2. Kingdom of God
• Kingdom of God is the central teaching of
Jesus Christ. Synoptics focus on K.O.G
• In Matthew the preferred term is Kingdom
of Heaven but means the same thing.
• Centrality – Matt 4:17, 23; Mark 1:15; Luke
4:42.
• There are 50 sayings or parables about
K.OG in Synoptics
3. Kingdom of God – Term analysis
• Kingdom – authority and power of the king
• Basiliea (Gk.) – Royal Power
• Malkuth (Heb.) – same
• Rev. 12:10; 2 Chron. 29:11
• Period when God’s salvation realized
4. Kingdom of God in OT
• God is King and is ruler of all. (Ps. 82;
145:13)
• 1 Sam 8:7-9; God is disappointed with
Israel’s call for a human king.
• David as King is the seal of the covenant.
• The expression KOG is absent but the
idea of God’s rule or reign is ever present
• Future reign of God as King – Isaiah 52:7
and so is connected to end of the times.
There is a hopeful longing for the end of
the age.
5. Kingdom of God in religious
thought prior to NT
• In intertestamental period following factors
heightened the focus on KOG:
– Absence of King on David’s throne.
– Presence of Romans (an alternate King)
– If the Israelites are the chosen people and their
God is the King why are they under a foreign
God.
• So expression KOG began to be used in
this period as an expression of the hope
that God will disclose himself as king-
messiah. (Pss Solomon, 1 Enoch,
6. Jesus and the KOG
• Kingdom has come near
– Mark 1:15; Luke 16:16; Matt 12:28
– Time of waiting is over. God is now beginning
his royal saving work in the world.
– St. Luke gives an example – Luke 4 (Isaiah 61)
– Royal proclamation of amnesty and release
• Time has come (kairos – opportune time)
• “Acts of power” – dunameis manifestation
of the kog. Jesus’ reply to the disciples of
JB – Matt 11:5 (Isaiah 35:5-6)
• Climax of the coming of KOG in power is
the cross – (see the words of centurion in
Mark 14)
7. Jesus and the Kingdom of God
• Kingdom should be searched for (Matt
6:10)
• Paradox is already but not yet.
• Kingdom which become fully disclosed in
the future but implications are in the
present
• Jesus is the mediator in the present of the
kog in the future
8. KOG in the NT Letters
• Enthronment of Christ – Phil 2:6-11; Col
1:15-20; 1 Tim 3:16
• New Creation in Christ – 2 Cor 5:17
• Believer transferred into the KOG – Col
1:13
• H. Spirit - the guarantee of the
participation in the final Kingdom
(Ephesians 1:13-14)
9. Kingdom of God and believer
• Repentance to trust in the King
• Faith of the people. “Jesus is unable to
heal” - Mark 6:5-6
10. Church and the Kingdom of God
• Church is the first fruit of the KOG
• Church is seen as the new Israel –
(extension of Israel to include Gentiles)
11. Kingdom of God and the Kingdom
of Caesar
• Eungelion – “Good News” rivals the good
news of the ascension of Roman Emperor
– Emperor Augustus’ autobiography
– Calls himself the “Son of God”
• Satan was seen as the real power behind
the throne (see Revelation)
12. Eucharist and KOG
• Eucharist is the banquet of the KOG
• Messianic banquet
• Eighth day – sabbath of history. History is
interrupted with the reign of God.
• When Jesus took the bread and the cup and gave them to his
disciples as his body and blood, hewas making the disciples a
gift. Since his person was identified with the reign of God, the
gift of bread and wine as his body was a gift fully identified with
the reign of God, and presented in aform that people can fully
consume and become one with. As the disciples eat, they make
thekingdom of God fully their own, and are identified with the
reign of God. Jesus giving himself for them was a carrying out of
his mission to present the reign of God on their behalf.
• - J. Denny Weaver
• Future KOG is made present in the eucharist
