Never think that God's delays are God's denials.
Hold on! Hold fast! Hold out! Patience is genius. –
Georges L.L. de Buffon
The Kingdom of God
and the Kingdom of Heaven:
Recently I was teaching a lesson to our Life Group on how Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven, and I said that I pretty much thought you could use the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” interchangeably. I went on with the teaching, but I immediately had an unsettled feeling in my spirit. So I spent some time this week trying to distinguish the similarities and differences of the two. Here are the results of my survey.
The term Kingdom of God is used 72 times in the Scriptures
The term Kingdom of Heaven is used 33 times in the Scriptures.
The term Kingdom of Heaven literally means “Kingdom from the heavens”
and refers specifically
to that which is headed by Jesus Christ
and is establishing the restoration of God’s kingdom
over the rebellious part of God’s realm.
The parables of the kingdom of heaven apply to this age.
At the end of the age,
Christ will come and set up a literal earthly kingdom forever.
During the first 1000 years of His eternal reign
He will put down all rebellion and rid the earth of all rebels.
Anything that can be said of the kingdom of heaven can also be said of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of heaven is the earthly dimension of the kingdom of God.
The sovereignty of God extends over all the universe, and includes the kingdom of heaven.
Some things they hold in concert, yet there are some difference worth noting:
In The Kingdom of Heaven
1. The Messiah as King
John 18:37
Revelation 20:6
In The Kingdom of God
1. God as King
1 Corinthians 15:28
In The Kingdom of Heaven
2. From heaven
John 18:36
Daniel 7:13
In The Kingdom of God
2. In heaven and earth
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
3. Upon earth only
John 18:37
Revelation 5:10
In The Kingdom of God
3. In heaven and earth
1 Corinthians 15:28
In The Kingdom of Heaven
4. Scope is limited
Zechariah 14:9
In The Kingdom of God
4. Scope is unlimited Revelation 4:11
Revelation 6:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
5. Political
Isaiah 9:7
Daniel 7:14
In The Kingdom of God
5. Moral and Spiritual
Romans 14:17
In The Kingdom of Heaven
6. Future
Matthew 6:10
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
6. Past, Present & Future
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
7. Under Christ
Psalm 2:6
Luke 1:32-33
In The Kingdom of God
7. God over all
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
8. Given to Christ
Daniel 7:13
Luke 1:32
In The Kingdom of God
8. Not given
Psalm 10:16
In The Kingdom of Heaven
9. Begins at 2nd Advent
Zechariah 14:2
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
9. Is Now
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
10. Under heaven only
Daniel 7:27
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
10. Overall
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
11. Jewish-earthly
Isaiah 9:7
Luke 1:33
In The Kingdom of God
11. Angelic-heavenly
Revelation 5:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
12. Local-planetary
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
12. Universal-interplanetary
Revelation 5:13
In The Kingdom of Heaven
13. Earthly capital
Isaiah 2:3
Zechariah 14
In The Kingdom of God
13. Heavenly capital
Hebrews 12:22
In The Kingdom of Heaven
14. Dispensational in purpose
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
In The Kingdom of God
14. Eternal in purpose
Ephesians 3:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
15. Has a beginning
2 Timothy 4:1
Matthew 6:10
In The Kingdom of God
15. Timeless – endless
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
16. Tares in it now
Matthew 13:38-50
In The Kingdom of God
16. Only born-again ones in it
John 3:5
In The Kingdom of Heaven
17. Comes with outward show
Matthew 24:29-31
Matthew 25:31-46
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
Jude 14
Zechariah 14:1-5
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 19:11-21
In The Kingdom of God
17. Without show
Luke 17:20
Romans 14:17
1 Corinthians 4:20
In The Kingdom of Heaven
18. “Flesh and blood” inherit it
for earthly natural people
Psalm 37:11
Matthew 5:5
Matthew 25:34
Daniel 7:18, 28
Ezekiel 43:7
In The Kingdom of God
18. Resurrected, glorified saints
inherit all things in Christ
Romans 8:17
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Revelation 21:7
Recently I was teaching a lesson to our Life Group on how Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven, and I said that I pretty much thought you could use the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” interchangeably. I went on with the teaching, but I immediately had an unsettled feeling in my spirit. So I spent some time this week trying to distinguish the similarities and differences of the two. Here are the results of my survey.
