Sometimes I think we Christians get a bit tangled trying to figure out where exactly we belong in God’s cosmic plan. The Bible talks about nations, kingdoms, and citizenship—and it’s easy to blur the lines, especially around Israel and our place in the heavenly kingdom as believers. If you’ve ever scratched your head over how our heavenly citizenship lines up—or doesn’t—with Israel’s earthly kingdom hope, you’re not alone. This isn’t just a theological sidebar; it’s at the heartbeat of understanding grace and the gospel rightly divided.
Heavenly Citizens vs. Earthly Kingdom Hope
Let’s get one thing clear right out of the gate: Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, shoots straight when he writes in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven. That’s a loaded statement. It’s not just a spiritual platitude but a legal, divine fact. When you accepted Christ during the dispensation of grace, you became a part of the Body of Christ—not as an extension of Israel, but something altogether distinct. This notion flies in the face of the common misunderstanding that the Church somehow replaces Israel or operates identically under God’s dealings with Israel.
Israel’s kingdom hope is tied to earthly promises—land, nationhood, temple worship, and a messianic King reigning physically from David’s throne in Jerusalem. This is the kingdom the Old Testament prophets looked forward to, and it still awaits fulfillment in God’s prophetic timetable. The nation of Israel isn’t a footnote in Scripture; she’s central to God’s promises for that age and purpose.
Why Does It Matter Whether Our Citizenship Is in Heaven or Earth?
Think about allegiance. When someone says their citizenship is in a certain country, they pledge loyalty to that government, its laws, and its future. We as grace believers are foreigners on planet Earth. Our “papers,” so to speak, read heaven, not Jerusalem. This means we’re not subjects of an earthly kingdom, though we live amidst earthly kingdoms.
Here’s the kicker: Mixing these two kingdoms muddles God’s clear distinctions. The nation Israel’s kingdom hope follows God’s program with that nation—the Kingdom Age, which has explicit conditions and covenants attached. But the Body of Christ, formed at Pentecost and carried through the dispensation of grace, is sustained by grace alone.
Paul’s epistles, especially to the Ephesians and Colossians, highlight that this heavenly citizenship comes with different responsibilities, promises, and identification. We’re seated with Christ “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6), fully united with Him in glory, even while our bodies remain here in flesh. This isn’t background noise in Scripture; it’s the very heartbeat of grace theology.
The Danger of Confusing the Two
When some voice popular teachings about the end times, you often hear Christians urged to claim Israel’s promises—often without pondering that those promises don’t apply to us now. It’s tempting to say “Hey, I’m a Christian, so I get Israel’s covenant blessings!” Not so fast.
Mixing Israel’s national kingdom hope with our heavenly citizenship risks unleashing legalistic expectations and law-based performance on a grace relationship. The resulting confusion can breed disillusionment and compromise the gospel’s power. Consider those who expect a physical reign right here on earth as part of their Christian identity today, rather than trusting fully in the future kingdom that God has in store for Israel.
There’s a beauty in rightly dividing these promises because it allows us to revel fully in the grace period we live in. We get to rest, knowing our standing is secure by faith, not works. We don’t have to strain after the earthly promises God gave to Israel—they’re future, fixed, and will come to pass in God’s appointed time.
What About Israel Today? Do Their Promises Still Stand?
Absolutely yes. God is never the God of confusion. The covenants made with Israel—Abrahamic, Davidic, and the New Covenant still to be established in the kingdom—stand forever in God’s faithfulness. Romans 11 reminds us clearly that God has not rejected His people Israel; He has a plan to restore them in the fullness of the kingdom.
But—and this is huge—that plan isn’t the same as the Church’s calling. We aren’t grafted into Israel’s kingdom line; we’re grafted into Christ Himself, the head of the Body. God operates multiple programs at once, and grace believers must tread carefully so as not to conflate them.
Knowing this distinction prevents spiritual identity crises. We recognize that the Church enjoys blessings of redemption and eternal life, whereas Israel awaits the physical kingdom established on the earth. Neither is better; both are different pathways in God’s grand story.
How Understanding Our Citizenship Reshapes Faith
When you live with your citizenship in heaven—that is, understanding your role as a grace believer—you’re free from the chains of trying to earn acceptance through ceremonial law or earthly kingdom allegiance. Your identity is rooted in Christ’s finished work, not in contextually earthly promises.
It changes our priorities too. Instead of looking for geopolitical signs or nationalistic movements to validate our spiritual hope, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The earthly kingdom is real and will come, but it’s for Israel in God’s perfect timing.
Meanwhile, the Body of Christ walks through this grace dispensation, empowered by the Spirit, loving others, and spreading the gospel without the conditional covenants that defined Israel’s hopes.
Final Thoughts on Citizenship and Kingdom
You don’t have to feel torn between two kingdoms—because God never intended you to be part of both simultaneously. Our citizenship in heaven means we live as ambassadors of a kingdom not yet fully realized on earth. Israel’s kingdom hope reminds us God keeps His promises, no matter how many years or centuries pass.
As believers rightly dividing the Word of Truth, embracing our heavenly citizenship liberates us to enjoy the grace period fully. We aren’t left out of God’s program or forgotten; we simply have a unique role—one of faith in Christ alone, seated above all, until the Lord Himself returns.
For some refreshing daily inspiration on living out your heavenly citizenship, check out this treasure trove of Scripture at Verse for the Day. It’s a great way to stay grounded and encouraged as you walk your faith journey.
In this life, our allegiance transcends earthly nationality or political kingdom. Our home is where Christ reigns: in heaven, with no rival, no condition, just grace. That truth is pure gold. And it’s enough.