Now we began a new series on the kingdom of God a few weeks ago which I’ve entitled “Defining the Kingdom of God.” And in this second mini-series on God’s kingdom, we are answering questions such as what the kingdom of God is, when the kingdom of God is, and where the kingdom of God is.
So, we began two weeks ago answering the first question—What is the kingdom of God:  We started by first looking at the English word “kingdom,” and we learned that the word “kingdom” comes from two words— the words “king” and “dom.” The word “dom” is where we get words like “dome, domain, or dominion” from. So, by this basic practice of looking at the word’s origin we can see that a kingdom is a “king’s domain,” or you could say, a place where a “king” has “dominion.” Therefore, we learned that a kingdom is where a king has rule or where he governs a group of people.
Then we saw that the kingdom of God is a place or people where God’s will is being done, because if a king rules or has dominion over something, then his will should be being done there. So, if this “kingdom” is the kingdom of God, then it is the place where God is King and where His will is being done. And we saw that the perfect example of where His will is being done is in heaven. So, we learned that what we see happening in heaven is what God’s kingdom looks like.
So, what do we see is taking place in heaven right now? Is there any sickness? Is there any pain or infirmity? Is there the presence of demons and evil spirits? Are people living in sin and rebellion against the will of the King? No, no, no! There is nothing but perfect love, peace that passes all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory! There is complete and perfect order—no confusion and no division. This is what God’s kingdom looks like!
And we also learned that God’s will is that His will be done here on the earth now! His will is that His kingdom come on the earth right now like it is in heaven! In other words, He wants His kingdom’s “dominion” to be seen and experienced here on the earth today. We do not have to wait until tomorrow. We do not have to wait until the “sweet by and by.” We can see His kingdom demonstrated in the here and now!
Therefore, anywhere or anyone that submits to the will of the King by either repenting from their wrong beliefs and behaviors or by receiving the freedom, healing, and deliverance that His kingdom has to offer is experiencing the rule and dominion of God. Yes, that is when the kingdom of God has come near to someone! It is that simple.
That means that when we see someone healed, we’ve seen a manifestation of His kingdom here on the earth! When we see someone delivered from demonic control, we’ve caught a glimpse of the way God’s kingdom is! Yes, when we see someone loved so beautifully, blessed so extravagantly, or freed so abundantly, we have seen the kingdom of God come! Therefore, the kingdom of God is where the devil, his kingdom, and the curse are no longer present and reigning in people’s lives.
Then, last week, we continued defining what the kingdom of God is, by looking at a good modern-day definition one might have for God’s kingdom—"God’s government.” So, what we did is we began defining the various forms of government that we have in this world today in order to see in them various aspects of God’s kingdom and how it operates.
Now the first thing we learned is that any form of government is only as good as the ones who are making the decisions. So, even with the republic/democracy that we use here in the United States—that is obviously one of the best systems of government we have in the world today—there can still be problems if the people of our nation become immoral. No, none of the governments we could choose to operate under are better than the others if those in authority are wicked, but each is only as good as the character, integrity, wisdom and goodness of the one(s) with the power and authority.
But the fact is that all forms of government can be good if those in authority and who have the power are good. Likewise, all of them can be bad if the authority is bad. And the good news is that the government that we are talking about here today does indeed have a good and wise leader. In fact, it has a triune leader like these church governments are three—Father God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. He alone is wise! He alone is good! And there is no one else that you would rather have in authority other than Him—for He is a loving leader.
So, the good news we heard last week is that God’s government—His kingdom—has perfect leadership! The One who reigns over His kingdom is alone wise, absolutely just, and infinitely good. There is no unrighteousness in Him, and everything He does is done in love! So, His government is the best! There is nothing missing and nothing broken in it! It is “shalom” to say the least!       
So, what we did is we looked at a few different examples of government systems such as a monarchy, theocracy, and democracy. We even looked at other forms of governments like communism, socialism, and colonialism. And we learned from all of them that God’s government can be seen in many of the ways in which they operate.
For example, we saw that there are two types of monarchies— a constitutional monarchy and an absolute monarchy: Constitutional monarchies limit the monarch's (i.e. king’s) power as outlined in the constitution, while absolute monarchies give him unlimited power. So, we saw that the kingdom of God is both! The kingdom was and is an absolute monarchy in that the self-existent, omnipotent God is “absolutely” sovereign. That means He has and always will be the top of the food chain—meaning there is no one higher than the Most High God! Amen. However, God—in His absolute sovereignty—chose to have a constitution written for His kingdom! And by doing so, He made the “absolute” decision to limit Himself to His Word! Glory to God! Therefore, we have a constitution that our King has bound Himself to that makes all of His promises Yes and Amen. Of course, I’m referring to the Word of God!   
We also saw from the example of communism/socialism that God’s kingdom is a perfect mixture of both equality and capitalism because in it, we see it functioning on both a rewards basis and we see God delving out certain things equally. Yes, we see the prospect of every believer laying up more treasures for themselves in heaven based on how they steward their giftings and life in general here on the earth. But we also see that there is a certain sense of commonality in that we all have received the same new birth, the same Holy Spirit, the same amount of faith, etc.
We also saw that in a democracy—which literally describes “people ruling power”—there is a semblance of this in God’s kingdom because even though we do not have free-reign, we do have a free-will. And God has delegated His authority and power to us as His church to advance the kingdom of God here on the earth. So, while the kingdom of God certainly operates more like a monarchy than anything else; there are hints of a democracy in there as God has given us the earth to have dominion over in His stead.
And as we made the point of last week, the kingdom of God even operates a little like colonialism in that it also involves the expansion of a nation's rule beyond its own borders. Therefore, God’s kingdom has aspects of “colonialism” in it in that its goal is to destroy the works of its enemy, the devil, and establish its culture, economy, and government order. And, church, that is what God has put us here to do—to plunder Satan’s turf and destroy His works! We are the church—that body of believers who have been delegated the authority to do things in the King’s name and see God’s kingdom come on the earth even as it is in heaven.
So, with all that said, I believe a great definition of the kingdom of God is the following summarization given by Old Testament scholar Graeme Goldsworthy: He said, the kingdom of God is "God's people in God's place under God's rule."
Notice that in this description of the kingdom, you see the term “God’s” three times. That’s because God’s kingdom is exactly that—it’s God’s! It’s His rule, His reign, and His dominion! And according to this definition— It’s God’s people! It’s God’s place! And it’s God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule! And that’s the important part.
 
GOD’S PEOPLE
So, let’s start with the “God’s people” part:
Now who is this? Are we talking about the Jews? Are we talking about the church? Who are God’s people? Well, the truth is—God’s people are neither Jew nor Gentile according to the flesh. God’s people are those who do the will of God—irrespective of their natural lineage.  
For example, both John the Baptist and Jesus condemned this notion of the Jews that they were Abraham’s children and the chosen people of God saying, “Do not say that we have Abraham as our father, for God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones.” (Luke 3:8). Jesus told similar religious leaders that while they were certainly Abraham’s descendants, that didn’t mean they were children of Abraham—for a son would do the same works as their father (See John 8:31-44).  
So, God’s people are not those who are physically born into it, nor are they those who lay claim to it. No, according to God’s estimation—His people are the sons of the kingdom who emulate the will and nature of their Father. So, no, the true subjects of the kingdom are not just those who claim to be so; it’s those who show it by the fruit in their life. They are not just those who claim to be Christians or go to church. God’s people are those who are, first, born again, and then follow in the footsteps of their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. These are those who are truly “God’s people.”   
You know, I once heard a very wise minister say, “If you do not understand the kingdom of God, you will not understand salvation.” This is such a powerful statement that has always stuck with me.
The reason this is so important to understand is because, as is the case with so many believers, they only embrace Jesus as their Savior and willfully ignore the importance of making Him their Lord. However, the truth is that He cannot be one without being the other. In other words, it is impossible to receive our entrance into the kingdom without accepting His Kingship (i.e. His rule and authority over their lives).
In one instance, Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say” (Luke 6:46). Do you know why this is so ridiculous? It is because the word “Lord” means “Master,” and to call Him “Master” implies that He actually is the authority over our lives. Therefore, we do what He tells us to do—both individually and through His Word. 
You see, Jesus actually equated gaining salvation with entering the Kingdom (Matthew 19:16, 23-24), and He explained the loss of salvation in terms of rejection from the kingdom (Luke 13:28). This is why repentance was and still is such a big deal in the church today. And it’s not about people feeling bad about their sins, etc. It’s about aligning ourselves with the King’s way of doing and being right—that is, us seeking first the kingdom of God in our lives.
Along those lines, this is why it has nothing to do with our feelings. You and I do a lot of things here in our nation that we might not always feel like doing, right? So, we do what we are commanded because we honor the King and respect His Lordship in our lives, plain and simple.  
