Nebuchadnezzar dimly saw, namely that `the heavens do rule', and `the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men'

(Dan. 4:25, 26). In other words it is the kingdom set forth in the Old Testament Scriptures.

The kingdom of God is wider in scope and is as universal as the sovereignty of God over the whole creation

which includes heaven as well as earth. Consequently we find this phrase in Paul's writings as much at the end of

his life as at the beginning. This we will deal with later on.

In the Gospels the two phrases are sometimes used interchangeably as the following references show:

`Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand' (Matt. 4:17).

`The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye' (Mark 1:15).

`Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 5:3).

`Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God' (Luke 6:20).

`Suffer little children ... for of such is the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 19:14).

`Suffer the little children ... for of such is the kingdom of God' (Mark 10:14).

`That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 19:23).

`How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God' (Luke 18:24).

`He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he' (Matt. 11:11).

`He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he' (Luke 7:28).

`lt is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 13:11).

Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God' (Luke 8:10).

There are five passages in Matthew where He departs from the normal and uses the phrase `the kingdom of God'

(Matt. 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31 and 43). Because these two phrases are sometimes used interchangeably in the

Gospels, we must not assume that they are identical in meaning in all their occurrences in the New Testament. The

kingdom of heaven is the mediatorial kingdom of the Old Testament that we have been studying and seen that it is

related to God's dominion on the earth which is realized at the Second Advent when `the Son of man comes in His

kingdom' (Matt. 16:28) and takes control, whereas, as we have pointed out, the kingdom of God is all-embracive

including the heavenly phase of God's sovereignty. The reason why they can be used interchangeably in the

Gospels is that the lesser aspect (the kingdom of heaven) is included in the greater (the kingdom of God). We can

say with truth that London is in England, or that it is in Great Britain, but it would be erroneous to conclude from

this that England and Great Britain were identical terms.

To Israel alone was the kingdom of heaven made known and the reason for this should surely be clear from our

Old Testament study, for God had determined that they should be the centre of it and the means for making it

known, spreading its knowledge over the whole earth and Jerusalem should be its centre and capital city. Those

who ignore the Old Testament in the consideration of the kingdom theme, bring upon themselves difficulties which

are unanswerable. The Apostle Paul insists that Christ was a minister of the circumcision (Israel) for the truth of

God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with the purpose that blessing

should ultimately reach the whole world:

The Saviour said to the Gentile woman:

`... I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. 15:24).

These words are perfectly clear and are those of One Who said `I am the Truth' (John 14;6). Moreover not only

was His earthly ministry limited to Israel but He placed the same limitation on the ministry of the twelve:

`These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any

city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. 10:5,6).

Those who spiritualize and ignore the Old Testament are bewildered by these statements and wonder, if they are

true, how He can be the Saviour of the world at the same time, but the problem is of their own making and comes

from disregarding the testimony of the Bible as a whole concerning the great subject of God's kingdom. The

coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to His earthly people was absolutely crucial for them and the working out of God's