Heavenly Kingdoms

Dr. Couch, how do we know the difference between the "Kingdom of heaven" and the "Kingdom of God" in opposition to the other heavenly kingdoms mentioned in Scripture?

ANSWER: All the references that say the "Kingdom of Heaven (God)" are references to the millennial kingdom. Almost all the other kingdom references would be God's rule over His heavenly kingdom. Dr. John Walvoord gave high praise and endorsement to my Hermeneutic book in which I deal with this issue in chapter 22.  You need that book for a multitude of reasons. The orthodox Jewish rabbis tell us that it was common for the Kingdom of Heaven (God) references to be referring to the millennial reign of the Messiah.

I think part of our fear of being clear ourselves on this matter is because of the false influence of Covenant Theology. The Word of God is really easy to read and understand if we don't come to it with preconceptions that come from poor theology. Just let the Bible speak!

Thanks for asking.
--Dr. Mal Couch (4/12)

"The Kingdom of God" Present in the Church Today

Dr. Couch, Millard Erickson says that "the kingdom of God" over which Christ reigns, is present in the church. What do you say?

ANSWER: Erickson has not read carefully. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are two ways of describing the millennial kingdom. I proved this clearly in my book "An Introduction to Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics." Dr. Walvoord had not seen this before, and before he endorsed my book, agreed with what I had written. As you know he was an outstanding prophecy scholar. This is a book that is making clear interpretation of the Bible. And, it is one of the few interpretative books now available.

Thanks for asking.
--Dr. Mal Couch (2/12)

The Kingdom of God and The Kingdom of Heaven

Dr. Couch, is the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven the same thing?

ANSWER: Yes, they are, and I prove it in my Hermeneutic book, page 291. When Dr. John F. Walvoord saw this chapter he went silent! He realized that I had proven the point. You need my Hermeneutic volume, one of the few books on the subject.

Since I have so proven the point I won't repeat the information here but just to say, get the volume! The full title: An Introduction to Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel).


Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch (11/11)

Who is Christ Referring to in Matthew 21:43?

Dr. Couch, what nation is Christ speaking about in Matthew 21:43? Some say this is the church; some say it is referring to the Jews of another generation. What do you say? ANSWER:  The passage reads: "I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you (the Jews of that generation), and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it."    We interpret by observation, observation, observation.    And we observe that Christ is speaking about the "kingdom of God." We know by an undisputed fact that every time "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of heaven" is mentioned it is referring to the millennial kingdom of Christ that is yet to come. And that millennial kingdom is the messianic rule of the Son of David sitting on His throne in Jerusalem.    In the verse before (v. 42) Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 about "the stone which the builders rejected." Those verses in Psalm 118 are talking about Israel and about the "festival sacrifices" and the altar where sacrifices are offered. There is nothing here about the church!    Matthew 21:43 ties into Psalm 118 and Christ starts the verse with "Therefore ..." He is drawing a conclusion about how "The builders," the Jews in Christ's day are to someday be replaced by that other nation. Those who argue that this "nation" is the church quote 1 Peter 2:9-10 and Romans 10:19 and claim that in these passages the church is called "a nation." The Romans passage where "nation" and "people" are mentioned is a quote from Deuteronomy 32:21. This could certainly be a reference to the Gentiles but that is a long stretch to the idea of the church. The church is "the called out" ones (mainly but not exclusively) Gentiles. And to say that God will make Israel jealous by the Gentiles coming to the Lord is still not calling this group of Gentiles the church!    In 1 Peter, the apostle Peter is writing to one segment of the church, the Jews, to those who "are aliens" (or strangers), the Jews who are in the Diaspora (the scattered ones), the Jews who were driven from the Holy Land (1:1). In 1 Peter 2:9 Peter calls these believing Jews "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession." He is compiling several OT passages about the nation of Israel. He says of them that they "were not a people, but now you are the people of God" (v. 10). Now, as Jews, they are "to keep their behavior excellent among the Gentiles" (v. 11). This puts those Peter is writing to in opposition to the Gentile believers, members of the church.    To conclude: Peter is not saying this nation is the church! Neither is Christ saying that in Matthew 21:43!    So the other nation is a later generation of Jews to whom the kingdom of God will be given. Again, the "kingdom of God" is always the Jewish messianic future kingdom; it never is the church!    When interpreting the Bible, keep the lines straight. Don't mix concepts together in order to make a preconceived point. Let the Bible speak for itself.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Feb., 10)