GOD’S PLACE
So, now let’s look at the second thing our definition said—It’s God’s people in God’s place: What and where is God’s place? It goes back to the definition we’ve already given of the kingdom—it is where the King’s will is being done.
So again, God’s place is not necessarily a physical place. As Jesus taught the woman at the well—it’s not in Jerusalem or on that mountain that one ought to worship. Rather, it is in spirit and in truth—meaning, it’s not a physical place that God seeks for us to worship in; it’s a spiritual place. (See John 4:16-24)    
Do you remember the account in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom would come? Jesus answered and said unto them— “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)
This question arose from the religious leaders because of their common misunderstanding of what the kingdom of God was. They only saw the establishment of the kingdom of God as a physical thing. So, although their question— “When would the kingdom of God come?”—was a legitimate question; it was a carnal question.
In their minds, the kingdom that God was sending was a natural kingdom. But what they failed to see was that God would first establish His kingdom in the spirit realm rather than in the physical realm. This is why Jesus answered them directly with— “The kingdom of God does not come with observation…” The word “observation” literally means “optical evidence”—or you could say that the kingdom of God would not necessarily have any visible evidence. So, Jesus was saying that you cannot see it, and then He reiterated that statement with— “…nor will they say, ‘See here’ or ‘See there!’” In other words, not only will you not be able to physically see it yourself, but you will not have anybody else come to you saying, “Look, it’s over here” or “Look, it’s over there.” The point Jesus was making was that His kingdom is not visible now.
So, if it was not visible, then that must mean it is invisible, right? That is what Jesus alluded to in His next statement— “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
As we’ve made the point of beforehand, this particular phrase has confused many believers. On the surface and with the particular wording that is used with the King James and New King James versions, it seems to be saying that the Kingdom of God is on the inside of you.
Now there is some truth to this statement in the New Covenant because we have a part of heaven that has moved into our spirits. We have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us—the earnest of our inheritance. We have God’s very own righteousness and all the fruits of His Spirit resident within our inner man. We have God’s exceedingly great power dwelling on the inside of us. And the list could go on and on.
So, it is not false to say that certain elements of the kingdom of God are resident on the inside of us. However, this was absolutely, positively not what Jesus was saying in this verse! You may be thinking— “How can you be so sure, Pastor?” I know this because of who Jesus was talking to! Who was it that He was addressing when He said, “the kingdom of God is within you”? It was the Pharisees! They were the ones who asked him the question in the first place (See verse 20a), and we know for a fact that they did not have the kingdom of God on the inside of them! In fact, many of them actually had the kingdom of darkness within them! But even if Jesus would have been talking to His disciples, it still could not be interpreted this way because they had not even been regenerated yet.
No, Jesus must have been saying something else when He said to them that the kingdom of God was within them. So, what was it He was saying?
The Greek word that was used here to translate “within” is the word entoi. This little Greek prefix meant more than just “to be inside.” It also described to be “in the sphere of” or “in the midst of.” Many times, in the Greek language, it depends on the context of the scripture as to how it is to be interpreted. And in Luke chapter 17, it would be better translated “in the midst of” because to say that the kingdom of God was “on the inside of” these Pharisees makes no sense considering the context.
So now we must ask the question: What did Jesus mean by saying, “For indeed the kingdom of God is in the midst of you?”
Let’s think back for a moment to His previous statements: He first of all made the point that they, nor anybody else, will be able to physically see the kingdom of God. So then when He immediately says that the kingdom is in your midst, what do you think He meant? Allow me to interpret Jesus’ statements this way: “Even though you cannot see the kingdom of God, it is already in your midst.” In other words, “It is not a natural kingdom (yet) that you can physically see or point out, but rather, it is a spiritual kingdom that is already all around you whether you can see it or not!” Amen!
And my point in bringing this Scripture to our attention is because this helps us answer the question—What is the kingdom of God? Why? It is because the kingdom of God is first and foremost a spiritual kingdom that, as a general rule, will not be touched with our physical senses.
So, where is God’s place? Most would say that it’s in heaven, and they would be correct. But the kingdom of God is not just a physical or spiritual place. It is wherever heaven is. It’s wherever His will is being done.
So, guess where that can be? That can be YOU! You can be the place that the kingdom of heaven dwells in. And the good news is—that is exactly what began the moment we all repented, called on the name of the Lord, and were born again! Heaven moved in!
So, now, even though it might not have been true for the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the kingdom of God truly is within us—those who have been born again, are sons of God, and follow after the will of our Father and King. Amen.  
This is why the definition of the kingdom of God that we are looking at today says that it is “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule.” The kingdom of God is ultimately any people or any place that is under God’s rule—meaning, God is King and Christ is Lord. That means that while the kingdom of God is certainly not everywhere, it can be anywhere.  May this be us all the time and every where we go.  

So, we began a new series on the kingdom of God last week which I’ve entitled “Defining the Kingdom of God”—because, as I made the point of last week, before we can carry the gospel of the kingdom into the world, we need to know what it is we are carrying. And that is the point of this new series of teachings—it is to define what the kingdom of God actually is. On top of that, we will come to understand not only what it is, but when and where it is.
So, that is what we began doing last week: We started defining the kingdom of God, but we did so by first looking at the English word “kingdom.” And we saw that the word “kingdom” comes from two words— the words “king” and “dom.” The word “dom” is where we get words like “dome, domain, or dominion” from. So, by this basic practice of looking at the word’s origin we can see that a kingdom is a “king’s domain,” or you could say, a place where a “king” has “dominion.” Therefore, we learned that a kingdom is where a king has rule or where he governs a group of people. And if this “king’s domain” is the kingdom of God, then it is the domain or place where God is the King and, therefore, where He rules and has dominion.
Then we answered the question—Where is it that God has dominion and where the King of kings rules? It is rather obvious that this is not everywhere—because there are a lot of people and places here on the earth where God does not seem to be ruling. Now I know there are a lot of people who wouldn’t say that because a majority of the church sees God as ultimately being in charge and control over everything on the earth, but that’s not completely true. How can I say that, you ask? I say that because His will is not being done everywhere and in every person on this planet. 
You see, the kingdom of God is a place or people where God’s will is being done, because if a king rules or governs something, then their will should be being done there, right? So, in light of all the sin, sickness, poverty, oppression, etc. that is occurring on the earth, we know God’s kingdom is not being manifested everywhere and in every person. Yes, God’s will is where life, blessing, peace, etc. are at! So, if there is death, the curse, depression, and any other oppression of the enemy, then God’s will is not being done in that situation. Therefore, the answer to that question we just asked—"Where is it that God has dominion and rules?”—is answered simply with—It is where the will of the King is being done.  
We then looked at that very familiar verse that qualifies this answer—Matthew 6:10: In Jesus’ Model Prayer, He said, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” So, Jesus piggybacks the request for His will being done along with it. So, we might say, once His kingdom comes, His will can then be done. Why? It’s because with a kingdom comes the will of the king of that kingdom being done. So, if this “kingdom” is the kingdom of God, then it is the place where God is king and where His will is being done. Yes, it is where God has dominion and where He rules & reigns. Amen?
So, if a kingdom has come where the will of the king is being done then we need to know what God’s will is in order to identify where His kingdom is, right? And we saw that Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” So, what we see happening in heaven is what God’s kingdom looks like. Yes, any Christian would have to agree that God’s will is absolutely being done in heaven. We could all agree on that, right?
Now while most of us have never visited heaven and seen it with our own eyes, we have it described to us in the Word of God. So, what does the Bible show us is taking place in heaven right now? Is there any sickness? Is there any pain or infirmity? Is there the presence of demons and evil spirits? No! There is nothing but perfect love, peace that passes all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory! There is complete and perfect order—no confusion and no division. This is what God’s kingdom looks like! And the most liberating truth is that Jesus taught us to pray here in His Model Prayer for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done here on the earth as it is in heaven! Hallelujah!
So evidently God’s will is that His will be done here on the earth now! His will is that His kingdom come on the earth right now like it is in heaven! In other words, He wants His kingdom’s “dominion” to be seen and experienced here on the earth today. We do not have to wait until tomorrow. We do not have to wait until the “sweet by and by.” We can see His kingdom demonstrated in the here and now! And this will be accomplished not only as we pray like the Master taught us to pray, but as we also begin to imitate Him by doing the works that He did as He walked on the earth. When we begin to walk in the instruction originally given to man in the Garden to subdue the earth and have dominion over all of His creation (Genesis 1:28), then we will see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth.     
