The Gospel of the Kingdom: Understanding Christ's Central Message

When most people hear the word "gospel," they think about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — the message of personal salvation, but it's actually way more than that. Jesus' main message wasn't only about Himself; it was that He had brought the Kingdom of God right here to Earth.

The "Gospel of the Kingdom" was the good news for everyone, and it was the focus of His earthly ministry. It's also the gospel that Jesus asked us to share until His return. So, we need to understand what this "Kingdom" is all about to experience it. We'll dive into its history, figure out what it means for us now, and what its future holds.

The Ancient Foundations of God's Kingdom

By Don Bell | ⏱️ 10 minute read

The concept of God's Kingdom has been around since the early days of Israel, way before Jesus was born. That's why the Jewish people listened carefully whenever He talked about the Kingdom, because they held many different views and hopes concerning it, especially when it came to their day-to-day living and the government of the day. That's why we need to look closely into its origins.

The Old Testament (Torah) begins with God as the King, the Creator of everything. It reveals that before God created Earth, He first created the heavens and the heavenly host, including unique beings whom He set apart to form His divine council in the heavenly realm.¹ Whenever the Old Testament talks about these beings, they're called "gods" (Psalm 82:1) or "sons of God" (Job 1:6, 2:1) or "angels of God" (Genesis 28:12), but they weren't actually angels.

Scripture says they shouted for joy when Earth was created: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4–7).

Much later, in The New Testament, Paul of Tarsus calls these same beings principalities, powers, and "spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). So what went wrong? To figure this out, we must go back to the start.

After God made Earth, He made human beings to represent Him and have dominion over His earthly realm (Genesis 1:26–28). God had lovingly given "free will" to all His created beings, enabling them to make their own choices, but its misuse led to rebellions in both the heavenly and earthly realms, interrupting His divine plan.²

The First Rebellion: Eden's Fall

The first of three rebellions took place in the Garden of Eden when Satan, a powerful cherub, and a high-ranking member of God's divine council, tried to elevate himself above God (Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:12–17). Satan then influenced God's earthly representatives, Adam and Eve, to disobey God by choosing their own way instead of following God's direction (Genesis 3:1–7). Their rebellion severed the intended partnership between God and humankind (Genesis 3:22–24).

The Second Rebellion: The Heavens Invade Earth

The cosmic rebellion grew worse when some sons of God abandoned God's divine council to mix with humans on Earth and create their own hybrid offspring called the Nephilim.³ The rebellion of these heavenly beings not only got them condemned and bound in hell, their evil deeds corrupted Earth's human population to such an extent that a worldwide flood became necessary. Through this cleansing flood, God planned to save humanity through Noah who was given the job of rebuilding life on Earth. (Genesis 6:1–8; 2 Peter 2:4–5; Jude 1:6)

The Third Rebellion: Babel's Pride & FALL

Yet even after the flood, human pride grew to hit its peak at Babel where the people came together to decide their own future, not depending on God's plan for their well-being. In response, God confused their language and split them into different nations, putting them under the rule of His divine council members, the sons of God who had remained true to Him (Genesis 11:1–9).⁴ Later, these heavenly beings would also rebel against God and lead those nations into worshiping them, and demons.

God's Restoration Begins: Abraham's Promise

It was time for God's backup plan; it was a secret plan He'd already prepared for this kind of crisis. It set the stage for the unique role of Abraham and his grandson Jacob who received a new name from God — Israel. And Israel, the nation that God chose to be a light to the other nations got its start (Deuteronomy 32:7–12).⁵

God promised Abraham that through his descendants, all nations would be blessed. But, God's chosen people saw repeated failures and divine interventions, as kings and prophets played out their roles. Isaiah and Daniel prophesied of a future where a Messiah, an anointed king, would bring justice, healing, and peace to a broken world. The people of Israel were praying, hoping, and waiting for their promised king to arrive and make everything right and then… Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

The Gospel of the Kingdom Arrives in Christ

Scripture records that "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). Jesus began His ministry by declaring the wait was finally over. The promised Kingdom had arrived through Him!

But, Jesus didn't just talk about the Kingdom; He actually demonstrated it. His lifestyle, teaching, and miracles (healing sickness, casting out demons, and raising the dead) showed the Kingdom's reality and power, and He also told stories or parables to give the people a better idea of what it's really like.

How to Enter the Kingdom of God

When a Jewish leader, Nicodemus, had come to Jesus in secret to ask about the Kingdom, Jesus said to him, "'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (John 3:3). This spiritual rebirth is needed to enter the Kingdom, but it can only happen when we repent, and believe in the gospel message.

The Greek word (metanoeō) translated as repent, means more than just being sorry for our sins or wrongdoing; it's asking us to reconsider and think differently. This is good news; it means we can leave behind our past mistakes and selfish way of living and — through faith in Jesus — be spiritually reborn to start fresh and follow Jesus to experience God's presence in our lives from that point on.

