In Matthew 12:28 Jesus has just said, "....then the kingdom of God has come upon you." It only follows that we should take a careful look at the next verse. "Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house." (Matt. 12:29) Satan is the strong man; his house is "This Age, and the strong man's goods are demon-possessed men and women. Yet is Satan bound? Doesn't the Bible say that he he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour? Let's remember that Satan is not a creature of flesh and blood, so no physical object such as a rope or chains can bind him. Obviously the teaching about binding Satan is a metaphor - truth, but not literal. You see, by the time Christ's First Advent was over and Jesus had ascended to the right hand of the Father, Satan had been defeated and his power broken.Yes, Revelation 20:2 speaks of a further binding of Satan, but Matthew 12:28 clearly tells us that the Kingdom of God has entered this present evil Age and the power of Satan to bind has been broken. Otherwise the following would not be possible - "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to follow the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air [Satan], the spirit who is now at work in all those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:1-5). Because of the already completed work of Christ, you and I may be (hopefully have been) delivered from the power of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1:13).
Jesus demonstrated the same truth in Luke 10 when He sent forth the seventy to "Heal the sick... and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near you'" (Luke 10:9). For those cities not repenting at such a powerful invasion of the Kingdom of God, Jesus pronounced severe judgment (Luke 10:10-14). Where the Kingdom was received, the sick were healed and demons were cast out, causing the disciples to rejoice. Jesus' response..."I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18). This doesn't mean that Satan actually came from there to here during this ministry, but that Satan was thrust down from his pinnacle of power.
God's Kingdom means the divine conquest over His enemies, a conquest to be accomplished in three stages. The first victory has already occurred - the successful invasion of the present evil Age. Satan is the god of This Age, yet his power has been broken that men might know the rule of God in their lives. The evil Age goes on, yet men can escape its bondage and begin to experience the powers of the Age to Come. While the world appears little changed to the human eye (other than to perhaps get worse), the Kingdom of God has come among men and those who receive it will be prepared to enter into the Kingdom of Glory when Christ comes to finish the good work He has already begun. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Stage 1 - "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14).
Stage 2 - "Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him. for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
Stage 3 - "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'" (Revelation 21:3-4).
Next time - The Mystery of the Kingdom. God bless!
