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Characteristics of the "kingdom of God
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THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Introduction
The kingdom of God may be broadly defined as a multifaceted entity which is both mysterious and so fascinating, for the carnal mind to fathom. Earnestly, one should ask a fundamental question: What is the making and composition of the Kingdom of God? And does that kingdom have physical, Spiritual, global, earthly, or heavenly influence? In an attempt to view the phenomenon in light of Systematic theology, the kingdom of God may be seen as a domain or a state, whereas the church is seen as “a called out people” who will inherit that kingdom as citizens according to Bible.org (www.bible.org; www.newadvent.org). God dwells in heaven, which is his throne as the prophet Isaiah argued that, “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool...” (Isa. 66:1).The Psalmist also says, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all (Ps. 103:19). Definitely, “God is the king or ruler, who is everywhere and is with everyone” as the Catholic Encyclopedia states (www.newadvent.org). Kingdom matters therefore proofs crucial and worth interrogation to fathom and this forms the
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Mark Shaw writes about the witness to the Kingdom of God, thus, “threefold kingdom: sovereign rule, redemption reign and earthly justice” (Mark Shaw, 2006). It might be agreeable if not disputable that, not all mankind understand about the kingdom of God. The understanding of that kingdom is paramount, and is seen as the ultimate force in history. This could have led Wolf hart Pannenberg by Mark Shaw to write that,” The kingdom must be the central concern of the church if the church is to remain faithful to the message of Jesus” (Wolf hart in Mark Shaw:
As ancient Rome began to fall, Christianity began rising. Around 2,000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was born, later to be known as the Messiah or Son of God. When people of the Roman era began to hear of such a powerful being, they began to convert to Christianity. Why did Christianity take hold on the ancient world; Christianity took hold on the ancient world because it offered immortality, equality, and it was spread like wildfire.
He terms this as the “vocation in the Kingdom of God.” He starts by discussing the ‘King of Kings’ as it “implies that God is supreme ruler, but not the only one. God has created us in his own image to have “responsible dominion.” (pg.105) This is where we find that we are labeled as ‘His Ambassadors”, meaning we have ‘kingdoms’ of our own that we are responsible for in terms of Godliness, restoration, and responsibility. I found it interesting that Plantinga states we have different kingdoms during different stages in our lives. He gives examples of these; for instance, he claims “during the college years we have kingdoms that we are responsible for such as a dorm room or a job.” Then he goes on that once we are adults “our kingdoms expand” to our titles of managers at our job or “being head of our household.” (pg.105) Revelation 5:10 reiterates this exact theme I feel. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (NIV) This particular subject is so important to all Christians and their way of life. Now that I ‘feel like a queen’ on this earth, it’s my job to ensure that I rule or demonstrate a life that mimics the King of Kings. I am an heir to the throne. We are all part of the royal family and we were created to rule with Christ over all of
Essentially the doctrine of the two kingdoms teaches that on one hand God governs the world and the church whilst spreading the word of the gospel via means of preaching and evangelism. However, this does not conflict with the rule of the civil government who, despite not being men of God in many cases, are appointed by God to be in positions of civil leadership. The most famous passage quoted to support this doctrine can be found in the gospel of Luke: "Render to Caesar the
things as he divides his kingdom in relation to the amount of love his daughters
Many people would not believe that worldview would be involved in the topic of work, but it certainly is. Worldview stretches throughout almost every facet of our lives and is even an intricate part of work. Christian and secular viewpoints differ immensely when it comes to work. Many Christians believe that work is an intricate part of God’s plan for mankind while the secular viewpoint sees it as more of a personal, everyday activity the serves no more of a purpose that that of personal success. The secular worldview has distorted the context of work and only the Christian worldview can redeem it to its original context.
how to get in to the Kingdom of God, what it is, and what it means to
of god is not here and maybe when we sort our selves out the kingdom
“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for
God, the creator, made everything possible in the world. It through Him that I am understanding more about myself than before. I believe that God’s kingdom is endless and profound. Paul talked about the Kingdom of God in his letter to the church in Rome: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." In his book Gospel and Kingdom: A Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament, Graeme Goldsworthy uses the definition God's people in God's place under God's rule” and in the book The Bible and the Future, Anthony Hoekema defines God’s Kingdom as the reign of God and sovereignty in human history through Jesus Christ. God’s purpose is the redemption of his people from sin
God is King, and in spite of what some Christians may believe, it is indeed a fact that God does rule the world. “God is this central figure; he is the king who, having final authority, is ordering the events of his kingdom” (Johnson, pg 44). Nonetheless, it is important for man’s focus to maintain a vertical position instead of a linear position. “Because of man’s previous experiences, training and learning, humans have a bias in things pertaining to God” (Johnson, pg 47).
The Kingdom of God defined by the Israelites as a physical place here on earth. The Kingdom of God is also called the “Kingdom of Heaven.” It means God’s rule in the lives of His chosen people and His Creation. In the Old Testament, the people in God’s kingdom were the Israelites. In the New Testament and now, the people in God’s kingdom are those who believe in and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, then God’s kingdom will become visible to all people. The term “Kingdom” according to (Kingdom of God,2011) means the rank, quality, state, or attributes of a king; royal authority; sovereign power; rule; dominion; monarchy. It can also be used in the context of a divine kingdom, the term Kingdom appears 13 times in Matthews, 7 times in Luke and 2 times in John.
Chapter 6 begins the major theme of this fascinating and mysterious book. It has intrigued multitudes in every generation especially during troubled or dangerous times. It has inspired and comforted those who might otherwise have lost hope. It has spurred on countless believers to overcome daunting opposition and exalt the name of Jesus worldwide. This brief overview of the book beckons us all into a glorious future in which the “kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.”
We know that we are following God's kingly rule now due to Jesus' sacrifice which repented human sin, so we subsequently gained salvation. The key idea that is presented within heaven being now is when the righteousness of God is present now 'seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness'. This idea is that if you are righteous
Like many people of today those in Jesus' time viewed Gods' kingdom as a place above them yet unlike people today thought more literal terms actually believing that God was above them and was looking down on them. Even now, when in prayer, one may have a tendency to look up at the heaven in reverence since next to God it is the most endless, unexplainable thing in the world. Yet people are still able to know that as they look up they see God just the same as if they shut their eyes in prayer were to the people of Jesus' time God was seen as truly sitting above them in his kingdom in which only those who follow the laws exactly would ever see.To truly understand the kingdom of God people have to have ways to describe it. One type of description used is the Kingdom as the redemptive or saving presents of God. By this one would say that the kingdom is seen through the natural love, kindness, and common curtsy people show each other ever day. Through these acts Gods redemptive prussic and the grow...
The greatest place ever seen in heaven or on earth is the Kingdom of God. God has given us a divine invitation to dwell in His Kingdom. Do we have a full understanding of what this means for us? Gaining understanding would be one of the wisest decisions we have ever made.