Perhaps the most well known Bible verse concerning the kingdom of God is Luke 17:21, which says
Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Berean Study Bible)
If you’re a King James Version (KJV) advocate, you might know it as saying “the kingdom of God is within you.” Some translations say “among you.” I think the KJV and NKJV have it wrong. When Jesus spoke those words, he was talking to the Pharisees. He certainly wasn’t saying they had the kingdom of God inside of them.
So what, then, was he saying?
Three Elements of a Kingdom
A kingdom, any kingdom, must have three elements in order for it to be a kingdom. Absent any one of these three elements and it isn’t a kingdom. These three elements are as follows:
A king
Established boundaries (usually, they’re geographical)
Subjects (people over whom the king rules)
All three of these elements must be present in order for a kingdom to exist. So, for instance, if I were to say that I am establishing a kingdom in my name—let’s call it the kingdom of Allen—and that kingdom was to be in my living room, we could judge whether or not I have a kingdom. Assuming that I appointed myself the king of my living room, my “kingdom” would certainly have an established boundary. But, unless my wife bowed to me and called me her king (which I know she would not do), then I would not have a kingdom. There is no one else in my living room, and certainly no one willing to worship me as their king!
Let’s put this test to work on the kingdom of God. Is it really a kingdom?
Who is the King?
When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, Jesus said to him
My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now, My kingdom is not of this realm. (John 18:36, Berean Study Bible)
Surprised, Pilate exclaimed, “Then you are a king!”
Well, Jesus affirmed for the prefect of Judaea that he was indeed a king, and added:
For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.
The governor didn’t understand. He clearly was not a part of Christ’s kingdom. But Jesus did clearly claim to be a king. The question is, Of what was He claiming to be king? And, secondly, who was He claiming as His subjects?
What Are The Kingdom of God’s Boundaries?
Typically, the kingdoms of this world have boundaries. The United Kingdom is a specific geographic territory that consists of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and several small islands. Down through history, the kingdoms of this world have been characterized by rule of a single monarch, conquest, a strong economic power, and an expanding geographical territory over which the monarch rules. But what about the kingdom of God?
The interesting thing about the kingdom of God, as its king has proclaimed, is that it is not of this world. But don’t mistake that for not having clear boundaries. Those boundaries are not physical, but there are boundaries.
Jesus said to Pilate, “everyone who belongs to the truth hears My voice.” It was the statement that prompted Pilate to ask, “What is truth?”
Jesus did not respond. The prefect didn’t give him the opportunity to. As soon as he asked the question—a rhetorical one in his eyes—he went out to the crowd of angry Jews and gave them a choice on who to release from capital punishment. The Jews chose to release a true criminal rather than their would-be king.
In John 14:6, Jesus said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
He was talking to his disciples. He had just finished telling them he was going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. They didn’t understand, but He was telling them that they were a part of His kingdom.
While the kingdom of God does not consist entirely of physical boundaries, it does consist of physical boundaries. In fact, everything that God has made belongs to Him. However, this world, the current earthly realm, is under the dominion of its current ruler—Satan.
In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Satan is referred to as the “god of this age.” Jesus, in John 14:30, refers to Satan as the prince of this world. While the devil is referred to as the god of this age, the prince of this world, and even a ruler “of the darkness of this world,” he is never referred to as a king. Only Jesus is king. And He is king over all of creation. In fact, Acts 2:33 says He has been exalted “to the right hand of God,” a position of honor. In Revelation 19:16, He is called “king of kings.” That is a title that most assuredly says he rules over all rulers in this earthly realm.
Therefore, Jesus’ rule as king includes the physical realm, but it doesn’t end there. Philippians 2:10 says He has been exalted to the highest place and every knee shall bow—every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth—to Him. That is a future event, but it is an eventual event. It will happen, because Christ’s kingdom is everything in all of creation.
While the kingdom of God is not of this world, meaning it does not have its origin here, it does include this world, and more. Jesus is king over all creation. The boundary of His kingdom is everywhere and everything in creation.
Who Does the King Rule Over?
The boundaries of this kingdom can be defined as everything in all creation. In the here and now, Christ reigns over all, but he rules in the hearts of those who live and believe in Christ the king right now. In the day of His glory, when He comes to judge the living and the dead, every knee will bow to His ultimate authority. If you aren’t bowing today, there will come a day when you will bow to the King whether you want to or not. You may as well do so by your own volition while you can.
Allen Taylor has been walking (and wavering) with the Lord for 28 years. He has served local churches as a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, a worship leader, a prayer group leader, and a minister of the Word. His journey isn’t over yet, and he still needs discipling.
“I am Not the King” is a personal testimony of how Jesus Christ has worked in my life. It is available at Amazon and Smashwords.