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The Kingdom of God?

Marianne87Marianne87
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Ok..my question is gonna be a little confusing but bear with me. So, I am taking a religion course, and we study most religions and stuff, anyway...we are studying Christianity now...as in its major concepts...finding figure...etc..
Well, today he was kinda explaning how the religion keeps refering to the kingdom of God, and how the bible talks about the kingdom of God. I agree with that, that the kingdom of God is important in our religion and stuff....but what is the kingdom of God. As I understood from the Church, that the kingdom of God is heaven, and that by saying "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand" means that Judgement day is coming soon...aka...time for judgement and seperation of the righetous from the unrighetous.
So he definetly went a different direction on that issue, but he does have a valid point thou. Anyway, he said that at the time, Jesus WAS NOT referring to heaven, that he was refering to the kingdom of God as something that will happen in our lifetime...a great change will happen in the wordly way, things will change as we know it...there would be no more people who are rich are gonna rule and the poor in the lower places...but no...things will change...as in "Blessed the poor for they will inhert the kingdom of God"...they will inhert something in the world not something up above...as the kingdom of God is something that will happen in the present time...in the world..not up above.
Why did I say he does have a valid explanation to it is because the concept of the kingdom of God wasn't started by Jesus...what I mean is...way before Jesus came into the world...Jews were waiting for the kingdom of God...for something that will change their life as they know it...and in fact that came in the WORLD which is the apperance of the Messiah...which changed how they believe and how they practice their religion...so what did Jesus meant by the kingdom of God then....please be specific in ur answer...this is kinda confusing me A LOT

Comments

  • mmatt95mmatt95
    at that time the Kingdom of Heaven was supposed to mean the ruling of God on earth as in the millenial reign referred to in revelations. He conquered on the cross, trampled over death and we were given the chance to become children of God through baptism, the Holy Spirit etc. So its a spiritual inner Kingdom inside each person who became a child of Christ. Clear now? 8)
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    yup...thanks...that make sense...so it meant neither a heaven nor a world thing..its internal
  • mmatt95mmatt95
    yah well, it could be seen as a worldly thing as well if u would include the church in the whole thing, that may be seen as the "worldly" physical aspect, but then again, the church IS the believers, not the building.
    The evidence that its not heaven is the following verse in Luke 21:31-32

    So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

    If it was heaven that generation could not have lived to see the end of the world coming and the Kingdom of Heaven starting in the afterlife. Unless this verse refers to the parts about the destruction of Jerusalem and not the coming of the Kingdom of heaven, but i dont believe that is the case. Iqbal should know that ;D
  • SafaaSafaa
    Hello Marianne,

    In the Holy Bible, there is different meaning for the word, kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven means what will happened after judgment and the reign with Christ in Heaven for ever and ever. On the other hand the kingdom of God is what the Christian person will gain by believing and subsequently being baptised in the name of the Lord. By believing and being baptised “ dying with Christ “, the person will be a new man/ woman and will becom the dwelling of the Holy spirit. Also we can consider the Church in general as the kingdom of God on earth.

    I am afraid that the interpretation of the Professor is according to social left view of the Communism. Their agenda is to use the verse which you quoted from the Sermon on the Mount to try achieving equality in society.

  • Marianne87Marianne87
    Ya...so I got confused between the two..my bad...but my whole question was about the kingdom of God, which I thought it's the same thing as the kingdom of heaven. I am not really sure what you mean by the Communism view..but what he meant is that before Jesus came...Jews were awaiting the kingdom of God (meaning something will change how they live)...in that case what they were living was the persecution of the Romans....and they were waiting a God sent Messiah to free them from that. Why would Jesus use the same exact word...Kingdom of God...in desribing something of a spiritual nature...when in reality we as humans were looking for something of a world nature...of a change within the world?
  • SafaaSafaa
    As a human differ from as a Christian:

    As a human we look for the world ( politicians ) to fulfill our desires of achieving equality, prosperity and richness. On the other hand, as Christens we look to God as a source of our spiritual happiness.
    There will never be a kingdom of God as some politicians and some Protestants sects believe. They can not make earth as a paradise, Our Lord said “ Behold the kingdom of God is within you “.

  • Marianne87Marianne87
    sorry i am gonna change the topic...but I just don't like that seperation of being humans and being coptics or christians...we are still humans...and we want our life to change...not in a material way...but maybe of an emotional way
    How many people feel lonely...depressed...judged in some way or another...don't we need that to change?
    that has nothing to do with being a christian or not being a christian...because everyone from any religion could feel that way...and we all need some kind of CHANGE in our life...why do we seperate the world/our life now...from being a Christian and from our spiritual life...

    I know that was way too confusing but to conclude that...I just believe that our spiritual life and our daily earthly life shouldn't be seperated...because it's all ruled by God and God alone...God doesn't say I am only going to care about your spiritual life and I won't care about your worldly life...no He cares about both equally...so why don't we take everything in the Bible from both a worldly and a spiritual view?
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    In another way...Why don't we believe that there might be something that will change the world as we live in it now...A WHOLE drastic change...so why not believe that there might be some kind of worldly change and a spiritual change?
  • StVictorStVictor
    I beleive that the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Heaven. Its the same great kingdom.

    Matthew 5 :16
    Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

    My Father--> God
    If God is in Heaven, and Heaven is a kingdom, and it is God's Kingdom, Then it is the Kingdom of God
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    lol...way to confuse me even more...jk...but really this whole thing is confusing to me since I thought as you said that they are basically the same thing
  • SafaaSafaa
    Stvictor,

    No it isn’t the same, don’t be confused Marianne, the two words are different.

    God never asked us to change the world, instead to battle every day and moment against three enemies, mainly the flesh, the world and the Devil.
    To change the world is not Christian virtue, but as a matter of fact, it will be the manoeuvre of the AntiChrist tp deceive the people.
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    I didn't mean we change the world...I meant God will change the world
  • SafaaSafaa
    This is not what God intended from the beginning to make earthly life as a paradise, but instead to raise our spirit to yearn for Heaven. If life on earth is good and prosperity every where, Christians will leave their spiritual life and prayers to enjoy what the world to offer.
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    ok..makes sense...BUT...why do we think of heaven as something above us...a tangible thing that we will experience...why don't we think of it as a state we will achieve while living on earth...that goes back to the difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Heaven....why do we seperate both of them...why can't the kingdom of God just mean the kingdom of Heaven..which means a high level of spirituality...that some people achieve and some people don't...

    Sorry if I am confusing anyone...it's just sometimes we take things in the bible as symbolic and sometimes we take it literally....now it's one of those times...is the kingdom of heaven....like a kingdom....a great palace with God on the throne and angels all around him...or does it simply mean we will experience God's love and reach a high degree of spirituality without LITERALLY seeing God.
  • SafaaSafaa
    Marianne, you spoke eloquently when you mentioned why we do not experience the Kingdom of Heaven while we are on earth!!! This state is what every believers spiritually struggle to reach that level. Some monks, ascetics, and even lay peoples enjoy living so close to God, that they virtually see things which can not be explained. The more we ignore the earthly things the more is the heavenly experience.
  • StVictorStVictor
    Clearly they are one kingdom.

    [move]One Kingdom[/move]
  • Unknown
    The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are used interchangeably in reference to two different concepts that can only be ascertained according to the immediate context.

    I will provide a more thorough answer in a few days once my responsibilities and duties ease such to allow me some free time.
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