Has the Kingdom of God Already Come?
There are some churches and theologians who teach that the Kingdom of God has already come in a spiritual, invisible form. They say that the Kingdom is now running, in a limited form, in the hearts of true believers in Christ. There are some verses of the Bible which they use as proof texts to support their theology. In this article, we will look at the passages they use as proof texts as well as bring forth scriptures that make us know that the Kingdom of God is yet to come.
The Kingdom Has Not Come
There are at least eight strong points which make us believe that the Kingdom of God is not a present reality. Here, we examine them.
1. No King, No Kingdom
He [Jesus] said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” (Luke 19:12 WEB, words in square brackets are mine throughout).
Our Lord Jesus Christ here made an allusion to Himself. He is the “nobleman” who has gone to a far country, heaven, to be made a king. He told Pontius Pilate that He was born to be a king (John 18:37). But until He is crowned a king, His kingdom could not have started. Otherwise, it will be a kingdom without a king. While He was on the earth the first time, in His humiliation, His Kingdom was yet to begin because He was yet to be crowned a king. Observe in the verse what the Lord said. He said after the “nobleman” must have been appointed a king in the far country, He will return to establish His Kingdom. This plainly reveals that He will return to the earth to rule as the King of a Kingdom which will be an everlasting one. He has gone to heaven, which He figuratively called a far country, to be appointed the King of the universe by God. And until He returns, we cannot rightly talk of His Kingdom as having begun. At the time He was on the earth, the whole world was being ruled by men whose kingdoms were under the control or rulership of Satan (Matt.4:8-11; Luke 4:5-7; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Israel was under the imperial rule of Rome. The word “far” suggests that His return may take a longer time than His servants might have imagined.
It is very pertinent to note the reason He gave the parable. This is found in verse 11. It reads, “The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.” (Luke 19:11 NLT).
They had thought that on entering Jerusalem, Jesus would ask God to send Him twelve legions of angels with whom He would forcefully drive out the Romans and declare Himself the king of Israel, thereby making Himself a powerful king among the kings of the earth. They thought His kingdom was going to be a national one, limited to the nation of Israel. See Luke 1:68-71; 24:21. Israel will then be free from foreign rule and be restored to a sovereign state like in the days of kings Saul, David and Solomon. Knowing their misunderstanding of God’s promise of restoring the Kingdom to Israel, He had to tell them the parable to correct the impression they had that He was going to forcefully overthrow the Romans, liberate Israel and restore their own Kingdom to them that time. They didn’t know that Jesus Christ was going to be the King of a universal Kingdom here on earth. So, we see here that the Kingdom of God was yet to come.
2. There Will Be Definite Events Precedent to the Coming of the Kingdom of God
“So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31 ESV).
The teachings of the Lord in Luke 21:8-36 was in response to the questions posed to Him in verse 7 by His disciples. Matthew’s account made it clear that they asked about three things, namely, the time of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the signs of His coming, and the end of the age (Matt. 24:3). When answering their question Jesus did not say which of His answer relate to any of the three points raised by His disciples. But the part which is relevant to each of the questions can be deduced from His answer. His words in Luke 21:20-24 related to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This was fulfilled in 70 CE when the Roman General, Titus, entered Jerusalem and destroyed it along with the temple. In verses 25 to 31, the Lord spoke of the signs that will precede His coming, such as signs in the sun, moon and the stars and the powers of the heavens that will be shaken (vv.25 & 26, compare Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Rev. 6:12-14). Jesus said in Luke 21:31 that these events should make us know that the Kingdom of God is NEAR (italics and caps emphases added throughout).
Being near is not a synonym for a present reality of any event. And in God’s reckoning, there is no difference between a day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, a century, or even thousands of years. They are all a short span in His sight (Psa. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). Therefore, Jesus Christ’s words that the Kingdom of God is near could mean it could come in a few days, months, years, or even thousands of years away. By the time these events seen in Luke 21:25-31 take place in the unknown future, they’ll still be a sign that the Kingdom of God is near. It stands to reason that the kingdom which Jesus Christ said will be regarded as near at a future, indeterminate time from now, cannot be said to have become a reality when the events which will be precedent to the commencement of the kingdom have not taken place.
3. Cessation of Human Kingdoms
“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” (Dan. 2:44-45 ESV).
