Overview⤒🔗

In the history of the church and of theology, much has been said about the relationship between the kingdom of God and the church. For centuries this relationship, for the most part, was approached from the point of view of the church. I'll give a few examples. With the church father Augustine we can find pronouncements in which the church and the kingdom are practically identical. In his well-known book About the Kingdom of God, Augustine says that the saints now already rule with Christ, albeit differently than in the great time of completion: otherwise the church could not be called the kingdom of Christ or of heaven. The church, Augustine had in mind, was the organized church with its official hierarchy.

The pronouncement of the church father, in which he identifies the instituted church on earth more or less with God's kingdom, has had great influence. Numerous theologians after him no longer had any hesitation and identified the two totally. Pope Gregorius says in the sermon on Mat­thew 25:

But we must know that in the Holy Scrip­tures the church of the present age often is called the kingdom of God.

It may be said that for centuries in Roman Catholic theology this identification has dominated the thoughts about God and the church. Exponent of this identification is the infamous bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII entitled Unam Sanctam: both the "spiritual" and the "temporal" sword have been entrusted to the church. The princes rule by the grace of the church (the pope).

Over against Rome the Reformers emphasized the spiritual character of the church. Yet we find with them also pronouncements which more or less iden­tify the kingdom with the church.

Luther, for example, writes: "For, therefore, is the church called the kingdom of God, because God rules, commands, speaks and is glorified in her." In Calvin's Institutes we read the following:

To sum up, since the church is Christ's King­dom, and He reigns by His Word alone will it not be clear to any man that those are lying words (cf. Jer. 7:4) by which the Kingdom of Christ is imagined to exist apart from his scepter (that is his most holy Word)?

In the 20th century under the influence of the Swiss theologian Karl Barth a change in thought about the relationship Kingdom of God and the church occurs. Not the church but the kingdom becomes the point of departure. Theology has to be theology of the kingdom. Those who identify the kingdom with the church misjudge the eschatological and universal character of the kingdom. There always has to remain a distance between the church and the king­dom.

Some theologians even go so far as to make the church subservient to the kingdom. The church in essence is an intermezzo, and interim state. On the day of judgment, the church disappears and the kingdom remains. In modern liberation theology, the kingdom of God stands in the centre. All es­chatological reserve has disappeared. The kingdom of God is something that is realized here and now by people. Christians are called to do battle with the established structures.

The point is a community of justice and peace, freedom from hunger and oppression. One only speaks about the church, if it is politically relevant; i.e. when the church endeavours to bring about the kingdom of peace and well-being for everyone.

The Witness of the Old Testament←⤒🔗

The Old Testament emphatically announces that the God of Israel is the king of all the world and all nations. In Exodus 15:18 it is said that Jahweh "rules for ever and always". In Psalm 47 we hear the jubilation that Jahweh is the highest, "a great king over the whole earth". Psalm 95 calls Him "the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him". In the same psalm it is made clear that this kingship of God is based on Him being the Creator: the sea belongs to Him "for He has made it"; Israel is called to bow before the Lord, for He is "our Maker". This connection between God being King and being the Creator we also find in Jeremiah 10. Jahweh is the "king of nations" (vs. 7), at the same it is said of Him: "God made the earth by his power; He founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding." (vs.12)

The Old Testament also shows that this almighty and universal king executes His rule in a very special way. Out of all the nations on earth Jahweh chooses Israel to be His own people (cf Dt. 7:6). His rule assumes for this people the character of mercy-rule. This implies that Israel may know the salvation, in that Jahweh makes His precepts and laws known to this people (cf. Ps. 147: 19, 20). Of this merciful Kingship of Jahweh Moses speaks, when he says: "He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled along with the tribes of Israel" (Dt. 33:5). Undoubtedly Moses thinks here about the covenant made at Mr. Sinai. That covenant con­cretely contains God's merciful rule (cf. Ex. 19: 5, 6). Jahweh sets His throne in Israel; there the tabernacle is erected. Jahweh is now "the King of glory" for Israel (cf. Ps. 24:7, 8), who is "enthroned on cherubs" (c.f. Ps. 99:1)

How much Jahweh is king over Israel appears from the word given to Samuel: "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king". (1 Sam. 8:7) When Israel later has a king, the kingship of Jahweh remains completely in effect. The throne in Jerusalem is called "the throne of the kingship of the Lord over Israel." (cf. 1 Chron. 28:5), "the throne of the Lord" (cf. 1 Chron. 29:23). Even though Israel has an earthly king it keeps on calling Jahweh as "my king" (cf. Ps. 5:2; 44:5; 68:25; 84:4).

