According to the King James Version of the Bible, the concept of a “kingdom” is found in no less than 316 verses. Within these verses the Bible uses six basic terms for a kingdom:
- A kingdom of priests [Exo. 19:6].
- Kingdoms of men [Dan. 4:25].
- Earthly kingdoms ruled by a human leader [examples include the kingdom of Israel (1 Sam. 24:20), the kingdoms of the Amorites and Bashan (Num. 32:33), the Queen of Sheba (1 Ki. 14:4), the kingdoms of Babylon and Greece (Dan. 4:29, 11:2)].
- The kingdom of Satan (Matt. 12:26; Lk. 11:18).
- New Jerusalem, the city that comes down from the kingdom of Heaven (Rev. chapters 5-22).
- The kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven as an inner spiritual environment that resides within the soul (Lk. 17:20-21).
In contrast to the concept of earthly kingdoms, a spiritual kingdom was the central theme of Jesus’ teachings. This spiritual concept is referenced over 100 times throughout the New Testament books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
A cursory reading of the four Gospels mentioned above will reveal that one of the primary purposes of Jesus’ existence on earth was to introduce a deeper level of knowledge and understanding regarding the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God. Jesus introduced this spiritual kingdom as an environment that resides within the soul where every human being can experience full and unhindered access to the Spirit of God as their Creator, Spiritual Father, Counselor, and Instructor. This inner spiritual kingdom is what Jesus experienced as a human being.
“And I appoint a kingdom to you, as My Father has appointed to Me” (Luke 22:29).
THE KINGDOM OF GOD DEFINED
Most people are more familiar with the concept of a kingdom as an outward environment. Many dictionaries define these visible earthly environments or governments as “a country, state, or territory that is governed or ruled by a king, queen, or other forms of leadership.”
The word “kingdom” that Jesus constantly used during His earthly ministry is traditionally known from a Greek perspective as the word basileia. According to Strong’s Concordance, it’s defined as “a realm or an environment.”
The Hebrew counterpart of basileia is the word mamlakah. From its ancient Hebraic perspective, mamlakah describes a Divine, inner-learning environment where one experiences God in the most intimate level possible. The foundational root word of mamlakh is melak, which is described as “a king that we are to take counsel from.”
The term “kingdom of God” as it relates to the realm of God’s existence within, which Jesus was referring to in Luke 17:20-21, was known in ancient times as the Bet Hammelekh (House of Counsel), which is defined as “a house, or temple of a King that is within.” Bet is Hebrew for “house.” Hammelekh is described as “intelligence and counsel that comes from a King within.”
Much of Jesus’ teachings have been integrated into our culture in a way that many people suppose they are familiar with, and have nothing more to gain from studying them. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
One of the biggest mistakes the people made when Jesus originally introduced the kingdom of God is still being made today. We tend to limit the kingdom of God by thinking of it as an external world government or a religious, ecclesiastical system. An in-depth study of the kingdom of God reveals that Jesus was primarily teaching about a God-consciousness experienced through a learning environment that resides within the soul of every human being.
When Jesus responded to the question from the Pharisees about when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ Or ‘See there!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21). The first part of Jesus’ answer has been fairly easy to understand. Misunderstanding regarding the latter part, however, has given many an incomplete picture of the kingdom of God that Jesus was referring to.
It is important to note that numerous modern translations of the Bible quote Luke 17:20 as, “the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Many have interpreted this to mean that Jesus was referring to a governmental system in the physical world. This theory couldn’t be further from the truth. First of all, Jesus clearly stated that the kingdom of God does not come with external observation; secondly, numerous ancient Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic scripts of the New Testament clearly indicate that the statement “within you” is the accurate term originally used. The significance and impact of this divine truth are found when defining the word “within” that Jesus used in this crucial monumental verse.
THE WORD “WITHIN” AND THE “ENGRAFTED WORD” THAT IS ALREADY INHERENTLY “WITHIN” YOU
The key to understanding the vital importance of the kingdom of God as an inner-learning environment is found in the word “within” that Jesus used. An in-depth search from its Greek perspective in the New Testament reveals that the word “within” is the term engrapho entos. The word engrapho is defined as “what is written,” and the word entos is defined as “inside.” In other words, to experience the kingdom of God is to experience a process in which something is either already written or is being written inside of you.
It is to experience the full essence of the covenant that God has with every human being. Because He created you for His purposes, it is He who must teach you regarding these purposes for every aspect of your life.
The word “Laws” in these verses, according to ancient Hebrew perspective, is the word Torah, which is defined as “teachings.” It describes the purpose of these type of teachings as “the direction and instruction that one is to take in life.” From the ancient Hebrew perspective, to experience the engrapho entos that is “within” you is to experience the ongoing narrative and teachings directly from the Spirit of God within you according to the details of the book God has authored on your life.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My Laws into their inward parts, and in their minds, I will write them” (Heb. 10:16; Jer. 31:33).