The four kingdoms (vv. 37-43) are Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome which was reigning as at the first century AD when Jesus Christ was here on earth. The revelation given to Daniel is that the Kingdom of God will be set up in the days of those four Kingdoms and when it comes, it will overthrow the kingdoms of men. The striking of the huge image by the stone, cut out of a mountain without human hands, such that the image was crushed into pieces like chaff in a summer threshing floor, is symbolic of a sudden and violent overthrow. The Kingdoms of men will cease to exist as they will be taken over by God and His Messiah. John the Apocalyptic said, “The seventh angel blew his trumpet. Then there were loud voices in heaven. The voices said, ‘The kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah. And he will rule forever and ever.’” (Rev. 11:15 ERV, bold emphases added throughout).
On the day the King returns from heaven, the Kings of the earth and their subjects will be struck with trepidation and panic. Jesus said they will mourn when they see Him coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory (Matt. 24:30). John later caught a vision of this verse and wrote it down for us:
“And I saw the Lamb break open the sixth seal. There was a violent earthquake, and the sun became black like coarse black cloth, and the moon turned completely red like blood. The stars fell down to the earth, like unripe figs falling from the tree when a strong wind shakes it. The sky disappeared like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the rulers and the military chiefs, the rich and the powerful, and all other people, slave and free, hid themselves in caves and under rocks on the mountains. They called out to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the eyes of the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb! The terrible day of their anger is here, and who can stand up against it?” (Rev. 6:12-17 GNT).
As long as God is still ruling the world through the agency of human kings, governors, presidents, emperors, generals, et alia (Dan. 4:17, 25, 32; Rom. 13:1-7), the Kingdom of God is yet to come. It is pertinent to know that one of the reasons God will take over the kingdoms of the earth from men is because men have failed to rule according to God’s standard of justice, righteousness, holiness and love. That’s why He will take the kingdoms from them and make His holy and righteous Son rule over all of God’s creation in the new heavens and the new earth.
4. The Ascension Day Discourse
“Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time [of His first coming] going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8 NIV).
Verse 9 of this chapter reveals that this discussion between the Lord Jesus and His apostles took place on the day He ascended to heaven. It is evident from the discourse that the kingdom was not restored to Israel before His ascension. Is there a difference between the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel and the commencement of the Kingdom of God? There is none. The promise given to Abraham was, “through your offspring [Jesus Christ in His humanity] all the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25). And when Christ came to the world, He removed the dichotomy that originally existed between Israel and the rest of mankind, through His death, making all who believe in Him God’s own people (Eph. 2:13-18; Rom. 3:22; 10:12-13). Those who in the past were not Israelites have, through Christ, become the Israel of God. Therefore, the promise of restoring the Kingdom to Israel will be fulfilled in the future for the saints of the Most High. And this will be after the great tribulation foretold by the Lord Jesus Christ (Dan. 7:13-27; Matt.24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27). It will be at the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is going to be a universal kingdom.
It is clearly evident from the Ascension Day’s last discourse that the Kingdom of God did not come or begin while the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth the first time.
The New Testament has revealed that God’s plan is that all of God’s faithful people from the beginning of creation will inherit His promise of eternal life in His Kingdom here on earth at the same time. This is clearly seen in this scripture, “All these people were known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised. God planned to give us something very special so that we would gain eternal life with them. (Heb. 11:39-40 GW).
The Kingdom of God is not going to come in a serial or piecemeal manner. It is going to come once and for all time at the second coming of God’s anointed Messiah, our Lord Jesus. That is why God has put in place a plan to resurrect all His dead saints on the day of Christ’s second coming (John 5:28-29; 6:40, 44, 54; 1 Cor. 15:23, 52; 1 Thes. 4:16).
5. Mortal Beings Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God
“What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” (1 Cor. 15:50-53 NLT).
“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. (Phil. 3:20-21 NLT).
Both the dead in Christ and living saints will enter God’s Kingdom at the same time (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Heb. 11:39-40). This means that the Kingdom of God will not come until the first resurrection has taken place. We cannot be said to be in the kingdom of God while we still possess our dying bodies. At His second coming, our Lord Jesus Christ will give us immortal bodies before ushering us into the Kingdom of God. The change from mortality to immortality will occur with a speed Paul described as a “blink of the eye,” or like a flash of light.
