Kingdom of God

Here's the final paper that I'm going to post for now. This one is on the Kingdom of God. All requests apply. God bless

Throughout the New Testament Gospels, Jesus refers to the “Kingdom of God,” or as Matthew writes, “The Kingdom of Heaven.” Sometimes Jesus preaches that the Kingdom is near (Matt 4:17), while at other times he teaches about what the Kingdom is like (Matt 20:1). Jesus places a great deal of emphasis on this Kingdom, and the impression readers get is that everything in life hinges on the Kingdom and whether or not one is a part of it. These teachings, however, raise an important question. Did Jesus himself believe that this “Kingdom” existed then and there, or was it something to be awaited? I personally believe that this question is a false dichotomy and that the two options are not mutually exclusive.

A) The Kingdom is to be awaited: Jesus often teaches in the Gospels about the Kingdom of Heaven/God in conjunction with the future tense. For example, in Matthew 5:19, during Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he says, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” The idea here is that a judgment will come before these individuals are called anything in the Kingdom. Further, he says, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3). These statements infer that in this future Kingdom, which both references seem to imply is a physical location, people live and communicate. Jesus also speaks of making sacrifices now for the sake of the Kingdom, being rewarded at some, apparently, later time because Jesus notes that they ought to “accept this” as if it is better to do so (Matt 19:12).

B) The Kingdom is here: Jesus also makes many references to what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and to whom it belongs. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he states that the Kingdom belongs to “those who realize their need for God” and to “those who are persecuted for God” (Matthew 5:3 and 5:10). This reveals that the Kingdom belongs to people of the present. It would not make sense for Paradise to include persecution, and because such a place is in God’s presence, neither would it make sense for someone to realize a need for God in Paradise, as He would be fulfilling one’s every need. I believe that the Kingdom to which Jesus refers in these passages is the realm of the heart (mind – soul) of those who would accept Him as Messiah. This idea would entail a Kingdom of Heaven present in the hearts of those of whom He is Lord.

C) Final Thoughts: I would argue that Mark 9:1 flows into my final, although extra-assignment example. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” This shows that the manifestation of the Kingdom to come is united with the present through the believer in which Jesus is already King. Heaven is where God reigns, and so the Kingdom of Heaven is within those who believe and manifests itself through their lives.

Although outside the scope of Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ statements as recorded by Luke provide some keen insight into this mystery. For example, with regard to the physical Kingdom, Jesus assures the criminal beside him on the cross that the criminal would be with him that day in Paradise (Luke 23:42). I consider this reference to the Kingdom as the material Kingdom of God. At the same time I find the strongest evidence for the immaterial-spiritual Kingdom interpretation also in Luke – and for the overall two-kingdom argument which I propose. In Luke 18:17 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Thus, Jesus implies that one must accept Christ’s total Lordship (internal - King of the heart) in order to enter the physical manifestation of His rule (the new creation of which He is King).