Luke’s Unique Perspective on Jerusalem’s Fall and the Kingdom of God (Part 3 of 4)

God’s Kingdom in the Future?

In response to Peter’s observation about following Christ at great personal sacrifice, the Lord said: “Truly I say to you that there is no one who has let go of house or wife or brothers or parents or children on account of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive abundantly more in this time and in the age that is coming life everlasting” (Luke 18:29-30).¹

A clear distinction is made here between two separate time periods: “in this time,” wherein commitments are made with respect to God’s kingdom, and “in the age that is coming.” This could apply to the time Jesus was physically present with his disciples in contrast to the subsequent Christian era. Even so, Jesus would later make a similar contrast between “this age” and “that age,” where the latter is equated with “the resurrection from the dead” when marriage and death are no longer relevant (Luke 20:34-36). How one’s life is lived in one age determines one’s circumstances in the other.

As Jesus passed through Jericho, “he spoke a parable, because he was nearing Jerusalem, and their thinking was the kingdom of God is about to appear immediately” (Luke 19:11). The parable is about a nobleman (apparently representing Jesus) going to a distant country “to receive for himself a kingdom and return” (v. 12). When the nobleman came back, “having received the kingdom” (v. 15a), those who refused to have him reign over them were punished, his negligent servant was judged, and his faithful servants were rewarded (vv. 15b-27). To what would the “return,” subsequent to having received the kingdom, be applicable? Possibilities might include Jesus’s return from the dead several days later, his coming in judgment against Jerusalem a few decades later, or his final return at the end of the age. The length of time between the nobleman’s departure and return is not indicated other than the implicit contrast with “immediately.”

In a related parable, a vineyard owner (apparently representing God the Father) “went into a far country for a long time” (Luke 20:9). The sending of servants (prophets) followed by the sending of his son, whom the wicked vinedressers killed (vv. 10-15), depicts what was about to happen a few days later when Jesus was put to death at the instigation of the chief priests and scribes to whom the parable was directed (v. 19).² The destruction of the vinedressers and giving the vineyard to others (v. 16) is in line with Luke 13:26-35 (cf. Matt. 21:31, 43) and points to the downfall of the old-covenant system of nationalistic Judaism, beginning at Jesus’s death on the cross (Luke 19:22; 7:25; 23:44-46)³ and culminating forty years later with catastrophic devastation at the hands of the Romans (cf. Luke 19:41-44; 21:5-32; 23:28-32). In the meantime, Luke’s sequel (Acts of the Apostles) continues the story from Christ’s resurrection and ascension to a few years prior to the Jewish–Roman War and Jerusalem’s fall.

Putting It All in Perspective

With reference to the βασιλεία (“sovereign rule” or “kingdom”) of God, the Synoptic Gospels provide the highest concentration in the NT of explicit teachings. Only in the Gospel of Luke is the verb βασιλεύω (“reign”) used in this regard (three times), while the noun βασιλεία occurs in this sense fifty-one times in Matthew, fifteen in Mark, and forty-one in Luke. The book of Acts, a continuation of Luke’s Gospel, has an additional seven occurrences, five of which are attributed to Paul, in whose writings the term is used a total of fourteen times. Elsewhere in the NT, five times in John’s Gospel, twice in Hebrews, once each in James and 2 Peter, and four in Revelation.

When Luke produced his second volume (Acts), he extended the Gospel story for another three decades, wherein the kingdom of God is further illuminated, providing a natural link to the rest of the NT. Following Christ’s death and resurrection and for several weeks prior to his ascension, having promised the apostles that this “kingdom” would be seen in their lifetime (Luke 9:27), he continued to remind them “of things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

On the Day of Pentecost, when the gospel was proclaimed in its fullness, including the enthronement and lordship of Christ, penitent baptized believers were forgiven of sins and added to the community of the saved (Acts 2:21-47). From this point onward the “church” [ἐκκλησία] Jesus had promised to build, and the “kingdom” [βασιλεία] he had repeatedly announced was at hand, are no longer spoken of prospectively. The church is present (Acts 5:11; 8:1, 3; 20:28) and the kingdom is present (Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31).⁴

The Acts narrative ends with the gospel having spread as far west as Rome, where Paul had informed the Christians there that Christ “reigns as Lord” [κυριεύω] and God’s kingdom is “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:9, 17). While in Rome, “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 18:23, 31), Paul continued his writing ministry, reminding readers that God the Father “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son .... and he is the head of the body, the church ...” (Col. 1:13, 18a).

