When we think about God’s Kingdom, we usually conjure up images of the Garden of Eden and imagine what it would be like. Then we wait to see those images to confirm to us that we have come into His Kingdom. Concepts like satan being bound are difficult for us because we have ideas of what these events will be like. Many people are still waiting for the Tribulation to happen. They read the book of Revelation and anticipate tremendous judgment and destruction. But simply look back to events that have already happened like World War I and II. What exactly are we anticipating as the fulfillment of biblical prophecies? Since we have lived through many of these events, they do not impress us as being what we expect. But God is establishing His Kingdom and that means it will be His concept of the Kingdom.
God’s concept of His Kingdom is simple: it is a people in submission to Him who love and serve Him with all their hearts. That is the Kingdom. The Lord is saying, “Just give me people who are set to do My will and are submissive to My Lordship, regardless of the physical surroundings.” That is why the wilderness was no problem for the Lord: “No food? I’ll rain down food from heaven for you” (see Psalm 78:24–27). But the people panicked and said, “No, wait! This isn’t the Kingdom. We need food and water! We need shade. If we are going to call this the Kingdom, then here is our shopping list.” But God only needs one thing for His Kingdom: the hearts of His people wholly given to Him.
Yeshua (Jesus) said,
“Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25, 32–33)[1]
Wherever Yeshua went, He was the Kingdom. It did not matter if the people were without food (Mark 8:16–21). Nor did it matter if they worshipped Him; even the stones would cry out (Luke 19:40). None of the physical surroundings that Yeshua needed made any difference because the Father provided all those things.
We keep looking around and not seeing the Kingdom. But God is saying, “To Me your heart is the Kingdom; it is within you” (see Luke 17:21). He can bring all other things into subjection and conformity to that. His Kingdom starts as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, and it grinds the image of man’s kingdoms to powder. Then it grows until it fills all the earth (Daniel 2:31–35). The Kingdom will expand throughout eternity and of His government there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7). But until we learn to live in the Kingdom right now, we will be missing it. Remember the covenant? “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33). That is the Kingdom.
We need to recognize the Kingdom from God’s viewpoint and say, “Lord, we are in Your Kingdom now because we are given to do Your will. We are everything You are looking for, and we give our hearts to You. It is our delight to do Your will.”
[1] All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).
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