The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom, the crux of biblical theology

It is striking to note how central the concept of the Kingdom of God is to Jesus' preaching, yet it remains vague for many Christians. Indeed, Jesus summarizes his inaugural message with these words: «The time has come, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel» (Mark 1:14-15). In the Synoptic Gospels, he «proclaims the gospel of the kingdom» (Matthew 4:23; cf. 9:35; 24:14), promises the Kingdom to the poor and the persecuted (Matthew 5:3, 10), and calls his disciples to «seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness» (Matthew 6:33). However, when asked what this Kingdom precisely is, the answers range from a purely internal reality, a kind of synonym for «heaven,» to a spiritual utopia difficult to connect to the concrete realities of history.

This indeterminacy is not only pastoral, it is also theological. In the Bible, the Kingdom refers sometimes to the eternal reign of God over creation (Ps 103:19), sometimes to the Davidic kingship and messianic hope (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 2), sometimes to the "Kingdom of Heaven" announced and manifested by Jesus (Mt 4:17; 13), sometimes again to a future inheritance promised to believers (Mt 25:34; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 2 Pet 1:11). Furthermore, some texts affirm that the Kingdom has already come and is "in your midst" (Lk 11:20; 17:21), while others resolutely place it in the future, when "the kingdom of the world will be given to our Lord and to his Christ" (Rev 11:15) or when Christ will hand over the Kingdom to the Father "so that God may be all in all" (1 Cor 15:24-28). Here we encounter a structuring tension in biblical eschatology: is the Kingdom a present reality or a future event, or both?

Contemporary debates reflect this complexity. Some approaches emphasize a Kingdom that is essentially future, identified with the Last Judgment and heavenly beatitude. Others, on the contrary, insist on its present dimension, even identifying it with the Church or with God's historical action in social transformations. Between these two poles, a broad exegetical tradition—often summarized by the expression "inaugurated eschatology"—affirms that the Kingdom was truly inaugurated by the first coming of Christ, without yet having reached its final consummation. Within this framework, the question is no longer one of choosing between "already" and "not yet," but of understanding how the effective presence of the reign of God and the expectation of its fulfillment are articulated.

This dossier is explicitly situated within this perspective. It proposes to read the entire biblical testimony by considering the Kingdom not primarily as a "place" or a subjective state, but as the actual reign of God over a people, in a world that he created and that he intends to be renewed. This reign finds its origin in the Old Testament confession of God as king of creation, is clarified in the Davidic covenant and prophetic hopes, is proclaimed and manifested by Jesus in his preaching and actions, continues in the life of the Church under the guidance of the Spirit, and will be brought to its fullness when God is "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28). To demonstrate this, we will follow a path that will start from the Old Testament roots of the Kingdom, pass through the preaching of Jesus and the tension "already here / not yet", then expand to Paul, the rest of the New Testament and the systematic issues (Christology, Ecclesiology, Pneumatology, Ethics).

Old Testament Foundations of the Kingdom

God, king, creator and sovereign

Even before the phrase "Kingdom of God" appeared, the Old Testament confessed God as sovereign king over creation and history. The psalmist proclaims, "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19), associating divine kingship with a universal and permanent government. Other psalms of kingship (Psalms 93; 96; 97; 99) celebrate this reign as the foundation of the world's stability and moral order: "The Lord reigns... the world is firmly established; it cannot be moved" (Psalm 93:1; 96:10).

This kingship of God is not a mere religious metaphor, but a structuring affirmation: the God of Israel is presented as the true sovereign, in the face of the claims of empires and earthly kings. Several studies have shown that these psalms are situated within the context of the Temple liturgies, where Yahweh is recognized as king above all human power, his sanctuary being, in a sense, the "palace" of this heavenly king. Thus, in line with contemporary biblical theology, we can speak of a "Kingdom" already present at the cosmic level: God reigns as creator, sustaining the universe through his word, judging the nations, and defending his people.

