Hi Lloyd, to answer your questions.

1.What is “the kingdom of God”?
This is the million dollar question. Basically my view of the Kingdom has recently changed as I have read Andrew’s views and struggled with fully accepting Mclaren’s and even Nt Wright’s views even though Nt Wright is the person with whom I am most indebted for my outlook. The Kingdom of God was the rule of God Israel were expecting to be established. To be ruled by God and only God and for YHWH to return to restore their fortunes and overthrow other kingdoms that were competing for rule over Israel. Basically the Kingdom of God involves three ideas: the liberation and restoration of Israel, the overthrow of the corrupt and pagan leaders, and the return of YHWH to rule in the midst of His people as the world’s true Lord. Im not too sure where the escape from judgment fits in. Only when Jesus is acknowledged as the true King over Israel and the world, over and above competing kings, does the kingdom finally come. Its just that the Kingdom is established in a different way that was expected. It was established by the suffering of the Messiah and his followers and not through miraculous signs and wonders on the battle field. So when Jesus is walking around, the Kingdom is starting to be established. His followers announce him and follow him as king in advance to the establishment of his kingdom. One thing I have not mentioned is the element of the coming wrath on Israel and larger Roman world as part of the Kingdom message. I think I leave that for now. Andrew explains it better. So bsically I affirm the Jewish aspirations of the Kingdom of God motif. Its just the way it was establsihed that sets my view apart from the Jewish view.

2. Where is this kingdom located?
I used to answer this by saying it is located in the midst of those who claim him as king and within their hearts but I believe this does not do the phrase justice. This is a rather spiritual looking Kingdom. This type of kingdom obvoiusly has physical manifestations but the rule of God remains rather spiritual. As long as leaders like Herod and Caesar were ruling over Israel and later the church (new Israel) I beleive the Kingdom had not come yet. It was being establsihed by the faithful as they followed Jesus’ narrow path. So the Kingdom is located in the future and when it did come it was an acknowledgement of Jesus’ lordship over above other kingdoms throughout the Roman empire.

3. Who are the “people of God”?
They are those who are saved from the coming wrath, the remanant that survived the crisis, that are ‘in Christ’. Basically those who identify with the way of Jesus and His Lordship and survive into the new age to continue the call given to Israel.

4. Which “beast” were the people of God “liberated” from? That would be the person who sets himself up against Jesus as the true ruler of the world (Roman empire and Israel) and the ruler calling for the persecution of the church. This includes Nero, Domitian, Caigula, etc…)

5. Just how was it established that “a people were free to live under the reign of Christ? Through the suffering servant, Jesus and his followers. YHWH hands over the Kingdom to the Son of Man, which is Jesus and his followers, the saints of the most High that suffered. God establsihed the kingdom through the suffering of his sons and daughters in the name of Christ.

6. Which specific event occurred in the first century that “liberated the people of God from the beast” and at the same time “established a people free to live under the reign of Christ”? I think the establsihment was more gradual and involved many events. Its hard to say any specific event but in the end I think that there was a changing of the guard. I can see in a way that the establsihment maybe did not meet the expectations of the coming Kingdom but that does not discount that it came I would argue.

7. Where were/are these people that “are free to live under the reign of Christ”? The remanant that survived the eschatological crisis, the coming wrath, the Day of the Lord, were now free to be the people of God instead of crying out for salvation. They would now become a place of new creation, of true humanity, of righteousness. I think the Jews longed for the glory days during the reign of David and the early years of Solomon where people would marvel at the nation and its God. So today where is the Kingdom of God? With all our freedom to worship and live we seem to have squandered our calling of new creation and humanity in the midst of the old. In many ways we are free to worship God and to live under his rule but Jesus is not acknoledged as Lord of the world like what was expected in the first few centuries. Instead the gentiles are disgusted with our God becasue of our witness. This is a generalisation because God is still at work in his people and new creation happens.

So this is my view influenced heavily by Tom Wright and Andrew.