THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PRESENTLY IN EXISTENCE

Victor M. Eskew

 

          Is the kingdom of God in existence at this time?  The premillennialists will answer with a bold, “No.”  Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote the following:  “Jesus offered the Davidic kingdom to Israel; however, it was contingent upon their response and given their rejection, the kingdom was postponed” (Premillennialist kingdom quotes, ChatGPT).  John MacArthur agrees with Mr. Chafer.  He also elaborates on what happened to the kingdom once it was rejected.

 

“Now, the question that immediately comes to mind is this: If Jesus came to bring His Kingdom to earth, to reign and to establish that which was promised, but Israel refused Him and His Kingdom, then what happened to the Kingdom? Chapter 13 answers that question. You see, the Kingdom cannot come until the nation of Israel receives the King. Until that point, then, the Kingdom has to be postponed in terms of its complete fulfillment. It has to be postponed to a future time. What time is that? The Second Coming of Christ.  That's why Christ is coming a second time--to bring the Kingdom that was refused at His First Coming. (Kingdom Parables, Part 1, Grace to You).

 

On the other hand, we choose to answer the question in the affirmative.  Yes, the kingdom of God is in existence right now.  In fact, Jesus will not come to establish His kingdom.  Instead, He will deliver it back to the Father when He returns.  Can we prove this affirmation?  We believe that we can.

          First, the premillennialist misunderstands the nature of the kingdom.  He believes the kingdom will be an earthly kingdom.  He believes that the kingdom will be located in the literal city of Jerusalem.  Too, he affirms that Jesus will sit on the actual throne of David and rule over the earth for one thousand years.  Jesus, however, clearly taught Pilate that His kingdom was not a physical kingdom.  In the judgment hall before the Roman governor, Jesus said:  “My kingdom is not of this world:  if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:  but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36).  Notice Jesus’ words.  “If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight.”  If Jesus had come the first time to establish an earthly kingdom as the Premillennialists tell us, then Jesus said His servants would have fought to bring that kingdom into existence, but they did not fight.  Why?  Jesus tells us.  It was because His kingdom is not of this world.

          Did Jesus establish a spiritual kingdom?  Yes, He did.  Let’s consider four verses.  The first is found in Mark 9:1.  “And he (Jesus, vme) said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”  Jesus said that some that were in His audience would see the kingdom of God come with power.  He also affirmed that they would not taste of death until they saw the kingdom’s arrival.  Dear readers, either the kingdom came or there are individuals still walking the earth who are over two thousand years old.  No one believes we have people who are over two thousand years old still living on this planet.  Therefore, the kingdom must be in existence.  Those living in the first century saw the kingdom come with power.  If not, Jesus either lied or was ignorant of the matter.

          Notice that Jesus said the kingdom would come with power.  This leads us to a second verse.  Prior to Jesus’ ascension to heaven, He told the apostles to return to the city of Jerusalem and wait for power to be given unto them.  “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Jesus had said that when the power comes, the kingdom would come.  Now we learn that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples power would be given unto them.

          This leads to the third verse.  In Acts 2:1-4, we find the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples.  Too, power was given to them because they were able to speak in tongues.  “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  Let’s follow the steps again.  When the power came, the kingdom was to come.  When the Holy Spirit came, the power was to come.  The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost.  When the Spirit came, the power came.  When the power came, the kingdom came.  If not, why not?

          Now let’s consider the fourth verse.  It is found in Colossians 1:13.  Paul spoke to the Colossians about their deliverance from the power of darkness.  “Who hath delivered us from darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.”  Paul told these believers that they had been translated into the kingdom of Christ.  How could they have added to a kingdom that does not exist?   The truth is that it does exist.  It existed in the first century.  It was not a physical kingdom.  It was a spiritual kingdom.  It was a kingdom Jesus received when He returned to the right hand of God.  Daniel had seen this event long before it occurred and wrote about it in his prophetic work.  “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, on like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that people, nations, and languages should serve him:  his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).

          Jesus’ kingdom is not a physical kingdom.  It is spiritual in nature.  It was established on the day of Pentecost following the Lord’s ascension to heaven.  When individuals obeyed the gospel of Christ, they were delivered from the power of darkness and were translated into the kingdom of Christ.  That process continues to this day.  Right now, Christ is ruling over His kingdom.  According to Paul, he will continue to reign until the last enemy, death, is destroyed, and the last enemy will be death.  He will then return the kingdom back to the heavenly Father (See 1 Cor. 15:22-26).