You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
#56 – God’s Standard for Mankind (40)
The Bible has Two Testaments! Why? (5 of 6)
The Kingdom of the New Covenant
by Jim Mettenbrink

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     Under the Old Covenant, God was King of Israel and Canaan was the territory in which Israel lived.  Several passages in the New Testament state that Jesus is King of God’s New Covenant (Matthew 2:6; Acts 2:30-36).  So, Jesus being God, is the territory (Canaan) of ancient Israel Jesus’ kingdom?  If not, where is His kingdom?  The answer is viewed from a couple, but not contradictory, perspectives.
     Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (Matthew 18:36).  Thus we reasonably conclude that Jesus’ kingdom is not a territory with earthly boundaries, nor a nation or empire like the kingdoms of men.  Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual, not a material, territory.
     Still, based upon Peter’s acknowledgment that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God, Jesus said “
And I say also to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;  and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven....” (Matthew 16:18-19).  Note, Jesus used “My church” and “the kingdom of heaven” synonymously, thus His church / kingdom is on earth.  Jesus was the one who would open the kingdom, via Peter on Pentecost (Acts 2).  Immediately, those who were saved, i.e. became Christians, were added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).  This is the first mention of Jesus’ church in the New Testament, thus we conclude that Jesus’ church began on the day of Pentecost, AD 33.
     Some 30 years later, the apostle Paul referred to the Christians at Colossae as being translated into the kingdom of God’s son (Colossians 1:13).  Thus, the church at Colossae was also the kingdom of Jesus and the kingdom of heaven.  This passage implies that Christians are the citizens of the kingdom and members of the church on earth.  Jesus is the head of the church (Colosssians 1:18) and king of the kingdom (Acts 2:30-36), but located in heaven.  In these respects, Jesus kingdom is both in heaven and on earth, but with no nation, national boundaries, nor military to enforce His will.
     There is one other and more important perspective of the territory of Jesus’ kingdom.  Whereas kings are primarily concerned with maintaining their kingdoms’ boundaries, Jesus’ territorial boundary is far different.  The peace of God guarded the “hearts” of the Christians at Philippi.  Their hearts are the territory that is important to Jesus (Philippians 4:7).  The usage of “heart” in the Bible usually refers to the spirit or eternal part of man.  The heart (spirit) of each Christian is Jesus’ territory to guard and keep as His own kingdom.  Ultimately the kingdom will be moved to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:24), i.e. Christians will be moved to their eternal home in heaven in the day of judgment.

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      © Jim Mettenbrink; used by permission; courtesy of the Brookings church of Christ. rev.06xx
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