Is the Kingdom of God already in our midst?

“‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:21)

This is one of the favorite proof texts used by Amillennialists or Anti-Premillennialists, those who deny the coming future Kingdom. For them it means the Kingdom is already in our midst, right now.

The other is found Luke 11:20 which has a parallel in Matthew 12:28 that we already discussed here: Is the Kingdom already here, right now?

But why do we say that they use this passage as proof text? That’s because it’s a cherry picked passage, taken out of the entire whole Lucan context.

By itself they made it appear as if Luke believed in some sort of Amillennialism or the Lord himself taught an Amillennial eschatology.

Context, Context, Context

When asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom would come Jesus told them it is not coming in ways they can observe from just any place (Luke 17:20-21). It will not be subjective or dependent on someone saying he has seen it somewhere or he knows where it is (Luke 17:21), “For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

If we stop right here, it does seem to say the Kingdom is already in their midst, doesn’t it? However, as we continue reading through its immediate and broader contexts the meaning becomes clearer.

The Lord went on to say that time will come they will look for him and they will not find him (Luke 17:22) and so he warned them not to follow (“Do not go out or follow them.” Lk 17:23b) or believe any mediator (anyone) who claims that he is already somewhere (“Look, there!” or “Look, here!” Lk. 17:23a) assuring them that he is coming from heaven and everyone will see him (“from one side to the other another,” Lk 17:24). His coming will be a surprise (Lk. 17:27-30). However, before that would happen, he must first suffer and be rejected by their generation (Luke 17:25).

In other words, they should not expect to see a gradually appearing Kingdom of God just from anywhere on this planet, they would not be needing anyone to tell them that it has already come from somewhere. It will come as a surprise but for everyone to see because the event will be visible from heaven, just as lightning is seen from one side to the another. This is what he means when he said, “For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

A quick survey of Luke will further establish the futuristic expectation of the Kingdom of God.

First, when he sent his disciples to heal the sick he told them to say to them, “the Kingdom of God is near you” (Luke 10:9). If what the Lord meant to say in Luke 17:21 is that the kingdom is already in their midst, why preach “the Kingdom of God is near you?” They should have been preaching: “the kingdom of God is already in your midst.”

Second, When the Lord taught them how to pray he said in Lk. 11:2, “say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.'” If the Kingdom is already in their midst, don’t you think they should be thanking God and say this instead, “Father thank you for Kingdom is already in our midst”?

Third, the Lord gave them the Parable of Ten Minas (Lk. 19:12-27) to correct their wrong notion that, “the Kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (Lk. 19:11).

In this parable, the crown prince left only to reign in his Kingdom upon his return but he tasked his servants to attend to his business while he was away (Lk. 19:12). However, his own people hated him and rejected him as their ruler (Lk. 19:14).

Upon his return he rewarded his faithful servants by entrusting them with greater responsibilities (Lk. 19:15-19) but slaughtered as enemies those who rejected him. (Lk. 19:27).

Why did they have to learn the Parable of Ten Minas if the kingdom of God is already in their midst? Isn’t the very lesson of this parable is that he will at first be rejected only to sit on his throne in glory when he returns?

Fourth, in Luke’s version of the Olivet Discourse (Lk. 21:5-28 c.f. Mat. 24:1-3), Jesus taught his disciples that they will have opportunity to bear witness to kings and governors when they are persecuted and delivered to them (Lk. 21:12-13), it will then be followed by the destruction of Jerusalem, which will lead to death and captivity of many (Lk. 21:20-24). Jerusalem, as the Lord said, will be “trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk. 21:24). And then he told them of signs in heaven (Lk. 21:25-27) will culminate in his, “coming in a cloud with power and glory” which he compared by the parable of the fig tree (Lk. 21:29-33) saying, “When you see these things taking place… you will know that the kingdom of God is already near” (Lk. 21:31).

