KINGDOM OF HEAVEAN/KINGDOM OF GOD

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Permalink Reply by geoff on May 13, 2010 at 3:54pm

I thought they both mean the same thing, so I checked 'gotquestions.org', and that's what they say, too

http://www.gotquestions.org/kingdom-heaven-god.html


Specifically, any place where God is King, where His will is obeyed, whether in heaven or here on earth.

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on May 17, 2010 at 6:20am

Hi Geoff,
I went to the link you provided me with and read what it said but I still have the same understanding. My attitude may be influenced by Clarence Larkin who made a drawing of the kingdom of heaven within the kingdom of God. I would like to post it here for you but you wouldn't be able to see it as it is so tiny and requires magnification. However, it can be viewed through Swordsearcher which is where I saw it. (I tried copying it here but can't.)

I have also studied the verses pertaining to the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God I have to say that I can't see them as being the same thing.

Rita

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on May 17, 2010 at 6:28am

to add something else,

MMatthew 11:11 (KJV)


11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. [1]
[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995
atthew 11:11

I would think that in the kingdom of God, John would be numbered as a great person, but if there is a difference between kingdom of heaven/God, and Kingdom of heaven is the earthly version, then I can see why John would be counted as least as he had the Holy Spirit from conception.
Rita

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Permalink Reply by JB on May 18, 2010 at 3:13pm

Rita, I know you know this, but the Word says that the kingdom of God is with-in you.Lk.17:21,
So would it not be Christ, or the Spirit of God?
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

And look at Romans 10:6-9 (KJV)
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

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Permalink Reply by littlesheep88 on May 19, 2010 at 4:28pm

I always thought that they were the same, and still do in a way, but Romans 14:17 paints a picture of the Kingdom of God:

16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

So it is a faithful saying and is in line with what Jesus spoke in Luke 17:20-21:

"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

So in scripture, the kingdom of God is a result of an inward change by God through accepting Jesus Christ (righteousness or right-standing, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit).

The Kingdom of heaven however is at times referenced as a place in scripture. For instance:

Matthew 5:19-20
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 8:11-12
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom (Isreal) will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"... And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

In the book of Matthew, Chapter 13 is somewhat devoted to expalining the kingdom of heaven:

The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The Parable of the Weeds
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
"The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount[b] of flour until it worked all through the dough."

34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."[c]

The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
37He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.
"Yes," they replied.

52He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

So, the kingdom of God and heaven refers to a place for you, within you, and about you. The glory of God working in you to help people around and about you, all the while preparing a place for you. The Word of God isn't given to any private interpretation. It's revealed through the Holy Spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to manifest these things to you. Spend time in The Word and meditate on it.


God Bless!

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on June 18, 2010 at 5:36am

Hi Littlesheep.

Your post of Matt 8:11-12 affirms the fact that the 2 kingdoms are different. Because, we know that the lime of the Revelation and the ministry is going to be very much for the nation Israel and if the two Kingdoms were the same, that would not be true. So...that further convinces me that they (the 2 kingdoms) are different.

Thanks for your input. I hope to see more.
Blessings
Rita

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Permalink Reply by JB on May 21, 2010 at 7:01pm

We were lost, but now we are found, we were blind but now we see.
This is what I have been putting a lot of time on lately, “The New Creation”
This will let you know just who you are, “In Him” Col.2:9-10

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Permalink Reply by Anthony Vigil on May 24, 2010 at 9:14am

Just maybe; the kingdom of God has to do with salvation (eternal life) and when we receive Christ Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life then the kingdom of God comes upon us/in us. Jesus said "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel". Mk 1:15

The kingdom of Heaven is an organism that grows. See the above parables. The church is an organism that is connected and grows. So as the Body of Christ Unifies and grows together.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Eph 4:1-16

The kingdom of Heaven is our covenant lives together.

These are my thoughts on this

Much Love in Christ Jesus
Anthony

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on June 18, 2010 at 5:25am

Michelle,
You mentioned Matt 11:12. People are still trying to take the Kingdom of Heaven by force, if one considers the fact that there are so many different sermons being preached that are less than accurate, per the Word of God. There are many different ideas that one can obtain the Kingdom of Heaven through different interpretations of the Bible, when they have already changed what it says to suit their own ideas of how *they think* it SHOULD be.

Over all, I enjoyed reading your post and am glad there is at least one person who agrees with my thinking. I certainly don't think they are the same thing, and much of it has to do with Matt 11:12. After all, how can one take the *Kingdom of God* by FORCE?

I am still looking for comments about the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. Any more *takers* to this challenge?

Blessings,
Rita

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on June 18, 2010 at 6:12am

Rita,

Here are some things to ponder regarding your question.

Matthew predominately uses Kingdom of Heaven while Mark and Luke only use Kingdom of God in their writings. Are we talking about one gospel message or two?

Let's look at some comparative texts:
1) Jesus says the following:
MT 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
MK 1:15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

2) Jesus talking about rich men entering heaven:
MT 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
MT 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Note: This is written in Hebrew poetry style. Their poetic style often makes a point in a sentence and then repeats the point in a second sentence.

3) Blessed are the poor or the poor in spirit:
MT 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
LK 6:20 Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Note: Though not identically stated there is a common point.

4) Regarding the secrets of the kingdom:
MT 13:11, 13 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ... This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
LK 8:10 He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, " `though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'

5) Jesus' command to go preach:
MT 10:7 As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.'
LK 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, `The kingdom of God is near you.'

Food for thought.

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on June 21, 2010 at 4:53am

Hi LT.
Thanks for responding to my query.
I have read these different verses and there is no way that we can know if they were the same instances or not. They could be different sermons or the same one. If they are two different sermons, this wouldn't make them two different gospels. Even if they were the same sermon, it wouldn't make two different gospels.

What I think Christ is telling us in the verses you quoted, is that there is more depth to these verses.

A verse I think of for depth of meaning or being of mistaken understanding is

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton : Standard Bible Society, 2001, S. Jn 14:2-3

I have heard numerous preachers state that Jesus is building a home for us in heaven. I believe our home in heaven was made long before Christ came to earth, actually from when he said "it is finished".. However, I do believe that by Christ paying for our sins as He did, He opened the door to heaven for us to enter.

Back to *Kingdom of Heaven*/*Kingom of God*, they could be two different places or conditions and not change the meaning of the gospel.

I think the Kingdom of Heaven is right here, right now, and is entered when one believes in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord and the Kingdom of God is our ultimate destination. Once we physically die, as a Christian, is when we enter the Kingdom of God, but we enter the Kingdom of Heaven right here as we live after our confession of Christ.

At the risk of repeating myself, one might be able to take the Kingdom of Heaven through force, but one cannot take the Kingdom of God by force.

Blessings,
Rita

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