The creation narrative in Genesis 1–2, often read today from this royal perspective, points in the same direction. There, God establishes humankind as viceroy, charged with dominion over creatures (Genesis 1:26–28), which some authors readily interpret as a delegation of God's royal sovereignty to humanity. The "cultural mandate" conferred upon humankind thus presupposes an original Kingdom where God reigns over his people in a place he has prepared for them, Eden being understood as an early royal sanctuary. The "kingship of Yahweh" is therefore not a later idea, but the overarching framework within which the entire biblical narrative unfolds.

Davidic kingship and messianic hope

Against this backdrop of universal divine kingship, the institution of the Davidic kingship is grafted onto the history of Israel. When God promises David «a house» and a stable throne, he does not relinquish his own kingship, but chooses to mediate it through a human king «after his own heart.» The key passage is 2 Samuel 7:12–16, where the Davidic covenant is formulated in terms of descendants, a throne, and a kingdom «forever»: «I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever… Your house and your kingdom will be established forever before you; your throne will be established forever.» As many commentaries emphasize, this promise clearly extends beyond the duration of Solomon’s reign and opens onto a hope that transcends the immediate history of Judah.

The royal Psalms reinterpret and amplify this promise. Psalm 2 presents the king as a «son» whom God begets and to whom he gives «the nations as an inheritance» (Psalm 2:7–8), while Psalm 110 describes a king seated at God’s right hand, sharing in a sovereignty that extends beyond the borders of Israel. Prophetic literature continues this theme by announcing a «righteous Branch» who will reign justly (Jeremiah 23:5), a child upon whose shoulders power will rest and who will be called «Prince of Peace» (Isaiah 9:5–6). In these texts, the Davidic kingship becomes the foundation of a messianic hope: a king is awaited who will fully embody the reign of God, restore justice and peace, and gather the nations.

Finally, Daniel's visions give this hope an eschatological and universal dimension. In Daniel 2:44, there is mention of a "kingdom that the God of heaven will set up" and which "will never be destroyed," unlike all the successive human kingdoms. In Daniel 7:13-14, this kingdom is entrusted to "someone like a son of man," to whom are given "rule, glory, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages may serve him." This figure of the "son of man," receiving an eternal reign from the Ancient of Days, will provide a decisive framework for the Christology of the Gospels, where Jesus will designate himself as the Son of Man come to establish the Kingdom.

Thus, we can say that, in the Old Testament, the Kingdom of God already presents a dual aspect: on the one hand, God's eternal kingship over creation; on the other, a Davidic kingship called to represent and manifest this reign in the history of Israel. The Davidic covenant, far from competing with divine kingship, is meant to be its historical expression: the human king "sits on the throne of the Lord" (1 Chronicles 29:23) and exercises kingship in God's name. When this earthly kingship fails, the promise of an eternal kingdom shifts to the messianic and eschatological future, thus preparing the ground for Jesus' preaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom in the Gospels: proximity, mystery, ethics

Jesus' program: the Gospel of the Kingdom

The Synoptic Gospels clearly place the Kingdom at the heart of Jesus' program. Mark summarizes the beginning of his ministry thus: «After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, saying, “The time has come, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”» (Mark 1:14-15). Matthew speaks of the same preaching: «From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”» (Matthew 4:17), and he summarizes Jesus' activity with this phrase: «He proclaimed the good news of the kingdom» (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; cf. 24:14). Luke, for his part, has Jesus say: «I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also; for that is why I was sent» (Lk 4:43).

These programmatic texts already lay the groundwork for several theological elements. First, the Kingdom is announced as "good news": it is not simply a warning of judgment, but a proclamation of grace that requires conversion and faith. Second, the expression "the time is fulfilled" emphasizes that the coming of Jesus marks a turning point in the economy of salvation: the promises made to Israel, particularly those concerning the reign of God, enter a new phase. Finally, the phrase "the kingdom of God has come near" (ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ) has been extensively commented upon: for many exegetes, the perfect tense of the verb ἐγγίζω indicates not only temporal proximity, but also the fact that the reign of God has already begun to manifest itself in the person and actions of Jesus.

