The Kingdom of God is Here

Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide
Posted: July 19, 2021. Updated January 21, 2023.

A great many scriptures are misinterpreted because many do not understand that the Kingdom of God is NOW and is 100% spiritual. God’s Kingdom is the hearts and minds of men, our physical bodies are His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), and He causes us to sit with Him in heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6).

Jesus tells us where the kingdom of God is

In Matthew 12:28, Jesus explains that if he “cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” It’s very clear in this verse that where the Holy Spirit is, there also is the kingdom of God.

In Luke 17:20-21, the Pharisees were demanding that Jesus tell them when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus answered “the kingdom of God cometh not with observation…(because) the kingdom of God is within you.”

There it is. Jesus specifically explained in such a clear way that we cannot see the kingdom of God come because it is inside of us.

Apostate bible translations

Apostate teachers have a terrible time getting Luke 17:20-21 to fit their false narrative, so they changed the biblical translation to read the kingdom “is in your midst;” but the original translation of an event that cannot be observed is properly translated “within you.”

There are around 380 apostate bibles, among them are the NIV, ESV, NAS, New Living Translation, Complete Jewish Bible, and many, many others that have changed “within you” to “in your midst” which means “around you” or “outside of you.”

Futurism is False Doctrine

Many preachers and teachers who push false doctrine are claiming that the Kingdom of God will come in the future at Jesus’ “Second Coming” when we will then reign as priests and kings with Christ in a “Millennial Reign” on this earth (see the articles Millennial Reign – Part 1 and Part 2).

But Jesus said in Luke 17:20 that “The Kingdom of God comes not with observation.” So we are not waiting on God’s kingdom to come… it is here! Jesus Christ returned in 66 AD and the next return will end this earth — see “Coming in the Clouds” and Jesus’ Second Coming.

Reigning with Jesus is not lording over others at a later date… rather, it is humbly leading the unsaved to Christ TODAY and everyday while we walk on this earth, just as Jesus humbly led His earthly ministry.

Matthew 23:13 says “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” We are warned in this verse that apostate preachers are literally closing the door for people to enter the kingdom of heaven. They themselves do not enter and they stop others who are trying to enter. See the articles How Satan in Deceiving You and Seven False Teachers in the Church to see how the apostasy in our church houses is causing the spiritual death of self-professed Christians.

There is only one Kingdom of God

Misguided teachers will tell us that there are two kingdoms: The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. They reason that the kingdom of heaven is in the third heaven only, or that it is to come at a future date. Not true.

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are one and the same. In Matthew 19:23-24, Jesus uses both phrases in the same metaphor: “a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven” and “…than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

We know the kingdom of heaven is within us. Ephesians 2:6 tells us that God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Where the Holy Spirit resides, there the kingdom of heaven is also (Matthew 12:28). See New Heaven & New Earth is Not What We’ve Been Taught.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

There is not a kingdom of God now and a spiritual kingdom of heaven to come later. There is only one spiritual kingdom that is now, future, always and forever. If one does not enter the spiritual kingdom of heaven through Jesus Christ while on this earth in their physical vessel, then they will not enter it upon their physical death (see Hell is not Eternal – God Works in Ages).

Jesus is not coming later to establish His kingdom

Jesus’ kingdom has already been established.

In Mark 1:15, at the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He said “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel!” Jesus said the kingdom of God was near…. it would come 3 1/2 years later at Calvary!

Jesus Christ was the stone of God’s kingdom that crushed the Old Covenant old heaven (Sanhedrin government and temple) and old earth (Jews under the law) and fulfilled it with the New Covenant new heaven (God’s kingdom, Jesus’ reign) and new earth (redeemed saints in Christ, those under grace). Nebuchadnezzar’s Old Testament kingdoms statue is NO MORE (see this article for details).

Many scriptures tell us that the kingdom is now in existence and has been for over 2,000 years.

Daniel 2:44 states, “And in the days of these kings (the kings of ancient Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome) shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people [because it’s spiritual], but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

The kingdom of God was “officially” established during Roman times with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ which happened in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel in 31 AD (see Daniel’s 70 Weeks was Fulfilled in 34 AD).