Are these things not explicit enough to make us fully aware that the Kingdom of God is not yet in our midst? That the King must first come back for his servants before the establishment of his Kingdom?

If in the order of eschatological events, the coming of Kingdom precedes the coming King why did he not say, “the kingdom of God is already in our midst” and not “the Kingdom is near”?

Fifth, Even if we continue our survey up to the second volume of Luke’s writing, the Acts of the Apostles, we read the disciples asking him in Acts 1:6, “Lord, are you AT THIS TIME going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” If the Kingdom of God is already in their midst why did the disciples had to ask when the restoration of the Kingdom be?

If there ever was a perfect opportunity to assure his disciples that the Kingdom of God is already in their midst, this was it. But no. The Lord did not correct their future expectations, they had every right to expect what was promised by God however the timing is not for them to know, the Father has it fixed by his own authority (Acts 1:7).

Just like what Jesus told them in the Mount of Olives (Mat. 24:3) they must first bear witness (Acts 1:8 c.f. Lk. 21:12-13). And as he was taken up to heaven and disappeared from their sight, two angels reminded them of what Jesus taught them early on saying he, “will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 c.f. Lk 21:27)

Last but not the least, if Paul also received an Anti-premillennial eschatology, how come when he went on to strengthen the faith of the brothers in Antioch (Acts 14:21) he told them, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” instead of telling them, “to continue in the faith because through many tribulations the Kingdom of God is already in their midst”?

All these only means one thing: tribulations in this world will precede the coming of the King, and the coming of the King will precede the coming of the Kingdom. And when the Son of man is seen coming from the clouds of heaven that’s when we will truly say, “Behold the Kingdom in our midst!” But in the meantime we must attend to the King’s business, to bear witness to him, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk. 21:24 c.f. Rom. 11:25).

Is the Kingdom already here, right now?

“But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Mat. 12:28)

This is one of the favorite proof texts Amillennialist or Anti-premillennialists, those who deny the coming future Kingdom. For them it means the Kingdom is already here, right now.

It has a parallel in Luke 11:20 which is be treated here: Is the Kingdom of God already in our midst?

But why do we say that they used this passage as proof text? That’s because it’s a cherry picked passage, taken out of its whole Matthean context.

By itself they made it appear as if Matthew believed Amillennialism or the Lord himself taught an Amillennial eschatology. But this quick survey of Matthew will prove that the Kingdom is still future.

Firstly, Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mat 6:10; Luke 11:2).

[Watch John Piper’s exposition on what it means to say “Your kingdom come” in Desiring God website.]

Why would they pray, “your Kingdom come… on earth” if what the Lord meant in Mat. 12:28 is, “the Kingdom is already here, right now”? Why even pray for it to come if it’s already here?

Secondly, in Mat. 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” If the Kingdom is already here why even say, “Not everyone… will enter the Kingdom”?

Also in Mat. 18:3 where he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Why use future tense if the Kingdom is already here? And aren’t they saying that the Millennial Kingdom began at Christ’s resurrection? If the Millennial Kingdom began at Christ’s resurrection why interpret Mat. 12:28 as if the Kingdom is already here prior to Christ’s death and resurrection?

Thirdly, in Mat. 10:7 he instructed his disciples to heal and preach, “the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Why say it’s near (or at hand) if the Kingdom is already here? Don’t you think they should be saying, “the Kingdom is already here”?

Fourth, we read Jesus saying in Mat. 24:30 that his coming from heaven will precede judgment of the nations (Mat. 25:31-33), and only after that will the righteous inherit the Kingdom (Mat 25:34).