Entering the Kingdom: conversion, new birth, spiritual poverty

While the Kingdom is proclaimed as good news, entry into this Kingdom remains contingent upon a radical transformation. In the conversation with Nicodemus, the Gospel of John expresses this in terms of new birth: «Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again… no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit» (John 3:3, 5). Jesus thus closely links the Kingdom with regeneration through the Spirit, a connection that will give rise to a rich pneumatological reflection in the rest of the New Testament.

In Matthew, it is the Beatitudes that outline the profile of those to whom the Kingdom «belongs»: «Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness» sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven« (Mt 5:3, 10). The double occurrence of this inclusive promise frames the entire series of Beatitudes and signals that spiritual poverty, meekness, a hunger for righteousness, mercy, and purity of heart constitute the characteristics of those who already live under God’s rule. A little further on, Jesus calls for an absolute priority: »Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well« (Mt 6:33), closely linking Kingdom and righteousness (δικαιοσύνη). Entry into the Kingdom is therefore not simply a post-mortem "pass", but the adoption of a life orientation centered on the justice of God, received and practiced.

The Parables of the Kingdom: Hidden Growth and Final Judgment

Parables are the privileged place where Jesus unfolds the mystery of the Kingdom. Matthew 13, in particular, gathers a series of parables introduced by the formula: «The kingdom of heaven is like…» (Mt 13:24–33, 44–52). These include the parable of the weeds among the wheat, the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the leaven, the parable of the hidden treasure, the parable of the pearl of great price, and the parable of the net cast into the sea. These varied images describe, each in its own way, a reign that unfolds discreetly and patiently, while also including an element of sorting and judgment at the end.

The parables of the mustard seed and the leaven emphasize the hidden growth of the Kingdom: what begins as something very small becomes a tree where birds come to nest, or causes the whole batch of dough to rise. This suggests that the reign of God, as Jesus enacts it, is not yet manifested in the visible power expected by many of his contemporaries, but in a process that is often imperceptible, yet no less irresistible. The parable of the weeds and the net, on the other hand, emphasizes the present coexistence of good and evil in the field of the world or in the "kingdom" in its current state, a coexistence that will only be resolved at the time of the final harvest or sorting. Several commentators point out that these parables already introduce the idea of a Kingdom present in a "mysterious" (or "secret") mode, distinct from its future manifestation in glory.

The Sermon on the Mount: Ethical Charter of the Kingdom

In the Gospel of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5–7) can be read as the great ethical charter of the Kingdom. The discourse opens with the Beatitudes, which promise the Kingdom to the poor in spirit and to those persecuted for righteousness' sake (Mt 5:3, 10), and closes with the warning: «Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven» (Mt 7:21). Between these two points, Jesus develops a righteousness «greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees» (Mt 5:20), made up of reconciliation, inner truth, purity of vision, love of enemies, and radical trust in divine providence.

At the heart of the Sermon, the Lord's Prayer explicitly links the Kingdom and the will of God: «Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven» (Mt 6:10). This juxtaposition suggests that the Kingdom is not limited to a territory or a future state, but consists in the fulfillment of God's will in the lives of believers and in the world. The Sermon on the Mount thus outlines the contours of an existence «under the Kingdom,» marked by filial obedience, trust, forgiveness, and a justice that reflects the character of the King. To live according to this ethic is already to participate in the reality of the Kingdom, even if it remains hidden from the world's view.

