Make sure you have a notebook and pen on hand for writing down your thoughts as you study this lesson. Remember you can double-click any word for a quick definition and pronunciation.

Objective

In this lesson, we’ll see that God’s ultimate plan centers on establishing His kingdom through Christ’s righteous reign, both now and in the future.

Key Verse

1 Corinthians 15:25: For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

Introduction

The whole Bible looks ahead to the kingdom of God. From the very first pages of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, Scripture tells us the story of God bringing His work to completion and Christ reigning in victory. We should focus on this central promise when we study what the Bible teaches about the end times.

What exactly is the kingdom of God? The Bible defines the kingdom of God as the righteous reign of God over His creation.

Psalm 103:19: The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

It has always been God’s purpose to reign in glory over His creation. When God created Adam, He made him in His own image and gave him the special responsibility of ruling and reigning under God’s authority.

Genesis 1:26: Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

But Adam gave up this privilege through his rebellion against God. The righteous reign of God on earth will be established again through Christ. He will reign over all creation, and we will reign with Him.

The Gospels tell us that the ministry of Jesus was the beginning of the kingdom of God on earth. After Christ ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was given to the church, marking the beginning of what the Bible calls “the last days.” The church has been living in the last days ever since Christ’s first coming. These last days will come to an end with the Second Coming of Christ.

This means that there are two important aspects to the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God has both spiritual and literal dimensions. The kingdom of God is being established right now as Christ reigns in our hearts and in the church. But someday Christ will also reign visibly on earth, and the kingdom of God will be fully revealed to all creation.

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• The kingdom of God is now
• The kingdom of God is yet to come

The Kingdom of God Is Now

The kingdom of God does not refer primarily to territory or land. It refers to authority and sovereignty. This is how the kingdom of God exists today in a spiritual way. Christ is reigning in our hearts, and He has authority over our lives. Christians are living right now in the kingdom of God. We enter God’s kingdom through faith in Christ.

Colossians 1:13: For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Romans 14:17: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus preached about the kingdom of God from the very beginning of His ministry. This was the first message He delivered when He began His public work.

Mark 1:14-15: After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

What did Jesus mean when He said the kingdom had “come near”? He meant that the prophecies of the Old Testament were about to be fulfilled. The Old Testament had spoken about the Messiah who would establish God’s righteous reign on earth.

Isaiah 2:4: He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

The disciples and the people who followed Jesus believed that He would set up this kingdom immediately. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the crowds welcomed Him as their king.

Mark 11:9-10: Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

But Jesus knew that He first had to suffer and die before He would reign as King. This means that there are two aspects to Christ’s ministry, and therefore two aspects of the kingdom of God. First, it is a spiritual kingdom brought about through His death and resurrection. Second, it will be a literal kingdom brought about through His Second Coming. Jesus taught us how we are to live right now in the spiritual kingdom of God. The Sermon on the Mount gives us His fullest teaching on this subject (Matthew 5-7).

(Notebook Moment: As you think about Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, which of His instructions challenges you most in your daily life? How might following that instruction demonstrate that Christ is truly your King?)

Many of the parables that Jesus taught also explained different aspects of the kingdom of God. We see this especially clearly in Matthew 13, where Jesus told several parables about the kingdom of heaven. What are some of the key truths that Jesus taught about the kingdom in these parables?

First, we learn that the kingdom of God is present right now and is incredibly valuable. It is like a treasure hidden in a field that a man discovers and then sells everything he owns to purchase that field (Matthew 13:44-46).

Second, God brings about His kingdom through the preaching of the Word of God. Jesus compared this to a farmer who goes out to sow seed in different types of soil (Matthew 13:1-9).

Third, God is patient with His work. His kingdom begins small and grows to completion according to His perfect timing. This is like a mustard seed that starts tiny but grows into a large tree (Matthew 13:31-32).

Fourth, the kingdom of God includes judgment. The wheat will be separated from the weeds, and good fish will be separated from the bad. This separation happens now as people receive or reject the Gospel, but it will also happen in the final judgment (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:47-50).

The Kingdom of God Is Yet to Come

Jesus taught that His earthly ministry was only the beginning of the kingdom of God, not its complete fulfillment.

Luke 16:16: The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it.

The disciples believed that the kingdom of God would be established immediately during Jesus’ lifetime. Even after His resurrection, they were still asking about when this would happen.

Acts 1:6: Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

But Jesus taught that God the Father will bring about His visible kingdom on earth when He is ready to do so, not according to human expectations or timing.

Acts 1:7: He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

Jesus also taught that the Gospel of the kingdom must first be preached throughout the whole world before the end comes. God’s patience allows time for people from every nation to hear about His kingdom and respond to His invitation.

Matthew 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:36: But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Jesus also taught extensively about the Second Coming and the events that would lead to the establishment of God’s visible kingdom on earth. We can read about this in detail in Matthew 24 and 25. (The book of Revelation presents these teachings in greater detail.) Here are the main teachings that Jesus gave us about the future kingdom:

First, there will be signs that the end is approaching. There will be political, spiritual, and natural disorder throughout the world (Matthew 24:5-8).

Second, a period of great tribulation will come upon the earth. This is when the Antichrist will rise up to persecute believers and oppose the work of God (Matthew 24:4-15).

Third, Jesus will come again. His return will be sudden and public, visible to everyone on earth. He will gather His people together with Him (Matthew 24:27-31).

Fourth, there will be final judgment upon all unbelievers (Matthew 25:31-46).

(Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Jesus will one day judge the earth with perfect justice affect the way you treat people who seem to be “getting away with” doing wrong? What comfort does this future judgment provide?)

All of these teachings remind us that while we live in the spiritual kingdom of God now, we are also looking forward to the day when Christ will establish His visible kingdom on earth. Until that day comes, we must be ready and prepared for His return.

Conclusion

The kingdom of God is both a present reality and a future hope. We live in this kingdom now through faith in Christ, but we also eagerly await the day when His kingdom will be fully revealed.

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He captured both of these aspects of God’s kingdom perfectly. He told them to pray to their heavenly Father, saying these words:

Matthew 6:10: your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

This simple prayer reminds us that God’s kingdom is already established in heaven, where His will is done perfectly. But we long for the day when His kingdom will come to earth in the same way—when Christ will reign visibly and His will shall be done on earth just as completely as it is done in heaven.

Until that glorious day arrives, we have the wonderful privilege of living as citizens of God’s kingdom right now. We can experience His righteous rule in our hearts, in our families, and in our churches. And we can join Him in the great work of proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom to people throughout the world, knowing that our King is coming again to establish His eternal reign.

Check Your Understanding

Take this 5-question quiz to check your understanding of this lesson.

Congratulations on completing this lesson! Click on the “Next Lesson” button below when you are ready to continue.