Bible Study Course

LESSON 5

The Gospel
of the Kingdom
 LESSON 5

The Gospel
of the Kingdom
IF IT IS The word gospel is a widely recognized religious term—it’s common
to hear of people preaching “the gospel” or singing “gospel” music. If
NECESSARY TO
something is true, some even refer to it as being “the gospel truth.”
BELIEVE THE
But while the word has multiple meanings in the vernacular, what does the biblical word
GOSPEL, THEN
gospel actually mean?
IT IS ESSENTIAL
The common assumption is that “gospel” refers to the story of Jesus, focusing on His life
THAT WE as a human and what He did for mankind on the cross. Thus, gospel preachers preach
UNDERSTAND about Jesus and gospel musicians sing about Jesus.

WHAT THE But as you have been learning in this Bible study course, what is commonly believed is not
GOSPEL always exactly what the Bible teaches. Sometimes the full biblical teaching on a subject is
not correctly understood, even by churches and religious people. Sadly, this has occurred
ACTUALLY IS! with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to earth with a message—and that
message was called the gospel.

This is a very important topic to understand. Jesus Himself declared it one of the essential
calls to action of His message. He said people must “repent, and believe in the gospel”
(Mark 1:15). If it is necessary to believe the gospel, then it is essential that we understand
what the gospel actually is!

The gospel was Jesus’ message. But what was that message? Was it only a message about
Himself? Was it a message about health and wealth? Was it a message just for the first
century? Or was it a message that is just as important for our world today?

As we covered in our previous lesson, it is essential that we teach and understand the
truth about Jesus Christ the person. But it’s also vital that we teach and understand the
message He brought.

In this lesson, we’ll carefully examine what the Bible reveals about this important subject.

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 PART 1

What Is the Gospel?

THE TERM Where does the word gospel first appear?

“GOSPEL OF Matthew 4:23: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
THE KINGDOM” the ___________ of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease

WAS USED BY among the people.”

MATTHEW TO
Deeper insight
SUMMARIZE
The first time we see the word gospel used, Jesus is preaching it early in His public
THE MESSAGE ministry. The term gospel of the kingdom was used by Matthew to summarize the
message Jesus was proclaiming to the people.
JESUS WAS
PROCLAIMING
TO THE PEOPLE.
What does the word gospel mean?

Look up the meaning of gospel in Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
and answer the following questions:

What is the Greek word translated “gospel”?

Fill in the blanks from the first sentence of Vine’s definition of this word:

“Originally denoted a reward for __________________; later, the idea of reward dropped,
and the word stood for ‘the _________________’ itself. The Eng. word ‘gospel,’ i.e.
‘______________________,’ is the equivalent of _________________.”

So what is the basic meaning of the word gospel?

What is Jesus’ gospel message about?

Mark 1:14: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel
of the _____________ of _______.”

Matthew 4:23: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the gospel of the _____________, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of
disease among the people.”

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 3

 WHEN WE Matthew 9:35: “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, preaching the gospel of the _____________and healing every sickness and
READ ABOUT
every disease among the people.”
THE GOSPEL
(GOOD NEWS) Deeper insight
THAT JESUS When we read about the gospel (good news) that Jesus taught, it is most often
described as the good news of the Kingdom of God. Sadly, most churches that claim
TAUGHT, IT IS
to follow Christ today almost never mention the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
MOST OFTEN
As you continue through this lesson, you’ll learn more details about what exactly the
DESCRIBED Kingdom of God is.
AS THE GOOD
NEWS OF THE
KINGDOM Did those who preached after Jesus Christ went to heaven also teach the
gospel of the Kingdom of God?
OF GOD.
Acts 20:25: The apostle Paul said, “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I
have gone preaching the _____________ of God, will see my face no more.”

Acts 28:30-31: “Then ________ dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and
received all who came to him, preaching the _____________ of God and teaching the
things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”

Deeper insight
The leaders of the Church of God after Christ’s death and resurrection continued
preaching the same gospel Jesus preached—the gospel of the Kingdom. They also
taught the crucial truth about Jesus’ identity and role in God’s plan of salvation for
mankind.

This is without doubt an essential theme of the Bible. But the true gospel is focused
on the message of the Kingdom of God. The gospel of the Kingdom is not typically
taught in mainstream Christian churches.

How does Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection connect to the true
gospel?

Acts 8:12: “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the
_____________ of God and the name of ___________________, both men and women
were baptized.”

Acts 28:23: “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging,
to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the _____________ of God, persuading
them concerning ___________ from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from
morning till evening.”

