A Study of the Kingdoms

This is the first of several lessons in a study of the kingdoms.  We will be studying the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. To begin this study, we should distinguish between several things that are associated with kingdoms, in general.

There’s a temple on earth, Ezek 41:1.

And there is a temple in heaven, Rev 11:19.

There’s Jerusalem on earth where God will dwell, Joel 3:16-17.

And there’s New Jerusalem above where we will dwell, Rev 21:2.

There is a throne on earth, Lk 1:31-32

And there is a throne in heaven, Ps 11:4.

It’s possible, then, to postulate that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are actually different kingdoms.  In this case, “heaven”, in the kingdom of heaven would not be a reference to the place where God’s throne is.  Rather, it would be a reference to the first heaven seen in Gen 1:20 which is connected to the earth.

To see if this is so, let’s cross reference some verses in which we find the word “kingdom”.  These will give us a view of some distinctions between the two kingdoms that we’re studying.

First, the kingdom of heaven is only mentioned in Matthew, and no other book of the Bible.  This is noteworthy.  The kingdom of God, on the other hand, is mentioned in all four gospels and elsewhere.

Concerning the kingdom of heaven, we find several references in Matthew that pertain only to this kingdom and not to the kingdom of God, at all.  The reason we want to examine these passages in our study of the kingdoms is that they will confirm whether these two kingdoms are, indeed, different.

In Matt 11:12 the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.  This is not true, anywhere in scripture, of the kingdom of God.  But it is certainly true of the kingdom of heaven.  Consider the murder of the babies in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the King of the Jews, the beheading of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Israel’s Messiah, the crucifixion of Jesus, the King of the Jews, the death of Stephen for preaching that Jesus is the Christ, and the persecution of Jesus’s disciples to stop them from preaching to Jews in the name of Jesus.

In Matt 16:19 Jesus gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter to bind things on “earth”.  There are no keys to the kingdom of God mentioned in scripture.

In Matt 18:23-35, the kingdom of heaven is like a king taking account of his servants. One owed 10,000 talents.  A talent is a Jewish currency and measure of value. The king forgave him and yet this servant demanded 100 pence from the man who owed him.  Thus, the forgiven servant was delivered to the tormentors till he should pay all.  He had to forgive to remain forgiven.

There is nothing like this in the kingdom of God.  We are to forgive because we have already been forgiven, Eph 4:32.  And yet, if we don’t subsequently forgive someone, like this servant, Jesus doesn’t turn us over to tormentors.  He has already paid all, himself.

In Matt 22:1-10, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a marriage for his son (John the Baptist spoke of being the friend of the bridegroom, Jn 3:29).  When the guests refused to come and murdered those who were sent to invite them, armies came and destroyed them and burned their city.  This is exactly what Titus did to Jerusalem in 70 AD.  There is not a mention of anything like this concerning the kingdom of God.

In Matt 25:1-10, the kingdom of heaven is likened to 10 virgins waiting to go in with the bridegroom.  Notice, these virgins are not the bride; they are guests at the wedding.  In the kingdom of God, we, the church, are the bride (we’ll study this in greater detail in another lesson).  We are definitely not typified by these virgins.

In Matt 25:14-30, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who delivered to his servants 5, 2, and 1 talents (Jewish measure).  The servants who gained 5 talents and 2 talents doubled the king’s money and received identical rewards.  The servant who hid the king’s talent forfeited his talent and was cast into outer darkness.

In Lk 19:11-27, concerning the kingdom of God, a similar and yet distinctly different parable is recorded.  The nobleman gave his 10 servants 1 pound each (a Gentile currency).  The servant who gained 10 pounds was given authority over 10 cities.  The servant who gained 5 pounds was given authority over 5 cities. And the servant who his his pound forfeited his pound, which was given to the one who had 10.  However, this servant, unlike the servant in Matthew, was not cast into outer darkness.  The nobleman’s enemies were the ones who were slain.

Just looking at these passages, you get the distinct sense that the kingdom of heaven is predominately Jewish and earthly.  Consider these other facts.

Jesus was born King of the Jews, Mat 2:2. Matt 1:1 He is a direct descendant of Abraham (Israel) and David (throne).  At his return to earth, he will sit on the throne of his glory, Matt 19:28, and his disciples will be on 12 thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

In Jn 18:36, Jesus told Pilate that his kingdom was not NOW  from hence.  But in Is 9:7-9 and Ps 45:6, we see a throne for Jesus upon which he will rule during his millennial reign.

What we’re beginning to discern from the scriptures we’ve read in this study of the kingdoms is that the kingdom of heaven is not about us going to heaven.  Rather, it appears to be about heaven coming down to earth.  It’s about “heaven on earth”.

In Matt 6:9-10, for example, the “Lord’s prayer” says, “Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”.  And in Deut 11:21, we read, “that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth”.

The kingdom of God, on the other hand, is more about us going to heaven.  We are to set our affections on things above, Col 3:1-2.  When Jesus told his disciples that they couldn’t serve two masters and that they were to seek first the kingdom of God, Matt 6:33, rather than food, drink, and raiment, he told them to lay up for themselves treasures in heaven, Matt 6:19-20, rather than on earth.

We’ll continue this study of the kingdoms.  But for now, it is apparent that these two kingdoms are not the same.  And this is the main thing to conclude from our first lesson in the study of the kingdoms.