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The Kingdom of God: The Heart of Christ's Message

The central theme of Jesus Christ's message was the Kingdom of God. What did He teach about this Kingdom, and why is there so much confusion about it? by Cecil Maranville

A king is a supreme ruler. An absolute monarchy, the undivided rule of a single person, is not a form of government familiar to most of us. Most people are more aware of the personal profiles of princes and princesses, along with exposés of their errors and excesses, than they are of the monarchy itself. Fewer still are aware that the concept of a monarchy is to be found in the New Testament and that it has a direct connection to the future of mankind. In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus Christ gave a model for people who wish to learn how to pray effectively. Most people know this passage as the Lord's Prayer. But do they consider its content? Twice in this prayer outline Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God. First is a plea for that kingdom to "come"? then follows an acknowledgment that God indeed has a kingdom. When we acknowledge that God has a kingdom, we also acknowledge that He is royalty. Scripture shows that the Kingdom of God is yet to come, and the world will see an obvious, dramatic occurrence when it is established. Few religions, however, believe this. Few even acknowledge the word kingdom except in an ethereal sense. What does the Bible have to say about the Kingdom of God? Kingdom theme in the Gospels The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible says this about the Kingdom of God: "The word 'kingdom' is found fifty-five times in Matthew; twenty times in Mark, forty-six times in Luke and five times in John. When allowance is made for the use of the word to refer to secular kingdoms and for parallel verses of the same sayings of Jesus, the phrase 'the kingdom of God' and equivalent expressions (e.g., 'Kingdom of heaven,' 'his kingdom)' occurs about eighty times . . . These statistics show the great importance of the concept in the teachings of Jesus . . . There can, therefore, be little doubt that the phrase 'the kingdom of God' expresses the main theme of His teaching" (Vol. III, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1976, p. 804). Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn13/kingdom.htm Related Information on UCG Sites: Table of Contents that includes "The Kingdom of God: The Heart of Christ's Message" Other Articles by Cecil Maranville Kingdom of God - and Christ's coming: _Not by Might or by Power _Jesus Christ's return _The Promise of a Coming Kingdom _The King of the Coming Kingdom _Will Christ Return? _Why Will Christ Return? _Dictatorships: Why Are They So Common? _The Real Millennium Gospel of the kingdom: _The Mission and Responsibility of the Church _What is the True Gospel? _The Right Use of Money _Introduction (GK) _The Gospel of Jesus Christ: Salvation in the Kingdom _What Was Jesus' Gospel? _Chapter 1: Preaching the Gospel _This is the United Church of God _How Is the Work of God Accomplished Today? _The Essence of the 'Everlasting Gospel' _Introduction (bsc6) _The Kingdom in the Gospels _The Apostles Teach the Same Gospel _Where Does the Story Begin? _The Gospel Jesus Taught _Three Facets of the Gospel _The Meaning of the Name 'Jesus Christ' _The Real Gospel of Jesus Christ _What Is the Gospel? _The Gospel From Abraham to Paul _The Millennium: The Vision That Won't Die _What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? _Seven Truths From Jesus Christ About the Real Secret: The Kingdom of God Kingdom of God - what it is: _Beyond Politics _Why U.S. Population Growth Has Produced Little Joy _God: Ruler of the Universe _The Eye of a Needle _Is the Church the Kingdom? _How Is the Kingdom "at Hand'? _How You Can Enter the Kingdom _Other Names for the Kingdom _Is the Kingdom Here Now? _Is the Kingdom Within You? _Translated Into the Kingdom? _The Everlasting Kingdom of God _The God Family _Christ's Parables and the Kingdom _Points to Ponder (bsc6) _God's Vision for You _'Thy Kingdom Come!' _Why People Don't Understand the Kingdom of God _What's Wrong With Governments? _Could Jesus Christ Be Elected President? _What Is the Gospel Jesus Christ Taught? _Your Destiny -- Teacher, Administrator? _The Kingdom of Heaven Search Our Site Key Subjects Index General Topics Index Biblical References Index Good News Magazine Index Booklets and All Literature Index Home Page of this site