God And The Kingdom Of God

Most Jews in the days of Jesus missed his coming. Their preconceived notion of who their “savior king” should be lead many of them astray. Jesus, however, turned these notions upside down. He was

The term ‘Kingdom of God’ (or as is otherwise referred to as ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in Matthew's Gospel) is mentioned throughout the Four Gospels. Over the centuries many scholars have reached the same conclusion that the central theme of Jesus’ message regards the ‘Kingdom of God.’ But what did Jesus mean by this term? This essay aims to discuss the meaning of the term ‘Kingdom of God’ and what Jesus must have meant by this.

First, He is not coming to earth to set up a literal kingdom and to reign for a thousand years upon His throne in the city of Jerusalem. This claim is not Biblical; in fact, it conflicts with the Word of God. (1) The kingdom of Christ is not an earthly kingdom. It is not of this world (John 18: 36); (2) Christ’s kingdom has already been established. It was established during the lifetime of the apostles. (Mark 9: 1; Acts 2: 47) (3) The second coming of Christ will mark the end of His reign instead of the beginning. (I Corinthians 15: 24-28) (4) The Bible mentions Christ as being no nearer to the earth than in the clouds where the saints “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. (I Thessalonians 4: 17) The earth will then be

In the Gospel of Matthew, in the fifth chapter, Jesus describes what kingdom living is all about. As the disciples and others were looking for Jesus kingdom to come here on earth, he said to them that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. As they looked for his throne on earth, he was speaking of a different of living.Therefore repent of your sins and believe the Gospel. His disciples were somewhat confused they did not understand what God's kingdom was all about. The kingdom of God is where God will take place. It is where His will and His peace reign over all others. In the Gospel of Mark 1:15 supports, the idea of Jesus fulfilled the kingdom of God when he says repent now comes God`s Kingdom. In this verse Mark calls to repentance and to believe

Harnack understands the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ teachings to have two basic aspects. First is the traditional view as a future event, establishing God’s rule on earth. The roots of this view come from the historic elements of Jewish apocalypticism and in the teachings of John the Baptist. Jesus accepted and supported but also surpassed the teachings of John the Baptist. However, Jesus presented an idea of the Kingdom of God that was in contrast with the traditional understanding of the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ understanding of the Kingdom is a present and internal event which happens in the hearts of those of faith. According to Harnack Jesus would have seen the two aspects as complimenting one another wherein those of a present perspective would see a tension between the two. Harnack says that it is the second aspect of God’s Kingdom that held as the most important in Jesus’ teachings. The Kingdom of God then should be understood as “coming to the individual, by entering into his soul and laying hold of it. ” It is then that the Kingdom of God fills the Christian with the life of God. Looking at the Kingdom of God in this way makes it the rule of God “in the hearts of individuals.

Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount on a hillside near Capernaum. This “sermon” probably covered several days of preaching. In it, Jesus proclaimed his attitude toward the law. Position, authority, and money are not important in his kingdom – what matters is faithful obedience from the heart. The Sermon on the Mount challenged the proud and legalistic religious leaders of the day. It called them back to the messages of the Old Testament prophets who, like Jesus, taught that heartfelt obedience is more important than legalistic observance. With Jesus’ announcement that the kingdom was near. People were naturally asking, “How do I qualify to be in God’s kingdom?” Jesus said that God’s kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. In the kingdom of heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes.

Thomas Langford describes central doctrines of the Christian faith with one of them being that we confess "that the reign (kingdom) of God is both a present and future reality." In the Old Testament, God 's kingdom is portrayed as a place where the Lord rules over all. Many of the prophets talked of a time where peace and justice under God would never end (Isaiah 2:4, Daniel 7:14, Zechariah 14:9). In the New Testament, Jesus talked frequently about the kingdom in ways that show it is here now, partially here, or has not come at all yet. "While Wesley anticipated a soon return of Christ to claim his Kingdom, he stressed, like Paul, that there was no need to be sitting around and waiting; we need to be busy as signs and signals of that Kingdom here and now." Wesley made a distinction in the kingdom of God by describing two dimensions of the kingdom. One is the "Kingdom of Glory" while the other is the "Kingdom of Grace". The Kingdom of Glory is described as "eternal fullness in God 's presence" and the Kingdom of Grace is the "incipient expression in believers ' lives". With Wesley 's distinction of the Kingdom of God, we see his belief in a present and future reality. Thomas Langford writes, "The reign or kingdom of God sets the context of our present existence in the body of Christ. This doctrine also states our hope for the future--when God will be all in all, when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our God and of Christ and of the Holy Spirit."

