Let’s define the kingdom of God. According to the scriptures, the kingdom of God is where God has absolute rule, and all things are in total obedience and subjection unto Him at all times.
Therefore, we can rule out this current world being “in the kingdom of God”. This is how our Lord stated it,
John 18:36
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
Now listen again to our Lord.
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Why did He say that the “kingdom of God is at hand” when in John He said that the kingdom of God is not of this world? He stated that because the King of the kingdom of God was present. Wherever the King is the kingdom is present.
Where is the kingdom of God literally, it resides in the King. Where is the kingdom of God physically, it is the coming eternal age after the final judgment of the saints, the judgment of the wicked, the destruction of this current world, and finally the creation of the new heaven and new earth which is the kingdom of God.
Listen again to our Lord.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Well, what about us, how can humans be included in the kingdom of God?
What is Jesus commanding us to seek? We are to seek the King, Jesus, and His coming kingdom.
Listen to Peter.
2 Peter 3:10
Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Now listen to Paul talk about our heavenly hope.
Hebrews 11:13-16
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had the opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Now you may be thinking, okay Kevin, I understand the kingdom of God is in the future world that will exist without the possibility of sin ever existing there but what about now? Where is the kingdom of God today?
Well, the kingdom of God is only IN THE KING today. He alone is eternal therefore everyone else will have to wait until the fullness of time to enter the kingdom of God.
Well, wait a minute, Kevin!!! Are you saying that we believers are not currently in the kingdom of God? No, I didn’t say that God did.
Romans 8:18-25
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also have the first fruits of the Spirit, even though we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Are the believers in possession of this hope at this present time? Of course not! There is no righteousness in this current world however all believers are possessed by the HOPE of glory, that is we are with Christ hidden in God who is the King of the kingdom of God.
Luke 17:20-21
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU.”
Question, who is within each believer? The King, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit who is our only hope.
Colossians 1:3-5
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the HOPE WHICH IS LAID UP FOR YOU IN HEAVEN (they hope possesses the believer today, the Hope is Christ), of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
Colossians 1:24-27
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.
Remember, heaven is where God the Father resides, the heaven of heavens is where Christ resides, and earth is where Christ reigns in the heart of God’s children.
He rules sovereignly over all things however in His great wisdom and in accordance with His reconciliation plan, He has allowed sin and evil with the devil being the ruler of this present world but not where God who is the King reigns sovereignly.
Even in this present world where Satan has dominion, where Satan rules God overrules to orchestrate all things in accordance with His will and plan.
This current world is called the kingdom of heaven. It includes both righteousness and unrighteousness, good and evil, believers and unbelievers, holy angels and demons, health, and sufferings, hope and no hope, rich and poor, joy and sadness, peace and war.
The kingdom of heaven will culminate with the Millennium where Jesus reigns physically on the earth.
Matthew 8:10-12
When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Note that the kingdom of heaven can suffer, and this suffering will be violent at times.
Matthew 11:11-12
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
That is so in the kingdom of God.
Revelation 21:27
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
So, what is the significance of teaching the kingdom of God? Well, the Jews thought they were automatically in the kingdom of God based on their ethnicity and their ability to adhere to the law, that is their behavior.
Jesus, who is God, was telling them that you cannot enter the kingdom because of either of those things. They were circumcised and that was sufficient but that was the wrong type of circumcision.
You all believe that God is less righteous than He is and that you are more righteous than you are. You all are misunderstanding the scriptures. The scriptures, the law demand perfection in holiness from conception, in thoughts, as well as in deeds. That is why Jesus continually pointed to this
Matthew 5:21
Murder Begins in the Heart
(Luke 12:57–59)
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hellfire.
Matthew 5:27-28
Adultery in the Heart
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
He says more but you get the point. Jesus was basically telling the Jews that outward religion is useless garbage! They needed the circumcision of the heart.
This is what the people looked like to Jesus.
Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Mark 7-6-7
He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Matthew 15:16-19
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
This is what He should have seen in the people.
Deuteronomy 10:16
Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
Deuteronomy 30:6
And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
Jeremiah 4:4
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”
Romans 2:28-29
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Colossians 2:11-12
In Him, you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Now let’s address the second part of your question. With respect to the behavior, these will be the Millennium kingdom rules. In that day all the Jews will be saved, born filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 24:4-7
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.
For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. Then I WILL GIVE THEM A HEART TO KNOW ME, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 32:37-41
Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.
They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I WILL GIVE THEM ONE HEART AND ONE WAY, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I WILL PUT MY FEAR IN THEIR HEARTS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT DEPART FROM ME. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’
On that day, the Millennium, the Gentiles will seek out the Jews to be taken to Jerusalem to worship the Lord of Hosts, the eternal King of Glory. They will teach them the kingdom laws which are to be obeyed.
Zechariah 8:20-23
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, and seek the LORD of hosts.
I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
The sermon on the mount is all about the kingdom of God, the Millennium, and getting the unbelieving Jews to realize that their so-called righteousness is not the righteousness of God.
Paul addressed this in his epistle to the church at Rome.
Romans 10:1-13
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. FOR THEY BEING IGNORANT OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND SEEKING TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS (how did they do that?
By believing that they can keep the O.T. law and through circumcision.) HAVE NOT SUBMITTED TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”
But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord overall is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Originally Written by Kevin Madison