Being in Christ is spiritual in nature

God gives us the Holy Spirit so we may understand His living, breathing Word.

While physically alive, we are spiritually dead without Christ.

We go from death to life when redeemed by the blood of Jesus — in this new life, we die to sin. We die to the old man, but not a physical death (Romans 6:6).

This new life for us is spiritual and we enter into the spiritual kingdom of God when we receive salvation. Where the Holy Spirit resides, there the kingdom of heaven is also (Matthew 12:28). The new heaven is with us now (details here).

God instructs us not to be of this world even while we are still in it (Romans 12:2, John 17:16, John 15:19). God desires us to remain in the spiritual realm with the Holy Spirit while we are walking on this physical earth… it is how we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is why God refers to us as a “peculiar people” (Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9). We are to be a shining beacon of light in a very dark world (Matthew 5:16)…. very different from the world.

Jesus’ reign ends on earth’s last day

Our body is God’s temple and we are reigning as priests (teachers) and kings (Christ’s example) in God’s Kingdom right now, sharing the gospel with others. The Holy Spirit is the heavenly Kingdom that has come into us while we are still in this physical realm. It’s works which are within us, will follow us from here to the eternal heavenly kingdom.

The reign of Jesus Christ is NOW, so do not lose your time serving in His kingdom. There is simply no Millennial Reign on a physical earth after the whole world is destroyed. He tells us His reign will end when His enemies have been defeated on the last day (1 Corinthians 15:25-26), so there will be no reigning with Him after the the elemental world ends (see Earth was Destroyed BEFORE the Present Creation).

The greatest deception of all is the teaching that reigning as witnesses and Christ’s example along with Jesus will come at a later time. That false teaching is taking away the power of those who are unaware that they are currently in the kingdom of God RIGHT NOW where they are to be building treasures in heaven. They have been incorrectly taught that their reign with Christ will occur after the “Second Coming” during a “Millennial Reign” (see the articles Millennial Reign – The Thousand Years and Revelation 20 Millennial Reign Explained). Well, the Second Coming already occurred in 66 AD (details here)!

The Thousand Years in Revelation 20 is The Church Age and it is now — Satan was bound in the pit when Jesus died on the cross and has already been defeated by Jesus, but has been loosened during this church age to affect wicked men to try God’s redeemed for our refinement (see the articles God Created Evil and God Works in Ages).

Jesus doesn’t desire an earthly reign

Jesus had His opportunity to reign on this earth, but He ran from it. John 6:15 tells us Jesus perceived the people would come and take Him by force to make Him a king, so He departed from them.

In John 18:36, Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world, and if it were, then His people would fight to save Him from the Jews; but His kingdom is not from here, so His blood was shed to save ALL of creation (1 John 2:2, Colossians 1:20).

We are reigning from spiritual Zion

Those redeemed by the blood of Jesus were all born again in Zion.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. 5 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. 6 The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.
Psalms 87:4-6

God tells us to reign amongst our enemies.

The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
Psalms 110:2

We are preaching the gospel from spiritual Zion, our birthplace where we are brought from spiritual death unto eternal life. This is our kingdom where we are reigning with Jesus Christ and God the Father.

After the Second Coming in 66-70 AD, the new heaven and the new earth was brought down from heaven and the New Jerusalem (Christ’s bride/our spiritually-renewed hearts) will descend down into it (into the temple of our physical bodies). The new earth and new heaven is here now for those who are of the spiritual kingdom of God… those redeemed who have the Holy Spirit residing inside them (details here).

Why is this important?

The lost or confused will never reside in the New Heaven and New Earth where God reigns… they are bound to the world and will be killed by the righteousness of Jesus’ final coming to the earth. The eyes of the blinded will be opened BEFORE the last coming on the final day — they will not have an opportunity to serve Him after He returns and raises both the righteous and the wicked on the last day.

We will not have the opportunity to share the word with the lost or the confused in a future Disneyland-type fantasy world. The time to reach them is NOW.

We have the spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” ~1 Peter 2:9

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