Is the kingdom strictly future, or did it begin with our Lord's resurrection? Is the church the kingdom, as some teach, or will we have to wait for Christ's return?
The kingdom promises have a future fulfillment.
Just prior to His ascension, the Lord's apostles asked the same question…
Acts 1:6-9 – 6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." 9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.It is significant that they would ask this very question after having been taught by the Lord for three full years, and then having just finished a forty day graduate seminar in the kingdom of God…
Acts 1:3 – To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.It is clear that they had been given no reason to believe that the church was the kingdom, nor that the kingdom had been established at Christ's resurrection, nor that it was soon to be established at Christ's ascension, nor at Pentecost.
This would have been the perfect opportunity for our Lord to explain to them that the church is the kingdom, or at least to say that, in a sense, the church is the kingdom. But He did not explain the kingdom in this way. He simply told them that it was not for them to know when the kingdom would be established.
There are profound implications to His reply. First… if the church over which they were overseers was the kingdom, then it would have been very important and appropriate for them to know this, and to know that it had already been established, or soon would be; but our Lord said that it was not for them to know. Second… by saying that "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power", our Lord acknowledged that the kingdom will be established at some future time or season.
Long after the resurrection and the day of Pentecost, Paul taught that the kingdom was still future…
Acts 14:22 – strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."To say that the Church is the Kingdom, as many do, is to repeat an error of those who said that the resurrection had already occurred.2 Timothy 4:18 – The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:18 – men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.Paul looked forward to the kingdom of Christ, and he understood that the kingdom would not be ushered in apart from the glorification (and resurrection) of the saints.
Those who taught that "the resurrection is past already" thus taught that the kingdom had already been established, in spite of the fact that sin, suffering and death were still very much present in the world and in the church. To teach that the kingdom has already come in this present sin-cursed world is to deny the blessed perfection of the kingdom.
Even the church, with all its blessings in Christ, is still struggling with and suffering under many of the effects of sin and of the curse. Christians have been justified and have a perfect standing in Christ, it is true. We also have an unshakable hope of eternal life. We are also empowered by the Spirit of God. We have access to the throne of grace. We enjoy fellowship with other believers in Christ. We have the privilege and joy of knowing God and communing with Him.
All these things are true. Nevertheless, we often succumb to sin. We suffer persecution. We grow old and die. To say that the kingdom has already come is to deny the glorious blessedness and perfection of the kingdom of Christ.
Such a mistaken view of the kingdom was regarded by Paul to "overthrow the faith" of people. Why would he use such strong language? …because the glorious kingdom of Christ is given to us as our expectant hope, a mighty incentive to purity, sacrificial obedience and fervent witness…
Hebrews 12:1-2 – 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.In what sense was the kingdom "at hand"?Hebrews 12:28 – Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
But what about the passages which seem to teach that the kingdom had already come? The message of both Jesus and John the Baptist was Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…
Matthew 3:1-2 – 1Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."Doesn't this prove that the kingdom was established during, or shortly after, Christ's earthly ministry? We need to understand what they meant by saying that "the kingdom is at hand."Matthew 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
We have already examined many passages which clearly teach that the kingdom is still future. The expression "at hand" denotes nearness… not necessarily nearness in time, but rather nearness in terms of opportunity and witness. Our Lord's earthly ministry represented a unique testimony to the nature of His kingdom, and especially to its entrance requirements.
Here was the King Himself, revealing many facets of His kingdom, and inviting men and women into that kingdom. Here was a singular opportunity to learn about the kingdom and to discover what one must do to enter into it.
Jesus is declared to be "The Way" (John 14:6) and "The door of the sheep" (John 10:7-9). To enter into life, one must enter through Him. The kingdom had drawn near because Jesus, the door to the kingdom, had appeared. Whoever would enter Christ's kingdom must enter through the door. Whoever trusts in Jesus and His sacrificial death for forgiveness enters the door and will be found in Christ's kingdom on that glorious day when the New Jerusalem descends from heaven.
We read in other places as well that the kingdom had "come near" or "come upon" the Jewish people…
Luke 10:11 – 'Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.'The kingdom of God came "near" and "upon" the Jews in the person of Christ, and in His teaching and miracles. The kingdom had come "near" in terms of witness and opportunity... if men would heed and obey His teaching, then they could have the confidence that they would someday enter His kingdom. His miracles displayed the restorative power by which His kingdom will someday be established… see Isaiah 35 and Hebrews 6:5.Luke 11:20 – "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Once John and Jesus began preaching the kingdom of God, men began "pressing into it"…
Luke 16:16 – "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.This does not suggest that the kingdom had already been established. It only means that men were striving now to enter, in order that, when Christ establishes His kingdom, they will be received into it.
Other passages which suggest that the kingdom was already present.
