The Kingdom of God Is Real
We must know and believe in the original form of God’s kingdom revealed in the Bible. It is not a fictional world we imagined or created. Does the world seem large while God’s kingdom feels small and powerless? In such moments, we must remember that God is revealing the original form of His kingdom. And we must truly know and believe in that revealed kingdom. Everything visible is temporary and will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal.
Look at the Kingdom of God
In the early church, the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos during intense persecution. The Roman Empire was visibly powerful, oppressing believers and killing the apostles. In that situation, the Lord showed John who truly governs history, and how the story of this world will ultimately end. Through the book of Revelation, God speaks. He shows how His kingdom differs from the kingdoms of this world, and what the true nature of the church is, right in the midst of this world. From heaven’s perspective, the church is directly connected to the glory of God. Revelation proclaims this truth.
Revelation 4:2-5
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.”
The Glory of God’s Kingdom
Revelation 4 reveals the glory of God’s kingdom clearly. In this kingdom, the people of God—represented by the twenty-four elders from the Old Testament—worship before the throne of the Lord, who is worthy of honor, glory, and praise, with heartfelt love and reverence.
The Original Form of the Kingdom of God
① God is sitting on that throne.
The kingdom of God is a holy place ruled by God. It is a kingdom where fairness and justice are carried out without a single error, and where no disgruntled person exists.
② The kingdom of God is eternal.
This kingdom never changes. Its beginning and end are equally glorious and perfect. It is not like worldly nations that change because they can’t sustain their original good.
③ The kingdom of God is a kingdom of omnipotence.
Since the ruler of the kingdom is Almighty God, it is a kingdom of unlimited power. The surest way to enjoy this kingdom is to hold on to God’s unfailing word.
④ The kingdom of God is a kingdom of glory.
This kingdom is a place where the true nature of all creation is fully revealed. It is filled with the glory of God.
⑤ The kingdom of God is spiritual.
This kingdom is not bound by time or space. It is perfect, lacking nothing, free of decay, weakness, or limits.
⑥ The kingdom of God is perfect wherever it comes.
It is not only perfect in the future when it is fully established, but already perfect in nature whenever it comes into an individual’s life.
The Church: The Most Beautiful Being in the Kingdom of God
The church, prepared as a bride by God Himself, is the most beautiful being in the kingdom of God. Like a bride beautifully adorned for her groom, the church is the most precious one in the Lord’s eyes and refers to us who are in Christ. In the kingdom of God, He makes us His holy bride, a reflection of His character and infinite glory.
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Revelation 21:9-11)
The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the World Are at War
The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world can never coexist. Those who belong to the Spirit and those who belong to the flesh cannot belong to each other. That’s why the two sides are always at war. Even though they appear to exist side by side in this world, they are as incompatible as light and darkness.
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36)
When This Holy Kingdom Enters Our Lives
Romans explains what happens when the kingdom of God enters a person’s life:
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.(Romans 8:7–9)
This Battle Can Only Be Won by the Spirit and Prayer
Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the evil spiritual forces of this world. There is no neutral ground between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. When one kingdom wins, the other must fall. We must not misunderstand this. No human strength can win this battle. Victory in the war for God’s kingdom is possible only through the Spirit of the Lord and through prayer. That is the one clear and final conclusion.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12,NIV)
》Scripture Prayer
Matthew 13:11–15, 44–46(NIV)
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world are as far apart as the east is from the west; they can never coexist. If we call ourselves God’s children and members of His church yet live just like non-believers, chasing after what is fleshly, then we must repent. Let us repent of the darkness in our hearts that refuses to understand the mystery of the kingdom because of a hardened spirit. Now is the time to ask for the grace to truly hear, believe, and turn back to live under the reign of God.
2. In the world, there are people without a nationality or those who have lost their citizenship. They are left unprotected, unrecognized, and forced to live forgotten, abandoned, and miserable lives. So then, to which kingdom do I belong? Am I part of this world or part of the kingdom of God? Though we speak of God’s kingdom, we often live without truly understanding it. Let us repent of our ignorance and pray to grasp the glory of the kingdom that God revealed to the Apostle John through Scripture, and live believing that truth with all our hearts.
3. Those who truly believe in the kingdom of God are like those who find a treasure hidden in a field. They sell everything they own to buy that field. Likewise, those who have seen the kingdom give everything to gain it. But those who have never truly experienced it cannot give their all. Let us now pray to rise up as God’s people, offering everything we have to possess His kingdom, and live as the bride, the church, who faithfully participates in the battle for the kingdom of God.
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