Wednesday, Oct. 23

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Jesus spoke about the Kingdom as both a present reality and as a future hope.

Present reality - But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. - Matthew 12:28

Future hope - Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  - Matthew 6:10

In fact, all throughout the Bible we find passages that talk about the Kingdom both in terms of the present and the future.  On one hand, the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colosse and tells them that they have been brought into a new kingdom... For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  - Colossians 1:13-14

On the other hand, the book of Revelation speaks about a future battle after which the Kingdom of God will finally come...Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.   - Revelation 12:10

So, which is it?  Is the Kingdom of God a present reality or a future hope?

Well, surprisingly enough, the Bible seems to indicate that both are equally true about the Kingdom of God, it is both a present reality and a future hope!  This is what theologians sometimes refer to as the “already, not yet” reality of the Kingdom.  The kingdom is already here - it was inaugurated when Jesus came to earth.  The kingdom is not yet fully realized - it will not be consummated until Christ returns.

Jesus proclaimed the nearness of God’s kingdom, when He said “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”, He was announcing that the long-awaited rule of God was near. This message was called the gospel, the good news. Thousands of people were glad to hear this, and many responded to this message.

Consider for a moment what the response would have been like if Jesus had preached, “The kingdom of God is over 2,000 years away!” This would not have been news, nor perceived as all that good. The message would have been disappointing, and public response would likely also have been disappointing. 

This is why Jesus preached the good news of the Kingdom as a present reality to His first century hearers (and to us).  The message said something about what people should do now; it had immediate relevance and urgency. It aroused interest—and called for a response. The message challenged the status quo and implied that changes were needed in civil life, in religious teachings, and in personal behavior.

The kingdom of God is here, Jesus said. His audience did not need to wait for a conquering Messiah, and neither do we — God is already ruling, and we should be sharing in the divine life right now, living in his domain, in which his will is done. We don’t yet possess a territory, but we do come under the reign of God. The kingdom does not force itself upon us – we have to voluntarily come under its influence.

Understanding that the kingdom already exists can help us give greater attention to the way the world is right now. Even so, we must not forget that the completion of the kingdom is still future. If our only hope is in this age, we don’t have much hope.

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  - 1 Corinthians 15:19

We should do not harbor illusions about bringing the kingdom with human efforts. No matter how much we try to live in a way that reflects God and his kingdom – and we should try – we cannot transform the entire world into God’s kingdom. Perfection will come when the King, the Perfect One returns. We pray for the kingdom to come - but even so, we want God’s will to be done now, as well as in the future.  When we suffer setbacks and persecutions, when we see that most people reject the gospel, we gain strength from the knowledge that the fullness of the kingdom is in a future age.  Nevertheless, even though we cannot transform this earth into a heavenly paradise, doing good is still good and it is kingdom work for His glory! 

Jeff Frazier

- Acts 1:6-8