Where is the Kingdom of God?

It is not a physical territory:

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he (Jesus) 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.” -- Luke 17:20-21 (ESV)

It spans across multiple realms:

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. -- Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

What is the Kingdom of God?

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’

But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.

And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’
And he was speechless.
Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness’.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

-- Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV)

Comparison:

Explanation:

1. God the Father (YHVH) originally chosen Israel to be His nation.
2. The Father's invitation is the Gospel of Salvation which leads people to repentance so that they could live in righteousness with God.
3. The purpose of the Gospel to prepare a people group to serve His Son.
4. This was initially proclaimed by God's servants like John the Baptist, but he executed for doing so.
5. The scribes and pharisees stirred up the Jews to persecute God's servants in Jerusalem, therefore Jerusalem were condemned.
6. This persecution caused the Gospel to spread to foreign non-Jewish regions like the Greek and Roman territories who known by the Jews as the "gentiles" which were previously not considered "worthy" of the Gospel according to the Jews.
7. The "faithful servants" are the disciples who trusted God by risking their lives to spread the Gospel and who stayed faithful in the face of persecution.
8. The "wicked servants" are those who dishonor God's Son, the Christ. They often consider themselves "Christians" but refuse to obey Christ who is supposed to be their Lord. This pride dishonors the Son of God like the man with the wrong wedding garment.
9. Jesus also warned that the God will judge all "guests" and that the "wicked" will be cast into "outer darkness" which is a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth".
10. Bottom line is that all people were invited, but only the few who honors God's invitation will be "chosen" to "feast" with His son. In other words, they will be rewarded by God Himself.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. -- Romans 14:17 (ESV)

When will the Kingdom of God be established?

So when they had come together, they asked him (Jesus), “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

-- Acts 1:6-8 (ESV)

Some view Jesus address 2 separate issues:

• when Israel will be restored in the future (as predicted in the books of Ezekiel and Revelations) and
• when the Holy Spirit will come upon the disciples (as seen in the book of Acts)

Other view Jesus meant that the Holy Spirit will enable the disciples to restore Israel spiritually. That there are no fixed time when this task will be done as only the Father will know the coming times and seasons. This is also inline with Romans 14:17 and Colossians 1:2,11-14.

Who rules over the Kingdom of God?

The LORD (YHVH) has established his throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will!
Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

-- Psalm 103:19-22 (ESV)

However, many centuries later, Jesus claim that he received all authority from God:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” -- Matthew 28:18 (ESV)

and

All things have been handed over to me by my Father... -- Luke 10:22 (ESV)

and

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. -- John 3:35 (ESV)

Paul also wrote:

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when

1. He raised him from the dead and
2. seated him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
3. And He put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. -- Ephesians 1:16-23 (ESV)

According to Paul, Jesus did not replace God, but instead that Jesus acts as a delegate under the authority of his God. (1 Corinthians 3:23, 11:3)

Now when all things are made subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. -- 1 Corinthians 15:28 (NKJV)

What is the benefit of the Kingdom of God?

• Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.
• Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

-- John 3:36 (ESV)

and

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." -- Matthew 25:34 (ESV)

Paul taught:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28 (ESV)

and

To the saints and faithful brothers in (with) Christ at Colossae...

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that

• you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
• so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and
• increasing in the knowledge of God.
• May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,
• for all endurance and patience with joy,
• giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
• He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and
• transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved son,
• in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. -- Colossians 1:2,11-14 (ESV)

In short, it is privilege to be able to "dwell" with the trustworthy Almighty God:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” -- Psalm 91:1-2 (ESV)

and this is how God respond:

“Because he holds fast to Me in love,

1. I will deliver him;
2. I will protect him, because he knows My name.
3. When he calls to me, I will answer him;
4. I will be with him in trouble;
5. I will rescue him and honor him.
6. With long life I will satisfy him and
7. show him My salvation.”

-- Psalm 91:14-16 (ESV)

Who is part of the Kingdom of God?

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

The Revised English Version commentary say that "poor in spirit" is a Hebrew idiom for "those who are humble".

This is perhaps a reference to:

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek (humble/lowly/poor) shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

-- Psalm 37:10 (ESV)

James also warned:

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says,

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

• Submit yourselves therefore to God.
• Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
• Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
• Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
• Be wretched and mourn and weep.
• Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

-- James 4:4-10 (ESV)

"Poor in spirit" or "the meek" could also refer to those who are convicted of their sin and willing to repent. For example:

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

-- Acts 2:37-41 (ESV)