The Paradox of God’s Eternal Kingdom

The βασιλεία of God, as revealed in scripture, is spoken of as now and not yet (Luke 18:30; 20:34-35), past (Matt. 25:34), present (Luke 6:20; 17:20-21; 18:16), future (Luke 9:27; 11:2; 13:29), and everlasting (Luke 1:33). The numerous messianic “kingdom” prophecies of the OT, all fulfilled in Jesus the Christ (cf. Luke 24:44-49), speak of “good news,” “salvation,” God’s “reign,” and the Davidic messianic “king.”⁵

The βασιλεία of God is virtually synonymous with salvation and everlasting life (note, e.g., Luke 2:30; 3:6; 13:23-29; 19:9-10). The saved (forgiven, redeemed, justified, sanctified) comprise the spiritual kingdom of God in whom he reigns through Christ as king. Receptive hearts, seeking God’s kingdom, understand and embrace his sovereign rule, whereas defiant and disobedient hearts do not. The unsaved, having rejected divine governance in their lives, are outside the kingdom of God (cf. Luke 8:10; 9:62; 12:31-34; 13:23-30; 19:42).⁶

At the second “coming” [παρουσία] of Christ, “then the end, when he delivers the kingdom to the God and Father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign until he has put all the enemies under his feet; the last enemy abolished is death” (1 Cor. 15:23-26). “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make secure your calling and choosing; for practicing these things you shall never at any time stumble, for in this way the entrance will be abundantly supplied to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:10-11).⁷

Conclusion

As we began this study, we observed an apparent discrepancy in the Gospel records. Jesus reportedly told his disciples that when they saw the signs about which he had just informed them, they would know Jerusalem’s destruction is “near” [ἐγγύς] (Matt. 24:33; Mark 13:29). Yet in Luke’s account, they would know the kingdom of God is “near” [ἐγγύς] (Luke 21:31). Considering the flexibility of the expression ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, with a range of nuances and various uses in the biblical record, harmonizing these Synoptic accounts ought to be less daunting. —To be continued.

--Kevin Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation. Being a follower of Christ requires a proprietorial detachment from earthly ties, while also causing division in families with resistant and adversarial family members (Luke 12:51-53; 21:16-17). At the same time, however, there is no justification for abandoning legitimate family responsibilities (cf. Matt. 19:6; Mark 10:9; 1 Cor. 7:10-11; 9:5; 1 Tim. 5:4, 8, 16).

     ² Luke 22:2-6, 52-54, 66-71; 23:1-5, 10, 13-25.

     ³ Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; Gal. 3:19-25; Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:14; Heb. 9:15-17.

     ⁴ See K. L. Moore, “Encountering Jesus in His Word,” Moore Perspective (26 March 2025), <Link>.

     ⁵ See, e.g., Isa. 2:1-5; 9:6; 33:17; 52:7; Jer. 23:5; 30:9; 31:31-34; 33:14-17; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-28; Dan. 2:44; 7:13-14, 18-27; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 4:1-5.

     ⁶ See also Matt. 13:11-12, 16; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; John 3:3, 5. The kingdom is where the king is, within and among the saved (Rom. 8:10-11; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:13-14, 27; 1 Pet. 3:15).

     ⁷ See also Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim. 6:13-16; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Heb. 4:1-11; 2 Pet. 3:14-18.

Related Posts: Luke's Perspective Part 1, Part 2

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Luke’s Unique Perspective on Jerusalem’s Fall and the Kingdom of God (Part 2 of 4)

A Time When God’s Kingdom Was Not Yet?

Luke 1:32-33 is a prophecy issued prior to Jesus’s conception and birth, affirming: “He will be great and will be called Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign [βασιλεύσει] over the house of Jacob unto the ages, and of his kingdom [kingly rule] there will be no end.”¹ In connection with Jesus’s incarnate earthly arrival, this prophecy speaks in the future tense of his regnal power as the Davidic messianic king whose rule lasts forever.²

Fairly early in his ministry, Jesus said to a crowd, “I say to you, among those born of women, none is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). John the baptizer was the final emissary of the old-covenant Jewish system (Luke 16:16), preparing the way for Christ’s new-covenant dispensation (Luke 1:17, 76; 3:2-6, 16-18) that is equated here with “the kingdom [reign] of God.”

Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, “your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). Here “divine rule” seems to be the primary sense of βασιλεία, in conjunction with the parallel petition, “your will be done upon earth as also in heaven” (Matt. 6:10b). The plea is for God’s sovereign reign to infiltrate, impact, and direct the lives of his human creation.

