BibleProject | the Lord's PrayerSample

In the Skies, So Also on the Land

Today, we’ll explore the second line of Jesus’ prayer.

“May your kingdom come, and may your will be done, as it is in the skies so also on the land.”

There are three key words to understand in this line: kingdom, skies, and land. First, let’s consider “kingdom” (basileia in Greek). Watch the video below to learn more.

In the prayer, Jesus prays for God’s Kingdom to come—but from where does it come? Jesus refers to this place as the “skies,” or “heaven(s),” according to some modern translations. And the larger Jewish community Jesus belonged to thought of the “skies” (Greek ouranos, Hebrew shamayim) as God’s realm. Watch this video to learn more:

In the biblical imagination, God’s throne and dwelling place exist in the skies, where his will is always done. Jesus is praying for this “kingdom of the skies” to unite with the land so that God’s will can be done in both spaces. Learn more about the Hebrew word for “land,” erets, in the next video.

The land is the realm of plants, animals, and humans. It’s separate from God’s realm of the skies. But often in the biblical story, God descends to be present with humans by bringing the sky realm down to the land. And that’s what Jesus asks for in the Lord’s Prayer—that all of the goodness and justice and love of God’s heavenly realm would no longer be separate but would fully join with our world, uniting Heaven and Earth.

Now, let’s slowly read and meditate on the whole prayer, making it our own.

Matthew 6:9-15
9 Therefore, when you pray, do it this way:
Our Father who is in the skies, may your name be recognized as holy.
10 May your kingdom come, and may your will be done, as it is in the skies so also on the land.
11 Our daily provision of bread, give to us today.
12 And forgive us our debts, just as we also have forgiven those indebted to us.
13 And don’t lead us to be tested, but deliver us from the evil one.
14 For if you forgive people their transgressions, your Father in the skies will also forgive you.
15 But if you will not forgive people, then neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Reflection Question
As you engage with your friends and neighbors, how can you partner with God in the work of bringing God’s Kingdom down to the land?