What is the Kingdom of God?

Thank you for joining us another week for the 8-week Kingdom of God Teaching Series. For those who may be joining us for the first time, “Welcome!”. Be sure to go back and check out the previous week! Today we will be identifying, as the topic suggests, what the Kingdom of God is.

It is important to note from the outset that the Kingdom of God is not a what nor a where; but who. It differs from the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the domain of YHVH – His residence.

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The Kingdom of God was not until Christ came to earth and was manifested as can be seen in Luke 16:16. It is written that the law and prophets were until John. After that time, the Kingdom of God is preached. It began with Messiah Yeshua’s life and ministry on earth, his death, his resurrection, and the impartation of Holy Ghost into the lives of all who believe in Him to continue the work that He began. 

This kingdom consists of a people who are chosen, royal, holy, and possessed by the LORD. 1 Peter 2:9-10 CJB reveals that

you are a chosen people, the King’s cohanim, a holy nation, a people for God to possess! Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

In Mark 4:30-32, the Bible speaks of a parable that Jesus used to explain the Kingdom of God.

Yeshua also said, “With what can we compare the Kingdom of God? What illustration should we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when planted, is the smallest of all the seeds in the field; but after it has been planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants, with such big branches that the birds flying about can build nests in its shade.

Let us break this down a bit:

• Yeshua the Messiah is represented by the grain of mustard seed
• The sowing of the seed in the earth represents when He died on the cross and went down to Hades.
• The Bible declares that the mustard seed, which is sown in the earth is the smallest of all the seeds in the earth. This speaks of Yeshua becoming less than all the other prophets who had gone before Him. Covered in all of mankind’s sins and forsaken by His Father, He was less than Moses, less than Abraham, less than Jacob, less than Elijah, less than Isaiah, less than John the Baptizer. YES! He was less than ALL.
• But thanks be to the Most High God, for the Word declares that the seed when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs. Through Messiah Yeshua’s obedience, humility and resurrection, He is NOW greater than ALL. So greater that there is no other name whereby we can be saved. There is no name greater; for He was given a new name and at that name given to Yeshua HaMashiach, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is LORD to the glory of God.

Like Messiah Yeshua, we need to die as people of God’s Kingdom. We die to self and every thing of the carnal nature. When this happens, we can then rise in Him, live by the Spirit of the LORD and be seated with Christ in heavenly places.

When the Pharisees, in Luke 17:20-21, demanded of Yeshua to know when the Kingdom of God should come, He declared that the Kingdom of God does not come by observation and no one would say look it is here or it is there; but rather, the Kingdom of God is within you and within me. We are possessed by the Spirit of God and in so doing, we have become the kingdom. It is more than what we do or what we have, it is who we are. In the natural, kingdoms are marked and recognized by the wealth of the owner and what they possess in their hands. However, this kingdom is marked and recognized by the LORD’s character in us and Him who we possess in our innermost being. That’s why Apostle Paul stated in Romans 14:17 that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but it is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

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Next Thursday, we will discuss what happens within the Kingdom of God. How are we to act? What are some of the things that we should do? Let us know what are your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thank you for joining us as we learn together and grow together. Let’s  continue in our exploration of the Kingdom!