Spiritual Kingdom of God

Now that we know that God's Kingdom is an essential part of the Bible and Jesus' teaching, it is significant to understand what the Kingdom is and what it means for us.

In England, the people live in a constitutional monarchy. This means they have a king, and various laws define his position and authority. England's power is in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, where a majority ensures a law is passed. The English King is the head of state and has hardly any power, his power is limited by British laws. This is very different from the Kingdom of God. King Jesus holds all the power and doesn't have to wait until a majority is reached. During His life on earth, He often preached about the Kingdom of God and was able to do great and extraordinary miracles and signs.

Greek meanings

The New Testament was written in Greek and has been translated from Greek into English and other languages. They have done this precisely, but a word can still mean something different than their original translation. This is not the translator's fault, rather, the Greek uses words differently from the English. Let's look at some essential words related to God's Kingdom in Greek.

The first word is "Kingdom." In Greek, it says "basileia," which means "Kingship" or "Kingdom." The Greek has no separate words for Kingship (someone who is a king) or Kingdom (the area over which a king rules). When the Bible says "Kingdom," it can mean both parts and does not necessarily mean Kingdom. We see this often in Jesus' teaching of the Kingdom. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether or not a text refers to Kingship or Kingdom. When John said, "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 3:2), John may also speak of Kingship. Or, translated differently, the King is approaching and taking all His dignity and greatness with Him.

The second word is "Christ." When we talk about Jesus, we often say Jesus Christ. The first verse of the New Testament speaks of Jesus Christ. But what does Christ mean?  

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek word "Christos" and means "the anointed one." Jesus is the Anointed One of God. Hebrew uses the word "Mashiach," which means "Messiah." In addition, Jesus is a descendant of King David; therefore, He has the right to become King of Israel. In the Old Testament, the Kingdom of Israel existed. God anointed the kings of this Kingdom, and they were allowed to rule it. We see this in the case of King David (1 Samuel 16). Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit during His baptism, definitively beginning His Kingship. From this moment, He began to preach of the Kingdom of God. The Lord Jesus was anointed not only as King but also as Prophet and Priest. As a Prophet, Jesus proclaimed the will of God to the people, and as a Priest, He offered Himself as a living sacrifice to God for our sins. When we say "Jesus Christ," we confess that Jesus is the Anointed One of God who came to be King, Prophet, and Priest over us. Not only was He anointed two thousand years ago, but also today.  

Earthly or Spiritual Kingdom

When we think of a Kingdom, we think of a country ruled by a king. Especially if we go back in time, we come across powerful kings ruling huge countries with great power. For example, consider Louis XIV, Charlemagne, Peter the Great, or Cyrus II. They possessed considerable power and could make many decisions themselves. This was because of the army that supported these kings, preventing or winning rebellions and threats of war. The army protected the land and ensured that the enemy couldn't invade. Yet all earthly kings have one thing in common: at some point, they die, and their power falls into other hands.

When we speak of the Kingdom of God, we don't discuss a Kingdom on earth with an army. We are speaking of a spiritual Kingdom with an everlasting King. When Pilate imprisoned and interrogated Jesus, he asked if Jesus was a King.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him: Are You the King of the Jews? (John 18:33)

If the Lord Jesus had answered this question with a simple "yes," Pilate and the scribes would have found a reason to kill Jesus. Jesus would have committed high treason against the Roman emperor because He rebelled. Jesus explained the situation to Pilate and that He wouldn’t be a danger to the emperor or Pilate. Jesus is a King, just not over an earthly realm.

Jesus answered: My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My Kingdom is not from here. (John 18:36)

Jesus answered honestly. He possesses a Kingdom, and therefore, He is a King. Only this Kingdom poses no danger to the Roman emperor because Jesus' Kingdom is spiritual and is not of the world. As an argument, Jesus indicated that He didn't order His servants to fight for His Kingdom (John 18:10-11). However, the Kingdom does affect the world, which we are about to discuss.

Pilate therefore said to Him: Are You a king then? Jesus answered: You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. (John 18:37)

Next, Pilate wished to know outright whether Jesus was a King. Jesus says in this verse that He is a King and came into the world for this reason. Jesus surrendered His heavenly position to be born as King on earth. Jesus is the great King of the Kingdom of God, which is not an earthly but a heavenly Kingdom.

Let us also study the following verse to see that the Kingdom of God is spiritual.

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said: The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say: See here! Or See there! For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21)

The Pharisees constantly challenged Jesus and asked when the Kingdom of God would come. They asked about the future Kingdom, the millennial Kingdom, in which a King will physically rule Israel and the world. Jesus answered that this Kingdom won’t come in an observable way. You cannot specify where the Kingdom of God begins and ends. This is because the Kingdom is present all around and is among men. This applies to any place where Jesus is (spiritually) present. In the New Testament, this was where Jesus physically stood, but also where His Kingdom was preached, for example, by the disciples.

