Kingdom of God vs Kingdom of Heaven
Throughout scripture two kingdoms: physical & spiritual are revealed.
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was made a quickening spirit
Adam physical, Christ Spiritual (1 Cor 15:45)
Cain physical, Abel spiritual
Ishmael physical, Isaac spiritual (See Gal 4:22-31)
Esau physical, Jacob spiritual
Israel physical, Body of Christ/Church spiritual
Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom, yet spoke about both. I found the reference to "Kingdom of Heaven" 31 times in Matt. I found reference to "Kingdom of God" 45 time in the 4 gospels.
If Jewish leadership had excepted their Messiah. They could have received both. And one day soon, they will again have the opportunity.
The Kingdom of God is SPIRITUAL! Not physical:
Lk 17:21 (B) Jesus said; Behold, "the kingdom of God is within you"
(NOTE: This is a spirit promise that began in Acts 2:4)
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you
(NOTE: Righteous is abtained thru faith in Christ's sin atoning sacrifice & sealed by the indewlling Holy Spirit)
Mk 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
(NOTE: Turn to God & place your faith in His Christ)
Mk 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
(NOTE: The sower is Christ (Lk 8:5), the seed is Gods Word (Lk 8:11) and the soil is our hearts Lk 8:15)
Lk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Lk 13:29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
Jn 3:3 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.
(NOTE: Born again = New spiritual birth)
Jn 3:5 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.
(NOTE: Born of water/flesh first then of spirit thru Faith. The need to be born of flesh 1st rules out salvation for fallen angels)
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(The Holy Spirit is what? SPIRITUAL!)
1Cor 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
(NOTE: The Kingdom of God is NOT physical! It is in resurrection POWER)
Lk 17:21 (B) Jesus said; Behold, "the kingdom of God is within you"
(NOTE: The Kingdom of God": is SPIRITUAL: The Church = Christ in you: "The Body of Christ"!
The point in posting the following 4 verses is: In Revelation at the end of the physical Kingdom of Heaven there is a rebellion (Rev 20:8-9) No people like these ever make it into the SPIRITUAL Kingdom of God.
1 Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of Heaven is PHYSICAL! It is the fulfillment of Gods pomise to Abraham (Gen 12:2-3, 13:14, 15:17-18)
The physical land covenant God makes with Abraham & Israel is EVERLASTING:
God gives the exact boundaries of the promised land in Num 34:1-15 (also: Deut 1:8, Ex 2:24, Ex 6:4, 8 & Ps 105:8-11)
The Gospel of the Kingdom message begins with John the Baptist Matt 3:2-6 & Mk 1:4-5
After John's arrest, Jesus himself takes up the kingdon message. Matt 4:12-17
Matt 4:23 Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, "preaching the gospel of the kingdom"
The promised Kingdom reign of Christ could have begun, had the Jewish leadership accepted God's chosen Messiah. They rejected Messiah & had him killed. Gods promise of a physical King & phyical Kingdom will happen at Christs soon return.
Zech 9:14 & 15, 12:10–14, 13:1, Jer 30:18, 32:44, 33:11, 26, Joel 3:1, Amos 9:11–15, Rev 20:6.
The promised physical kingdom reign of Gods chosen Messiah was only postponed. Soon The King will return, set-up and physically rule from Jerusalem, An OT promise to Israel's Fathers/Abraham