The terms “the Kingdom of heaven” and “the Kingdom of God” are commonly used in the Bible. There is no distinction between these two terms.
God is King over all creation
God is the righteous King of creation because He created everything. For example, Psalm 103:19 expresses this:
“The kingdom of the Lord rules over everything, and He has established His throne in the heavens.”
Or read Psalm 93:
“The Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His belt; He reigns; He is robed in majesty.”Indeed, the world is set in stone and won’t budge.You are from eternity, and your throne is established from old times.
The issue is that we frequently fail to recognize God as our King. Humanity has always naturally revolted against the Lord from Adam and Eve’s first transgression.
God’s Kingdom is spiritual
Throughout His earthly mission, Jesus frequently [spoke about God’s Kingdom] while instructing people. However, He emphasized its spiritual aspect. He arrived to mend people’s broken relationship with God and put an end to their disobedience to His rule. Many believed that Jesus would ascend to earthly kingship and drive out the oppressive Roman government. However, that was not His purpose.
“Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself, perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king” (John 6:15).
Jesus responded as follows when Judge Pontius Pilate questioned Him about whether or not He was the King of the Jews:
“This world is not my kingdom. My slaves would have been battling so that I wouldn’t be given over to the Jews if My kingdom had been this world. But according to John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
The Kingdom of God is spiritual. It is tied to a person rather than a location. In response to a question about the arrival of the kingdom of God, Jesus said, “Behold, the kingdom of God is among you. It is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There!”” (Luke 17:20-21).
Acknowledging Jesus Christ as your King
The only people who can join the Kingdom of heaven are those who, in their hearts, [surrender to God’s reign] and turn from their sins. This calls for “the new birth,” a metamorphosis that alters one’s entire life. Take Matthew 4:17, Matthew 7:21, John 3:3–7, and 1 Corinthians 6–9, for instance.
Those who live in an earthly kingdom or state yet embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord are said to be part of God’s Kingdom. In a sense, they are citizens of two kingdoms simultaneously. See also Hebrews 11:13–16 and Philippians 3:20.
God’s Kingdom will be physical as well
Jesus did not usher in the Kingdom of Heaven with absolute authority. In Matthew 13:31–32, Jesus likens it to a mustard seed, which begins little and goes unnoticed but matures into a powerful tree. Jesus’ Kingdom will be finished when He returns to condemn mankind and create a new earth.
Finally, God will vanquish His adversary, Satan, and extend the spiritual sphere of His Kingdom into the material world. At that point, the Old Testament prophecies—such as Zechariah 14:9—will materialize in an entirely new manner.
“And all the earth shall submit to the rule of the Lord.” The Lord and His name shall be one on that day.
Daniel 7:14 states, “His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed, and His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.”
According to Philippians 2:10–11, at that point, “every knee [will] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Are you longing for the fullness of God’s Kingdom?
[Children of God] eagerly await the day when evil and sin shall be eradicated by God. When He establishes the new earth, full of righteousness, His Kingdom will come to an end but never begin. Until then, we want for God’s Kingdom to become more and more prevalent in our lives as we submit to His authority more and more.
As more people come to faith and the global church develops, we want for God’s Kingdom to expand. We yearn for the destruction of Satan’s schemes and the manifestation of Jesus’ rule in this earth. As a result, we fervently pray:
Matthew 6:10 states, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
