The Kingdom Study
Introduction
In this study we are going to be looking at one of the main themes of the Bible which is the kingdom. This study will look in depth at the kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. It will show you that contrary to many teachings they are not the same. This study is also very important for understanding the Word of God as a whole because if you can work through this study you will get an understanding of the Bible as a whole. Also you will know why it is put together the way that it is.
The reason that we say the Kingdom is one of the main themes of the Bible is because that it is present in Genesis and runs through the entire Bible until Revelations. Now some would say that salvation is the main theme of the Bible. While Salvation is a big part of the word of God it changes throughout God’s word. As we saw in the study on Rightly Dividing the word of God Salvation is different for people in different time periods of the Bible. For instance Israel under the Law had to keep the law in order to make it into Abraham’s Bosom. But people who are saved in the church age are saved by grace through faith plus nothing. As we study about the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God we will see that each one is present at different times but none the less they go from Genesis to Revelations.
The most important thing about a kingdom is the King, or more simply put who is in charge. When we really think about it this is the most important question for everyone in all aspects of life, “who is in charge”? Do you realize that all problems in life are a result of someone not respecting the authority that is over them? One of the greatest problems in homes today is someone will not submit to the authority whether it is the husband not submitting to God or the wife not submitting to the husband or the children not submitting to the parents. We have problems at work when employees will not submit to the boss and do what they are supposed to do. We have trouble in society when people will not submit to the laws of the land.
Naturally man does not want to submit to the authority of God (1 Samuel 8:1-9 ; John 19:14-15), but sometimes saved people do not want to submit to the authority of God either and for both there are problems. When man will not submit to God’s word or his authority then he will become the authority himself and try to establish his own kingdom and his own peace. As we will see in this study the only true peace that a person can know is through salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ and the only true peace that the world will ever know is when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns on the throne of David which he will in the millennium.
Isn’t it interesting that the United Nations and world leaders always talk about peace when all we seem to do is to constantly have wars and rumors of wars? Note what James 4:1-2 says about why we have war.
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of you lust that war in you members?Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not ,because ye ask not.”
This is an interesting truth, the reason that we have wars are because of man’s lust for something that he cannot obtain whether by killing or lusting after it. Therefore we see that this peace they are trying to obtain by war will never work. The reason that it will never work is because the word of God says that the work of righteousness is peace (Isaiah 32:17). This means that we need a righteous ruler running the show and in control of everything. The only one who will fill this requirement is the Lord Jesus Christ.
This study deals primarily with the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God. As we stated earlier these two kingdoms are not the same they are different.
Kingdom of Heaven – This is a literal, visible kingdom that deals with the earth and someone having dominion over it. From the present it is a reference to the literal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth during the millennium.
Matthew 8:11 ; Isaiah 9:6-7 ; Luke 1:31-33 ; Revelation 11:15
Kingdom of God – A spiritual and righteous kingdom that a person is born into when he receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior. Therefore we are born into this kingdom when we are spiritually born again.
There are two key verses for showing this are Luke 17:20-21 and Romans 14:17. Note that in the passage in Luke we see that the kingdom of God does not come with observation it is not visible but also we see that it is within you. In Romans we see that it is not meat and drink but it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is plain from these two verses that this kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
What most people try to do is to spiritualize the kingdom of Heaven and say that it and the kingdom of God are the same but this will not work because it robs Jesus of his earthly reign during the millennium which is plainly promised in the word of God. Some even go as far to say that we are in the millennium right now if we are, which we plainly are not by the word of God, I would be greatly disappointed for there is no peace and none of the things the scripture promised. Another interesting fact that shows they are not the same is that the word of God says, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). Flesh and blood can inherit the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:5).
In the following lesson we will look at these two kingdoms and who has them throughout the entire word of God.
The Kingdom Study
Introduction: Handout
1) What is the one of the main themes of the word of God?
2) What is the most important thing about a kingdom?
3) Give verses for showing that man does not like the authority of God.
4) What is the result of man trying to go against God’s authority?
5) What is a good verse for showing that the only way there will be peace is by righteousness?
6) What two kingdoms are we going to be studying in this study?
7) Give a definition of each one of these kingdoms? Give reference
8) Show some of the ways in which the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are different.