Aside from the many scriptures in Matthew that speak of the coming Kingdom, Mat. 12:28 is a conditional statement. It uses the “but If” clause (“and if” in other translations). We find it used also in Mat. 5:13; 6:15, 23; 21:25; 23:16, 18:

"But if the salt loses its saltiness..." (Mat. 5:13)

"But if you do not forgive men their sin..." (Mat. 6:15)

"But if your eye is evil, the whole body shall be full of darkness..." (Mat. 6:23)

But if we say, 'From men'--we are afraid of the people..." (Mat. 21:25)

"But if anyone swears by the gold of the temple..." (Mat. 23:16)

"But if anyone swears by the gift on it..." (Mat. 23:18)

These conditional statements are assumed true only argumentatively. In fact the Lord used the “but if” clause in Mat. 12:28 to defend his ministry against those who accused him of driving out demons by the authority of Beelzebub (Mat. 12:24). By this, Jesus pointed out the absurdity of their accusations because the idea of Satan driving out Satan only weakens the kingdom of the Prince of Demons (Mat. 12:25-26). Is Satan that dumb to resort to such a futile strategy? Instead, Jesus told them that the only way to rob a strongman from his own household is to first tie that strongman up (Mat. 12:29).

This is to say that by the agency of the Lord, particularly by his ministry of driving out demons from Satan’s own dominion, the kingdom of God has already, suddenly broken through. That is what is meant when he said, “the kingdom of God is upon you.” However, although Satan now has a shorter leash, he is not yet fully bound (Rev. 20:2). There are things that must still precede the coming Kingdom (Luke 19:11; 2 Tim. 4:1).

Jesus must first go to Jerusalem to give his life as a ransom (Mat 20:28), be raised on third day (Mat. 16:21) to save his people, commission his disciples to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations (Mat. 24:14; 28:19) before he appears to them in glory from from heaven, gather his elect (Mat. 24:30-31), crush all the kingdoms of the earth to pieces (Dan. 2:44), sit on his throne of glory, and judge all nations (Mat. 25:31-32). Only then will he welcome the righteous into his glorious Kingdom (Mat. 25:34).

Who are the 144,000 in Revelation?

According to John, the named writer of Revelation:

They were were the servants of our God (Rev. 7:3).

They were 12,000 from each from every tribe of the sons of Israel (Rev. 7:5-8).

They were virgins (Rev. 14:4).

They were redeemed from the earth (Rev. 14:3); redeemed from mankind as first fruits (Rev. 14:4).

They told no lie; they were blameless (Rev. 14:5).

They were sealed with the name of the Father on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3).

They have their tribe names inscribed on the gates of the holy city Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Rev. 21:12).

The author has seen the salvation of remnant Jews, a remnant, “from all the tribes of Israel”, Rev. 7:4.

Are they representatives of Gentiles servants of God too?

No. John said in Rev. 7:9, after that vision of the 144,000, he beheld,

“a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages….clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

The Greek word used to describe the innumerable multitude is “ethnos” which is also translated as “Gentiles” elsewhere.

According to Rev. 7:15, they serve God “day and night.” That makes them God’s servants too.

In other words, aside from the remnant Israelites that John saw, he has also seen the salvation of innumerable multitude from every nations.

While the 144,000 remnant of Jews were on Mt. Zion (Rev. 14:1), a great multitude of non-Jewish nations were in a heavenly Temple, singing praises and salvation songs (Rev. 19:1,6-8) and worshiping God on his throne (Rev. 7:11, 15).

Keep Calm, Don’t ‘Herme-new-twist’

So, don’t worry if the text doesn’t seem to say you belong to the 144,000 especially if you’re not a Jew. You don’t have to argue non-sequitur to make yourself belong to a remnant.

Learn from the mistake of Kevin DeYoung when argued non-sequitur in favor of his Anti-premillennial bias in his blog in TGC.

You don’t have to make Revelation say what it is not actually saying. Aside from those 144,000 there were also a great innumerable multitudes clothed in white, clean, washed with the blood of the Lamb. Even chapter 7, John saw a vision of Gospel preaching, “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” Rev. 14:6.

