{"id":218,"date":"2018-02-15T18:30:34","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T18:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publications.cog7.org\/?page_id=218"},"modified":"2022-01-03T15:06:08","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T15:06:08","slug":"the-kingdom-of-god","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/publications.cog7engage.net\/tracts-books\/tracts\/biblical-studies\/the-kingdom-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kingdom of God"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Click Cover to Download<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven) is realized in three phases:<\/p>\n

I. Present Kingdom<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The spiritual kingdom of grace exists now as God rules in the lives of obedient believers. This kingdom was announced and revealed through the prophets and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We enter this kingdom when we turn from our sin to serve God through faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

II. Millennial Kingdom of Christ<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Jesus will return to earth in power and glory to resurrect the righteous dead, bestow immortality and eternal life upon the resurrected and the living righteous, avenge the saints, and be glorified in them. His earthly reign of one thousand years will be a universal kingdom in which all principalities, powers, and enemies are overcome. At its conclusion, the unrighteous will be resurrected to suffer annihilation at the great white throne judgment.<\/p>\n

III. Eternal Kingdom of God<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 God\u2019s eternal kingdom will begin when Jesus Christ, having put all enemies under His feet, turns the kingdom over to the Father. God will dwell with the redeemed in a new heaven and a new earth where no disappointment, defilement, or death can enter and where righteousness and peace will prevail forever.<\/p>\n

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Introduction<\/h2>\n

The Bible describes God as filling many roles. We meet Him in the sacred pages as Creator, Sustainer, King, Lawgiver, and Judge of the universe; as Covenant-maker and Redeemer for the elect; and as heavenly Father for those who become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

In this study we will consider God as King, the sovereign Ruler of all things. Whatever happens in the universe for time and eternity passes first through the Divine counsel. Nothing can escape His knowledge or frustrate His plan. Our God reigns!<\/p>\n

He is the King eternal (1 Timothy 1:17<\/a>), the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings (6:15). He is the Lord of heaven and earth (Acts 17:24<\/a>) who reigns over all (1 Chronicles 29:11<\/a>,\u00a012<\/a>). Eternity is an attribute of God, and we should not be surprised to read that His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom (Exodus 15:18<\/a>;\u00a0Psalm 10:16<\/a>;\u00a029:10<\/a>;\u00a0145:11-13<\/a>;\u00a0Jeremiah 10:10<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Among the children of men under the sun, the Lord God omnipotent rules (Revelation 19:6<\/a>). This suggests a working definition for the\u00a0kingdom of God<\/em>: the realm where the true God of heaven rules and reigns.<\/p>\n

Any kingdom comprises at least three components: 1) a king to rule, 2) subjects over whom the king rules, and 3) a domain, or territory, for his reign. In the case of God\u2019s kingdom, He is the king. His subjects include all creatures that submit to Him, but especially the people He has both created and redeemed through grace.<\/p>\n

As domain for God\u2019s kingdom, we may think first of heaven, where God\u2019s subjects are the angels and His will is perfectly done. The prayer Jesus taught expands the domain: \u201cThy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven\u201d (KJV). The kingdom whose throne is in heaven, then, is established anywhere on earth His will is obeyed.<\/p>\n

Throughout this study, we will use the phrase\u00a0kingdom of heaven<\/em>\u00a0as a synonym for the\u00a0kingdom of God<\/em>\u00a0on earth, just as Scripture does. These two phrases are used interchangeably in the Bible, as the following verses demonstrate.<\/p>\n