Healing Line

Healing Line

The Kingdom of God

by Judith MacNutt
May/Jun 2011

After moving to Jerusalem, I found a need to nurture my newly awakened spiritual awareness. In an effort to do this, I began attending Narkis Baptist Church pastored by Dr. Robert L. Lindsey, a brilliant Bible scholar who had lived in Israel for 50 years. He had dedicated his life to studying the New Testament text in Hebrew and Greek while living in the geographic context of its narratives. What an amazing way to study the Bible! During his Sabbath classes on Saturday mornings, Dr. Lindsey taught us about “Malchut Shammayim,” the ancient Hebrew concept Jesus used to proclaim “the arrival of the Kingdom of God.” He taught the deeper meaning of these words of the Kingdom of God or as Jesus often said, “the Kingdom of Heaven.” Dr. Lindsey explained:

Almost certainly Jesus borrowed this term from Pharisaic use and gave it His own special meaning. Apparently two basic ideas converge in Jesus’ use. First of all, He meant quite simply, that in His own performance of healings and miracles, God was manifesting His presence and power. When a person was healed as Jesus laid hands on him, the Kingdom of Heaven, the rule of God, was shown to have come into effect in the person healed. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God was not some sort of generalized, indefinite rule of God over the whole world, real as that might be. The Kingdom of God was located where Jesus was, where He was leading the battle. He Himself was the King of the Kingdom of God.

The second meaning Jesus had for the Kingdom of God follows from this definition. Wherever a person would join Him at His call, he became part of the Kingdom. Following the leadership of Jesus he is both ruled by God and is ruling with the Messiah in the sense that he is battling disease and death, Satan and sin.1

This remarkable insight into the rule and reign of Jesus in an individual life revealed truth — truth that I had long overlooked! In my search for understanding, I began to contemplate the implications of this concept. Every time Jesus healed the sick, cast out a demon or raised the dead He was pushing back the contrasting kingdom of Satan, Satan’s rule, and was ushering in God’s Kingdom!

Studying under Dr. Lindsey, I realized that everything in my life, especially my spiritual journey, had to be subject to the rule and reign of Jesus. When Jesus was teaching on The Law and the Prophets He said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 6:19). Jesus was referring to the followers of this movement. His Kingdom today — as well as back then — is comprised of women and men that adhere to His teachings and teach others these same principles of Kingdom living. Every day Jesus demonstrated and proclaimed the arrival of His Kingdom on earth. His mission could be categorized into three streams: the Good News, healing, and deliverance from evil. Isaiah’s prophetic word concerning the “coming Messiah” was being fulfilled. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because [God] has anointed Me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19). When Jesus boldly claimed “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” (Luke 4:21) He affirmed that the Messianic Age, the time for God’s salvation, had arrived! From the inception of His spirit–anointed ministry, by–standers from all walks of life marveled not only at His teaching — as one with a new authority — but at the miracles He performed.

Today our Lord’s ministry continues through His followers with this same authority and power — and it is assisted by His holy angels! These three streams of ministry all expand the mission of Jesus Christ throughout the world — ushering in God’s Kingdom.

This understanding of the Kingdom of God is the precise vision the Lord gave us for our new healing center. It will be a place where the sick are healed, demons are cast out and hopefully the dead will be raised — and we will thus be pushing back the kingdom of Satan, and ushering in the Kingdom of God! We are so excited about this mission!

Please prayerfully consider joining Christian Healing Ministries in making this extraordinary vision a reality.

1Dr. Robert L. Lindsey, Jesus, Rabbi & Lord (City, Country: Publisher, year published) 57–58.


Judith MacNutt Judith MacNutt is a Founding Director and President of CHM. May/Jun 2011