D201 Lesson 3: The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

Key Verse: "Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" John 3:5 (NKJV)

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to help the student understand what it means to enter and live in the kingdom of God.

The Bible speaks of two SPIRITUAL kingdoms—the kingdom of GOD and the kingdom of SATAN.

Matthew 12:26–28 (NKJV) “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The term KINGDOM OF GOD is not found in the Old Testament but the thought of God as KING OF ISRAEL and of the whole EARTH is found.

Isaiah 43:15 (NKJV) “I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

Psalm 47:2 (NKJV) “For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.”

Psalm 145:11–13 (NKJV) “They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, 12 to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

There are many WORLDLY kingdoms.

Matthew 4:8–10 (NKJV) “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ 10 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

The kingdoms of this world are under the DECEPTION of the DEVIL, i.e., Satan.

Revelation 12:9 (NKJV) “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

The kingdoms of men are under the sovereign RULE of God MOST HIGH.

Daniel 4:17 (NKJV) “This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men.”

Psalm 103:19 (NKJV) “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.”

Acts 17:26 (NKJV) “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,”

Other kingdoms rise and fall, but the kingdom of God is EVERLASTING.

Psalm 145:13 (NKJV) “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

Daniel 7:14 (NKJV) “Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”

2 Peter 1:11 (NKJV) “for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the REMISSION of sins and to PREPARE THE WAY for the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 1:4 (NKJV) “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

Matthew 3:1–2 (NKJV) “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’”

The Time is Fulfilled

The New Testament era began with both John the Baptist and Jesus announcing the coming of the kingdom of God (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15) John saw Jesus' coming as One who would bring both gather those who repent and believe and judge those who do not. John misunderstood these two aspects of Christ’s ministry as happening simultaneously. John observed, however, that Jesus gathered the wheat (harvest of souls) but was not “burning the chaff” (unbelievers). As a result, John was confused. Jesus replied by noting the "signs" or "miracles" in His ministry which fulfilled the Messianic prophecy found in Isaiah 35:5ff. John had not understood that judgment would be rendered at His Second Coming. Although John the Baptist and Jesus both announced the kingdom of heaven, there is a basic difference between the two. John proclaimed that the kingdom of God was imminent in its arrival, whereas Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom had arrived (Mark 1:15). The time prophesied by the prophets was now fulfilled (Luke 4:21). Jesus could now say what John could not say, "The kingdom of God has come upon you." (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20) John the Baptist was a forerunner, a herald, who stood at the threshold between the former age and the coming age. As such, he announced the coming of the new kingdom order under the New Covenant while remaining part of the former order under the Old Covenant. Jesus said concerning John the Baptist, "Among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11). As the King, Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God as foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. Therefore, the coming of the kingdom is directly connected with the Person of Jesus Christ. The First Coming of Jesus in His Incarnation marked the inauguration of the kingdom of God on earth whereas the Second Coming of Jesus will mark the consummation of His kingdom on earth during His Millennial reign.

The GOSPEL of the kingdom is vital part of the gospel message.

Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV) “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”

Matthew 9:35 (NKJV) “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

Matthew 10:7 (NKJV) “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Matthew 24:14 (NKJV) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Acts 8:12 (NKJV) “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

The terms “kingdom of GOD” and “kingdom of HEAVEN” are synonymous.

Only Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” in his Gospel. Everywhere else in the New Testament we find the term “kingdom of God, with occasional variances such as the “kingdom of Christ”, “kingdom of our Lord”, or “heavenly kingdom”.

Matthew wrote his Gospel primarily to a Jewish audience. Matthew was sensitive to their reverence for the name of God. To avoid profaning God’s name, they would often substitute “heaven”.

The two terms are interchangeable in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and, therefore, can be accepted as synonymous in meaning. Example:

Matthew 12:28 (NKJV) “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Luke 11:20 (NKJV) “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The kingdom of heaven is ruled by God’s anointed King, His Son JESUS CHRIST.

Psalm 2:6–8 (NKJV) “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” 7 ‘I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.’”

Isaiah 9:6–7 (NKJV) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

John 18:37 (NKJV) “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’”

The kingdom of God will suffer great OPPOSITION by those who love the darkness of this world. Therefore, those who seek to enter it must be DETERMINED.

Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

John 3:19–21 (NKJV) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

The kingdom of God, though opposed, will not be SHAKEN.

