What kind of kingdom is the kingdom of God?
The kingdom of God is the one kingdom Scripture describes as literal, physical, political, and spiritual—not merely ethereal or invisible. Christ will set it up on earth when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords. It is the same kingdom as the kingdom of heaven, and participants need an inner spiritual relationship with God.
Les explains that all through Scripture there is only one kingdom, and it is the kingdom Christ will set up on earth when He returns to become King of kings and Lord of lords. Even in His earthly ministry, when He said the kingdom is within you, theologians twisted that statement out of shape. Literally, to become part of that literal, physical, political kingdom one day coming on earth, a person must have an inner spiritual relationship with God. That is what He meant when He told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again he cannot see” the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven will be the kingdom on earth; it is the same kingdom. John the Baptist’s message was that the kingdom of heaven was at hand because Jesus was just around the corner and is the essence of the kingdom. This kingdom is not a spiritual, ethereal, invisible kingdom only; it is spiritual, physical, political, and will come to fruition when Christ returns and sets it up on the earth.