And as you go, preach, saying; The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:7-8)

Even today, the Kingdom of God is present on earth. Wherever Jesus is, the Kingdom is. If Jesus dwells in your heart, you are part of God's Kingdom.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love. (Colossians 1:13)

God the Father has pulled us out of the power of darkness, which has already happened. From this verse, we see that the Kingdom is spiritual. When I came to faith, God transferred me from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of Jesus. This didn't involve being physically picked by God and moved from The United States to Israel. I didn't experience a supernatural transfer with my body. However, my spirit did transfer from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of God. I no longer live under the rule of the devil, but I live under the authority of God. Let us study another Bible text to see that the Kingdom is spiritual.

Jesus answered and said to him: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. (...) Jesus answered: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:3-6)

The Lord Jesus says that only people who are spiritually born again can enter the Kingdom of God. The same is true for the eternal Kingdom in the future as well as the Kingdom of today. A wholesome being born again consists of repentance, water baptism, and filling with the Holy Spirit.

Paul was working in the Kingdom of God—not only Paul but also others who helped him communicate the gospel. This is possible only if the Kingdom exists spiritually. You see, nowhere do we read that Paul had an army to start a physical Kingdom. In addition, Paul's ministry began only after the ascension. This means that the Kingdom of God didn't stop the moment Jesus left the earth but is still actively present.

(…) and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the Kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. (Colossians 4:11)

The power of the King

Jesus is the great King of the Kingdom of God. But what kind of King is Jesus? Is He a mighty King today, or has He yet to claim victory?

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

After Jesus resurrected from the dead and appeared to the disciples, He told them He had all power in heaven and on earth. He received this power from God the Father, and He is the supreme King. The battle between good (Jesus) and evil (the devil) is often portrayed as a fair fight with uncertainty about who will win. This isn't Biblical because Jesus says He has all the power. Jesus has already won and put the devil and his accomplices to shame.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)

Our Lord Jesus has disarmed all governments and powers and conquered them. Jesus holds all power, and where God's light shines, darkness will depart. Paul used an image of war. The moment the enemy was conquered, the leaders of the enemy were gathered together and displayed to the people (Judges 1:6 and 2 Kings 14:13). Thus, they were publicly put to shame, and everyone could see that these people had been conquered. In this way, the Lord Jesus put the devil and his accomplices to shame and triumphed over them. Jesus has already won, even from the devil.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (…). (Hebrews 2:14)

This verse says that through His death, Jesus defeated the devil. Jesus died on the cross, and as a result, He was victorious. He has conquered death and therefore has the keys of death in His possession (Revelation 1:18). Jesus, therefore, has all power in heaven, on earth, and over death. The devil is a lost enemy who has been publicly shamed by the Lord Jesus. All who have been placed in the Kingdom of God need not fear the devil. Indeed, believers serve The One who has all power.

After Jesus died and rose again, He returned to God the Father. His disciples saw Him ascend into the sky, and to this day, Jesus is in heaven, not in some ordinary place, but at the right hand of God. This is the designation of the most important place.

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (…). (Mark 16:19)

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. (Hebrews 8:1)

Jesus sits at the right hand of God, and as a result, He may share in the dominion of God. Jesus is a Ruler in heaven.

So, let's look at what Jesus had power over during His life on earth. This is before Jesus was taken up and seated in the right hand of God. Jesus had limited power; now He has all power. Even when Jesus had limited power, He could perform many things. Not because He is the Son of God but because He was filled with the Holy Spirit. From His position as Son of God, He couldn't do anything on earth; He depended on God and the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus answered and said to them: Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. (...) I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:19-30)

Jesus needed God's help on earth. Because Jesus trusted God and knew God's will, He could perform great wonders. Jesus' followers could also perform miracles by faith, which we will return to later. Jesus did only the things He saw the Father do. This means that everything Jesus did and wanted to do on earth was also the will of God the Father. When we look at the heart of Jesus, we see the heart of God the Father. The power of God and the Holy Spirit performed signs through Jesus on earth.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. (John 14:10)  

God the Father worked through Jesus to manage all the healings, liberations, and miracles. Jesus was unable to do this in His own strength because He had lowered Himself from God to man. Therefore, on earth, He had to obey and trust God to do miracles throughout Him. Nevertheless, through the power of God, Jesus did many miracles and signs. The table below shows some of the miracles.

Jesus received supernatural power from God. All the miracles represent miracles that cannot be explained by any natural phenomenon. They are supernatural miracles that happened because of Jesus' faith, trust, and the power of God and the Holy Spirit.

