The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God discussed in the Old Testament, New Testament, and during the intertestamental periods is descriptively recognized as altered throughout each period. The Kingdom of God is however, understood that this is when God Kingdom is established on earth and He reigns with all authority. This Kingdom is established when His Son Jesus Christ returns during the second coming.

In the Old Testament the Kingdom of God is His supreme reign over the Chosen People or the Israelites. This Kingdom is Gods manifestation with the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, Zachariah, and Ezekiel to name a few. These Prophets have a similar theme and God gave the Tora to Israel. God’s chosen People inherited the Kingdom of God and would be returned to the Promised Land in the days of the Lord. This theme is prevalent throughout the Old Testament and filters into the New Testament especially in Matthew and Revelation ( American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2013).

The New Testament or new Covenant with people after the Jews did not abide by Gods Laws given to Moses brought forth a New kingdom theme with the undertone of Jesus Return after the crucifixion. However, in the New Testament the Kingdom of God was granted not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles. The Jews who converted during the time of Jesus walk on earth were to be raptured with the church and granted eternal life within the Kingdome of God. This theme assimilated from only Israelites being entered into the Kingdom of Heaven to all men who believed in the Son of God.

The intertestamental period or the silent season the Kingdom of God is found during the leaping of the child through prophesies found in Zachariah. Elizabeth the wife to Zachariah whom was barren and both of older age was told by the angel Gabriel that a son would be born however, Zachariah did not believe the angel and was unable to speak or was silenced until he did believe. Between the book of Malachi and Matthew in the New Testament there was 400 years where no prophet’s spoke or angels were sent to earth with visions, dreams, or messages and Jesus was not mentioned.

The Kingdom Of God during this period is within an unborn child as mentioned in Luke 1 written in the New Testament for the reader to understand that the only mentioned of the coming Messiah and the Baptist to whom would bring forth the Kingdom of God in Latter days. The Bible reads “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,” (Luke 1:41).  In Luke’s introductory to this Kingdom he wrote” Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled  among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”(Luke 1:1-4).

This intertestamental time is also explained in Daniel of the times to come. The Bible reads in Daniel 2 “ And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44-45).This is the prelude to the New Testament times which explicitly explains how God of heaven set up a kingdom!

Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament as a living man in Luke. “from those who were first eyewitnesses and servants of the word” (Luke), This introduces the messiah or servant of the Word for the Jews and Gentiles. The book of Genesis in the Old Testament, when God created mankind He uses the word us . This signifies that Jesus was with God during the creation of the world and mankind. In the very beginning, God introduces His Son to the Jews! The Old Testament reads “then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26). This teaches believers that in the beginning Jesus was with God and then this is also mentioned in Luke’s introduction when he writes “everything from the beginning” (Site and souse).

The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ establishes the Kingdom of God in Pauls letters to the Corinthians in Pauls first letter to the Christians he writes The body of the church and those who had knowledge, strength, and wisdom should be distinguished from each other in order for the body of the church to grow in Christ Jesus. The new Christians must stay in the center of all things and characterized by the Love from Christ who embodies the church. In the 1st letter to the  Corinthians Paul writes” Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”(1 Corinthians 1:10). 

This is the teaching and ministries of Jesus Christ on the Kingdom of God where the Body of Christ is established as the Church Bride whom must stay unified with God through Jesus Christ and the gifts from the Holy Spirit!  The maturity of the church must transpire in order for the Church as a whole to flourish and be identified in the world as a positive movement. The temple of God is not the structure, bricks or mortar but lives within each individual believer in Christ.

Paul again explains about Jesus and the Temple of God when he writes to the Corinthians that, “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”(1 Corinthians 3:16).This scripture is important to the theology of the Christian faith and teaches each person is special to God and serves a specific purpose in the ministry. Paul emphasizes that God is within them and that they must represent the behavior of Jesus to whom he is speaking for.

Within the New Testament one can find concepts relating the epistles to Revelation. This bond between the Church and the eternal Kingdom is relavant in the book of Jude. Jude is the last General Epistle written in the New Testament prior to the unveiling of the end times. This letter is urgent and is a warning to Christians about sinning and separation from God. This book speaks about the foundation of refinement and the reliance upon God for grace.

Jude is directly written as constructive criticism with referenced past experiences noted as learning tools to teach how to remain steadfast in the word and vigilant with in the church. Jude makes references to Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude1:7), Cain (1:11), and how the Archangel Michael dealt with the devil (1:9). This general epistle is a book filled of collective answers for the established Church on earth conveying the forth coming mercy and the Grace of Gods Kingdom. Jude gives an absolute structure for living during the tribulation and latter days that were prophesize to come. Gods Kingdom on earth whine Jesus Christ return and all men who believe in Him will have eternal life in this Kingdom. Jude is the epistle to which the book of Revelation in Chapter 22 relates this Epistle with judgment day (Jude 1:20).

Revelation reads “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen”(Rev. 22:19-21).Thus, the Kingdom of the Church Bride is established when God Kingdom has authority over all men and His Son sits on the Thrown and rules over all the earth.    

The Canonization for the Book of Revelation and who actually wrote it is debated by biblical scholars about the authenticity of the author (Marlowe, 2001). However, putting this aside one must realize that the book of Revelation is a book about the apocalypse with extensive symbolization and characterized by a sharply contrasted breakdown on the world to come, when God will intervene to establish His Kingdom (Carson&Douglas J.Moo, 1992, pg.714). 

Finally, in Mathew chapter 21 the Messiah enters His city. “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:  ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Matthew 21:42-44).

The theology in the bible which unifies the Kingdom of God to the Messiah can be found in scriptures such as Yahweh is King, He rules over Israel, and He rules over earth on the creation. Jewish documents have a concept which expresses the Kingdom of God as the total involvement for absolute peace for Gods people (Bock, 2004). The unity of the Old Testament with the New Testament covenant is that when the Messiah return on the Temple mount during the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) the Jews would see who they pierced and Mourn for what they did!

In revelation 7” the Bible reads “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 7:1). In this prophetic scripture, Jews who pierced Him and all men shall wail, this is the unity of the doctrine when Jews and Gentiles alike believe together that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the same messiah who brought the Jews out of Egypt. Jews and Gentiles will become one unified Church Bride whom, will live in the Kingdom of God during the 1000 years of the Millennium after the Battle of Armageddon. This scriptures reads “ And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Rev 16:16) and this would bring forth the new and the old would pass away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

References

American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. (2013, November [Accessed] 22). The Written Law – Torah. Retrieved from American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Written_Law.html

BibleHub. ( 2004 – 2013, Retrieved August11). Biblos. Retrieved from Biblos.com: http://biblehub.com/biblos.htm

Bock, D. L. (2004, August 8). The Kingdom of God in New Testment. Retrieved from Bible.org: https://bible.org/article/kingdom-god-new-testament-theology-battle-christ-spirit-bearer-and-returning-son-man

Carson&Douglas J.Moo. (1992). An Introduction to The New Testamant, 2nd edition 2005. Grand Rapids Michigan: Zondervan.

Marlowe, M. D. (2001, Feburary). The Canon Scripture. Retrieved from Bible Reserch study On line : http://www.bible-researcher.com/canon.html