Page 17 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Meaning of the Kingdom

only from Christ’s first until His second coming. It has as its members
those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and regenerated
by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, while it is possible for one to be a subject
of the Kingdom and not be a member of the church, it is not possible for
one to be a member of the church and not be a subject of the Kingdom.
The church and the Kingdom are compared in Table 1.2.

The church’s mission is to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom to all
nations before the second coming of Christ, the King (Matthew 24:14;
Mark 13:10). This proclamation is to be done in Kingdom power. That
power is available to all believers through the empowering work of the
Holy Spirit (Acts 1:1–8).

Table 1.2—Comparing the Church and the Kingdom

Church Kingdom

From Christ’s first coming
Duration until His second coming From eternity to eternity

Those redeemed by Christ All saints of all ages
Subjects and regenerated by the Spirit including angels

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have defined the kingdom of God as the rule or
reign of God. It is one of the most important subjects in Scripture and was
the main theme of Jesus’ teaching and preaching. It is also a key theme
of the Bible. The Kingdom is both present and future. In these last days,
the church is the agent of the Kingdom and has been commissioned to
preach the gospel of the Kingdom in all the world before Christ comes
again. In the next chapter, we will look at how the doctrine of the kingdom
of God has been viewed in the history of the church.

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