"Thy kingdom come"

When Jesus, in Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2, used the phrase “Thy kingdom come,” He was speaking of the same kingdom that John the Baptist spoke of in Matthew 3:2 and that the Lord Himself mentioned in Mark 9:1. This is the same kingdom that was established on Pentecost in A.D. 30. However, is this phrase now outdated?

The reference to the kingdom or the church “coming” is past. However, we must realize that there still remains another kingdom for Christians. That is the eternal kingdom. Paul referenced this kingdom in 1 Corinthians 15:24. The earthly kingdom (the church) and the eternal kingdom are not identical kingdoms. The kingdom or the church is now a heavenly kingdom existing in an earthly context; it is an eternal kingdom intruding into time.

We can and I believe should pray for the coming of this kingdom, when the heavens and the earth will be burned up and the judgment of all mankind will take place (2 Peter 3:10). Peter said we should hasten, or truly and earnestly desire, this day to come to pass (2 Peter 3:12). It is only then that God’s people will know the true meaning, feeling, and purpose of His kingdom.

Kyle Campbell