The primary focus of Jesus’s ministry was the announcement and declaration of God’s Kingdom.[1] Jesus came from heaven to earth to show us the way and lead us into His Father’s Kingdom.[2] Jesus called EVERYONE to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, goodness, lovingkindness, truth, faith, and peace above all else.[3] Righteousness, goodness, lovingkindness, truth, faith, and peace describe the living LORD God, and He wants everyone to follow His ways.[4] Furthermore, Jesus called for God’s Kingdom to come and to always seek for God’s will to be done.[5] In God’s Kingdom, we are saved from the evil one.[6] Jesus knew that seeking His Holy Father and His Kingdom FIRST leads to life, peace, resource, and happiness.[7] Likewise, Jesus called His disciples to preach and proclaim the Good News (also known as Gospel) of the Kingdom of God throughout the world.[8] The Apostle Paul was committed to announcing to the world the Gospel of the grace of God and God’s Kingdom.[9]
The Kingdom of God is from everlasting to everlasting and will never be destroyed.[10] God’s Kingdom is the power and glory forever.[11] The living LORD God is the everlasting God and true King of all the heavens and earth.[12] The Kingdom of God means the reign and rule of the living LORD God is present throughout the world.[13] One day the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.[14]
Jesus is the clearest expression of the reign and rule of the LORD God and His Kingdom. In Jesus’ coming, the Kingdom of God came because the reign and rule of God was present in Jesus’s Person.[15] Jesus’s life, teaching, and deeds revealed the Kingdom of God’s present reality in Him.[16] Everyone in Israel experienced a foretaste of God’s Kingdom through Jesus and His disciples’ teaching, preaching, and healing.[17] Inside God’s Kingdom is healing, salvation, and peace. During His public ministry, Jesus revealed the reign and rule of God’s Kingdom through His authoritative teaching, and His power and authority over sickness, disease, and Satan.[18] Jesus conducted tours throughout Palestine and outlaying cities with His teaching about the Kingdom of God and His healing ministry over sickness, disease, and evil.[19]
In His Father’s Kingdom, Jesus taught we can receive salvation, healing, and peace NOW and for eternity.[20] The living LORD God’s promise to bless and heal all nations through Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus because Jesus makes the blessings of God’s Kingdom available to EVERYONE – Jews and Gentile who places their wholehearted faith in Him.[21]
With Jesus’s coming, the Holy Spirit returned, and the Spirit of God was once again active in Israel.[22] The Spirit of God was active in Israel with Jesus and the prophet John the Baptist as the Spirit worked through Jesus and John the Baptist’s ministries. Jesus brought God’s glory back to earth as predicted by the prophet Ezekiel.[23] In the Old Testament, God’s glory departed Israel and Jerusalem because of the people’s continual sins and wickedness.[24] The fullness of God’s Spirit was seen in John the Baptist – Jesus’s messenger and then in Jesus. The prophet John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of the Old Testament prophet Elijah to announce Jesus’s coming, and John called for EVERYONE to REPENT and produce good deeds and fruit.[25]
The expression Kingdom of God occurs mostly in the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The Gospel of John and the letters (epistles) of the New Testament refer to the Kingdom of God but in different language, using phrases such as eternal life or salvation. Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God was often conveyed through parables or comparisons taken from various phases of nature or human life.[26] In the New Testament, the Gospels use the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God interchangeably, but both phrases mean the living LORD God’s reign and rule over all the heavens and earth.[27]
The Kingdom of God means the rule and reign of God that is already present throughout the world but also the future Kingdom at Jesus’ second coming at the end of the age.[28] During His teaching ministry, Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is a future reality at His second coming to earth but also a present reality through our repentance, righteousness, and faith in Him.[29] Jesus’s first coming to earth did not include the triumphal victory so longed for by the Jews.[30] Instead, God’s Kingdom with Jesus’s first coming arrived secretly like leaven, quietly like a mustard seed, like hidden treasure, and as a small pearl of great value concealed in one's pocket.[31] Jesus promised that one day He will return in His Father’s fiery glory on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory with the holy angels of God.[32] As Jesus returned to heaven in God’s glory cloud, God’s holy angels promised Jesus’s disciples that one day Jesus will return in God’s glory cloud with His holy angels.[33] Many people have questioned and asked when will Jesus return to earth. Jesus taught that only His Father knows the day and hour that He will return to earth.[34] Throughout the church’s generations, believers have cried, “Come, Lord Jesus!”[35] Jesus promised His rewards and crown of righteousness who have faithfully obeyed and followed Him as their Lord.[36]
