On a daily basis around the world, Christians are praying as our Lord taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” But what is it, exactly, that we are praying for?
We know from numerous places in Scripture that God sovereignly reigns over all things. There is never a moment in time in which God does not sustain every molecule in the universe by the word of his power (Heb 1.3). As Nebuchadnezzar confessed,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say, “What have you done?” (Dan 4.34b-35)
Nothing at any time in history changes this kingship.
The kingdom that Jesus teaches us to pray for and which he himself proclaims (Lk 4.43) is related to this kingdom but distinct. Stated succinctly, the kingdom of God for which we pray and Jesus is proclaiming is God’s saving activity in which he arranges the entire created order under the lordship of his Son, Jesus Christ.
When God created man, he gave him the privilege and responsibility to take dominion over all the created order; or, in other words, set up a kingdom. As Psalm 115 summarizes, “The heavens are YHWH’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the sons of Adam.” Adam had the responsibility to mirror the heavenly pattern upon earth so that the earthly created order would be arranged like God’s heavenly kingdom. Adam failed. But God’s loving purpose for his created order would not be ultimately frustrated.
God promised that he would set up his Son, a new Adam, who would bring his heavenly order to the earth. His Son would have all authority in the created order to arrange the world according to the heavenly pattern. Because of the entrance of sin in the world, this would now involve dealing with sin and its effects, which infect every aspect of the created order. The promise of the kingdom was the promise of freedom from the tyranny of sin and the righteous rule of God’s Son. The entrance of the kingdom of God would mean salvation for creation.
Jesus inaugurates this kingdom in his earthly ministry by word and deed. As he teaches, casts out demons, and heals, he is declaring that the kingdom of God has begun. In his resurrection, Jesus is declared to be the Son of God with power (Rom 1.4), and in his ascension, he is coronated Lord of all (cf. Phil 2.9-11). All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (Matt 28.18). He reigns until all enemies are made his footstool, casting out all the demonic forces and defeating death itself in our resurrection from the dead (1Cor 15).
The reign of Christ has begun. The kingdom is here. Heaven and earth are under the management of King Jesus. We, his people, are citizens of this kingdom.
So, is it proper for us to continue to pray, “Thy kingdom come?” Absolutely. The kingdom began in seed form in the first century; small, like a mustard seed; hidden, like leaven in a lump of dough (Matt 13.31-33). When we pray “Thy kingdom come,” we are praying for the fullness of Jesus’ reign to be realized in every part of creation, for all of his enemies to be made his footstool. What Christ has begun we are praying he will finish.
As royal citizens of this kingdom, we share in the ministry of our King. It is our civic duty to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom in word and deed. In our discipling of the nations, we are to teach people to love and obey all that Jesus commands us. We are to take up his ministry of healing body and soul, driving back the darkness with the light of the gospel.
We do all of this with the assurance that his kingdom will come and his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