During the crucifixion, one of the criminals next to Jesus said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Despite having been spoken by a nonauthoritative source, it is intriguing (though not surprising) that this murderous convict knew about the Lord’s kingdom. For over three years the gospel of the kingdom had been broadcasted across the entire region, from Jerusalem throughout all Judea, all the district around the Jordan, Galilee, as far north as Syria, as far south as Idumea, as far east as the Decapolis, and other areas beyond the Jordan.³

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and a “secret” disciple of Jesus, “was waiting for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:51). Whatever understanding he may have had of God’s kingdom, from Joseph’s perspective it had not yet arrived.

God’s Kingdom Already Here?

The Lord’s Sermon on the Plain began with these words: “Blessed [are] the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). Those to whom and about whom Jesus spoke seem to have already been possessing (present tense) God’s kingdom. Once again, βασιλεία may be best understood here as “sovereign rule” governing lives, not of all the poor but of those following Christ and submitting to his direction, particularly “the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3).

In Luke 16:14-16, speaking to materialistic Pharisees, Jesus reminded them that “God knows your hearts” (v. 15), and “The law and the prophets were until John; from that [time] the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone forces into it” (v. 16). Reaffirming the preaching of God’s kingdom since the time of John the baptizer’s ministry,⁴ reference to “everyone” [πᾶς] is indicative of a hyperbolic statement. But using the verb βιάζω (occurring in the NT only twice, in different contexts, here and in Matt. 11:12) raises the question of whether it is to be understood negatively or positively.

This could refer to those who “inflict violence on,” viciously hindering God’s kingdom (like hostile Pharisees), or those who try to “force” a misconceived version of God’s kingdom (like fanatical Zealots). More likely, in a hyperbolically positive sense, everyone (incl. tax collectors and sinners) “fervently seeks” or “urgently accepts” or “passionately enters” the kingdom (sovereign rule) of God as preached by John, Jesus, and the disciples,⁵ albeit in troubling times (cf. Luke 8:42b; 12:1a).

On another occasion the Lord was asked by the Pharisees, “When is the kingdom of God coming?” He answered, “The kingdom is not coming with observation, nor will they say, ‘Look here or there.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is [presently] in your midst” (Luke 17:20-21).

The adverb ἐντός could convey the sense of “within” or “inside” (cf. Matt. 23:21-28), or “among you, in your midst ... either now or suddenly in the near future” (BDAG 340). In the current text, a double nuance is possible. The sense of “among” would seem more relevant when speaking to antagonistic Pharisees, whereas an inward manifestation makes sense when contrasted with what is outwardly observable. The point is to avoid envisioning the Lord’s kingdom as a physical, earthly-conceived entity. God’s sovereign reign must be internalized, ruling compliant hearts, represented in the very presence of Jesus himself. For those constrained by unwilling and defiant dispositions, these spiritual realities “are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).

In Luke’s recounting of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds cried out, “Blessed is the king [βασιλεύς], the one coming in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38). Apparently recognizing Jesus’s royal status as messianic king, they were collectively reciting Psalm 118:26, while adding the word “king” and fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 (cf. Matt. 21:5). This recognition may also be implied by the repeated acknowledgment of Jesus as the “Christ” (Messiah), “son of David.”⁶ Although most Pharisees adamantly rejected the claim, Jesus did not (Luke 19:39, 40; cf. 23:2-3). Mark’s account includes in the acclamation, “Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David ...” (Mark 11:10a).

Now, Not Yet, Soon to Be?

Jesus assured his immediate disciples, “but I truly say to you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste of death until they have seen the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). Neither in the past nor in the distant future, the divine kingdom of which Jesus spoke was to be realized within the lifetime of his first-century followers.⁷

Journeying toward Jerusalem and teaching in villages along the way, Jesus was asked, “Lord, are the ones being saved few?” (Luke 13:23). He responded, “Strive to enter through the narrow entrance, for I say to you, many will seek to enter and will not be able” (v. 24). Certain ones would be shut out (vv. 25-27), and certain ones would be cast out: “There will be weeping and gnashing of the teeth when you [all] see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you [all] are being cast out” (v. 28). Presumably speaking to (and about) the resistant and unreceptive,⁸ the verb ὁράω (“see”) seems to be used here in the sense of “perceive,” “envision,” or “conceptualize” (cf. 9:27; 10:24; 13:35; 17:20-22). The idiomatic expression “weeping and gnashing of teeth” describes intense anguish, regret, and despair due to the realization of being excluded from God’s kingdom.⁹

“And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). The imagery here is that of a banquet table, shared by those from all directions accepting the king’s gracious invitation (note the contrasting “you” and “they,” vv. 28-29).

