Jerry,
Who in the historic true Christian Church before the 19th century distinguished between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven?
God always preserves His people and His truth. If this was an orthodox doctrine, we should find enduring evidence of it in 18 centuries of Church history.
jgr,
1. The Bible starts out with the formulation of the KoH and the KoG Genesis 1:26:28.
The physical Kingdom was the Garden of Eden and dominion over all creation.
Their relationship to God and their subjection to him was the spiritual kingdom.
This cannot be denied.
When they sinned they lost the physical kingdom and was kicked out of the garden.
They also lost the spiritual rule in their hearts and sacrifices were made shown by Abel.
This cannot be denied.
2. Genesis 3:15 is the first prophetic scripture to restore the spiritual kingdom at the Cross. This cannot be denied for it came to pass when Jesus died and rose again which all the gospels record.
3. The Jewish heritage came from Abraham Genesis 12-1:3.
This a fact and cannot be denied and is an eternal covenant that is connected to the physical kingdom for those who bless Israel shall be blessed and those who curse her will be cursed Genesis 12:4.
This cannot happen until Israel is at the head of the nations Isaiah 2:2-4.
4. Abraham was the beginning of the nation of Israel then came Isaac and Jacob.
Jacob's name was changed to Israel and his 12 sons made up the nation of Israel. Genesis 49:1 shows his sons which make up the nation and what would befall them in the last days.
Verse 10; the scepter shall not depart Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet. until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people shall be.
Psalm 60:7; Judah is the Lawgiver.
Verse 11, 12,13 show the past, present, and future of Israel. Deuteronomy 8:7-8 references going into a good land. This leads to the Kingdom through David which is eternal.
5. 2 Samuel 7:4-16; 1 Chronicles 28:1-8 shows the eternal covenant of the Davidic Line.
Isaiah 9:6-7 eternal kingdom that is connected to the restitution of all things Acts 3:19 which has not happened till Shiloh or the Messiah come from Heaven with his saints Revelation 19:11-15.
These are facts and cannot be denied.
6. The KoH term is only used in Matthew which is written more specific to the Jews and is Jehovah's gospel presenting Jehovah as King.
Jesus lineage from Abraham to David Matthew 1-16. from which the eternal covenants come from.
The KoH starts with John the Baptist ministry3:2; start of Jesus Ministry 4:17; Sermon on the Mount5:3-10; The Lord's Prayer 6:9-13; kingdom parables13/1-52; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25:1-46; Passover Meal 26:29 and the Great Commission 24:14; 28:18.
7. 2 Major themes in Matthew's unique phrase the KoH.
He connects Heaven and Earth together in more than 20 instances. Mark does twice and Luke 5 times.
Clearest text is Matthew 6:9-10.
Matthew's purpose is not designed to show a denotative difference or two avoid the divine name of God as in circumlocution because Matthew uses the word God in other passages.
8. Matthew's theological purposes- God's plan functioning despittheir historical context in Babylon and moving forward of the historical context of Rome.
Also, it is in light of the God of Heaven to supplant the Kingdoms of the earth.
Superiority of Heaven over Earth Psalm 48:1-2; Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:34-35 and 27:51.
This is mostly from a paper by Dr. Miller, PHD, Associate Professor in Bible Dept. at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and Seminary.
9. The basic concept is all scriptural and agrees with Dr. Hubert Lindsey of Theology and who was tutored by Rabbi Ziegler in the Torah and Jewish culture.
10. The terms being synomonous in some places can differ in hermeneutics and others such as the parallel places are because the Earthly KoH is a smaller sphere that is in the Universal KoG.
I still believe that the KoG in its spiritual aspect is about salvation Matthew 6:33; Luke 17:20-21.
The Jews were never told to seek the KoH in its spiritual aspect.
Either way you believe cannot change the fact of the Physical and Spiritual aspects of the Kingdom and the promises of the eternal covenants of Abraham and David specifically concerning the nation of Israel and the earthly kingdom connected to the restitution of all things.
11. This is the concept that I have been explaining the whole time. This view started at Genesis 1 and has been carried down by the patriarchs and the Jews way before the 1st century Christians.
12. For those who believe the terms are the same miss the main point of the whole context of Matthew.
Also, if you cannot understand the big picture historically of the Jewish context, under the Mosaic Law it is possible to live under the spirit of the Mosaic law, lose faith in God and lose hope in the future.
Wrong teaching in this area can hinder the Church in its evangelism and cause people to miss salvation and destroy one's confidence in the resurrected Lord and promote a feeling that Christianity is a failure.
It can have one to focus attention backwards 1900 years ago to a Christ on the cross, instead of the living Christ who is seated in the throne room today.
13. The KoH is translated Baselia Greek for kingdom from the Heavens.
Spiritual has always come from Heaven above and Christ said his Kingdom wasn't of this world and this shows a spiritual and physical aspects.
Jesus has all power and authority in Heaven and Earth Matthew 28:19 but will reign personally on earth when he takes the kingdoms of this world over by coming out of the Heavenly kingdom.
I recognize similarities and know why in these two terms. I also know the differences in the two terms and why it is important to know and understand the distinctions. Jerry kelso