Therefore, anywhere or anyone that submits to the will of the King by either repenting from their wrong beliefs and behaviors or by receiving the freedom, healing, and deliverance that His kingdom has to offer is experiencing the rule and dominion of God. It is that simple. Let me say it this way: Any person, place, or thing that bows their knee to the will of the King just experienced a manifestation of the kingdom of God. Therefore, when we see someone healed, we’ve seen a manifestation of His kingdom here on the earth! When we see someone delivered from demonic control, we’ve caught a glimpse of the way God’s kingdom is! Yes, when we see someone loved so beautifully, blessed so extravagantly, or freed so abundantly, we have seen the kingdom of God come in measure. And we saw that this is why the Lord told His disciples, when they healed the sick and cast out demons, to say to them--“The kingdom of God has come near to you!” (Luke 10:9) Why? It is because the rule and dominion of God’s kingdom was just manifested in those people’s lives. They just saw the will of the King of kings being done in their lives as Satan was dethroned in their spirits, souls, or bodies. This is why we see the signs we do accompanying Jesus’ ministry—because He didn’t just come to preach the kingdom of God, but to demonstrate it. So, when He blessed the poor, healed the sick, raised the dead to life again, broke demonic control, the kingdom of God is what was being experienced in those people’s lives that Jesus and His disciples touched. Amen!
So, the kingdom of God is where the devil, his kingdom, and the curse are no longer present. It is where God has the dominion, and His will is being done! Therefore, the kingdom of God is anywhere the will of the king is being demonstrated and manifested. It’s not a physical place and it’s not something we can necessarily see with the physical eye.
Saints, the kingdom of God is not just a place. There is no time and distance in the spirit realm. The kingdom of God is wherever the Lord, our King, is manifested and demonstrated through word and action. This is how God’s kingdom can be manifested on the earth today! I can assure you; His kingdom is already handily available to us right now. Thank you, Jesus!
Now this week, I want us to continue defining what the kingdom of God is, by looking at a good modern-day definition one might have for God’s kingdom— "God’s government.” Yes, the kingdom of God might be described by us as the government of God.
So, what I want us to do is begin defining the various forms of government that we have in this world today. So, let’s get right into it …
A GOVERNMENT IS ONLY AS GOOD AS …
Now when it comes to the subject of different types of government, we have many different examples to pull from in our world today. One of our most common ones is a democracy—which we obviously have here in the United States. Now we love our democratic style of government sure, but as our second president, John Adams, was quoted as saying, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” In other words, a democracy is only as good as the morality of the people of that government.
Perhaps an easier way to understand the differences in various types of government is to look at the three main church governments that are used:

1. Episcopal – One is obviously called the pastor-led church (also known as the episcopal government): This is where the lead pastor or bishop makes all the decisions—from the spiritual direction to the financial areas. In other words, the buck stops at one person, and one person alone. 
2. Presbytery – Another commonly referred to as the presbyterian type government is run (as its name indicates) by the presbytery—that is, a selected group of elders & deacons. This group of selected individuals serves like a “board” over the church and makes collective decisions by a vote. 
3. Congregational – And, finally, there is the congregational type of government which is obviously a system where the entire church congregation votes on things from the yearly budget to the appointment of offices.

Now, obviously, we have good and bad examples of all three of these types of governments. And I have come to the following conclusion: None of them are better than the others, but each is only as good as the character, integrity, wisdom and goodness of the one(s) with the power and authority. I have seen pastor-led churches fail miserably because the pastor/bishop/apostle, etc. fell into sin, became covetous, or had his own personal agenda cloud his decision making. But I’ve also seen churches who are “deacon-possessed” gang up on the pastors and make similar mistakes as the pastors did in the aforementioned government. Then, lastly, I’ve seen how congregation run churches can fall prey to the same mistakes as the other two types of church governments. So, the lesson is—We shouldn’t put our trust in any specific type of government.
But the fact is that all three of these church governments can be affective if those in authority and who have the power are good. And the good news is that the government that we are talking about here today does indeed have a good and wise leader. In fact, it has a triune leader like these church governments are three—Father God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. He alone is wise! He alone is good! And there is no one else that you would rather have in authority other than Him—for He is a loving leader.
So, my point is that it doesn’t matter what type of government you roll out there. If God is the One who is calling the shots, then it’ll work.  
Now I would venture to say that the majority of us here would advocate the democratic governmental system (no, not the political party, but the system of democracy itself), but like I said, if the vast majority of the people of that nation are immoral, foolish, wicked, etc. then democracy will destroy that nation. On the other hand, if the king or queen of an absolute monarchy governmental system—where they are in absolute control and call all the shots—is a wicked ruler, then the people of their kingdom will suffer.
As Proverbs 29:2 states— “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Of course, this is coming from the mentality of kings & kingdoms because this is what they had in Israel when King Solomon wrote this, but did you know this is not just true for kingdoms, but also for a republic like us? Yes, this principle holds true whether we are referring to a monarchy or whether we are referring to a democracy. The truth is when the righteous (person or peoples) are in authority, the people (the people of that nation) rejoice! But when a wicked man (or men) rule(s), the people will groan. Why? Because the character and values of the person or persons with the power is what will determine the response of the nation itself.
We actually see both ends of the spectrum of this illustrated in the Book of Esther because when Haman was given the authority from the king to put all the Jews to death in his kingdom, Mordecai and the rest of the Jewish people in the province who heard the king’s decree mourned and “groaned.” But later on in the story, when the table was flipped on Haman and Mordecai was put in charge, Esther 8:15 tells us that the people rejoiced and were glad.
So, herein lies that principle—when good people are in charge, people are happy; when bad people are in charge, the people are not. Likewise, when righteousness is in control, the nation will be blessed, but when unrighteousness is, the nation will suffer. It doesn’t matter whether the position of authority is an individual or a group, when the wicked call the shots, the nation and its people will suffer for it.
But, again, the good news is that God’s government—His kingdom—has perfect leadership! The One who reigns over His kingdom is alone wise, absolutely just, and infinitely good. There is no unrighteousness in Him, and everything He does is done in love! So, His government is the best! There is nothing missing and nothing broken in it! It is “shalom” to say the least!       
So, what I want us to do is look at a few different examples of government systems and see if we can find God’s perfect government style in any of them …    
MONARCHY
Now out of all the governments that we have had in this world, the one that is most comparative to God’s kingdom is (you guessed it) a monarchy. This is obvious because a monarchy is the governmental system that kingdoms operate on.  
Now a “monarchy” is a power system that appoints a person as head of state for life or until abdication (renouncing or resigning the throne). Under this form of government, the position of authority traditionally passes down through a succession line related to one's bloodline and birth order within the ruling royal family, often limited by gender. This is, of course, what we see in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah where the throne was succeeded by the son of the prior king (generally the firstborn son, I might add).
So, since God’s kingdom is more of a monarchy than anything else, how can we see God’s kingdom in this? Well, we know who the King of this kingdom is, right? Yes, it’s God, but more specifically, it is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s right—He has assumed the throne given to Him by His Heavenly Father! Like Solomon inherited the throne of His Father David, the Son of David has inherited the throne of God’s kingdom and forevermore shall be known as the King of kings!
But as you’ve heard me say time and time again—Who are the kings that Jesus is king of? And the answer is YOU! Yes, you and I are His royal priesthood. And do you know how we are qualified to be His own kings and priests? It is because we were born (again) to be heirs of the throne too! Glory! Therefore, we are of His bloodline and born into the royal family! So, we are not kings in His kingdom because we’ve earned the right to; no, we were born into our position—not by works lest we should boast. 
So, as Mordecai said to Esther when encouraging her to be the voice for her people—Perhaps you have come to this kingdom and been made queen for such a time for this (See Esther 4:14). Likewise, we have been made kings for this day and hour that we live in.
Now it is worthy of noting that there are two types of monarchies— a constitutional monarchy and an absolute monarchy: Constitutional monarchies limit the monarch's (i.e. king’s) power as outlined in the constitution, while absolute monarchies give him unlimited power.
So, which type of monarchy is the kingdom of God? In truth, they both are! The kingdom was and is an absolute monarchy in that the self-existent, omnipotent God is “absolutely” sovereign. That means He has and always will be the top of the food chain—meaning there is no one higher than the Most High God! Amen. However, God—in His absolute sovereignty—chose to have a constitution written for His kingdom! And by doing so, He made the “absolute” decision to limit Himself to His Word! Glory to God! Therefore, we have a constitution that our King has bound Himself to that makes all of His promises Yes and Amen. I’m of course referring to the Word of God!   
Which leads me to another form of government that we see in our world that operates more on religious doctrine than on natural laws—a theocracy.
THEOCRACY
Now although God’s government operates more like a monarchy than anything else; it also works like a theocracy.
You see, a theocracy refers to a form of government in which a specific religious ideology determines the leadership, laws, and customs. In most instances, there is little to no distinction between scriptural laws and natural legalities. In this type of government, religious clergy will typically occupy leadership roles, sometimes including the highest office in the nation.
