Here's a verse I came across and was wondering if anyone could explain it more to me? What does it mean by Kingdom of God is in your midst? And Kingdom of God is used through Scripture does it have different meanings throughout or does it just mean heaven? Or what?
Luke 17:20
"The kingdom of God is not coming with sings to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."
Thanks,
Mary
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. - Wisdom
The kingdom of God is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven but has to do with all who come under the Lordship of Christ. It has present aspects and future aspects.
For whatever strength of arm he may have who swims in the open sea, yet in time he is carried away and sunk, mastered by the greatness of its waves. Need then there is that we be in the ship, that is, that we be carried in the wood, that we may be able to cross this sea. Now this Wood in which our weakness is carried is the Cross of the Lord, by which we are signed, and delivered from the dangerous tempests of this world.--St. Augustine
Very Good question. I believe that first of all The kingdom Of God almost always references the complete sovereignty of God:Originally Posted by MCoving
ps 22
28For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
ps 45 6Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre
ps 103 19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
ps 145 11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
ps 145 13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
isa
7Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Christ occupies the throne of david right now : acts 2 29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,[e] 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
Dan 4 3How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
Jesus dislayed this sovereignty in his miracles he performed. He demonstrated it over nature, diseases, death, life everything !!
The Gospel of the kingdom has the emphasis of God's sovereignty, notice the sermon in acts 17
23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Paul presentation of christ, had sovereignty emphasis :
acts 19 8And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
acts 20 25And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
and acts 28
23And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Back to the verse in luke 17, 20 again, Jesus is correcting an misconception about what the pharisees deemed to be the coming of the messiah's kingdom. Jesus said it would come without observation, I believe he says something similar to nicodemus as he taught about being born again ! The emphasis there and here is the sovereign operations of omniopoent grace.
The sovereign king was literally in their mist demonstrating his Divine authority and mission.
IMO , The kingdom Of God and Heaven are synomonous, Heaven just giving more emphasis to God`s sovereign Throne in Heaven, as when Jesus taugt us to pray , Heavenly Father and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven...
I hope this helps, and I am sure others can expound even further..
yeah thanks for the replies.. but how is the kingdom of God in their midst? I mean Jesus was saying the kingdom of God was there with the disciples, did Jesus mean himself? Or is like kingdom of God heaven and its around us yet we don't notice?
I think Daryl you were saying that the kingdom of God is Gods sovereignty over the earth right? I wasn't following.. maybe just 'cause its late, I'll read it again tomorrow. Thanks!
Mary
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. - Wisdom
By Jesus himself being in their midst, and the demonstations of his sovereignty via his miracles , His miracles demonstrated his sovereign perogatives.but how is the kingdom of God in their midst?
Yes I believe so, He is the King of The Kingdom...did Jesus mean himself?
Yes it is all around us from the standpoint of Gods sovereign government of all people , places , and things.. Even though we don't always notice or recognize it, it is definitly true..Or is like kingdom of God heaven and its around us yet we don't notice?
Yes , the whole earth even now is ruled by His sovereign kingdom !I think Daryl you were saying that the kingdom of God is Gods sovereignty over the earth right? I wasn't following.. maybe just 'cause its late, I'll read it again tomorrow. Thanks!
It also says in Luke that Jesus will "not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes". Is this meaning the return of Jesus? So at first it says the kingdom of God is in your midst this would be Jesus with his disciples then it says he wont eat the passover until the kingdom of God is fullfilled until it comes, so the fulfilling of Jesus' coming then? Thanks...
Mary
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. - Wisdom
Amen, I believe that the time is coming of a fuller expression and experience of the kingdom of God for us his people, Where sin has been done with, a renewed heaven and earth, no more death, and sorrow and ect, all accomplished by our SOVEREIGN GOD , Who REIGNETH.. We shall then enjoy His presence forever...
I have not spent much time studying this, but as I look, Christ spoke more about this than anything else.
http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenth.../gvkingdom.htm
In the body of our Lord's teaching as recorded in the Gospels the references to the kingdom of God occupy a prominent place. According to the common testimony of the Synoptical Gospels Jesus opened his public ministry in Galilee with the announcement, that the kingdom was at hand, Matt. iv. 17; Mk. i. 15; Lk. iv. 43. In the last mentioned passage he even declares that the main purpose of his mission consists in the preaching of the good tidings of the kingdom of God. And not only does
VOS, THE KINGDOM & THE CHURCH, page 2 the conception thus stand significantly at the beginning of our Lord's work, it reappears at the culminating points of his teaching, as in the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and in the kingdom-parables. Its importance will best be felt by considering that the coming of the kingdom is the great event which Jesus connects with his appearance and activity, and that consequently in his teaching, which was so closely dependent on his working, this event must also have a corresponding prominence.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.GALATIANS 5:22
This all has to do with the already and not yet aspects of the kingdom. The kingdom continues to grow on this earth and is closely associated and in some cases identical to the church but it does not reach its completion until the second coming.
For whatever strength of arm he may have who swims in the open sea, yet in time he is carried away and sunk, mastered by the greatness of its waves. Need then there is that we be in the ship, that is, that we be carried in the wood, that we may be able to cross this sea. Now this Wood in which our weakness is carried is the Cross of the Lord, by which we are signed, and delivered from the dangerous tempests of this world.--St. Augustine
Watch out for those dispensationalists who make a big bugaboo about "kingdom of God" vs. "Kingdom of heaven!" haha
Ditch the Garbage! - Too many people are proud of their humility - I, on the other hand, am not humble - and am proud of it!
"Luther's New Testament was so much multiplied and spread by printers that even tailors and shoemakers, yea, even women and ignorant persons who had accepted this new Lutheran gospel, and could read a little German, studied it with the greatest avidity as the fountain of all truth. Some committed it to memory, and carried it about in their bosom. In a few months such people deemed themselves so learned that they were not ashamed to dispute about faith and the gospel not only with Catholic laymen, but even with priests and monks and doctors of divinity." - A complaint by German humanist Johann Cochlaeus.
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