norwegen
Diamond Member
How pessimistic.Where is it? All I see is Satan's kingdom.
In the first century, the disciples began to recognize their place in God’s kingdom on earth. Paul proclaimed citizenship in the kingdom for himself and his contemporaries (Col 1:13). The letter to the Hebrews exhorts believers to be grateful for the kingdom they had received (Heb 12:28). And the Revelator declared himself a partner in the kingdom with his brethren (Rv 1:9).
The kingdom had also come within Caiaphas’ grasp. Jesus informed him and the Sanhedrin, “But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt 26:64). From now on, he apprised the high priest.
When reasoning with a crowd of onlookers, Jesus told them that because he cast out demons in the name of God and not Beelzebul, the kingdom of God had come upon them (Lk 11:19-20). Yes, upon them, that crowd of onlookers.
The kingdom’s arrival is clearly a first-century phenomenon.
Now, who besides Christ is in charge? Who in this kingdom is redistributing wealth, discounting minority votes, amassing an ideological following? Who's the socialist?
That's the gist of my counter to the OP. No socialism with Christ. All are equals.