In the Old Testament, God has already made promises that he would establish an eternal kingdom. One example is the story of Daniel's inspired interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's strange dream. In the dream, Daniel sees a series of kingdoms that rise and fall from his time onward. But finally a great rock, "not by human hands," comes and smashes the last and greatest of these kingdoms. As Daniel describes it to Nebuchadnezzar, "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. . . . It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever" (Dan. 2:44).

When Jesus began his earthly ministry, he declared, "The time has come. . . . the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15)! Jesus is the Messiah, the son of David, and as the angel promised to Mary, "The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; . . . his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:32-33). The King has arrived, and the kingdom is near.

But what exactly does Jesus mean by the kingdom of God? It's not a territory in the world, or a nation like others. Perhaps the best way to describe it is as God's reign. The kingdom of God is when and where God's gracious rule is established. It's when and where God is known, worshiped, and obeyed, and when and where peace reigns among people and nations.

Jesus further refines this vision of God's coming eternal kingdom in his teaching. In his parables about the kingdom, Jesus taught that it does not come with marching armies or bombastic noise. It comes quietly, like a seed growing secretly in small, unseen ways---or like a mustard seed that starts out small but grows large. But the most jarring aspect of God's kingdom is the treatment of the King. He is tried and tortured, mocked and ridiculed, and finally enthroned on a cross with a sardonic sign over his head, "the king of the Jews." The King enters his reign not through a festival coronation, but through death on a cross.

This was necessary in God's plan to redeem from sin and death those who would be the kingdom's subjects. The King arose in triumph and victory, and ascended to the throne in heaven. In his heavenly reign he is acknowledged by all his subjects as King of kings and Lord of lords. One day he will return to establish God's kingdom in a new earth, where death is banished and human life will flourish under the reign of God.

So what does it mean when Jesus teaches us to pray "your kingdom come"?

First, it means that we willingly consider ourselves subjects to the King, placing our lives and resources at the King's disposal. While we may owe allegiance to earthly rulers, kingdoms, and nations, our ultimate allegiance is to God's kingdom. We live by its laws, conduct our lives by its principles, and bring the good news of the King's grace to those around us.

Second, we are praying for God's kingdom to advance in the world. We are asking that in every area of life---from business to government, from the arts to the military, from entertainment to education, in churches and in other institutions of society---God's kingdom will grow like a seed buried in the ground. By the Spirit's power, individuals and groups living under God's gentle reign turn the world toward love and peace.

Finally, we are praying for the return of the King, for only then will God's kingdom be fully established and war shall be no more, nor death or pain, and every tear will be wiped away.