to look upon Jehovah as the king of the whole earth. The Jewish religio:1 accepted the universality of the Kingdom of God. They came to believe that their sins stood in the way of the speedy establishment of {he Kingdom of God. They longed for the day when the Kingdom of God would be established and redemption and judgment would follow.
The zealots believed in hastening the establishment of the Kingdom of God through political involvements. Their efforts led to the first Jewish War (A. D. 70). The Pharisees believed that the Kingdom of God would come into being when the chosen people kept the law of the Lord fully. On the other hand, the Sadducees tried to become reconciled to the Roman rule.
Society in the Kingdom of God
John the Baptist who declared that the Kingdom of God was at band was the herald of Jesus Christ. The Gospels consider the ministry of Christ as the beginning of the Kingdom of God. Christ not only spoke about the Kingdom of God, but also established a society of His Kingdom and sent them for the ministry (St. Luke 22:29 ff, St. Matthew 19:23, St Mark 10:42-45, St. Luke 22:23-28).
The apostolic community learnt from their Lord that the cross was a means to enter the Kingdom of God. (Acts. 14:22). They also learnt that entry into the Kingdom of God meant the sharing of kingship, They learnt from the Sermon on the Mount who would have the right to enter His Kingdom (St. Luke 12:33, Psalms 37:11, Exodus 10:6, Daniel 7:22).
The Saints of the Most High
The prophecy of Daniel about the saints of the most high (Daniel 7 :21 ff) and his visions of the Son of Man influenced the teachings of Christ. He established the Church and meant it to be the community of the saints of the most high. He spoke about the citizenship of the Kingdom of God attained by the members of the Church.
St. Paul reinterpreted the above conception. The Saints who received God’s grace and the gift of righteousness in Christ shall be the rulers of the Kingdom that is yet to come (See Rom. 5: 17, I. Cor. 4:8 ff, 1 Cor. 6:2).
Admittance to the Kingdom of God
St. Peter, in his first epistle points out that the Church is a chosen race, a royal priesthood and a holy nation. This is the fulfillment of the promise that Moses received on Mount Sinai (l Pet. 2:9, 10, Revelation 1:6, 5:10, 20:6). In Israel, kings and priests were anointed. In the same way, we are anointed with the Holy Spirit so that we become subjects of the Kingdom of God and are deputed for the
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