What Is God’s Kingdom?

Most Catholics are very familiar with the phrase Kingdom of God. Indeed, I think that most Catholics are so accustomed to reading or hearing the phrase Kingdom of God that it has numbed our theological senses. Nevertheless, familiarity does not necessarily equate to understanding, and the term is vital to understanding much of the synoptic Gospels, if not the New Testament.

In this paper, I will examine what the biblical authors, inspired by God, meant to convey when they spoke of the Kingdom of God. I will review what Scripture likens the Kingdom of God to and the importance placed on Catholics proclaiming God’s Kingdom. First, however, it is prudent to explore the significance of kingdoms in the ancient world.

On Kingdoms

A kingdom, frequently referred to as a monarchy, is generally defined as a nation-state ruled by a king or queen. The leadership of a kingdom is almost always hereditary; that is, an individual ascends to the position of king or queen by virtue of birth or marriage. Kingdoms are among Earth’s earliest forms of government, dating back thousands of years. Throughout history, hundreds, if not thousands, of different kingdoms have existed.

As these early kingdoms developed, their leaders began conquering nearby cities and settlements. These kingdoms created laws and offered protection for their citizens.

The Bible is well acquainted with kingdoms. In particular, six kingdoms are prominently featured: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Starting in the Middle Ages, the connection between monarchs and God would grow with the concept of the divine right of kings. Under the political doctrine of the divine right of kings, it was believed and widely accepted that kings derived their authority directly from God.

Israel, however, was to be different.

Of God And Kingdoms

Although kingdoms dominated the landscape of the ancient world, Israel was not intended to follow suit. Israel was intended to be ruled by God, with the various prophets and judges acting as God’s instruments.

Still, the Israelites wanted to be like other nations and sought a king to rule over them. God viewed this request for a king as a rejection of His rule over Israel (1 Samuel 8:1-10). Nevertheless, God would grant Israel’s wish, and she subsequently became a kingdom. It is not, I think, an exaggeration to suggest that a kingdom was a disaster for Israel.

Corruption and conflict would be Israel’s lot under human rule. After the death of King Solomon, Israel would be split into two kingdoms: Samaria and Judah. The worst was yet to come, however.

Eventually, both kingdoms of Israel would succumb to foreign invaders, namely the Assyrians and Babylonians.

Like all things related to the transcendent, these various kingdoms can only be utilized analogously in relation to the Kingdom of God.

What Is God’s Kingdom Like?

The vast majority of the parables Christ tells refer in some way to the Kingdom of God. Significantly, it is estimated that Jesus used the phrase ninety times. (Benedict, Pope, and Joseph Ratzinger. Jesus of Nazareth. 2007).

There are two fundamental ways in which the term Kingdom of God is usually understood. In the first way, the Kingdom of God refers to Heaven, and it is not uncommon for the Kingdom of God and Heaven to be used synonymously. However, as a theological point of fact, the two terms refer to different subjects.

Heaven may be defined as the spiritual realm where God, His angels, and the blessed reside. In this distinction, the Kingdom of God refers not to Heaven but rather to God’s dominion as creator and sustainer over creation.

In the second way, the Kingdom of God refers to the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Used in this sense, the Kingdom of God is in the past (in the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth); it is in the present (in the work of the Catholic Church as Christ’s mystical body); and it is in the future (reaching its completion in the second coming).

These distinctions allow for a three-fold interpretation of the Kingdom of God.

A Christological interpretation of God’s Kingdom is that it is not a kingdom in the geographical sense of the word. Instead, it refers to God being uniquely present to human beings in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Presented in this way allows for a correct understanding of passages like Luke 11:20, “The kingdom of God has come upon you.” Moreover, this view implies that the Kingdom of God has already (past tense) come.

A mystical interpretation of God’s Kingdom entails the belief that God resides in the hearts of believers. Because God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, dwells in believers, we are called to live out our lives according to God’s will and work to bring that Kingdom to others by transforming the world we live in.  

Finally, an ecclesiastical interpretation sees the Kingdom of God existing in the present time through Christ’s mystical body, the Catholic Church.

An extended passage from Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is helpful to understand this concept. “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14).  

Conclusion

The concept of the Kingdom of God is at once familiar and strange. Catholic theology recognizes three ways God’s Kingdom comes upon us (Christological, mystical, and ecclesiastical).

Understanding the Kingdom of God in this multifaceted way allows Catholics to glimpse the Kingdom in the past (the Incarnation), in ourselves (mystical), and in the Catholic Church (ecclesiastical).

We are a mobile society. We commute to and from work, and we live in diverse places throughout our lives. For Catholics, however, our ultimate destination, our true home, is the Kingdom of God.