UNLEARNING THE LIES ABOUT HEAVEN - 2

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

One of the lies we have swallowed deeply into the body of Christ through some unskillful bible teachers is that - to ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD OR HEAVEN is to die and then live forever with God in Heaven after. What a WHITE LIE!

This was exactly the theme of all of John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ preaching. Most times they say “the Kingdom of God is at hand”. Almost all of Jesus’ parables are about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God is not different from the kingdom of Heaven. I have heard many teachers try to distinguish between the two, but all are just putting up coined human manipulations and theological jargons.

The “kingdom of Heaven” was used interchangeably with the “Kingdom of God” several times by the both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist in the four gospel books.

Since Heaven is considered as the throne of God, which is same as his presence and territory, then it is sufficient to interchange the word “Heaven” for “God”.

So the KINGDOM OF GOD is the same as THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Just like saying, “the government of Nigeria”. Since it is the president that is ruling the country, we can as well call it “the government of Buhari”.

I hope that is clear now?

Now we define properly the kingdom of God as the rulership of the Sovereign King, God. It does not refer to a place in paradise! That is heaven, not the Kingdom of Heaven!

The kingdom of God or Heaven is an act of God’s control over his territory. The kingdom of God is not a location you go after death, it is a location you go after salvation.

The kingdom of God or Heaven is NOT THE SAME as The Heaven!

Since the word “kingdom” refers to RULERSHIP, CONTROL AND DOMINION over a certain entity

So the kingdom of Heaven is the rulership of heaven (the presence of God) over an entity

So when the bible talks about ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD, just like Jesus told Nicodemus, it is not the same as MAKING HEAVEN.

Entering the Kingdom or becoming part of the Kingdom of God does not mean that after you die, you wear white cloth and joyfully enter the gates of heaven with dances and songs.  NO! The bible does not teach that drama!

Entering the Kingdom of God is becoming born again!

Entering the Kingdom of God is receiving the Holy Spirit!

Entering the Kingdom of God is regaining relationship with God to dominate this earth!

Entering the Kingdom of God, is receiving from God and acting in his stead!

We will see this in few scriptures now…

See how Jesus put it in Matthew 6:10, “thy Kingdom come (the Kingdom of God), THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, as in heaven” this was a prayer before the death and resurrection of Jesus and before the day of Pentecost.

See what John the Baptist said in John 1...”the TIME IS FULFILLED, and the Kingdom of God is at hand… “Time is fulfilled means NOTHING IS DELAYING the kingdom to arrive, referring to the COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

See a scripture that will raise your eyebrows in Luke 9:27… “but I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here; WHICH SHALL NOT TASTE OF DEATH, TILL THEY SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD” You see?? Jesus cannot be talking of a kingdom that you will enter with white cloth after death if he said to those people that THEY WILL NOT DIE BEFORE THEY ENTER INTO IT . For him to say they will not die, it means arrival of the kingdom is near to happen as at that time he was speaking and that the kingdom he was talking about is meant to be on earth. I hope you get it?

Because of space, we take this final one… very special one for those that are always dreaming of a white kingdom of Jesus Christ with a massive show of angels. Luke 17:20-21… “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God COMETH NOT WITH OBSERVATION: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or Lo there!, for behold, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU” Case closed!

So when Jesus Christ or John the Baptist says that the kingdom of God is at hand, they refer to the nearness of the coming of the rulership, dominion and control of the earth through the believers by the help of the Holy Spirit. In order words, the kingdom of God THAT WAS NEAR according to John the Baptist and Jesus was referring to nearness of the day of the Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit of God. This is because the Holy Spirit is the orchestrator of the Kingdom of God.

See how Jesus puts it in Matthew 12:28 “but if I cast out devils by THE SPIRIT OF GOD, then THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COME UNTO YOU”

The believer is connected to God through the Holy Spirit joined together with his or her born again spirit. That is why Jesus told Nicodemus, except a man is born of water and of SPIRIT; he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Kingdom of God/Heaven!

So the KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND does not refer to some future event.

The Kingdom has already come more than 2 THOUSAND YEARS BACK!

The kingdom of God is in every country right now and is already taking over the earth through citizens of the kingdom!

The kingdom of God is not physical kingdom; it is the Holy Spirit ruling through the kings (believers)

We (believers) are the ones legislating God’s kingdom on earth! We are the ones who will establish FULLY this kingdom.

We have been made Kings! That’s why Jesus Christ is called the King of kings! We are the ‘kings’ he rules.

We are the ones who will bring about the full establishment of the kingdom of God; going to heaven is not why we were saved!

We were saved in order to restore the kingdom of God lost by the first man, Adam!

Though not yet fully established, we are in the kingdom of God already, don’t be deceived!

Philip Oklu