The Spiritual Nature of the Kingdom

By Al Felder

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight… but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36).

When Jesus stood before Pilate, the issue at hand was political. The Jews could not prove any legitimate wrongdoing, so they pressed an accusation that would interest Rome: He claims to be a king. Pilate’s question—“Art thou the King of the Jews?”—was really a question about threat. Was Jesus leading a rebellion? Was He a rival to Caesar?

Jesus answered in a way that exposes one of the most common misunderstandings in religion: His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. Its source is not earthly, its authority is not earthly, its power is not earthly, and its citizens are not earthly-minded. Pilate couldn’t move his attention off the visible and physical long enough to recognize what was spiritual—and that same blindness is still common today.

The tragedy is that Israel wanted a different kind of kingdom, too. They expected a throne like David’s—only greater—an empire with borders, soldiers, and political dominance. But the Lord established something higher than that: a kingdom that reigns in hearts, spreads through truth, and cannot be destroyed by armies.

And what is even more tragic is that many people still look for a kingdom other than the one the Lord established—expecting Christ’s kingdom to be set up someday in an earthly form when He returns. But Jesus’ own words before Pilate force us to face the truth: the kingdom He established is spiritual.

The kingdom has already been established

The New Testament does not speak of Christ’s kingdom as a distant hope after the first century. It speaks of it as a present reality.

John wrote as a companion “in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). That statement only makes sense if the kingdom existed at the time he wrote. And when the New Testament timeline is read carefully, the beginning point becomes clear: Pentecost in Acts 2.

Before Acts 2, references to the kingdom point forward—“at hand,” “coming,” “near.” After Acts 2, the kingdom is spoken of as existing. That day marked the fulfillment of prophecy as the apostles received power from on high, men from every nation were gathered, and the terms of entrance into the kingdom were preached for the first time. From that point forward, the kingdom exists as a spiritual reality in the world.

What does “kingdom” mean?

To understand the spiritual nature of the kingdom, we have to understand what the word kingdom meant in the world of Scripture.

In modern usage, when we hear “kingdom,” we usually think of a territory—like a country with borders. But in ancient usage, the primary idea behind “kingdom” was often the king's reign or rule. Territory could be included, but it was secondary.

Even Hebrew poetry highlights this. “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations” (Psalm 145:13). The parallelism links “kingdom” with “dominion”—the concept of rule.

Jesus also used the same idea in His teaching. He spoke of a nobleman who went into a far country “to receive a kingdom” and then returned (Luke 19:15). The idea is not that he received a landmass he didn’t have before, but that he received kingship—authority to rule.

This matters because the New Testament does not always use “kingdom” as a direct synonym for “church” in every context. Sometimes “kingdom” emphasizes God’s reign, and sometimes it emphasizes the realm of that reign (the people who submit to it—the church). A simple and helpful method is to test the context: if “reign” fits, you’re likely dealing with the primary meaning; if “church/realm” fits, you’re seeing the kingdom as the community under that reign.

The reign of God and the end of the old covenant

This distinction helps clarify passages that otherwise confuse people. For example, Jesus spoke of signs surrounding Jerusalem and said, “Know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:31). The context points to the destruction of A.D. 70, when the Romans destroyed the temple under Titus.

But the church had been established decades earlier. So what is “near” in that context? The clearest reading is that the passage emphasizes the reign of God being made undeniable in judgment and transition. The Jews’ continued adherence to the Law of Moses—and their reliance on the temple and sacrifices—was a visible expression of their rejection of Christ’s kingship. But Hebrews 8:13 makes the point that the first covenant became old and was ready to vanish away. When the temple was destroyed, the old system could no longer function as it had, and the reality of the new covenant reign stood unmistakably in view.

The kingdom and the church

There are also passages where the realm is clearly in view. Paul said God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). That is not future language. It is present. It describes the saved being brought under Christ’s rule as citizens of His kingdom.

