Introduction
Another spin off issue from John 3:1-21 is the use of the term, Kingdom of God. Throughout the John 3:1-21 passage, Jesus cites multiple references to the Kingdom of God. What Kingdom is He talking about? When will this Kingdom take place? Who will be in this Kingdom? Well, the biblical use of the word kingdom comes from both the Greek and Hebrew words meaning the same thing: kingship or sovereignty.[1] The emphasis of the word is primarily to show the power and authority of a king, not to denote the country of people ruled by him.[2] Therefore, a kingdom, according to the Bible, is the exercise of lawful royal power (as opposed to the abuse of the power as in a tyranny).[3] In Scripture, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are used interchangeably.[4]
The Kingdom of God Defined
The Kingdom of God is defined as, “the sovereignty, reign, or rule of God.”[5] There is an idea within the Scriptures that the Kingdom of God exists in the whole of the universe.[6] For instance, 1 Chronicles 19:11, 12 says,
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.”
God’s rule is sovereign and divine over the entire universe, as the Psalmist says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all[7].” Throughout the whole of the Bible, there are many instances where God’s sovereign and divine rule are expounded upon (Psalm 47:7, Daniel 4:34, Jeremiah 10:7, Matthew 5:35, and 1 Timothy 1:17, among them)[8].
The Kingdom of God is like no other kingdom. No other kingdom can compromise the divine Kingdom. Henry points out, “God rules in a governance whose movement from yesterday to tomorrow is always complete and yet is always also a looming, imminent event toward which everything is hurrying. The goal of God’s kingdom is to subordinate all things to Him as the creator, judge and redeemer.” This Kingdom is not a kingdom to be compared with; it stands alone. The Kingdom of God is the conclusion in which all of His plans and purposes come together in one incomparable plan[9].
Who does the Kingdom Benefit?
While the term Kingdom of God appears expressly in the New Testament, there are instances of similar terminology in the Old Testament. The Kingdom of God was referenced in the Old Testament for the Jews. The Kingdom of God will not be completely fulfilled until the Second coming of Christ.[10]This Kingdom was promised to David through Nathan in 2 Samuel 7:12-16:[11]
“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.[12]”
Therefore, the Kingdom will be Davidic in that some of the promises given within this prophecy will be fulfilled at the Second coming of Christ, and He will be the Ruler.[13] During Christ’s first Advent, the Kingdom was active, but it was only in its inauguration stage. The promise is that one day it will come with power (Mark 9:1).[14]
The church, it needs to be said, is not part of the Kingdom taught in the New Testament[15]. In Acts 3:12, there is a distinction between the church and Israel. “But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ’Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?’” The church did not come into existence until the day of Pentecost, and therefore, could not be referenced in the Old Testament[16]. For instance, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Jesus is talking about a future reference to the church. Ephesians 4:7-12 says the church could not be functional until after the death and resurrection of Christ[17]. However, there is a close connection between the church and the Kingdom of God where the church manifests itself in the Kingdom[18].
The Length of the Kingdom
In terms of length of the Kingdom, there are at least a couple of answers. First, the Kingdom had drawn near during the earthly ministry of Jesus and was inaugurated after His death and resurrection[19]. For example, Jesus in Luke 1:15 says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Even though His followers mistook this statement to say He was setting it up then, it was only the beginning.
Second, the church, even though it is not part of the Kingdom can experience what the Kingdom will be like. The church knows victory over sin as in Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” The church knows victory over demonic opposition. Luke 10:17 says, “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’” They know victory over disease (Luke 10:9), and the church also lives within the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28, Romans 8:4-17).[20]
Third, the Kingdom of God is still future in tense, because when Christ comes again, He will reign in His Kingdom over all of creation[21] 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 says,
Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
The Kingdom will be the conclusion of the New Heaven and New Earth where God’s righteousness is ruling forever (Revelation 21)[22]. This is where the heavenly city of God is established. No other kingdom can break it, steal it, or overtake it. Instead, the Kingdom of God is where justice and peace have complete authority (Revelation 21:9-22:5)[23]. As Carl F.H. Henry said, “[The Kingdom] is, rather, one inaugurated and consummated by a King who has nail prints in his hands and who rules his subjects from a higher world[24].”
Conclusion
The Kingdom of God was originally promised to the Jews, yet the Church can and does have benefits of the Kingdom. The subject of the Kingdom of God has raised questions from all sides of Christendom. Yet using a literal interpretation, the text itself reveals exactly what the Kingdom of God is.
[1] G.R. Beasley-Murray, “The Teaching of God in the Kingdom of Jesus”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 35, no.1, (March 1992): 20.
[2] Ibid., 20.
[3] Ibid., 20.
[4] Mal Couch, An Introduction to Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics: A Guide to the History and Practice of Biblical Interpretation, Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000, 291.
[5] Paul J Achtemeier, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985
[6] John Walvoord, “The Kingdom of Heaven”, Bibliotheca Sacra, 124, no. 495 (July 1967): 196.
[7] Ibid., 196
[8] Carl F.H. Henry, “Reflections on the Kingdom of God”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 35, no. 1 (March 1992): 40.
[9] Ibid., 41.
[10] G.R. Beasley-Murray “Kingdom of God and”:21.
[11] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, Chicago: Moody Press, 1999, 460.
[12] All Scripture Quotations taken from The New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Lockman Foundation.
[13] Ryrie, Basic Theology, 461.
[14] F.F. Bruce, New Testament History, New York: Doubleday, 1969, 173.
[15] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 461.
[16] Ibid., 463.
[17] Ibid., 463
[18] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Leicester, England: Inter Varsity Press, 1994: 864.
[19] F.F. Bruce, New Testament History, 170-71.
[20] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 864.
[21] Ibid., 864.
[22] Carl F.H. Henry, “Reflections”, 50.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
The Abiding Life 