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But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness… Matthew 6:33a

What is…
The Kingdom of God

A brief summary explanation

Introduction

The Kingdom of God is referred to numerous times in Scripture, but is often somehow misunderstood.

Before the beginning of time and the Creation of our universe, there existed God’s Kingdom. The Triune God was there, and from there is where the Son of God came to Earth, His human body having been created by the Holy Spirit and placed in Mary’s womb.

Satan’s kingdom

Our current world’s prince is the wicked Great Deceiver, Satan.

“the prince of this world” (John 12:31 KJV, 14:30
“the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV
“the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2 KJV)

His dark dominion here began not long after Creation. This was not a surprise or an insurmountable problem for our Creator, the eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful “I Am” who knew all the events of the future from the beginning—including His ultimate victory.

See: The Fall of Man, Satan, The Gospel, Sovereignty of God, God’s providence

God’s plan

After The Fall, began God’s great plan to redeem those humans who would truly repent and join with Him.

Through the Incarnation, the promised Messiah entered our universe in the form of a pure, sinless man—Jesus Christ. At this 1st Coming of Christ, He came to establish the SPIRITUAL Kingdom of God on Earth, not yet the PHYSICAL Kingdom on Earth. That comes later.

Christ’s 1st Coming produced everything necessary for the beginning of His Spiritual Earthly Kingdom. He proved His identity (see: miracles and Messianic prophecies) and atoned for the sins of all repentant true believers of the past and future. He then physically rose from the dead and appeared to numerous people on Earth, particularly His disciples, teaching and encouraging them and introducing the Church Age.

Then, after completing His mission on Earth, Christ returned to His place with the Father outside of our universe. This realm is also where all true children of God who have died now reside, for through Christ they gained eternal life.

3 stages of The Kingdom of God

It is very important to understand that there are 3 stages in the Kingdom of God. according to the grace and wisdom of our Sovereign God, the 1st had to first be established and built over a period of years. Each stage must be completed before the next stage begins.

Current SPIRITUAL Kingdom of God on Earth

The reign of a new King—Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” —Mark 1:14-15

No human can enter the following 2 Kingdoms, unless they first enter the spiritual Kingdom of God. It exists now, and all regenerate believers are part of it and are likened to living building stones in the structure (1 Peter 2:5). By God’s grace and mercy, we who have become truly His have changed from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive (eternally). This is the miracle of the New Birth.

In the meantime, all unbelieving sinners continue to be spiritually dead, walking in spiritual darkness and are part of the kingdom of Satan—the father of evil who hates us all.

The spiritual Kingdom of God began at the culmination of the 1st Coming of Christ, when His atoning sacrifice for our sins was accomplished. This begins what is often referred to as the Church Age—the period when the body of true children of God is being built. The subjects of this Kingdom—taken collectively—the Church, the body of regenerate believers.

When completed, the NEXT stage follows.

Promised PHYSICAL Kingdom of God on Earth

I charge you…that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. —1 Timothy 6:13-16 NASB excerpt

This will become a reality at Christ’s 2nd Coming to this Earth at the beginning of the Millennium—when Jesus Christ comes to defeat Satan and his Anti-Christ, physically destroy all the wicked on the Earth, and establish His physical Kingdom on Earth. Only the true children of God can enter this physical Kingdom of God, where Christ the Messiah will rule.

But the Lord abides [or sits as king] forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. —Psalm 9:7-8 NASB

Then at the end of 1-thousand years, events will culminate in the Final Judgment and the eternal banishment to the bottomless pit (Hell) of Satan, the demons (devils) and all wicked humans who refused to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Earth and the entire universe will then be destroyed by God in fire—wiping away for all time this place that has been tainted by sin, suffering, pain and death.

…by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. …But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. —2 Peter 3:7, 10 NASB

God’s children will be presevered, apparently in another dimension in the Kingdom of God that existed before Earth was originally created.

Promised New Heavens and New Earth

…according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. —2 Peter 3:13 NASB

God reveals that He will destroy Earth and the entire universe at the end of the Millennium—the physical Kingdom of God on this Earth. He will then create a new Earth and universe for us. This will be the ultimate great eternal Kingdom of God where there will be no sin, no tears, and no death—and God’s blessed children will glorify God and never cease to marvel at His holiness, wisdom, love and power, as we enjoy Him forever.

Variations of the term “Kingdom of God”

also known as: Kingdom of Heaven, Kingdom of Christ, Kingdom of Christ and of God, or Kingdom of David

All the following variations denote the same thing, but emphasize different aspects of God’s Kingdom.


Q & A
Article Version: March 21, 2025