The Kingdom of Heaven I. Introduction A. Matthew 4:17, 23: Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven; they need to repent, for it is at hand B. The Kingdom represents an important aspect of Christianity 1. The term is used 160 times in 150 verses in the New Testament (ASV) 2. It is the predominant way in which the purposes of God are realized in Christ 3. It anchors Jesus’ self-identification as the one like a Son of Man who would receive an everlasting kingdom from the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14; cf. Matthew 26:64) 4. The Gospel was understood as the good news about the Kingdom of God in Christ (Acts 8:12, 19:8) C. And yet much confusion swirls around the concept of the Kingdom of Heaven 1. Some posit the Kingdom is not yet present; others recognize it as present reality 2. Some differentiate between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God; others recognize them as the same thing 3. Some entirely identify the Kingdom with the church; others see the church as entirely separate from the Kingdom; some take an entirely different approach 4. The Kingdom is an abstraction for another time and place for some; others recognize the Kingdom as a present and very near reality with a full manifestation yet to be revealed D. Let us search the Scriptures and sort out what has been revealed about the Kingdom of Heaven 1. What is a kingdom? 2. Why does Jesus speak of the Kingdom of Heaven? What is its relationship to the Kingdom of God? 3. When, where, and how is the Kingdom of Heaven to be realized? II. The Kingdom A. We first do well to define “kingdom,” since most people no longer live under a monarchy B. In short, a “Kingdom” is that over which a king rules 1. In terms of humans we understand this as land and people 2. The United Kingdom is the territory over which Queen Elizabeth II is sovereign, and where its people have offered their allegiance to her 3. Spain and Thailand also are kingdoms C. How does Kingdom relate to God and Jesus? 1. All authority is God’s and comes from God (Romans 13:1) 2. God has given Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) 3. The Kingdom of God, therefore, is all that over which God rules; since He has given the rule of the Kingdom to Jesus, Jesus rules over the Kingdom as Christ, the King, and Lord (Acts 2:36) III. The Kingdom of Heaven A. If a kingdom is that over which a king reigns, what should we make of Jesus’ reference to the “Kingdom of Heaven” (e.g. Matthew 4:17, 23)? B. It would be easy to simply connect the two: a kingdom is that over which a king reigns, Jesus calls it the Kingdom of Heaven, so Jesus must refer to rule over heaven 1. It is not as if this claim is wrong: God does reign in heaven (Matthew 6:10) 2. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) 3. Jesus rules the Kingdom from heaven, and it is said our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) C. And yet “Kingdom of Heaven” is a Matthean phrase; the contrast between Matthew and Mark and Luke is instructive 1. Mark 1:15, parallel to Matthew 4:17: “kingdom of God” 2. Luke 4:43, parallel to Matthew 4:23: “good tidings of the Kingdom of God” 3. And throughout, where Matthew has Jesus speak of the “Kingdom of Heaven,” Mark and Luke have Him speak of the “Kingdom of God” D. Is there a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God? 1. Some may try to make a distinction between the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God, but the parallel use in the Gospels militates against any such claim 2. Whereas some might want to argue a contradiction exists, there is no contradiction in the Gospels, for the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God have the same referent: it is just a different way of speaking of it E. The Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of God! 1. “Heaven” is not a person; therefore, it is not as if Heaven is ruling over anything 2. The reference to heaven is speaking of the One who dwells and reigns in heaven, who is God (cf. Matthew 6:9, Acts 17:24, Revelation 4:1-3) 3. Thus, the “Kingdom of Heaven” is a way of speaking of the rule of God! F. Thus, the Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of God; God rules over heaven, but also the earth, and all things! IV. Realizing the Kingdom of Heaven A. How is the Kingdom of Heaven realized? B. Many insist on a future time for the Kingdom 1. Many in their eschatological viewpoint highly emphasize passages which would show the fullness of the Kingdom coming in the future to imagine the Kingdom is entirely in the future 2. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28, views of Revelation, etc. C. And yet the Scriptures testify abundantly to the establishment of the Kingdom through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension 1. Contrast Matthew 26:64 with Acts 7:56: the former future, the latter present! 2. Jesus received all authority in heaven and on earth at His ascension (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:36) 3. And so the Apostles spoke of the Kingdom as present already in many passages 4. Of note is Colossians 1:13: Paul says we have been translated/transferred (past tense) into the Kingdom of His Son 5. Revelation 1:6: Jesus has made (past tense) us a kingdom to God 6. Revelation 5:9-10: in the immediate throne scene, generally confessed to be a present reality in John’s day, Jesus is praised for making people of every language, tribe, tongue, etc. a kingdom to God D. What, then, shall we say about the timing of the Kingdom? 1. The Kingdom is here and now: Jesus rules over heaven and earth, and Christians are to serve Him as Lord in His Kingdom (Acts 2:36, Colossians 1:13, etc.) 2. And yet the Kingdom is not fully manifest: death is yet to be defeated; we have yet to obtain the resurrection of life (1 Corinthians 15:20-28) 3. This is not a contradiction, but part of the “now...not yet” paradigm seen often in these matters (e.g. salvation, cf. 1 Peter 1:3-9) 4. Thus the Kingdom is here and now, for we participate in the Kingdom of the Son; but the fullness of its manifestation is not quite yet E. But what of those who comprise it? Despite popular opinion, there is no one piece of territory or one ethnic group over which Jesus reigns as king 1. John 18:36: Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world 2. Revelation 5:9-10: Jesus made people of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation into a Kingdom for God 3. Therefore, there is not one nation-state which is uniquely a “Christian nation” over which God reigns; no one people are the “chosen people” 4. Anyone who wishes to serve God according to what He has made known in Christ can trust in Jesus and be transferred into the Kingdom of His Son; this is God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 2:11-3:12, Colossians 1:13) F. But what are the “dimensions” to God’s reign? 