It has been said that people always criticize that which they do not understand. Milton Hall said, "Your ability to learn depends partly on your ability to relinquish what you’ve held."
Well-meaning people will occasionally caution me to be careful of those who teach the "Kingdom message." A lot of them do not really know what the "kingdom message" is, but after some discussions about it in their consortium of friends and other ministries, their misgivings were exacerbated, so they came to the conclusion that it is in error.
The message of the kingdom is not new. John the Baptist’s message was simple, “Repent…for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). The Weymouth New Testament says, "Repent…for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand." Young’s literal translation reads, “Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens.'’ Immediately following His baptism by John and His temptation in the wilderness, the scripture says, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’" (Matt. 4:17). His commission to the twelve disciples was, “As you go, preach and say, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.’” (Matt. 10:7)
Many Christian believers do not understand the kingdom, largely due to our Americanization of the Gospel. Citizens who have never lived under a monarchy or in a kingdom (the king’s domain) have difficulty wrapping their minds around the concept of a kingdom.
The problem is that, as Ern Baxter once said, "For more than 170 years another Gospel has been preached, the Gospel of postponement, which is a bastard Gospel." Most have made the kingdom of God some mystical something or other and basically because they cannot understand it, they have made it a “longing-for” term rather than a present reality. That lack of understanding is further compounded by people’s concept of what the Kingdom of heaven is. I hear many preach or teach about it as a destination, a planet where God and the angels live, or the place where we go when we die.
The kingdom of heaven is easily understood if one understands the etymology of the word “kingdom.” Kingdom is a compound word for the phrase, “king’s domain.” Wherever a king rules and reigns is that king’s domain. The term, “kingdom of heaven” is literally “the kingdom from heaven” or more literally, “the king’s domain from heaven.” It is interesting to note that the thief who was dying on a cross beside Jesus, was cognitive of kingdom language because he said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” I hear many preach that the thief was asking to go to heaven with Jesus. The truth is that following His death, Jesus did not go to heaven, but rather He went to hell and “preached to the spirits in prison.” He did not ascend to the place called Heaven until forty days following His glorious resurrection from the dead. No one can be sure as to where and when this thief got a revelation of what constituted the kingdom of God, but he knew that Jesus was coming into a kingly domain that he wanted to be a part of.
The Kingdom of God is where God has dominion; it is where He is sovereign
The Kingdom of God includes every realm that is under the complete rule and reign of God. The realms of heaven are under the sovereign rule of God as well as the earth (Psalms 103:19; Psalms 47). The Kingdom is governed by the very nature of God, such as; Love, peace, righteousness, and justice (Rom. 14:17). It is full of creativity, wisdom, joy and life. There is no death, lies, arrogance, deceit, or hatred. The Kingdom is eternal, which means it is ‘now’ as much as it is future (Psalms 145:13).
Bringing Heaven To Earth
The Kingdom of God is invading the earth through the sons of the King. The earth has been given to man to have dominion – it is his domain, given by God, to rule in a way that reflects the greater Kingdom of God (Psalms 115:16). After his resurrection Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). Jesus had won back authority over the earth from Satan (Rev. 1:18). What was lost in the Garden of Eden had now been recovered by the first-born Son, the first of many who will come after Him (Rom. 8:29). Now the sons of the King are exercising their God given mandate to have dominion over the earth and bring the atmosphere of heaven to earth (Matt. 6:10).
God’s Invasion Strategy
When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of Heaven, He was not talking about a distant destination. The kingdom of heaven (or literally, the kingdom from heaven) is the earthly realm of the universal kingdom of God. It is the colonization of the kingdom of God. Heaven has invaded the believer, who becomes an agent of change on the earth. As a believer you are seated in heavenly places with Christ ; you are in the King’s domain (Eph. 2:6). You carry the Kingdom within you (Luke 17:21). Wherever you go, whomever you speak with, whatever you do, you influence the world around you with the atmosphere of heaven. The Kingdom is infiltrating every sphere, wherever believers are in society. From political leaders to scientist, business people, social workers, entertainers, educators, mothers, dads and children. Every Kingdom-carrying believer is invading the world around them with hope, love, peace, and joy as they destroy the works of the Devil just like Jesus did (1 John 3:8).
The Kingdom is not limited to the Church; the Church is only part of the picture (Matt 13:1-52). The Kingdom is much more expansive and far reaching than our Sunday services or prayer meetings. The Kingdom is advancing wherever you go.
So 'go' into all the world, pulling on the resources of heaven to conform the earth to heaven’s likeness (Mark 16:15). It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12:32); it's what the world has been waiting for!
"Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven'" (Matt. 6:9-10, ESV, emphasis added).