The Kingdom «already here»: the inaugurated presence of the reign of God

Luke 11:20: The Kingdom as a power at work

One of the most powerful passages on the present presence of the Kingdom is found in Luke 11. After being accused of casting out demons «by Beelzebul,» Jesus replies, «But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you» (Luke 11:20). The logic is clear: if Jesus« exorcisms are by the power of God, then they demonstrate that God’s reign is already at work, here and now, against the reign of Satan. Some commentators point out that the expression »finger of God” echoes Exodus (Exodus 8:15; 31:18), where it refers to God’s creative and saving action, thus reinforcing the idea of a new exodus underway through Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus' argument also rests on a "political" reflection: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined" (Lk 11:17). If Jesus were fighting Satan with Satan's power, the latter's "kingdom" would already be collapsing. But what happens is precisely the opposite: a stronger one enters the house of the Adversary, strips him of his possessions, and binds the "strong" one (cf. Lk 11:21-22). In other words, the coming of the Kingdom of God is manifested by a direct confrontation with the powers of evil, a confrontation in which the reign of God already proves victorious, even if the battle is not yet over. Far from being merely a future reality, the Kingdom appears here as a force that invades the enemy's territory and begins to reconquer creation.

Luke 17:20-21: A Kingdom in your midst

Another passage from Luke clarifies the nature of this presence. When questioned by the Pharisees about the "when" of the coming of the Kingdom, Jesus replies: "The kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor will people say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' For the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Lk 17:20-21). Jesus thus refuses to satisfy a chronological curiosity: the Kingdom cannot be reduced to a spectacular event that could be placed on a timeline. On the contrary, he affirms that this Kingdom is already present "in the midst" of his listeners, even if they do not perceive it.

The Greek text, with the expression ἐντὸς ὑμῶν, has given rise to a classic debate: should it be translated as "in you" (the internalized dimension of the Kingdom, in the heart) or "in your midst" (presence in the person of Jesus and in the community of disciples)? Many exegetes today opt for the second interpretation, emphasizing that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees here, of whom he does not elsewhere say that the Kingdom is "in them," but rather that they reject it. From this perspective, Jesus affirms that the Kingdom is already present, in his person and in the actions he carries out, but that this presence is discreet, unspectacular, and can therefore go unnoticed by those who expect dazzling signs.

This passage sheds light on how we should understand the presence of the Kingdom: it is not a purely internalized reality, nor simply a distant future, but a reign already exercised wherever Christ is present and recognized, wherever the Gospel is welcomed and put into practice. The Kingdom is thus "in our midst" whenever God's sovereignty is perceived in a community of faith, in acts of healing, justice, or reconciliation, even if this reality often remains hidden behind the ordinary course of church life.

Free gift and current experience: Luke 12:32; Romans 14:17; Colossians 1:13

This presence of the Kingdom is further clarified in several texts that explicitly link the Kingdom, the free gift, and new life. Luke records Jesus' words: «Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom» (Lk 12:32). The Kingdom appears here not as a conquest but as a gift, already granted to the community of disciples, designated by the fragile image of the «little flock.» The emphasis is on the Father's benevolence: it is his decision to give the Kingdom that grounds the believers' trust in a context of insecurity and persecution.

Paul, for his part, gives a more explicit description in Romans 14:17: «For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.» In the context of debates about food and days, Paul reminds us that the Kingdom is not defined by ritual observances, but by a spiritual reality that can already be experienced: righteousness (righteousness in our relationship with God and others), peace (reconciliation), and joy (exultation) in the Spirit. The Kingdom is therefore present wherever the Spirit produces these fruits, in the heart of Christian communities, long before any visible eschatological manifestation.

Finally, Colossians 1:13 expresses the same idea in terms of a transfer of dominion: «He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.» The vocabulary is strongly «political»: it is a matter of moving from one reign to another, from one «power» (ἐξουσία) to a new «kingship.» The verb is in the aorist past tense: this transfer is already accomplished in the Christian experience, even if its consequences are not yet fully visible. For Paul, to live the faith is already to exist under another sovereignty, that of Christ, and therefore to participate in a Kingdom that manifests itself in justice, peace, and joy, while remaining oriented toward its full future revelation.