Perhaps one of the greatest real-life examples of a theocracy is the nation of Iran. It is perhaps the most important and powerful theocratic state in the world today. Its religious leaders rule the country, and among them is a "supreme leader" who serves as head of state, delegates authority to other religious leaders, and presides over the elected president. The Islamic faith's primary legal doctrine dictates the country's legal, judiciary, and administrative codes.
So, how does God’s kingdom operate like this, you ask? It is because the beliefs behind Christianity is what the kingdom of God is based upon. Its laws are not like the legalities of any other—for they are based on the spiritual truths of God. And these truths are contained in that which is written—God’s Holy Word.
Yes, God’s kingdom operates not on man-made rules and religion, but on what is written in its spiritual constitution—the Scriptures. Jesus taught us that it is the traditions of man that make the Word of God of no effect. So, we need to understand that God’s kingdom is based on the truth of the Word of God, not on what is truth to us and the things that satisfy our religious conscience. The kingdom of God is based on Christianity, the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints. Amen?   
COMMUNISM & SOCIALISM
Now these next forms of government that we are a little more familiar with today are certainly frowned upon—and rightfully so because we have seen nothing but negative examples of them. Of course, I am referring to communism & socialism.
While they might seem to be synonymous terms to a lot of people, there are actually some subtle differences: Communism is more of a centralized form of government led by a single party that is often authoritarian in its rule, oftentimes having this person labeled as a “dictator.” Essentially, what communism does is it replaces things like private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control. Therefore, citizens are part of a classless society that distributes goods and services as needed, which is handled by a government run by a dictator. Socialism, on the other hand, is a system of government that also encourages cooperation rather than competition among citizens. But in it, citizens communally own the means of production and distribution of goods and services, while a centralized government manages it. Each person benefits from and contributes to the system according to their needs and ability.
So, the primary difference between the two is that while socialism is less rigid, in communism, the state has the control. In socialism, the people maintain commonality and have more of a say in matters. So, while they are certainly different, in most people’s minds, they are the same in that they both desire to eliminate capitalism from the equation.    
Now let me first say that God’s kingdom does not operate like these types of governments in most respects, in that we see it functioning on a rewards basis. Yes, we see the prospect of every believer laying up more treasures for themselves in heaven based on how they steward their giftings and life in general here on the earth. So, the kingdom of God certainly operates with more of the mentality of capitalism than it does communism. However, there is a certain sense of commonality in that we all have received “like, precious faith” (Second Peter 1:1). Yes, as Jesus taught us in the Parable of the Minas, all of the Lord’s servants have been given the same amount—which I believe to be the same new-birth, the same Holy Spirit, the same amount of faith, etc. But at the same time, Jesus also taught a similar parable called The Parable of the Talents, and in this one, everyone was distributed different amounts based on their abilities.
So, my point is that while you might be able to find certain hints of these more communal types of governments in God’s government, God’s kingdom also practices capitalism to the max. However, you can still find in God’s kingdom certain philosophies & ideologies of these types of government.
One of our greatest examples of how God’s kingdom might operate a little like this is found in the account we have in Acts chapter 2: You see, immediately after the Holy Spirit was poured out and the initial harvest of 3,000 souls came into the church, we see in verses 44-45— “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”
            All the way at the end of chapter 4, we see that the Church of Jerusalem continued to live in this communal way. Verses 32-35 say, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”
Now the difference between what the First Church was doing here and what socialism/communism attempts to do is that all the believers did this willingly. It was not being forced on them. Nor were they being compelled to do it. Everyone simply did it because they had in on their heart to do so. In other words, love was the motivating factor. The apostles were not demanding this of the people. We know this because when Ananias and Sapphire lied about the property they sold, Peter indicated that it was their own while it remained with them and it was in their control after it was sold (See Acts 5:4). That means that the apostles were not forcing this way of life upon the believers in Jerusalem. No, it was a genuine work of the Holy Spirit!   
You cannot legislate love, saints! In God’s kingdom, free will is a given. He wants us to give as we purpose in our heart, not grudgingly or of necessity. But when the Holy Spirit is in charge—as He obviously was with the First Church—this love, generosity, and great grace was obviously all over the body of Christ. So, they were willing to have all things in common with one another! But again, it wasn’t legislated; it was inspired!  
But my point is that God is righteous, just, and fair in how He distributes His spiritual resources. He is no respecter of persons in this respect. However, He is a respecter of faith and diligence. So, while everyone has been given the same capabilities; everyone must work out that salvation in order to multiply the minas He has evenly distributed to all.    
DEMOCRACY
Finally, let’s now look at the government that we have had the privilege of being under here in the United States—the democratic governmental system. Yes, we are a system of government ruled by the people and for the people.
You see, democracy is a form of government that allows the people to choose leadership. The primary goal is to govern through fair representation and prevent abuses of power. The result is a system that requires discourse, debate, and compromise to satisfy the broadest possible number of public interests, leading to majority rule. Democracies advocate for fair and free elections, civic participation, human rights protections, and law and order.
As a matter of fact, this English word “democracy” actually originated from the Greek words demos and kratos. The word demos meant “people,” and the word kratos meant “ruling power.” So, when you combine these two words together, you get the basic definition of a democracy— “people ruling power.” In other words, a democracy is a government that is ruled by the people and for the people.
But this is not how God’s kingdom operates. His kingdom is not ruled by the people. His kingdom is ruled by the King of kings! But, oh, how so many of God’s people live like the kingdom of God is a democracy. They think that they have a vote on how God’s kingdom will work. They might not say this, but in their actions, they profess it.
But God’s kingdom does not operate like this. We are under God’s rule and reign, not our own. We are under His dominion, not our own. Now certainly we can choose life and death. We can choose blessing or cursing. We can choose whether we are going to submit to the rule of righteousness or to the rule of sin. Our King is not going to make us submit to His reign because He, in His perfect goodness, has given us a free will.
But the bottom line is, if we are going to inherit the fruit of His kingdom and experience the abundance of life and blessings that are a part of His kingdom, then we must let the “King” have “dominion” in our lives. We do this by willingly submitting to the direction that His Holy Spirit is leading us in and also by complying with the precepts and commandments found in His Word. This is how we allow the King of kings to be Lord of our lives and how to receive the benefits that come as a result of living in His kingdom.
But, again, it is important to understand this one point: The kingdom of God is not a democracy; it is more of a monarchy. God’s kingdom is ruled by royalty, being governed by the One True and Living God—the King of all kings! God’s kingdom is God-ruled, not God’s people-ruled! It is important that we understand this because although we do have a free-will in His kingdom, this does not mean that we have free-reign in His kingdom. There is a big difference between having a free-will and having free-reign.
Having a free-will means that God has given us the ability to choose His reign or reject His reign in our life. But if we choose to reject Him, His ways, and His life then we are, in fact, choosing death. But on the other hand, if we choose to operate according to His principles and follow His lead, then we will reap the fruit of His kingdom which is righteousness, peace, and joy! Hallelujah! I, for one, will choose to let the Lord have free reign in my life! How about you? 
So, it is important for us, as God’s children, to understand that the government of God’s kingdom operates primarily as a monarchy—meaning that the supreme power of His kingdom is in His hands, the King, and will remain in His possession for His lifetime, which is obviously for all eternity since He is eternal life itself.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
            However, even though God’s kingdom is not ultimately ruled by the people like a democracy or republic is, God has given us, His people, a certain amount of delegated authority similarly to how these people-ruled governments operate.
You see, the King has delegated His authority here on the earth to a special group of “elected officials” similarly to how a republic or a democracy elects certain people by the people to speak for the people. And who are these “elected officials” in God’s kingdom? It is His church! We are His elect, chosen by God to exercise His authority here on the earth as ambassadors for Him! Hallelujah!
You see, the Scriptures teach us that the heavens are the Lord’s but the earth He has given to the sons of men. This means that when God created the heavens and the earth in those seven days and placed man on the earth that He gave dominion of the earth to Adam. In other words, God created the earth for mankind, and His plan was for those created in His likeness and image to rule and reign over all the rest of His creation.
But we know the story: Adam and Eve sinned by partaking of the forbidden fruit and gave away their delegated position of authority to Satan—thus making him the god of this world.  But what the first Adam lost in his Fall, the last Adam regained through His resurrection! Hallelujah! Jesus sacked and plundered the gates of hell and took the keys to death, hell, and the grave! He took back the authority over the earth that we willingly gave away in the beginning. Then Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore…” (See Matthew 28:18) What He was saying in these verses was— “Friends, I have regained all the authority that the first Adam possessed in the beginning! Now, you go in my name, as my delegated representatives, and do greater works than even I have done! Take back possession of the full earth! Sack the kingdom of darkness and have dominion over all the works of the devil! Do all these things in My name and rule and reign in my place!”