Application of the Parables

Dr. Couch, you have said that the parables of Matthew 13 have nothing to do with the church today. Does this mean that the parables of the sower, and the wheat and tares, apply strictly to Israel and the Jews? ANSWER: All of the parables in Matthew 13 have to do with Israel. It is said ten times in the chapter that Christ is teaching about "the kingdom of heaven," or simply "the kingdom." Now is the "kingdom of heaven" the church? It is not. All of Jewish history tells us that "the kingdom of heaven" and "the kingdom of God" are two descriptions of the messianic reign of Christ on earth; the Davidic rule of the Lord during the millennium. This in no way can be the church age! I believe the best treatment of this issue is found in my Classic Evangelical Hermeneutics book (Kregel), chapter 17. There, I deal with each parable and explain that Christ is speaking about things not revealed about the kingdom in the OT. I will not take the space here to repeat what I explain in detail in my book, except simply to give the three views about Matthew 13. (1) The Allegorical/Amillennial view. Ellicott says of this: "The interpretation of the parable lies almost on the surface. Here again the sower is the Son of Man; but the seed in this case is not so much the "word," as the Christian society, the Church." (2) New Program of the kingdom: "This view is held by the premillennialist J. Dwight Pentecost and others who claim that there is an added dimension to the kingdom not revealed in the OT. The kingdom would be seen in a new spiritual form, specifically including the church age." (3) To reveal new truths concerning the messianic kingdom: But not including anything about the church age! Toussaint writes: "This view states that the King is giving new revelation concerning the kingdom promised to the Jews. The truths relate to the time of the establishing of the kingdom, the preparation for it, and other such material which had never before been revealed. This approach is best." And I agree! This third view fits the context, and the words of Christ in the chapter. I hope this helps. Thanks for asking. Dr. Mal Couch (Feb.,10)

Intermediate Period or Kingdom of Heaven?

Dr. Couch, some say that Matthew 13, and the parables of the kingdom, is about the intermediate period between Christ's ascension until the rapture of the church. But I understand you and some other well-thinking Bible scholars point out that Matthew 13 is really about the Kingdom of Heaven and not about anything going on now in the church age. Is this right? ANSWER:  I have argued for years that if we keep our hermeneutics straight, we will not say these parables are having anything to do with the true church age. I am right, and those who take another view "have the right to be wrong!" Matthew 13 is about the kingdom of heaven, not about the church age. So says also the great Dr. William Pettingill who taught years ago at Moody Bible Institute, where I also taught after leaving graduate school.    On Matthew 13 Dr. Pettingill wrote: "It ought to be noted here that the Church is not in view in all this, nor is the Church Dispensation the 'Age' so often referred to. It is the Jewish Age, which has been interrupted by the parenthetical Church Dispensation. The Jewish Age is not yet finished, nor will it be until the Church is removed from the earth."    Matthew 13 is telling us about the preview of things to come in setting up the kingdom period, that is, the Millennial Age, "the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 13 is about a false spiritual period that unfortunately is sometimes labeled "Christian." Sometimes the present days are labeled "Christian civilization, Christian institutions, Christian countries, Christian governments, or simply Christendom."    But actually, Matthew 13 is pointing toward the coming kingdom of heaven, and that is what this chapter is mainly about!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Jan., 10)

Amillennialists and Matthew 8:10-12

Dr. Couch, what do amillennialists do with Matthew 8:10-12? ANSWER:  They cough, sputter, gag, change the subject, and head out to go to the grocery store! They cannot answer this passage!    Christ is talking about the faith of a Gentile, the centurion at Capernaum. He says "I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel" (v. 10b). Then He adds: "Many [Gentiles] shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vv. 11-12).    There is no way this (the kingdom of heaven) can be interpreted as the present church age. The "sons of the kingdom" are the Jews who, when the millennial kingdom is established, they reject the Lord, and are cast into outer darkness. Believing Gentiles enter the millennial kingdom. They have trusted Christ during the seven year tribulation period.    It is a proven fact that "the kingdom of heaven, of God" was to the Jews the millennial government of Christ. I have many historical books written by Jewish scholars who make it clear that these expressions were used by the Jews of Christ's day to describe the same. We cannot tamper with, or fudge, on historical evidence! Unfortunately, many of the amils are not good researchers. They have not looked carefully into Jewish history. (I was required three and a half years of church history courses!) This history throws light on the period of the Gospels, and as well, on church history issues. Remember, we must study the Bible in its grammatical/historical, social and customary manner. Without this, we are limited in our hermeneutical grasp of what is happening in the Scriptures. You need my Hermeneutics book! "Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics" (Kregel).    By the way, I heard the other day of the gross ignorance of a Lutheran pastor who said, "Dispensationalism was started by John Darby who then wrote the Scofield Reference Bible." What a terrible lack of training in church history! But that is part of the misunderstanding that we have to deal with!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch

Matthew 7 and Salvation

Dr. Couch, I have heard some say that Matthew 7:13-27 is about the church; they make a case for belief not being enough to enter the kingdom—only those who do the will of the Father will enter. It seems this section is dealing with false prophets. Aren't these the predominant ones during the time of Christ who claimed to prophesy, etc. And, who were the ones doing this stuff in Israel at the time of Christ? ANSWER:  I won't be able to deal with this entire section in this short answer. It is important to say here that there are many spiritual principles in this section (Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount). So I will simply point out some observations that would tell us this is not first for the church; it has to do with what was happening with the nation of Israel as Christ began His ministry. And the passage is more than simply about false teachers.    Note the following: (1) The entire section has to do with the presentation of the millennial kingdom, here called "The kingdom of heaven" (5:3; 10, 19, 20; 6:10, 33; 7:21). (2) The church is made up of Jews and Gentiles but in this section, Christ compares the Jews with the Gentiles (5:47; 6:7, 32). (3) The Lord speaks of the synagogue in this section (6:2, 5), and (4) The giving of alms, which was a distinct Jewish practice (6:2, 3). Note 6:2: the church is not even around! "When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues ..." 5:20 is a distinct Jewish passage that cannot be understood unless one sees that the verse is aimed at the thinking of the Jews. "I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes (Jewish) and Pharisees (very Jewish), you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."    Those who try to make a direct application of the Sermon on the Mount to the church have no understanding of history. There is no question but that the "kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God" is a description of the messianic kingdom! In no way is this used to describe the church age! If this is settled in one's mind, this section of verses makes definite sense. Again, while there are many principles that we can embrace in the Sermon on the Mount, it is not directed to the church age. We can have secondary application in some things the Lord says, but not direct application!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Oct.2009)

What is Going on in Luke 17:20-21?

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Luke 17:20-21? Some covenant guys say "the kingdom of God is within you" proves that by faith, right now, we activate the kingdom within ourselves. What do you say?

ANSWER: Even most of the old amil and covenant guys who know Greek know better. The passage should read, as is translated in the NAS, "the kingdom of God is in your midst." The kingdom was there because the King had arrived! But it is important to look first at verse 20 to get the full scope of what Christ is talking about. He said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed." "Signs" (semeion) had to do with some kind of "signal" in order to give a warning or fanfare of something coming. In my Luke commentary I write about these two verses:

"Signs to be observed" (Luke 17:20) is the verb parateresis, meaning "in a way that can be observed [be external signs]," with "critical observation," Jesus described His coming: "Just as the lightning when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day" (v. 24). No distinct precursor will take place when the kingdom comes. It will suddenly arrive on the scene!

"For behold the kingdom of God is in your midst" (v. 21). In every reference to the arrival, or the coming of the kingdom in the Gospels, the verb is in the perfect tense. In Luke the NASB translates 10:9, 11 correctly: "The kingdom of God has come near to you." It has arrived but it has not been inaugurated. "It has been on its way, and it has arrived, but it has in no way begun!"

In 17:21 Jesus continues this thought and told the Pharisees, "It [the kingdom] is existing in your midst, but it certainly has not started!" When kingdom of God (and kingdom of heaven) is mentioned, it is accompanied by a perfect tense, meaning the kingdom has come up to the moment but it has not been inaugurated. The kingdom itself will not come with signs (Greek, semeion) to be observed.

This lends itself to the fact that the kingdom, the millennial reign of the Messiah, has been postponed and temporarily set aside, but not permanently canceled or done away with. It will come at the end of the terrible tribulation period!

Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch

What is Going on in Matthew 16:17-20

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Matthew 16:17-20 concerning the kingdom of heaven and the church?


Answer: This is one of the most important sections of Scripture that actually tells us the church is not the kingdom, though it can be an usual passage to try to understand at first glance. Unfortunately, many of the amillennial guys, and allegorists, do not grasp the meaning of the passage. Too, the Catholics use this to claim the supremacy of Peter and, as the head of the church, he holds the keys to the kingdom, i.e. the church. This is not what the passage is teaching!


I have one of the most exhaustive studies on this passage ever written. Many scholars say it is the best explanation ever researched out. What I wrote is published in two books. It is too complicated for answering in a Question Column such as this but you can read my complete discourse in Chapter 16 of my book Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel). I draw from the grammar of the passage, Catholic interpretation, and church history to show what is really going on in these verses.


Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch

Do Older Dispensationalists Have A Different View of the Sermon on the Mount?

Dr. Couch, do older dispensationalists (such as Chafer, Scofield, Gaebelein) have a different view of the Sermon on the Mount than younger dispensationalists? 

 

   Not in substance, that I know of. But, by counting heads and taking tabulations as to who believes what, is not how I do theology. I do theology by CONTEXT, CONTEXT, and CONTEXT, and by OBSERVATION, OBSERVATION, and OBSERVATION! 

    The Bible IS dispensational. We do not make up dispensationalism as we go along! So let’s go to the Sermon on the Mount and do Observation! 