We see this reality documented in Scripture in Psalms 139: 16-17, which states:
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!”
From its ancient Hebrew perspective, the word “book” in this supreme passage of Scripture is the term sepher-siphrah. Siphrah is defined as “the act of writing based off an account that is given.” Sepher is the book or document that is produced from that writing.
James 1: 21-11 refers to this as experiencing the “engrafted word” that is able to “save our souls;” of which we are commanded to be “doers” of this word and not just “hearers” of it.
Experiencing this “engrafted word” directly from the Spirit of God within your soul is the same experience that Romans 12: 1-2 is referring to that causes you to “ be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” for your life.
Many Christian religions teach that the Bible is the primary resource that one should use to renew the mind. Though there is of course great value in this practice, the Bible does not contain the specifics for your daily life. The “good and acceptable and perfect will of God” type of details for every aspect of your life can only be found in the mouth of God. This is a process that can only be experienced as we access the kingdom of God that resides within our soul through meditation to be personally indoctrinated by God concerning what His “good, acceptable and perfect will” is for our individual lives [See Deut. 32:1-3; Prov. 4:2; Ps. 139:16-17; Jn. 7:16].
The awesome privilege of getting the transcriptions of your God-authored book – which contains the will of God as you hear from Him daily – must not be taken lightly. It is the most accurate information that you can receive from God Himself as it pertains to the mandate to continually “renew your mind” with all of the knowledge that He has for your life.
This process is required to get to the stage where the perfect (mature and complete) will of God is revealed to you, which contains the works God has preordained for your life (Eph. 2:10). This process also protects you, as it will expose any contaminating worldly and limiting religious influences that may be keeping you from knowing and fulfilling God’s will and assignments for your life.
As previously mentioned in prior posts, Jesus Himself had such a book on His life: “Then I said, behold, I come in the volume of the Book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). This is a crucial point that cannot be stressed enough. When Jesus was in prayer, He was experiencing a “reading” from the Spirit of God
This was the experience that empowered Jesus to acquire a level of knowledge and vision that caused Him to live out (and likewise empowers us to live out) these key statements: “As I hear My Father speak, I speak,” “As I see My Father do, I do likewise,” and “Then I said, behold, I come in the volume of the Book it is written of Me to do Your will, O God.” (See Jn. 5:19, 8:28, 12:49-50, 14:10; Heb. 10:5-7)
These details according to the volume of the book that was written about Him became scripture (the script) for His life. They were not found in the Bible, yet they led Jesus to fulfill what the written word (the Bible) prophesied about Him.
Much more content regarding the book that God has authored for your individual life (the engrafted word), and how to experience this life-changing experience can be found in my book -The Mystery of Prayer Revealed – chapter eight “The Logos Book for your life” and in my book – The Mystery of the Kingdom of God Revealed – chapter three “Jesus’ Education and Maturing Process” and chapter nine “Logos and Rhema.”
How does God fulfill His covenantal promises of Hebrews 10:16 and Jeremiah 31:33 of putting His “Laws” (teachings) and “writing them within the inward parts of your heart and mind?” And how do you acquire these “vast sums of thoughts” that are recorded in a book that only God has access to according to Psalms 139:16-17? The only way to experience such a life-changing phenomenon and Divine education is by hearing from Him personally within His kingdom that He has inherently placed within your soul.
Fundamentally, meditation is the silent forerunner that introduces God’s consciousness and teaching into our lives
Meditation is what positions your body to function as an educative temple of God, your soul into the classroom of God and your spirit as a student of God.
PREACHING VERSUS TRUE TEACHING
To preach something is to announce that something is available to experience. Today, countless ministers are preaching about the kingdom of God. But we need
Often times, many ministers will say, “this is one of the most misunderstood verses in the entire Bible.” But when it comes to Jesus’ instruction to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” the claim is true. As Jesus made unambiguously clear, we can experience this inner treasure – and no experience could be more valuable. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” He declared, “and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). “For behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21).
The foundational purpose that God inspired me to write the book “The Mystery of the Kingdom of God Revealed” is to look at what could be perhaps the most misunderstood and misapplied, and thus most neglected, understanding of the term “kingdom of God.” Jesus was referring to an inner-kingdom found within the human being. It is a kingdom that cannot be observed or experienced on the outside, but only within the soul.
Consider every great religious, spiritual, and wisdom tradition, and you will find the same precept – that life’s ultimate truth, its ultimate treasure, lies within us. From this inner plane of life, Jesus is saying; we will gain all that is needful for every aspect of our lives.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post as we took A DEEPER LOOK into these important biblical topics.
If this post blessed you, please consider sharing it with others so that they can be blessed by it as well. I sincerely thank you and greatly appreciate it!
Warmly,
Julio Alvarado Jr.
