Why So Much About The Kingdom? As I grew in my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, I began to notice words and phrases that were repeated a lot all through the Bible. One of those words was “KINGDOM.” Old Testament Kingdom Conversations- For thousands of years before Jesus came to the earth in flesh, the Jewish nation, Israel, had heard many prophets speaking words from the LORD, their God. Many of these prophesies were about a coming Messiah, sent by God, to set up the kingdom of God. The Jewish people were expectantly waiting for this Kingdom, and its King, long before Jesus arrived. New Testament Kingdom Conversations- When Jesus started his public ministry with these words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2”. So the first thing that the God of the universe says, after growing into a man in the flesh, being baptized, being approved by the Father, and after successfully surviving forty days of fasting and then temptation by the Enemy, was about the kingdom of heaven. Final Kingdom Conversations- Then at the end of God’s Word, the word Kingdom comes up many times throughout the Book of Revelation. And the whole final book of God’s Word is filled with descriptions of what it will be like in the Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth. Gospel Conversations About The Kingdom- In the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), , Jesus taught many parables to his disciples that began with the words: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” And many of the parables taught about characteristics of the “Kingdom.” Jesus also spoke about seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom as if it was to be the highest goal and aim for all humans. Jesus Himself is called the King of kings, and is to be the King of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, if we are listening well to what God’s Spirit says in the Bible, we can’t help but notice that an emphasis and supreme importance is put on knowing about the Kingdom. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus about being “born again” it was a conversation about salvation. But the whole salvation conversation started like this, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3. Then it continued with: "Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." John 3:5. This conversation concludes by talking about eternal life: "that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:15. There are only two destinies for all humans: eternal life, or eternal death (perishing): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. And those who receive God’s loving gift of eternal life will live eternally in the KINGDOM. In other words, any conversation about salvation should be a conversation about the Kingdom. Salvation is “so much more than just a fix for my sin problem.”

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