THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

Many biblical scholars will tell you that there is a difference between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God.  But as with all biblical teachings, Christians need to study the subject themselves, as biblical experts often perpetuate "biblical truths" handed down from previous generations (Acts 17:11).  For example, how many "wise men" visited the baby Jesus to worship Him, and where was He when they finally arrived?  If one "studies" nativity scenes for the answers, they will say there were three, and they arrived at the manger scene.  However, their number is not given in the Scriptures, and by the time they found Him, Jesus was living with Mary and Joseph in a house in Bethlehem; notice He is not called a "babe" (Lk. 2:8-12), but is identified as a "young child" (Mt. 2:1-18)!  That is why Herod wanted all male children two years of age and younger killed; he knew Jesus was under the age of two!

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

The phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven" appears thirty-three times in the Scriptures, ALL in the Book of Matthew!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

The phrase "the Kingdom of God" appears fifty-four times in the New Testament Gospels, five of them are found in Matthew's Gospel (6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43)!

THE PROBLEM WITH DEFINING THEM AS TWO SEPARATE KINGDOMS!

Often, Matthew will use the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" in the same quote found in Luke's Gospel,  where Jesus is quoted as saying "the Kingdom of God!"  Here are a few examples:

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Matthew 8:11 - And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 

Compare with:

Luke 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.

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Matthew 11:11 -  Verily 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.  

Compare with:

Luke 7:28 - For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

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Matthew 13:33 - Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

  

Compare with:

Luke 13:20-21 - And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

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So what can we learn from this?  The clear answer is that when one reads God's Word, he or she needs to take the time to study all that the Scriptures have to say on a subject.  Otherwise, it is not only possible that a teaching will be misunderstood, it is very likely!  A good example is the biblical view of divorce.  Each individual statement in the Scriptures, when taken by itself, results in a distorted understanding of God's revelation on the subject.  However, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, God's truth is clearly revealed (Example:  See Deut. 24:1-4; Mt. 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mk. 10:2-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-17). 

DO NOT TAKE MAN'S WORD WHEN IT COMES TO GOD'S WORD!

STUDY ALL THAT GOD HAS REVEALED ON A SUBJECT!