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 4

 EVERYTHING Deeper insight
JESUS DID The above scriptures show us that the leaders of the early Church continued teaching
the same message about the Kingdom of God that Jesus taught. But alongside that,
AND TAUGHT they also powerfully taught about Jesus Christ.
POINTS TO
This included the many truths associated with understanding that Jesus was the
THE KINGDOM prophesied Messiah—that He was God in the flesh, that He lived a perfect life as an
example for us, that He died for our sins, that He rose from the dead, that He is now
OF GOD, AND
seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven and that He is going to return
EVERYTHING to earth.
ABOUT THE It is impossible to separate the truths associated with Jesus Christ from the
KINGDOM OF understanding of the Kingdom of God. Here are four reasons why:

GOD HINGES ON 1. You cannot be in the Kingdom of God without going through Jesus Christ and
having your sins forgiven through His sacrifice (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
ITS KING.
2. You can attain salvation—which ultimately means entering the Kingdom of
God—only through Christ’s resurrected life and His ongoing role as our High
Priest and Advocate in heaven (Romans 5:10; 8:34; 1 John 2:1; Hebrews 2:10).

3. You can only be in the Kingdom by imitating the way of life Jesus lived while on
earth (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 4:13).

4. Jesus Christ is the King of the coming Kingdom (Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 1:5;
19:16).

There’s no disconnect between Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Everything
Jesus did and taught points to the Kingdom of God, and everything about the
Kingdom of God hinges on its King. The true Church of God has always taught and
will always teach “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ” (Acts 8:12). That is why this Bible study course has developed full lessons on
each of these central Bible themes.

Does the Bible say anything about a false gospel being preached that is
not the same gospel that Jesus and the apostles taught?

2 Corinthians 11:4: “For if he who comes preaches _____________ Jesus whom we have
not preached, or if you receive a _____________ spirit which you have not received, or a
_____________ gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”

Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in
the grace of Christ, to a _____________ gospel, which is not another; but there are some
who trouble you and want to ____________ the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him
be ______________. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any
other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

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 MUCH OF THE Deeper insight
CHRISTIAN Paul, the author of Galatians, dealt with people in the first century who were
preaching a gospel that wasn’t the same one preached by Christ, the other apostles
WORLD
and Paul himself. He used the strongest possible language to address this—for
TEACHES emphasis repeating a curse on anyone who preached a “different gospel.”
A GOSPEL Sadly, much of the Christian world teaches a gospel limited to the person of Jesus
LIMITED TO Christ while ignoring the very message He came to earth to teach.

THE PERSON
OF JESUS
Was the message of the Kingdom of God proclaimed in the Old
CHRIST WHILE
Testament?
IGNORING THE Since space doesn’t allow us to cover what every Old Testament prophet wrote about the
VERY MESSAGE Kingdom of God, we have selected two of the Old Testament’s most prominent prophets:
Isaiah and Daniel.
HE TAUGHT.
The prophet Isaiah
God inspired the prophet Isaiah to write about the Kingdom of God approximately 700
years before Christ’s birth.

Read Isaiah 9:6-7 and answer the following questions about Isaiah’s
description of the Kingdom of God.

What does Isaiah say will be on Jesus Christ’s shoulder? (Note that Jesus the Messiah
is described here as “a Child,” “a Son,” “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “Mighty God,”
“Everlasting Father” and “Prince of Peace.”)

How long will the growth and peace under Christ’s rule last?

The prophet Daniel

God inspired the prophet Daniel to write about the Kingdom of God approximately 600
years before Christ’s birth.

Read Daniel 2:44 and answer the question below.

What will the Kingdom of God do with the human governments that preceded it?

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 PART 2

What Exactly Is the Kingdom of God?

THE KINGDOM Did Jesus clearly say that the Kingdom of God isn’t on earth now?

OF GOD IS THE John 18:36: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this _________. If My kingdom were of
FAMILY OF GOD. this _________, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but
now My kingdom is not from ________.’”

Matthew 6:10: “Your kingdom _________. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Deeper insight
The Kingdom of God does not currently rule the earth. Since the Kingdom of God is
the government of God, it currently resides in heaven—where God the Father and
Jesus Christ presently are and rule. That is why it is often called “the kingdom of
heaven” in the Gospels.

But the Kingdom of God is coming to earth. That is why in His model prayer Jesus
instructed us to pray, “Your kingdom come.”

It’s important to understand that the Kingdom of God has two major components:

1. Those who are in it. The Kingdom of God is the family of God. Currently, the
Kingdom is composed of God the Father and God the Son. Though the begotten
children of God on earth are not yet in the Kingdom, they are considered spiritual
citizens of that Kingdom and heirs to it (Philippians 3:20; Romans 8:17; Titus
3:7). When God’s people are given eternal spirit life—they will be in the Kingdom
of God in the fullest sense (1 Corinthians 15:50-51).

2. Those who are ruled over by it. Currently, the dominion of the Kingdom of God
is heaven—where the Father and Son are and exercise supreme authority.
When Jesus returns, the entire earth will come under His dominion. At that time,
the people on earth will be ruled by the authority of that Kingdom. They will
experience the blessings of its rule, but they will not be in the Kingdom until they
enter it themselves.

