What is the Kingdom of God?

There are two aspects to the Kingdom of God, a spiritual aspect and a physical aspect. However, both aspects are tightly interwoven together. The Kingdom of God is first spiritual to those who would enter into it, in that it “is within us” as is written in Luke 17: 20-21.

'Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17: 20-21

The spiritual aspect is achieved through the working of the Holy Spirit within us as our minds are renewed to live "holy" lives and culminates with the return of Jesus Christ when we are transformed from the corruptible to the incorruptible in preparation for entrance into the physical Kingdom of God on Earth.

The Kingdom of God is physical in that it is a future supernatural kingdom that would completely end all man-ruled kingdoms to establish holiness, justice and peace on the Earth. The King who rules and reigns in the Kingdom of God is the one whom God has chosen as the foundation of His salvation plan for sinful mankind in a lost world - the same one. This one is Jesus Christ whose life, death and resurrection ushered in the Kingdom of God.

When Would the Kingdom of God Come?

The spiritual aspect of the Kingdom of God occurs within us when we are transformed and "walk" according to the ways of the Holy Spirit. The physical Kingdom of God would be established on the Earth after Armageddon. The establishing of the physical aspect of the Kingdom of God on earth would bring history to its end; all governments on earth would be destroyed and replaced by the Kingdom of God to rule the earth in holiness and justice, according to God’s will. Many years ago, God informed the then powerful king of Babylon of this future event, as it is written in Daniel

"You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

Why Should I Want to Enter the Kingdom of God?

Entering or not entering the Kingdom of God is of supreme importance to every single human being because it determines where one would spend eternity. To enter the Kingdom of God means living in an earthly paradise where there is no death, sickness, pain, sorrow, tears but eternal life and joy in holiness. Not entering the Kingdom of God means to be eternally condemned to eternal hell. The importance of entering the Kingdom of God is well summarized in Revelation 21: 1-8:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea existed no longer. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God's dwelling is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. Then the One seated on the throne said, "Look! I am making everything new." He also said, "Write, because these words are faithful and true." And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give to the thirsty from the spring of living water as a gift. The victor will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But the cowards, unbelievers, vile, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars--their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."