that the message they are to preach is the same.

Mat 10:5-8  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:  but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils: freely ye received, freely give.

John and Jesus preached the nearness of God’s kingdom. "The kingdom of God has come near you," Jesus told his disciples to say after they healed the sick (Matthew 10:7; cf. Luke 10:9, 11).

Thus it was a central theme in the earthly ministry of Jesus.  During his ministry the commission was to enroll the Jewish nation as his aide.  

However it was evident that the concept of Kingdom of God that Jesus presented differed considerably from those of the Jews of his time.  According to B. Weiss the difference can be summarized in two halves of the phrase.  The Jews emphasized “the kingdom” while Jesus emphasized “of God.” The Jewish understanding of the mesia and the Kingdom the mesia was going to build was essentially nationalistic in nature.  They were thinking of the world dominion of the Jewish nation under the leadership of the Mesiah.  They were thinking of the expulsion of the Romans, of a Jewish king and court, and of a world-wide dominion going forth from Mt. Zion.  

It was Jesus' deliberate association of Himself with the prophecy in Daniel that inflamed the chief priests and settled the resolve of the Sanhedrin to execute Jesus.

Mar 14:61-63   and he was keeping silent, and did not answer anything. Again the chief priest was questioning him, and saith to him, `Art thou the Christ--the Son of the Blessed?'   And Jesus said, `I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming with the clouds, of the heaven.'   And the chief priest, having rent his garments, saith, `What need have we yet of witnesses?

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the Passover week was a deliberate act of  fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy.

Mat 21:6-15   And the disciples having gone and having done as Jesus commanded them,  brought the ass and the colt, and did put on them their garments, and set him upon them;  and the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way,  and the multitudes who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'  And he having entered into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, `Who is this?'   And the multitudes said, `This is Jesus the prophet, who is from Nazareth of Galilee.'

And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and did cast forth all those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers he overturned, and the seats of those selling the doves,  and he saith to them, `It hath been written, My house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did make it a den of robbers.'   And there came to him blind and lame men in the temple, and he healed them,  and the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, `Hosanna to the Son of David,' were much displeased;

Even the disciples expected Jesus to be King, as is seen in the request of  Mrs.Zebedee

Mat 20:20 -25 Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him,  and he said to her, `What wilt thou?' She saith to him, `Say, that they may sit--these my two sons--one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.'

But Jesus was quick to point out the difference of his Kingship from what they were expecting it to be.

Mat 20:22-23 And Jesus answering said, `Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, `We are able.'  And he saith to them, `Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but--to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.'

Jesus did act out the prophecy in the perfect manner which raised the expectations of the multitude of the immanent advent of the Kingdom under Jesus.   He was indeed the royal heir to the throne of David and he entered Jerusalem in a triumphal entry on Passover declaring freedom. But he refused to restore the nation of Israel.  Not only that the Jewish nation was not restored, he even predicted the destruction of the temple.  Jesus did teach that He was going to be the King, but he did not want His followers to expect an immediate kingdom (Luke 19:11-12), and then his Kingdom was totally different as one can see from his reply to zebedees and the later explanation regarding what Kingdom of God is like.

Thus on every occasion Jesus made it clear that   his Kingdom was not the Kingdom of this world [Hebrew: olam hazeh, "this world, or age"].

Joh 18:36  My kingdom is not of this world.

With all the authority and power confirmed with signs and miracles, Jesus had the qualifications of the messiah and the common Jews wanted Jesus to take it over and establish the Kingdom right away.  Jesus was indeed talking about the establishment of the Kingdom, but they could not see it coming. This conflict is seen throughout the ministry of Jesus.   People were pressing him to act and take over the Jewish Kingdom from Rome.  But Jesus consistently refused to do that.  Several occasions  Jesus had to escape from the scene to avoid the multitude taking him by force to act as earthly king. 

Joh 6:15  Jesus, therefore, having known that they are about to come, and to take him by force that they may make him king, retired again to the mountain himself alone.

The decision to force Jesus into acting with powers from heaven and precipitate the declaration of Kingship was the probable reason that prompted Judas to betray Jesus.

However Judas was gravely mistaken as to the nature of the Kingdom.

Jesus would not deny being Messiah King .  When Pilate questioned Him about His kingship, Christ replied, "For this cause I was born"

Joh 18:33-35  Pilate, therefore, entered into the praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to him, `Thou art the King of the Jews?'  Jesus answered him, `From thyself dost thou say this? or did others say it to thee about me?'   Pilate answered, `Am I a Jew? thy nation, and the chief priests did deliver thee up to me; what didst thou?'  

