What Is the Kingdom of God?

What did Jesus actually teach? Do most Christians really know? What is the good news that Christ brought?

Two thousand years ago Jesus Christ went from city to city teaching a message that He called “the gospel” or “the good news.” Although millions of people claim to follow Jesus Christ, very few really know what He taught. Most Christians focus on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection—and ignore the message that He brought. Christ didn’t only come to live and die—He also came to teach. What is the message that He taught?

Jesus Christ’s message was about the Kingdom of God. “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel!‘” (Mark 1:14, 15). Jesus also said, ”I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43). Amazingly, most people who say they follow Christ know almost nothing about the Kingdom of God that Christ came to announce.

What exactly is the Kingdom of God?

To understand God’s Kingdom, it is important to know that Christ’s message was not new. He taught the same message as the prophets before Him. More than 700 years before Jesus Christ was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote about Christ and His Kingdom. Isaiah showed that the Kingdom of God is a government, and that Jesus Christ will be the leader of that government. Isaiah wrote: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgement and justice from that time forward, even forever” (Isaiah 9:6, 7; see also Luke 1:31-33).

When Jesus was on earth, His followers expected Him to establish His government immediately. However, He explained that first He would go away. “He spoke to them another parable…because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come”’” (Luke 19:11-13). Christ expects His followers to do His work and wait for Him to return to the earth.

Christ is now in heaven with God the Father. But soon He will return to establish the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ clearly told His followers that His Kingdom would not be established until He returns. He said that at the end of this age, “there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:25-27, ESV). After explaining these things, He said, “when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (verse 31).

Where will the Kingdom be?

When Christ returns, He will establish the Kingdom of God on earth. He will conquer all nations that do not accept His rule and He will replace all human governments with God’s government. The prophet Zechariah foretold what Christ will do: “I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem….Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations….And the Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:2, 3, 9).

The Bible teaches that God’s Kingdom will be on earth. However, some people wrongly assume that God’s Kingdom will be in heaven because one writer—Matthew—called God’s Kingdom “the kingdom of heaven.” “The kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of heaven” mean the same thing (Matthew 19:23, 24). God’s Kingdom will come from heaven, but it will be established on earth (Matthew 5:5; 6:10).

When Christ returns He will give eternal life to those who truly followed Him in this age. Paul explained that “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The people in this first resurrection will be leaders with Jesus Christ in His government. “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6, NIV). King David will be king over Israel (Jeremiah 30:9). The twelve apostles will rule the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:29, 30). Others will be given other responsibilities in God’s world-ruling government (Luke 19:11-19). For one thousand years Christ and His servants will lead and teach all of the humans on earth (Revelation 5:10).

What will God’s Kingdom be like?

The thousand years will be a time of incredible peace. Countries that have been enemies for many generations will be at peace. “In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:24, 25). Jesus will teach people the way to peace: “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid” (Micah 4:1-5, NIV).

For a thousand years there will be no more famine. Deserts will become farmland. “For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah 35:6, 7). People will have plenty of food to eat. “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed’” (Amos 9:13).

During that time Jesus will heal people who have disabilities. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5, 6).

For a thousand years there will be no more deception. When Jesus Christ returns, Satan, who deceives the world, will be put into a prison: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended” (Revelation 20:1-3, ESV).

For a thousand years everyone will learn the truth. There will be only one religion. “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

Why so much confusion?

The whole Bible announces the good news that the Kingdom of God will be established on earth. When Christ came He preached everywhere about the Kingdom of God. How was His message lost? Why do most people not know what the Bible says about the Kingdom of God?

In our age, God has allowed “Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9), to confuse people. It is not God’s plan for everyone to understand about His Kingdom now. When Christ came He only revealed the mystery of the Kingdom of God to a few people. Jesus told His disciples, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand’” (Luke 8:10).

At this time God is only training the leaders of His Kingdom. Those who understand Christ’s message now and faithfully follow Him will live again when Christ returns and will help Him rule in God’s future Kingdom (Revelation 20:4). “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished” (verse 5). After one thousand years of God’s Kingdom on earth, all people who have ever lived will live again, and will have a chance to learn the truth and follow God (Mathew 12:41, 42; Ezekiel 37:11-14).

After God has given everyone a chance to learn His way, the righteous will live with God in perfect peace forever. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1-4, ESV).

Now you know the true good news that Christ announced. You can live forever in the wonderful Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom must become your first goal. Christ said, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Christ also said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). We can’t just claim to follow Christ. We must do what He commands (Matthew 5:17-20). Will you start learning what God requires, so that you can be in the wonderful world that is coming?