The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

The New Testament talks about “the kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God,” and if we do not read the text carefully, we may end up thinking of the two as being one and the same. Even in the words of Jesus we find Him making a distinction between these two.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to 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.” (Matthew 19:23-24)