On the subject of the kingdom we observe that the inspired writers have been led of God to use a variety of expressions. Thus we read of “the kingdom”, "the kingdom of God," "the kingdom of heaven," "kingdom of our Lord," &c., and it well becomes us to seek to understand the different terms.
It was foretold in Dan. 2:44, "And in the days of these kings [the fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire] 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 forever." See also Dan. 7.
The God of Israel, who formerly had His throne of earthly government at Jerusalem, but in consequence of the sin of the house of David had withdrawn His glory to heaven and transferred the power to Gentiles in Nebuchadnezzar for a season, would ultimately replace Israel by His own direct rule from heaven. Notice that the title GOD OF HEAVEN is only found after the captivity.
The Lord announced the kingdom when on earth. This answered to the time noted above, inasmuch as it was during the existence of the Roman Empire, though it did not at that time consume it: that is still future. The rejection of Messiah by the Jews has put off till later times the kingdom in power.
The Lord Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven and of the kingdom of God. The parable of the leaven is referred to the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13:33, and to the kingdom of God in Luke 13:20; yet the terms are not interchangeable, indeed we find the expression "kingdom of heaven," or rather "the kingdom of the heavens," in the Gospel by Matthew only, which surely gives a dispensational character to that title. Israel was expecting an earthly kingdom, and in due time they will possess such, but it will be on the basis of the new covenant; the Lord directed their eyes to the kingdom of the heavens. They must look to heaven for present and future blessing.
Both John the Baptist and the Lord preached that the kingdom of the heavens was at hand, and required a moral preparedness for it; but it was no sooner announced than it was opposed. The rulers did not receive it, nor suffered others to do so, as far as they could prevent it. We may say that the kingdom of the heavens really began when Christ ascended to heaven; for the force of the expression is the seat of authority, not the sphere of the rule; as it is said, England rules India.
The term "Kingdom of God" is used in a wider sense, and often in a moral sense. The point is, whose rule it is, namely, God's. The authority is in the hands of the Lord Jesus; hence "the kingdom of Christ." It may be said to have been brought in when Christ began His ministry in the sense that "the kingdom of God is among you," for the King was present in their midst for their acceptance; but He was rejected, and the kingdom was not established. Our Lord said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drank it new (that is, after a new order) in the kingdom of God, and He taught His disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come." It is now, therefore, "the kingdom and patience " (Rev. 1:9); by-and-by it will he the kingdom in power. Christ is represented as having gone to receive a kingdom and to return. (Luke 19:12.)
Still, while our Lord is away, the kingdom goes on in its mysterious form. (Matt. 13). There are those who profess obedience to God and to the Lord Jesus, and who look to the heavens as the throne from whence come all their blessings, whilst living in this world of which Satan is the god.
The parables explain to us the nature of the kingdom while the Lord is away, and show us that there are not only true, but false ones in the kingdom: Satan introduces the latter, whereas the former are described as those that "hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit." (Mark 4:20.) See THE PARABLES, page 86.
The thought will naturally arise, What difference, if any, is there between the kingdom in its present existence, and the professing church?
The term "professing church" never occurs in scripture. It may he noted (1) that Christ spoke of the church as a future thing in Matt. 16:18, and it began to be formed at Pentecost. That which Christ builds, embraces every saved soul, and only such, "living stones," from that date until the Lord Himself comes to fetch the sleeping saints and those that may be alive at that moment. (1 Thess. 4:16,17; cf. Eph. 2:20,21.) This company forms also the body of Christ, of which He is the Head.
2. Besides the above we read of the church which is the house (1 Tim. 3:15); the builders of this are men, servants of Christ, (1 Cor. 3:9-17); and they may, perhaps, build in stones that are not living stones (1 Peter 2:5)—as for instance, Simon Magus (Acts 8:13)—and which will be refused by the Lord. Under another figure, such are compared to "wood, hay, and stubble" which will not stand the fire, but will he burnt up. (1 Cor. 3:3.)
Now, though false professors will be found in the church, which is the house, and those who "do iniquity" in the kingdom, yet the "church" and the kingdom are not interchangeable terms. The ideas are not the same. The kingdom is the sphere of Christ's rule; the church is the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit. In the kingdom the wheat and the tares are to grow together till the harvest. In the church a wicked person is to be put out (1 Cor. 5:13.)
We do not read of Satan acting in the church as he did when he sowed the tares among the wheat; it was in the world he did that, of which he is the god. He can and does act upon those who are in the church, and he has his emissaries there; but in the church he should be resisted. They who build in the wood, hay, and stubble are inside.
Neither will the church which is the house (which is often called Christendom) terminate at the same time as the kingdom. The church, which is the body of Christ, will, as we have seen, be fetched by Christ Himself. The Antichrist will then be developed, and Christendom will be judged and brought to an end before the millennium; whereas the kingdom, after being purged, will be in its full power as the kingdom of the Son of man, and will continue beyond the thousand years, until Christ shall deliver up the kingdom unto the Father, when God will be all in all. (1 Cor. 15: 24, 28.) See CHURCH in list of subjects.