[2] The gospels of Mark, Luke, and John never use this expression, preferring instead in parallel texts the term "kingdom of God".
Of Matthew's thirty-two uses of this expression, twelve occur in material that is parallel to Mark and/or Luke, that addresses exactly the same topics but consistently refer to the "kingdom of God", e.g., the first beatitude (Matt 5:3; cf.
[3] Some theological bodies, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, believe that only a selected minority of people, the 144.000 mentioned in Revelation, will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, while all the other righteous men will live on the new earth, which will be governed by God as well.
[4] Some scholars believe that when the phrase was first used, it was intended to be eschatological with the kingdom of heaven referring to the end times[citation needed].
"[5] R. T. France sees it as even more immediate suggesting that the phrase should be read as referring to "a state of affairs that is already beginning and demands immediate action.