The Kingdom of God

And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world 

for a witness unto all nations: 

and then shall the end come. 

Matthew 24:14

The natural world is that which we can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. It is the visible world around us.  But there is another world which surrounds us of which we are a part. 

It is an invisible world which is composed of two spiritual kingdoms.

Man exists in two worlds: The natural world and the spiritual world. The natural world is tangible and visible. The country, nation, city or village in which we live is part of the natural world. We are the residents of a natural kingdom located on one of the visible continents of the world. You can see the people who are part of your environment. You can communicate with them. You can experience the sights, sounds, and smells around you.

But there is another world in which we live. That world is a spiritual world. We cannot see it with our physical eyes, but it is just as real as the natural world.  

Apostle Paul speaks of this division of natural and spiritual:  

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.    1 Corinthians 15:40

All men have a natural body which lives in the natural world. But man is also a spiritual being with an eternal soul and spirit. Man is body, soul, and spirit. Your spiritual being (soul and spirit) is part of a spiritual world just as your natural body is part of the natural world.

There are natural kingdoms of this world. A natural kingdom is a territory or people over whom a king rules. The Bible speaks of the kingdoms of the world. The kingdoms of the world are presently under the control of Satan:  

Again, the Devil taketh Him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if you wilt fall down and worship me.   Matthew 4:8-9

Satan's dominion of the world is the curent status of the kingdoms of the world.  However, in the future, all the kingdoms of the world will become kingdoms of God and He will rule over them:  

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.  Revelation 11:15

In the natural world a king is the sovereign ruler of the kingdom. All the territory and people of the kingdom belong to him. He has the power of life and death over his subjects.

The spiritual world is composed of two spiritual kingdoms:  the Kingdom of God which consists of God the Father, God the son - Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit, spiritual beings called angels, and all men who live in righteous obedience to God's Word.  The Kingdom of Satan which consists of Satan, spiritual beings called demons, and all men who live in disobedience and rebellion to God's Word. 

As believers and partakers of the Kingdom of God, it is our responsibility to usher others to the Kingdom that they may become partakers also.

Jesus taught the Kingdom of God where ever He went:

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, Luke 8:1

Jesus wants us to do the same:

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 9:2

Jesus said there is only one way to see the kingdom of God:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

He also let us know how to become a part of it:

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:3

When we have preached the Kingdom of God to the world, according to the word of God, that is when the world will end:

And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14

There is one Kingdom of God, though it may be described in different ways in Scripture. However, the Kingdom of God is not a denomination. Denominations are man-made organizations of groups of churches. They have been established for practical purposes of organization and administration. Denominations are major religious organizations such as Baptists, Assembly of God, Apostolic, Methodist, Catholic, COGIC, Lutheran, etc.

The Bible speaks of the true Church which is not a denomination or religious organization. The true Church is composed of all those who have become residents of the Kingdom of God. The true Church is the corporate spiritual body which God established by which the Gospel of the Kingdom is to be extended to the nations of the world. This Church is composed of all men and women who are residents of the Kingdom of God.  We are referred to as the body of Christ.  

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.  1 Corinthians 12:27

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Ephesians 4:12

The Church [body of Christ] is not only to preach and teach the Gospel of the Kingdom, but it should provide a scale model of life in the Kingdom of God. The Church [body of Christ] 

should operate by Kingdom patterns and principles and demonstrate in its lifestyle the teachings of its King, Jesus Christ.

The Kingdom of God existed in the past, it exists in the present, and it will exist in the future, all in different forms. At the present time in the natural world, the Kingdom of God exists individually within every man, woman, boy or girl who has made Jesus King of their lives. In the future, there will be an actual visible revelation of God's Kingdom.

Because the Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom and not a natural kingdom of this world, it must be understood with a spiritual mind.  Apostle Paul explains that you must become spiritually minded to comprehend it:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  1 Corinthians 2:14

The Kingdom of darkness is ruled by Satan.  Satan was originally a beautiful angel created by God and was part of the Kingdom of God, but he tried to take over God's Kingdom. You can read about his rebellion in Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-19. Several angels joined Satan in this rebellion and they were all cast out of the Kingdom by Heaven. They formed their own kingdom which is called the Kingdom of Satan.

In addition to the rulers, there are other residents of the two spiritual kingdoms. Evil spirits called demons are residents of the Kingdom of Satan. These spirits can enter, torment, control, and use humans who belong to Satan's kingdom. They motivate many evil acts done by men and women.

Before the end of the world, Satan will use two special spiritual beings in his kingdom called the Antichrist and the False Prophet. They will be part of the final deceptive plan of Satan to overthrow the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God also has residents. They are angels which are spiritual beings who minister to men and women who are part of the Kingdom of God. Just as demons do the bidding of Satan in the world, angels do the will of God.

Although angels and demons are spiritual beings, they reveal themselves visibly and verbally in the natural world on occasion. Demons possessing the bodies of men speak and act in evil ways through them and angels sometimes appear in visible form.

In addition to these spiritual beings, all people alive are either residents of the Kingdom of Satan or the Kingdom of God.  To which Kingdom do you belong?

(Biblical Studies)

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09/16/19

03/19/21