" There is reason to believe not only that the expres- sion kingdom of heaven, as used in the Nc^v' Test., was employed as synonymous with hingdom ef God, as re- ferred to in the Old Test., but that the former expres- sion had become common among the Jews of our Lord's time for dcnotuig the state of things expected to be brought in by the Messiah. The mere- use of the ex- pression as it first occurs in Matthew, uttered apparent- ly by John Baptist, and our Lord himself, without a note of explanation, as if all perfectly understood what was meant by it, seems alone conclusive evidence of this. The Old-Testament constitution, and the writings belonging to it, had familiarized the Jews with the ap- plication of the terms Mng and kingdom to God, not merely with reference to his universal sovereignty, but also to his special connection Avith the iieople he had chosen for himself (1 Sam. xii, 12; Psa. ii, 6; v, 2; xx, 9 ; 1 Chron. xxix, 11 ; 2 Chron. xiii, 8, etc.). In Daniel, however, where ]jointed expression required to be given to the difference in this respect between what is of earth and what is of heaven, we find matters ordered on a cer- tain occasion with a view t(j bring out the specific lesson that ' the heavens do rule' (iv, 26) ; and in the inter- pretation given to the vision, which had been granted to Nebuchadnezzar, it was said, witli more special refer- ence to New-Testament times, that 'in the days of those (earthly) kings the God of heaven (lit. of the heavens) should set up a kingdom that should never be destroy- ed' (ii, 44). In still another vision granted to Daniel himself, this divine kingdom was represented under the image of one like a Son of man coming with the clouds of heaAxn, and there was given him dominion, and glo- ri-, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and lan- guages should serve him' (vii, 13, 14), It apjicars to have been in conse(picnce of tlie phrascidogy thus in- troduced and sanctioned l)y Daniel that the expression 'kingdom of heaven' (Cl^'C'i^'fl r^rP"3, malknth hasha- maijini) passed into common usage among the Jews, and was but another nanie with them for a state of fellow- ship with God and devotedness to his service. jMany cxam])les of this arc given by Wetstcin on Matt, iii, 2 from .lewish writings: thus, 'He who confesses (iod to be one, and repeats Dent. vi,4, takes up the kingdom of heaven ;' ' Jacob cidled his sons and commanded them
KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
91
KINGS
concerning the ways of God, and they took upon them the kingdom of heaven ;' ' The sons of Achasius did not take upon them the yoke of the kingdom of heaven ; they did not acknowledge the Lord, for they said. There is not a Idngdom in heaven,' etc. The expression, in- deed, does not seem to have been used specifically with reference to the Messiah's coming, or the state to be in- troduced by him (for the examples j)roduced by SchiJtt- gen [Z'e Messia, ch.ii] are scarcely in point); but when the Lord himself was declared to be at hand to remodel everything, and visibly take the government, as it were, on his shoukler, it would be understood of itself that here the kingdom of heaven shoidd be found concen- trating itself, and that to join one's self to Messiah would be in the truest sense to take up the yoke of that king- dom" (Fairbairn). See Kingly Office of Christ.
The scriptural and popular usages of the term " king- dom of God," " kingdom of heaven," etc., serve as a clew to the otherwise rather abrujit proclamation of the Bap- tist and Jesus at the very begiiniing of their public min- istrations. It is true that in the Old Testament the kingdom or reign of God usually signifies his infinite power, or, more properly, his sovereign authority over all creatures, kingdoms, and hearts. See King. Thus Wisdom says (x, 10), God showed his kingdom to Ja- cob, i. e. he opened the kingdom of heaven to him in showing him the mysterious ladder by which the an- gels ascended and descended ; and Ecclesiasticus (xlvii, 13) says, God gave to David the covenant assurance, or promise of the kingdom, for himself and his successors. StiU the transition from this to the moral and religious sphere was so natural that it was silently and continual- ly made, especially as Jehovah was perpetually repre- sented as the supreme and sole legitimate sovereign of his people. Indeed, the theocracy was the central idea of the Jewish state [see Juuge], and hence the first announcements of the Gospel sounded with thrilling ef- fect upon the ears of the people, proverbially impatient of foreign rule, and yet, at the time, apparently bound in a hopeless vassalage to Rome. It was to the populace like a trumpet-call to a war for independence, or rather Uke one of the old preans of deliverance sung by Miiiam and Deborah. See Tiieocuacy.
Copious lists of monographs on this subject may be seen in Danz, Wurterhuch, s. v. Himmel-Eeich, Messias- Eeich ; Volbeding, Index Prof/rammatum, p. 37 ; Ilase, Lehen Jesti, p. 72, 77. See Messiah.
Kingdom of Israel. See Isk.vel, Kingdoh of.