Tj. vander Waal correctly writes:

The earthly king from the house of David is seen as a representative of Jahweh, a "viceroy", who has been chosen by God and who has his power from God.

Even though the Lord is king over his people, we yet find with the prophets the announcement, that in the future He will reveal Himself as king in an unknown way. Especially in Isaiah Jahweh is described as the king to come. He will make his rule of mercy visible on earth in a most surprising way. We read in Isaiah 49:10: "See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power and His arm rules for Him". Isaiah points out the joyful tidings that Israel may make its own: "Your God is King" (Is. 52:7) The revelations of God's royal rule in the future is mostly written in terms which give witness of Israel's restoration as a nation. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the enemies will slink away ashamed.

At the same time a perfect peaceable kingdom (cf. Is. 11:1-10), the victory over death (cf. Is. 25:8), the sharing of the heathens in the salvation (cf. Is. 56:7), yes, even a new heaven and a new earth (cf. Is. 65:17) are announced.

The prophecies of Isaiah also make it dear that this future revelation of God's rule of mercy will find its fulfillment in the Messiah. The prophet announces the peaceable kingdom of the Messiah (cf. Is. 9:5, 6) and gives witness of his world rule (cf. Is. 11:9, 10)

The anticipation of the Messiah's coming we also find in the prophecies of Ezekiel: Jahweh will be a God to His people by appointing David, who "will be a king to them" (Ezek. 37:24) over His people.

With this new David, the Messiah is unmistakably meant. Also in the book of Daniel the Messiah, the son of man, remains the central figure in the revela­tion of God's royal rule. He receives an eternal rule and through Him the saints of the most high obtain the kingship into all eternity (cf. Dan. 7). When J. Borgdorff thinks that we, in the treatment of God's kingdom better proceed from Creation, he is, in my opinion, too vague.

To be sure, the Old Testament gives witness of God's kingship of the world and its people. A kingship, that is based on Him being the Creator. The Old Testament, however, also speaks about a special kingship of Jahweh over Israel. His kingship in relation to Israel reveals itself as a rule of mercy, with as background the great liberation from Egypt. Because this rule of mercy, through Israel's sin, could not reveal its full glory, the prophets speak of a revelation in the future with the Messiah. In my view the New Testament at this point in particular connects with the Old!

Evidence in the New Testament←⤒🔗

John the Baptist as well as the Lord Jesus proclaim the nearness of God's kingdom (cf. Mt. 3:2; 4:17), when they begin their work in Israel. Both speak about THE kingdom. The definite article points to the fact that we are not dealing with an unknown matter. John and Jesus proclaim the kingdom "of heaven" or "of God", without further explanation. In doing so they refer back to Old Testamentic preach­ing as found with the prophets.

J. vanBruggen is of the opinion that with the expression "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven", a real kingdom, territory or state is meant. He points to God's rule over Israel and is con­vinced that both John and Jesus in their proclamation refer back to the prophecy of Da­niel. J. Borgdorff, in my opinion correctly, already criticized that view. There is with John and the Lord Jesus also a connection with Isaiah. That appears clearly from what Matthew tells us about John's preaching. John calls for a preparation of the Lord's way. The words are borrowed from Isaiah 40, the part which speaks about the future revelation of God's kingship (cf. Mt. 3:3; Is. 40:3,10) And when Jesus begins to preach in the north, the evangelist sees the prophecy of Isaiah as being fulfilled (cf. Mt. 4:14-17). The words which we find in Isaiah 8 and 9 are placed in the context of the coming of the king of peace and his kingdom.

Other places in the New Testament make it clear that in the expression "kingdom of God" we are not exclusively dealing with a territory or state. In Matthew 6:33; 13:44 the kingdom is compared to a possession that one has to search for. In Matthew 11:12 it is power, which breaks through. In Col. 1:13 it is a rule under which the people may live. In Revelation 1:6 the believers are called a kingdom. What Herman Ridderbos writes about the synoptic gospels in my opinion also counts for the whole of the New Testament. "From all this it appears, that there are here all sorts of representations and that one should not diminish the meaning of the king­dom in a forced manner by absolutizing a certain meaning or facet of the kingdom at the cost of the other." Tj. vander Wall speaks about "the many sided meaning" of the expression. It seems to me that in the term we are dealing with an expression of many meanings, of which we, in light of the Old Testament prophecy, may say that it concerns itself especially with God's royal rule in Jesus Christ.

