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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Heaven, or the Kingdom of God?
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17—NIV)
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:14,15—NIV)
There is considerable confusion today concerning the difference between Heaven and the Kingdom of God. Also, some are maintaining that the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two different kingdoms.
It appears the idea of the place called "Heaven" as being the goal of salvation is not only unscriptural but has a negative influence on the growth of the Christian.
Before we proceed further I would like to clear up once and for all the idea that the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two different kingdoms. As we think about the two passages above we can see how unlikely it would be that Jesus preached "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near," and at the same time to the same people preached "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news," while referring to two different kingdoms.
I am pressing this point because once we are satisfied that Jesus, while referring to the same Kingdom, sometimes said "Kingdom of Heaven" and on other occasions "Kingdom of God," it will make our further discussion clearer.
Let me give two more passages:
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. (Matthew 8:11—NIV)
"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." (Luke 13:28,29—NIV)
One feast for the Kingdom of Heaven and another feast for the Kingdom of God? I think not!
Also, you may notice that Matthew refers to the parable of the sower as a parable of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, while Luke refers to the same parable as a parable of the secrets of the Kingdom of God.
Now we can continue with our discussion of the difference between Heaven, and the Kingdom of God without the vague notion in the back of our mind that somehow the Kingdom of Heaven refers to something different from the Kingdom of God.
Heaven is a place. The Kingdom of God, or of Heaven, is the rule of God through Jesus Christ.
Heaven is never within us, except in a poetic sense. The Kingdom of God, while it has an external feature, is first and most importantly within us. It is God in Christ in us.
We can see instantly that Heaven is a place while the Kingdom of God has to do with a change in our personality.
Jesus told us we could neither see nor enter the Kingdom of God without being born again. Jesus never told us we could neither see nor enter Heaven without being born again.
To be continued.