1. The concept of God’s Kingdom and reign has two aspects as revealed in Scripture 2. “The Kingdom,” as we will see, is often identified with those who serve God in Christ and submit to His rule (e.g. Philippians 3:20-21) 3. Yet in a very real sense Jesus reigns over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18); all will be accountable before Him (John 12:48); thus, God’s rule encompasses everyone (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) 4. And yet Jesus must pray for God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven; many do not submit to God’s purposes (Matthew 6:10) 5. So how can this be? 6. Perhaps Luke 19:11-27 may help: people may rebel against God’s authority in Christ, but they will be judged for it; their disobedience does not negate God’s authority over them 7. And so, in the New Testament, God’s rule may be envisioned in terms of His authority over everyone, or it can be restricted in perspective to those who submit to His purposes in Christ G. But is there any spatial sense to references to heaven in terms of the Kingdom? 1. We very easily fall into the trap of identifying heaven in a spatial sense: it is up there somewhere 2. And yet God is greater than heaven (1 Kings 8:27); He is not far from us, for in Him we live and move and have our being, and He is in all (Acts 17:28, Ephesians 4:6) 3. As we have seen, speaking of the “Kingdom of Heaven” is more about the One who reigns from heaven, and less about heaven as a spatial location 4. And so it goes with all the various phrases which are associated with it 5. “Treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20): do we expect to find things in a bank up there? No; it is a referent to blessings and glory which God will bestow on those who seek His purposes (cf. Romans 8:18) 6. “Citizenship in heaven” (Philippians 3:20): do any of us have passports which show heaven as our point of origin? No; it means our primary loyalty is to the One who reigns in heaven, the very One whom we await to return to raise us from the dead (Philippians 3:21) 7. “Inheritance reserved for you in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4): it is kept there because Jesus is there reigning, and it will not be overthrown by worldly actors (cf. Romans 8:31-39); the fulfillment of those promises may start in heaven, but do not seem to end there (cf. Revelation 21:1-22:6) H. What is the relationship between the Kingdom and the church? 1. There are strong associations between the Kingdom and the church 2. We have been transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13); the church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24) 3. Jesus was given all rule and authority, and God gave Him to be head over the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) 4. Those who submit to God’s purposes in Christ are part of the Kingdom and the church (Ephesians 2:1-3:11, Colossians 1:13) 5. Thus, the Kingdom of Heaven is manifest on earth in the church 6. But the Kingdom is more than the church, including all faithful Israel who went before (Hebrews 11:1-40), and, in another sense, the rule of God over all the nations who will be called into judgment for their disobedience against Him (Luke 19:11-27, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9) I. A “Kingdom Focus” 1. For a lot of reasons, many of them good, we think of the church primarily in its corporate and assembly senses 2. Yet, as Christians, we constantly serve in the body of Christ even as individuals, even outside of the assembly (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-28) 3. We could also say that we do such things for the Kingdom of Heaven/God 4. Thus, even though the distinction is not made in Scripture (we could still speak of it entirely in terms of the church), it may be profitable for us to consider our lives in terms of a Kingdom focus 5. At all points in our lives we are subjects of the King, and should work to advance His purposes in His Kingdom 6. When we work in the local church, we work for His Kingdom 7. When we encourage fellow Christians outside of the local church, that is also work for His Kingdom 8. When we do our individual thing to serve Jesus, it is work for the Kingdom 9. A Kingdom focus may help us look beyond just our obligation to the local congregation and to see the work God would have us do there but also in our personal lives and for His purposes globally J. May we strive to serve Jesus in His Kingdom! V. Conclusion A. We have considered the Kingdom of Heaven B. The Kingdom is that over which a king reigns C. The Kingdom of Heaven is not about a spatial place but the reign of God and the accomplishment of His purposes D. We are invited to participate in that Kingdom and its work in the here and now, not merely as a promise to come E. May we strive to do God’s will on earth as it is done in heaven, and obtain the resurrection of life! F. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). The Kingdom featured strongly in Jesus’ preaching and teaching. He framed Himself as the “one like a Son of Man” who would receive dominion and power and a kingdom from the Ancient of Days. Let us praise God for the Kingdom He established in Christ, and serve Him! 2: And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). A kingdom is that over which a king reigns. God gave Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth and declared Him to be the Christ, the King. Thus Jesus rules over all heaven and earth; in one sense, everything is in His Kingdom. Jesus’ Kingdom is manifest among those who submit to His rule and participate in His body, the church. May we be found a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns! 3: And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). “Kingdom of Heaven” is Matthew’s preferred phrase; Mark and Luke use “Kingdom of God.” There is no distinction between the two; God dwells in and reigns from heaven. “Kingdom of Heaven” is a way of speaking of the reign of God. Our citizenship comes from heaven and our inheritance is kept there, but we would be foolish to think of it in spatial terms. Our loyalty is to God and His purposes in Jesus, and our reward will be manifest in the resurrection of life and life in God’s presence forever. May we prove faithful as citizens of the Kingdom of God and obtain the resurrection of life! 4: And [Jesus Christ] made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6). While the fullness of the Kingdom is yet to come inasmuch as we are still subject to death and not in the resurrection of life, Jesus’ Kingdom is yet a present reality. Jesus began to reign after His ascension; all who submit to His purposes serve Him in His Kingdom presently. The Kingdom is manifest on earth as the church. We do well to maintain a Kingdom focus and seek to glorify God through our personal lives, our association with Christians locally, and also through encouraging Christians throughout the world. May we serve Jesus faithfully in His Kingdom and be saved!