An analogy we could use to demonstrate this distinction is the United Kingdom

under the royal House of Windsor. The queen and her family have sovereignty over
the United Kingdom. As citizens of a monarchy, the people of the U.K. are under the
authority of the royal dynasty, but they are not in the dynasty. They are under the
queen’s dominion, but not heirs or inheritors of her throne.

When God’s Kingdom is established on earth, all people will likewise be under its
sovereign dominion, but unlike in a human kingdom, they will have the opportunity
to enter the ruling family and be in the family of God too!

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 THE KINGDOM Throughout this lesson, at times we will use the term Kingdom of God to refer to the
OF GOD WILL spirit-born family of God and other times as the time period when the earth and its
people are under the supreme sovereignty of the Kingdom.
RULE OVER
PHYSICAL
KINGDOMS,
Many people believe that the Kingdom of God is something a person
NATIONS AND believes in his or her heart. Others believe it is the Church. Still others
believe it is going to heaven to be with God. Where, according to the
PEOPLES HERE
Bible, will the Kingdom of God be established?
ON EARTH.
Jeremiah 23:5: “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will raise to David a
Branch of righteousness; a ________ shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and
righteousness in the _________.’”

Micah 1:3: “For behold, the LORD is ____________ out of His place; He will come down and
_________ on the high places of the _________.”

Zechariah 14:9: “And the LORD shall be King over all the _________. In that day it shall
be—‘The LORD is one,’ and His name one.”

Revelation 11:15: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in
heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this _________ have become the kingdoms of our Lord
and of His Christ, and He shall _________ forever and ever!’”

Deeper insight
The Kingdom of God will rule over physical kingdoms, nations and peoples here on
earth. The Kingdom of God is the government of God.

Because all the kingdoms of this world will be under God’s jurisdiction, it is obvious
that the Kingdom of God has not yet been established here on earth.

What city will Jesus return to and use as His capital here on earth?

Zechariah 14:3-4: “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights
in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of __________, which
faces ________________ on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from
east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north
and half of it toward the south.”

Joel 3:17: “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in ________ My holy
mountain. Then ________________ shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through
her again.”

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 8

 THE KINGDOM Deeper insight
OF GOD When Jesus returns to earth, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, a mountain
just outside the city of Jerusalem. From that mountain, He will begin His reign on
IS A REAL
earth. Jerusalem, also called Zion (Psalms 51:18; 102:21), will be the city where
GOVERNMENT Christ will dwell (Psalm 135:21). From there He will rule the nations—establishing
the Kingdom of God on earth (Isaiah 2:3-4).
THAT WILL BE
SOVEREIGN The Kingdom of God is a real government that will be sovereign over all nations of
the world.
OVER ALL
NATIONS OF
THE WORLD.
The Four Elements of a Kingdom
There are four elements required to have a kingdom: a king, territory, subjects and law.
Will all four of these exist in the Kingdom of God?

The following chart shows these four elements and a scripture or two that shows how each
will exist when the Kingdom of God rules this earth. Look up each scripture and briefly
describe what it reveals.

Element of How will this element be fulfilled in the

Scripture
a Kingdom Kingdom of God?

Revelation 11:15;
King
19:16

Law Isaiah 2:3

Zechariah 14:9;
Territory
Revelation 19:15

Isaiah 2:2;
Subjects
Daniel 7:14

TERMINOLOGY

The bottomless pit

A place of restraint where
Satan and the demons will be Does the Bible reveal a time frame for this first period of the rule of the
banished during the 1,000-year Kingdom of God on earth?
rule of Christ and the saints
on earth. During this period, Revelation 20:3: “And he cast him [Satan] into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,
they will be forbidden any
and set a seal on him, so that he should ____________ the nations no more till the
opportunity to influence or
deceive human beings. ______________ years were finished.”

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 THE KINGDOM Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first _________________.
Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
OF GOD
and shall reign with Him a ______________ years.”
WILL RULE
FOREVER. THE Deeper insight
MILLENNIUM After Jesus Christ returns, a period of 1,000 years will begin. This is often called “the
Millennium.” Revelation 20 gives us two major details about this 1,000-year period:
REPRESENTS
ONLY THE Satan will be restrained, and the earth will be ruled by Christ and His faithful
followers.
FIRST 1,000-
It is important to understand the distinction between the Millennium and the
YEAR PHASE Kingdom of God, because though they are connected, they are not synonymous. The
OF THAT RULE. Kingdom of God is the government led by Jesus Christ and composed of His family.
The Millennium is the period of time they rule uninterrupted by Satan and before the
next major events in God’s plan.

So does the Kingdom of God only last 1,000 years?

Psalm 45:6: “Your throne, O God, is ____________ and ever; a scepter of righteousness is
the scepter of Your kingdom.”

