THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Important Features of the Kingdom of God

Important Features of Kingdom of God

Introduction

One of the key convictions of the people of Israel is that God is not only Lord over Israel but also king of the whole universe. Yet there is also the awareness that at present the world is in rebellion and that in the future God will bring his kingdom to full realization. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ makes this kingdom the central subject of his preaching and teaching, proclaiming that in his mission God is realizing the kingdom in the present time (Tame, 2005). In saying this, he was preceded by John the Baptist, and both purged the concept of its nationalistic associations. According to Jesus, God has begun to perform his final acts in the world, and the bliss of the future age is already experienced. Jesus proclaims God's mercy and brings acceptance, forgiveness, and healing. Those who wish to enter the kingdom must commit themselves to follow him and to love one another. Jesus reveals much about what the kingdom is like through his parables and through the miracles he performs.

Discussion and Analysis

God's kingdom does not coincide with a territory or a society, e.g., Israel or the church. The sovereignty of God can rather be described as an event (Isaiah 52:7-10), the state of affairs when God's rule is established. In accordance with the Gospel, Kingdom of God's translation phrase can be translated into heaven's life after a person die or creates a relationship, in particular personal relationship with God. To bring this out the term kingship could be preferred to kingdom (Niswonger, 1992). The mysterious aspect of the kingship is that it originated within the confines of history in the person, deeds, and words of the man Jesus, who was proclaimed king ...