6. Complete and Total Obedience to God’s Will
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10 ESV).
How is God’s will done in heaven? In Psalm 103:20, the Bible says, “Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word” (Psa. 103:20 NIV). Our Lord Jesus Christ said the Father loves Him because He always do the will of the Father (John 5:30; 6:38; 8:29). What we know from the Bible is that Jesus Christ and the angels are the ones in heaven with God and they do God’s will with perfect obedience.
The Lord made it known that when the Kingdom of God comes, there will be complete and total obedience to the will of God here on earth as it is in heaven. Prophet Isaiah said, “They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty, just as the waters completely cover the sea. (Isa. 11:9 NET). As part of their note on this verse, the NET translators wrote, “If the Lord’s universal kingdom is in view in this context… then the phrase [“in all my holy mountain”] would probably be metonymic here, standing for God’s worldwide dominion.” To this I affirm that it refers to the universal kingdom of God because Isaiah went further to say, “He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and order the wicked to be executed. Justice will be like a belt around his waist, integrity will be like a belt around his hips. (Isa. 11:4-5 NET). Compare the emphasized words with what the Master said will take place after His return from a far country where He has gone to be made a King. He said, “But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!’ ”(Luke 19:27 NET; cf. Rev. 19:11-21).
There will be no disobedience or feigned obedience here on earth when the Kingdom of God comes to the earth. There will be perfect submission to God’s will. This fact was prophesied by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk, among others (Isa. 19:21-25; Jer. 31:34; Hab. 2:14). Apostle Paul also made a veiled reference to this perfect and total obedience to God’s will when he wrote, “We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule” (Phil. 3:20-21 GNT).
Is He going to use brutal, physical, force to subdue everyone to His rule in His kingdom? No. When Jesus Christ revealed Himself to Apostle John, John saw a sharp two-edged sword come out of Jesus’ mouth (Rev. 1:16; 2:11,16). We all know that sword is a weapon of war. What John saw symbolize the fact that the Lord will subdue all things by spiritual power – His spoken word which is sharper than any physical two-edged sword. This sword of His mouth which Prophet Isaiah called “the rod of His mouth, the breath of His lips” (Isa. 11:4) is the living and active word of God in the mouth of the Son of God (Heb. 4:12). With the word of His mouth, He will subdue everything under His control by that power which has been given Him by God, the Father (Matt. 28:18).
The disobedient ones will not be in His Kingdom. They’ll all be destroyed. (Matt. 13:30, 41-43; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Rev. 22:14-15). But those who’ll inherit the Kingdom will obey Him with complete submission because they’ll all be filled with the holy spirit of God (Joel 2:28-29). The spirit of God will take perfect control of all the inhabitants of the Kingdom when it comes into existence (Rom. 8:14). The words “all things” is not limited to humans alone. The Scriptures have shown that the nature of fierce, flesh-eating, animals and venomous reptiles will be changed by the same divine power so that they will no longer be dangerous creations of God.
7. No Violence In The Kingdom
No form of violence is going to be seen or experienced when the Kingdom comes. Prophet Isaiah said, “No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there,” (Isa. 35:9 NIV). He had earlier written, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11:6-9 NIV). In this passage, the prophet said the ferocious beasts like wolves, leopards, lions, bears, as well as venomous snakes like cobras and vipers will cohabit with domestic animals and humans peacefully. The prophet repeated this prophecy again in Isa. 65:25.
We understand that “lion” is used in Isa. 35:9 in a metaphorical sense of it representing the violence of lions and other ferocious, predatory animals and the danger they pose to the herbivorous, defenseless animals and to humans. The other passages which seem contradictory are not. What we see from these passages is that the animals in the present age will still be found in the Kingdom but with their ferocious nature changed by the Messiah, making them tame, peaceful and harmless. The poison in the venomous reptiles and insects will also be removed from them. So we see that there is going to be a change in the nature of animals and creeping things which will result in a state of peace, harmony and security in the Kingdom. What is not known is whether the animals, snakes and insects in the Kingdom will also be given immortal bodies.
Some Bible scholars have said that the writings of Isaiah in Isa. 11:6-9 and Isa. 65:25 should not be understood literally. But whether they are taken literally or figuratively, the one conclusion that can be derived from the passages is that the Kingdom of God will be devoid of violence, pillage and all forms of threat to life. The fact that these things are still part of our experiences in this present age is clear proof that the Kingdom of God is yet to come.