This is underlined by the fact that the nearness of the kingdom is placed on the same level as the coming of Christ (cf. Mt. 3:12). In Acts 8:12 the gospel of God's kingdom is also called the gospel of the name of Jesus. Paul proclaims the kingdom of God and gives instructions concerning the Lord Jesus. In Luke 4 Jesus proclaims Himself to be the fulfillment of the messianic year of Jubilee (4:18-21), while a little later the content of His preaching is called "the gospel of the kingdom of God" (4:43). We find both expres­sions "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven." There is no essential difference between them. Matthew speaks more often about the kingdom of heaven. Some commentators are of the opinion that Matthew makes use of Jewish idiom, which avoids mentioning the name of God. Others see in it an indication of its heavenly origin. I find it a difficult choice. Possibly both points of view are correct.

Is the Kingdom in the Future?←⤒🔗

In the history of exegesis many battles have been waged on this question: is the kingdom of God only a question of the future, or may we say that the kingdom is also present in this dispensation? In 1974 this question received renewed attention when Dr. J. van Bruggen held a speech in which he emphasized that the presence of the kingdom is still something that we expect. There still is the last battle for the church on earth. And when that battle will end on Christ's return, the kingdom appears on earth. To be sure, in the same speech Van Bruggen spoke also about "the influence of the coming kingdom on this earth, or the powers of God's realm that is coming nearer.

In 1981 Van Bruggen published some articles, in which he, if I have it right, speaks more openly about this "influence." Even though he maintains the point of view that God's realm is a state and that this state has not yet come on earth; still that "reality" of the kingdom can be seen in faith. He thinks here about the work of the Holy Spirit in those, who belong to Christ. Christ gives his church on earth a "foretaste" of the kingdom. Literally Van Bruggen writes:

Does that mean that at the moment God's kingdom is exclusively a matter of heaven? We must answer that question in the positive, when we think about the connection which already exists between the church and the kingdom of heaven and about the working of the Holy Spirit. Although the earth has not been liberated, God's invasion forces have al­ready landed and His fifth column is at work. And those are the realities of God's kingdom in an occu­pied world, which, with sighing, longs for the reve­lation of God's children.

I note here that Van Bruggen is not all that clear in his speaking. On the one hand he speaks about the heavenly "realities" of the kingdom, which will be revealed later on, on the other hand he recognizes the "realities" of the coming kingdom in a yet occu­pied world. My objection remains that Van Bruggen does not do justice to the many meanings of the expression "God's kingdom" and that he under­stands the realm as a territory or state exclusively.

In my opinion in the kingdom of God we are dealing with more than a territory or state. Sure, finally it will also be a state on earth, but that is still in the future. To do justice to the expression's many meanings, we will have to say, that according to the witness of the New Testament the kingdom has come and is still coming in Jesus Christ. Van Brug­gen emphatically points out the fact that John the Baptist as well as the Lord Jesus, have proclaimed the nearness of the kingdom. "Has come near!" That is the call of John, of Jesus, of the 12 apostles of Israel. The kingdom is near! That does not mean the same as "the kingdom has come". It has not yet come, but it is near. It is approaching.

The Greek word èggiken that is used in Mk 1:15, Mt. 3:2 and Mt. 4:17, means indeed "has come near". It speaks of a nearness in space but also about a nearness in time. The context will tell us how we must interpret it. Well then in Mk. 1:15 the context tells us as much, Christ first says: "The time has been fulfilled" and then "the kingdom of God has come near". The first part we do not find in what John the Baptist says. The Lord Jesus adds to John's preach­ing, that the time is now fulfilled. This must point out that what John announced is fulfilled in Jesus ­the kingdom has come within reach.

That it cannot be maintained that Jesus preached a kingdom that is still coming, appears, in my opinion, also from Luke 4:16-21. The Saviour begins his work as Messiah with the proclamation about the proph­ecy of Isaiah 61. The proclamation there is made in connection with the revelation of God's royal rule in the Messiah over his people. When Jesus begins his work with that proclamation, it must be concluded that in his speaking and work the kingdom was made manifest.