Isaiah 9:7: “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the
throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and
justice from that time forward, even ____________. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will
perform this.”

Daniel 7:18: “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom ____________, even ____________ and ever.”

Revelation 22:5: “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for
the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign ____________ and ever.”

Deeper insight
If you wrote out the missing words in the above scriptures, you wrote a single word
five times: forever.

Once established, the Kingdom of God will rule forever. The Millennium represents
only the first 1,000-year phase of that rule. The book of Revelation reveals the major
events that occur after the Millennium. See the appendix titled “The Major Eras of the
Kingdom of God After Jesus Christ Returns” at the end of this lesson for an overview
of events that occur after the Millennium.

Let’s now take a deeper look at how this world will change under the rule of the Kingdom
of God.

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 PART 3

The World Under God’s Kingdom

A WORLD LED Who will rule over the restored nation of Israel?

PERFECTLY Jeremiah 30:9: “But they [Israel] shall serve the LORD their God, and __________ their king,
BY THE GOD whom I will raise up for them.”

FAMILY WILL
PROSPER AND Who will rule over the individual tribes of the restored nation of Israel?
PRODUCE A Matthew 19:28: “So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration,
PERFECTLY when the Son of Man sits on the __________ of His glory, you who have _____________
PEACEFUL Me [Christ’s disciples] will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’”
UTOPIA.

Who will rule over the other nations of the earth?

Revelation 2:26: “And he who ________________, and keeps My works until the end, to
him I will give power over the ____________.”

Luke 19:17: “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a
very little, have authority over ten _________.’”

Deeper insight
The Kingdom of God will be a real government ruling over the earth. It will be well
organized and structured.

Jesus Christ will be the ultimate authority—He will be the King of Kings and will rule
the entire earth from Jerusalem (which will serve as world capital of His government).
Under Him, the resurrected King David will lead the restored nation of Israel as king.
Under David, the resurrected 12 apostles will govern over the individual tribes of
Israel.

The rest of the nations and local governments will be governed by the rest of God’s
faithful family. Those who respond to God in this life and are faithful to His ways
will rule the earth as kings and priests (Revelation 5:10). Some will be tasked with
governing cities, and some will rule entire nations.

The government of the family of God—led by Jesus Christ—will be perfect. It will rule
based on God’s law and exercise perfect judgment and justice. Spiritual character,
not political acumen, will be the primary qualification for authority in God’s
Kingdom. A world led perfectly by the God family will prosper and produce a perfectly
peaceful utopia.

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 AFTER JESUS What did the apostle Peter call the establishment of the Kingdom of God
on earth?
CHRIST
Acts 3:20-21: “. . . that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom
RETURNS, HE
heaven must receive until the times of _________________ of all things, which God has
WILL BEGIN
spoken by the mouth of all His holy ______________ since the world began.”
THE PROCESS
OF RESTORING Deeper insight
GOD’S After Jesus Christ returns, He will begin the process of restoring God’s government on
earth. The word restoration means returning something to a state that existed in the
GOVERNMENT past. This refers back to the time when God actively ruled this earth.
ON EARTH.
The book of Genesis describes the very beginning of human history. God created
Adam from the dust of the ground, and later He created Eve from Adam’s rib. For a
period of time, Adam and Eve were governed directly by God—to be more specific,
God the Word (the One who later came to earth as Jesus Christ).

This was a world without sin. Adam and Eve lived in an idyllic world that was perfect.
God referred to that world as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Under Christ’s direct rule in
the Garden of Eden, there was peace and blessings.

But that all changed after Adam and Eve willingly chose to eat the forbidden fruit at
the urging of Satan (who was disguised as a serpent). After sin entered humanity,
Adam and Eve were removed from the garden, and mankind as a whole went its own
way (Genesis 3:24). God’s government no longer actively governed the earth.

Today’s world is governed by the deadly combination of Satan’s influence and

human reasoning (Ephesians 2:2). That deadly combination has caused the world
we live in, with all its suffering, poverty, wars, violence, oppression and tragedy.

But Jesus Christ is returning to restore what was rejected in the garden—God’s
government. At the point when humanity will be on the brink of destroying itself
(Matthew 24:22), Christ will intervene to save this world. He will forcibly prevent
Satan from having influence for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-3).

With Jesus Christ actively governing the earth, God’s government will be restored.
This will begin the process of the “restoration of all things” that Peter described.
Obedience to Christ’s rule and law will transform the world in many ways.

As Peter also said in this scripture, this “restoration” was described in detail by many
The Minor Prophets of the Old Testament prophets. Let’s take a closer look at some of the Old Testament
A grouping of books in the Old prophecies of this future time of restoration.
Testament written by prophets
and containing prophetic
material. They are not called
“minor” because they are less
What are some of the details of the reign of the Kingdom of God found in
important, but because they
the Minor Prophets?
are shorter in length compared
to the prophetic books of Prophecies about what the world will be like under the Kingdom of God are scattered
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel throughout the Minor Prophets. Read the following scriptures and use them to answer the
(called the “Major Prophets”). questions about the world during the Millennium.

