Gospel of the Kingdom pt. 3 (The Kingdom has Come)

I love how the Kingdom of God is ever-increasing, moving forward, and constantly gaining momentum. To communicate its ever-growing nature, Jesus likened it to seed and yeast—showing us its tendency to grow in influence and expansion.

Isaiah classified the Kingdom as a realm that is constantly moving “from this time forth, unto forevermore.” Isaiah 9:6, 7. The Passion Translation says, “Great and vast is His dominion… from this time forward and forevermore…”

FROM THIS TIME

If the Kingdom is ever-increasing “from this time…” we must ask ourselves—When was ‘this time’ that Isaiah prophesied? What point in history was the initiation of a Kingdom that knows no end?

In order to form a scriptural conclusion, one has to look at the context of the passage. As students of the Word, it’s just the responsible thing to do. So, if we consider the rest of the text we need to back up a few verses, where we find an event that would initiate “from this time.” Let’s look at the beginning verses of Isaiah 9:

“No more gloom for those who are in distress! Although the Lord greatly humbled the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, he will one day bestow upon them great honor—from the Mediterranean eastward to the other side of the Jordan and throughout the Galilee of the gentiles. Those who walked in darkness have seen a radiant light shining upon them. They once lived in the shadows of death, but now a glorious light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:1-2

As we fast-forward to the next mention of this (Isaiah’s) prophecy, Matthew tells us of Christ coming out of the wilderness full of the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum… in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES — THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:12-17‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Did you see that? Matthew says FROM THAT TIME (after Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy), He began preaching the Kingdom message. In other words, from the time that Jesus settled into Galilee as His ministry base, the King of glory made the announcement of a new day—the day His Kingdom was launched and thus began the process of growing in the earth.

Clearly, Christ fulfilled the Isaiah 9:6, 7 promise in Matthew 4. Taking place in the same location under like circumstances, Christ fulfilled the promise of a coming Kingdom with such precision! In other words, King Jesus set Isaiah 9 in motion, initiating the increasing Kingdom on the front end of His ministry.

THE KINGDOM HAS COME

When Christ came the first time, He inaugurated His Kingdom then—this is why His message was one of present Kingdom and Lordship. It was a present day “at hand” message (Matthew 4:17). In other words, He was saying, “There is NOW a new king in town.”  

“If we understand that the Kingdom of God was inaugurated with the first advent of Christ and it has been, from that point, an ever-increasing Kingdom, we will recognize that our job is to hasten His return through fulfilling the things He has for us to do—advancing the Kingdom and bringing all under the dominion of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”  (Jim Weis & Jonathan Welton in ‘Advancing Kingdom’)

The Kingdom of God was inaugurated at His first coming and is now being perpetuated and increased through His body. Just as in the natural, everything that originates in the mind (head) is played out through the body. This is the picture of the church, that as we remain connected to the Head, we begin to release His Kingdom (rule, reign, dominion) in the earth—until the “whole earth is full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.”

“He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”  Colossians 1:18 (NASB)

* also see Daniel 2:44-45

Ever since the King of glory came crashing down on the Roman Empire (culture), the Kingdom has been growing in the hearts and lives of men and women, and is in no way slowing down. The seed of His Kingdom has been sown and the yeast has been installed, and will continue to grow and spread until all the earth is filled with the glory of the Lord!

-RA