Jesus’s first coming fulfilled many but not all Old Testament’s promises of the prophets.[37] When Jesus returns, ALL the promises of the Old Testament prophets will be fulfilled! The final judgment of evil, the establishment of justice, and the elimination of disease, poverty, and death will find their ultimate fulfillment with Jesus’s return in His glory cloud at His second coming.[38] At His second coming, Jesus taught He will judge the world, and everyone will have to stand before His judgment seat.[39] His Father – the living LORD God – has ordained Jesus to be the Judge of the living and the dead.[40] The Holy Bible promises that workers of sin, darkness, lawlessness, and evildoers will not enter God’s Kingdom.[41] However, Jesus promised the righteous and those who obey His Father’s commandments will see the Kingdom of God.[42] Jesus must rule as King and Judge until He has defeated and destroyed all evil enemies, the last of which is death; and then He will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father.[43]
Jesus came to earth to invite ALL PEOPLE into God’s Kingdom through repentance (turning from sin) and faith in Him.[44] Through our repentance and faith in Jesus, we can experience the blessings of God’s Kingdom NOW and experience as greater blessing when He returns.[45] Our faith in Jesus fills believers with God’s glory and love NOW so believers can be one and united with God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and adopted into God’s family.[46] Everyone experiences spiritual rebirth from heaven and entrance into God’s Kingdom through faith in God’s Son, Jesus.[47] God – the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit – is One, and He wants everyone to be united with Him as One.[48] Christ Jesus died and suffered for our sins to reconcile and bring His sheep safely into His Father’s Kingdom.[49] Our wholehearted obedience and love of the living LORD God and His commandment to humbly love one another as well as seeking goodness and righteousness lead to life and entrance into God’s Kingdom.[50] Jesus taught that we are to ALWAYS depend upon and trust in Him and His Father to enter God’s Kingdom.[51]
In His public ministry, the central focus of Jesus’s ministry was the announcement of God’s Kingdom.[52] Jesus called EVERYONE to REPENT by wholeheartedly turning away from their evildoing and believe His Gospel message to enter God’s Kingdom.[53] Jesus’s message of REPENTANCE (turning) from sins and wholeheartedly turning to the living LORD God with FAITH and OBEDIENCE is the same message of the holy prophets.[54] Remarkedly, one of the key messages of the book of Revelation is REPENTANCE – turning from sin and turning to the living LORD God with faith and obedience.[55] The book of Revelation shows the LORD God’s desire not to inflict His wrath on people, but rather His desire to bring all people to obedience and repentance so they can enter His Kingdom.[56] Only the living LORD God can save, deliver, and protect us, and not money, any government, nor military force.[57] RETURN TO THE LORD GOD!
In fact, Jesus called for everyone to pray that His Holy Father will keep us from Satan – the evil one.[58] Jesus called EVERYONE out of Satan’s kingdom with his dark and evil deeds into God’s Kingdom which is light, mercy, forgiveness, truth, and goodness.[59] God’s Kingdom is light, and Jesus has called everyone to walk and imitate His light, love, and goodness.[60] Darkness and evildoing leads to death.[61] After Jesus returned to heaven, Jesus’s disciples continued His message of repentance.[62] Jesus’s disciples called EVERYONE to REPENT by turning from sin, wrongdoing, and wickedness and turning to God with all goodness and light to enter the Kingdom of God.[63]
For God’s Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, and everyone who serves Christ Jesus in righteousness, peace, and joy are acceptable to God and approved by everyone.[64] Without peace, righteousness, and holiness, no one will enter God’s Kingdom and see the LORD.[65] The living LORD God has called ALL PEOPLE to trust in Him with a loyal heart, do good, and walk blameless for His glory.[66] Jesus and His disciples proclaimed that evildoers and sinful will not inherit and enter the Kingdom of God. Everyone that indulges and does sexual sins, fornication, adultery, idolatry, witchcraft, male prostitutes, homosexuality, thieves, greedy, drunkards, cheaters, murders, liars, or abusers will not inherit and enter God’s Kingdom.[67]
During His public ministry, Jesus described those who will enter God’s Kingdom. Amazingly, Jesus’s ancestor King David previously described who the living LORD God welcomes into His Kingdom.[68] According to the Lord Jesus, His Father welcomes those who are humble, merciful, forgiving, peacemakers, righteous, workers of good, and pure in heart inside His Kingdom.[69]
REPENT!