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 THE RULE Amos 9:13: What does this prophecy say about the agriculture under the rule of the
Kingdom of God?
OF GOD’S
GOVERNMENT

COMBINED WITH

THE WORLDWIDE
PRACTICE OF
Micah 4:4: What does this prophecy say about people’s lives under the rule of the
GOD’S LAW WILL Kingdom of God?
TRANSFORM THIS
WORLD FOR THE
BETTER IN MANY
WAYS.
Zephaniah 3:9: What does this prophecy say about language under the rule of the
Kingdom of God?

Zechariah 14:16: What does this prophecy say will be observed by all nations under the
rule of the Kingdom of God?

The above prophecies are just a sampling of many details that are revealed in the Bible’s
prophecies about what the rule of the Kingdom of God on earth will be like. The earth will
undergo a radical change. The rule of God’s government combined with the worldwide
practice of God’s law will transform this world for the better in many ways.
This positive change is one reason that Jesus Christ called the message of the Kingdom of
God the good news.

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 PART 4

When Will We Enter God’s Kingdom?

TO BE IN THE Some believe that the Kingdom of God is already on earth in one form or
another. But can flesh-and-blood human beings really be in the Kingdom
KINGDOM OF of God now?
GOD, A PERSON
1 Corinthians 15:50: “Now this I say, brethren, that _________ and ___________ cannot
MUST BE inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”
TRANSFORMED
John 3:5: “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
FROM PHYSICAL
the _________, he cannot _________ the kingdom of God.’”
FLESH TO
NONPHYSICAL Deeper insight
SPIRIT. Jesus Christ and Paul are emphatic: A flesh-and-blood human being cannot be in the
Kingdom of God.

To be in the Kingdom of God, a person must be transformed from physical flesh to

nonphysical spirit. Jesus called this being “born of the spirit”—which He defined very
clearly: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh [physical], and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit [nonphysical]” (John 3:6).

Paul used many terms in 1 Corinthians 15:40-54 to describe being “born of the
spirit”:

• A “celestial” body (or “heavenly” body, meaning a body from heaven or

like those in heaven).
• “Raised in power.”
• “Spiritual body.”
• “Bear the image of the heavenly Man.”
• “Raised incorruptible.”
• “Put on immortality.”

All these phrases describe the transformation of human beings from the human
level to the divine level of existence. In our next lesson, Lesson 6, we will explore this
important topic in greater depth.

When will God’s people be transformed to spirit and enter the Kingdom
of God?

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the ____________ of the Lord will by no means precede those who
are asleep [dead]. For the Lord Himself will _____________ from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the _________ in Christ will

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 14

 CONTRARY TO _______ first. Then we who are ________ and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to ________ the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with
WHAT MANY
the Lord.”
BELIEVE, THE
“DEAD IN Deeper insight
CHRIST” ARE God’s faithful people will be transformed to spirit and enter the Kingdom of God at
the return of Christ to earth. Contrary to what many believe, the “dead in Christ” are
NOT IN HEAVEN
not in heaven now, but are unconscious in their graves. They will be resurrected to
NOW, BUT ARE spirit life when Jesus returns to earth.
UNCONSCIOUS Those who are still living at that time will be “caught up” into the atmosphere to
IN THEIR meet Christ in the air. They will then follow Him as He descends onto the Mount of
Olives to begin His rule (Zechariah 14:4).
GRAVES.

What about scriptures like Luke 17:21 that seem to indicate the Kingdom
of God is in our hearts now?

Luke 17:20-21: “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say,
‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is __________ you.”

Matthew 6:33: “Seek _______ the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

Philippians 3:20: “For our _______________ is in heaven, from which we also eagerly
_______ for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Pharisees Deeper insight

A powerful religious sect
Some mistakenly read Christ’s statement to the Pharisees in Luke 17:21 and
in Judea that dominated
the synagogues and often
conclude that the Kingdom is something ethereal that exists in our hearts. But this
came into conflict with ignores the scores of scriptures (many of which are cited in this lesson) that show the
Jesus Christ because of their Kingdom of God is a literal government that is coming to earth and the fact that Jesus
rigid interpretations of Old was speaking directly to the Pharisees—a group He corrected constantly and who by
Testament law and their no means had the Kingdom of God in their hearts. They were about as far from the
traditions, which actually Kingdom of God as anyone who lived at that time (Matthew 23).
often contradicted the law’s
original intent. In order to understand this, we have to understand the Pharisees’ incorrect
understanding of the Kingdom. They were looking for the Messiah to come as a
national Jewish leader who would lead the Jews in a military revolt against Rome and
free Judea from Roman rule. They thought the Messiah would establish a physical
kingdom in their time. They didn’t understand that the Messiah would come twice—
first to die for the sins of man and second to establish the Kingdom of God on earth
(Hebrews 9:28).

