The Kingdom of God

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In the New Testament we find four aspects of the kingdom: (1) the kingdom of God, (2) the kingdom of heaven, (3) the kingdom of the Son of Man and (4) the kingdom of the Father. It is helpful for the believer to understand the significance of each of these terms. The kingdom of God is a general term including the other three aspects mentioned.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the center of all of God’s purposes for blessing. Ephesians 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10) tells us that “all things... both which are in heaven, and which are on earth” are to be gathered “in one... in Christ.” So it will be in the coming day of the kingdom. The different aspects of the kingdom of God are related to God’s purposes for this earth and the place the Lord Jesus has, or will have, on the earth. Let us consider each of these four aspects in order to better understand them.
The Kingdom of God. The Lord Jesus was presented to Israel as their king. Matthew 12:2828But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28) reads, “The kingdom of God is come unto you.” This refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus was in their midst and was casting out devils (demons) by the Spirit of God. To the question of the Pharisees, “When is the kingdom of God coming?” the Lord Jesus answers, “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:2121Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) JND). Because He was among them, the kingdom of God had come.
Notice here that the gospel of the kingdom was preached at this time and had as its subject Christ the king and His reign on earth. See Matthew 4:23; 9:3523And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)
35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Matthew 9:35); Luke 4:43; 8:143And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. (Luke 4:43)
1And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, (Luke 8:1) and Mark 1:1414Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (Mark 1:14). Sadly, His earthly people Israel rejected this message. They also rejected the One the message was about, the Lord Jesus, the king of Israel, delivering Him instead into the hands of the Gentiles who crucified Him. We can see in Matthew 12:2430 that Israel, having accused Him of casting out demons by the power of the Devil, were subsequently set aside. Then the grace of God reaches out to all men in Matthew 1314And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: (Matthew 13:14).
The Kingdom of Heaven. The king (Christ) is rejected and rules from heaven. This is the present state of the kingdom. The king has been rejected, crucified and received up into heaven. The Lord Jesus told His disciples at various times that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. By that He meant that it was coming soon. The kingdom of God, on the other hand, was in the midst of them. See Luke 17:2121Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21); Matthew 12:28; 4:17; 10:728But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28)
17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)
7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:7). Matthew 11:1111Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11) is another proof that the kingdom of heaven was not yet come during our Lord’s life on earth because John the Baptist was not part of the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 16:1919And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19) the Lord gives the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter. In Acts, Peter uses these keys to open its door to the Jews and to the Gentiles. Thus, it is after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus that the kingdom of heaven begins.
The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom during the absence of the king. It includes all who make a profession of Christianity. We learn from Matthew 13 that some who are in the kingdom of heaven are real, while others are not. The kingdom of heaven is larger than the church because the church consists only of true believers. In the parable in Matthew 13:3030Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30) “the good” and “the bad” grow side by side, with the bad being judged at the end. “Thus it shall be in the completion of the age” (Matt. 13:4040As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. (Matthew 13:40) JND).
There are ten parables in Matthew that are similitudes (or illustrations) of the kingdom of heaven. Six of these are in Matthew 13 (the first parable in this chapter is not a similitude of the kingdom of heaven), while the other four are in Matthew 18:23; 20:1; 22:223Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. (Matthew 18:23)
1For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1)
2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, (Matthew 22:2) and 25:1. The subjects of these last four are forgiveness, serving the Master, the refusal of the Jews to accept the gospel and bringing in the Gentiles (the beggars), and finally the coming of the Bridegroom and the blessing of true believers. All this has special importance in application to men living today. For example, if we know our sins forgiven, are we showing a spirit of forgiveness? Are we diligently laboring for Him in the vineyard? What is the individual’s attitude toward the invitation of the gospel? Are those who profess Christianity like the five wise virgins, or are they among the foolish virgins?
The Kingdom of the Son of Man. Christ personally returns and reigns over the earth. In the kingdom of the Son of Man, Christ (the Son of Man) comes in power and glory (Matt. 25:31; 24:3031When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (Matthew 25:31)
30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)) and reigns for 1000 years. The judgments that fall upon the earth prior to the 1000-year reign of Christ are part of the kingdom of the Son of Man.
The Kingdom of the Father. This is the heavenly and eternal kingdom. This will be the portion of all true believers, and it begins after the kingdom of heaven draws to a close. While the kingdom of the Son of Man is being shaped and runs its course on earth, the kingdom of the Father simultaneously occurs in heaven. Those who were real during the time of the kingdom of heaven will be in the enjoyment of these two aspects of the kingdom.
In the kingdom of the Father those who are true believers during the time of the kingdom of heaven are gathered into His barn in heaven as good seed (Matt. 13:3030Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30)) and will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:4343Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:43)). After the kingdom of the Son of Man comes to an end, the Son of Man turns the kingdom over to His Father (1 Cor. 15:2424Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)). The kingdom continues as the kingdom of the Father for eternity.
H. Brinkmann