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The main rule in studying Bible is that its contents need to be perceived always literally unless there are no clearly expressed instructions that the certain passage has a spiritual orientation. For example, the first verse of the book of Revelation informs us that the apparition is symbolical “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants’ things which must shortly come to pass…” (Rev. 1:1 King James Version). The language of the narration gives a certain installation on the way a particular fragment should be perceived, either or as a metaphor. In that context, this paper analyzes the characteristics of the messianic Kingdom of God, as Jesus taught and modeled it, through contemporary metaphors.
In analogy to the approach suggested in an article by Kim Tame, “where people have had space to consider and voice their own experience”, two metaphors from contemporary life have been chosen to reflect the personal vision of the Kingdom of God. (Tame, 2005) These metaphors can be seen through comparisons with particular objects, similar to the images in the Bible where “Jesus uses many different images to describe the kingdom of God and indirectly therewith the personhood of God (e.g., Matthew 13: God as sower of seed, fisherman, pearl merchant, housewife).” (Bracken, 2002).
Therefore, the first metaphor would be, The Kingdom of God is like the internet. The Internet space is an informational environment, which by the most in its nature serves as metaphorical reflection of the idea of unity, because any information, including audiovisual, can be expressed in a binary code through ‘ones’ or their absence – zeros. The number one appears enough to embody all the variety of the universe, where the zero symbolizes the absence of the absolute. In addition, contrary to the objects of the material world, the digitized virtual objects, which make the basis of the internet, do not change, do not become worse, and in that context they are eternal, “For so an entrance shall have ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 1:11).
The second metaphor would be, The Kingdom of God is like a network. The network is a connection, where every simple node is in harmony with each other. In a similar way, comparing the chaos in human life with separate computers and machines that cannot reach each other, God invites people to a network where everyone in order to be connected with each other and to understand each other, have to be connected with God. In that connection with God, the Kingdom is like a “network of subcommunities that can be incorporated within the infinite field of activity proper to the three divine persons of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.” (Bracken, 2002) In that sense, the unity of the network as one organism can be considered as a characteristic of the Kingdom, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).
In using metaphors, The Kingdom of God as a model taught by Jesus can bring nearer the idea that the Kingdom is above the time and place. Such characteristics can be reflected individually in everything that surrounds us, revealing features of God and His kingdom, after which Christians will be “enabled to overcome and transcend the differences and various barriers of separation (which are characteristics of this world and not of the kingdom of God) and live in unity as they “seek first the kingdom of God and his justice” and not their own interests.” (CONSTANTINEANU, 2008, p. 26).
References
Bracken, J. A. (2002). Images of God within Systematic Theology. Theological Studies, 63(2), 362+.
CONSTANTINEANU, C. (2008). The Kingdom of God and Christian Unity and Fellowship: Romans 14:17 in Context. 2009. Web.
Tame, K. (2005). And finally… The Kingdom of God is like this. Expository Times, 116(7), 252.
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