THE EVER ELUSIVE KINGDOM OF GOD.

 The term “The kingdom of God” is found in all 3 Abrahamic religions, e.g. Judaism, Christianity, and in Islam.

"The Hebrew word Malkuth refers first to a reign, dominion, or rule and only secondarily to the realm over which a reign is exercised.  When Malkuth is used of God, it almost always refers to his authority or to his rule as the heavenly King." In the Hindu and Buddhist traditions the term, “The kingdom of God is not recognized in the same way as in the Abrahamic religions.

As a Mystic, I lean towards the Mystical interpretation of the term “The Kingdom of God” and endeavor to understand it much more in the esoteric (Inner) than the exoteric (Religious) context.

In other words, I do not want to use it in the religious and theological sense, but much more in the personal and mystical context. According to the  New Thought movement, when a mystical idea is given a literal interpretation, the meaning is lost. The literal interpretation is confused and fraught with contradictions. This has been the ease with the Kingdom of God idea. If we are to understand what Jesus was really trying to convey, we must be willing to put aside our present views and consider other possibilities.

Coming from the Christian tradition the term and according to Christanity.com it could mean one of three things:

1. The rule of Jesus Christ on earth and in heaven.

2. The blessing and advantages flow from living under Christ's rule.

3. The subjects of this kingdom, or the Church.

Some Christians may even think of the term “The Kingdom of God” as heaven. It differs from one theological perspective to the other.

“When a mystical idea is given a literal interpretation, the meaning is lost”

The Kingdom of God is a mystical idea, more than a physical place that we go to when we die or the rule of Jesus (The Christ). By the way, Jesus`s name was not Jesus Christ but Yeshayahu- Bar-Joseph (Jesus Son of Joseph). Christ means Mashiach (Anointed) so it speaks rather of a vocation or title than a surname.

The Indian Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda explains the Kingdom of God in the following manner “Jesus addresses man as the perennial seeker of permanent happiness and freedom from all suffering: "The kingdom of God—of eternal, immutable, ever-newly blissful Cosmic Consciousness—is within you. Behold your soul as a reflection of the immortal Spirit, and you will find your Self encompassing the infinite empire of God-love, God-wisdom, God-bliss existing in every particle of vibratory creation and in the vibrationless Transcendental Absolute." –

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The theologian John Dominic Crossan, made this interesting point:

“My point, once again, is not that those ancient people told literal stories and we are now smart enough to take them symbolically, but that they told them symbolically and we are now dumb enough to take them literally.”

― John Dominic Crossan, Who Is Jesus? Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus

We need to interpret the Bible symbolically, allegorically, and metaphorically. The literal interpretation is confused and fraught with contradictions.

The Jews of Jesus`s time were oppressed by the Romans, and Salvation in that context simply implied that Jesus would save them from their predicament and oppression. Hence the question asked in Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were seeking a  Kingdom where Jesus reigned in the same way as King David did and the subjects of the kingdom would be free from Roman oppression.

 

The Church spiritualized the kingdom.

The Church spiritualized this idea but for some reason, they still expect the literal “Kingdom of God” to come here on earth like some “feudal” system where Christ will come and sit on a throne and they (the church) will reign over the rest of the world forever and ever.

In this blog post, I want to go back to the original idea of the kingdom of God, as it was understood in ancient eastern thought.

The Mystical Kingdom of God

Tich Knat Hahn had an interesting perspective “Nirvana isn’t merchandise for sale. Any religion can sell a paradise, a pure land, or nirvāṇa. But is nirvāṇa a product that the Buddha and ancestral teachers want to sell us? Is it a promised land or paradise up in the sky, which people try to sell us saying: “If you follow our religion if you become a member of our congregation, then after you die you will have nirvāṇa or the Kingdom of Heaven”? We can see clearly that it is not.”

― Thich Nhat Hanh, Enjoying the Ultimate: Commentary on the Nirvana Chapter of the Chinese Dharmapada.

And this ties in with the ideas that Jesus himself held about the kingdom of God.

In the Gospel of Thomas, translated by Thomas O Lambden the idea of an inner kingdom is beautifully brought forth.

These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas

Thomas wrote down.

(1) And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

(2) Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds it, he will

become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished and rule over the All."

(3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."

 

Jesus also said in the scriptures

Literal Standard Version

nor will they say, Behold, here; or, Behold, there; for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Even before Jesus in the Egyptian book of the dead, we see the same idea.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within You, and whosoever shall know himself shall find it.” ~ Ancient Egyptian Proverb.

The key to entry into the Kingdom of God.

~Know thyself ~

From the ancient times this aphorism holds true value for the spiritual seeker.

According to Wikipedia -  The Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" (Greek: γνῶθι σεαυτόν, transliterated: gnōthi seauton; also ... σαυτόν … sauton with the ε contracted) is the first of three Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi according to the Greek writer Pausanias (10.24.1).[1] The two maxims that follow "know thyself" were "nothing to excess" and "certainty brings insanity".[2] In Latin the phrase, "know thyself", is given as nosce te ipsum[3] or temet nosce.[4]

The maxim, or aphorism, "know thyself" has had a variety of meanings attributed to it in literature, and over time, as in early ancient Greek the phrase means "know thy measure".[5]

The blog Philosophy of brains has the idea of knowing thyself coms forth as knowing one’s own character “Presumably, it means to know, first and foremost, one’s own character and it is important because only by knowing one’s character can one be aware of one’s limitations and avoid likening oneself to the gods. But, more simply, it is only by knowing one’s character that one can try and improve from a moral point of view, or make the right decisions in one’s life”

This speaks of a process of inner transformation.

It starts by going within through the practice of meditating or contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition and embarking on a journey to discover your own authentic  true self. In this process, you deal with the shadow through a practice called shadow work and transform the old man (consciousness) into a new man (consciousness).

Through this process, you can let go of that which no longer serves you.

 

Conclusion.

The ever elusive “Kingdom of God” is not a place or an event in the future, it is a journey into your inner self, a discovery of who you truly are, a transformative process of working through your own demons (Shadows) and a renewing of your old, unempowered consciousness into an empowered ( God ) consciousness that will enable you to live your best life now.

This kingdom is already within you and you are invited to seek it first…..

Matt 6:33 Weymouth New Testament

But make His Kingdom and righteousness your chief aim, and then these things shall all be given you in addition.