INTRODUCTION

          Whenever I think of the topic of the kingdom of God, my mind goes back to a book written by Francis Schaeffer, that I read a long, long time ago, How Should We Then Live? The book  had to do with the decline of western culture and thought and how we are to live as Christian's in that light. But, what does this book have to do with the kingdom of God and this paper?  I enjoyed the book but  it is the title that has always fascinated me and since we have been studying the kingdom of God, I have been drawn to it once again.

Question:   What is the Kingdom of God?
                   When will it come?
                   What is your understanding of the Kingdom of God?

            Let me tip my hand as to my belief in the nature of the kingdom of God. I believe, that  eschatology is not meant to specifically tell us the future but to show us how to live with the future in mind. I believe the same is true for the kingdom.

           Although Scripture makes a very strong point that the kingdom of God is a future event, a great and mighty supernatural act of God's in-breaking  to our world, it also goes to great length to show that the kingdom of God is not only a future event..it is now ! With this being true, How Should We Then Live?

           It is my intent to reinforce the belief that the kingdom of God is here, among men, in partial fulfillment, a pre-cursor to God's great finale in human history. We will examine the definition of the term, the historic Biblical development , the mystery of the kingdom and on a more practical note, we will  explore how we should then live as believers, followers of Christ and inhabitants of His kingdom in the world. We will also examine the role of the Church is the Kingdom of God...both theologically and practically.

Question: What would you like to discuss and learn about the  Kingdom of God?

DEFINITION
         Holman Bible Dictionary defines the kingdom of God as God's rule or sovereignty. It is  the rule of God which He extended over human lives through the ministry of Jesus; and it is also His rule which will be consummated or made complete in the future.1

         In the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology the kingdom of God is defined as the divine kingly authority. The kingdom of God is seen as the redemptive rule of God in Christ defeating Satan and the powers of evil and delivering men from the sway of evil. It is God's rule actively invading the kingdom of Satan.2 The kingdom of God is encapsulated in the phrase, ' Our God Reigns' !

         The term kingdom of God is not found in the Old Testament but is found over 120 times in the New Testament3. The kingdom of God is not the only term used for His divine rule over  the earth. We also find the term kingdom of heaven. These two phrases are translated  from the same words in Aramaic4. The term kingdom of heaven is  found over 40 times in the New Testament5.  There are also many references to the kingdom of Christ or of the Son of man. All of these terms are synonymous for God's  divine rule over  all the earth.

         Matthew, who is writing to the Jews speaks for the most part of the 'kingdom of Heaven', Mark and Luke speak of the Kingdom of God, perhaps the difference was that the latter was more intelligible to non-Jews. The use of Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew is most certainly due to the tendency of Judaism to avoid the direct use of the name of God.

HISTORIC BIBLICAL DEVELOPMENT

Old Testament
        God's reign can be seen as beginning in the garden with Adam and Eve. Here we have the perfect rule of God; God and man together with man in obedience to God. Yet this didn't last because of man's sin. God has been very active throughout history to return man to this perfect environment, this perfect rule. Although the phrase kingdom of God  is not found in the OT, His rule is (see Ps. 47:2-3; 103:19-22 and Dan 4:17) God had always intended to rule over his people, but  His people have not always wanted God to rule over them.

        We see in 1 Samuel, that the people wanted a king, a man like the other nations, to rule over them. It was not God's perfect intent, yet He allowed it and used it to be an example of His rule oven them. They were to be a theocracy with the earthly king being a vice-regent  and God was to be the sovereign power ruling over earthly kings and kingdoms.  This failed because  the people and the earthly kings very often forgot  or openly rebelled against God.

       In 2 Samuel we see God telling of a descendant of David whose kingdom will be established forever.  Solomon was the immediate fulfillment of this promise, yet it was fully realized in the only offspring of David who could actually rule forever, Jesus. God established His kingdom through Jesus, His son and the descendant of David.

        The prophets saw God as ruler over the nations. Israel would be the 'light to the nations' that God's redeeming rule would reach all the earth. (Isa. 49:6) Many prophets saw a day when God would not only restore the fortunes of His people, Israel and Judah, but would establish an everlasting era of peace, justice and mercy. then Israel and Judah would once again become one nation. (Jer. 30:3; Ezek. 37:15-22) This nation would perhaps be ruled by a descendent of David.(Isa. 9:7; Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 37:24-26). There would be a new covenant between God and his people (Hos. 2:16-20; Jer. 31:31-34) This peace would be to not only all nations by to all living things. (Hos. 2:18; Isa. 11:6-9; 65:17-25). Such hopes were not fulfilled during the Biblical period.

Question: Was there fulfillment in later Biblical history?
                 In our history?

          As time progressed we learn that the prophets  promised and longed for the future coming of God's kingdom or rule on earth. (Dan. 4:44; 4:17; Obed. 21; Hag. 2:20-23; Zech. 14:9) Later they  saw that the kingship they expected had not developed into the kind of rule they thought God promised.