In continuation of these teachings and illustrations, while reclining at the dinner table of a Pharisee leader, Jesus used the examples of a wedding feast and a banquet invitation, teaching lessons on humility and blessings “in the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14:7-14). Someone then commented, “Blessed is one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God” (v. 15). This prompted Jesus telling the story of a great feast, where those who dismissed the master’s invitation were left out and others were welcomed into his house (vv. 15-25).

All this parallels Luke 13:23-30, where many are rejected from God’s kingdom, while others recline therein. When Jesus later reclined at the last Passover meal with the twelve, preparing to institute the memorial “supper” of his impending death, he observed, “For I say to you, I will not eat this until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God .... I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that the kingdom of God has come” (Luke 22:14-18). In light of Luke 9:27, this was to happen in the not-too-distant future.¹⁰

Speaking to the same group of men, Jesus went on to say, “But you are the ones having remained with me in my trials; and I confer to you, as my Father conferred to me, a kingdom, so you may be eating and drinking at my table in my kingdom and be seated on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:28-30). These apostles went on to serve as authoritative leaders and teachers in the church [ἐκκλησία] that Jesus had promised to build, which was then recognized, in continuity of God’s covenant people, as the new Israel of God.¹¹

In the meantime, more “kingdom” language appears in Luke chap. 18. When the Lord’s disciples rebuked certain ones for bringing little children to him, he responded, “Allow the young children to come to me and do not forbid them, for of such is [presently] the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever may not receive the kingdom of God as a young child may not enter into it” (Luke 18:16-17).

Following his encounter with a wealthy young ruler, Jesus observed, “How difficult it is for those having riches to be entering into the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to enter a needle’s eye than a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24-25).

Conclusion

Beyond the simple fact of God’s kingdom and its portrayal in Luke as both present and in the future, not yet and soon to be, in our next post we will bring these concepts together, along with other aspects of kingdom theology. We still want to understand more clearly what is meant by Jesus’s recorded words in Luke 21:31, “when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² Cf. Isa. 9:6-7; Matt. 28:18; Acts 2:30-36; 1 Cor. 15:20-27. As an added commentary, the apostle John recorded the words of Jesus spoken to Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world .... but now my kingdom is not from here.... you say that I am a king; for this [reason] I have been born, and for this [reason] I have come into the world, that I may testify to the truth ...” (John 18:36-37).

     ³ Matt. 3:1-2, 5-6; 4:17, 23-25; Mark 3:7-8. See K. L. Moore, “Thief on the Cross,” Moore Perspective (8 August 2014) <Link>.

     ⁴ Note also Luke 3:3-6; 4:43; 8:1; 9:2, 11, 60; 10:9, and the parallel passages in other Gospels.

     ⁵ See BDAG 175. Alfred Plummer suggests that the adj. πᾶς in Luke 16:16 indicates that “the Jew has no longer any exclusive rights” (The Gospel According to S. Luke 389).

     ⁶ Luke 1:32-33, 69; 2:11, 26; 3:15-16; 9:20; 18:38-39; 23:2; 24:26, 46; cf. Acts 2:29-36.

     ⁷ See also Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 16:28; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1.

     ⁸ Luke 5:17, 21, 30; 6:2, 7; 7:30; 11:23, 29, 37-54; 12:1; 15:2; 16:14.

     ⁹ Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30.

     ¹⁰ See Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23-29.

     ¹¹ Matt. 16:16-19; Acts 2:1-43; Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6-8; Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:9-10. It may be of significance that the apostles initiated the preaching of the gospel and establishing the church within the circle of Judaism, and early on all twelve stood trial before the leaders of Israel yet the Lord's twelve apostles passed judgment on them (Acts 2:1–5:42).

Works Cited:

BDAG: Walter Bauer, F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2001.

Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to S. Luke ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1910.

Related Posts: Luke's Perspective Part 1, Part 3, Unshakable Kingdom 

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Luke’s Unique Perspective on Jerusalem’s Fall and the Kingdom of God (Part 1 of 4)

In the parallel accounts of Matt. 24:1–25:46, Mark 13:1-37, and Luke 21:5-36, Jesus predicted the desolation of Jerusalem’s temple and buildings approx. four decades prior to it occurring, while also answering questions about the sign of his coming and the end of the age <see previous post>. However, Luke’s report differs from the other two, adding to the confusion of what most would agree is already a complicated discussion.  