Hebrews 12:25–28 (NKJV) “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ 27 Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

The kingdom of God will SUBDUE all other kingdoms.

Daniel 2:44 (NKJV) “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

Daniel 7:13–14 (NKJV) “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”

1 Corinthians 15:24–25 (NKJV) “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.”

Revelation 11:15 (NKJV) “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’

Christ’s kingdom is not OF THIS WORLD.

John 18:36 (NKJV) “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.’”

The kingdom of God on earth is not a VISIBLE kingdom.

Luke 17:20–21 (NKJV) “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; 21 nor will they say, “See here”’ or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’”

The kingdom of God will not come with the outward observation of political power and glory like earthly kingdoms. The kingdom of God needs no earthly capital, boundaries, headquarters, or economy. Christ's throne is in heaven and His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that rules over all other kingdoms. (Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:34-35) Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

The kingdom of God can be ENTERED and INHERITED.

Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Matthew 23:13 (NKJV) “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

Matthew 25:34 (NKJV) “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

Matthew 25:34 (NKJV) “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:’”

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (NKJV) “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Christ establishes His kingdom WITHIN or in the MIDST of His people.

The presence of the King assures the presence of His kingdom.

Luke 17:20–21 (NKJV) “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; 21 nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’”

Matthew 18:20 (NKJV) “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Colossians 1:27 (NKJV) “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The mystery of “Christ in you” is the DNA of the kingdom of God on earth.

The kingdom of God is not about keeping external ceremonial laws or about enjoying personal liberties in Christ but about RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, and JOY in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17 (NKJV) “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

The authenticity of the kingdom of God is not found in WORD but in POWER.

1 Corinthians 4:20 (NKJV) “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”

1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (NKJV) “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Romans 15:18–19 (NKJV) “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

The kingdom of God is a MYSTERY so that is remains HIDDEN to those who do not believe.

Luke 8:9–10 (NKJV) “Then His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘What does this parable mean?’ 10 And He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that “Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”’”

The CHURCH is not the kingdom of God on earth but REPRESENTS the kingdom. It might be said that local churches are Christ’s kingdom EMBASSIES on earth. Christians are called to be AMBASSADORS for God in calling men to be reconciled to God.

The kingdom of God had a PAST reality in CHRIST’S earthly ministry.

Luke 10:24 (NKJV) “for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

The kingdom of God has a PRESENT reality through the CHURCH, the PREACHING of the gospel of the kingdom, and the presence and power of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Matthew 16:18–19 (NKJV) “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 12:28 (NKJV) “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The kingdom of God will have a FUTURE consummation at Christ’s return.

Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Talents

1 Corinthians 15:50 (NKJV) “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”

2 Timothy 4:18 (NKJV) “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

Jesus taught us to PRAY for His kingdom to come on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.

Matthew 6:9–10 (NKJV) “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”

What are the IMPLICATIONS of the kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of God demands from us REPENTANCE and FAITH.

Matthew 18:3-4 Humbling ourselves as a child

Matthew 7:21 Doing the will of the Father

Matthew 5:20 Having a righteousness which exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees

John 3:3, 5 Must be born again

John 3:16 Must believe in God's Son Jesus

The Kingdom of God demands nothing less than total COMMITMENT.

Matthew 6:33 Seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness

Matthew 13:44-45 Willing to sell all to obtain the kingdom

Matthew 5:29 Willing to remove the offending eye and hand

Luke 14:33 Willing to hate loved ones, if necessary, to follow Christ

Luke 14:28-32 Must count the cost before seeking the kingdom of God

The kingdom of God implies cosmic REDEMPTION.

Ephesians 1:9-10 Summing up all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on earth

Colossians 1:19-20 Through his blood Jesus has reconciled all things to himself, things both in heaven and on earth

Romans 8:19-21 Creation itself awaits the revealing of the sons of God

Those who are FAITHFUL in the kingdom of God in this world will be REWARDED with greater position and authority in the kingdom in the age to come.

Daniel 7:18 (NKJV) “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”

Daniel 7:27 (NKJV) “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

Luke 12:32 (NKJV) “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

The consummation of the kingdom of God on earth at Christ’s Second Coming is often referred to as Christ’s MILLENNIAL Reign.

Psalm 72 The Glory and Universality of Messiah’s Reign

Isaiah 2:1-4 (NKV) "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."

Isaiah 11:6-9 (NKJV) “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

Revelation 20:4 (NKJV) “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”