10 Key Bible Verses on the Kingdom of God

This text is a part of the Key Bible Verses sequence.

All commentary notes tailored from the ESV Research Bible.

1. Mark 1:14–15

Now after John was arrested, Jesus got here into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the dominion of God is at hand; repent and imagine within the gospel.” Learn Extra

These verses summarize Jesus’ preaching ministry. The gospel is the “excellent news” that the dominion of God is at hand, which means that God’s rule over folks’s hearts and lives is now being established, and folks ought to repent and imagine within the gospel. The dominion is greater than merely the rule of the Spirit inside folks, because the kingdom will in the end embody the restoration of all creation (see Rev. 21:1). Nevertheless, Jesus has not but revealed the truth that the dominion will are available levels. How Jesus pertains to this kingdom can be seen within the following chapters. Initially, he’s the one who proclaims the approaching saving rule of God.

2. Matthew 6:33

However search first the dominion of God and his righteousness, and all these items can be added to you. Learn Extra

The righteousness of the dominion of heaven works out within the particulars of 1’s private life. Jesus calls his followers to decide on their grasp, both God or wealth (Matt. 6:19–24), and to decide on their outlook on life, both religion or fear (Matt. 6:25–34).

3. Luke 6:20

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and stated:
“Blessed are you who’re poor, for yours is the dominion of God. Learn Extra

Blessed are you who’re poor. This implies “blessed are these of you who’re poor in materials issues and who’re additionally my disciples and thus are placing your belief in God.” Within the OT, “the poor” (the identical Gk. phrase, ptōchos, within the Septuagint) often referred to the pious poor who appeared to and trusted God. Jesus shouldn’t be saying that poverty in itself is a state of happiness or blessing; it’s a blessing solely when accompanied by belief in God. Jesus’ assertion elsewhere that he was anointed “to proclaim excellent news to the poor” (Luke 4:18) is a citation from Isa. 61:1, which has a robust religious dimension as nicely: excellent news would come to the poor who lengthy and look ahead to God. for yours is the dominion of God. Such folks belong to the dominion and can obtain the blessings of the dominion. Jesus constantly gave particular care to these on the fringes of society—individuals who bear God’s picture however who’re handled as trivial and the objects of oppression (see Luke 14:13, 21; Luke 18:22; cf. James 2:3–6; Luke 5:1–6).

4. Mark 4:26–29

And he stated, “The dominion of God is as if a person ought to scatter seed on the bottom. He sleeps and rises evening and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he is aware of not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the total grain within the ear. However when the grain is ripe, directly he places within the sickle, as a result of the harvest has come.” Learn Extra

Because the farmer sleeps and rises, the fruit grows by itself (Gk. automatē, lit., “mechanically,” “by itself”; that’s, with out human effort). Fruit for God’s kingdom grows from soil that’s hospitable to his Phrase. First the blade, then the ear goes in opposition to the favored expectation on the time of Jesus that God’s kingdom would come abruptly and . Jesus teaches that the messianic rule of God commences inconspicuously, grows slowly however steadily within the midst of a lot adversity, and reaches its superb end result level on the second coming of Jesus. There’s nice hope right here.

5. Luke 13:18–21

He stated subsequently, “What’s the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I evaluate it? It is sort of a grain of mustard seed {that a} man took and sowed in his backyard, and it grew and have become a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

And once more he stated, “To what shall I evaluate the dominion of God? It’s like leaven {that a} girl took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Learn Extra

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. Luke concludes his first part on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–13:21) with two parables emphasizing the arrival of the dominion. They distinction the dominion’s modest starting and its superb remaining state.

The mustard seed would have been the smallest recognized seed to Jesus’ viewers. turned a tree. The mustard “tree” refers to a big natural plant that grows to the peak of 8 to 12 ft (2.4 to three.7 m). The birds . . . made nests emphasizes the stunning supernatural consequence—i.e., the big dimension of the ultimate plant compared to the very small seed from which it grew. The Jews anticipated the dominion to come back with apocalyptic energy, bringing God’s judgment on all evil, and therefore Jesus’ instructing that it will arrive in such an “insignificant” approach was stunning.

Much like the mustard seed (v. 19), a minute amount of yeast can permeate a considerable amount of dough to supply a considerable amount of bread (cf. notice on 1 Cor. 5:6–7). Three measures would have produced sufficient bread to feed 100 folks. Some assume these parables train solely the distinction between the small starting and enormous finish consequence, and never the gradual progress means of the dominion between begin and end. Others argue that the expansion course of can also be in view. Either side agree that the parables distinction the apparently small and unnoticed arrival of the dominion (the “already now”) with its intensive and superb consummation when the Son of Man returns (the “not but”).

