According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary “The terms "king" and "kingship" are common biblical words, occurring over 2, 500 times in the Old Testament and 275 times in the New Testament. The terms are applied not only to human rulers but also to God. The concept of the kingship of God is regarded by many scholars as so basic to biblical revelation that it is viewed as an organizing theme for all of Scripture.” The kingdom in which God is the King is one we are all waiting for. How glorious will it be.
During the ministry of Jesus on this earth, the one thing that He emphasized was the ‘Kingdom of God’. The kingdom of God is the rule of the eternal, sovereign God. Several passages of Scripture show that God is the undeniable Monarch of all creation: Psalms 103:19 “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.” King Nebuchadnezzar declared in Daniel 4:3 “How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation
The kingdom of God also refers to the spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. It is only when God rules over our hearts, that can we get access to the Kingdom of God. Those who defy God’s authority and refuse to submit to Him are not part of the kingdom of God; in contrast, those who acknowledge the lordship of Christ and gladly surrender to God’s rule in their hearts are part of the kingdom of God. Thus, in order to be a part of the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, we first must belong to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The converse also holds good. If we belong to the evil one our is the word that perishes. To be with the Lord means eternal life as opposed to eternal damnation for those who have chosen to reject the Lord. That the kingdom of God can be equated with the sphere of salvation is evident in John 3:5–7, where Jesus says the kingdom of God must be entered into by being born again.
The kingdom of God is referred to in Scripture as the kingdom to come, which means the literal rule of Christ. Daniel said in 2:44 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” The kingdom is first and foremost a statement about God. God is king, and he is coming as king to set right what our sin made wrong. The phrase “kingdom of God” could just as easily be translated as absolute “reign of God” or “kingship of God.”
While the kingdom of God is universal, as regards the planet Earth is concerned, the physical kingdom of God is given in the Scriptures. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” After a thousand years are over the kingdom shall return to the earth. Revelation21:1-3 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Dr Ashwin Drummond
laddertoheaven.co.in