When compared to the Lord’s recorded words in Matthew and Mark, the arrangement of parallel statements in Luke seems misplaced (Luke 17:23-37; 18:8; 19:41-44). Also, according to Matthew and Mark’s reporting, the signs of which Jesus spoke are said to signal the imminence of Jerusalem’s fall (Matt. 24:33-34; Mark 13:29-30), whereas Luke quotes Jesus saying, “when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near” (Luke 21:31).¹

How do we account for these differences, and can they be harmonized? How is “near” to be understood in relation to “the kingdom of God”? How does the overall message and purpose of Luke’s Gospel shed light on his unique arrangement and wording? And how does all this fit into the broader context of kingdom theology? The main focus of our current study is how the term βασιλεία is employed in Luke’s writings with respect to ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, typically rendered in English, “the kingdom of God.”

Concerning Biblical Chronology

In view of the fact that Jesus almost certainly addressed the same topics on multiple occasions, the repetition of words in various written accounts does not automatically imply the same setting. Neither does any record of the same event provide comprehensive information or replicate every detail. Rather than contradict, the different versions of the Gospel story confirm, supplement, and complement one another.

Unlike modern-day westerners, biblical authors were not preoccupied with linear thinking, and they often arranged materials, under the guidance of God’s Spirit, thematically rather than chronologically. More than just historians and biographers, the Gospel writers were primarily evangelists and theologians, organizing their narratives with deliberate interest in certain aspects of what the Lord said, did, and experienced. Each author retells the story of Jesus from a unique perspective in ways relevant to and meaningful for a particular reading audience.

Word Analysis

The adverbial ἐγγύς (“near”) can be used in the sense of (a) closeness in spatial proximity (John 3:23; 6:19, 23); or (b) closeness in time (John 2:13; 6:4; 7:2).² This modifier occurs eight times in the Synoptic Gospels, both as a time reference (Matt. 26:18) and as a spatial reference (Luke 19:11). In its verbal form (ἐγγίζω), twice in Luke’s Gospel the kingdom of God is said to have “drawn near” in the spatial sense (Luke 10:9-10).

The most apparent meaning of ἐγγύς in the parallel accounts of Matt. 24:32-33, Mark 13:28-29, and Luke 21:30-31 is nearness in time with reference to the approach of summer and the destruction of Judaism’s capital city and temple. How, then, do “these things,” according to Luke’s record, point to the nearness of God’s kingdom?

The Kingdom of God Biblically Defined

The Greek noun βασιλεία, with reference to “the act of ruling” in the abstract sense, essentially means “kingship, royal power, royal rule,” and particularly in the NT, “the royal reign of God.” A secondary meaning is “kingdom” in the concrete sense of the “territory ruled by a king” (BDAG 168-69).

Although the words of Jesus have been preserved in Greek translation, he originally conversed in Aramaic with fellow-Aramaic speaking Jews, and his teachings were grounded in the Hebrew scriptures, mainly directed to those familiar with these sacred writings. How would he and his listeners have understood the term rendered βασιλεία in Greek and “kingdom” in our English Bibles?

The Aramaic malkû [מַלְכוּ] corresponds to the Hebrew malkûth [מַלְכוּת], translated βασιλεία in the LXX, meaning “kingship, royalty ... sovereignty over ... kingship over” (BDBG 574). German theologian Gustaf Dalman, who pioneered the study of biblical Aramaic, along with ancient Near Eastern culture and Jewish literature, concluded: “No doubt can be entertained that both in the Old Testament and in Jewish literature מַלְכוּת, when applied to God, means always the ‘kingly rule,’ never ‘the kingdom,’ as if it were meant to suggest the territory governed by Him.... not a body politic in our sense, a people or land under some form of constitution but merely a ‘sovereignty’ which embraces a particular territory” (Words of Jesus 94).

At the same time, however, even though Jesus did explain and clarify OT teachings with divine insight, he extended his new-covenant message beyond old-covenant concepts. With the fundamental idea of “sovereign rule” as its core meaning, the expression’s frequent use in the NT, particularly in the teachings of Christ, is too broad and flexible to fit neatly into a single semantic box. There are a number of βασιλεία passages where the expanded sense of “kingdom” is also appropriate and applicable.