Taken together, these texts allow us to speak, in line with contemporary theology, of a «Kingdom already present but still hidden»: it came in the person of Jesus, it is in our midst in the Church and the action of the Spirit, it is given as a free gift and an experience of justice, peace, and joy, but it is not yet manifested in glory or recognized by all. It is this tension, at the heart of this ’inaugurated eschatology,« that the following section will explore, showing how the Bible also speaks of the Kingdom as a reality not yet fully realized, the object of a future hope and inheritance.

The Kingdom "not yet": inheritance, surrender, and fulfillment

A Kingdom to Inherit: Matthew 25:34 and the Texts of ’Inheritance«

While the Kingdom is already given and present, the New Testament also describes it as a future inheritance reserved for believers. In the judgment scene of Matthew 25:31–46, the Son of Man, now designated as «the King,» addresses the righteous in these terms: «Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world» (Matthew 25:34). The vocabulary of inheritance (κληρονομήσατε) and the mention of a Kingdom prepared «since the creation of the world» emphasize that this future reign is part of God’s eternal plan but is not yet possessed: it will be received at the time of judgment, directly linked to how the disciples served Christ in the least among us.

Many of Paul's writings extend this perspective. Paul states, for example, that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 15:50), and he reiterates that "the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10; cf. Gal 5:21). The emphasis here is twofold: on the one hand, the Kingdom in its final form requires a radical transformation of the human being, because the present condition, marked by corruption, is incompatible with the incorruptibility of the Kingdom; on the other hand, certain behaviors exclude one from this inheritance, which shows that the coming Kingdom includes a dimension of moral discernment and judgment. For its part, 2 Pet 1:11 speaks of "a richly granted entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," confirming that, for the Christian faith, the Kingdom also has a clearly eschatological dimension, yet to come.

These texts allow us to distinguish, without separating them, present participation and future inheritance: we can already live under the reign of God and taste the realities of the Kingdom, while waiting to receive its full possession in eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28: the handing over of the Kingdom to the Father

The passage in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 offers a particularly structuring perspective on the future of the Kingdom. Paul describes the final sequence of salvation history: «Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death… and when all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things under him, so that God may be all in all» (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

This text presupposes that Christ already reigns: «he must reign until…», which aligns with the perspective of the Risen One’s present lordship. But it also describes a «until»: as long as all enemies, including death, have not been definitively defeated, history is still unfolding. The end, as Paul conceives it, is not the abolition of the Kingdom, but its surrender: Christ hands the Kingdom over to the Father, after having destroyed all opposing powers, so that «God may be all in all.» Thus, we distinguish between the mediating Kingdom of Christ, proper to the present order where the Son exercises the kingship received from the Father, and the consummated Kingdom of God, where the Trinitarian reign is manifested without any further opposition.

From a theological point of view, this passage avoids two pitfalls: on the one hand, it prohibits freezing the Kingdom in a purely present phase, as if the current lordship of Christ already exhausted the whole reality of the reign of God; on the other hand, it prevents reducing the Kingdom to a simple celestial state without history, since the handing over of the Kingdom presupposes a process of putting all enemy powers underfoot, culminating in the destruction of death.

Revelation 11:15 and the royal fulfillment: the Kingdom of the world becomes the Kingdom of God

Finally, the Book of Revelation presents the cosmic and definitive dimension of the Kingdom's fulfillment. At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices proclaim: «The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever» (Rev 11:15). This declaration, which resonates as a Christological and eschatological culmination, affirms that the «kingdom of the world»—that is, the global order hitherto marked by the domination of hostile powers—becomes (or is given) to the Lord and his Christ. The emphasis is on the transition: what was previously under the control of other sovereignties is now united to the one kingship of God and the Lamb.

The liturgical context of this scene (adoration of the twenty-four elders, thanksgiving for the fact that God «has taken your great power and established your kingdom») underscores that this is a public taking of possession, akin to a definitive enthronement. This enthronement is accompanied, later in the book, by a judgment of the nations, the destruction of Babylon, the defeat of the dragon and the beasts, and the advent of a new heaven and a new earth, where the heavenly voice proclaims: «Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more…» (Rev 21:1-4). The «not yet» Kingdom can thus be described as the moment when God’s lordship, already real but contested, becomes manifestly universal, recognized by all creation, and when all suffering linked to the old order of things disappears.

