His Kingdom is not of this world
See also Time and Eternity
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world."
John
18:36
"I have manifested Your name to the men
whom You have given Me out of
the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your
word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from
You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they
have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and
they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world..."
John
17:6-9
"Now I am no longer in the world, but
these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father,
keep through Your
name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You
gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of
perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to
You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled
in themselves.
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them
because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do
not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep
them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the
world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."
John
17:11-18
"He
has delivered us from the power of darkness and
conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His
love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:13
"Friendship with the world is enmity to God."
James
4:4
"But God,
who is rich in mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in
trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you
have been saved),
and raised us up together, and made us sit
together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in
the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace
in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:4-7
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His
glorious body...." Philippians
3:20
The
heavenly King reigns
in His people on earth
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself for me."
Galatians 2:20
"For indeed, the
kingdom of God is within you."
Luke 17:20
"...you will know that I am
in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has
My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he
who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and
manifest Myself to him."
John 14:20-21
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will
love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with
him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words."
John
14:23-24
"Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in
Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he
is cast out as a branch and is withered...."
John
15:4-6
"...I say to you,
'unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.... Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born
of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
John 3:3-6
Calling His people to the Kingdom
"John the Baptist came preaching in
the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand!'" Matthew 3:1-2
"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in
the gospel."
Mark 1:14-15
"...seek the kingdom
of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is
your Father’s good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. "
Luke
12:31-32
"And this gospel
of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a
witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."
Matthew
24:14
Yet most people reject His
Kingdom
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way
that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow
is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few
who find it."
Matthew 7:13-14
"...woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men;
for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering
to go in."
Matthew 23:13
"You search the Scriptures, for in them
you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
John
5:39
"The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his
son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding;
and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants,
saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, 'See, I have prepared my dinner; my
oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the
wedding.' But they made light of it and went their ways..."
Matthew 22:2-5
"Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you
that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:23-24
Who will -- or will not --
enter His kingdom
"Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of
My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we
not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your
name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I
will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!’"
Matthew 7:21-23
"For
many are called, but few chosen."
Matthew
20:16
"Do you not know that
the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians
6:9-11
"...no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who
is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words,
for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon
the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers
with them."
Ephesians 5:5-7
"...the works of the
flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like;
of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time
past, that those who practice such things will not inherit
the kingdom of God."
Galatians 5:19-21
"I say to you, that unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:19-20
"My kingdom is not of this world. If My
kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so
that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My
kingdom is not from here.”
"Pilate therefore said to Him, 'Are
You a king then?'
"Jesus answered, 'You say rightly that I am a king. For
this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come
into the world, that I should bear witness to the
truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My
voice.'
"Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'”
John
18:36-38
Jesus said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the
kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And those who heard it said,
'Who then can be saved?' But He said, 'The things which are impossible with men
are possible with God.'"
Luke
18:24-26
"‘Hear this now, O
foolish people, without understanding,
Who have eyes and see not, and who
have ears and hear not:
Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Will you not tremble at My presence?" Jeremiah 5:21-22
"No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke
9:62
Repentant Sinners welcomed by the king
"I say to you that
tax collectors and
harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots
believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe
him."
Matthew 21:31
"He turned to the woman
and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house;
you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet
with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You
gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet
since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil,
but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are
forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is
forgiven, the same loves little.'
Then He said to her, 'Your
sins are forgiven.'
And those who sat at the table
with Him began to say to themselves, 'Who is this who even
forgives sins?'
Then
He said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go in
peace.'"
Luke
7:44-50
"Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said,
'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as
little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name
receives Me."
Matthew 18:1-5
Diverse responses to that Gospel
"...hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the
kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away
what was sown in his heart. This is he who received [1]
seed by the wayside. But he
who received [2] the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures
only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the
word, immediately the stumbles. [3] Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and
the cares of this world and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
"But he who received [4] seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and
understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty."
Matthew 13:18-23
His Spirit-led Citizens do His
will
"Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your
name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For
Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever."
Matthew 6:9-13
"Therefore
do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
for the
kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:16
"...
you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
end of the earth."
