Describe what is meant by the phrase: “the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Question:

Describe what is meant by the phrase: “the kingdom of God is at hand.”

Answer:

The topic of the Kingdom of God is a complex and multifaceted one. It is spoken of by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2 when he says “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” And Jesus continues this preaching when He synonymously proclaims in Mark 1:15 ‘”The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”’. Notice the reference term for the Kingdom of God as “the good news”, which is the Gospel. This central message is carried throughout much of Jesus’ teachings and is arguably the single most paramount element of His public proclamations. The term “kingdom” appears 50 times in Matthew, 14 times in Mark, 39 times in Luke, and 5 times in John  –  it is definitively central to the Gospel.

Some have presented, the Kingdom as purely religious and purely future state (not present today in any way (Weiss). Some stated that Jesus expected the Kingdom to come during His ministry as it would arrive prior to the twelve returning from their mission and would mark the end of the present age (Schweitzer). However, as time progressed (at the middle of this century), this polarized understanding was blurred. Some began to acknowledge that Jesus made no error but still held that the Kingdom was too grand to miss  –  that is, it was so majestic that it couldn’t be something that is happening presently. Several …