the two kingdoms

Message S04282018

Throughout the New Testament the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are preached. They are literally listed as 2 Kingdoms but:

Are they the same and interchangeable?

It has been preached and taught that they are interchangeable and the same. Many have stated that both refer to the same thing. Jesus under the anointing of the Holy Spirit gives us insight into whether the two are interchangeable. In Matthew 11 Jesus examines one of them and shows us how they are not the same.

Matthew 11:12

King James Bible
 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Amplified Bible

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize].

Ask yourself two questions: 

1. If the "Kingdom of God" is within you, and if the "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven" are one and the same, how could anyone take it out of you by violence?

2. Can anyone force God to let them into the Kingdom outside of what He requires a person to agree too?

Jesus NEVER ever refers to the “Kingdom of God” as being able to be defeated or taken over. However, He does state “the Kingdom of Heaven” can be. 

Why? 

It's all based on geographic  location. Jesus defends in Luke the position and location of the “Kingdom of God”. 

Luke 17: 20 

In this verse Jesus declares that the Kingdom of God is within us. The Kingdom of God is “within us” and the Kingdom of Heaven is “outside us”. 

Those outward possessions of God can be seized, stolen, taken, and robbed both by the enemy and humans.

From the beginning of Genesis when man chose to betray God, seizing and robbing the Kingdom of Heaven has been a constant. The Adam’s family robbed God by stealing the fruit that didn’t belong to them. They betrayed God. 

From that point on to the end of the Old Testament nothing changes. Greater theft by force, seizing and robbing is still persistent. Malachi 3, the last book of the Old Testament states man is continually robbing, seizing, stealing and taking from God, including His tithes, offerings, and alms. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is God's external working will. 

The Kingdom of God is God's internal working will.

The Kingdom of God is the internal working of God’s will. People can and do steal, seize, rob and take from God’s external Kingdom of Heaven on earth, but people cannot steal, seize, rob or take from God’s internal Kingdom of God. Things God places inside you cannot be stolen. No one can take Him from you. No one can remove your name from the book of life, and no one can steal or take your salvation in Christ.

By force our blessings, possessions, and the life we should and could have on earth can be robbed, stolen, or seized because we are the stewards or keepers of what is here on physical Earth.

But God is the steward and keeper of what is inside us through the marvelous Holy Spirit