Doesn’t Christ’s Kingdom Expand Over Time?
What does “Your kingdom come” mean in the Lord’s prayer when the
kingdom of heaven came through Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:7
‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’)?
If it means the final judgment, then why are we to pray that it
happens when God is not bound to the areas we lift up in prayer, so I do not
believe the kingdom coming in Matthew 6:10 is the final judgment.
What if this is a prayer that the kingdom of God, His church here on
earth that is described in many of Jesus’ parables, and the progression of all
things coming under Christ’s feet [read previous posts for more on this topic]
will come to pass quicker, or that the work of others to bring worldly things
into submission will be strengthened?
And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
If you have different beliefs on this topic, please leave me a comment below with verses to back it up. I would enjoy getting feedback.
I think this part of Jesus' prayer (in 6:10) could be compared to what Jesus tells his disciples to pray for in Mt. 9:37-38 ("The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.") The new kingdom would expand through the mission of disciples, as they are sent out to make new disciples. Thus the climax of Matthew comes in 28:19-20 ("Go therefore and make disciples among all nations . . .") Jesus' disciples, who do what their king commands, are his kingdom; and that kingdom will expand as more disciples become part of it.
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