Read how it encompasses divine sovereignty present salvation and coming glory.
Quick Summary
The kingdom of God refers primarily to God's sovereign rule over all creation. It also describes Christ's present saving reign in the hearts of believers and the future open manifestation of His eternal authority. These dimensions form one divine reign.
The kingdom of God refers first to the reign of God. Scripture presents the kingdom before all else as God’s rule, His authority exercised over what He has made. In some passages that reign is described in its universal scope. In others it refers to God’s saving rule in those who belong to Him. In others it refers to the future open manifestation of Christ’s reign. These uses belong together.
The Kingdom of God as God’s Sovereign Reign
The broadest sense of the kingdom of God is God’s sovereign dominion over all creation. Psalm 103:19
states, “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” Nothing lies outside His authority.
Daniel declares the same truth: “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom” (Daniel 4:3). God’s reign does not arise from created power, nor does it depend on earthly rulers. It is original and unbounded.
This is why Paul can say, “There is no authority except that which God has established” (Romans 13:1). Human governments exercise delegated authority. Their power does not stand independent of God.
In this sense, all things stand under God’s sovereign dominion, though not all creatures live in willing obedience to Him. God rules over all; rebellion does not overturn His kingship.
Scripture also speaks of the kingdom in a narrower sense: the saving reign of God present in those who submit to Christ.
Jesus began His public ministry with the announcement, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). Matthew records the same summons: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).
The kingdom in this sense is entered through repentance and faith. It concerns reconciliation to God, not political rule.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5; cf. John 3:6–7). Entrance into the kingdom requires new birth.
This is why Paul can describe the kingdom as a present spiritual reality: “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
Where Christ rules in the heart, the kingdom is present.
When Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), He did not deny the kingdom’s relevance to earthly life. He identified its source and authority as not derived from this fallen order.
Entering the Kingdom
Scripture treats entrance into the kingdom with seriousness.
The kingdom is not entered by ancestry.
It is not entered by moral effort.
It is not entered by outward religious identity.
It is entered through the work of God that grants new life and through faith in Christ.
Paul warns that those who persist in unrighteousness “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9). The kingdom belongs to a transformed people.
This is why Jesus tied kingdom entrance to conversion rather than external privilege.
The Future Manifestation of the Kingdom
Scripture also speaks of a future manifestation of the kingdom in which Christ’s reign will be openly displayed.
Daniel prophesied, “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44).
Daniel 7:13–14 adds that the Son of Man receives “authority, glory and sovereign power,” and “his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