[1]
See e.g., Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43; Luke 8:1; Luke 9:11.
[2]
See e.g., John 3:16-17; John 5:36, 38; John 6:29, 57; John 8:42; John 17:3;
John 14:6.
[3]
Matthew 5:6, 20; Matthew 6:33; See also Genesis 17:1; Genesis 18:19; Jeremiah
9:23-24; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22.
[4]
See e.g., Numbers 14:18-19; Nehemiah 9:17, 31; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 103:8; Jeremiah
9:23-24; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2.
[5]
See e.g., Matthew 6:9-10; Luke 11:2.
[6]
See e.g., Matthew 6:13; John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 4:18; 1 John
5:18.
[7]
See e.g., Isaiah 26:3-4; Isaiah 55:1-3, 6; Amos 5:4, 6; Matthew 5:6; Matthew 6:11;
Luke 11:3; John 3:15-17; John 10:10.
[8]
See e.g., Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke
9:2; Luke 10:9-12; John 20:21.
[9]
See e.g., Acts 20:24-25; Acts 28:23, 30-31; Romans 1:16-17; 2 Timothy 4:18.
[10]
See e.g., Psalm 45:6; Psalm 93:2; Lamentations 5:19; Daniel 2:44; Daniel
6:26-27; 1 Timothy 1:17.
[11]
See e.g., 1 Chronicles 29:11-13.
[12]
See e.g., Isaiah 40:28; Isaiah 66:1-2; Jeremiah 10:10; Daniel 4:34; 1 Timothy
1:17; Revelation 4:2-3.
[13]
See e.g., Exodus 15:18; Psalm 10:16; Psalm 29:10-11; Isaiah 6:5.
[14]
See e.g., Revelation 11:15.
[15]
See Matthew 4:17, 23; Mark 1:14-15.
[16]
See e.g., Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35-36; Luke 24:19; John 3:2; Acts 2:22; Acts
10:38.
[17]
See e.g., Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew 11:5-6; Luke 7:22.
[18]
See e.g., Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 7:28-29; Matthew 11:4-5; Matthew 12:28; Mark
1:14-15, 22-27, 30-34, 39-42; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:18-19; John 2:10; John
10:9-11; John 14:30-31.
[19]
See e.g., Matthew 4:17, 23-25; Mark 1:38-39; Mark 6:6; Luke 4:18-19, 40-44;
Luke 8:1; Mark 6:55-56.
[20]
See e.g., John 10:10; John 16:33.
[21]
See e.g., Matthew 9:20-22, 35; Luke 9:56; John 3:3-8, 14-18, 36; John 6:47;
John 10:10; John 12:47.
[22]
See e.g., Matthew 3:11-12, 16-17; Luke 1:31-35, 41-42.
[23]
John 1:14; John 12:41; see also Ezekiel 43:1-5.
[24]
See e.g., Ezekiel 11:2, 6, 12, 22-23.
[25]
See e.g., Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 3:1-2, 8, 11;
Matthew 11:13-14; Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 1:4; Luke 1:17; Luke 3:3, 8; Acts 19:4.
[26]
See e.g., Matthew 13:3, 34-35; Mark 4:33-34; John 16:25, 29.
[27]
See e.g., Isaiah 66:1-2; Jeremiah 10:6-7; Jeremiah 51:15-19.
[28]
See e.g., Psalm 10:16-18; Psalm 29:10; Matthew 24:1-51; Mark 14:25; Acts 1:6-8.
[29]
Matthew 4:17; Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-32; Luke 11:20; Luke 13:28-29;
Luke 17:20-21; see also 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
[30]
See e.g., Luke 24:18-21.