kingdom of God made present in Jesus Christ or can it be reduced to a set of positions on this or

The next topic covers the question, “what was the widespread Jewish expectation for the coming kingdom of God?” The Jewish yearning for the Messiah mirrored the biblical tradition of a Davidic descendent, who would reign over Israel forever. The way that David had reigning was through war, violence, and defeats. "He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever" 2 Samuel 22:51. The Jewish group anticipated the Messiah to overthrow the Romans and rebuild David’s power. Desire for the coming of the Messiah, caused crowds to gather along the road leading up to Jerusalem to announce Jesus’ entrance to the city. Matthew 21:6-11 says, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed

“According to Jesus, the kingdom of God does not come visibly, nor can people say “Here it is or there it is” (Luke 17:20-21). By His definition, the kingdom of God is within a person him or herself – it is spiritual”. (Christ in the Synoptic Gospels, Springfield; Gospel Publishing House, 2011, pg146)

The book of Matthew gospel is the first book of the New Testament. The theme in Matthew speaks about The Kingdom of Heaven. The phrase "The Kingdom of Heaven" occurred numerous times being spoken by Jesus. The Gospel Writer Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience expounding upon the fact Jesus was the Messiah.

The Kingdom of God is an idea that is near impossible to define in one sentence, however there is one parable in the Gospel of Luke that includes numerous characteristics of the Kingdom of God and speaks to all groups of people. The Parable of the lost son is one that describes the Kingdom as overly generous, open to all and forgiving to those who show repentance. In this Parable, a father’s youngest son asks for half of his estate, he is reckless with what he is given, he finds himself at a low point once he has lost everything and in the end, finds his way back to his father and repents for what he has done. The father then not only forgives his son and takes him back but he throws a party in celebration for his return and has the largest

The kingdom of heaven was taught often in John’s messages and the center of Jesus sermons. The Old Testament was based that there would be kingdom of God that was a rule from heaven. It was the reason for ordinances, both civil and religious as well as the foundation for its institutions. It helped explain the history of people and how God dealt with them through the preaching of the prophets. Without understanding the kingdom of heaven the Old Testament remains a mystery as the Old Testament prepared people for the rule of heaven and the kingdom of God. The two main issues that presented problems to the kingdom of heaven was Israel’s reluctance to embrace Jesus as their king and the opposition of the surrounding nations to conform to Israel’s rule. Therefore Israel longed for a Messiah that would establish righteousness and join all the kingdoms of the earth under His dominion. Thus the three ideas that the kingdom of God emphasized would be universality, heavenliness, and permanency.

Matthew and the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus revitalized the concept of the reign of God, affirming that it is both a present reality and a future hope. God is king of the universe and reigns over all things, both nature and human affairs. The command to love God and the command to love one's neighbor are the "clothespins" on which all the teachings of the law and the prophets hang (= are derived).

Jesus, the promised messiah, had miraculously risen from the grave, he brought hope to his disciples following his seemingly devastating death. He stayed with his disciples for forty days, and before he ascended into heaven, he gave the great commission, which is to share the gospel to everyone (Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:1-8). This commission stands today, Christians are to create disciples and share the gospel. As a 21st century Christian, it is just as important to fill his kingdom as it was when he lived. Today, we wait excited for his second coming, although we have been given a glimpse of what this may look like, it is interesting to think about. I’m sure some of our anticipations will be turned on their head the same way the Jews anticipation were turned around. My role within the story, from holistic view, follows the birth and sacrifice of the messiah who is Jesus, and is to make disciples, spread the good news, and wait patiently for Jesus’ second coming as I reflect His attributes of goodness, represent Him before others in this world, and rule over the non-human created universe (Genesis 1:26-31).