The Kingdom of God

Already, and Not Yet

Is the Kingdom of God here now, or still to come? Jesus answered: both. It does not arrive with spectacle, he said; ‘the kingdom of God is within you.’ In him it had already broken in, healing, forgiving, gathering. And yet he taught his people to keep praying ‘thy kingdom come,’ looking for the day God wipes away every tear and makes all things new. Already, and not yet.

What Jesus said

A reflection

This holds two truths that keep us honest. The Kingdom is already here, wherever God reigns in a forgiven heart, a healed body, a mercy shown, a hunger fed. Jesus brought it near; it is real now, quietly, ‘within you’ and among his people. So we do not wait around as if nothing has happened.

And yet it is not yet complete. There is still sorrow, still death, still injustice. So we also lean forward, praying ‘thy kingdom come,’ toward the promised day when God himself dwells with us and wipes away every tear. To live between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’ is to live with both deep peace and bright hope.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Kingdom of God here now or in the future?

Jesus taught both. He announced it had come near in him, 'the kingdom of God is at hand' (Mark 1:15), and said 'the kingdom of God is within you' (Luke 17:21), yet also taught his people to pray 'thy kingdom come' and to await its fullness. Christians call this 'already and not yet.'

What did Jesus mean, 'the kingdom of God is within you'?

In Luke 17:20-21 Jesus said the Kingdom does not come with outward spectacle but is already present, 'within you' or in your midst, breaking in through his own presence and work. It is a reign of God in and among people, not a political display.

What is the future hope of the Kingdom?

Scripture looks to the day God makes all things new, when 'God shall wipe away all tears... and there shall be no more death' (Revelation 21:4). The Kingdom now present in part will then be complete, and God will dwell fully with his people.