One cannot read the words of Jesus Christ without being impressed with the emphasis that He placed on those truths regarding the kingdom of God. No other theme so dominated and so colored His message as the reality of the present kingdom of God. In the four gospels alone, the word kingdom occurs almost 125 times. In fact, the whole life of Jesus Christ with all His mighty miracles was simply a demonstration of the power and glory of that kingdom that He so desired that man would come to understand.

The very first command that Jesus issued included a declaration of this kingdom message. "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) In other words, entrance into God's heavenly kingdom was now available to those who were willing to meet the requirements. The gospel of Mark also bears the same record, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15) As Jesus traveled about from village to village healing the sick, raising the dead, and opening blind eyes, His message was the same: "the gospel of the kingdom of God." (Mark 1:14) "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Matthew 9:35)

The prophets of old accurately foretold the establishment of this kingdom that Jesus declared. "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 FOREVER." (DANIEL 2:44) "And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: his dominion is an EVERLASTING dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED." (Daniel 7:14) These prophecies were fulfilled in the very person of Jesus Christ. Every truth that He taught, every supernatural work that He accomplished rested upon His authority as King of a heavenly kingdom that was now in the reach of man.

Listen to this remarkable prophecy given by the angel Gabriel to Mary, "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall REIGN over the house of Jacob FOREVER; and of his kingdom there SHALL BE NO END." (Luke 1:31-33) One cannot help but see the close correlation between this prophecy and those given by the prophet Daniel. The coming of Jesus Christ ushered in the true Kingdom Age with our Lord Jesus Christ Himself ruling as the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is for this reason that Jesus could say, "The time is fulfilled..." (Mark 1:15)

As Jesus stood before the Roman judgment seat, Pilate asked a rather significant question, "Art thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world..." (John 18:37) Shortly after this incident, as Pilate handed Jesus over to the Jews to be crucified, he declared, "Behold your King!" (John 19:14) The Apostle Peter, recalling that wonderful scene on the Mount of Transfiguration, said, "We...were eyewitnesses of his majesty." (I Peter 1:16) After Jesus arose from the dead, as He appeared to His disciples, He "spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matt.28:18) Jesus was born a king, He walked the earth as a king, He died a king, and He arose a king.

The type of kingdom that Jesus offered to man was not a political, material kingdom. His kingdom was, and is, a spiritual kingdom with greater reality than any physical kingdom could ever afford. Man is so in tune with this earthly existence that, by nature, he is unable to comprehend the true spiritual character of God's kingdom. Jesus plainly stated, "My kingdom is not of this world..." (John 19:36) On another occasion, He 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 1 7:20-21) In other words, the kingdom of God is first and foremost a STATE OF BEING IN GOD. The Apostle Paul echoed this same truth when he plainly stated that the kingdom of God does not consist of such outward physical manifestations as eating and drinking. Instead, the Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality demonstrated by "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17) "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (I Cor. 15:50)

If, on the one hand, the kingdom of God is available to man, yet, on the other hand, the kingdom of God is not of a physical nature, how can one enter into such a kingdom? Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, posed a similar question when he came to Jesus by night. "Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Again in verse five, Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Those who wish to become citizens of God's kingdom must experience a total spiritual transformation called the new birth. Entrance into this heavenly kingdom is reserved only for those who are willing to repent, surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, the King of God's kingdom, and allow the Holy Spirit to come into their hearts.

(Reprinted from Number 364, March 1994 issue of "The Testimony of Truth" with permission from "People of the Living God")

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