That leads to a simple, biblical way to describe the church: the church is the people who come under the reign of God and accept His rule in their lives. The church is the present manifestation of the kingdom in the world—the community of the called-out who live under Christ’s authority.

A kingdom that is “within you”

Because Christ’s kingdom is spiritual, its territory and operations differ from those of earthly kingdoms.

When the Pharisees demanded to know when the kingdom would come, Jesus answered: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation… for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20–21). Jesus’ point was not that there would be no outward effects of the kingdom’s coming. His point was that His kingdom is almost entirely internal in its domain and function, while earthly kingdoms are almost entirely external.

Earthly kingdoms rely on borders, weapons, flags, and political dominance. Christ’s kingdom advances through the gospel—through hearts submitting to truth. As men and women obey the gospel, they become subjects of the King.

Established in one day, not by violence

Earthly kingdoms are typically built through violence, oppression, and long campaigns. But Scripture uses a vivid image to describe the beginning of God’s kingdom: birth without prolonged labor.

Isaiah 66:7–9 speaks of a woman bringing forth a child before the pains of labor—asking, “Shall a nation be born at once?” That image fits the reality of Pentecost: the church was brought forth in one day, because it is spiritual, not physical. It did not rise through military conquest. It did not require decades of warfare. It was established by the power and promise of God.

That is exactly what Jesus told Pilate: “If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight…” (John 18:36). But they did not fight, because that was never the nature of His reign.

A kingdom without walls

Zechariah 2:1–5 describes a coming Jerusalem that would be inhabited “as towns without walls,” not because it was vulnerable, but because the Lord Himself would be “a wall of fire round about.” In ancient times, walls meant protection and boundaries. Villages without walls were exposed, and people fled to walled cities when danger came.

So the prophecy sounds strange—until you recognize the spiritual nature of the kingdom. A kingdom “without walls” is not limited to one geographical location. It spans nations. It reaches people in every land. Its unity is not found in citizenship papers, but in a shared bond in Christ.

This is why Isaiah 2:4 can speak of a people who beat swords into plowshares—because those under Christ’s reign are not defined by earthly national hatred. In the kingdom of Christ, brethren are brethren no matter their ethnicity or nationality.

“The called out” and the required change

The church is often described as “the called out”—people summoned out of darkness into light. Abraham is a fitting picture: he left what he knew to pursue God’s promise (Hebrews 11:8–10). In the same way, nobody enters the kingdom by geography, bloodline, or family name.

John the Baptist made it plain: do not trust ancestry—bring forth fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8–9). Because the kingdom is spiritual, citizenship is spiritual. It requires a spiritual change.

That is why the terms of entrance matter. On the day the kingdom was established, the gospel was preached, men believed, they were told to repent, and they were commanded to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). After that obedience, “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Those terms have not changed, because the King has not changed.

Practicing what is taught

Here are practical ways to live in the reality of a spiritual kingdom:

• Stop measuring the kingdom by earthly standards. If you look for a political empire, you will miss the reign of Christ in hearts.

• Let Christ reign in the hidden places. A spiritual kingdom demands inner submission—thoughts, motives, speech, and private conduct.

• See brethren as brethren before nationality. The kingdom transcends borders; unity in Christ must rise above earthly divisions.

• Honor the gospel terms. The King adds the saved; salvation must be approached in the King’s way.

• Live as “called out.” Don’t try to inherit the promise while clinging to the world’s identity and values.

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Reflection questions

1. Do I think of the kingdom primarily as Christ’s reign—or as an earthly territory?

2. Have I ever been tempted to want a kingdom like the world’s, rather than the one Christ established?

3. Is Christ truly reigning in my heart, or am I trying to keep parts of my life “off limits” to His authority?

4. Do I treat the church as a spiritual kingdom that transcends national and cultural boundaries?

5. Have I obeyed the gospel terms of entrance as revealed in the New Testament, and do I honor them consistently?