“The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.” – Mark 1:15

Kingdom of God

Jesus’s message was meant to be simple and direct. But what exactly is the kingdom? Somehow we’ve lost the meaning of the key word in the main message.

Reign of God

The Greek word βασιλεία (basileia) means rule or reign. It’s technically a better translation, and it makes more sense of the parables. When Jesus is asked what the basileia of God is like, he doesn’t answer with a description of a kingdom, but of how God reigns, like a mustard seed growing or yeast working its way through dough.

But it’s not a common English word. And it doesn’t flow well with the verbs mostly used alongside basileia in the New Testament:

• Receive the reign (28x)
• The reign comes near (18x)
• Enter the reign(16x)
• Proclaim/preach the reign (11x)

Empire of God

Lately I’ve been wondering about empire. Makes more sense than reign here:

I confer on you an empire, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my empire and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. – Luke 22:29-30

And works better with the verbs:

• Receive the empire – welcome God’s government
• The empire comes near – like the Roman army approaching
• Enter the empire – switch sides
• Proclaim the empire – announce regime change

Of course empire sounds oppressive. Colonial. Like Star Wars or Caesar. Wouldn’t that distort Jesus’ message? But consider: basileia had all the same baggage, and Jesus used it anyway. He didn’t say “the kingdom is like feeling peace.” He said it’s like a king coming back to settle accounts (Matt 25).

To first-century ears, basileia didn’t sound safe, intimate, or mystical. It meant a ruling regime, usually enforced by power, taxes, soldiers, and allegiance. Jesus intentionally used that word to frame His message as a direct challenge to the world’s systems of power.

There is no private version of the kingdom/reign/empire in the New Testament. When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again to enter the kingdom,” He wasn’t inviting him into a feeling. He was calling him into a regime change.

The good news isn’t just that Jesus leads and guides us. Or that he reigns in our hearts. Jesus isn’t just leading a movement. He’s establishing a worldwide empire—founded on love, won through sacrifice, and ruled by the King of kings.

“The empire of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.” – Mark 1:15