Kingdom of Heaven

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The kingdom of heaven testified in the Bible is a beautiful world where angels live, and it is our spiritual home.

The kingdom of heaven is a spiritual realm where the heavenly hosts, angels, and the sons of God dwell with God. It is the true home of souls, where all humans once lived before coming to earth in the flesh, and a glorious place where the redeemed will reign with God forever and ever.

Name of the Kingdom of Heaven

In the original Greek, the term for the kingdom of heaven is βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia ton uranon), which translates to “kingdom of heaven’ or the “kingdom in heaven.” Jesus, who is God in nature, came to make this kingdom of heaven known through the gospel.[1] The term “kingdom of heaven” is mentioned 32 times in the book of Matthew and one time in the book of 2 Timothy[2] in the NIV 1984 version. It is also mentioned in various other ways throughout the rest of the Scripture, such as “heaven,”[3][4] “heavenly realms,” “kingdom of God,”[5][6] “kingdom of Father,”[7] “Father’s house,”[8] “Paradise,”[9][10] “kingdom of the Son he loves,”[11] “eternal kingdom”,[12] “kingdom of our Lord,”[13] “Abraham’s side,”[14] “heavenly Jerusalem,”[15] “a new heaven and a new earth,”[16][17] “angelic world,” “heavenly Canaan,” etc. Despite these varied expressions, they all point to the same kingdom of heaven. Even those unfamiliar with God are also often aware of the concept of heaven. People frequently use the term to convey their highest sense of joy or peace, as in expressions like “This is the kingdom of heaven on earth” or “It feels like we are in heaven.”

Significance of the Kingdom of Heaven

Home of the Soul

The Bible teaches that the body and soul are united to form a living being.[18] While the body comes into existence through physical birth, the soul existed prior to earthly life.[19][20] The forefathers of faith in the Bible described their physical lives on earth as those of aliens and strangers.[21][22][23] If our souls are strangers in this world, it means that our true home lies elsewhere.


If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one.

Hebrews 11:15–16


Just as our body has a home, our soul also has a place where it belongs—and that place is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is the origin of our souls, the true and original home from which they came.

The Eternal Kingdom of Heaven

Just as the soul existed before the body, it continues to exist even after the body dies, without ceasing to be.[24] Apostle Peter spoke of laying aside the tent of his flesh,[25] and Apostle Paul expressed his longing to be away from the body and present with God.[26] Both affirmed that the soul exists independently of the body. Since it is written that we will leave the body and be with God, who dwells in the kingdom of heaven, this indicates that the kingdom of heaven is where human souls existed before taking on a body[27] and where they return after shedding it.[28][29]

However, not all souls return to the kingdom of heaven. Human souls took on flesh on this earth because of sin,[30][31][32] and after death comes judgment.[33] In His teachings on the kingdom of heaven, Jesus urged people to “repent,” emphasizing that only those who seek forgiveness can return to this spiritual home. Only those who receive the forgiveness of sins can be resurrected, clothed in the robes of angels, and enter this spiritual realm.[34][35][36]

Jesus came to this earth in the flesh, just like ordinary people.[37][38][39] After dying on the cross, His soul was separated from His body,[40] but He was resurrected in divine form.[41] The life of Jesus—both before and after His time on earth—reveals humanity’s existence both before and after earthly life. His resurrection assures us that, even though we die physically, we, too, can live again.[42][43]

Life in the Kingdom of Heaven

In the kingdom of heaven, where there is no speed limit, the vast universe can be traversed in a moment.