By giving us His name this means that He has delegated to us the authority to make decisions on what happens here on the earth in His place. Moreover, He has given us the actual responsibility to see to it that His will is done here on the earth. The earth is ours again to rule and reign, as it was in the beginning.   
This should not be a new concept to us for if you study the New Testament, you will find these truths contained in the actual terms that He uses to describe us. For instance, did you know that the word “church” actually described in their day a group of chosen and elected officials? It sure did. The Greek word for “church” is eklesia and literally means “called out (ones).” We actually see this definition of church used to describe us all throughout the New Testament when we are referred to as “chosen, called, and elect.” 
Let me give you an actual illustration of this word eklesia—the Greek word for “church”—from ancient Greek writings …
Picture a castle sitting atop a mountain as it ruled over its kingdom below. Now in this illustration, the king realized that He needed a group of representatives in the cities below to mix with the people on his behalf. So, he “called out” a group of representatives to hear the plight of his people and to exercise authority in his stead. This “church” of the king operated as His ambassadors in their local villages of the kingdom with a certain sense of delegated authority to see the will of the king being done while He dwelt in his castle far above their villages.
This is a perfect picture of God’s church! He called us out of this dark and perverse generation and chose us to be His ambassadors here on the earth. We are His elected officials here on the earth! We are His delegated authorities to represent Him and exercise dominion for Him! This is the purpose of the King’s church—to seek first the kingdom of God and play an integral role in the expansion of His kingdom while the King is away!
The Bible says that we have been given an abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness that we might reign as kings here on the earth (See Romans 5:17 Amplified Bible)! The Bible calls us kings and priests unto our God (See Revelation 1:6)!
So, although God’s kingdom is ultimately ruled by the King of kings, the earth has been delegated to us—His kings and priests—to rule and reign over. We are His elected officials, His legal representatives, and His chosen ambassadors left here on the earth to seek first His kingdom’s interests and His kingdom’s expansion. Therefore, the earth is “God’s people-ruled” similarly to how a democracy or republic operates.
Nevertheless, God’s kingdom is ultimately a monarchy, being ruled by the King of the heavens and the earth. This, we must never forget.  
GOD IS NOT A DICTATOR
However, so many in the church today, although they don’t believe in communism, still believe God is a dictator. They believe this by embracing the very erroneous doctrine of the sovereignty of God where it is taught that God is “in control” of all that occurs here on the earth. Nothing could be further from the truth!
God is not some evil dictator who sits up in heaven sending hurricanes and earthquakes to teach His creation something. He is not killing our loved ones and stealing from our lives because it is all a part of His redemptive plan for us. No, He does not force His will on anyone! He gives us the choice to take up our cross and follow Him or to lay down our lives for His glory. He does not dictate circumstances in our life to conform us into the image of His Son. If He did, then He is not giving us the choice, but is forcing His will on our lives by being that great puppeteer who is manipulating us through our circumstances that He is arranging.
No, although God’s kingdom is ruled by the sovereign (i.e. all powerful) God, He is not an evil dictator forcing His own agenda in our lives through stealing, killing, and destroying. He is a gracious King who supplies all of our need and takes the circumstances that the thief brings into our life and works them together for our good. This is the nature of the King of this everlasting kingdom! He is good! He is awesome! He is for us, not against us!
COLONIALISM
Now, finally, another form of government known as “colonialism” is when a nation extends its sovereignty over other territories. In other words, it involves the expansion of a nation's rule beyond its own borders.
While colonialism generally leads to ruling over indigenous populations and exploiting its resources, the kingdom of God is only out to plunder the kingdom of darkness, not take from mankind. Like the colonizer typically installs its economy, culture, religious order, and government form to strengthen its authority in that geographic location, God’s kingdom seeks to do the same in this world.
We have many different examples in the Word of God about how His kingdom is an ever-increasing kingdom and how it seeks to infiltrate all the world. Therefore, it has aspects of “colonialism” in it in that its goal is to destroy the works of its enemy, the devil, and establish its culture, economy, and government order.    
And, church, that is what God has put us here to do—to plunder Satan’s turf and destroy His works! We are the church—that body of believers who have been delegated the authority to do things in the King’s name and see God’s kingdom come on the earth even as it is in heaven.
Let us rise up and take our rightful place—knowing who our King is, how His kingdom operates, and the authority we have to put all things under our feet. Amen and amen!

So, I hope that you now see just how important the subject of God’s kingdom is regarding the message that God is trying to communicate throughout His Word. We have learned that the gospel of the kingdom is the key subject throughout the entire New Testament—from John the Baptist, to the Lord Jesus, all the way to the apostle Paul. We also learned that God’s kingdom was clearly taught and typified in the Old Testament as well. And most recently, we saw how the kingdom of God is revealed from the beginning to the ending of the Bible in the first two chapters of Genesis and the final two chapters of Revelation.  
But, most importantly, what we should glean from the prior messages is that the gospel of kingdom of God that we hear threaded throughout the Bible is the same gospel we are called to carry to the ends of the earth. Yes, if it is the message of the Bible, then it is our message too! And Jesus confirmed this by saying that this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world and then the end will come. So, if we are in those end times, then this is the message God has called us to preach to all of creation. Amen?  
But before we can carry the message of God’s kingdom, we need to know what it is we are carrying. Yes, we need to understand what this good news is because if we do not understand what the kingdom of God is ourselves, we will be totally unprepared to share this message of the New Testament with others. On top of this, we also need to understand when and where the kingdom of God is because these are important parts to sharing the gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the world.
So, that is what we will begin doing this week— We are going to start defining the kingdom of God. We are going to answer questions like what, where, and when is the kingdom, and through this, we will get a better understanding of God’s kingdom ourselves and then will be able to explain it to others.  
So, what I want to begin doing this week is answer the first question regarding God’s kingdom— What is it? And I want to answer this question by defining the word “kingdom” itself …
THE KING’S DOMINION
Now I believe that the first step in defining the kingdom of God is by simply defining the word “kingdom” itself …
The word “kingdom” comes from two words— the words “king” and “dom.” And the word “dom” is where we get words like “dome, domain, or dominion” from. So, by this basic practice of looking at the word’s origin we can see that a kingdom is a “king’s domain,” or you could say, a place where a “king” has “dominion.” Therefore, a kingdom is where a king has rule or where he governs a group of people.
So, if this “king’s domain” is the kingdom of God, then it is the domain or place where God is the King and, therefore, where He rules and has dominion.
THE KINGDOM CONCEPT
But before we go any further, we need to understand that one of the disadvantages we have here in the United States of America to understanding what the kingdom of God is, is that we are not a “kingdom.” We are a democracy (more technically, a republic), not a monarchy. No, we are not ruled by a king, but by a system of government ruled by the people and for the people. We will cover this in more detail perhaps next week, but we need to understand that this is why the concept of a kingdom is not as easy for us to grasp.  
As a matter of fact, this English word “democracy” actually originated from the Greek words demos and kratos. The word demos meant “people,” and the word kratos meant “ruling power.” So, when you combine these two words together, you get the basic definition of a democracy— “people ruling power.” In other words, a democracy is a government that is ruled by the people and for the people.
But this is not how God’s kingdom operates. His kingdom is not ruled by the people. His kingdom is ruled by the King of kings!
WHERE THE KING HAS DOMINION
Now all of that is easily understandable, but the question should arise—Where is it that God has dominion and where the King of kings rules? It is rather obvious that this is not everywhere—because there are a lot of people and places here on the earth where God does not seem to be ruling. Now I know there are a lot of people who wouldn’t say that because a majority of the church sees God as ultimately being in charge and control over everything on the earth, but that’s not completely true. How can I say that, you ask? I say that because His will is not being done everywhere and in every person on this planet. 
You see, the kingdom of God is a place or people where God’s will is being done, because if a king rules or governs something, then their will should be being done there, right? So, in light of all the sin, sickness, poverty, oppression, etc. that is occurring on the earth, we know God’s kingdom is not being manifest everywhere and in every person. Yes, God’s will is where life, blessing, peace, etc. are at! So, if there is death, the curse, depression, and any other oppression of the enemy, then God’s will is not being done in that situation. Therefore, the answer to that question we just asked—Where is it that God has dominion and rules?—is answered simply with—It is where the will of the King is being done.   
Let’s look at a very familiar verse in the Bible that qualifies this answer—Matthew 6:10: In Jesus’ Model Prayer, He said, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” First of all, Jesus taught us that our prayers need to begin with seeking first His kingdom. But then He piggybacks the request for His will being done along with it. So, we might say, once His kingdom comes, His will can then be done. Why? It’s because with a kingdom comes the will of the king of that kingdom being done. So, if this “kingdom” is the kingdom of God, then it is the place where God is king and where His will is being done. Yes, it is where God has dominion and where He rules & reigns. Amen?