(37)Pilate, therefore, said to him, `Art thou then a king?' Jesus answered, `Thou dost say it ; because a king I am, I for this have been born, and for this I have come to the world, that I may testify to the truth; every one who is of the truth, doth hear my voice.'

Again Jesus immediately points out the difference in the definition of His Kingdom

John 18:36  Jesus answered, `My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.' 

 Yet the accusation that Jesus as a rebel leader of insurrection remained and formed the closing argument of Christ's accusers, who used this seditious charge.

Joh 19:12-15  From this time was Pilate seeking to release him, and the Jews were crying out, saying, `If this one thou mayest release, thou art not a friend of Caesar; every one making himself a king, doth speak against Caesar.'

 Pilate, therefore, having heard this word, brought Jesus without--and he sat down upon the tribunal--to a place called, `Pavement,' and in Hebrew, Gabbatha; and it was the preparation of the Passover, and as it were the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews, `Lo, your king!'  and they cried out, `Take away, take away, crucify him;' Pilate saith to them, `Your king shall I crucify?' the chief priests answered, `We have no king except Caesar.'

This was what  led him to the cross. This became the focus of the soldiers' ridicule and torture.

Joh 19:2-3  and the soldiers having plaited a crown of thorns, did place it on his head, and a purple garment they put around him,  and said, `Hail! the king of the Jews;' and they were giving him slaps.

The accusation of Jesus was written above Him on the cross.

  Joh 19:19  And Pilate also wrote a title, and put it on the cross, and it was written, `Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews;'

 But the mission of Jesus remained same all the time even at the face of death and even on the cross

In the Olivet prophecy, Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom would come only after certain signs and apocalyptic events. Yet in the Kingdom parables Jesus indicates a gradual growth of the Kingdom from the seeds which will grow into the ultimate realization in catastrophic events from heaven.    These parables suggest that the kingdom starts in reality before it comes in a powerful and dramatic way. It is both in the future with beginnings now.

Mark 1:15, John announced, "The time has come…. The kingdom of God is near." Both these verbs are in the past perfect tense, which indicates that something has happened and its results continue. The time had come not just for the announcement but also for the kingdom.

  Matthew 12:28, Luke 11:20"If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you"    

The Great Commission

While during his earthly ministry, he tried to enroll the Jewish nation in the bringing the Kingdom as God expected of them, this seems to have changed and the mission was open to all nationalities.  This change of widening of the field took place essentially after the resurrection, during the 40 days when Jesus was with his disciples. The teaching of the resurrected Jesus was also of the same theme.

Act 1:2-3  until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Ghost unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom he also shewed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God:

At the end of the forty days just before the assumption Jesus gave the Great Commission,  which says:” All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth"  where Jesus declares his Kingship.

Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.

Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The King is here but not the Kingdom.  The full realization of the Kingdom was transferred to the disciples.

Col 1:12-14  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:   In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Heb 12:28-29  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:  For our God is a consuming fire.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Apostolic Mission

The mission of the disciples in building the Kingdom started with the Pentecost.  Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost  he proclaims:

Act 2:36  Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.

Jesus is still proclaimed as the messiah which the Jews were expecting even though the great commission was to preach the gospel to all creation.

Philip

(Act 8:5)  And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.

Act 8:12  …Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ…

Paul

Act 14:22  confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God.

When Paul came to Ephesus

Act 19:8  he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God. When Paul makes his final farewell to the Ephesian elders, he reminds them that his preaching has been about "the kingdom of God."

Act 20:25  And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more.

At the conclusion of his history in Acts of Apostles, Luke portrays Paul at Rome, expounding this thesis on the Kingdom of God and Jesus the King.

Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening.

John at Patmos

In the last book of the bible John the apostle, states that he was in the isle of Patmos, and could speak of the brotherhood of the kingdom of Christ that he shared with his readers. As “partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom”  John proclaimed that Jesus has his Kingdom among the believers and that he will come to reign on earth.

Rev 1:5-7  and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;  and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they, which pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth, shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

Thus we see that the idea of the Kingdom of God is deeply entwined with the gospel itself.  It was the message proclaimed by John and Jesus and his disciples, and continued to be the theme of the apostles throughout the New Testament era. The kingdom of God is central to the message of the Scriptures.  This topic is one of the pivotal themes of the whole Bible.

We still pray every day “Let your Kingdom come as it is in heaven”.  God reigns in the heavens, but the Malkuth is still not subject to the King.  We still await the fullness of the Kingdom here on earth thus filling the fullness in the whole creation.  Then this mortality will be replaced with immortality and Jesus can say, “behold I make all things new”