Transcending time and space, movement in this realm surpasses all speed limitations. When Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel, sent from the center of the universe, delivered God’s answer even before Daniel finished praying.[44] The angels of the kingdom of heaven remain unharmed even in temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius[45] and can move freely, even within the confines of the harshest prisons.[46]

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the authors of the Bible[47] describe the kingdom of heaven as a place overflowing with daily joy and happiness[48]—a place where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.[49] It is a place without night, where neither the light of a lamp nor the sun is needed. In this eternal kingdom, we will reign forever and ever.[50] The Bible also depicts it as a place where the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flows from the throne of God, with the tree of life on both sides of the river, bearing fruit each month.[51] It is a realm of eternal blessings,[52] beyond human imagination or words.[53]

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the spirits of the righteous who dwell in the kingdom of heaven are referred to by various terms: angels in heaven,[34] a great company of the heavenly host,[54] and the sons of God.[55][56] The heavenly hosts and angels are God’s servants, carrying out His missions, while the sons of God refer to the holy people in heaven. Yet, the heavenly hosts, angels, and sons of God are not distinct from one another but are the same, as all were created with the breath of life from God.[35] Those who are saved will be clothed in imperishable glory[36] and, like angels, will become sons of God.[57] They will live forever with Him in the kingdom of heaven, exploring every star in the vast universe.[58]

The Way to the Kingdom of Heaven

The way to the kingdom of heaven is revealed in the Bible. God’s promise is eternal life,[59] and the ultimate goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls.[60] Both eternal life and the salvation of our souls refer to entering the kingdom of heaven. To guide us to this end, God gave the Bible to humanity. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Bible—containing God’s words and the works of Jesus—serves as a signpost pointing to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus, who grants us salvation, taught us the conditions for entering heaven as follows.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 7:21


The greatest condition to enter the kingdom of heaven is to do the “will of Father.” Since verse 23 says, “Away from me, you evildoers [you who practice lawlessness, NASB],” it is clear that God’s will is to keep His law.

God’s Law: The New Covenant

Jesus established the new covenant, which contains the promise of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life at the Holy Supper of the Passover.

Human souls committed grievous sins in the kingdom of heaven and were cast down to this earth, destined to die.[32][61] For humanity to return to heaven, where there is no death, it is essential to receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The new covenant, established by Jesus to bestow these blessings, is God’s law, and the core truth of the new covenant is the Passover. Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.”[62] On the day of the Passover,[63] Jesus gave bread to His disciples, saying, “This is my body,” and gave them wine, saying, “This is the new covenant in my blood.”[64] Jesus referred to the Passover wine as His blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.[65] Therefore, those who observe the New Covenant Passover, according to God’s will, can enter the kingdom of heaven.

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:22–24

Realization About Christ

Apostle Paul described Christ as the mystery hidden for ages and generations.[66] He also said that in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2–3


Eventually, those who realize and receive Christ find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and will ultimately enter the kingdom of heaven. Peter, who recognized Jesus as the Christ and confessed it, was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven.[67] Jesus also declared that He is the way to the kingdom of heaven, where Heavenly Father is.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6


Additionally, the Bible teaches us many things about living according to God’s will. For example, it instructs us to cultivate virtues such as faith, obedience, love, sacrifice, endurance, and self-control, so that we may be reborn as children who resemble the holy God[68][69] and enter the kingdom of heaven.[70]

The Kingdom of Grace

The kingdom of heaven is the spiritual world where God reigns, and where the saints, clothed in spiritual bodies, partake in eternal joy and happiness alongside the angels. However, the Bible also teaches that the saints living in the flesh on earth already experience the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven.

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”

Luke 11:20

God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:5–6

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men.

Hebrews 12:22–23


The Bible tells us that souls in the flesh are suffering under the power of darkness and death.[71][72] Through His sacrifice, God has transferred mankind to the kingdom of His loved son, where we can receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:13–14


The “kingdom of the Son He loves,” which saints in the flesh have already entered, is God’s kingdom established on this earth when He came as our Savior—namely, the “kingdom of grace.”[73] Even in this world, any realm where God reigns over and bestows grace is the kingdom of grace.[74][75][76] The Bible says that God chose Zion as His dwelling place,[77] and He is with us in Zion, the city of our feasts,[78] granting the blessings of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.[79][80] Therefore, the kingdom of grace, where God rules according to His laws, is Zion.[81][82][83][84] The kingdom of grace is the place where, through the grace of Jesus, we prepare on earth to enter the kingdom of heaven.[85] Those who dwell in Zion, the kingdom of grace, will ultimately enter the eternal kingdom of heaven.