8. No preaching in the Kingdom
There will be no preaching when the Kingdom comes. How do I know this? The Bible says so. Let’s look at a few scriptures that make this known:
“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.” (Heb. 8:10-11 NIV, quoted from Jer. 31:33-34).
At times, some prophecies about the nation of Israel, which represent God’s chosen people, are made with the universal Kingdom of God in view. This prophecy by Jeremiah is one of such. We see therefore that this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled for the nation of Israel. It has also not been fulfilled in the church because we have in the church some who are always studying but not able to know the truth (2 Tim. 3:7). Not everyone in the church knows the truth (1 Cor. 8:7). That is why the ministers of Christ must continue to preach the word of God and must patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage the believers (2 Tim. 4:2). The instruction given us is that we must teach and exhort one another daily with all wisdom, using psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God, so that none of us will be deceived by sin and become hardened against God. This is especially necessary now that we see the day of Christ’s return is drawing near (Col. 3:16; Heb. 3:13; 10:25).
In the church, there are all manners of people. Some are not known by the Lord, which means they are not born again (Matt. 25:11-12). Some remain infants who must be fed with milk instead of solid food (1 Cor. 3:1-3). In other words, they are always in need of people who must teach them the elementary truths of God’s word, over and over again (Heb. 5:12). On many subjects of the Christian faith, many church leaders have indoctrinated their followers with fallacious or outrightly false teachings. These leaders and their followers have become so deluded that they don’t listen to corrections. All these go to show that the prophecy of everyone knowing God’s word and obeying them from their hearts will be fulfilled when the heavenly kingdom starts at the second coming of Christ. In Israel and in the Church the prophecy that no one will need to be told to know God has not been fulfilled. That’s why we know the Kingdom of God is yet to come.
The Kingdom Has Come
There are some people who teach that the Kingdom of God has already come. A review of their writings has shown that they drew that conclusion from their understanding, should we say misunderstanding, of some passages of the Bible. It is therefore necessary for us to examine the passages that led them into making such conclusions.
1. The Kingdom is Within You
“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21 NKJV).
The Lord Jesus Christ made this statement in answer to a question posed to Him by the Pharisees (v. 20). These words were addressed directly to them.
What was the spiritual state of the Pharisees? John the Baptist and Jesus Christ called them “brood of vipers,” metaphorically saying that they were dangerous, unconverted, people (Matt. 3:7; 12:34; 23:33). The Lord called them hypocrites (Matt. 15:7; 16:3); children of the Devil (John 8:44); children of Gehenna or hell, that is, people who cannot escape being sentenced to hell (Matt. 23:15, 33). Matthew called them “wicked” (Matt. 22:18). They plundered widows of the possessions their husbands left behind (Matt. 23:14). They were greedy and self-indulgent, full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Luke 16:14; Matt. 23:25, 28). He likened them to whitewashed tombs which appear beautiful outwardly but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness (Matt. 23:27).
These damning descriptions of the Pharisees showed that they were not citizens of the kingdom of God. Yet they were the ones addressed in Luke 17:20-21. The English interpretation of the Greek “basileia” (meaning “kingdom,” “reign,” or “kingship”) as being “within” (Greek: “entos”) the Pharisees cannot be correct. Jesus might have told them that He, the King of the Kingdom, was in their midst. Therefore, they needed not apply their own signs of knowing when the kingdom will come or begin.
Some Bible scholars have interpreted Luke 17:20-21 to mean that the Kingdom has started in a spiritual form in the hearts of men. But in this place and Matt. 12:28 (Luke 11:20) where the Kingdom is said to have “come to you,” those addressed were the unbelieving Pharisees. There is therefore a problem accepting the interpretation of the Kingdom having started in a spiritual form in the hearts of the Pharisees who were always doing the will of the devil. This is why some English versions like the NIV, ESV, BSB, BLB, NASB, CSB, NET, have rendered a part of verse 21 as “the Kingdom of God is in your midst.” We therefore understand the Lord Jesus Christ telling them that the Kingdom of God, in the person of the King Himself, is “in your midst” (Luke 17:21) or “has come to you” (Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20). There is no way we can accept that the Kingdom of God has come in a spiritual form in the hearts of the Pharisees during Christ’s first advent. The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was addressing the unbelieving Pharisees have completely rubbished the interpretation that the Kingdom of God started in a spiritual manner within the hearts of some people.
