Kingdom

The kingdom of God is his sovereign rule over all creation. It is not a geographical territory or a political institution; it is the reign of God, active wherever his will is being done. The kingdom is not something mankind builds; it is something God establishes and gives.

In the Old Testament, the kingdom of God is embodied in Israel’s theocracy: Yahweh as king, ruling his people through his Law, with human kings serving as his vice-regents under the terms of the Davidic covenant. The failure of Israel’s kings to rule with justice and fidelity, and the eventual collapse of the monarchy in the exile, leaves the Davidic promise unfulfilled. The prophets look forward to a coming king from David’s line who will rule with perfect justice and whose kingdom will have no end.

Jesus announces in Mark 1 that “the kingdom of God has come near.” His healings, exorcisms, and authority over nature are demonstrations that the king has arrived and his reign has broken into history. But the kingdom comes in two stages: the king is present in his first coming, but his full reign awaits his return. Christians live in the tension of a kingdom that has already come in Christ and has not yet come in its fullness. The articles below trace the kingdom theme through several of its key passages.