Understanding the Kingdom of God

Three of the most confusing terms found in the Bible are "The Kingdom", "The Kingdom of God" and "The Kingdom of Heaven". The term "The Kingdom" is generally used to describe the dominion ruled by the Lord Jesus for the unbelieving world. The other two terms are used to describe the dominion ruled by the Lord Jesus for believers.

Contrary to what many Christians, including Bible teachers, believed, the terms, "The Kingdom of God" and "The Kingdom of Heaven" are neither identical nor interchangeable despite the fact that Matthew employed the terminology of the "Kingdom of Heaven" and Mark and Luke, when presenting practically the same teaching; employed the phrase "Kingdom of God".

The "Kingdom of God" is evidently a more comprehensive term than the "Kingdom of Heaven" and it embraces all created intelligences, both in heaven and on earth, who are willingly subject to God and thus in fellowship with Him. The "Kingdom of Heaven" (more precisely the "Kingdom of Heavens - in Greek) is a term descriptive of any type of rulership God may assert on the earth at a given period or dispensation. This will become clearer as you read on.

The Kingdom

As a predicted Kingdom it has reference to the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel on the earth:

"Therefore, when they (Jesus' disciples) had come together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel'" (Acts 1:6, NKJV, emphasis added)?

Notice that, in relation to the Old Testament prophecies, the term "Kingdom" is used to describe both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The reason being, the Bible uses the term "Kingdom" to designat the rulership of the Lord over the Gentle nations of the earth.

David, the psalmist said, "For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations" (Ps. 22:28).

The Lord being the King of the nations, rules over all the nations (Gentile and Israel) of the earth.

Daniel's prophecies concerning the Kingdom

Daniel was called to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. After the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar there would arise four other kingdoms. All these were political kingdoms. After these kingdoms, the God of heaven would set up an everlasting Kingdom - a spiritual Kingdom:

"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).

Daniel was given a vision of God (the Ancient of Days) and the Son of Man (Jesus Christ).

"I was watching in the night vision, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they (beasts) brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Dan. 7:11 - 14, emphasis added).

Here is a further description of this everlasting Kingdom:

"Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Dan. 7:27, emphasis added).

The above prophecies indicate that all political kingdoms will be destroyed by the Kingdom of God. Only His Kingdom and His Dominion shall not pass away and shall not be destroyed. And His Kingdom will be given to Christians (saints)!

The difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus Himself indirectly declared that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are not similar.

The entrance to the Kingdom of God (a spiritual kingdom) is by a spiritual rebirth:

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

Jesus continued, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

Even though you are born again and consequently entered the Kingdom of God, there is no assurance that you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a warning:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21, NKJV, emphasis added).

So, the condition of entering the Kingdom of God is born again by the Spirit of God; the condition of entering the Kingdom of Heaven is by doing God's will. Obviously, these two apparently similar Kingdoms are not the same. But you cannot do God's will unless you are born again. And so, only born again believers will ultimately enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven

Every kingdom (political or spiritual) has a king or ruler and Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let us look a what the Gospel according to Matthew says about Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven:

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight'" (Matt. 3:1 - 3, emphasis added).

John the Baptist astonished his hearers when he announced that this expected and hoped-for Kingdom was "at hand" in the Person of Jesus.

Jesus repeated this message: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matt. 4:17).

He went even further by announcing clearly that the Kingdom was already present in His ministry:

"But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:28).

Jesus was, therefore the full embodiment of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. The entire ministry of Jesus is understood in relation to this important declaration of the presence of the Kingdom. His ethical teachings (the Beatitudes), for example, could not be understood apart from the announcement of the Kingdom. They are ethics of the Kingdom; the perfection to which they point makes no sense apart from the present experience of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom has been growing from stage to stage during Jesus' earthly ministry. He Himself was there, embodying the Kingdom of God in His Person; and the circle gathered around Him partook of the blessings of the Kingdom.

A call to the highest level of righteousness

Participation in the new reality of the Kingdom involves a follower of Jesus in a call to the highest level of righteousness.

Jesus said to His disciples: "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20).

The "righteousness" of the scribes and Pharisees consisted in outward observances of ceremonial and traditional law. They offered sacrifices, fasted often, prayed much, were punctilious about ablutions, and tithes, and the ceremonies of religion, but neglected justice, truth, purity, and holiness of heart (read Matt. 23:13 - 33). The righteousness that Jesus required in His Kingdom was purity, chastity, honesty, temperance, the fear of God, love of God and men, blameless before God and men. It is pure, eternal and holy.

Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God explained

It is true that Jesus did not actually define the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God, but to His disciples He explained them using parables.

A parable is a simple story, drawn from everyday experience, to communicate a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to illustrate the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God (please read my earlier posting - "The Purpose of Parables").

Jesus explained to His disciple why He spoke to them in parables:

"Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees) it has not been given. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear" (Matt. 13: 11, 13, 16, NKJV, emphasis added).


The above passage of Scripture clearly shows that only believers can understand the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God.


It is interesting to note that the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24 - 30) and the parable of the dragnet - good and bad fish (Matt. 13:47 - 50) are only spoken of in connection with the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, the parable of the sower is applied to both Kingdoms (Matt. 13:18 - 23).


The two opposing Kingdoms


The two opposing spiritual kingdoms are the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan or the kingdom of the world.


It is important to understand that God is not ruling in this world; He is not ruling on the earth now. But thank God, He will one day - when Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom on earth.


Paul said, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age (world) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).


"The god of this age" is Satan. After the Fall Satan has dominion in this world. He will have that dominion and he will be god of this world, until Adam's "lease" runs out.


That is the reason why Paul and Peter wrote the following passages of Scripture:


"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ..." (Eph. 2:1, 2, emphasis added).


"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).


"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, emphasis added).


Here are some statements of truth:


1. Paul and Peter were writing to believers who were born again and thus had entered the Kingdom of God.


2. Even though you are in the Kingdom of God, you still suffer under the rulership of the "god of this age". But this suffering cannot be compared with the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven when it is revealed!


3. Before you were born again, you were under the dominion of "the prince of the power of the air" - Satan.


4. God had "called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" means He had called you out from the kingdom of the world into the Kingdom of God.


Conclusion


John heard a loud voice from heaven saying: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:3, 4, emphasis added).


The above description is the ultimate Kingdom of God - God's tabernacle on the new earth. This will be the dwelling place of Christ and His bride!