It should be observed that the Bible talks of people entering into the Kingdom of God. The Bible never talks of the Kingdom entering into people or being within them. See, for example, Matt. 5:20; 7:21; 18:3; 19:23, 24; 21:31; 23:13; John 3:5.
In addition to the point just made, the discussion Jesus Christ had with His apostles on the day He ascended to heaven (Acts 1:6-9) shows very clearly that God’s Kingdom was yet to come while Jesus Christ was on the earth the first time. He will bring the Kingdom of God to the earth at His second advent (Luke 19:12).
2. Did Some Apostles See the Kingdom Come?
“And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’” (Mark 9:1 NIV).
This is one of the passages of the Bible that has proved enigmatic. Hence, different interpretations have been given by people. Some say the Lord Jesus Christ made an allusion to the transfiguration as the day the Kingdom came. Others say it came on the day of Christ’s resurrection while some others say it came on the day of Pentecost reported by Luke in Acts chapter 2. Still, some say the Kingdom came in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans. Which of these interpretations is correct? Biblically, none of them is correct.
Cognate verses to Mark 9:1 are Matt. 16:28 and Luke 9:27. Matthew’s account reads, “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth,there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matt. 16:27-28 NET).
This account by Matthew as well as Mark 8:38-9:1 and Luke 9:26-27 make it clear that our Lord Jesus Christ had the time of His second coming in mind when He made the statement recorded in Mark 9:1. Clauses like “Son of Man will come with His angels in the glory of His Father” (Matt. 16:27) and “they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom” (v 28) are clearly indicative of His second coming. This effectively faults the teaching that the Kingdom came on the day of the Transfiguration which took place six or eight days later (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28).
Did Jesus mean that some of His followers will be alive at the time of His second coming? Well, we know that all His immediate followers are dead and He is yet to come. Therefore, I will not pretend to know the answer to this enigmatic statement. What is clear, however, is that Jesus Christ referred to the time of His second coming. That is the time when His Kingdom will come. No one now has a perfect understanding of the mysteries of God. But when the Lord returns every confusion and inadequacy of insight will be cleared out. Apostle Paul said, “For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; but when the perfect [Jesus Christ] comes, the partial will pass. For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face [with Jesus Christ]. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me.” (1 Cor. 13:9, 10, 12 CJB)
My Kingdom Is Not of This World
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36 NKJV).
This is another Bible verse that has been interpreted to mean that the Kingdom has started in an invisible or spiritual manner with the Lord Jesus Christ reigning in the hearts of men from His throne over there in heaven. Some other people take this as saying the Kingdom will be in heaven and, therefore, is the reason we will ultimately go to heaven to live with God and Christ forever. But these interpretations do not harmonize with so many Bible passages. There is therefore good grounds to reject these interpretations.
Here, Jesus told Pilate that He was born to be a King (vv. 36-37). He made Pilate know that the accusation brought against Him by His fellow Jews (Luke 23:2) was false. He made the Governor see that if the accusation were true he would have seen His followers fighting, force for force, on the streets of Jerusalem. What did He mean when He said, “My Kingdom is not of this world?” He was not implying that His Kingdom was a spiritual and/or invisible kingdom ruled in the hearts of believers, and therefore not going to be a literal, physical and visible one here on the earth. What He meant is that His Kingdom is different from earthly kingdoms which rise with the carnal power of men. These human Kingdoms originate from the earth but His own Kingdom is from God in heaven. But it is going to be a literal, physical, and visible Kingdom here on the renewed earth, ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ and His saints, with the New Jerusalem as its capital (Rev. 21, 22). It is worthy of note that Pilate understood Him perfectly. That was why, subsequent to His statement, Pilate told the Jews, “I find no basis for a charge against Him” (v. 38, NIV). By this, he implied that their accusations against Him were false. He was not guilty of insurrection against the Roman government which Pilate represented in Judea at that time. (See Matt. 22:15-22.)