The word translated “within” in Luke 17:21 is the Greek word entos, which can also
be translated “in the midst of.” Many translations translate it this way. Jesus was
referring to Himself—the King and representative of the Kingdom of God who was
standing and preaching right in front of them. He was in the midst of them and was
representing and preaching about the Kingdom—yet they didn’t recognize it.

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 15

 Though it is not what Jesus was speaking about in this statement, it is true that
Christians should have the Kingdom “in their hearts”—meaning that the Kingdom
should be their central hope and motivation. Christ said we are to “seek first the
Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33)—which means we are to make it our top priority.
We are to pray for it to come. We are also to be guided by its laws today.

Just as the rule of Jesus Christ and the law of God will be the central elements that
change the world in the Kingdom of God, so the rule of Christ and law of God are to
govern the lives of Christians today. Even though we aren’t in the Kingdom of God
now (because we are still flesh and blood), we are considered “citizens” of it. We
represent its King and laws today, on this earth, as “sojourners and pilgrims” (1
Peter 2:11).

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 16

 PART 5

How to Enter the Kingdom of God

THE GOSPEL OF Did Jesus reveal what a person needs to do to enter the Kingdom of God?

THE KINGDOM Mark 1:14-15: “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the
OF GOD MUST gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is

BE BELIEVED— at hand. ____________, and ____________ in the gospel.’”

AND THEN THAT

Deeper insight
BELIEF MUST In this statement, Jesus summarizes the two action steps we need to take in
TRANSFORM response to hearing the true gospel of the Kingdom of God.

OUR THINKING 1. Repent.

AND LIVES. Repentance is a constant theme of the Bible. It was preached not only by Jesus,
but also by the Old Testament prophets and the apostles (Jeremiah 25:5; Ezekiel
14:6; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38). In order to be in the Kingdom, we have to “repent
. . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).

Repentance means to recognize our sins, ask God’s forgiveness of those sins
and then turn from those sins and live a life of obedience to God’s laws.

After we repent of our sins, we seek to be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission [forgiveness] of sins” (Acts 2:38). After baptism, we commit to
a life of continual growth and repentance.

Of course, repentance and forgiveness of sin are only possible through

Jesus Christ. That is why the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom must be
accompanied with preaching about the King of that Kingdom, Jesus Christ of
Nazareth.

2. Believe the gospel.

The gospel of the Kingdom of God is not just something to understand
intellectually. It must be believed—and then that belief must transform our
thinking and lives.

As you read this lesson and go through this Bible study course, you are learning
about the true gospel and the many truths associated with it. We hope and pray
that it won’t be just an intellectual pursuit—but that you truly will believe these
truths in faith—and then translate that belief into how you live your life. Jesus
taught that belief in Him was only legitimate if it included obedience to the
things He said (Luke 6:46).

The apostle Paul lamented in Romans 10:16 that “not all obeyed the gospel.”
This underscores the essential truth that the gospel is not just something to be
intellectually believed—but has to be acted upon and obeyed.

We will cover the topics of repentance and belief in greater depth in Lesson 10.

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 17

 CHRISTIANS Is it necessary to obey God’s law to be in the Kingdom of God?

WHO ARE Matthew 19:16-17: “Now behold, one came and said to Him [Jesus], ‘Good Teacher,

SEEKING FIRST what good thing shall I _____ that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do

THE KINGDOM you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life,

IN THEIR LIVES _________ the ________________________.’”

WILL STRIVE TO Revelation 22:14: “Blessed are those who do His ________________________, that they
LIVE BY THAT may have the right to the tree of ______, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
KINGDOM’S
Deeper insight
LAWS IN THEIR
Jesus makes it clear that to enter into eternal life—which is another way of saying
LIVES TODAY. entrance into the Kingdom of God—one must obey the 10 Commandments. The
book of Revelation, which culminates in prophecies about the establishment of the
Kingdom on earth, reinforces the same truth: Those who will be in the Kingdom are
those who strive to obey God’s Commandments.

As we have already learned in this lesson, the Kingdom of God will be a real
government, which will include laws. The 10 Commandments will be the “law of the
land” in the Kingdom, and when they are obeyed on a global scale, they will result in
peace, prosperity and blessings for the entire earth.

Christians who are seeking first the Kingdom in their lives will strive to live by that
Kingdom’s laws in their lives today. They will consider themselves citizens and
ambassadors (representatives) of that Kingdom by obeying its laws today.

