A COMPARISON OF
THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS,
THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND THE CHURCH
The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens has a very wide scope, including all who are called Christians, regardless of whether they are real or false. Not all of those who are in the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens are in the church because not all of them are saved. Only the saved ones among them are in the church. The scope of the church is therefore narrower than the scope of the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. The church includes only those who are true believers, having the life of Christ.
All those who are in the church are also in the kingdom of God, because during the dispensation of the church, the church is the kingdom of God. The scope of the church and the scope of the kingdom of God during the dispensation of the church are the same. However, not all of those who are in the church are in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, because not all of them are overcomers. Only the overcomers in the church are in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Thus, the scope of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is narrower than that of the church and the kingdom of God. It includes only the believers who are living a heavenly life and are overcomers.
Those who are being disciplined today in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens are those who will reign in the future in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, the scope of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is equal to the scope of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.
The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, Christendom, is related to the nominal Christians. The church and the kingdom of God are related to the saved ones. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens and the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens are related to the overcoming believers. A nominal Christian is only in the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, that is, Christendom. A person who is merely saved is in the church and in the kingdom of God. Only those who are saved and seeking to overcome, submitting to the heavenly authority, and receiving the heavenly discipline are in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today and can enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the future.
According to God’s original intention and salvation, there should not be these differences and comparisons. God’s original intention was to make the kingdom of the heavens, the kingdom of God, and the church the same in scope during the dispensation of the church. The church is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 16:18-19). Those who are in the church are those who are in the kingdom of God; those who are in the kingdom of God are also those who are in the kingdom of the heavens. The scope of the three are the same, but their definitions differ. The church denotes the position of the believers—called out of the world and standing outside of the world. The church is ecclesia, meaning the called-out ones assembling together. The kingdom of God denotes the life of the believers which is of God and is capable of living within the realm of God. All those who are in the kingdom of God are born of God (John 3:3, 5). The kingdom of the heavens denotes the living of the believers who are submitting to the heavenly ruling and receiving heavenly discipline. The kingdom of the heavens is the ruling of the heavens. According to God’s intention, the definitions of these three may be different, but their scope should be absolutely the same. All those who are in the church ought to be in the kingdom of God, and all those who are in the kingdom of God ought to be in the kingdom of the heavens. This is God’s intention, and God’s salvation has saved us to such an extent.
(The Kingdom, Chapter 47, by Witness Lee)
