Tag: Kingdom Design

As I end this series of posts on the territory of the kingdom of God, I thought it a good idea to address a possible objection that may arise as one begins to think about the kingdom of God in this way.  One might say this talk of the kingdom of God having territorial distinction in the natural is purely theoretical and unlike earthly kingdoms because one cannot see the territorial lines of the kingdom of God. 

However, one cannot see the territorial boundaries of an earthly kingdom unless they are marked with a sign.  One can see the geography, the actual terrain, but one cannot necessarily tell where the kingdom begins or ends by merely looking at the territory.  Maps help, but only because the person who draws the map knows the location of the territorial boundaries of the kingdom.  In fact, when one thinks of a nation’s territorial boundaries one usually sees a map in one’s mind’s eye. 

But just because one cannot draw a map of a nation’s territory does not mean the nation does not have a territorial boundary.  It would only mean that the person drawing the map did not know where the boundaries of the nation lay. It’s the same with the kingdom of God.  We can know that many places are kingdom territory because we can see that those in authority in that place exercise that delegated authority in accordance with the laws of the kingdom.  We can see a household under the authority of a Christian who lives in obedience to King Jesus.  That we cannot see into every heart or every place does not mean that the kingdom of God does not have a geographical presence and territory. It only means we are not good mapmakers.

Such is the earthly territory of the kingdom of God on earth.  Like the earthly territorial distinctions, they are sometimes fluctuating and are not always well defined, but they exist.  GS

Here’s something interesting about the territory of the kingdom of God: it can be mobile. This shouldn’t be that surprising.  The territory of earthly kingdoms can be mobile. 

When ambassadors from one nation journey to a foreign country they carry with them the jurisdiction of their kingdom.  They enjoy immunity from prosecution of the foreign power’s laws because they represent the sovereign power of their own kingdom.  Embassies in foreign countries are considered the territory of the foreign ambassador’s nation, as are airplanes and ships under their nation’s flag, regardless of where those planes or ships are, and even if they are mobile. 

Similarly, the territoy of the kingdom of God is mobile as well as fixed.  As citizens of the kingdom of God move physically, so does the territory of the kingdom.  When a Christian goes from his home to the grocery store, he takes the territorial boundaries of the kingdom with him.  

Jesus taught this very concept of the mobility of the Kingdom when He sent out the Seventy.  Jesus told them to minister to the people in the cities He was sending them, but regardless of whether the people accepted them or not to tell the people of the city, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”  (Luke 10:9).  If the city did not accept them, they were to shake the dust off of their feet as a protest and leave.  When they left the kingdom left with them. 

Every citizen of the kingdom of God today takes the kingdom with them wherever they go if they are obedient to Jesus.  Stated another way Kingdom citizens are ambassadors of Christ the King.  (2 Cor. 5:20).  GS

So, how can one know what earthly territory is the territory of the kingdom of God?  Talk to any theologically trained person (in other words, not a lawyer like me) and he or she will tell you that the kingdom of God is “the rule of God.”  Consequently, Kingdom territory is territory where Jesus rules and reigns through His earthly representatives.  That is not to say Jesus is not sovereign over all creation.  He is.  But earthly territory He has given to man to manage. (Psalm 115:16).

I explained in another post how Jesus rules and reigns through delegated authority, that is, through people in positions of authority who exercise that authority in accordance with His will.  The earthly territory that falls under the authority of such people is kingdom territory.

Let me give you some examples.  Say a citizen of the kingdom of God operates her business out of obedience to King Jesus, her office then becomes kingdom territory because she is the authority in that place and is acting in accordance with the will of King Jesus.  If the head of a household is a Christian and exercises his authority in obedience to King Jesus, that house and the earth on which it sits becomes kingdom territory.  If a school teacher is a citizen of the kingdom of God and is acting in obedience to Jesus in that classroom, that classroom becomes kingdom territory. 

In each of these examples, it doesn’t matter whether there are others within the physical territory who are not citizens of the kingdom of God.  That doesn’t change the character of the territory any more than an alien residing in the United States of America affects the sovereignty of the American government. 

Once you understand that the kingdom of God has a territorial footprint on the earth, some of Jesus’ Kingdom parables begin to make more sense.  How is it that the “birds of the air,” i.e. non-Christians will be able to nest in the branches of the kingdom of God?  (Matt. 13:31-32)  How is it that Jesus can talk about the angels coming and taking the unrighteous out of His kingdom? (Matt. 13:41).  The answer is that non-Christians can live within the earthly territorial confines of the kingdom of God during their life on earth, but they won’t inherit the Kingdom when they die. (I Cor. 6:9-10).  GS

All earthly kingdoms have territory. Without territory, one could hardly call something a kingdom.  By its very definition a kingdom is “a land or area that is ruled.”  Why should we expect the kingdom of God would match earthly kingdoms in so many fundamental characteristics, yet differ in the one which gives the word its very meaning?

Spiritual and natural territory.  We were born into the natural realm and have lived in it our entire lives.  We can see it, smell it, touch it, hear it and taste it, and we don’t doubt its existence because it’s so obvious to all of our senses.  But there is also a spiritual realm, which is not as readily apparent as the natural. (Col. 1:16-17). The invisible-spiritual and the visible-natural were both created by God and that in Him they both “hold together.”  (Col. 1:17). Now I realize this is almost not worth staying, but hang with me because I’m headed somewhere with this.

King Jesus must rule in spiritual and earthly realms.  For a kingdom to rule over all that is, it must be able to reign in both the natural and the spiritual realm.  It would be silly to argue the kingdom of God had the ability to rule in the spirit realm but not on the earth since God created both.  As silly as it sounds though, many modern Christians believe just that.  However, the kingdom of God is designed to extend the rule of King Jesus in both realms. (Eph 1:8-10; Col. 1:18-20). 

Earthly territory has geographical boundaries.  If we were to define the boundaries of a residence, a city, county, state or country, we would talk in terms of geography. If you were asked where you live, you could give an address of a physical spot on the planet.  If we wanted to ascertain the boundaries of a city, we could go to a map and draw a line around the outer edges of the city and know that everything inside of the line was part of the city.  Territory in the natural realm is measurable because it exists in space and time. 

The Kingdom has geographical distinction.  Because the kingdom of God extends the rule of Jesus on the earth, and the earth had ascertainable territorial boundaries, the kingdom of God also has definable geographical distinction.  That is not to say Jesus doesn’t have sovereignty over the entire universe.  What I am attempting to do here is give you a paradigm for understanding the presence of the kingdom of God on earth.  Think about it: the Bible promises that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of God. (Dan. 2:44; Rev. 11:15).  That cannot happen unless the kingdom of God has a geographical existence in the natural because earthly kingdoms exist only in the natural.   If the kingdoms of this world are to become the kingdom of God then they must do so with the very thing without which they would be kingdoms at all—earthly territory. Otherwise, we could only say the kingdom of God destroyed all the earthly kingdoms, but we could not say these kingdoms became the kingdom of God.

Now you may be thinking, “Ok, but so what?”  However, as I think you will see, recognizing the kingdom of God has a geographical footprint on the earth is foundational to understanding how the kingdom of God expands on the earth.   Coming in Part II:  How to recognize the earthly territory of the kingdom of God.  GS