I talk with people about the kingdom a lot. I find Christians in general, and myself from week to week, confused about what exactly it is.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world“ – John 18:36. This verse makes the kingdom sound very hard to grasp. I looked up “otherworldly“. It’s a good description of how we struggle with understanding the kingdom:

• Otherworldly people, things, and places seem strange or spiritual, and not much connected with ordinary things
• of or relating to the spiritual or imaginative world
•  impractical or unworldly

Fortunately, that’s not what the verse actually says. The Greek is clearly: “My kingdom is not from this world.” The Greek “ἐκ” never means “of”.

The 4th century Latin translation uses “de” which can mean either from or of. Tyndale in 1526 translated almost exclusively directly from the Greek, but for this verse he chose to translate it inaccurately by choosing the wrong Latin meaning. Every major translation since has stuck with it (except NET, the New Revised Standard Version and the Aramaic Bible in Plain English).

So we’re left with a verse that makes the kingdom of God sound like it doesn’t relate to things on the planet. Our main message, obscured.

What do you believe? What is the kingdom?

Here are 8 popular definitions:

1. The Kingdom is Heaven (Afterlife)

A lot of people assume the kingdom is where you go when you die. Jesus did speak about people entering the kingdom and sitting with Abraham and the prophets (Matt 8:11), and that can sound like heaven. But His teaching was in the opposite direction: not us going to the kingdom, but the kingdom coming here.

He told us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). He said the kingdom was near (Mark 1:15), even arriving in His own ministry (Matt 12:28). If we reduce it to the afterlife, we miss the urgency of His call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

2. The Kingdom is a Personal Spiritual Experience

Some say the kingdom is within you: a personal connection to God or spiritual awakening. Jesus said something like that, right? “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Except, He said that to the Pharisees, and the Greek more accurately means “among you” or “in your midst.” He was pointing to Himself.

Yes, Paul says the kingdom is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). But Jesus never preached, “feel the kingdom in your heart”; He said, “Follow me.” This is not just an inner peace; it’s surrender to a King.

3. The Kingdom is the Church

The Church is often called the “visible expression of the kingdom”, and rightly so. Jesus gave the apostles the “keys of the kingdom” (Matt 16:19), and told the Church to teach all nations to obey Him (Matt 28:19–20).

But He preached the kingdom before the Church existed. The kingdom is not defined by its citizens, its about the reign of the King. Jesus is Lord, not the church leadership.

4. The Kingdom is Unity Between Denominations

Sometimes people say the kingdom shows up when churches work together. It sounds biblical—Jesus prayed, “May they be one… so the world may believe” (John 17:21).

But unity isn’t the kingdom. Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of my Father… is my brother and sister” (Matt 12:50). It’s not about common ground. It’s about common allegiance.

5. The Kingdom is Justice and Peace in Society

Many quote Isaiah and Amos to describe the kingdom as a world of justice and peace: no more oppression, swords turned to plowshares, the poor lifted up. And that’s true. Jesus read Isaiah 61 and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled” (Luke 4:21). He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and forgave the outcast.

But justice alone isn’t the kingdom. It’s the effect, not the source. The kingdom is not what happens when we fix society, it’s what happens when we follow Jesus. If we seek justice but reject His authority, we build something else that’s actually in competition with Jesus. He didn’t just come to make the world better. He came to take His throne.

6. The Kingdom is Jesus’ Message

Jesus constantly preached about the kingdom. “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom… that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43). His parables, His teaching, His warnings—all about the kingdom. And for some, that’s the definition: the kingdom is His message.

But if we stop there, we end up saying “Jesus preached the kingdom” without knowing what that message actually was. The kingdom wasn’t just good news. It was a royal decree.

7. The Kingdom is Power—Miracles, Healing, Deliverance

This one has strong biblical roots. Jesus said, “If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom has come upon you” (Matt 12:28). He sent the disciples to heal the sick and announce the kingdom (Luke 10:9). Where God reigns, His power is seen.

But Jesus warned that many would say, “Lord, Lord,” claiming signs and wonders, and still be cast out (Matt 7:21–23). Power without allegiance is dangerous. Jesus didn’t say the kingdom is when people get healed. He said the kingdom is when people do the will of His Father.

8. The Kingdom is Future—Christ Will Reign When He Returns

Many view the kingdom as something that begins when Jesus comes back. After all, Paul says He must reign “until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Cor 15:25), and Revelation speaks of a time when the kingdoms of the world become His (Rev 11:15).

But Jesus already said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). The reign has begun. The throne is not vacant. The world is resisting, but Jesus is not waiting. He is reigning now, and His people are sent to proclaim and obey His rule in every nation. We don’t wait for the kingdom. The kingdom waits for us.