When we trace the kingdom element in the seven epistles of Paul written after the Acts, we find that the word

`kingdom' occurs five times:

`For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any

inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God' (Eph. 5:5).

`(The Father) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His

dear Son' (Col. 1:13).

`Onesimus ... Aristarchus ... Marcus ... Jesus called Justus ... These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom

of God, which have been a comfort unto me' (Col. 4:9-11).

`In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His

appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word' (2 Tim. 4:1, 2 N.I.V.).

`And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to

Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen' (2 Tim. 4:18).

There are some teachers who hold that the Prison Epistles of Paul have no thought of kingdom teaching in them.

The above references will show how wrong this is. What we can say with assurance is that the earthly kingdom

does not figure in the epistles, but a kingdom in the highest heavens certainly does.

There is everything to link the calling of the Body of Christ with heaven and not with the earth. Those who

perceive that this calling is separate from Israel the nation and Israel's hope, but at the end, link it with the Messianic

kingdom on earth are making a great mistake.

The teaching of Ephesians and Colossians is that this church is blessed `in heavenly places', a spiritual calling,

with `all spiritual blessings' (Eph. 1:3). The members are exhorted to set their mind on things above, not on the

earth (Col. 3:1,2) and they are seen to be `seated with Christ in the heavenly places', which is far above all human

reckoning and so, it is completely disassociated from the earth in its spiritual constitution and destiny. Now, as we

stated at the beginning of this study, God's final kingdom must embrace the heavens as well as the earth, for His

sovereignty must extend manifestly over the whole creation and nothing can be outside it. Consequently it is a

kingdom in the heavens which the Prison Epistles of Paul reveal, which are not only heavenly in character, but

heavenly in sphere. And it is only when we get this wider conception of the Lord's kingly rule that we get nearer to

understanding the vastness and wonder of the purpose of the ages centred in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:9-11 reveals that every being in heaven as well as on earth and under the earth (whatever that

means) will finally bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is LORD to the glory of the Father, showing that

God's kingdom in earth and heaven must finally embrace all heavens and all that are in them. This obviously goes

much wider than the Old Testament revelation for establishing His kingdom to the ends of the world.

Thus it is that the revelation of God through Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus, completes His great kingdom

purpose, and those who omit this can only have a defective conception of its greatness and wonder.

The kingdom of the Son of His (the Father's) love into which the Body has been translated must therefore be the

great spiritual kingdom of heavenly places where Christ is now enthroned. As we have seen that the kingdom of

God is all-embracive its occurrences in Colossians cause no problem, but refer likewise to this heavenly calling in

that kingdom.

It is significant that almost Paul's last thought in his last epistle, 2 Timothy, is of the kingdom of his prison

letters. He says:

`The Lord ... will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom ...' (2 Tim. 4:18).

Again, we stress that this aspect of the kingdom of God, is not only heavenly in character (like the earthly

kingdom, when God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven), but it will be enjoyed by the Body of Christ where

they are now seen to be in God's plan, that is enthroned with Christ, where He is now exalted (Eph. 2:6). This is the