Sermon Tone Analysis

KINGDOM OF GOD (also “kingdom of the Lord,” “kingdom of heaven”).

Refers primarily to God’s kingly power exercised over creation and people.

Three primary themes about God’s kingdom emerge in biblical and extrabiblical literature:

• the everlasting duration of the kingdom;

• its present and tangible aspects in the lives of the ancient Israelites;

• the belief in a future appearance of a superior and more comprehensive kingdom of God.

The Historical Aspect of the Lord’s Kingdom

For the ancient Israelites, the kingdom of the Lord was real.

It was experienced tangibly in their lives.

This real and present nature of God’s kingdom was true in part because Israelite kings were the extension of God’s heavenly rule.

Earthly kings sat on God’s throne (1 Chr 28:5; 29:23).

Even blatant sinners—such as King Abijah—exercised God’s kingdom authority (2 Chr 13:1–8; 1 Kgs 15:1–3).

The Davidic dynasty was closely associated with the everlasting kingdom of God (1 Chr 17:11–14).

The reign of earthly rulers brought the attributes of the kingdom of heaven to Earth.

Therefore, the people experienced righteousness, justice, deliverance, and redemption (Psa 72).

The Future Aspect of the Kingdom of God

The Lord reigned particularly over Israel (e.g., Isa 43:15), yet Scripture also says that God’s authority extends beyond Israel’s borders (e.g., Psa 103:19).

The conviction that all nations were subject to the Lord’s rule needed to be reconciled with reality.

It was apparent that not all nations were subject to Him, and even Israel was not in full submission to God’s reign.

This experience led to the belief that God’s universal reign would happen at a future time.

The notion of a future comprehensive reign of God appears mainly in the prophetic books (e.g., Obad 21).

Daniel the Prophet has a vision of the future in which “one like a son of man” would exercise the rule of an everlasting dynasty (Dan 7:13–14).

People in peaceful relationship with God and one another are characteristics of this future kingdom (e.g., Zech 9:9–10; Zeph 3:14–20).

The Targums of Isaiah also mention the future kingdom (24:23; 31:4; 40:9; 52:7).

In a few nonbiblical texts, the kingdom of God involves the future defeat of spiritual enemies by “God’s Elect One” (or messiah) when He sits on His throne of glory (e.g., 1 Enoch 55:4 foresees the judgment of Azazel, an evil demon or Satan; also see Lev 16:8, 26).

Another passage says, “And then his kingdom will appear in his whole creation.

And then the Devil will have an end” (Ascension of Moses 10:1).

These writers look forward to the future establishment of God’s kingdom and the destruction of evil.