THE KINGDOM IS NO LONGER AT HAND

A futuristic idea expects a physical manifestation of the kingdom after a rise and fall of someone called “The Antichrist”. The only problem is that Jesus had different ideas.

When Jesus was asked about the coming of the kingdom, He said that it wouldn’t come with observation and he stated that it wouldn’t be something about which men could rightly say, “See here!” or “See there!” (Luke 17:20-21). 

In his greatest prophecy Jesus spoke of His coming against Jerusalem in the same way: “If someone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or “There [is the Christ]!,’ do not believe it” (Mat. 24:23). Why? 

Because His coming would be invisible, as a thief in the night (v. 43), indirect through the Roman army. After all…

In Matthew 16:28 Jesus associated the coming of the kingdom with His own coming, saying, “there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in [or, being in the dative case, with] His kingdom,” meaning that one would be as invisible as the other. 

Based on the foregoing, we’re the question we have to answer is How Does The Kingdom Exist? in order to answer Where Is the Kingdom Located? 

The definitive coming of the kingdom in consummation that Jesus and the apostles preached about wasn’t of a physical, tangible nature meaning that it was of a spiritual or heavenly, intangible nature. If John and Jesus preached that the kingdom was already at hand, what sense is there to state that it is still in the future after 2,000 years. 

Paul wrote that, unlike the kingdom of old Israel, “flesh & blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50), and “the kingdom of God is not food & drink”

Jesus even stated that “the kingdom of God is within you” (v. 21), reminiscent of John 4:21 & 24 where Jesus said to the Samaritan woman that “the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father…. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit….” That was to happen in the age when the kingdom manifested here on earth.

The spiritual and universal nature of this kingdom was indicated in prophecies such as Daniel 2:44 where it says that 
“it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms [of men]”; 

Revelation gives us insight based on the consummation of all such prophecies revealed to John, 
where it says that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for-ever and ever!,” (Revelation 11:15)

This explains the status and position of our Lord being “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).

Prophetically, David wrote in Psalm 103:19 that “The Lord has established His throne in Heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”

In Acts 2:29-30 Peter, speaking to the Jews of his time about David, said that “his tomb is with us this day. Therefore, being a prophet … [he knew] that God … would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.” They started discovering how to divide the word and they saw the consummation of all things in Christ. 

This kingdom found its fulfillment when all things that God had anything to do with concerning the Law of Moses (e.g. the city of Jerusalem & its Temple) were finally removed and the transitional period of a generation for the Jews ended (a period that began with John the Baptist, Luke 16:16).

Jesus, while discussing the end of that old covenant age that was fulfilled in AD 70, said, “These are the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (Luke 21:22) and He went on to say that “This generation will by no means pass away till all things are fulfilled” (Luke 21:32). What things? All things that were associated with the demise of Judaism. 

In this fulfillment there was a transfer of ownership. Jesus told the Jewish leaders in Matthew 21:43: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it,” implying that the fruits they were bearing were actually not at all the fruits God meant for His kingdom to bear.

Why? It was not borne of our faith but out of a system that the father had no pleasure in. Where the sacrifices and offerings could not purge the offeror and they were down in condemnation and bondage all their lifetime. As the writer of Hebrews stated “Without faith it is impossible to please God”

The kingdom has come and grace is the atmosphere in this kingdom. His righteousness dwells here and that is the proclamation of the gospel of grace. It is power of God unto salvation. No more earthly priesthood, temple and written laws. It is now God dwelling in men that he has chosen to make his dwelling place. It is the new heaven and earth that old testament prophets hoped, the city they longed to live in. Thank God it is now our reality. Halleluyah.