         They  began to see  the joining of the kingship and  theophany  motifs. It was only with God as king, that there could be true peace and prosperity to the land and to the people. They foresaw the Messiah., the one who would usher in this perfect kingdom of God.

New Testament

Question: You had two weeks to study the NT passages related to the KOG/KOH.
                 What did you find out? General statements...or questions?

         The phrases KOG/KOH independently used and not repeated = approx. 80 times in the Gospels. This statistic shows it's centrality to the Gospels as well as to the teaching of Jesus. As the New Testament opens we find John the Baptist, the last of the true  prophets of God, proclaiming the beginning of this kingdom of God for which they all had waited (see Matt. 3:1-2). God was once again acting  to redeem man . God had entered into history in a way and to a degree  that was not  previously known. The fulfillment of the OT promises was taking place; the kingdom of God was at hand. However, some didn't quite understand how this was going to work out. By the time of Jesus, there was a diverse development of what  God's kingdom would look like and how it would be ushered in.

Basically they were centered in two areas:
 1. The national deliverance: Was the restoration of David's throne Mt. 18:1; 20:21, Mk. 11:10; Mk. 15:43 , Lk. 14:15;
    17:20; 19:11

  2. The cosmic event: The coming of God to renew the  world...the Day of the Lord. Obed. 15-21,  2 Peter 3:3-13,
      1 Thess. 5:1-11,  Joel 2:30-32  Isa. 13:6-16

         The prominent factor in the coming of the kingdom of God for John the Baptist was the announcement of divine judgment as a reality which is now at hand. The ax is already laid to the root of the trees.( MT. 3:10)  God's coming as King is, above all else, a coming to purify, sift and judge the peoples. No one will be exempt. No privilege can buy exemption, not even being a descendent of Abraham. In John's view  of the Kingdom, people must repent and submit to baptism for the washing away of their sins in order to enter the kingdom and to escape the coming wrath and judgment of God. (Matt. 3:1-12)

Question: Was John the Baptist viewing the KOG as a national  or Cosmic event?

JESUS VIEW OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Question: How did Jesus view the KOG? What did he say?

1. Jesus' task was to preach the Gospel of the kingdom
    (Lk. 4:43 Mt. 4:23; 9:35  Lk. 8:1; 9:11  Acts 1:3)
2. He appointed his disciples to proclaim the same message
    (Mt. 10:7; 24:14  Lk. 9:2; 10:9)
3. Jesus required that man make a personal response to Him if they wanted to enter the kingdom.
    (Mt. 7:21; 13:52  Lk. 12:32; 22:29f)
4. Jesus stated w/ authority who was near to and who was excluded from the kingdom.
    (Mt. 21:31, 43; 23:13  Mk. 12:34)
5. Jesus nowhere directly links the cross w/ the kingdom. But there are connections inherent in the work of the cross  which
    should make the cross one of the key stages in the coming of the kingdom.The kingdom will come w/ power (Mk. 9:1) is
    probably a connection to post cross and  resurrection events. Mk. 14:25. He knew his death was a necessary  prerequisite
    for the coming of the kingdom in its  fullness.

Question: Is Jesus another herald of the KOG like John the Baptist or was the kingdom more closely related
                 to his person and work?

 The KOG or KOH seems to be the central theme of Jesus' preaching, according to the synoptic Gospels.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Question: From your search, what are the conditions for entrance to the kingdom?

1. By Jesus proclaiming the kingship of God, he made it  possible for men to:
     -Repent of their sin
     -Claim the kingship of God
     -Receive the blessing of His rule
2. Mk. 1:15
     -Repent and believe the good news
3. Mt. 6:33
     -Seek the KOG above all else
4. Lk. 12:31-32
     -If you do the above two things, the KOG will be given you.
5. Conditions set by the Gospels
     -Mt. 18:3f
      -Willingness to be humble and receptive
     -Mt. 5:10; 19:12  Lk. 9:60,62
      -Readiness to endure persecution and sacrifice
6. Eph. 2:8-9
     -All these conditions are prefaced on the grace of God.

THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM

Question: What is the Mystery of the Kingdom?
                 Was it intentional?
                 Is the kingdom of God now or is it a future event?
                 Is it a national event for Israel or is it a cosmic event for the whole world?

Allow  me to quote George E. Ladd,
         "Our central theme is that the kingdom of God is the redemptive reign of God dynamically active to establish his rule among men, and  that this kingdom, which will appear as an apocalyptic act at the end of the age, has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to overcome evil, to deliver men from it's power, and to bring them into the blessings of God's reign."

         The kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history.  Already, not yet is the term many theologians use to describe the reality of the kingdom of God. The mystery of the kingdom is  the coming of the kingdom before it's consummation in history.  As Ladd put it,  'fulfillment without consummation' The mystery is that the kingdom has come in a way not expected by man and that it now exists in the lives of  His people. This is the mystery spoken of  in Mark 4:11-12 and

Mt. 13:10-17.
 The question of God's election is  related to the intentionality of the mystery.  This mystery is the central focus of  the parables in Mark 4 and Matthew 13.