Matthew, the quintessentially Judaic Gospel, as a matter of course utilizes the phrase the kingdom of the heavens to describe God’s rule, or “kingdom.” It captures that rich heritage of the Jewish experience of the nearness of God that is so largely lost to the contemporary mind. This heritage is a primary revelation of the nature of God. Thus it forms the mark of identification of the one we address in the central prayer of Christendom: “Our Father, the One in the heavens…” (Matt. 6:9).