The term Kingdom of God is used 72 times in the Scriptures
The term Kingdom of Heaven is used 33 times in the Scriptures.
The term Kingdom of Heaven literally means “Kingdom from the heavens”
and refers specifically
to that which is headed by Jesus Christ
and is establishing the restoration of God’s kingdom
over the rebellious part of God’s realm.
The parables of the kingdom of heaven apply to this age.
At the end of the age,
Christ will come and set up a literal earthly kingdom forever.
During the first 1000 years of His eternal reign
He will put down all rebellion and rid the earth of all rebels.
Anything that can be said of the kingdom of heaven can also be said of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of heaven is the earthly dimension of the kingdom of God.
The sovereignty of God extends over all the universe, and includes the kingdom of heaven.
Some things they hold in concert, yet there are some difference worth noting:
In The Kingdom of Heaven
1. The Messiah as King
John 18:37
Revelation 20:6
In The Kingdom of God
1. God as King
1 Corinthians 15:28
In The Kingdom of Heaven
2. From heaven
John 18:36
Daniel 7:13
In The Kingdom of God
2. In heaven and earth
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
3. Upon earth only
John 18:37
Revelation 5:10
In The Kingdom of God
3. In heaven and earth
1 Corinthians 15:28
In The Kingdom of Heaven
4. Scope is limited
Zechariah 14:9
In The Kingdom of God
4. Scope is unlimited Revelation 4:11
Revelation 6:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
5. Political
Isaiah 9:7
Daniel 7:14
In The Kingdom of God
5. Moral and Spiritual
Romans 14:17
In The Kingdom of Heaven
6. Future
Matthew 6:10
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
6. Past, Present & Future
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
7. Under Christ
Psalm 2:6
Luke 1:32-33
In The Kingdom of God
7. God over all
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
8. Given to Christ
Daniel 7:13
Luke 1:32
In The Kingdom of God
8. Not given
Psalm 10:16
In The Kingdom of Heaven
9. Begins at 2nd Advent
Zechariah 14:2
2 Timothy 4:1
In The Kingdom of God
9. Is Now
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
10. Under heaven only
Daniel 7:27
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
10. Overall
Psalm 103:19
In The Kingdom of Heaven
11. Jewish-earthly
Isaiah 9:7
Luke 1:33
In The Kingdom of God
11. Angelic-heavenly
Revelation 5:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
12. Local-planetary
Revelation 11:15
In The Kingdom of God
12. Universal-interplanetary
Revelation 5:13
In The Kingdom of Heaven
13. Earthly capital
Isaiah 2:3
Zechariah 14
In The Kingdom of God
13. Heavenly capital
Hebrews 12:22
In The Kingdom of Heaven
14. Dispensational in purpose
1 Corinthians 15:24-28
In The Kingdom of God
14. Eternal in purpose
Ephesians 3:11
In The Kingdom of Heaven
15. Has a beginning
2 Timothy 4:1
Matthew 6:10
In The Kingdom of God
15. Timeless – endless
Psalm 90:2
In The Kingdom of Heaven
16. Tares in it now
Matthew 13:38-50
In The Kingdom of God
16. Only born-again ones in it
John 3:5
In The Kingdom of Heaven
17. Comes with outward show
Matthew 24:29-31
Matthew 25:31-46
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
Jude 14
Zechariah 14:1-5
Daniel 7:13-14
Revelation 19:11-21
In The Kingdom of God
17. Without show
Luke 17:20
Romans 14:17
1 Corinthians 4:20
In The Kingdom of Heaven
18. “Flesh and blood” inherit it
for earthly natural people
Psalm 37:11
Matthew 5:5
Matthew 25:34
Daniel 7:18, 28
Ezekiel 43:7
In The Kingdom of God
18. Resurrected, glorified saints
inherit all things in Christ
Romans 8:17
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Revelation 21:7
30 fkj