    First of all, the Sermon is about the Kingdom of Heaven, not about the church. When Christ mentions the Kingdom, the Jews had no other point of reference than the Davidic/Messianic Kingdom in which the Son of David, the Son of God, would rule over the world from Jerusalem. There is No other interpretation. The Jews fully understood this! 

    In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew we have the expressions: "Kingdom of Heaven (used six times), the "Kingdom" (used two times), and the "Kingdom of God" (used once), though Christ also spoke of "Your Kingdom" (God’s) and "The Kingdom is Yours." 

    But I am quick to point out that there are tremendous spiritual and practical applications for any dispensation. We do not isolate spiritual principles and say that certain things are only applicable to one age and not another, unless there is due cause to do so. Yet, here are some statements of the Lord that fit another era, the kingdom period, and not the church age:

• "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth" (5:5).
• If you are angry with your brother you can be brought to judgment in the Rabbinical courts (5:22).
• Do not be presenting an offering to the (temple) altar while your brother has a charge against you (5:23-24).
• Do not make false vows, by heaven or earth, or "by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King (the Messiah)" (5:33-35).

    I could go on and on with additional points from the Sermon on the Mount but you get the idea. To again reiterate: there are dozens of wonderful principles here in the Sermon that can be applied to any dispensation. And the Sermon on the Mount is full of them but it does take some clear thinking and acute observation in order to avoid a misapplication. 

    On the Sermon, my old graduate Greek professor, Dr. Stanley Toussaint, writes in his commentary on Matthew:

   Not only are the crowds and disciples looking forward to the establishment of the kingdom, but the message of the sermon is also anticipatory. This aspect is indicated by the attitude of anticipation which pervades the entire discourse. It looks forward to a time when people shall enter the kingdom (5:20; 7:21). ... The sample prayer includes a request for the coming of the kingdom (6:10). (Behold the King, Kregel)

In my Classical Evangelical Hermeneutics (Kregel) I wrote:

The "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" both refer to the future Messianic reign of the Messiah. The only point of reference the Jews would have known is the messianic kingdom and the coming rule of peace that would last for one thousand years. Jesus presented Himself as the king who fulfilled the kingship role for that kingdom. He told neither His disciples nor the crowds that they were mistaken in their perceptions [about the earthly messianic kingdom].

    And in The Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary (gen. eds. Tim LaHaye, Ed Hindson, Harvest House) I wrote: 

When Jesus began His ministry, His message was the same as John the Baptist’s:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17; cf. 3:2). This means "the kingdom that comes down from heaven." This undoubtedly refers to the messianic kingdom, the Davidic rule that will be based in Jerusalem but will have sovereignty over all the nations of the earth.

    The Sermon on the Mount is referring to this earthly messianic kingdom! 

Thanks for asking.

Dr. Mal Couch

Is The Kingdom of God The Kingdom of Heaven?

Dr. Couch, what is the relationship of the church with the kingdom of God? And is the kingdom of God synonymous with the kingdom of heaven? Is the church the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven? 

 

    For you to ask this means that you have been brainwashed and that you are listening to false Bible teaching. If you were on a desert island and were only reading your King James Bible (without any notes) you would see that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are 99.9% referenced in the Gospels, and that the references in the church epistles, while mentioning the kingdom, never make the church and the kingdom the same. You have been listening to the Reformed guys who want to get rid of Israel, or replace Israel with the church, and/or say God is through with the Jewish people! 

    You need to get my book Classical Evangelical Heremeneutics (Kregel) and read chapter 22. I objectively prove beyond all doubt that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are the same thing, with two ways of defining and explanation the issues of the coming earthly messianic reign of Christ: “The kingdom coming from God, i.e. the kingdom coming down from heaven.” (Send me $17 and I’ll send you an autographed copy.) 

    The church clearly will be raptured into heaven before the horrible seven-year tribulation. But the church then returns to be with Christ during His Davidic, messianic 1000 year rule on earth. In that sense the church has two destinies. We could be even today, this very moment, suddenly given new bodies and (1) caught up to glory. (2) We will return in our new bodies then to be on earth during the millennial kingdom of God rule. 

    2 Timothy 4:18 shows clearly we are not now in the kingdom but will be in the future. We are headed that way but the church is not it! Christ is not presently on His throne in His kingdom but will be following the tribulation (Rev. 3:21). In this verse we also note that Christ is not on His millennial throne but He’s seated in heaven with the Father on His throne. The verse also shows that church saints will have some form of co-reign with Christ when we come to earth with Him. We are told that “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne …” But this is future and is not happening presently. 

    Of course the allegorical, amillennial guys don’t get it. They ignore what Revelation 3:21 is saying, i.e. they disregard Psalm 110:1. Christ is now seated on the Father’s throne in glory but the earthly messianic throne is another issue. 

    Thanks for asking and yes indeed, you do need my book!

    Dr. Mal Couch