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A Description of the Kingdom of God 2

A Description of the Kingdom of God, 2

. . . and the stone [Christ—the Kingdom of God] that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:35)

As Kingdom life flows through the members of the Body of Christ to the nations of the earth, those people too will begin to show in themselves the likeness and ways of God. In this manner the Kingdom of God will spread until it fills the whole earth.

We realize that our description is imperfect and limited. It is impossible to comprehend the infinite God and to describe His Person and work in human language. May the God of Heaven through the Lord Jesus give to all of us an ever-increasing understanding of His Person, will, ways, and eternal purpose.

The Kingdom of God has image, relationships, ability to multiply, and dominion. The Kingdom of God has image. It is being fashioned after the image and likeness of God.

The Kingdom of God has relationships. Human beings are so constructed that they can be one with God and with one another. Such union is not possible to the angels. The supreme, final law of the Kingdom of God is perfect love for God and perfect love for one another. When there is enmity between two persons the Kingdom of God is lacking in one or the other, or both.

The Kingdom of God has the ability to multiply. The Kingdom can be born in people. Of the increase of Christ's government and of peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:7).

The Kingdom of God is destined to have dominion over all other governments and powers. God's will shall be done in earth as it is in Heaven.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)

Two major misconceptions. Today there are at least two major misconceptions concerning the Kingdom of God: (1) that there will be two kingdoms of God, an earthly and a heavenly; and (2) that Heaven is the Kingdom of God.

There will not be two kingdoms, a kingdom of Christians in Heaven and a kingdom of physical Jews on the earth. Israel after the flesh was a necessary forerunner of the Kingdom of God. But it is impossible for God to have a true and lasting relationship with flesh and blood. No human being can enter the one Kingdom of God until he or she has been born a second time, becoming—as Christ is—both Divine and human.

The Lord Jesus is, as the Church fathers have stated, very God of very God and very Man of very Man. We who are members of the Body of Christ are flesh and blood. But because Christ has been born in us we now are both son of man and son of God. God is bringing forth in us a new creature who is from Heaven but wrought in the earth.

We are being fashioned in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29; I John 3:2). We are His brothers, having the same Father. Yet, Christ remains Lord of all.

There are not two kingdoms as some are teaching. The new Jerusalem is not an earthly kingdom consisting of members of the Jewish race while the Christian Church, a "spiritual" kingdom, remains in Heaven forever. This concept is not biblical.

To be continued. A Description of the Kingdom of God 3