By drawing on Matthew 25:34, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, and Revelation 11:15, we can say that the eschatological Kingdom has at least three dimensions: it is an inheritance received by the righteous, a reign that Christ hands over to the Father once the work of submission is accomplished, and a cosmic transformation by which the "kingdom of the world" definitively becomes that of God and his Christ. This "not yet" is not simply a continuation of the present, but a new phase in which the royal mediation of Christ leads to a total transparency of the cosmos to the glory of God.

Kingdom, Christ, Church, Spirit

Christ, crucified and exalted king

The question of the Kingdom inevitably leads to Christology. The New Testament, in fact, reinterprets the kingship of God and messianic hope from the perspective of the exaltation of Christ. Psalm 110 plays a central role here: «The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”» (Psalm 110:1). This verse, quoted or alluded to many times (Mark 12:36; 14:62; Acts 2:34-36; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 10:12-13), serves as a key to understanding the present lordship of Christ: the one who was crucified is now seated at the right hand of God, in a position of royal authority, awaiting the final submission of all his enemies.

In Peter's speech at Pentecost, this interpretation is explicit: «God raised this Jesus from the dead… Exalted to the right hand of God… For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, »The Lord said to my Lord, «Sit at my right hand…»«… Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah» (Acts 2:32–36). Christ's kingship is thus inseparable from his resurrection and exaltation; it unfolds in the paradoxical form of a crucified king, whose victory comes through humiliation and sacrifice. Other texts, such as Philippians 2:9–11, complete this picture by affirming that God gave Jesus «the name that is above every name» so that “every knee should bow” and “every tongue confess” his lordship. It is in this universal lordship of the exalted Christ that, for the New Testament, the present reality of the Kingdom is concentrated.

Church and Kingdom: sign, instrument, foretaste

The relationship between the Kingdom and the Church is another major issue. In Matthew 16, after Peter's confession at Caesarea, Jesus declares: «You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven» (Mt 16:18-19). This unique text closely links the building up of the Church, the promise of the «keys of the Kingdom,» and the authority to bind and loose.

Contemporary exegesis generally emphasizes that the Church should neither be simply identified with the Kingdom, nor separated as two unrelated realities. Rather, the Church appears as the place where the Kingdom is already visibly at work: a community built on the confession of Christ, endowed with delegated authority (the "keys") to open and close, to exercise doctrinal and disciplinary discernment, and to proclaim the Gospel that leads to the Kingdom. Other texts, such as Acts 14:22 ("we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God"), show that ecclesial life, marked by suffering and perseverance, is the context in which this entry is prepared for and already experienced.

Thus, in the language of systematic theology, we can say that the Church is a sign, an instrument, and a foretaste of the Kingdom: a sign, because it makes visible in the world the presence of the reign of God; an instrument, because it is sent to proclaim this Kingdom and to unfold its values; a foretaste, because it anticipates, in a still imperfect way, the universal communion that the consummated Kingdom will realize.

Spirit and Kingdom: Birth from above and pledge of the future

Finally, the link between Kingdom and Spirit is crucial for distinguishing between "already" and "not yet." In the dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus affirms: "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (John 3:5-6). Entering the Kingdom therefore requires a new birth, brought about by the Spirit, which transforms one from mere existence "according to the flesh" to a life animated by the Spirit. Exegetical debates on the precise meaning of "born of water and the Spirit" (an allusion to baptism, Ezekiel 36:25-27, or to the two aspects of one and the same regeneration) do not alter this point: it is the mediation of the Spirit that grants access to the Kingdom.

