Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vivid dream: a short course in world history in pictorial form. Then God revealed  to Daniel both the dream and the significance of the pictures, culminating in the above statement. The dream was an allegory – the rock that was cut out of the mountain with no visible means and then grew to fill the whole world is a picture that can be visualized. The reality that it represents cannot be so readily visualized, yet the interpretation allows no room to say that it does not exist.

If we believe this to be a divinely inspired message, then the kingdom of God must exist today, and it must be still growing. How do we reconcile that with what meets our eyes in the more “civilized” nations today?

Many people in our day speak of the invisible church, claiming for members all Christian people everywhere. Yet if we examine the Biblical description of the church, it is immediately evident that it cannot be invisible. The instructions for choosing leaders, for admitting members, for dealing with unfaithful members, can only be practiced by a united, clearly discernible body. It is the kingdom that is invisible, not the church

The kingdom of God, or of heaven, does include all people who are children of God and citizens of heaven. It is a kingdom that is in a continual in a state of flux, making it well nigh impossible to discern its shape and composition. God works in mysterious ways, touching people in places and situations where human attempts at evangelism cannot reach, calling people around us that we thought were unreachable.

Our intellect and imagination are both a blessing and a curse in the kingdom. Yes, the imagination plays a vital part in kingdom work. It allows us to visualize how the timeless truths of God’s Word can be applied in cultures and circumstances that are completely foreign to us. There is also the very real danger that we will adapt the truth of the Bible to the culture. I believe that we in North America have gone much further down this path than we want to admit.

I will rejoice in the reality of God’s kingdom, even if so much of it is hidden from my view, because I can see the effects the kingdom in many ways. Yet I am also aware that it is a kingdom under siege by the kingdom of darkness. Citizens of the kingdom are in great danger, and many fall prey to the assaults of the enemy.

I am also thankful for the church of which I am a member. There is a much greater measure of safety here where we know one another and love and support each other. Yet I fear lest we think of the church only as a fortress to protect us from the assaults of the enemy. The enemy is vulnerable, God has given us the weapons to combat the enemy and rescue those who he has captured.

It will not do to be foolhardy and boastful, we have no strength of our own. But if we see only the danger about us and fear to use the armour and weapons our Lord has given, we are in great danger.