[31]
See e.g., Matthew 13:31-33, 37-46; Luke 13:20-21.
[32]
See e.g., Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 26:64; Mark
8:38; Mark 13:24-27; Mark 14:61-62; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7-8; Revelation
22:7, 12, 20.
[33]
See e.g., Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11.
[34]
See e.g., Matthew 24:36; Matthew 25:13; Acts 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2; 2
Peter 3:10-11.
[35]
See 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20. This prayer asking the Lord Jesus to
come is a prayer of the Aramaic-speaking church and means “maranatha” for “Our
Lord, come!”
[36]
See e.g., Matthew 24:46-47; 2 Timothy 4:8.
[37]
See e.g., Matthew 4:13-17; Luke 4:17-21; Acts 13:27-29.
[38]
See e.g., Matthew 13:41-43; Matthew 25:31-46; Mark 14:61-62; Revelation
21:1-22:5.
[39]
See e.g., Matthew 13:47-50; Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 2:16; Romans 14:10-11; 2
Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, 18.
Remarkably, Matthew 25:31-46 is the New Testament’s only picture of
judgment day.
[41]
See e.g., Psalm 15:1-5; Psalm 24:3-5; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:41; Luke
13:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:7-8; Revelation
22:15.
[42]
See e.g., Matthew 5:3-12; Matthew 19:17-19; Luke 6:20-23; Revelation 22:14.
[43]
See 1 Corinthians 15:24-27.
[44]
See e.g., Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15.
[45]
See e.g., Matthew 4:23-25; John 10:10; Colossians 1:12-13; 2 Peter 1:10-11.
[46]
See e.g., Luke 9:26; John 1:12-13; John 14:20; John 17:1-3, 21-26; 2
Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 3:26; Colossians 1:19-20; 1 Peter 5:4.
[47]
See e.g., John 3:3, 5; 15-18, 34, 36.
[48]
See e.g., Deuteronomy 6:4-6; John 17:2-3, 21-23.
[49]
See e.g., Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:15, 17-19; 1 Peter 3:18.
[50]
See e.g., Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Deuteronomy
30:6; Matthew 5:3, 10; Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 6:32, 35; John
13:34-35; John 15:10-12.
[51]
See e.g., Habakkuk 2:2-4; Luke 6:20; Romans 1:16-17.
[52]
See e.g., Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 5:32.
[53]
See e.g., Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 13:3-5; Luke 15:7, 10; Luke 24:46-47;
John 5:14; John 8:11; Acts 3:25-26.
[54]
See e.g., Psalm 51:17; Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-7; Jeremiah 4:1; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Hosea
14:1-2; Joel 2:12-13; Matthew 3:2, 8; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 8.
[55]
See e.g., Revelation 9:20-21.
[56]
See e.g., Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; Revelation 3:3, 19.
[57]
See e.g., Psalm 33:8-12, 16-17; Psalm 44:4-6; Proverbs 10:27, 29-30; Proverbs
21:31; Hosea 14:3, 7, 9.
[58]
See e.g., Matthew 6:13; John 17:15
[59]
Matthew 5:7-8, 14-16, 23-24; 48; Luke 6:27, 35-36; see also Romans 13:10.
[60]
See Ephesians 5:1-2.
[61]
See e.g., Romans 6:23.
[62]
See e.g., Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:19; Acts 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9.
[63]
See e.g., Matthew 3:3, 8; Acts 17:30; Acts 26:20.
[64]
Romans 14:17-19; see also Romans 12:18.
[65]
See e.g., Psalm 34:14; Matthew 5:8-10; Hebrews 12:14.
[66]
See e.g., Genesis 17:1; Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 18:13; Psalm 37:3-5; Isaiah
56:1-2; Hosea 12:6; Habakkuk 2:2-4; Micah 6:6-8; Romans 12:9-10; Galatians 6:9;
Ephesians 2:10; Hebrews 13:16.
[67]
See e.g., Luke 12:15; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 17-20; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians
5:3-5; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 22:15.
[68]
See Psalm 15:1-5; Psalm 24:3-6; Psalm 51:17.
[69]
Matthew 5:3-10, 14-16, 20; see also Psalm 15:1-5; Psalm 24:3-5.
