The Throne: Kingdom Of God

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32–33)

After the birth of Jesus, wise men from the East arrived looking for, “He who has been born King of the Jews.” It is interesting to note that they, “fell to the ground” to worship a child (Matthew 2:1–12). Later in His life, while on trial before Pilate, Jesus confirmed He was a king (John 18:37). That means Jesus rules over a kingdom. But where is it? Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

When Jesus sent twelve disciples on a short-term mission trip He instructed them to preach, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). When He sent out the seventy they preached, “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9b). Jesus at another time said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20–21 KJV). So then, where is it?

What is the kingdom of God, also known as the kingdom of heaven? It is the eternal sovereignty God has over everything that exists, whether in the heavens, or on the earth. The invitation Jesus gave was to the spiritual, invisible kingdom over which He rules today; however, those who are able to enter that kingdom would then be part of the physical kingdom when Jesus Christ returns to rule on the earth (Matthew 25:31–34; Revelation 11:15–18; 19:11–16; 20:4–6).

How does someone enter and become a part of God’s kingdom? Jesus said, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” What He emphasized was that entrance to His kingdom was not easy (Luke 13:22–29; Matthew 7:13–14, 21–23), and therefore a person must strive—agonize to enter. Consider what the Lord said to Israel: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).