The scriptures clearly affirm the sovereignty of God and the universal realm of his reign,³ although the history of the world is replete with defiant humans rejecting his rule in their lives. Biblical allusions to divine governance, therefore, are often meant in the more limited sense of the sphere in which God’s dominion is accepted, acknowledged, and lived out in the lives of those submitting to his will, collectively comprising his spiritual kingdom as obedient subjects.

In this broader sense, the βασιλεία of God is both internal and experiential. The Lord can speak of those who are in God’s βασιλεία (Luke 7:28; 13:24-29; 14:15-25; 18:16-25) and God’s βασιλεία in them (Luke 13:20-21; 17:20-21). Conversely, there are those excluded from the sphere of God’s reign (Luke 13:24-28), seeing that inwardly they are void of his governing control (Matt 23:21-28).

Since a king represents and exemplifies the kingdom over which he rules,⁴ Jesus’s royal status of messianic kingship, acknowledged before and during his earthly ministry,⁵ embodies God’s kingdom and sovereign reign. When he sent out dozens of disciples to preach in communities where he himself was about to go, they were to announce, “the kingdom of God has drawn near to you ... the kingdom of God has drawn near” (Luke 10:9, 11). As noted above, the modifier “near” can mean closeness in spatial proximity or closeness in time. Jesus, representing and personifying the kingdom of God, was nearby geographically, while his arrival in these communities was close in time. He could also say, “the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20), and “the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Luke 17:20-21).

The Fact of God’s Kingdom in Luke

Proclaiming the good news of “the kingdom of God” was a major thrust of Jesus’s public ministry (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11). He also trained and sent out faithful disciples “to proclaim the kingdom of God ...” (Luke 9:2, 60; 10:9).

Because of their receptive hearts and openness to spiritual teachings, loyal followers of Jesus were afforded the opportunity “to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God ...” (Luke 8:10a), i.e., the deeper spiritual truths once hidden but now revealed.⁶ Conversely, the uncommitted, closed-minded, and worldly-driven ones are not only incapable of comprehending God’s kingdom but are unprepared for it (Luke 8:10b; 9:62; cf. 12:1-2).

Instead of striving for the material things of this physical world, Jesus instructed his followers: “But seek his kingdom ... for your Father has taken pleasure to give you the kingdom .... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:31-34). The sovereign rule of God is actualized both inwardly and outwardly.

In the course of Christ’s itinerant ministry, while teaching in a synagogue, twice he rhetorically asked, “To what is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?” He then likened God’s kingdom to a mustard seed, something planted that starts out small but grows big, and to a leavening agent, something that permeates, transforms, and spreads (Luke 13:18-21), with both internal and external effects.

Conclusion

In the next post we will consider passages in Luke’s Gospel where God’s kingdom is spoken of as not yet, soon to be, and already here. Instead of conflicting, however, these texts collectively demonstrate the different ways God’s βασιλεία is conceptualized, with varying nuances and emphases that reveal a rich and multifaceted kingdom theology.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ² See BDAG 271. Another option, closely related to the first, is the concept of spiritual or relational closeness (Rom. 10:8; Eph. 2:13, 17). The verb form ἐγγίζω (“draw near”) is employed eighteen times in Luke’s Gospel, mostly as a distance marker (7:12; 10:9, 11; 12:33; 15:1, 25; 18:35, 40; 19:29, 37, 41; 22:47; 24:15, 28), but also in relation to time (21:8, 20, 28; 22:1).

     ³ 1 Chron. 29:11-12; 2 Chron. 20:6; Psa. 10:16; 22:28; 29:10; 45:6; 93:1-2; 103:19; 145:1-13; Jer. 10:10; Lam. 5:19; Dan. 4:3; Acts 17:24-25; Rev. 4:11.

     ⁴ See esp. Dan. 2:37-45; 8:20-21; cf. also Num. 24:7; 1 Sam. 24:20; 2 Sam. 5:12; 1 Kings 2:46; 1 Chron. 14:2

     ⁵ Luke 1:32-33; 19:38-40; 23:2-3; cf. Matt. 2:1-6; 21:4-5; Mark 11:9-10.

     ⁶ See Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7; 4:1; Eph. 1:9; 3:3-9; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:24-28; 2:2; 4:3-4; 1 Tim. 3:9, 16.

Works Cited:

BDAG: Walter Bauer, F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2001.

BDBG: Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, The New Brown–Driver–Briggs–Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. Lafayette, IN: Associated Publishers, 1980.

Gustaf Dalman, The words of Jesus considered in the light of post-Biblical Jewish writings and the Aramaic language, trans. D. M. Kay. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1902.

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