So, if a kingdom has come where the will of the king is being done then we need to know what God’s will is in order to identify where His kingdom is, right?
Well, what did Jesus go on to say in His model prayer? He taught us to pray that God’s will would be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” So, what we see happening in heaven is what God’s kingdom looks like. Yes, any Christian would have to agree that God’s will is absolutely being done in heaven. We could all agree on that, right?
Now while most of us have never visited heaven and seen it with our own eyes, we have it described to us in the Word of God. So, what does the Bible show us is taking place in heaven right now? Is there any sickness? Is there any pain or infirmity? Is there the presence of demons and evil spirits? No! There is nothing but perfect love, peace that passes all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory! There is complete and perfect order—no confusion and no division. This is what God’s kingdom looks like! And the most liberating truth is that Jesus taught us to pray here in His Model Prayer for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done here on the earth as it is in heaven! Hallelujah!
So evidently God’s will is that His will be done here on the earth now! His will is that His kingdom come on the earth right now like it is in heaven! In other words, He wants His kingdom’s “dominion” to be seen and experienced here on the earth today. We do not have to wait until tomorrow. We do not have to wait until the “sweet by and by.” We can see His kingdom demonstrated in the here and now! And this will be accomplished not only as we pray like the Master taught us to pray, but as we also begin to imitate Him by doing the works that He did as He walked on the earth. When we begin to walk in the instruction originally given to man in the Garden to subdue the earth and have dominion over all of His creation (Genesis 1:28), then we will see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth.     
Therefore, anywhere or anyone that submits to the will of the King by either repenting from their wrong beliefs and behaviors or by receiving the freedom, healing, and deliverance that His kingdom has to offer is experiencing the rule and dominion of God. It is that simple. Let me say it this way: Any person, place, or thing that bows their knee to the will of the King just experienced a manifestation of the kingdom of God.
Again, God’s kingdom looks like things do in heaven. Therefore, when we see someone healed, we’ve seen a manifestation of His kingdom here on the earth! When we see someone delivered from demonic control, we’ve caught a glimpse of the way God’s kingdom is! Yes, when we see someone loved so beautifully, blessed so extravagantly, or freed so abundantly, we have seen the kingdom of God come in measure.   
You see, the place or people where a king has “dominion” is not just demonstrated where people are adhering to His Word and walking in His precepts. This is certainly part of it, but it is not all there is to where the King’s rule is being demonstrated.
The Bible teaches us that we are not to just come in the wisdom of words about His kingdom, but also in the demonstration of the Spirit and power of God’s kingdom. And when the kingdom of God is manifested through people being healed and delivered, we are witnessing a demonstration of our Lord’s rule and dominion. That is why the Lord told His disciples, when they healed the sick and casted out demons, to say to them--“The kingdom of God has come near to you!” (Luke 10:9) Why? It is because the rule and dominion of God’s kingdom was just manifested in those people’s lives. They just saw the will of the King of kings being done in their lives as Satan was dethroned in their spirits, souls, or bodies. This is why we see the signs we do accompanying Jesus’ ministry—because He didn’t just come to preach the kingdom of God, but to demonstrate it. So, when He blessed the poor, healed the sick, raised the dead to life again, broke demonic control, the kingdom of God is what was being experienced in those people’s lives that Jesus and His disciples touched. Amen!
So, the kingdom of God is where the devil, his kingdom, and the curse are no longer present. It is where God has the dominion, and His will is being done! Therefore, the kingdom of God is anywhere the will of the king is being demonstrated and manifested. It’s not a physical place and it’s not something we can necessarily see with the physical eye.
Saints, the kingdom of God is not just a place. There is no time and distance in the spirit realm. The kingdom of God is wherever the Lord, our King, is manifested and demonstrated through word and action. This is how God’s kingdom can be manifested on the earth today! I can assure you; His kingdom is already handily available to us right now. Thank you, Jesus!
Friends, we have been chosen by God to exercise the will of the King here on the earth and introduce the kingdom of God to this lost and dying world we live in! The church’s purpose is to be His delegated authority here on the earth and manifest the kingdom here now! Let us arise and take our rightful position as His church and represent our King appropriately by taking the keys to the kingdom and unlocking the doors to His presence and power through our lives. Swing wide you, heavenly gates! Open up ye everlasting doors! And the King of glory will come in! Church, you are the gates and those doors that the King of glory wants to manifest Himself through! So open up your hearts and let the King and His kingdom come through you! Amen! 

 REVIEW
            So we have begun this year talking about what I believe is the most important subject in the Bible—the kingdom of God. And while I believe next week we will begin defining the kingdom of God by asking questions like “What is it?” and “When is it?”, it was necessary for us to answer the question— “Why is it?” So, this is how we have started covering this huge topic—by seeing how this message of the kingdom is threaded throughout the Scriptures. You see, in order for us to see the significance of this subject, we need to see the emphasis placed on it from Genesis to Revelation, wouldn’t we? So, that’s what we’ve been doing …
In part one of this mini-series teaching on the Gospel of the Kingdom, we began in the beginning of the New Testament and saw what the Lord Jesus Himself’s gospel was throughout His earthly ministry. So, we looked in the four Gospels and saw what He placed the emphasis on—clearly seeing that His message was the kingdom of God. Yes, time and time again throughout the Gospels we see the Lord saying, “The kingdom is like this” and “The kingdom is like that.” In fact, we learned that throughout the four Gospels, Jesus uses the phrases “kingdom of God, kingdom of heaven, His kingdom, etc.” over 80 times! So, yes, even though He spent time talking about other subjects, all of Jesus’ teachings were absolutely kingdom centered. Therefore, we can correctly conclude that the kingdom of God was Jesus’ “sermon”!
Then two weeks ago, we moved on into talking about how the kingdom of God was not just Jesus’ message; it was (and still is) the message of the entire New Testament. And we saw how others from John the Baptist to the apostle Paul were also declaring the message of God’s kingdom in their ministries because Jesus said in Luke 16:16 that “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” We learned that this meant that the Old Testament was up until John the Baptist came on the scene, but since then, the message has been of God’s kingdom. So, we gathered from this that the kingdom of God is not just a message of the New Covenant; the kingdom of God is the message of the New Covenant!
Church, it is obvious that the gospel of the kingdom is the alpha and the omega of New Testament doctrine! It is the first and the last regarding New Covenant truth. It is the first gospel being proclaimed and it is the last gospel being proclaimed! There is no other message of the New Covenant than the kingdom of God. Everything else we hear preached and taught from the New Testament Scriptures are simply things pertaining to this gospel.
Then, last week, we saw that the kingdom of God is not just the message of the New Testament; the kingdom of God is actually the message of the Bible itself—for it has been well said that the entire Bible itself could be described as “The Book of the Coming Kingdom of God.”
You see, the Old Testament, in and of itself is incomplete. Yes, it held signposts that pointed to God’s will of a kingdom. Yes, it proclaimed the good news of God’s Messiah and His entrance that would free them from their bondage. But this good news of an everlasting kingdom was not fulfilled until the New Testament was given. So, what we did last week is we began taking a journey through the Old Testament as we did through the New Testament and saw how Jehovah’s gospel has always been about a promised kingdom. But particularly, we looked at God’s chosen people—the kingdom of Israel—and saw how this kingdom message was proclaimed both to them and through them. And what we will find is that the gospel which we heard about already is no different than the gospel that they heard and that they experienced in measure.
We learned that throughout the Old Testament, we basically have the recorded history of God’s chosen kingdom: From Genesis to Esther, we have chronicled for us the glories and failures of the kingdom of Israel from a historical perspective. Then, from Isaiah to Malachi, we have the prophecies given to the nation of Israel about how He wanted His kingdom to operate. He also declared through His prophets how He was going to establish His everlasting kingdom through their promised Messiah.  
But we specifically began with the calling of the Father of us all—the Father of faith, Abraham—and we saw how when God called him, He essentially gave him the gospel of the kingdom that “In you all the nations shall be blessed” (See Galatians 3:8). More specifically, we saw that God gave him a more detailed gospel in Genesis 17:6 by promising Him— “I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.” Who were these “kings”? Of course, we know that the Lord was referring to Israel’s kings such as Saul, David, Solomon, all the way to the King of kings, Jesus Christ!
 You see, Jesus showed us that Abraham actually saw His day and rejoiced in it (See John 8:56). Abraham knew the plan that God had for us and heard the same good news which we have heard. Therefore, these promises that God made to Abraham are the foundation to the good news of the kingdom of God.
How about the sons and daughters of Abraham? Well, we saw that the children of Israel heard the good news as well in Hebrews 4:2 when we are told— “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them…” This verse was speaking specifically about the children of Israel during their journey through the wilderness and God’s promise to give them rest in the Promised Land. Of course, we understand in hindsight that the gospel that they heard was in type and shadow form because the land that God was going to give them as a heritage was a representation of our eternal “Promised Land,” the kingdom of God. You could say that their Promised Land was a type of the Promised Kingdom of God that we see fulfilled through the New Testament Scriptures. 
