The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is “heaven on earth!”  Literally!

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”  That is the first verse in your bible—God divides his kingdom into heaven and earth.  From Genesis 1:2 until Acts 9 when Saul is saved (the apostle Paul), God ONLY deals with the earthly part of his kingdom.  It is not until you read in Paul’s epistles that you learn about the heavenlies and how God is going to reclaim the heavenly kingdom.

It is through the Cross of Christ that he is going to reclaim both heaven and earth.  It was a secret hid in God and a mystery revealed only to Paul. 

1 Corinthians 2:7-8

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Timothy 1:16

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting

When God created Adam, he was the one new man he created in Genesis to reclaim the earth unto himself. 

Genesis 1:26-27

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Four thousand years later, God creates another ‘one new man’ (the Body of Christ) to redeem the heavenly places. 

Ephesians 2:15

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

That is what Christ is going to do:  through Israel in the earth and through the Body of Christ in the heavenly places.   That is why you need to be here [at a local assembly that preaches and teaches the grace message as given to Paul] learning about your doctrine as members of the Body—your heavenly calling; not the earthly ministry!

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Ephesians 2:6

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

2 Timothy 4:18

And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

It can be called the Kingdom of Heaven too.  Over in Daniel it says the “God of Heaven” shall set a kingdom on the earth. 

Daniel 2:44

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

So sometimes it is called the kingdom of heaven, sometimes it is called the kingdom of God, but the Kingdom of Heaven has a heavenly position and an earthly one.  (What does a ‘kingdom’ mean?  It is a king’s domain or dominion.)  Israel is going to have the earthly part of the kingdom of God.

Isaiah 32:1

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

2 Timothy 2:11-12

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

And, God is going to rule in the heaven and the earth through Christ, the Body of Christ, and Israel! 

Transcribed excerpt from a study in Acts by Ron Knight (Paul’s Special Ministry)