The Kingdom of the Heavens is the royal reign of the heavens over the kingdoms of men through the watchers, while the Kingdom of God is the sphere of authority God personally wields relating to the saved and unfallen spirit beings in every dispensation. Jesus first proclaimed the Kingdom of God before beginning to proclaim the Kingdom of the Heavens after John was imprisoned.
Pastor Luther Walker reviews the immersion of Jesus in Matthew 3:13–17. Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to be immersed by John so that all righteousness is fulfilled, setting Him apart for the three years of ministry to Israel. After the immersion He is tempted in the wilderness for forty days and nights. He begins to proclaim the Kingdom of the Heavens in Matthew 4:12 once He hears that John has been put in prison. John had carried that message; Jesus had begun with the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of the Heavens is the royal reign from the heavens over the earth and the final judge regarding man and the kingdoms of men. Daniel 4:17 and 4:26 show this with Nebuchadnezzar: the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He wills by the decree of the watchers. The watchers are angels given duty over the kingdoms of men—both holy unfallen ones and fallen ones. 1 Kings 22:19–23 records a lying spirit sent into the mouths of prophets, and 1 Samuel 16:14 records a distressing spirit sent upon Saul after the kingdom is taken from him. The heavens, not human desire, determine who occupies the thrones of men.
The Kingdom of God is the sphere of authority God personally wields in relation to salvation for the saved and for unfallen spirit beings across all dispensations. Psalm 103:17–22 presents the mercy of the Lord from age to age, His throne established in the heavens, and His kingdom ruling over the earth, with angels and hosts blessing Him. Salvation is by faith in every dispensation: Abraham was saved because he believed God concerning the seed as the stars; today one is saved by believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. The content of the promise differs; the manner of taking God at His word remains the same.
Jesus therefore proclaimed the Kingdom of God before He proclaimed the Kingdom of the Heavens. The Gospel of John focuses primarily on the Kingdom of God. In John 3:3 Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless one is born from above he cannot discern the Kingdom of God. The same word anōthen appears in John 3:31 and is correctly rendered “from above.” What Gentiles now possess in Christ was first offered to Israel; it is received because Israel rejected it. Signs are for the Jews (1 Corinthians 1:22). Romans 9:4–5 lists the placement of sons, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, the promises, the fathers, and Christ according to the flesh as pertaining first to the Israelites.
Seven signs in John point to aspects of the salvation that arrives in the Dispensation of Grace:
John 2:11, water turned to wine by a simple utterance, points to salvation coming by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
John 4:54, the nobleman’s son healed at a distance when the man believed the word spoken, points to salvation by faith—taking God at His word (Romans 3:21–22; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:1).
John 5:1–15, the paralyzed man at the Sheep Gate healed without knowing who healed him, points to salvation by grace, a benefit given without regard to merit (Ephesians 2:8).
John 6, the feeding of the five thousand with a lad’s small meal, points to God using a human as the agency by which the gospel reaches others in this dispensation (1 Corinthians 1:17).
John 6:16–21, the disciples struggling in the storm until Jesus steps into the boat and they are immediately at land, points to being kept by the inherent ability of God (1 Peter 1:5).
John 9:1–41, the man born blind receiving sight, points to spiritual sight that is not possessed by natural birth (Ephesians 1:18).
The raising of Lazarus points to life that is not possessed by natural birth—being born from above by the Spirit after the resurrection (John 3:3; Titus 3:5; 1 John 3:2).
After John’s imprisonment, Jesus begins to proclaim in Matthew 4:17: change your mind, for the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand.