Gospel of the Kingdom

Next, let us look at what the gospel of the Kingdom is all about. If we ask a Christian, "What does the gospel of God mean?" chances are that the answer will be, "The gospel means that I have been forgiven of my sins and may spend eternity with God." This is true, except that this is one part of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom involves more, and God has blessed us with more out of His grace. It is grace upon grace. Yet many fail to understand the Kingdom of God, which causes deficiencies in our Christian life. God wants us to know His Kingdom so we can walk fully in the Kingdom. Our whole life changes when we experience the rebirth. If we only believe that our sins are forgiven and we can enter heaven, nothing changes on earth. Hence, either we know that we are forgiven, which may give us a good feeling, and then we continue with the life we have lived. Or we try hard to live well, and after we have sinned, we feel sad and realize that we need God's salvation (again). (Don't get me wrong: repenting of sins is good!) The Kingdom of God is more than forgiving sins; it involves a new way of living in a different location. We've been transferred from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God and have received "tools" to function correctly. Consider, for example, the Holy Spirit, who helps and guides the believer to live a righteous and sacred life. When born again, we have received the power to be supernaturally redeemed and sanctified so that God Himself leads and helps us to live well. It is no longer me but God in me.

If the gospel of the Kingdom merely meant that we are saved and forgiven, we remain weak. Every time, we return to the point of receiving forgiveness and consider the fact that we are weak. Fortunately, the gospel of the Kingdom extends beyond the forgiveness of sin. The Kingdom is a whole new living world, the one of God. The gospel of the Kingdom makes you strong and turns you into a citizen of heaven and a child of the King with great authority in the name of Jesus. Through the gospel of the Kingdom, others assess your actions and works and see that you are a child of God. Supernatural miracles and signs will follow you, and your life will be a replica of the Lord Jesus. Let us summarize in three sentences what the Kingdom of God means.

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality we experience through the Holy Spirit and the reigning position on which Jesus has put us. Jesus has received dominion and passed this dominion on to His followers so that we can become citizens of the Kingdom. Today, we may walk on earth as emissaries of Jesus, and in the future, Jesus will physically rule on earth during the millennial Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality. This doesn't mean people never experience or witness anything about the Kingdom on earth. For example, think of casting out demons or healing the sick. The following section will examine the Bible's words about the Kingdom for each component. In this chapter, we will look at the verses in which Jesus spoke about the gospel of the Kingdom.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

This text says that Jesus was teaching about the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus explained what this Kingdom meant. His work consisted not only of words; He also did extraordinary things. Jesus healed every disease and ailment of the people. The Kingdom of God isn't just a cool study; it has tremendous power and authority. This was true for Jesus, but also for us.

For the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

The Kingdom of God becomes apparent through signs, miracles, and the regeneration of lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel provides salvation for all believers. Salvation means that all believers are saved from the danger of death. Primarily, this is about our eternal destiny. It means believers are freed from judgment and everlasting punishment and will spend eternity with God. These aren't just fancy words but reality. The following Bible text shows that this gospel has not disappeared but may and must still be preached today.

And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

Jesus knew about the future and that the people would reject Him. In His life on earth, He told His disciples this repeatedly. Jesus was proclaiming the things of the Kingdom, and had He failed at one point, the Kingdom wouldn’t come to fruition. Jesus now has all power, and the plan of God is accomplished. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He didn't say, "What a shame. My plan failed, and now there is no Kingdom." Jesus said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). Jesus had obeyed God the Father in everything, even to the death on the cross. Jesus accomplished everything and did not make a mistake. Everything went how God the Father wanted it. This applies to the teaching, miracles, signs, and atonement on the cross.

The Kingdom of God is not a failure but an ever-present reality and victory. It is even a command of Jesus to proclaim this gospel to people today.

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

When Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples and His followers were tasked with continuously preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. In the book of Acts, we see the effects of this Kingdom and that miracles continued to happen. Philip also preached about the Kingdom of God.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)

The Kingdom was present, the Kingdom is coming, and the Kingdom is here. The Bible doesn't say the Kingdom was meant to be there temporarily. Even when the King, the Lord Jesus, ascended into heaven, His followers continued proclaiming the Kingdom, and miracles and signs continued happening. Thus, many miracles and signs still occur today, and it is clear that God's Kingdom still exists. In the next section, we will look at the components of the Kingdom and what it means to walk in this Kingdom.

Summary

The Kingdom can be translated as Kingdom or Kingship. When the Bible speaks of the Kingdom, it isn't necessarily about an area or region. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom in which believers are placed. This Kingdom is not only made up of words but also of power. The high King of this Kingdom is the Lord Jesus, and He has been given all power in heaven and on earth. In addition, He holds the keys of death. When Jesus lived on earth, He depended on God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, we, too, are dependent on the Holy Spirit. Jesus had limited power then, yet He did great miracles and signs. Jesus often preached about the gospel of the Kingdom and commissioned us to preach about this gospel as well. We also see this in the book of Acts, where the apostles continued proclaiming Jesus' teaching. So, what exactly is the Kingdom?

The Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality we experience through the Holy Spirit and the reigning position Jesus has put us. Jesus has received dominion and passed this dominion on to His followers so we can become citizens of the Kingdom. Today, we may walk on earth as emissaries of Jesus, and in the future, Jesus will physically rule on earth during the millennial Kingdom.

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