DeAnnA M. Doyle
29 May 2023
GLST200
Comparison Essay: Kingdom Perspective
When you think of Kingdom of God what images come to mind? Maybe fluffy white
clouds, or maybe nothing at all? In this essay, we will discuss what we’ve learned in this week
readings against what I’ve known personally in terms of the Kingdom of God.
Let me start out by saying, my knowledge of the Kingdom of God, or in Christianity
really, is pretty much nonexistent. I was raised in a nonreligious household and would say I am
still nonreligious. We were not atheist by any means, but religion was not discussed in my
household. If we asked a question, it was answered in a nonbiased way. I had never heard the
term Kingdom of God until starting in this class. Therefore, I will share what comes to mind
when I hear this term versus what I know of it. I want to say, I mean no offense by any of my
statements and will admit that I’m fairly ignorant on Christianity as a whole.
When I hear the term, Kingdom of God I imagine what I assume heaven may look like. I
picture the lushest kingdom possible. I see the clearest blue skies, fluffiest white clouds, and
buildings made of gold and marble. I think of a beautiful castle, and a golden throne with God sat
upon it. I imagen this kingdom to be full or peace, kindness, and sincerity. I imagine this
kingdom to be both like and very different from Earth. Gone will be death, violence, and
hardship replaced with pure peace and happiness.
The first mention of the Kingdom of God appears at Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” When we see this
statement, we don’t get much context as to what the kingdom of God is. More of this kingdom is
mentioned as the verses continue. In Luke 17:20-21: ““Being asked by the Pharisees when the
kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways
that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of
God is in the midst of you.” In Roman 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating
and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In both versus, we see
that the Kingdom of God isn’t a kingdom in the literal sense of the word. The Kingdom of God is
anyplace where a person believes and loves in God. The Kingdom of God is held in the heart of all
Christians and in the faith, they hold in God and in his son, Jesus Christ.
The version of the Kingdom of God that I imagined and what the Bible speak on may
vary in numerous ways but there are some slight similarities. I imagined the Kingdom of God to
be a physical tangible place, such as Heaven. As we saw in the verses above, the Kingdom of God
isn’t necessarily a physical place in the same way I may have imagined. However, those
individuals who believe in the word of God tend to lead lives under his word. That means those
individuals try to bring peace and happiness to the world we live in. Although, unlike Heaven, we
have multiple other individuals on Earth who don’t always have the same perspectives.
In conclusion, the Kingdom of God differs from that of the connotation of Heaven. The
Kingdom of God is not perfect in any way shape or form, because the Kingdom of God is not a
place. The Kingdom of God is the message that God sends to everyone, and it is the way
individuals interpret His message. The Kingdom of God is carried in the hearts of all Christians.
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
