For most of my years of learning the Bible, which still continues to this day, I and many others around me, especially those who identify with some denominations out there, believed that the Kingdom of God is one and the same as the Kingdom of Heaven. Some out there are VERY dogmatic about there being no distinction between the two, and so those who would be contentious about this, all I ask is that you remain civil, willing to have a discussion over this rather than to argue with vehement indifference to the love of Christ we should all have for one another.
In the KJV, the Kingdom of God appears about 69 times, while the Kingdom of Heaven is mentioned about 32 times.
So, beginning with the Kingdom of God, we see this as a defining moments in the epistle:
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Meat and drink are simply metaphors in the sense of saying that the Kingdom of God is not a physical thing, but is rather a spiritual reality and way of life just as "in spirit and in truth" also are descriptors for spirituality and a way of life in Christ for worship that is pleasing before the Father.
Luke 17:20-21
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: [Not something to be seen, but rather...]
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
See how easy it is to understand something when letting the word of God speak for itself?
John 3:3, 5-6
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ...
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Someone might point out where it says, "...cannot see the kingdom of God..." and say, "Ah, HA! See? We will SEE the Kingdom of God, so it's not JUST spiritual!"
Were it not for the future tense of that statement of what we shall all SEE one day...but in what sense? We shall see AND experience total and complete righteousness, peace and joy in the presence and filling of Holy Spirit. Not only that, but we are and will be filled with all of that, and more.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise...
The book of Acts makes no reference to the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the Kingdom of God. Additionally, the Kingdom of Heaven is not mentioned anywhere outside the book of Matthew. Some might say, "So? That doesn't mean that they were one and the same to the writers of the Gospels and Paul."
To what I would have to point out the difference in the focus between people like John the Baptist and Jesus:
Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (John the Baptist preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of God.)
Jesus preached about both, the Kingdom of God (the spiritual) and the Kingdom of Heaven (the physical)...to whom? The Jews. Not to Gentiles, but the Jews. This would therefore give what I consider to be ample reason to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, which will be in the Millennium when Christ sits on His earthly Throne, is that which the chosen people of God were looking forward. It is THAT kingdom they have longed for through so many centuries. It is for them.
All the remaining books of the New Testament, aimed mostly at the Church, comprised of both believing Jews and Gentiles, focus upon the Kingdom of God. The Greek word for "Heaven" is ouranos, which is not one of the names for God. This drives me to wonder why anyone would confuse the two, claiming they are one and the same...this and many other statements and nuances throughout.
MM
In the KJV, the Kingdom of God appears about 69 times, while the Kingdom of Heaven is mentioned about 32 times.
So, beginning with the Kingdom of God, we see this as a defining moments in the epistle:
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Meat and drink are simply metaphors in the sense of saying that the Kingdom of God is not a physical thing, but is rather a spiritual reality and way of life just as "in spirit and in truth" also are descriptors for spirituality and a way of life in Christ for worship that is pleasing before the Father.
Luke 17:20-21
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: [Not something to be seen, but rather...]
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
See how easy it is to understand something when letting the word of God speak for itself?
John 3:3, 5-6
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ...
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Someone might point out where it says, "...cannot see the kingdom of God..." and say, "Ah, HA! See? We will SEE the Kingdom of God, so it's not JUST spiritual!"
Were it not for the future tense of that statement of what we shall all SEE one day...but in what sense? We shall see AND experience total and complete righteousness, peace and joy in the presence and filling of Holy Spirit. Not only that, but we are and will be filled with all of that, and more.
Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise...
The book of Acts makes no reference to the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the Kingdom of God. Additionally, the Kingdom of Heaven is not mentioned anywhere outside the book of Matthew. Some might say, "So? That doesn't mean that they were one and the same to the writers of the Gospels and Paul."
To what I would have to point out the difference in the focus between people like John the Baptist and Jesus:
Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (John the Baptist preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.)
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of God.)
Jesus preached about both, the Kingdom of God (the spiritual) and the Kingdom of Heaven (the physical)...to whom? The Jews. Not to Gentiles, but the Jews. This would therefore give what I consider to be ample reason to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, which will be in the Millennium when Christ sits on His earthly Throne, is that which the chosen people of God were looking forward. It is THAT kingdom they have longed for through so many centuries. It is for them.
All the remaining books of the New Testament, aimed mostly at the Church, comprised of both believing Jews and Gentiles, focus upon the Kingdom of God. The Greek word for "Heaven" is ouranos, which is not one of the names for God. This drives me to wonder why anyone would confuse the two, claiming they are one and the same...this and many other statements and nuances throughout.
MM