Lastly, Revelation doesn’t have to say that those innumerable great multitudes were sealed to be saved too. They already praise God and they were singing salvation songs to him in his temple, and more importantly Rev. 7:17 says, “the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Ten Things the Bible says About the Promised Kingdom

There more than ten things to know about the promised Kingdom, the following are but a short list that we hope to get you started.

It’s a Kingdom God prepared from the foundation of the world.

After judging the nations in Mat 25:34, the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

It will be on earth.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mat 6:10; Luke 11:2).

[Watch John Piper’s exposition on what it means to say “Your kingdom come” in Desiring God website.]

It will break to pieces all the other kingdoms on earth.

Dan 2:44 says, “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.”

The nations will no longer be deceived.

John foresaw in Rev 20:3 how Satan was thrown “into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore.” And Hab. 2:14 we read, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. ” While in Psa. 22:27 it is written that the ends of the earth “shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship” God.

It will be marked with lasting peace, righteousness, justice, love and compassion.

In Hos 2:18b-19 says, “I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.”

The people of God will receive it.

Dan 7:22 says, “until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.”

It will be a lasting Kingdom.

Dan 7:18 says, “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

The Son of David will sit on its throne.

In 1 Chr. 17:11 God says to David, “When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.”

The Son of David is Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was crucified.

In Lk. 1:32 the angel told Mary, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.” Days before his rejection Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey as if to receive him as their king, “And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mat. 21:9)

It’s fulfillment will be in the future, upon his return.

Jesus said in Mat 26:29, “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” And Paul taught the disciples in 2 Tim 4:1, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom.”

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

GENERAL DEFINITION

Simply put, the Kingdom of Heaven is the domain, the rule, and reign of God. The domain of God is universal while his rule and reign will never end (Psa. 45:6;103:19;145:8-13; Dan. 4:34). The Kingdom of Heaven is just another term for the Kingdom of God.

As we move towards a more particular or narrower definition we must speak of God’s Kingdom in terms decrees and precepts and of heaven and earth.

In terms of decrees and precepts: There is no time or place when or where even the smallest particle can ever resist God’s will except of course, when and where God would allow or permit it (1 Sam. 8:5-9; 10:19; Acts 17:26). For example while his eternal decrees are unbreakable (Psa. 148:6; Isa. 46:9-10; Jer. 5:22; Eph. 3:11; Rom. 8:28), he allows his precepts to be misunderstood (Mat. 13:19), ignored (Lk. 14:16-18), rejected (Heb. 3:8-13), and/or be violated (Rom. 1:32) even by his own people (1 Sam. 13:13-14; Mat. 21:43) but it is not without consequences.

In terms of heaven and earth: Even the powers of darkness that are in heavenly places (Eph. 6:12) are under the rule of God. From the very beginning the whole of creation is already under a leash: Satan submits to God (Job 1:6-12) and demons obey the Lord (Mat. 8:29-32; Lk. 4:41). Even so, the Lord speaks of a kingdom that is not of this world (Jn. 18:36cf. Mat. 4:8; 13:38). And as he was taken up in heaven and sits at the right hand of God (Eph. 1:20), having all authority in heaven and on earth (Mat. 28:18), he is yet to rule or enforce his preceptive will as King on earth. The Lord sits at the right hand of the Father until the appointed time the Father puts his enemies under his feet (Mat. 22:44).

As for the one people of God, the scriptures speaks of them as sons of the Kingdom (Mat. 13:38) or citizens of heaven waiting for their King (Phil 3:20-21). They are blessed and seated in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3; 2:6) yet they are to endure tribulations in this world where they live as aliens, strangers, or pilgrims (Jn. 15:18-19; 17:16; 1Pet. 1:1; 2:11; Heb. 11:13-16). In a world controlled by the evil one (1Jn 5:19), the ruler of this world (John 16:11), the god of this world who has blinded the minds of those who do not believe (2 Cor. 4:4). Even though he has already been judged (Jn. 16:11), all the more that he is furious, like a roaring lion (1Pet. 5:8) because not only that his time is almost up (Rev. 12:12) his leash is getting shorter as well until he is chained in the Abyss when the Kingdom of God is finally established on the earth (Rev. 20:3),