FAQs About the Kingdom of Heaven

  • Are the ‘kingdom of heaven’ and the ‘kingdom of God’ different?
Some people insist that the saints will be divided into those who will enter the “kingdom of heaven” and those who will live in an earthly “paradise,” each living forever. They suggest that the term “kingdom of God” refers to both the kingdom of heaven and the earthly paradise. However, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are, in fact, the same. The term “kingdom of heaven” literally refers to a kingdom in heaven, emphasizing its location, while the “kingdom of God” refers to a kingdom ruled by God, emphasizing its ruler. We can easily confirm this by comparing parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark in the same situation.
  • Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
  • Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
  • Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
  • Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
  • Matthew 19:23–24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
  • Mark 10:23–25 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”


  • Is the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived, the same as the kingdom of heaven?
Many people believe that the kingdom of heaven is the same as the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived. However, this belief leads to contradictions. In the Garden of Eden, people were fruitful and multiplied through marriage. If the kingdom of heaven were like that, no one would die and the population would endlessly increase while living forever. Yet, Jesus taught that in the kingdom of heaven we are going to, there will be no marriage or giving in marriage. This proves that the kingdom of heaven is not the same as the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived.

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.”

Luke 20:34–36

Apostle Paul also explained the difference between the Garden of Eden and the kingdom of heaven as follows:

The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:47–49

“Those who are of the earth” indicate humans in the flesh; and “those who are of heaven” refer to Jesus, the sons of God,[55] the heavenly hosts, and angels who have been with God from the beginning. Though we are of the dust of the earth, we will leave this physical world and go to the spiritual world—the kingdom of heaven. The heavenly realm we are destined for is not the Garden of Eden, where the earthly beings once lived, but the spiritual world where spiritual beings reside.[86]


  • Can we enter the kingdom of heaven by simply living a good life?
Living a good life is commendable, but it does not qualify us for salvation. Spiritually, all people are sinners who committed sins deserving of the death penalty in heaven and were cast down to this earth.[30][31][32] Just as a death row inmate cannot avoid their sentence through small acts of kindness for other prisoners, performing good deeds on earth does not promise entry into heaven. While good deeds may prevent us from accumulating more sins, they only maintain the status quo. To return to the kingdom of heaven, we must receive the forgiveness of sins.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Ephesians 1:7


  • Will the great multitude live in an earthly paradise, not in heaven?
Some people claim, “Only the 144,000, the little flock, will live eternally in heaven, and the countless great multitude will live eternally on this earth.” According to this view, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would also have to live on the earth forever. This is because they were saints from the Old Testament times, so they could never be part of the 144,000. However, Jesus clearly stated that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be in the kingdom of heaven, not on this earth.

