Jesus urged his listeners to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). His Jewish listeners probably thought he was referring to the time when the predicted Messiah would come. They expected a powerful temporal ruler who would take power, free them from Roman occupation, and establish his own kingdom. Some likely also believed that the kingdom of God meant life after the end of time.
What Did Jesus Mean? This man, whom his listeners thought was just a Galilean builder and spiritual teacher, advised them to seek the kingdom of God. But he did not look like the Messiah. He showed no obvious signs of kingship, and the prophecies of the end times had not yet been fulfilled.
Yet, because he taught about the kingdom of God—or, as the evangelist Matthew puts it, the kingdom of heaven—in an intriguing way, people asked him about it.
One such instance is recorded in Luke 17:20-21:
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.’”
This response was incomprehensible to those who questioned him. No doubt, they wondered how that could be and what he meant. But the kingdom of God is not revealed through human understanding.
Paul wrote to the Romans:
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
An Intact Image of God’s Kingdom
Several passages in the Bible describe what the kingdom of God is like and how one can enter it if God awakens in them the desire to seek it and allows them to find it.
The kingdom of God is not a sovereign state that can be found on a globe (John 18:36). It is, for now, an invisible kingdom, but its inhabitants are ordinary people. It is not a democracy; it is ruled by a King as a monarch.
Most importantly, when Judgment Day comes, only those who live in that kingdom will be saved. Although John, in Revelation, describes the crowd standing before the throne of the Lamb as so large that no one could count it, on a grand scale, it is still relatively small. According to Luke, Jesus once said:
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
This is even clearer in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains:
“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:14)
The kingdom of God is also the New Jerusalem, which John saw in his vision. There was something particularly holy and miraculous about it, as he described:
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. … He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:2-3)
Can the Kingdom of God on Earth Be Recognized?
According to the Bible, the kingdom of God has distinct characteristics. It is visible to all, like a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14), yet, at the same time, like a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44), so people do not recognize it. It appears as “a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city” (Isaiah 1:8), and for this reason, many despise it.
Additionally, two key features are often overlooked.
Firstly, the inhabitants of the kingdom of God share a mutual love, bestowed by God himself, that cannot be found elsewhere. Jesus said in John 13:35:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Secondly, its inhabitants have been given authority by Jesus to forgive sins on his behalf. As his most important command, Jesus told his disciples:
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22-23)
The prophet Zechariah described it this way:
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”
Gateway to the Kingdom of God
Where, then, is the gate through which one enters the kingdom of God and is saved? Jesus said:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)
Through his death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to be saved despite our sins. On this basis, his followers preach in his name and by his blood the forgiveness of sins to anyone who wishes to enter the kingdom of God and be saved.
When you find someone who has had their sins forgiven by Jesus’ own, they can proclaim to you the forgiveness of your sins.
When one encounters a person who has been forgiven and receives the words of forgiveness from them, what the Bible calls “repentance” takes place. Luke explains:
“Repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47)
Such an event is also called a “rebirth.” Jesus once said:
“Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
Auhor: Antti Halonen Image:
Service guests in Pakistan. Credits: SRK