Quite a while back we were enjoying a Bible study in our home, and a good brother came up with a teaching that I had never considered.

In a nut shell, he stated that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven were two different kingdoms.  Initially I considered this to be hair splitting, and not worth chasing, but he was adamant about the difference, stating that the message had to be understood with this difference.

Okay, since I welcome a topic to discuss, and to consider what the Bible is trying to teach me, I resolved to look into it for my brothers sake.  – Spenser – if you are out there, give me a call – it has been too lang since we spoke and I miss you brother.

For the next few posts, I will provide verses where the Master, in teaching of the Kingdom,  sometimes uses God and sometimes uses  Heaven as the modifier (in the same teaching).

Let’s continue with our second post to see if we can find  any obvious differences.

Teaching of the Kingdom – 4

Matthew 13:11

And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Mark 4:11

And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,

Luke 8:10

he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

Golly.  This one ain’t helping either.

I know – maybe there is some overlap in the two kingdoms and that could explain the exact same descriptions used for both kingdoms, even though they may have characteristics that are different in some other aspect.

Let’s wait and see before we make up our minds

Teaching of the Kingdom – 5

Matthew 13:24

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,

Mark 4:26

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.

Difference – One time the farmer is sowing seed, the other time, the farmer is scattering seed.  At least with this set of verses, there is a difference in the message, but alas, it is a difference without distinction.

Let’s wait and see before we make up our minds

Teaching of the Kingdom – 6

Matthew 13:31, 32

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Mark 4:30 – 32

And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,

yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Luke 13:18, 19

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

Okay – so this is the parable of the mustard seed.  Not seeing anything jump out a me that will help differentiate between the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God in this instance.

Let’s wait and see before we make up our minds

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