The promise of the kingdom began with God’s promise to David:
2 Samuel 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
As you can imagine, John caused quite a stir, the promised, long awaited kingdom was at hand. Close. Soon!
So, When is the kingdom? That is, when does it begin or come? I think a good way to answer the question is to follow the message of the kingdom in the Gospel According to Matthew.
4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Jesus began his ministry with the same message. The kingdom is not here yet, but close. Soon.
4: 23 And 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.
I think it is safe to say he was preaching the kingdom is “at hand”
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
This refers to the kingdom that is to come, future.
8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This definitely refers to the future
9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Probably preaching the kingdom is “at hand” because in ch 10 it is still
10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
This is interesting. John the Baptist is not in the kingdom. People “enter” the kingdom sometime after him. Then Jesus goes on to add that since John the kingdom is not only preached, but seems to be present. It is here, it has arrived.
12: 28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
This removes all doubt. The kingdom has come unto you - it is now here and operative. What is the sign? Jesus casting out demons. As he goes on to say in the next verse, Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. The King is here and he has brought the kingdom!
13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mysteries – things about the kingdom the prophets did not explain. What mysteries? Passages such as Daniel 7:13-14 speak of the kingdom like we speak of the second coming. This is what the Jews were expecting and Jesus says, the kingdom is come unto you. Jesus explains this with the parables of Matthew 13. In these parables we find the spiritual character of the kingdom revealed. It is hidden, it begins small, it is resistible, but it also has a glorious end. This is an important chapter.
25: 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Ah, even though the kingdom has come spiritually, clearly, the kingdom is yet future.
The Gospel begins with the message, the kingdom is at hand. But by chapter 12, it has come unto you, and is a present spiritual reality. In Luke 17:20-21 we read,
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
The kingdom of God is within you. This is the present, spiritual reality of the kingdom. But this does not completely fulfill the promise, it is the power of the world to come. There is still the coming of the kingdom, when Jesus shall come in power and glory, and set up his kingdom on the earth. Amen. Maranatha!
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14
Next, the most important question: What is the kingdom?
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