DEFINITION OF THE KINGDOM, Chapter 1 of The Kingdom of God Volume One

How can the world know the things of God? They can read about them, but they cannot know them without the Spirit of God; . . . They know nothing about this kingdom; we do not expect them to know. . . . (Brigham Young, JD 11:250)

For 2000 years the definition of the Kingdom of God has been discussed and debated by some of the brightest Christian minds. Not only has this caused confusion and misdirection, but it has even resulted in war, destruction, and death. Thus, it is important for us to understand God’s Kingdom if we ever expect to have a part in it.

The scriptures often mention both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. Some people claim they are the same, while others think there is a difference. In reality, the major distinction is in their location. The Kingdom of God can refer to an earthly or heavenly kingdom; whereas the Kingdom of Heaven refers just to the kingdom in heaven. It is similar to talking about the Church of Christ, or more specifically the Church of Christ in Jerusalem. John Taylor gave one of the most direct and most correct definitions that has ever been presented. It was the first sentence in his book entitled The Government of God: “The Kingdom of God, is the government of God, on the earth or in the heavens.” (p. 1)