In Daniel 2:44, we read, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” (Dan. 2:44 NIV, emphases added throughout). We read also, “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me [the Messiah], “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Psa. 2:7-9 NIV).
These verses reveal very clearly that the Kingdom of the Son of God will crush and bring to a perpetual end all the Kingdoms of men on the earth. It is not going to be a coexisting Kingdom with those of men. It will overthrow all the kingdoms of men (Dan. 2:44; Psa. 2:9; Rev. 11:15). The phrases “the nations” and “the ends of the earth” mean that the Kingdom is going to be a visible, physical, earthly one. See also Zech. 14:9 which says, “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zech. 14:9 NIV) It is also said of the King that He will sit on the throne of David and rule from Zion, God’s holy hill (Psa. 2:6). Prophet Isaiah also said of Him, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isa. 9:6-7 NIV).
The angel Gabriel said a similar thing about Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. He told Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33 NIV).
To reign on David’s throne means that His kingship is going to be the Davidic type – a literal, physical, righteous kingship over God’s people here on the renewed earth. Conclusively, we can see that Jesus Christ’s words “My Kingdom is not of this world,” did not, and still does not, mean that the Kingdom will be an invisible one ruled from heaven. Neither did He mean that the Kingdom will be a spiritual, invisible reign of Christ in the hearts of some people in the present world. What He meant was that His Kingdom does not have its origin in the world nor does it derive its authority from the world’s order of things.
It is evident from the Scriptures that the Kingdom of God will not run side by side with the kingdoms of men. The fact that men, most of whom are controlled by the power of Satan the Devil (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 5:19), are still ruling on the earth is enough proof that the Kingdom of God has not come. Until the rulership of the world is taken from men, Satan will continue to be the god [ruler] of this world. That is why the kingdoms or governments of this present world are unjust and iniquitous. They are under the control of Satan (1 John 5:19). The Devil himself told our Lord Jesus Christ that the world was, and is still, under his control. He told our Lord that he would give him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur if our Lord would bow down and worship him (Matt. 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-7). This shows that the kingdoms of the world were, and still are, under his control. He couldn’t have tempted Christ, the creator and rightful owner of the kingdoms, with his words if Adam had not handed the rulership of the world to the Devil in the Garden of Eden. However, it should be noted that the Devil is not equal to, or a competitor with, God. Therefore, God and Satan cannot be engaged in a competition over the rulership of the world. At God’s appointed time, He will overthrow the Kingdoms of this world which are under the control of the Devil and hand it over to our Lord Jesus Christ to be the holy, loving, and righteous King forever. That Kingdom will come at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has gone to heaven to be made a King after which He will return to establish the Kingdom ( Luke 19:12). He said in one place that it will take Him a long time before He returns (Luke 20:9).
Conclusion
The Bible has clearly revealed that Jesus Christ will come a second time to the earth. He will establish the Kingdom of God here on a renewed earth at His second advent. There are also many Bible passages which have unequivocally revealed that the Lord will be visibly seen by people at His second coming. A few of such passages are given here for the sake of emphasis:
“They were staring into the sky as he departed. Suddenly, two men [angels] in white clothes stood near them. They asked, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky? Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.’” (Acts 1:10-11 GW). The phrase, “the same way that you saw Him,” implies that He will return in a bodily form and you will see Him with your physical eyes.
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.” (Matt. 24:30 NIV). A vision of this verse was later shown to John in Revelation 6:15-17.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3 NIV). The verb “appears” is translated from the Greek “phanerothe” which means to make clear, visible, manifest. (Strong’s Greek Lexicon #5319.)
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen” (Rev. 1:7 NIV).
“No longer will there be any curse [on the earth]. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city [New Jerusalem], and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night [on the earth]. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 22:3-5 NIV).
“In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing [Greek: epiphaneia meaning manifestation, glorious display] of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,” (1 Tim. 6:13-15 NIV).
To ignore these clear passages, among many others, and begin to teach or believe otherwise will be nothing more than sheer delusion or hermeneutical dishonesty.
If the Kingdom of God has come, our Lord Jesus Christ will be physically and visibly present here on the earth ruling over the Kingdom.
Finally, the Kingdom of God is going to overthrow and permanently replace the kingdoms of men. It will not run as a parallel government with those of human rulers. And it is not going to be an invisible kingdom ruled by Christ from His throne over there in heaven.