But we saw that this gospel of a kingdom and its Messiah was even declared through the prophets: For example, in the Book of Isaiah, we looked at a prophecy of the gospel that we even have repeated in New Testament Scriptures: Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good tidings, that publishes peace, that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says, your God reigns.” What do these bringers of good news say? They say, “Your God reigns!” That sounds like kingdom talk, does it not? So, the gospel of the kingdom was prophesied! These good news bearers would declare— Our God reigns! In other words, our Lord and God reigns as King! God’s kingdom is at hand and His Messiah, Jesus Christ, reigns as King over it! Amen! 
But we saw that Isaiah was not the only prophet to prophesy concerning God’s promised kingdom: we see a lot about God’s kingdom in the Book of Daniel. Yes, arguably the most detailed prophecy concerning God’s good news of a kingdom is found in the Book of Daniel. In fact, the theme of this prophetical book is the sovereignty of the kingdom of God over all the other kingdoms of the earth—past, present, and future.
We looked in detail at Daniel 2:34-35 where Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and we saw that God’s kingdom was illustrated by a stone that was cut out without hands and how that stone crushed that which represented the kingdoms of this world. Daniel explained that this stone, which was cut out without hands, struck the image, and broke it into pieces. It crushed it until it became like chaff from the summer threshing floors and the wind carried them away and no trace of them was found. This too was prophesied through the mouth of our Savior: When Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22— “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” He also added another statement which we can clearly see perfectly coincides with this prophecy in the book of Daniel. He said, “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder” (Luke 20:18). In his explanation of the dream, Daniel went on to say that this stone then became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. So, after the Rock of Ages struck these other nations and brought them to naught, it grew and became a great mountain which eventually covered the whole earth. For those who are learned in the Scriptures, this picture of God’s kingdom filling the whole earth should sound very familiar. It sounds a lot like Jesus’ parables concerning the kingdom of God, doesn’t it? In Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed and of the leaven, He described the kingdom of God as starting off small but becoming increasingly greater—covering and filling the whole earth. Friends, this is God’s ultimate plan for His kingdom. It is for it to grow up like the mustard seed—from being one of the world’s smallest seeds to becoming one its greatest trees! It is for it to spread like leaven—like leaven infiltrates the meal—until it leavens the whole lump!
So, from the promise given to Abraham to the prophecy given through Daniel, we clearly saw that this gospel of the kingdom has always been God’s good news to His chosen people! In fact, when He originally created man, His initial plan was to give him dominion over all His creation. This was God’s purpose for mankind then and it is no different now: He wants us in His kingdom and ruling and reigning with Him forever!
But we also found that in the Old Testament the kingdom of God is not just specifically referred to; it was also illustrated in the kings and kingdoms of Judah & Israel. Yes, all of these examples of the Old Testament, although true and real-life stories that actually happened, are simply types and shadows meant to exhort, encourage, and instruct us in how God wants His kingdom to operate. God intended for us to learn from the good kings like David, Solomon, Josiah & Jehoshaphat and also from the bad kings like Ahab, Rehoboam, and Hezekiah. All of these examples were recorded for our admonition so that we could learn the concept of God’s kingdom and how we are to rule and reign with Him as kings in it.
So, we saw that this is the reason that you see the gospel of the kingdom so freely proclaimed by John the Baptist and, after that, Jesus in the beginning of the New Testament. Have you noticed that you never see the Jews responding to the messages of either John or Jesus with, “What is all this kingdom stuff you are talking about?” No, you never see a response like that because they knew and understood God’s concept of a kingdom. Why? It was because His kingdom was emphasized throughout the Old Testament! It was a promise made to Abraham and this gospel was consistently proclaimed throughout the law and the prophets. It was the promise for which the nation of Israel hoped in!
In fact, we saw in Luke 3:15 that God’s chosen people were expectant of the kingdom of God when John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness. This means that they were eagerly looking for the manifestation of God’s promise of a kingdom. This is also the reason why their leaders asked John as to whether he was the Christ or not. So, I can assure you that they would not have been looking for God to establish His kingdom and sending His King unless this is the message that they were used to hearing in their Scriptures. Why? Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (See Romans 10:17). Not only that but hope also comes through the Holy Scriptures as well (See Romans 15:4). Yes, friends, even the Old Testament contained a gospel which fueled the faith and hope of God’s chosen people.
Therefore, we saw that this gospel of the kingdom is all throughout the Old Testament, beginning in God’s calling of Abraham to the prophecies of the future in the major and minor prophets.  So, now that we have established the fact that the kingdom of God was Jesus’ message, the message of the entire New Testament, and the message that Israel heard as well, let’s look at one more thing that will further establish us in that it’s all about God’s kingdom.
You see, from the beginning of Genesis, God began establishing a kingdom through Adam in telling him to have dominion over all of His creation. Then at the end of the Book of Revelation, we see the restoration of Paradise on the earth as God’s kingdom descends from heaven. This is the story—the gospel, if you would—of the entire Bible: It is the good news of God’s kingdom.
THE KINGDOM GARDEN
So, let’s conclude this series on the Gospel of the Kingdom by looking back to the beginning—in the Book of Genesis. Today, I want us to look at the bookends of the Bible and see that establishing His kingdom on the earth has always been the Lord’s intention with His creation. 
In Genesis 1:26, we see that on day six, God created man. In it, we are told— “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
So, when God had this discussion amongst Himself to make man, He desired to create Him in His image and according to His likeness. That means that God made Adam to look like Him and be like Him—and the “be like Him” part is further described in this verse because He goes on to say, “let them have dominion …”
The word “dominion” here literally means to “rule or reign.” It’s actually translated “rule” more times than it is “dominion.” So, the Lord’s very first mandate for mankind was to “rule and reign.” That sounds like more kingdom talk, doesn’t it? Yes, God’s will for man in the beginning was for him to rule & reign, having dominion over His creation.
This goes back to what we have learned about us being the kings that Jesus is King of. God’s will & desire has always been for us to rule & reign as kings over His creation. It began this way on the sixth day of creation and was reinstituted by Jesus after His resurrection. Yes, His will has always been for those created in His image and likeness to be “like” Him and rule over their domain. Amen?  
Now the example of Adam in the Garden might not be one that we quickly associate with the kingdom of God because the imagery we have of Eden is a little different than what we might have of a kingdom. But what we need to understand is that God’s idea of a kingdom might be different than ours too. When we think of kingdoms, we might think of thrones, crowns, castles, etc., but when God thinks of His kingdom, He thinks of a place where He simply rules, reigns, and His will is being done. In other words, as Jesus taught us, His kingdom does not necessarily come with observation. It’s not about looks; it’s about the will of the King being done. So, you can see symptoms and manifestations of it, but it’s not something we will be able to fully see with the naked eye. You can have scepters & crowns, thrones & kings, but if the King’s desires are not being fulfilled, then that is not His kingdom.
You see, the Jews were tempted to think this way, weren’t they? When expectantly looking for their Messiah, they looked for a Saul—someone who would look the part and check off all of those proverbial boxes of what a king was supposed to both look & act like. But the prophet Isaiah said concerning Jesus that there was no beauty that we should desire Him. In other words, Jesus was not going to look the part—and this didn’t just mean in regard to His physically appearance; I believe it also meant that he didn’t fit the bill of what their carnal eyes were looking for because He didn’t come initially doing what they pictured the Messiah doing. And this was partially the reason why they had a hard time receiving Him. 
Well, the problem with putting things in a box like this is we might miss the Lord and His kingdom like the majority of Israel did 2,000 years ago. His kingdom is not eating & drinking. It is not through physical observation by looking here or looking there. It is a spiritual kingdom which is manifested in this physical world around us with every heart that is made new and every work of the enemy that is decimated. Amen! This is why Jesus told His disciples to go about healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. and saying, “The kingdom of God has come near to you!” Why did He tell them to say this when destroying the works of the devil? It is because the King’s rule & reign is being manifested in those people’s lives! Hallelujah!
Now granted, we might not have any other evidence of God’s kingdom when this happens, but that is what we are taught in the Scriptures—that the kingdom of God is evidenced in fruit like righteousness, peace, joy, healing, and deliverance.
So, my point is that the kingdom of God was on full display in the Garden of Eden because God’s rule & reign was on perfect display by every need being met, no oppression of the devil present, and heaven on earth was being experienced. That, my friends, is the kingdom of God in full manifestation!  
