{"id":46125,"date":"2024-11-29T00:29:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T05:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=46125"},"modified":"2024-12-17T19:37:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T00:37:55","slug":"the-mystery-of-the-kingdom-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-mystery-of-the-kingdom-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery of the Kingdom of God","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is the Kingdom of God like?
\nTo what can I compare it?
\nIt is like a mustard seed that a man took
\nand planted in the garden.
\nWhen it was fully grown, it became a large bush
\nand\u00a0the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches. <\/span>
\n(Today’s Gospel<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nE<\/span>very day, we pray the words: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus would not have taught us to pray as such unless we were to expect the Kingdom yet to come. At the same time, the first words of Our Lord in His ministry were:<\/p>\n

\n

This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:15)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But then He speaks of future “end time” signs, saying:<\/p>\n

\n

…when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. (Luke 21:30-31).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So, which is it? Is the Kingdom here or yet to come? It is both. A seed does not explode into maturity overnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (Mark 4:28)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Reign of the Divine Will<\/h5>\n

Returning to the Our Father, Jesus is teaching us to pray essentially for the “Kingdom of the Divine Will”, when in us<\/em>, it will be done “on earth as it is Heaven.” Clearly, He is speaking of a coming \"\"<\/em>manifestation of the Kingdom of God in the temporal “on earth” \u2014 otherwise, He would simply have taught us to pray: “Thy Kingdom come” to bring time and history to its conclusion. Indeed, the Early Church Fathers, based on the testimony of St. John himself, spoke of a future Kingdom on earth<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014Tertullian (155\u2013240 A.D.), Nicene Church Father;\u00a0Adversus Marcion, Ante-Nicene Fathers<\/em>, Henrickson Publishers, 1995, Vol. 3, pp. 342-343)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To understand what the symbolic words a “thousand years” means, see\u00a0The Day of the Lord<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>The essential point here is that St. John wrote and spoke of the fulfillment of the Our Father:<\/p>\n

\n

A man among us named John, one of Christ\u2019s Apostles, received and foretold that the followers of Christ would dwell in Jerusalem for a thousand years, and that afterwards the universal and, in short, everlasting resurrection and judgment would take place.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014St. Justin Martyr,\u00a0Dialogue with Trypho, Ch. 81, The Fathers of the Church, Christian Heritage<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Unfortunately, early Jewish converts presumed a literal coming of Christ on earth to establish a political kingdom of sorts, replete with banquets and carnal festivities. This was quickly condemned as the heresy of millenarianism.[1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. Millenarianism – Wht It is, and is Not<\/a><\/span><\/span>