How Many Times Is Kingdom Mentioned in The Bible? (What Is the Kingdom of God, Biblical References About Kingdom + Bible Verses About Kingdom)

As a devout pastor serving in the ministry, I am enthusiastic about the kingdom that surpasses the earthly realm. People often ask me what this kingdom refers to. They wonder whether it is a physical or spiritual kingdom. They also ask who the ruler of the kingdom is. I preach to them that this kingdom is found in the scriptures. This prompted me to address the question, how many times is kingdom mentioned in the Bible?

In this article, I will address the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms mentioned in the Bible. I will equally provide Biblical references of the kingdom and what it represents. By exploring the scriptures, you will gain knowledge on the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, the keys of the kingdom, and what the Kingdom of God suffers violence means. Without further ado, join me on this exploration as we delve into this fascinating matter.

What Is the Kingdom of God According to the Bible?

According to John 18:36, the Kingdom of God is defined as the Almighty’s overall spiritual reign that is not of this world. In Romans 14:17-18, the kingdom of God entails righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit and service to Jesus Christ. This means that the hearts and lives of people who acknowledge the lordship of Christ and willingly comply with God’s authority are members of His kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the undisputable rule of all creation and the reign of a sovereign, eternal God over the entire universe as portrayed in Daniel 4:3. In Psalms 103:19 and Daniel 2:44, God has established His throne in Heaven, and His kingdom reigns over all and incorporates everything that is.

How many kingdoms are mentioned in the Bible?

There are two kingdoms mentioned in the Bible. These are the spiritual kingdom and the earthly kingdom.

Spiritual Kingdom

In the Old Testament, the Psalmist explains that God is the eternal king, as illustrated in Psalms 45:6, Psalms 29:10, and Psalms 95:3. God rules the heavenly realm, which is a spiritual kingdom as indicated in The Lord’s Prayer where Jesus Christ encouraged people to pray for the Father’s kingdom to come to Earth and that His will would be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven as illustrated in Matthew 6:9-10. Jesus equally alluded to Pontius Pilate that His kingdom was of the spiritual realm and not of this world as described in John 18:36. Scriptures also inform us that Satan has a kingdom, too, in Luke 11:18.

Earthly Kingdom

A futuristic earthly kingdom known as the Millennial Reign will be on Earth for 1,000 years, as depicted in Revelation 20:2-6. The same scriptures imply that the inhabitants of the earthly rule will be all the saints since the dawn of time and the remnant believer population after the Great Tribulation.

This kingdom will be established by Jesus Christ as indicated in Revelation 11:15 after He conquers during the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the world described in Revelation 19:11-21. Daniel 4:34-35 and Psalms 22:28 suggest that God controls the course of human history and has deferred His absolute rule over the nations of Earth to the future as His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

Biblical references about the kingdom

There are various Biblical references to the kingdom.

1 Corinthians 4:20 states that the kingdom of God is not a mere word but power.

Psalms 145:13 states that God’s kingdom is eternal, and His dominion lasts throughout all generations.

Hebrews 12:28 addresses that God’s kingdom cannot be shaken.

In Matthew 10:7-8, Jesus commanded His disciples to perform miracles for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

According to Revelation 11:15, the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and He shall reign forever.

Isaiah 9:6-7 addresses the prophecy of Jesus Christ having a peaceful government with justice and righteousness on the throne of David and over His kingdom.

Zechariah 14:9 states that the Lord will be king over the whole Earth, and His name will be one.

What does kingdom represent in the Bible?

According to the Bible in Revelation 21:1-4, the kingdom represents a destination of perfect peace and harmony with the divine. This kingdom represents not just a state of being but also a definite place in Heaven. It is described as a paradise where all of God’s people live together in concord and communion with the Almighty in His Tabernacle.

According to Revelation 21:4, there is no evil or pain in the ultimate kingdom, and people are eternally liberated from sin and segregation from God. This means that it is an eternal realm of happiness where people will live with and honor the Creator. As interpreted in Revelation 21:6-7, the kingdom represents the destiny for all believers and the reward for the righteous who live their lives according to God’s will as interpreted in.

What is the difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven?

According to various scriptures, there is no difference between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven, as both phrases refer to the same thing. The ‘Kingdom of God’ appears 68 times in 10 different New Testament scriptures, while the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ appears 32 times and only in the Book of Matthew. Luke and Mark used the ‘Kingdom of God’ while Matthew used the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in analogous versions of the same parable. For instance, to refer to the mysteries of the kingdom, Matthew used the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ in Matthew 13:11, while Mark and Luke used the ‘Kingdom of God’ in Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10, respectively.

In addition, when Jesus addressed the rich young ruler, He used ‘Kingdom of God’ and ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ interchangeably. Jesus told His disciples that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 19:23. Jesus then proclaimed that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God in Matthew 19:24. He makes no distinction between the two phrases but deems them synonymous.

What did Jesus mean by the kingdom?

Based on the scripture in Matthew 4:17, Jesus meant that the kingdom was something that could be experienced here and now via a profound and meaningful relationship with Him through repentance. In John 3:3 and John 3:5, Jesus stated that the prerequisite for the Kingdom of God is being born again in water and spirit, and this reflected His unwavering conviction in its infinite power to transform people’s hearts and lives for eternity.

Premised on various scriptures such as Matthew 5:10 and Matthew 5:20, Jesus indicated that the Kingdom of Heaven meant a destination reserved only for the righteous as He accentuated the value of living a Christ-centered and holy life to attain the blessings of the kingdom. Jesus equally meant that the kingdom was the inheritance of the righteous according to Matthew 25:31-35, where He will return in great glory and sit on the throne and separate the sheep from the goats.

The sheep are His righteous people who will be at His right hand, and they will inherit the kingdom due to their acts of righteousness. Jesus addressed His followers to seek the kingdom above everything else in their pursuit of righteousness and fulfillment in life.

What are the keys of the kingdom?

The keys of the kingdom are illustrated in Matthew 16:13-19 where Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was, and Peter acknowledged Him as Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Jesus gave him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. People had referred to Jesus as John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. However, when Peter got it right, Jesus blessed him because no human had revealed it to him except God in Heaven. Jesus then promised Peter that on the rock, He will build His church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven meant that what Peter bound in the world would be bound in Heaven, and what he loosened on the world would be loosened in Heaven.

What does it mean that the Kingdom of God suffers violence?

The Kingdom of God suffers violence is Jesus’ figurative statement about the crowd in the context of His acclamation of the ministry of John the Baptist in Matthew 11:12. The meaning of the statement is that the vast crowd was not violent, but their enthusiasm generated by John the Baptist to see the coming of the Messiah was so overwhelming that it was like an incursive army surrounding a city to besiege it.

The statement could equally mean that people in the Kingdom of God could suffer violence such as persecution, assaults, suffering, oppression, imprisonment, and perhaps even martyrdom.