And a big part of God’s kingdom that we see in the Garden is that dominion given to Adam. But notice what else God mandated him to do— In verse 28, the Lord then tells them— “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Now we obviously know that to be fruitful and multiply is referring to procreation but notice the next terminology God uses— “fill the earth and subdue it”: This phrase “fill the earth” sounds a little more like occupying the earth, doesn’t it? In fact, it sounds to me like a conquering kingdom that is taking ground over the face of the earth. But he didn’t just bless man with the mandate to fill the earth; He also said to “subdue” it. The word “subdue” literally means “to bring something into subjection and to make it subservient.” So, not only was mankind given the responsibility to procreate and fill the earth; he was also told to bring all of creation into subjection (i.e. to rule over it).
            Then in Genesis 2:15, we see God placing man in the Garden of Eden to “tend and keep it.” That shows us who was truly in authority and responsible for Eden—it was Adam. So, that answers a lot of questions folks have had over the years as to why God allowed Satan in the garden to tempt man in the first place. Well, we see here that it was Adam’s responsibility to both tend and keep the garden. The word “keep” here literally means to “guard.” So, Adam should have done something about the serpent. It was His job, not God’s! The Lord had delegated that authority over to him.
So, the fact remains that it was Adam’s job to have dominion over his domain! This shows us that this has always been God’s intention for mankind—to have dominion, to guard our domain, and subdue it. As the Psalmist stated— “The heavens, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; the earth He has given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16). Therefore, the earth is ours, and it is up to mankind to properly rule & reign over it as God intended from the beginning. But even more important than that is that we, the church, establish God’s kingdom here, bringing heaven to earth. That is ultimately what He wills from us on the earth today!  
And lastly, what made the Garden of Eden paradise was the fact that God’s kingdom was present in both the physical and the spiritual. So, God’s intention has certainly always been to have His kingdom established in both the spiritual and the physical realms. We know this because it started out this way in Eden. The Garden was a perfect example of how God wanted His kingdom in both realms. Then, of course, through the temptation and fall of man, both were lost. Spiritual death was inherited by the son of man, and Adam and Eve lost their life in paradise.
But then we see God beginning to reestablish His kingdom in the natural because that is what He had to work with. As we have seen, He began to do this through Abraham which eventually came to be called the kingdom of Israel. Then when Jesus came on the scene, He began to reestablish God’s kingdom in the spiritual realm—fully accomplishing it through His resurrection.
But God still wills to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. And the day is coming when Jesus returns that He is going to restore the garden of God—His heavenly Jerusalem—on the earth and will have His perfect will done—a kingdom established in both the spiritual and the natural.
And that is precisely what we see at the end of this Book—no, not at the end of Genesis, but the end of the Bible itself …
KINGDOM CULMINATION
As we’ve learned not so long ago, what the Lord created in the beginning is what He plans to restore at the end of time. Yes, what we will see today is God’s heart and the culmination of His will for His creation in the final two chapters of the Bible: It is to make all things new again!
Interestingly enough, when you read Revelation chapter 21 & 22, you see God essentially restoring what He created in Genesis chapters 1 & 2. In other words, He will recreate in the end what He created in the beginning. No, it will not look completely the same, having the name Eden, but it will be paradise restored, nonetheless. Glory to God! And what this shows us is the way things were in Eden before the Fall and the way things are on the earth after Jesus’ return are God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will for His creation.
Now Revelation 21:1 begins with the apostle John saying, “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.” Church, this is the Day we are to be looking forward to! It has been prophesied over and over of a new heavens and new earth where peace will be experienced, no more death, no more killing. Only paradise and promise will be experienced in those days!
Now one thing John made sure to describe to us about what he saw is the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to the earth (See Revelation 21:2). He described this city as a bride prepared for her husband. So, I don’t know if the wedding march will be being played when the holy city is coming down from heaven to the new earth, but what I can guarantee you is that the full measure of the same joy and excitement a husband experiences when he sees his bride coming down the aisle is going to be experienced in believers when they see the New Jerusalem descending to the earth. Hallelujah! 
Then in verses 3-8, John heard a loud voice describing several characteristics of this new heavenly Jerusalem that will reign over the new heavens and the new earth:
The first thing we are told is that the tabernacle of God would now be with men and He would dwell with them. Again, God’s original and eternal plan is to come down and make His home with us! He did it in the Garden of Eden when He would come down and fellowship with man in the cool of the day, and He will do it again when Paradise is reestablished in the Millennium. This is God’s perfect will—to abide with us forever! This is undisputedly the greatest benefit of heaven being brought to the earth.
Verse 4 goes on to say that He will wipe away every tear, that there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain, because the former things have passed away. How awesome is that going to be!?! All of these things that were brought on by the curse of sin will die—that is, they will not be a part of this new everlasting kingdom. Glory!
Then in verse 5, John sees where God said, “Behold, I make all things new.” This is what the Lord did for us through Jesus as it pertains to our salvation, and it is what He will ultimately do with His creation and for His creation. Amen.
For example, in Second Corinthians 5:17— “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” That sounds an awful lot like what God said He would do with His original creation, doesn’t it? Yes, all of the old things (that is, the heavens and the earth that He created in the beginning) will pass away, and yes, all these things will become new! That’s the new heavens and the new earth—where righteousness dwells! This is the kingdom of God on full display!  
But the fact is, this process started in each of us the day we got saved: The old creation we were born into through the transgression of Adam passed away on the day we received Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. At that moment, you and I became a new creation where Jesus made all things new in our spirit. This left us in the position to hope in the same transformation to take place in our outward man that took place in our inward man. And this will be experienced around the same time that God makes all things new on this earth! Amen.
Then, in verses 6-8, we see the Lord saying, “It is done!” Again, similar to what Jesus said when He hung on the Cross— “It is finished”—when this process of restoration and redemption began. So, we can now see that it is finished and it is done just like it was in the Garden.  Amen.
THE NEW JERUSALEM AND OTHER CITIES
Now in the rest of Revelation chapter 21, we have this New Jerusalem described in glorious detail. And because we see John spend some nineteen verses describing what this city will look like, we need to know that this is a big part of what we have to look forward to. So, let’s look at a couple of distinguishing characteristics of this city of God’s kingdom that is to come …
The dimension laid out to us in Revelation 21:15-16 equates to it being 1,400 miles in length, width, and height! This would stretch north and south from Canada to Mexico, and east and west from Macon, GA to Colorado Springs. If each story were a generous 12 feet high, this would give it 600,000 stories! That means that it could be anywhere from 600,000 – 1,200,000 stories, depending on the height of each story. (See illustration).
Now a building’s greatest strength is its foundation, and the New Jerusalem was said to have not one foundation, but twelve, each decorated with a different gem (See Revelation 21:14, 19-20). John names twelve stones, eight of which correspond to the stones of the high priest’s breast-piece (See Exodus 28:17-20). Church, whatever God builds will last! (See Hebrews 11:8-10).
Then, in verses 22-27, we see the glory of this New Jerusalem—that there will be no temple in this Jerusalem because the Father and Son will be its temple, there will be no need for the sun and moon there to illuminate it because the Lamb is its light, and the city’s gates will always remain open. 
Now as we move on to Revelation chapter 22, we see where John was shown a pure river (clear as crystal) of the water of life that proceeded from the throne of God. He saw the tree of life there. And then in verse 3 we see something that should excite us— “no more curse.” Glory! And in verse 5 we see that we shall reign with the Lamb forever and ever! 
You see, this concept of reigning with Christ is another thing not understood by many. Sure, we see Jesus as coming to reign, Him being the King of kings. But who are the kings He is king of? We are! He is the firstfruit of many brethren—so we, as sons of God, are meant to rule with Him. Yes, rule over sin, the curse, and death now in this life, but over the New Earth that will be created. Amen!
Jesus taught us things that lead us to presume that many other cities will be on the New Earth—not just the New Jerusalem. We get this through Jesus’ stewardship parable, the Parable of the Minas, where He indicates we will be given cities to rule over as we faithfully steward what He’s given us in this life (see Luke 19:11-27).  It is for this reason that I believe the New Earth will contain many different cities just like we have now. There will be the capital city of the New Jerusalem, but other cities given to His faithful servants to reign over in His stead.
So, when we refer to this New Jerusalem you have to understand that this is, in fact, referring to the kingdom of God, which the city of Jerusalem on the earth today represents. So, even though the terminology might be different, the concept of God’s kingdom is the same. 
Church, this is the summarization of this, the Revelation of Jesus Christ—it is a promise that our King will return again, and He is bringing His kingdom with Him. All of us who serve Him now, will reign with Him then.
This is our hope, and this is the message of the Bible! It is that the curse will die! His kingdom will come! A new heaven and a new earth will be created with a new capital city, the New Jerusalem. The Lord will dwell with us and there will be no more tears, only blessing! And we will enjoy what God intended in the beginning—heaven on earth. Even so, Come Lord Jesus, Come!