EDEN – KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON EARTH

Eden is a picture of God’s Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a place where there is no death nor corruption (Gen. 2:7-14). A place where man is delegated with dominion (Gen. 1:26-30 cf. Dan. 4:17) but must walk with and in accordance with the precepts of God (Gen 2:15-17). When Eve was deceived (Gen. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:14) and Adam disobeyed God’s precepts (Gen. 3:24), since then the earth has become a picture of a fallen rebellious world. A far cry from original creation (Mat. 25:34), it is now subjected to futility (Rom. 8:19-23). Eden was a picture of the Kingdom of heaven on earth that God will someday, at his appointed time, bring to fruition when he sends his Son again but not to save as sin-bearer (Heb. 9:28) but to save by judging and ruling “all the nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:5).

PARTICULAR DEFINITION

Before he was rejected, he “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron”; before he was crucified, he who “was caught up to God and to his throne” (Rev. 12:5), taught his disciples what to pray to the Father, saying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mat. 6:10; Lk. 11:2). This coming Kingdom they prayed for will be the fulfillment of not just of their longing for God’s restoration (Acts 1:6) but also of God’s promise to his saints, his own people (Dan. 7:18, 21-27), to them that love God (Jas. 2:5) that they will reign (Rev. 2:26-27) and judge (Dan. 7:22, 27) with David’s own son, who is also God’s Son (2 Sam. 7:12-17; 1 Chr. 17:10-15 cf. Mat. 22:42-46; Acts 13:32-38). This prophesied Kingdom will break all other kingdoms (Dan. 2:44) and bring about lasting peace, righteousness, justice, love and compassion (Isa. 9:6-7; Hos. 2:18-20) to all peoples (Dan. 7:13-14) throughout this fallen and wicked world (Zec. 9:10). And with Satan fully “bound in the Abyss,” the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will flood the whole earth (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14), everyone will worship the Lord (Psa. 22:27-31), every knee shall bow to him (Rom. 14:11).

Jesus also told them in Lk. 22:18, “For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (see also Mat. 26:29). It’s fulfillment therefore is still future, since the appearance of the coming King is future (2 Tim. 4:1) which is to be preceded by tumultuous times (Heb. 12:26-29 cf. Hag. 2:6-9; Mic. 5:10-15), or by that which is called the Great Tribulation, a tribulation that will be like no other (Jer. 30:6-7; Mat. 24:21-28).

But even so, there is no time on earth where God has lost dominion as far as his eternal decrees are concern. As Prov. 16:33 puts it, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” Even pagans, as quoted by Apostle Paul, acknowledged, “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). And in Rom. 9:9, Paul writes, “who can resist his will?”

Let’s also not fail to mention that there has always been a people of God, a people God calls his very own, a people he regenerates, enabling them to believe and obey him. From Abel to Zecharaiah so to speak (Mat. 23:35; Lk. 11:51). Called “a royal priesthood and a holy nation” (Exo. 19:6cf. 1Pet. 2:9), God has rescued them from dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of his Son (Col. 1:13), that is, they have been set free from sin and have become under grace, as slaves of righteousness, as slaves of God (Rom. 6:18, 22). They have become sons of the Kingdom (Mat. 13:38), a type, an expression of a Kingdom of Heaven on earth but they have yet to enter the Kingdom.

For as long as they are in the flesh they will still have the ability to disobey God’s because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 15:50). So as they hope to inherit the Kingdom, they are work it (Col. 4:11; 2Thes. 1:5) and preach it (Mat. 10:7; 24:14; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 19:8; 28:23, 31) with endurance (Rev. 1:9). But it is God who preserves them that they may enter it (2 Tim. 4:18) albeit with much tribulation (Acts 14:22).