The presence of the kingdom is preached on vari­ous places in the New Testament. Christ says in Mt. 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it." In Luke 11:20 we read: "But when I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you." In Luke 17:21 we find the word of Jesus: "the king­dom of God is within you." Paul writes in Colos­sians 1:13 that the believers are brought to the king­dom of the Son. Even though the New Testament witnesses to the presence of the king, we can find texts in it which point to the fact that the kingdom is still to come. I think of Matthew 7:21; Luke 22:18; Matthew 25:34. Paul knows that the Lord will bring him safely into the heavenly kingdom (cf. 2 Tim. 4:18). And the Lord teaches us to pray: "Thy king­dom come" (cf. Mt. 6:10)

The Church←⤒🔗

We will now consider the theme: the kingdom of God and the church. With J. Faber I would like to describe the church as the meeting of the citizens of the kingdom.

When Jahweh made his covenant with Israel at Sinai, he made His people a "kingdom of priests" (cf. Ex. 19:6). From then on Israel is the people of the great king.

What was said about Israel, the apostle Peter ap­plies to Christ's congregation. We read in 1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." And in Revelations 1:6 we hear the jubilation that Christ has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father. The New Testament, in my opinion, speaks in various ways about the church. At certain places it is clearly about the universal church, the church of all times. Ephesians 1 and Colossians 1 ought to be mentioned in that connection. When the Lord Jesus says that he will build his congregation on this petra (cf. Mt. 16:18), it concerns the church of all ages. That church is also meant when Revelations 12 speaks about "the woman", who is pursued by the dragon. I do not think that we ought to call that church the "invisible church". The church in the Bible is always the visible people of God. We can, however, speak with K. Schilder about the invisibility of the church; it cannot be seen by us in its totality.

In numerous New Testament texts the local church is meant. Paul addresses his letters to the church at Corinth, at Philippi and at Colossae. It is also the local church when Christ says "tell it to the church" (Mt. 18:17). The work ekklesia (church) can also be used in the New Testament for house congregations. In Rom. 16:5 Paul writes: "greet also the church that meets at their house."

The relation between the universal church and the local church we can describe as follows: where people meet, as believers, according to the norms of Christ's Word, the great Shepherd gathers his flock; there the church of all ages manifests itself and people are gathered as the nation of the great king. The Lord Jesus points this out when he says: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Mt.18:20) It is about a gathering as disciples of Jesus. The Church of Christ is there, where people continue in the instruction of the apostles (cf. Acts 2:42)

Of local churches it also may be said that they are the meeting of the citizens of the kingdom. The name "nation" is also given to the local church (cf. Acts 18:10; 2 Cor. 6:16). I heartily agree with what J. Faber remarks:

The church is the gathering of those, who know of and recognize Christ's rule. The goal of Christ's Ascension is this that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth; and that all tongues should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! (Phil. 2:10), but there are in this dispensation knees which do not wish to bow and tongues which refuse to confess. The church, however, is the com­munity of those who by the Spirit and the Word are brought to the faithful acceptance of Christ's royal rule.

Kingdom and Church←⤒🔗

When we take all the evidence presented by the New Testament it becomes clear that the church cannot be identified with the kingdom. The Reformers are often too vague on the subject. The kingdom is wider in its scope than the Church.

S. Greijdanus says:

Where the Gospel is proclaimed, there is the king­dom of God. When someone repents, it is this basilia of God that is revealed. When God's commandment is kept in love, it is the kingdom of God. For that kingdom is righteousness, and peace and joy by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul says in Romans 14:17.

The Lord Jesus speaks about the "good seed": people who are listening to the word and bear fruit, and he calls these "the children of the kingdom" (cf. Mt. 13:38). Our Belgic Confession in Art. 28 goes out from the reality that children of the kingdom, who are not part of the local church, do so against the law of God and are called to join the true church.

We must not call these believers members of an "invisible" church. That I read nowhere in the New Testament. It is better to stay with the sober and strong urgings of article 28: they do so "contrary to the ordinance of God." The church as meeting of the citizens of the kingdom. The book of Acts describes the break-through of the kingdom of God in this world. But Luke proclaims to us in one breath the establishment, ex­pansion and equipping of the congregation by the Word and Spirit of Christ.

A. Noordegraaf showed us in his dissertation how Luke in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) and the parable of the mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19) sees the fulfillment of the growth and expansion of the Chris­tian church, as described in Acts. The expression "so grew the Word" has to be understood in the light of the mentioned parables.

What has been indicated concerning the coming of the kingdom finds its illus­tration and elaboration in the speaking of the Acts of the apostles about the growth of the Word and of the congregation.

The kingdom comes as a result of the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in the world. That preach­ing of the gospel, is in the apostles, entrusted to the church of Christ (cf. Mt. 28:19; Acts 1:8). Correctly article 36 of the Belgic Confession connects the coming of the kingdom with preaching the gospel every­where.

