Dr. Woods’ book, The Coming Kingdom, serves as a vital warning against the dangers of “Kingdom Now” theology in the evangelical church. His book is divided among four goals. First, Woods conducts a survey of the concept of the Kingdom of God and its multifaceted nature throughout the entire canon of Scripture.[1] Second, he uncovers serious exegetical and practical issues with “Kingdom Now” theology which states that the church is the Millennial Kingdom.[2] Third, he utilizes Scripture to demonstrate that “Kingdom Now” theology is biblically unsound.[3] Finally, he spends the final chapters discussing how “Kingdom Now” theology fundamentally derails the church from its God ordained mission. In Chapter 6, Woods sets the groundwork for interpreting the bible along historical-grammatical lines. He argues that the prophecies of the Old Testament Prophets must be taken literally and not allegorized or one will ultimately misread what God is doing in the present age. The strength of his argument lies in his direct comparisons of the prophecies with the modern age. For example, he states that the prophecies indicating that Israel will be at the head of the nations, that the world will experience universal knowledge of God, and that the Edenic curse will be curtailed are all unfulfilled at the present day.[4] Thus, the Millennial Kingdom cannot be present. Overall, his depictions of the Millennial Kingdom do preclude its existence, but it would be helpful to have more clarity surrounding the differences between the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal State.
Chapters 7-9 discuss Jesus’ presentation of the Kingdom of God to Israel, their rejection of the offer, and the subsequent postponement of the coming Kingdom. One of the key pieces of evidence undergirding Woods’ argument is his analysis of Jesus’ presentation and withdrawal of the offer of the kingdom. Woods points out that the statement “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” means “that the unchallenged rulership that God experiences in heaven had drawn near to the earth in the person of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Davidic king.”[5] Jesus continues to preach this message of the kingdom to Israel until his ultimate rejection at the hands of the ruling Jewish Pharisees in Matthew 12:24.[6] At this point, open proclamation of the kingdom ceases and Jesus turns His focus toward preparing the church and laying down a plan for the return and restoration of Israel in the future.[7]
In chapter 11, Woods deals a tour de force argument supporting the full distinction between Israel and the church. He outlines approximately 24 scriptural teachings that maintain this distinction. Some of the most compelling arguments are the following: (1). The different focus of the Upper Room Discourse and the Olivet Discourse; (2) the use of King/Son language for Israel and the use of Bride/Groom language for the church; and (3) the revealed nature of Israel vs. the mystery nature of the church.[8]
Finally, Woods closes the book with chapters 22-26 which elucidate the ramifications of the growth of “Kingdom Now” theology in the church. The worst of these are (1) a rise in anti-Semitism, (2) the growth and spread of the false gospel of prosperity, and (3) the replacement of evangelism with a social gospel mission focused on material rather than eternal needs.[9]
One of the most crucial questions Woods addresses is whether the Kingdom of Heaven is postponed or whether it is inaugurated but not consummated. Those who argue that it is inaugurated interpret Jesus’ statement as “a message of personal salvation.”[10] Scholars like John MacArthur argue that “Scripture does not support” the idea that Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom did not include individualized “saving grace.”[11] Additionally, Luke 17:21 (“The Kingdom of God is within you”) at first glance seems to reinforce MacArthur’s stance.[12] The allegorical understanding of this verse states affirms that the Kingdom of God is minimally in the presence of the Pharisees through the appearance of the changed hearts of men.
However, there are severe issues with this interpretation. First, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees in Luke 17:21, it is contrary to the narrative to assert that God’s Kingdom is literally reigning in the hearts of the Pharisees who are against the Messiah at every turn.[13] Second, the translation utilized by the KJV and the early church “within you” is not a good translation of “ἐντὸς.”[14] A better translation reflecting both audience of the Pharisees, the plural pronoun used in the verse, and Jesus’ ministry at that time is “among” or “in the midst of” which would indicate that Jesus’ presence with His accompanying miracles is indicative of God’s reign on earth.[15] Thus, this verse does not comment on individual salvation; rather, it serves as another example of Jesus’ presentation of the kingdom to the Pharisees and their inability to see or receive it properly. Though the kingdom came near, it was postponed not inaugurated.