As Scripture says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Present and Yet Future Kingdom

There is a present and future aspect to the Kingdom: It's already present in Christ, but it's not yet fully complete. Let's take a closer look at it.

Experiencing the Present Kingdom

God's Kingdom is supernatural; it's above and beyond politics and worldly governments. Jesus told Pontius Pilate, "'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight...'" (John 18:36).

He further explained to the Pharisees, "'The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is WITHIN you'" (Luke 17:20–21, emphasis added).

Before Jesus had left for Heaven, he told His followers to wait in Jerusalem for "the Promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). On the day of Pentecost, the dramatic entrance of the Holy Spirit totally changed those ordinary believers who sat waiting in the Upper Room into extraordinary witnesses for the Kingdom. This divine empowerment, made noticeable by supernatural manifestations such as speaking in tongues, began a new chapter in God's plan to heal the nations and save everyone on Earth.

Jesus emphasized the Kingdom's present reality, saying, "'The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and EVERYONE IS PRESSING INTO IT'" (Luke 16:16, emphasis added). This invitation to press into God's Kingdom opens the door to connect with God in new ways, with every step of faith.

When believers walk in the Spirit, following the Holy Spirit's leading, they show both the present and future aspects of God's Kingdom to people in need of help. Through His anointing, they witness the subtle growth of God's Kingdom, one life at a time, as people are born again.

As Paul describes it, "The kingdom of God is... righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17), and as we live out these divine qualities and share the gospel of the Kingdom, we're doing our part in helping to restore all creation to its intended glory.

The Future Kingdom Fullfilled

Jesus has promised to return one day to fully establish His Kingdom on Earth. This "Second Coming" (Matthew 24:30–31) will be a worldwide event that brings an end to all evil, injustice, and suffering. He will restore all creation to its intended purpose, ushering in a "new Heaven" and a "new Earth" — a new Eden.

Scripture says, "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13).

It's not the escape from Earth to Heaven that some might think; it's life on a brand-new Earth where Jesus fully reigns in righteousness and peace and joy.

The Church's Role in the Gospel of the Kingdom

The Church is the Body of Christ and not the Kingdom itself; it's the community of born-again believers who have entered the Kingdom to live under Jesus' kingship and continue what He started. It's also a preview of the Kingdom to come, and it has been given an important role to play.

Scripture says, "All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18–19). This ministry of reconciliation isn't just for Church leaders, its for ALL believers too.

Jesus prophesied, "'This gospel of the kingdom will be preached (announced loudly and clearly) in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come'" (Matthew 24:14). WE are all called to announce God's message of reconciliation to the world, "as though God were pleading through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20), and it's the job of anointed Church leaders to prepare us for this important work (Ephesians 4:11–12).

Your Ministry in God's Kingdom

Today, the Holy Spirit is still giving believers the supernatural abilities needed to push the Kingdom forward. These gifts of the Spirit — tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, discernment of spirits, faith, gifts of healing, and miracles (1 Corinthians 12:8–10) — enable the followers of Christ to show the Kingdom's power and reality.

To fulfill your ministry, you must follow the example of Jesus, keeping your hearts and minds in line with what God wants to do "on earth as it is in Heaven" (Luke 11:2). Filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, you are called to demonstrate the Kingdom's values of justice, mercy, and compassion in a broken world.

By living in unity and love, believers show the world around them what God's Kingdom looks like, inviting others to enter and take their part in spreading the message and hope of the Kingdom until Jesus returns. And we haven't been left on our own. Jesus promises, "'I am with you always, even to the end of the age'" (Matthew 28:20).

Your Adventure Continues

I invite you to dive deeper into your Kingdom understanding by exploring the additional resources available on this site. For instance, my in-depth series on The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit will provide you with practical, in-depth guidance to help you:

• Understand your spiritual gifts
• Walk more fully in Kingdom anointing
• Develop a closer connection with the Holy Spirit
• Embrace your role in declaring The Gospel of the Kingdom

Endnotes

¹ Additional reading regarding God's divine council: Heiser, Michael S. "The Unseen Realm." Lexham Press, Bellingham, WA, 2015.

² Ibid.

³ "There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame)" (Genesis 6:4 AMP).

^{4, 5} Moses wrote, "Remember the days of old, consider the years for past ages: ask thy father, and he shall relate to thee, thine elders, and they shall tell thee. When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. And his people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, Israel was the line of his inheritance." (Deuteronomy 32:7–9 LXX).

The Septuagint (LXX) is the Koine Greek translation of The Old Testament that's quoted by The New Testament writers, particularly by Paul. The literal translation "angels of God" ("sons of God" by Symmachus and NIV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NLT Bibles) is supported in the oldest available Hebrew texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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About the Author

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website, and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and lead extraordinary lives in the Holy Spirit.

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Hi, I'm Don, and my prayer is Kingdom Anointing™ will help you build faith, walk confidently in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and realize your full potential in the Kingdom of God.