“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 8:11

Since Jesus said, “Only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven,”[87] it implies that those who do not do the will of God will not enter heaven. If the great multitude were to remain on earth instead of entering the kingdom of heaven, it means that they, too, did not follow God’s will. Those who do not follow God’s will cannot receive eternal life and, therefore, cannot live forever, even in an earthly paradise. Therefore, the claim that the great multitude will live in an earthly paradise is false.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Matthew 4:17".
  2. ↑ "2 Timothy 4:18".
  3. ↑ "Galatians 1:8".
  4. ↑ "Philippians 3:20".
  5. ↑ "Mark 10:14".
  6. ↑ "Luke 8:1".
  7. ↑ "Matthew 13:43".
  8. ↑ "John 14:2".
  9. ↑ "Luke 23:43".
  10. ↑ "Revelation 2:7".
  11. ↑ "Colossians 1:13".
  12. ↑ "2 Peter 1:11".
  13. ↑ "Matthew 20:21".
  14. ↑ "Luke 16:22".
  15. ↑ "Hebrews 12:22".
  16. ↑ "2 Peter 3:13".
  17. ↑ "Revelation 21:1".
  18. ↑ "Genesis 2:7".
  19. ↑ "Proverbs 8:22–23".
  20. ↑ "Job 38:4–21".
  21. ↑ "Genesis 47:8–9".
  22. ↑ "Psalms 119:54".
  23. ↑ "Hebrews 11:13".
  24. ↑ "Ecclesiastes 12:7".
  25. ↑ "2 Peter 1:13–14".
  26. ↑ "2 Corinthians 5:8".
  27. ↑ "Hebrews 11:15–16".
  28. ↑ "2 Corinthians 5:1".
  29. ↑ "Philippians 1:23–24".
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Luke 19:10".
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Matthew 9:13".
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 "Romans 6:23".
  33. ↑ "Revelation 20:12".
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Matthew 22:30".
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 "Luke 20:35–36".
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "1 Corinthians 15:51–52".
  37. ↑ "Isaiah 9:6".
  38. ↑ "Luke 1:31–33".
  39. ↑ "Matthew 13:55".
  40. ↑ "Luke 23:46".
  41. ↑ "Matthew 28:5–6".
  42. ↑ "Acts 24:15".
  43. ↑ "1 Peter 1:3".
  44. ↑ "Daniel 9:21".
  45. ↑ "Daniel 3:26".
  46. ↑ "Acts 12:7".
  47. ↑ "2 Peter 1:21".
  48. ↑ "Proverbs 8:29–30".
  49. ↑ "Revelation 21:4".
  50. ↑ "Revelation 22:5".
  51. ↑ "Revelation 22:1–2".
  52. ↑ "Daniel 7:18".
  53. ↑ "1 Corinthians 2:9".
  54. ↑ "Luke 2:13".
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 "Job 38:7".
  56. ↑ "Genesis 6:2".
  57. ↑ "Matthew 23:8–9".
  58. ↑ Ahnsahnghong, Chapter 18 The Soul Made of God's Breath of Life, VISITORS FROM THE ANGELIC WORLD, Melchizedek Pub. Co., Ltd
  59. ↑ "1 John 2:25".
  60. ↑ "1 Peter 1:9".
  61. ↑ "Revelation 20:12–15".
  62. ↑ "John 6:54".
  63. ↑ "Luke 22:15".
  64. ↑ "Luke 22:19–20".
  65. ↑ "Matthew 26:28".
  66. ↑ "Colossians 1:26–27".
  67. ↑ "Matthew 16:16–19".
  68. ↑ "John 3:5".
  69. ↑ "1 Peter 1:15".
  70. ↑ "2 Peter 1:4–11".
  71. ↑ "Matthew 4:16".
  72. ↑ "Psalms 90:10".
  73. ↑ "Ephesians 2:5–6".
  74. ↑ "1 Peter 2:9".
  75. ↑ "Revelation 1:6".
  76. ↑ "Revelation 5:10".
  77. ↑ "Psalms 132:13–14".
  78. ↑ "Isaiah 33:20–21".
  79. ↑ "Isaiah 33:24".
  80. ↑ "Psalms 133:3".
  81. ↑ "Jeremiah 4:5–6".
  82. ↑ "Jeremiah 50:4–5".
  83. ↑ "Micah 4:1–2".
  84. ↑ "Revelation 14:1".
  85. ↑ "1 Corinthians 3:16–17".
  86. ↑ Ahnsahnghong, Chapter 15 Our Country We Will Return to, VISITORS FROM THE ANGELIC WORLD, Melchizedek Pub. Co., Ltd, 2021, pg. 59
  87. ↑ "Matthew 7:21–23".
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