Additionally, there are a number of other reasons to believe that the Kingdom of God was postponed. First, the Kingdom of God was only ever offered to Israel.[16] For instance, in the Gospel of Matthew, “gospel” refers to the Kingdom of God in all but one instance.[17] This being the case, it is vital to understand the Kingdom to God in reference to the expectation of the Jewish people at the time. Thus, the gospel of the Kingdom was the fulfillment of the “promised rule of the Messiah in His Kingdom on the earth.”[18] However, the realization of the Kingdom did not occur because there was not a commensurate repentance of the nation of Israel that was required for the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.[19] Second, the preaching of the Kingdom of God being at hand stopped after the rejection of Jesus by the Pharisees during the Beelzebub incident of Matthew 12:24.[20] This moment marks the final rejection of Jesus by Israel and results in the unforgivable sin. The only way to make sense of a sin being unforgiveable is if it is unrelated to individual salvation.[21] The sin itself was the national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah leading to the postponement of the Kingdom of God. Third, Jesus’ shift to preaching discipleship and salvation is not indicative of the Kingdom being inaugurated; rather, it is an indication that Kingdom was postponed. The Kingdom is not a mystery according to Scripture, but the existence of the church is a mystery. Thus, to equate the two would be antithetical to how they are presented in Scripture. There is a switch from one to the other, not a merging.
A second major doctrinal point that is used to defend “Kingdom Now” theology is an insistence that Jesus is currently reigning on the Davidic Throne. By spiritualizing David’s Throne, “Kingdom Now” adherents justify both the inauguration of the Millennial kingdom at the present time and their attempts at reforming the world to look like the prophesied kingdom. This doctrine also promotes the replacement of Israel with the church as the church would be those whom God is now ruling over from the throne. If this doctrine could be shown to be false, it would nullify the majority of “Kingdom Now” teaching and provide the basis for the redirection of the evangelical church. Thankfully, there are a number of solid arguments that make God’s Throne distinct from David’s Throne.
First, the Bible depicts and promises the existence of David’s throne in a terrestrial nature. 2 Samuel 3:10 states that the Davidic Throne will reign over “Israel and Judah from Dan to Beer-sheba.”[22] This physical dimensions cannot easily be spiritualized nor can the direct references to the people of the nation of Israel/Judah.[23] Additionally, 1 Kings 2:11-12 describes David’s Throne as something that “Solomon sat on” while on earth.[24] Again, the spiritualization of this clearly earthly throne would require eisegesis of some degree. Next, Jeremiah speaks of future kings who will “enter through the gates of this palace.”[25] Thus, there is biblical attestation to future kings reigning on an earthly throne. Finally, the prophet Samuel also predicted that the Messiah will reign on the same earthly Davidic Throne as part of the Davidic covenant that would establish the throne “forever.”[26] The Gospel of Luke also links the Messiah to the earthly Davidic Throne saying “the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”[27] The call back to “the throne of His father David” cannot be spiritualized without disregarding authorial intent, the Jewish understanding of the Davidic Covenant, and the purposes of God in the creation of a physical world.
A second and equally serious issue with spiritualizing the Davidic Throne is that it necessitates God abruptly changing his promises, fundamentally denying God’s immutability and impassibility. If “Kingdom Now” theology is correct, then God made a promise to David and his descendants that He intentionally knew they would misunderstand. The Jews understanding of the Davidic Covenant was that David would have one of his descendants sitting on an earthly throne, governing the people of Israel forever.[28] They also understood that if the people and king were disobedient, they would be removed from the blessing of having the throne even though the promise of the throne was still intact.[29] Thus, the declaration that the place of the throne was to change from earth to heaven, and that the people being governed was to change from the Israelites to a hybrid Jew/Gentile body makes the original Davidic covenant a deception at best and a bold lie at worst. Neither of these two positions is acceptable to attribute to God in terms of Theology Proper. Thus, based on biblical evidence and theological analysis, it is impossible for the Davidic Throne to be spiritualized into the heavenly throne of God.
Finally, “Kingdom Now” theology fundamentally distorts and corrupts the true purpose of God’s design for the church. According to Scripture, the church has three purposes. First, according to Ephesians 3:21, the church was created to “glorify God.”[30] Second, Ephesians 4:11-16 describes the purpose of the church as building “up the body of Christ,” and helping people attain spiritual maturity.[31] Third, the church exists to carry out the divinely empowered command to “make disciples of all nations.”[32] In summation, the biblical purpose of the church is to glorify God, build each other up, and make disciples through world evangelism. “Kingdom Theology” denies all of these and instead promotes a path to creating a man-made Millennial Kingdom on earth.
