The Kingdom: A Spiritual Dominion
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God
should come, he (Jesus) answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God
cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo
there! for, behold the kingdom of God IS within you” (Luke 17:20-21).
If we can believe anyone, surely we can believe the Lord Jesus Christ.
Surely we can believe John the Baptist, Peter and Paul the apostles, and
Daniel the Prophet. We may not believe a preacher, or a politician, or
even the President -- especially the President, but surely we can
believe the Son of God. Surely we can believe John the Baptist, of whom
Jesus said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater," Surely we can believe Peter who was the spokesman for the
church on the day of Pentecost, and devoted his life to the faith.
Surely we can believe Paul who wrote most of the New Testament letters,
and was beheaded for his Testimony. Surely we can believe Daniel who
received a revelation about the Kingdom that was SURE. Don’t take my
word for it, just believe the Scriptures.
The Kingdom of Christ (of God, of Heaven) is a spiritual dominion and
can only be “spiritually discerned," “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God," – “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:9-16).
In order to spiritually understand the
Kingdom of Christ it is helpful to look at the Prophecy of WHEN it would
begin. Daniel wrote, “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” (read Dan. 2:31-45). And in the days of these kings is
referring to when the Roman Empire ruled the then know world at the time
Christ, the stone cut out without hands, came and the God of heaven set
up a kingdom.
I personally believe the kingdom of Christ, the Messiah, began when
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1-2, 13-17, Luke
3:21-23). Jesus was born the Prince of Peace, predestined to sit upon
the throne of David, and upon his kingdom (Isa. 9:6-7) as the King of
Kings (Matt. 2:2) which is what the title Christ or Messiah means (John
1:41, 49, 4:25). But his Baptism seems to be the time which fulfilled
the words of Daniel "unto the Messiah the Prince" (Dan. 9:25). Mark
tells us, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: -” (read Mark
1:9-15). The words “the time is fulfilled” refers back to Daniel’s
prophecies. The words “at hand” means near or nigh - or about to happen.
There are some who teach that The Kingdom of Christ is a future blessing
for the Jewish Nation. They say it will be an earthly materialistic
physical reign, in the physically restored Temple, in the natural city
of Jerusalem, to be observed in literal time as man knows time, in
fulfillment to the promise made the Jewish Nation with regards to the
land of Canaan, and to king David, as recorded in Psalms 132:11 and Isa.
9:6-7, etc. etc.. However, Peter told “the house of Israel” on the day
of Pentecost, that promise was fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ
who IS now sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on High (Acts
2:29-36).
The question IS, did Jesus know what he was talking about when he said
"The time IS fulfilled, the kingdom of God IS at hand," The futurist say
Jesus offered himself to the Jews as their King, but because he was
rejected, God had to postpone the Kingdom, in order to fulfill the
promise. Thus this man-made theory of a Postponed or future Millennial
Kingdom, which according to time would have now been postponed two
thousand years, is derived from man’s inability to spiritually discern
the things of God. When man-made theories call into question the
credibility of the words of The Son of God and great servants of God, we
should be put on notice, and take heed, lest we be deceived.
In the New Testament the word "Kingdom" and the terms "Kingdom of
Heaven" and "Kingdom of God" are often synonymous and interchangeable.
Mark 1:14 says "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God". Matthew 4:12 reads
"Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed
into Galilee --". Matt. 4:17 reads "From that time Jesus began to
preach, and to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven IS at hand". These
are the exact same events. Matt 4:23 adds, "And Jesus went about all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom". Obviously both Matthew and Mark are speaking of the same
thing, but using different terms. The terms are interchanged in Matthew
19:23-24: Jesus says, "Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God". It is obvious that Jesus is
talking about the same kingdom, but as strange as it may be, some
preachers go to College to get some professor to help them to
misunderstand this.
The Gospel or Good News about The Kingdom was the first message the Jews
heard after what is understood to be a four hundred year period of
silence from God's prophets. That is the approximate time between the
last writings of the Prophet Malachi in the Old Testament and the
Message of John the Baptist, who was "the forerunner or Herald of the
King", as he came on the scene preaching "Repent ye, for the kingdom of
heaven IS at hand" (Matt 3:1-2). John the Baptist was ordained by God
while yet in the womb to "go before him (Christ) in the spirit and power
of Elias - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Lk. 1:13-17).
His message was clear "I am not the Christ -- I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord -- And
seeing Jesus coming unto him, he said "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHICH
TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD" (John 1:19-29). Are we to assume that
John did not know what he was talking about when he said The kingdom of
heaven IS at hand. John knew what IS meant!
The Gospel of the Kingdom was the first message Jesus preached after he
began his earthly ministry. Jesus was not ignorant when he began his
ministry. He knew he was to be about his Father’s business. After being
baptized at about thirty years old, the Spirit of God descended upon him
and his heavenly Father said "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased" (Luke 3: 21-23). Jesus was then tempted by the Devil "in all
points like as we are, yet without sin". He overcame Satan by the word
of God. (Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Heb 4:15). He went into the
synagogue and read a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2, and then
announced “This day IS this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke
4:16-21).
God does not leave us in darkness to depend upon man's theories or ideas
as to what is the Kingdom of God. God tells What the Kingdom of God IS!
Jesus said "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation -- for behold
the kingdom of God IS within you" (Luke 17:20-21). The word
"observation" comes from the Greek word "parateresis" and means
"inspection or ocular evidence". This teaches that the Kingdom of God
can not be seen with the physical eye. Jesus said "BEHOLD the kingdom of
God IS within you". Jesus said, “My kingdom IS not of this world," Are
we to believe that Jesus did not know what the word IS meant ?
When Jesus had by himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right hand
of his Father on high, who said to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is
forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy
Kingdom” (Heb 1:8). Paul wrote, “For the kingdom of God IS NOT meat and
drink (is not that which can be observed with the eyes or touched
physically) but righteousness, and peace, and joy IN the Holy Ghost”
(Rom. 14:17). The kingdom of Christ IS His Spiritual Domain.
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