Notice that Jesus said that the kingdom would come with power. Thus, a passage which reveals
when the power came also discloses when the kingdom came. In Luke 24:49, Jesus told the
apostles, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem
until you are endued with power from on high." The same is repeated in Acts 1:4-5. Verse 8 of
Acts 1 says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..."
From the foregoing passages, we see that the kingdom was to come when the power came (Mark
9:1) and the power was to come when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1:8). Very simply therefore, if
we can find when the Holy Spirit came, we would know also when the power and the kingdom
came since they all were to come simultaneously. Acts 2:1-4 is the passage; it describes how the
Holy Spirit came on the apostles on the day of Pentecost. That day, therefore, marked the
beginning of the kingdom.
After the day of Pentecost the kingdom is no longer spoken of as being "at hand" but as being in
existence. The apostle Paul declared that he and the Colossians were translated into the kingdom.
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of
his dear Son." (Col. 1:13). They could not have been conveyed or translated into the kingdom if
it had not existed; thus, showing most certainly that it did exist. John the apostle said he was a
companion in tribulation and in the kingdom (Rev. 1:9). John could not have been a partaker in
the kingdom if it was yet future, thus again showing that the kingdom is in existence now. The
Hebrew writer said, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us
have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Again, we
cannot receive a kingdom, if there is no kingdom.
By way of summary, the Bible teaches that the kingdom is in existence now. It was "at hand" (Mark 1:15; Matt. 3:2; 10:5-6; Luke 10:9) and would come before some of those who stood in the presence of Jesus would die (Mark 9:1). It was to come with power (Mark 9:1), the power was to come with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), and the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). They had received it (Heb. 12:28), were translated into it (Col. 1:13), and were companions in it (Rev. 1:9).