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 18

 PART 6

Preaching the Gospel Today

JESUS How did Isaiah describe those who would bring good news regarding
events that will occur when the Kingdom of God is established on earth?
PREACHED THE
Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings _________
GOSPEL OF
news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims
THE KINGDOM
______________, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
OF GOD AND
COMMANDED Deeper insight
THAT HIS In this prophetic passage, the feet (a poetic way of describing one’s behavior and
direction in life) of the messenger bringing the good news (gospel) are described
FAITHFUL as “beautiful.” Paul apparently had this passage in mind when he said of New
CHURCH Testament ministers: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of
peace” (Romans 10:15).
CONTINUE TO
PREACH THE Jesus preached the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and commanded that
His faithful Church continue to preach the same gospel.
SAME GOSPEL.

Did Jesus teach that this same gospel would continue to be preached by
His Church, even into the end times?

Mark 16:15: “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the _________ and ____________ the
gospel to every creature.’”

Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the ______________ will be preached in all the world
as a _____________ to all nations, and then the _______ will come.”

Deeper insight
There are very few today who preach the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus and the
first-century apostles proclaimed. But those who are faithfully following Christ will
support the preaching of the same gospel and will do all they can to make it available
to as wide an audience as possible.

Jesus said this effort would continue even into the times preceding “the end”—a
reference to the end of “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4) at the return of Jesus
Christ. In the end times, God’s people will be preaching the gospel of the Kingdom to
“all nations.” Modern media technology (mainly the Internet and the printed word)
allows the Church of God to literally reach all nations with the true gospel.

This prophecy is, in a sense, being fulfilled at this moment as you study this Bible
study course and learn what the Bible says about the true gospel.

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 19

 THE REALITY Should we expect many people to repent and believe the gospel?

IS THAT VERY John 6:44: “No one can __________ to Me unless the Father who sent Me __________ him;

FEW RESPOND and I will raise him up at the last day.”

TO THE TRUE Mark 4:11: “To you it has been given to know the ____________ of the kingdom of God;
GOSPEL NOW. but to those who are outside, all things come in parables.”

Matthew 7:14: “Because ___________ is the gate and ___________ is the way which leads
to life, and there are _______ who find it.”

Deeper insight
Though the gospel of the Kingdom is the most positive and amazing message
one can hear and believe, the reality is that very few respond to it now. The Bible
describes a calling, or drawing, that must take place in order for someone to truly
understand, believe and respond to the gospel. God specifically selects a small
number of people to be called in this age.

After Jesus’ 3½-year ministry, only 120 were gathered together when the Church
began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:15). By a great miracle, later that day 3,000
people were called and added to the Church (Acts 2:41). But that was a miraculous
anomaly. The Bible doesn’t reveal any other days when that many were called.
Throughout its history, the Church has always remained a relatively “little flock”
(Luke 12:32).

Why doesn’t everyone understand the true gospel today?

Read each scripture and answer the question.

Revelation 12:9 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4: What do these passages say Satan has done to
the “whole world”?

Romans 11:7-10: What does this passage reveal about the spiritual blindness of our
world?

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 20

 GOD HAS A Deeper insight
SYSTEMATIC What these scriptures show may be one of the most surprising truths found in
the Bible—and one of the least understood. God does not intend for everyone to
PLAN FOR
understand His truth now, in this age. He has intentionally allowed the majority of
SAVING humanity to be blinded. He is currently working with only the small number of people
He has specifically called.
MANKIND. HE
IS NOT TRYING But He is not doing this with the intent to condemn those who don’t understand
to an ever-burning hell. Romans 11:32 begins to unlock the key to why God is
TO SAVE THE doing this:
ENTIRE WORLD “For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”
RIGHT NOW.
God has a systematic plan for saving mankind. He is not trying to save the entire
world right now. He is calling a few now, but will work with the rest of humanity at
a later time—after the return of Jesus Christ. At that future time, the minds of those
who were blinded in this present age will be opened to an understanding of the true
gospel. We will cover this topic in more detail in Lesson 9.

By studying this course, you are gaining understanding of a subject that is a mystery to
most people. That puts extra responsibility on you not just to learn about these truths, but
to embrace and act on them.

Finished with Lesson Wrap-Up

this lesson?
This lesson has covered, through many scriptures, what the true gospel is. We have
Don’t forget to go back learned that Jesus Christ and the apostles taught the gospel, meaning good news, of
to [Link]/ the Kingdom of God. We have also seen that this message goes further back into Old
BibleStudyCourse and take Testament times.
the quiz so you can access
the next lesson! The message that God is building a kingdom that will one day come to this earth and
have dominion is truly good news—especially as we look at the current state of our world.
We are witnessing a world that is becoming ever more corrupt, violent, dangerous and
divided.

The Bible tells us it will get worse—so much worse that Jesus Christ will literally have to
intervene to save us from ourselves. After He does this, He will establish His rule on earth
and begin the process of fixing this broken world.

