Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God (Greek: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, Basileia tou Theou; Latin: Regnum Dei ) or kingdom of Heaven (Hebrew: מלכות השמים‎, Malkuth haShamayim; Greek: Βασιλεία τῶν Ουρανῶν, Basileia tōn Ouranōn, Latin: Regnum caelorum) is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Interpretations of the phrase range from the restoration of the Land of Israel to a world-wide kingdom, from a theocratic monarchy to an egalitarian utopia, and from an earthly kingdom to one in the afterlife.

The term "kingdom of God" is found in all four Christian canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles. The Gospel of Matthew uses the phrase "kingdom of Heaven" more often, perhaps to avoid offending Jews in the early church or perhaps simply a translation of the rabbinical expression "Malkut Shamayim". The term is also found in various writing styles such as parable, beatitude, prayer, miracle story and aphorism.