The rule of heaven (and of God) over the earth. Before the call of Abraham God exercised a sort of moral government. From that time until the rejection of His people He was their King and Ruler. Subsequent to this, as shown by the great image of Daniel, the kingdoms of earth were established, and God is then emphatically called the “God of heaven,” as having retired from active rule on earth, even over His own people. The ten toes (the kingdoms of Europe) will go on till the public return of Christ in power (as the “little stone”) when He will crush them all, and the kingly power will be transferred from earth to heaven, anal the Son of Man will reign for 1,000 years over the whole earth. This “gospel of the kingdom” was proclaimed till the final rejection of Christ. The King being cast out now, the kingdom is in abeyance (or mystery), though all those who own Christ as Lord are morally in it. Therefore now in Paul’s gospel the kingdom is not the leading thought (though the apostle carefully preached also the kingdom of God), but the grace of God in saving souls. Observe the kingdom of heaven is not a kingdom in heaven, but over the earth, the subjects being the Jews and the sheep of Matt. 25 Christ is the King, but we who are believers are to reign with Him.