And that isn’t a process that will be started off in the distant future. He is starting that
process by fixing broken people today and preparing them to help Him fix the entire world.
He has been building, and still is building, His Church. The saints will be raised as the
children of God at Christ’s return. It is His family that will compose the Kingdom when it
rules the world in the future. Those people He is calling and working with are learning His
way of life now, so that they can teach it on a global scale when the Kingdom of God rules
the earth.

We pray that those enrolled in this Bible study course will respond to the gospel message
and commit their lives to the cause of the Kingdom of God. If you feel you are being called
to respond to the gospel message, then we urge you to take to heart the two actions steps
Jesus taught in Mark 1:15: Repent and believe the gospel. You will learn how to take these
steps in great detail in Lesson 10.

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 21

 If you wish to assist us in taking this gospel of the Kingdom to the world, your prayers
would be greatly appreciated. There is no charge for this Bible study course or for the
educational literature provided on the [Link] website. We operate based
on the principle found in Matthew 10:8: “Freely you have received, freely give.” If you
would like to join us in this effort to preach the true gospel to the world, we would love to
hear from you. Our contact information is available at the bottom of this page.

Now that we have covered what the gospel of the Kingdom is all about, the next lesson
will take a closer look at your personal part in it. In Lesson 6, we will dive deeper into what
the Bible says about the purpose for human life. God created you for a great purpose—a
purpose that you need to understand in order to fulfill.

Supplemental Reading
Life, Hope & Truth offers additional resources that can help you better understand
God’s inspired Word, the Holy Bible.

• The Mystery of the Kingdom  • Messiah’s Message: Repent 

• Change Your Life  • Messiah’s Message: Believe in
the Gospel 
• From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan
• Many Are Called, but Few
for You 
Are Chosen 
• God’s Purpose for You: Discovering Why
• The Last Enemy: What Really
You Were Born 
Happens After Death? 
• What Is the Kingdom of God? 
• 1,000 Years—the Millennium 
• What Is the Gospel of the Kingdom? 
• Born to Be a King 
• What Was Jesus’ Message? 

• Messiah’s Message: Gospel of the
Kingdom 

Life, Hope & Truth

Bible Study Course
Authors
David Treybig and Erik Jones
Doctrinal Reviewers
John Foster, Bruce Gore,
Peter Hawkins, Jack Hendren,
Don Henson, Doug Johnson,
Larry Neff, Harold Rhodes,
Paul Suckling
Media Operation Manager
Clyde Kilough
Editorial Reviewers
Mike Bennett, David Treybig
Copy Editor
Becky Bennett
Design
Teri Mez

© 2021 Church of God,

a Worldwide Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 3490
McKinney, TX 75070-8189
info@[Link]

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse Lesson 5: The Gospel of the Kingdom 22

 The Major Eras of the Kingdom of God
AFTER JESUS CHRIST RETURNS

1. The Millennium.

For 1,000 years, the Kingdom of God will rule over the physical enforced and Satan unable to influence anyone, the world will
earth. Those who survive the Great Tribulation (and those who be transformed from a smoldering wasteland to a beautiful
descend from them) will live under the rule of Jesus Christ paradise.
and His family. With the law of God in effect, perfect justice

2. The “little while” Satan is released.

After the end of the Millennium, God will allow Satan to choose Satan’s way. But this rebellion will be swiftly defeated
be released for a short time (Revelation 20:3). He will be (verses 7-9). After this rebellion, Satan and his demons will be
permitted to deceive again and will successfully convince restrained for eternity and will never again have any influence
a number of people to rebel against God. Even after living or freedom.
their whole lives under the Kingdom of God, some will still

3. The Great White Throne Judgment.

After this rebellion, we come to the era of the “great white be given physical life and offered God’s Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit
throne” (Revelation 20:11). This is when the “rest of the dead” will open understanding of God’s Word. The Book of Life will
(verse 5) will be resurrected to physical, mortal life. This will finally be opened to them (Revelation 20:12). The world built
include everyone who lived throughout human history who over the millennial period will be home to these people, and
wasn’t called by God. This will include billions upon billions they will have the ability to see the stark contrast between the
of people throughout all ages of human history. Ezekiel 37 world they lived in before and the world built under the rule of
describes this physical resurrection and how the people will Jesus Christ.

4. The destruction of the wicked.

The next event described is the resurrection of the incorrigibly lives. They will be resurrected, judged to condemnation and
wicked—those who knew God’s truth, but rejected it in their destroyed in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15; Malachi 4:3).

5. New heavens and new earth.

After the unrepentant are destroyed in the lake of fire, a new God the Father will then bring His holy throne to this new earth
phase of history will begin. All human beings will have been and reside with His family for eternity (verse 3). This is the
transformed from flesh to spirit and entered God’s family. ultimate fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. For eternity, all life
The physical elements will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10) and will be based on the three major spiritual characteristics of the
replaced by a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). Kingdom: righteousness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17).

[Link]/BibleStudyCourse