Paul extends this perspective by describing the Kingdom as «righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit» (Rom 14:17). Here, the Kingdom is not defined by spatial or institutional categories, but by a concrete spiritual experience: where the Spirit bestows lived righteousness, reconciled peace, and profound joy, the Kingdom is already at work. Similarly, in Col 1:13, the transfer «from the dominion of darkness» to the «Kingdom of the beloved Son» is understood as an already accomplished event, brought about precisely through participation in Christ in the Spirit.

Finally, in Romans 8, Paul presents the Spirit as a «guarantee» (ἀρραβών) of the glory to come: believers possess «the firstfruits of the Spirit» and groan in anticipation of the full adoption and redemption of their bodies (Romans 8:23), just as all creation groans in anticipation of the freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:19–22). The Kingdom is thus already present in the form of the fruits of the Spirit and the inner lordship of Christ, but it remains oriented toward a future manifestation where this lordship will embrace all creation. The Spirit is both the power of the present Kingdom and the guarantee of the Kingdom to come, the one that already enables us to live «in the new age» within a world still marked by «the old age.».

Living between "already" and "not yet"«

At the end of this journey, the Kingdom of God appears as much more than just another theme: it offers a key to unifying the whole of Scripture. From the creative kingship of God sung by the Psalms to the apocalyptic visions of the definitive lordship of the Lamb, the Bible confesses that God reigns, that he establishes his reign in the midst of his people, and that he will lead history towards a time when "the kingdom of the world will be given to our Lord and to his Christ" (Rev 11:15). The promise made to David of a throne "established forever" (2 Sam 7:12-16), reread by the prophets and taken up again in the royal Psalms, finds its paradoxical fulfillment in the exaltation of the crucified Christ, seated at the right hand of God according to Psalm 110, and called to reign "until all his enemies are put under his feet" (1 Cor 15:25).

The preaching of Jesus, as recounted in the Gospels, places this Kingdom at the heart of the message: Jesus proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom, calling for conversion and faith because «the time is fulfilled» and «the kingdom of God has come near» (Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 4:17). Through his parables, he reveals a Kingdom that grows in secret, like a seed or leaven, and which will only be fully manifested at the time of the harvest or the final sorting (Matthew 13). In the Sermon on the Mount, he provides its ethical charter: the poor in spirit, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness« sake are declared heirs of the Kingdom (Matthew 5–7; 6:33). Luke and Paul, finally, insist on the present presence of this reign: "the Kingdom of God has come to you" (Lk 11:20), "the Kingdom of God is in your midst" (Lk 17:21), "the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17), and believers have already been "transferred into the Kingdom of the beloved Son" (Col 1:13).

At the same time, the New Testament constantly speaks of the Kingdom as a reality yet to come, an object of inheritance and hope. The King will say to those blessed by his Father: «Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world» (Mt 25:34), and Paul reminds us that «flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God» (1 Cor 15:50). In 1 Cor 15:24–28, the apostle describes the moment when Christ, having overthrown all opposing powers, will hand over the Kingdom to the Father so that «God may be all in all,» while the Book of Revelation depicts the public taking possession of the «kingdom of the world» by God and his Christ, followed by the advent of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 11:15; 21:1–4). The tension between the presence and future of the Kingdom is therefore not an accident of tradition, but a structuring element of revelation: the Kingdom is already here, but not yet consummated; it is given, but still to be inherited; it is experienced in the Spirit, but awaits its cosmic manifestation.

From a theological perspective, this means that the Kingdom cannot be reduced to an exclusively internal reality, nor to a mere post-mortem celestial state, nor to the Church understood institutionally, nor to an autonomous socio-political transformation project. It designates above all the effective reign of the Triune God over creation, in and through Christ, in the power of the Spirit, with the Church as its sign, instrument, and foretaste. To live «under the Kingdom» is to welcome the Lordship of Christ now, to enter through the new birth of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5), to seek first the righteousness of God (Mt 6:33), to allow the Spirit to produce righteousness, peace, and joy within us (Rom 14:17), while keeping our eyes fixed on the promised inheritance, when God will be all in all and the Kingdom of the world will have definitively become his.