What is the nature of the kingdom of God?

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, Look, here it is! or There! for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

The Pharisees ask when the kingdom of God would come and he [Jesus] answered that it isn’t coming with signs that could be seen. As a result, nobody could say, “Look, here it is.” It was all around them.

After being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus elaborates on the coming of the kingdom even further to His disciples (only recorded in Luke). He tells them that there will come a day when they long it to be like when the Son of Man was with them but it won’t be so (vs 22). He says this won’t happen between the time He is “rejected by this generation” (vs 25) and “when the Son of Man is revealed” (vs 30).

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.

Jesus said His kingdom wasn’t of this world. If it were, His followers would be physically fighting against those trying to kill Him. But, as it is, His kingdom isn’t of this world.

Jesus is standing trial before Pilot in the early morning hours before His crucifixion. Pilot asks Him twice if He is a King. Jesus never directly answers.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

In his second year, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream that bothered him but nobody could interpret for him. Until he called on Daniel. His dream (vss 32-35) was of a large image, “The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”The interpretation (from God) was that each component represented kingdoms that would follow his own. In the days of those kings, God would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed or passed to another people. It would break and end those kingdoms and stand forever.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus began preaching for everyone to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus is beginning His public ministry, taking over from John the Baptist who had the exact same message (Matthew 3:2).

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

He will be great and called Son of the Most High. God will give him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.

The angel Gabriel (vs 26) is speaking to Mary about the child she will conceive and bear, calling his name Jesus (vs 31).

Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered him [Nicodemus] with a truism in stating that one must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus didn’t understand and asked how someone who is old could be born again as he couldn’t enter back into his mother’s womb. Jesus answered by expounding on the same truth adding that unless one is born of water and the Spirit [born again] he cannot enter [see] the kingdom of God.

Jesus is approached at night (in secret) by Nicodemus, a Pharisee and “ruler of the Jews” (vs 1).

But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Philip preached the good news about the kingdom of God and Jesus, and as they believed they were baptized, both men and women.

The persecution of Christians by the non-believing Jews has begun and as a result the gospel news is spreading beyond Jerusalem into Samaria (vss 4-5).

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.

After appointing a day, they came to his quarters in greater numbers. He preached all day, giving witness to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Jesus using the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Some were convicted by His words and believed, while other didn't.

Paul has finally arrived at Rome (as a prisoner). He has greeted the brethren (fellow Christians) and is calling for an audience with his Jewish brethren (vs 17) to share more about the “hope of Israel” (vs 20). Some believed and others didn’t, but Paul ended up staying two years “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs 31)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome and a section dealing with disagreements on matters of opinion with those “weak in faith” (vs 1). He illustrates with things that can be eaten (vs 2) and days that might be celebrated (vs 5). His point is, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (vs 13)

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He has taken us from the world of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son who redeems us from our sins.

Paul’s opening/greeting to the “brothers in Christ at Colossae” (vs 2).

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John addressing the seven churches in Asia: Grace and peace from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His thorn, and from Jesus the true witness, firstborn of the dead and ruler of kings on earth. To Him who loves and freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever. Amen.

The book of Revelation is what John saw and was told to write down (1:1-2). Using “in the Spirit” as a structural marker, the book can be sectioned into four visions in particular:

• Vision One (1:9-3:22) – Jesus speaking to the seven churches
• Vision Two (4:1-16:21) – Seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls of wrath; “one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls” introduces the last two (and therefore possibly connected):
  • Vision Three (17:1-21:8) – Babylon the Harlot
  • Vision Four (21:9-22:5) – Jerusalem the Bride

But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

But in this order: first [was] Christ’s resurrection, then the resurrection of those that belong to Him when He comes [again]. Finally, the end when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed every rule, authority and power. Because of this, He must reign until He has put all of His enemies under His feet.

Paul is making a great defense for the resurrection of Jesus and what that means for the Christian’s faith. Without Jesus being raised, their faith would be “in vain” (vs 14), they’d still be in their sins (vs 17), the dead “in Christ” would have truly perished (vs 18) and everyone else “in Christ” should be “most pitied” (vs 19). He then shifts to highlight an order of things that begins in verse 20 and continues through 28.

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Jesus went all over Galilee teaching in their synagogues about the gospel of the kingdom while healing them of all kinds of disease and affliction.

Jesus’ public ministry begins.

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you.

When received by someone in a town, eat what they provide. Heal the sick and tell them that the kingdom of God has come near.

Jesus is sending out the seventy-two after having sent the apostles out to “proclaim the kingdom of God” (9:60). Jesus’ instruction also notes those that may “not receive you” – they are rejecting the kingdom of God (vss 10-11).

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

The Father has handed everything over to the Son. Nobody knows the Son except the Father, and nobody knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal the Father.

Jesus has sent out the seventy-two to preach “the kingdom of heaven” with power to heal and they have returned rejoicing that “even the demons are subject to us in your name” (vs 17).

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

As a result, let’s be grateful for joining a kingdom that cannot be moved and offer acceptable worship to God – with reverence and awe – for He is a consuming fire.

In a letter dedicated to reminding the faithful to “hold fast” and remember the “better” things in Christ, the writer is making a final plea in a series of “Therefore’s”. In his grand conclusion and “victory chapter”, he argues their endurance is for the spiritual Promised Land – a city that is not made with hands (vs 26). This text beginning in vs 22 correlates with the throne scene and the 144,000 in Revelation 14 as well as the prophet Haggai’s temple/kingdom prophecy in Haggai 2.

You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

You [Apostles] have stayed with me in my trials, and as my Father assigned to me, I now assign to you a kingdom, where you will eat and drink at my table and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

It is Jesus’ final week and they are in the upper room. The apostles are arguing about who will be greatest in the kingdom and Jesus addresses their argument by showing how He himself served, and they must as well.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Therefore, you have come to Mt Zion, the city of God, the spiritual Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering with all the assembly of the firstborn who have their names written in heaven, together with God who judges all and the spirits of believers now perfected, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than Abel’s blood.

The Hebrews writer’s grand conclusion and “victory chapter” in defense of all things “better” that the Christian enjoys. Ultimately, he argues their endurance is for the spiritual Promised Land – a city that is not made with hands (vs 26) – and they should be “grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (vs 28). This text correlates with the throne scene and the 144,000 in Revelation 14 as well as the prophet Haggai’s temple/kingdom prophecy in Haggai 2.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

May your [God’s] kingdom come and will be done, on earth as it is already in heaven.

Jesus’ sermon on the mount as recorded by Matthew, where he introduces the kingdom He is to establish and describes its nature and the nature of its citizens. In this section, He is teaching them how to pray.

Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

David, as a prophet, knew God's sworn promise that his descendant would occupy his throne. He foresaw Christ's resurrection: Christ was not left in Hades and his body did not undergo corruption.

The very first gospel sermon given on the day of Pentecost by Peter. His main message is focused on telling the crowd that the man they had just crucified (Jesus) had risen (vs 23-24) and is sitting on David’s throne in heaven. He quotes David’s own prophetic words (vs 25-28) that incorporates a contrast that Peter makes throughout – Jesus’s body did not “see corruption” (vs 27, 31) while David’s body is in the tomb even to “this day,” the implication being that David’s body has seen corruption.