6. Daniel 7:13–14

I noticed within the evening visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
     there got here one like a son of man,
and he got here to the Historical of Days
     and was offered earlier than him.
And to him was given dominion
     and glory and a kingdom,
that every one peoples, nations, and languages
     ought to serve him;
his dominion is an eternal dominion,
     which shall not move away,
and his kingdom one
     that shall not be destroyed. Learn Extra

The Coming of the Son of Man. The one like a son of man combines in a single particular person each human and divine traits. Elsewhere, this phrase “son of man” typically distinguishes mere human beings from God (e.g., Ps. 8:4; Ezek. 2:1). Nevertheless, this son of man appears additionally better than any mere human, for to “come on the clouds” is a transparent image of divine authority (cf. Ps. 104:3; Isa. 19:1). This “son of man” is given dominion and glory and a kingdom (Dan. 7:14; cf. ESV footnote at v. 27; that is parallel to God’s dominion, Dan. 4:34), which at current resides within the fingers of human kings reminiscent of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 5:18). However he’s far better than Nebuchadnezzar, as a result of he’ll rule over the complete world perpetually: all peoples, nations, and languages will serve (or worship) him, and his dominion . . . shall not move away (7:14). Thus, he have to be rather more than a personified consultant of Israel (cf. Dan. 7:18, 27), and positively greater than a mere angel, for no created being would have the suitable to rule the complete world perpetually. Jesus claims he’ll fulfill this position (cf. Mark 14:61–62), and it’s in the end fulfilled in Rev. 19:11–16 when Jesus comes on the finish of the age to guage and rule the nations. Jesus refers to himself as “son of man” greater than every other title (see notes on Matt. 8:20; John 1:51). This title was used within the OT in two other ways, first, to confer with a mere human being (see esp. Ezekiel, the place it’s used over 90 instances referring to Ezekiel), and second, to confer with the son of man in Dan. 7:13, who’s a divine being dwelling in heaven with the Historical of Days. When folks heard Jesus use the time period “son of man” for himself, they needed to determine which kind of “son of man” he was. Technically he was each, but it surely took religion to imagine he was just like the “son of man” in Daniel. On the finish of Jesus’ ministry, when he claimed to be this heavenly “son of man” predicted in Daniel’s imaginative and prescient, his opponents stated he had dedicated blasphemy.

7. Luke 17:20–21

Being requested by the Pharisees when the dominion of God would come, he answered them, “The dominion of God shouldn’t be coming in methods that may be noticed, nor will they are saying, ‘Look, right here it’s!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the dominion of God is within the midst of you.” Learn Extra

The Pharisees apparently need to know the cosmic indicators previous the approaching of the kingdom in order that they are often certain to not miss it. Jesus replies that the dominion won’t come in methods that may be noticed (a phrase that interprets a Greek phrase paratērēsis that happens solely right here in the complete Bible). In mild of vv. Luke 17:21–37, Jesus apparently signifies that the arrival of the dominion of God won’t be accompanied by spectacular indicators within the heavens however reasonably that the dominion will come quietly, evident solely within the change in folks’s lives.

8. Matthew 19:24

Once more I let you know, it’s simpler for a camel to undergo the attention of a needle than for a wealthy particular person to enter the dominion of God. Learn Extra

camel. The most important land animal in Palestine. the attention of a needle. The smallest opening discovered within the dwelling. Jesus paints an image of one thing unimaginable with a view to illustrate that even the seemingly unimaginable is feasible with God. There isn’t a proof for the favored interpretation that there was a gate in Jerusalem known as “the attention of the needle,” which camels needed to stoop to their knees to enter. Such an interpretation would miss the purpose: it’s not merely tough for the rich to be saved; with out God’s grace it’s unimaginable (cf. Matt. 19:26).

9. 1 Corinthians 15:50–53

I let you know this, brothers: flesh and blood can’t inherit the dominion of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I let you know a thriller. We will not all sleep, however we will all be modified, in a second, within the short while, on the final trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the lifeless can be raised imperishable, and we will be modified. For this perishable physique should placed on the imperishable, and this mortal physique should placed on immortality. Learn Extra

Corruptible our bodies (flesh and blood) can’t inherit the dominion. Therefore, the necessity for resurrection.

thriller. Christians who’re alive on the time of the resurrection can be remodeled in order that their our bodies grow to be religious and immortal just like the our bodies of those that are resurrected from the lifeless. (See 1 Thess. 4:13–18.)

10. Luke 7:28

I let you know, amongst these born of girls none is larger than John. But the one who’s least within the kingdom of God is larger than he. Learn Extra

none is larger. John’s greatness amongst all of the OT prophets, all those that got here earlier than the arrival of the dominion of God, comes from his perform as direct forerunner of Jesus the Messiah. However John was not a part of the dominion of God that Jesus was proclaiming and bringing to actuality, for he was nonetheless a part of the outdated covenant system. Subsequently the one who’s least within the kingdom of God (one who has believed in Jesus and has grow to be a member of the brand new covenant kingdom) is definitely better than John, for individuals who come after John dwell within the age of success, following the approaching of Jesus. This underscores the qualitative distinction between the outdated age and the dawning of the brand new kingdom age.

Fashionable Articles in This Sequence