One of the most debated question is about the arrival of God’s kingdom. In our passage today, Scripture says, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.’” (Mark 1:14-15)
Scripture translators observe that the phrase “is fulfilled” in this passage appears in the Greek perfect, passive, indicative form. This construction presents the event as a completed and established reality, underscoring its certainty and unchangeable nature. In other words, without a doubt, “the appointed time” (kairos, in Greek) of God’s kingdom has indeed arrived.
Why then is there so much debate within the Christian community about whether God’s kingdom has arrived? Certainly, Jesus cannot be wrong, as He did indeed announce its arrival. The error must lie with biblical scholars. They have overlooked textual time statements and ignored declarations from Scripture.
Mark states, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mark 1:14-15) John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus said, “The Law and the Prophets— that’s the Mosaic Covenant— were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached …” (Luke 16:16). John the Baptist serves as the last prophet under the Old Covenant, heralding the impending arrival of God’s kingdom or New Covenant. Paul declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old (covenant) has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
A simple look at God’s pronouncement in Daniel regarding the arrival of God’s kingdom would prove true that scholars are in error. Scripture says there would be four gentiles kingdom, starting with Babylon, and during the time of the fourth kingdom God’s kingdom would appear.
Daniel 2:37-38 clearly identifies Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as the 1st gentile kingdom. Daniel 2:39 spoke of the second and third kingdoms. Daniel 8:20-21 revealed the identity of the second and third kingdoms—Persia and Greece. Daniel 2:40-43 referred to the fourth kingdom as a mixed marriage between iron and clay. John, in Revelation 17, unveiled the mystery of the unholy marriage between Rome (identified by Revelations 17:9-10 as the Caesars of Rome) and Jerusalem (referred to as the clay in Romans 9:1-4,21; Isaiah 64:8; and Jeremiah 18:3-6). Then Daniel declared, “And in the days of those kings – that’s the iron mixed with clay – the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed (kingdom of God), nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end (Revelation 11:15), and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron (Rome), the bronze (Greece), the clay (Israel), the silver (Persia), and the gold (Babylon, see Daniel 2:32-33). A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” (Daniel 2:44-45)
Jesus Christ was the stone cut from a mountain by no human hand, Scripture states, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am the One who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: Whoever believes will not be in haste’” (Isaiah 28:16). Peter, testifying before the Jewish Council states, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)
Add to that, when challenged by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus declared, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21)
God’s kingdom has indeed arrived. John the Baptist heralded the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus fulfilled Scriptures with His triumphant entry to Jerusalem (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1-10; Mark 11:1-9). Both Luke and John clearly states that the triumphant entry was a declaration of Jesus Christ as the coming King:
“And they brought the colt to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as He rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As Jesus was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”” (Luke 19:35-38)
“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.” (John 12:12-16)
A careful study of the Scriptures would prove that God’s kingdom indeed has arrived. But contemporary Christianity doubts, because they expect a utopia would happen. Because that’s what they have been told and taught. Looking around, we indeed don’t see any changes in our world. War, hunger, injustice, and many other chaotic occurrences are still present. But Christians forget; Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:20-21)
Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we (Jews) worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:22-24)
The woman then said to Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26)
How can God’s kingdom not have arrived since Jesus came? Oh, some may say the kingdom was postponed because the Jews rejected it. But Scripture says otherwise: “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone (Isaiah 28:16; Daniel 2:44-45) that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them.” (Matthew 21:42-45)
God’s kingdom is here, a present and living reality that dwells in the hearts and minds of those who believe His Word. Because of this truth, Christians do not fear death, fully trusting in the promise of Jesus Christ. This same reality moves believers to release their hold on wealth in order to advance the Gospel. It is also this truth that leads Christians to turn away from the patterns of the world and choose to walk by faith. In light of this, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly living as people of the kingdom?
It’s ironic that Christ’s words remain true today: “Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13) Despite having the complete Scriptures, the Bible, we still face this challenge.
Are Christian scholars, early church fathers, or even the Reformers more credible than the Bible itself? The decision is yours. As for me and my household, we will always adhere to and follow the teachings of God’s Word. If you seek further enlightenment, we warmly invite you to join our Bible study. Please send us a private message or an email through this blog site.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!
