The Kingdom of Heaven Is Within You
Can you access the Kingdom now?
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."—Jesus from Luke 17:20-21
When I was researching for my book, The Hidden Teachings, I spent many months combing through the New Testament looking for the “hidden teachings” of Jesus. I was searching for teachings or principles that Jesus taught that were the same as other spiritual teachers. I didn’t know exactly what I would find. To my surprise, I found many teachings that were the same, or at least extremely similar, to the teachings of other spiritual masters. When the world’s spiritual teachers connect directly with the Universe, they all tend to report the same lessons.
One of my favorite teachings from the New Testament is the quote from above—The Kingdom of God is within you. Luke always uses the term “Kingdom of God”, while Matthew prefers “Kingdom of Heaven”. Both expressions refer to the same thing. But what exactly are they referring to?
Traditional Christian theology would argue that the Kingdom of Heaven is the place some of us go when we die. The traditionalists would say that if you believe the right things, then you are granted access to Heaven when you die. However, while I was searching through verse after verse in the New Testament, an interesting dichotomy emerged. It seemed that Jesus was referring to two Heavens. There is the future Heaven you go to when you die (although I don’t think your beliefs determine your access). And then there is another apparent Heaven—the Kingdom of Heaven within. This second Heaven seems to be a present moment reality. It’s something that you have access to here and now.
It's true. You can find evidence for both a future-state Heaven, and evidence for a present-state Heaven. Most of the focus traditionally is on the future, the place you might go when you die. But there is plenty of evidence for a present reality, a Heaven that is available now. For example:
But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."—Matthew 19:14
Does this mean that only children can access the Kingdom of Heaven? I don’t think so. But I do think that Jesus is pointing out the qualities necessary to enter the Kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven within. And what child-like quality is he pointing to? I believe it is to do with how most children live. They live in the present moment. Young children especially don’t know about the guilt or regret of the past, and they also don’t have anxieties or fears of the future.
In fact, I believe that there are several keys to the Kingdom of Heaven within. Three important keys are presence, acceptance, and meditation. Jesus taught about all three, although he never used the word meditation. But he taught us to pray, and there is strong evidence that he spent many hours alone in prayer (or meditation). He also taught many lessons about living in the present moment and accepting what is (via forgiveness).
So, can you access the Kingdom of Heaven now? I believe that you can. I believe it is a state of conscious connection to the Universe, or God if you prefer. We all have access to this hidden dimension. It is a place of connectedness and creation. It is a place of light and compassion. It will inspire you!
Let your light shine in all that you do. Be the compassion you wish to see in the world. Stay present and maintain an inner acceptance to what is. Meditate or pray daily. You will surely gain entry to the Kingdom of Heaven of within—right here and right now.
Sean