Acts
1:8
Peter and John
answered, "Whether it is right in the sight of
God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For
we
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
Acts
4:19-20
Peter and the other
apostles said, "We ought to obey God rather than men. The God
of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on
a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince
and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and
so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who
obey Him."
Acts
5:29-32
Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this
world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews;
but now My kingdom is not from here.'
"Pilate therefore said to Him, 'Are You a king
then?'
"Jesus answered, 'You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born,
and for this cause I have come into the world, 'that I should bear 'witness
to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
John 18:36-37
Called to Unity within His Kingdom
Jesus prayed: "Holy Father, keep through Your name
those
whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We
are."
John
17:11
"Now, therefore, you are
no longer strangers and foreigners,
but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household
of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted
together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in
whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place
of God in the Spirit."
Ephesians 2:19-20
Called to separation from the world system
"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated to the gospel of God."
Romans 1:1-2
"Do not be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a
believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of
God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has
said: 'I will dwell in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'
Therefore 'Come out
from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Do not touch
what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you,
and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty."
2
Corinthians 6:14-18
"...do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:2
The world hates
the citizens of the Kingdom
"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated
them because they are not of the world, just as I
am not of the world. I do not pray that You should
take them out of the world, but that You should keep
them from the evil one. They are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your
truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the
world, I also have sent them into the world."
John
17:12-18
Jesus said, "If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it
hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love
its own. Yet because you are not of the world,
but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world
hates you. ... If they persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you... because they do not know Him who sent
Me."
John
15:18-21
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and
you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many
will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then
many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures
to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be
preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end
will come."
Matthew 24:9-14
Called to suffer for His Kingdom
"Blessed care the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven....
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of
evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who
were before you."
Matthew 5:3, 10-12
"...they returned to Lystra... strengthening the souls of
the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We
must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
Acts
14:21-22
"We are bound to thank God always for you... for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and
tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the
righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer."
2 Thessalonians 1:3-5
"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for
the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night,
has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and
by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the
death." Revelation
12:10-11
"Has
God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in
faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised
to those who love Him? But you have
dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you
and drag you into the courts? Do they not
blaspheme that noble name by which you are
called?"
James
2:5-7
War against the Kingdom
"...the whole world is under the
sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
"Do not be discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not
yours, but God’s."
2 Chronicles 20:15
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the
word of
their testimony...." Revelation 12:11
"For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every
high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience
is
fulfilled."
2 Corinthians 10:2-6
"...after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will
rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the
disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and
remember that for three years I did not cease to warn
everyone night and day with tears."
Acts
20:29-31
"Be
ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For
the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine, but according
to their own desires, because they have
itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will
turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things..." 2
Timothy 4:2-5
"And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His
heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever!" 2 Timothy 4:18
Final judgment
& ultimate
separation
"The kingdom of heaven is
like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men
slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went
his way. ...
"The
servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and
gather them up?’
"But he said, ‘No, lest while you
gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the
time of harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather
together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn
them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
Matthew 13:24-30
"...the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and
bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the
sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to
shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the
bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth,
separate the wicked from among the just, and cast
them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and
gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:45-50
"All
the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides
his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on
His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then
the
King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world...."
Matthew 25:32-34
Your choice for Eternity
"Then the
kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took
their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were
wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and
took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and
slept.
"And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming;
go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their
lamps.
"And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.’
"But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there
should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy
for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and
those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
"Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
"But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son
of Man is coming."
Matthew 25:1-12
"Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent 'to make your call and election
sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance
will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 1:10-11
"...since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have
grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
For our God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 12:28
Into the heavenly Kingdom
"He spoke to them a parable: 'Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When
they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now
near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that
the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you,
this generation will by no means pass away till all
things take place."
Luke
21:29-32
"...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption
inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed,' in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. "
1 Corinthians 15:50-53
"Then comes the end, when He delivers the
kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and
power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
... Now when
all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject
to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."
1 Corinthians 15:23-28
"Then the seventh angel sounded [the trumpet]: And there were loud voices in heaven,
saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, 'and He shall reign forever and ever!'"
Revelation 11:15
See
Eternity, Time and Eternity and
Two Kingdoms