The central place of the church in God's kingdom is also brought to the fore if we realize that in the apostles the keys of the kingdom have been given to the church (cf. Mt. 16:19). In Lord's Day 31 of the Heidelberg Catechism it is confessed that the church in its proclamation opens and closes the kingdom of heaven.

Those who wish to live as citizens of the kingdom, cannot get around the church: she proclaims the gospel of the kingdom; in her womb we are called to life; in her preaching the treasures of the kingdom are distributed; at the Lord's Table we celebrate the mystery of the kingdom and look forward to the completion of the kingdom. J. Borgdorff correctly writes:

The function of the church in the kingdom is, among other things, to provide weapons and food to Christ's allies. Food, so that the new life may grow and that the rule of Jesus Christ may become more visible in the life of the congregation. Weapons, so that the Lord's war may and can be fought continually.

Through the teaching of K. Schilder and B. Holwerda the central place of the church and her proclamation in the coming of the kingdom once again received attention. After the Liberation that teaching greatly contributed to the establishment of a Reformed political party and social organizations. Church-choice is not a matter of indifference. Those who wish to serve Christ also in political and social areas, must be equipped in the church. Since Abra­ham Kuyper we designate all sorts of Christian activities as "kingdom work". I agree with J. van Bruggen that this designation is open to criticism. Perhaps it is better to speak with Paul (Col. 4:11) about work for or because of the kingdom. In the church those who have heard that we in everything must subject ourselves to the Lord and His Word, put their shoulders behind the break-through of Christ's rule over all of life.

At the well-known conference of Amersfoort, held in 1948, the central position of the church in the coming of the kingdom was emphasized. When I, however, read the speech S. Greijdanus held, I cannot get away from the fact that he paid too little attention to the question: what do we do with the fruits of the Holy Spirit which can also be found outside the Church? What does it mean for our Christian action that there appear to be citizens of the kingdom, who do not join the church, but in whose life the righteousness of the kingdom is visible? I already pointed out that Greijdanus does not iden­tify the kingdom with the church. He says: "the people of God's kingdom can be found everywhere, where God's Word is believed". Greijdanus, in my opinion, dismisses the reality too easily, when he states: "we only have questions: The demands made by God are they fulfilled? What God does in addi­tion is none of our business." In the discussion at the congress it appeared that Greijdanus did not com­pletely maintain the latter opinion. For when the question concerning co-operation with other "Chris­tians" were asked, Greijdanus answered:

That depends on how and when the co-operation is re­quested. And who are those: true Christian believ­ers? It is not only a question of calling oneself a Christian, but also a question of how that Christian, as believer, is publicly revealed. We should pay attention to how it is shown that someone is a Chris­tian believer. Whether or not we can co-operate depends on what we co-operate in.

In my opinion, one does not help the discussion surrounding the possibility of co-operation by saying: what is found outside the church in the way of fruits of the Spirit, is none of our business. Those who do not identify the kingdom with the church, cannot get around the fact that the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit can also be found outside the church.

Greijdanus points a most excellent way out of those difficult questions, when he says: "whether or not we can co-operate depends on what we co-­operate in". The question of goals and ways of co­operation can be understood in various ways. Not all co-operation is the same. What must remain central is the church and her preaching.

The Fulfillment←⤒🔗

The kingdom of God is larger than the Church. It will encompass the new earth and the new heaven (cf. Heb. 12:28 and 2 Peter 3:13).

A.A. van Ruler is incorrect when he opines that the church is an intermezzo. Much of the institutional character of the church will pass away, but the con­gregation of the people of the kingdom will remain eternally. Revelation 12 speaks about the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And the future glory is described in Revelations 19 as the marriage feast of the Lamb, the feast of the Lamb and his wife. The completion of the kingdom is not accomplished by powers from below. He, who sits on the throne makes all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5). This renewing already takes place in the lives of those, who through the miracle of the Holy Spirit begin to do the righteousness of the kingdom. In that the kingdom comes. But at the same time we know about the "small beginning" of perfection in this dispensation. From that small beginning we look forward to the fulfillment of the kingdom where God will be all in all. Our labour is not in vain (cf. 1 Cor. 15:58). God does not forget that small beginning. There are "words" that follow after us (cf. Rev. 14:13). There are wages of mercy (cf. Rev. 22:12). How our labour for the kingdom will be rewarded is a surprise. God keeps us in suspense!