There are other passages which cannot be explained in this way.
There are some here who shall not taste death…
Mark 9:1 – And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."The very next verse describes the transfiguration, where three of the apostles witnessed Jesus in His kingdom glory, together with Moses and Elijah…
Mark 9:2 – Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them;Had this been merely a vision, it could be said that the three disciples saw the kingdom coming in power. But this was more than a vision, for Jesus was truly and literally transfigured before them, along with Moses and Elijah.
The kingdom of God is within you…
Luke 17:20-21 – 20Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; 21nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."To say that "the kingdom of God comes not with observation" (as it is in some translations) does not imply that it will come gradually. Rather, it means that there is no point sitting idly by waiting for it to come, for no man knows the day or hour when it will come. Yet, there is a gradual aspect to the kingdom… as we await the day when Christ returns to establish His kingdom, He is calling out from the nations an elect people who will inhabit His future kingdom as His devoted subjects.
The kingdom of God was "in their midst" in the sense that Jesus, the King, and His loyal subjects were present with them, bearing witness to the true nature of the kingdom. It could not refer to the kingdom of God being in their hearts, for Jesus addressed this statement to self-righteous Pharisees, who were strangers to His kingdom.
I will not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God…
Luke 22:16-18 – 16for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; 18for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."Our Lord did eat with His disciples after His resurrection (John 21:9-15), however, at the last supper, when He said "I shall never again eat it", He was speaking of the Passover meal (see Luke 22:15). He will not eat another Passover meal with the disciples until He returns to establish His kingdom.
God has translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son…
Paul uses the past tense to speak of our entrance into the kingdom…
Colossians 1:13 – For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,But he elsewhere uses the past tense to say that God has already glorified us…
Romans 8:30 – and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.Our future inheritance has been secured by the blood of Christ, and so Scripture sometimes refers to it as already completed. We should not conclude from such passages that the kingdom has already arrived.Ephesians 2:5-6 – 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
The earnest of the Spirit.
We thus see that the scripture never says that the kingdom has already come, except in the sense that the King has come, and is presently calling out disciples to join Him in His future kingdom. Granted, we see a glimmer of kingdom blessings in the Spirit's work in our hearts and lives as He conforms us to the image of our Lord. But we should remember that the Spirit is only a "down payment" of what God has prepared for us…
2 Corinthians 1:22 – who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.When Christians speak of the kingdom in the present tense, this is usually what is meant… God ruling over the hearts of His people through His Spirit. I certainly agree with this teaching, although I hesitate to call it "the kingdom", since that term is reserved in Scripture for the glorious future kingdom which Christ will establish at His return.2 Corinthians 5:5 – Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
Ephesians 1:14 – who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
When we consider John the Baptist, we see yet another evidence that the kingdom spoken of by our Lord has not yet been established. Our Lord taught…
Matthew 11:11 – "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.If we are presently in the kingdom, then we must ask in what sense the "least" person in the church is greater than John the Baptist.
Some might suggest that every Christian has a perfect standing in Christ which surpasses John's personal righteousness. However, that would be an unfair comparison. We are told time and again in Scripture that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:1-5; Galatians 3:5-7). Jesus here says that "there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist", which means, among other things, that Abraham was not greater than John the Baptist. Yet, Abraham was justified by faith, and we may rest assured that John and every Old Testament saint was likewise justified by faith and thereby received Christ's righteousness. If our Lord was referring to one's standing in Christ, then John was just as great as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus says that the least in the kingdom is greater than John!
If standing is not in view here, then it must be the power of the Spirit's work in one's heart, life and testimony that is meant. In Christ's outpouring of His Spirit upon the believers at Pentecost, we see a glimpse of the transforming and restorative power which will be operational in the kingdom. We commonly think of the tongues and healing which accompanied this power, but we should remember that the Spirit also gave the disciples a boldness in their witness for Christ, and a great concern for the welfare of their brothers in Christ.
Yet, the power of Pentecost has proved to be, not the universal experience of all believers, but only an early, temporary foretaste of the Spirit's future power in Christ's kingdom. Each generation of Christians has longed for the boldness and oneness of heart experienced by the early church. And even though some claim that we can experience Pentecostal power today, it is still an indisputable fact that this power has been the exception rather than the rule through church history (and is certainly not the experience of every believer today).
We know full well that, if John the Baptist were alive today, his boldness, purity of life and outspoken witness for the Lord would put us to shame. Over the centuries, the greatest in the church have rarely lived up to John's standard. It is simply untrue that the least in the church are greater than John!
But in Christ's earthly kingdom, the work of the Spirit will be manifest and lasting. He will empower believers to astonishing heights of witness and devotion. The power of Pentecost will not be merely a distant memory, but the everyday experience of every believer… even of the one who is the "least" in the kingdom.