First, the natural purpose of the church that comes out of the belief that the church is in the Kingdom Age is that it is the church’s purpose to remake the world into the kingdom or “build the kingdom”[33] Unfortunately for churches that hold to this theology, they are uncapable of actually effecting the change that they desire to see, thus, they are forced to turn to non-Christian organizations and governments to help them solve the world’s problems.[34] However, the world, not actually being under the Millennial Kingdom, resists capitulating to the doctrines of Scripture and instead forces those churches who choose to work with them to renounce their doctrinal beliefs or practices through which “she loses her spiritual power and becomes helpless as a redeeming force.”[35] This leads Christian leaders to forsake evangelistic efforts and focus on helping material needs over spiritual ones.[36]
Second, “Kingdom Now” theology leads the church to see itself as part of the world rather than as “a pilgrim in the world.”[37] The danger of this issue cannot be understated. By relinquishing its status as “not of the world,” the church ceases to be about God’s business and begins to build the “kingdom of the Antichrist.”[38] This trend can only result in the continued “apostasy and seduction of the church.”[39] In his book, Woods cites multiple pastors and church leaders who have bought into this theology and walked down this path. The results have been finding commonality and partnership with those who are adamantly against the Christian faith in the name of helping people.[40] His investigation is telling; when Christians attempt to work with non-Christian organizations theology is nearly always the cost, but when Christians hold to their theology, they become ineffective at making significant world change from the human perspective. Thankfully, it is not the church’s responsibility to build the kingdom of God. As Woods indicates, any attempts at doing so end up looking like the tower of Babel rather than the Heavenly City of Zion.
Finally, “Kingdom Now” theology denigrates the church’s ability to preach the Gospel message of salvation because sanctification and justification are combined forcing believers to continually question whether or not they are saved due to the ongoing presence of sin in their lives.[41]
Garland, David. Luke. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.
Hunt, Dave. “Kingdom/Dominion Theology – Part 1,” February 1, 1987. Accessed January 10, 2020. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/kingdomdominion-theology-part-i.
Larkin, Clarence. Rightly Dividing the Word. Glenside, PA: Clarence Larkin Estate, 1920.
Woods, Andrew. The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church? Duluth, MN: Grace Gospel Press, 2016.
[1] Andrew Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church? (Duluth, MN: Grace Gospel Press, 2016), Kindle, 380.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid, Kindle, 898, 969, .
[5] Ibid, Kindle, 1100.
[6] Ibid, Kindle, 1242.
[7] Ibid, Kindle, 1493-1605.
[8] Ibid, Kindle, 2666-2754.
[9] Ibid, Kindle, 5836-6545.
[10] Ibid, Kindle, 1152.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Luke 17:21 (KJV).
[13] David Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 721.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 1164.
[17] Ibid, Kindle, 1177.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid, Kindle 1189.
[20] Ibid, Kindle, 1243.
[21] Ibid, Kindle, 1342.
[22] 2 Samuel 3:10 (HCSB).
[23] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 4187.
[24] 1 Kings 2:11-12 (HCSB).
[25] Jeremiah 22:4 (HCSB).
[26] 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (HCSB).
[27] Luke 1:32-33 (HCSB).
[28] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 4201.
[29] Matthew 25:31 (HCSB).
[30] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 5835.
[31] Ephesians 4;11-16 (HCSB).
[32] Matthew 28:19 (HCSB).
[33] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 353
[34] Ibid, Kindle, 5978.
[35] Clarence Larkin, Rightly Dividing the Word (Glenside, PA: Clarence Larkin Estate, 1920), 48.
[36] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 6010.
[37] Ibid, Kindle, 5864.
[38] Ibid., Kindle, 6163; John 17:14-16 (HCSB).
[39] Dave Hunt, “Kingdom/Dominion Theology – Part 1,” February 1, 1987, accessed January 10, 2020, https://www.thebereancall.org/content/kingdomdominion-theology-part-i.
[40] Woods, The Coming Kingdom: What Is the Kingdom and How Is Kingdom Now Theology Changing the Focus of the Church?, Kindle, 6021.
[41] Ibid, Kindle, 6531.
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