Jesus' frequently uses the words "Kingdom of Heaven," especially in Matthew 13, as in "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." We should be careful not to be fooled by this. The one phrase emphasizes the sovereign Ruler of the kingdom and the other emphasizes the kingdom itself, but they are the same kingdom. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. The King of both of these is Jesus Christ but are t… #2 “The kingdom of heaven…” The Kingdom of Heaven or The Kingdom of God was Jesus’ main message. To understand Jesus, we must comprehend the primary motif of His life: The Kingdom of Heaven. As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. Otherwise, why did Christ not call it something else? For those “the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. 4:17). This is similar to what He says to the scribe in Luke 17:21: "Nor will they say, 'See here!' Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1). Jesus thus announces when the Kingdom could be entered—immediately. We face a similar circumstance today. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence - The tax-gatherers and heathens, whom the scribes and Pharisees think have no right to the kingdom of the Messiah, filled with holy zeal and earnestness, seize at once on the proffered mercy of the Gospel, and so take the kingdom as by force from those learned doctors who claimed for themselves the chiefest places in that kingdom. Notice that neither Jesus nor David says anything about inheriting some mystical place in the heavens. Kingdom of Heaven by Ridley Scott is a modern film about the Crusades, set in 1184 centered on Balian of Ibelin. Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1) Although the precise phrase is not found there, the kingdom of heaven is basically an Old Testament concept. The fourth phase can be described as the manifest kingdom, in which Christ will rule, physically, directly, and fully on earth for a thousand years, the Millennium. To be sure, the expression heavenly kingdom is found in 2 Timothy 4:18, but there is no contextual evidence that this is an identical expression. After clicking 'Register', you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. Had God’s people Israel accepted their King when He first came to them, there would be no interim kingdom. However, we are already considered its citizens. The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven is not just a future matter, but also a present reality. Matthew 11:12 says that from the days of John the Baptist's preaching until that of Jesus—and even to today—Christ and those in whom He dwells suffer violence: physical or verbal assault, affliction, oppression, constraint, and perhaps even martyrdom. Similarly, it is the Kingdom of Heaven, not the Kingdom in Heaven, although its headquarters is in heaven. There was such animosity that the King Himself suffered the most awful violence that has ever been perpetrated: a mob of creatures wantonly crucifying their sinless Creator. Gospel Commentary from the Navarre Bible, Commentary to the Gospel of St. Matthew (with permission) 7-8 (7) As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Previously, the prophets, when speaking of the messianic times, had … David C. Grabbe This is the same gospel—the same message—that His ministry must teach. This is why Jesus says in John 16:33 that in the world, we will have persecution, but He also says to "be of good cheer." Jesus was not saying that Christians go to heaven. Moreover, Jesus declares in Matthew 18:3, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." He is already our King, reigning over us right now. It is evident that the Pharisees' conception of the Kingdom of God differs from that of Jesus. The fifth, and final, phase is the “eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” which “will be abundantly supplied” to all of His own (2 Pet. How can angels gather tares, not just from any old place, but from out of Jesus' Kingdom on earth, if it does not yet exist on earth? Yes, indeed. God rules over both aspects of the kingdom, and He will one day finally separate the superficial from the real. So beware! The entire Bible looks forward to this time, but there is a present reality of the Kingdom among His sons and daughters. © 2020 Grace to You. From this passage some have mistakenly concluded that the Kingdom of God only exists in people’s hearts or minds. In the broadest sense, the kingdom includes everyone who professes to acknowledge God. It must be preached, for by it salvation comes (Romans 1:16). shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.'" Matthew 6:10. Kingdom of Heaven People were hungry for the truth and would not be kept away. B. Phillips has it: "The Kingdom of heaven has been taken by storm and eager men and forcing their way into it." In explaining this point, Herbert Armstrong often compared the grammar of the "Kingdom of Heaven" with that of the "Bank of Morgan." What the Bible says about When we yield to God, and when we are accepted by Him as His sons and daughters, as it were, we become citizens of the Kingdom of God. But this primary emphasis of Jesus ministry is often misunderstood. Barnes' Notes, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Expositor's Bible Commentary, The New International Biblical Commentary, and The Interpreter's Bible all agree on this conclusion. Jesus’ parable of the sower represents the kingdom as including both genuine and superficial believers (Matt. For example, the theme of the kingdom envelopes the Beatitudes. Thus, our loyalties and submission go to it before everything else. (1997), Find more Bible verses about Kingdom of heaven: Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E). Daniel also makes the statement that the “God of heaven” will “set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed” (Dan 2:44; confirmed in the prophecy of Dan 7:13-14, 27.) He means "forceful." The words of Jesus are addressed to Peter. In true members of God's church, the Kingdom of God is already ruling in them. 5:3), while the last is “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’ (vv.18–19). In addition, it has both heavenly and earthly aspects. Therefore, we have to fight as warriors in battle and violently engage the enemy. I might have been kinder to his "Gladiator" had I known that "Troy" and "Alexander" were in my future, but "Kingdom of Heaven" is better than "Gladiator" -- deeper, more thoughtful, more about human motivation and less about action. 1:11). Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved? We know that the Kingdom of God has a future aspect, when Christ will rule over the nations and His glorified brothers and sisters will reign with Him. This violence does not have to be physical violence. (Revelation 22:12). "The time is fulfilled" implies that nothing can be added to it, that time will be extended no longer. John 3:1-21: Verses 1-2: "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Why? Daniel speaks of “the God of heaven [who] will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed” (Dan. Jesus' words paraphrase the words of David in Psalm 37:11: "But the meek shall inherit the earth." For the kingdom of heaven is at hand; that blessed state of the church (foretold by the prophets) under the Messias, wherein God will exhibit his Son as the King in Zion, and exert his power and kingdom, both extensively, subduing all nations to the obedience of his gospel, and intensively, in all the administrations of his government; for the kingdom of heaven is not to be understood here of the kingdom of glory, but … John W. Ritenbaugh Because church members are citizens of the Kingdom of God. And after that no one dared question Him." We are all familiar with Matthew 13, in which almost every parable begins, "The kingdom of heaven is like" (verses 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52). The most basic requirement is taught in John 3—to be born again. Ezek. For indeed the Kingdom of God is among[as it is better translated] you.". Jesus Christ is not only our Savior but also our Creator. In other words, the gospel message was not popular. It is the kingdom that both John and Jesus spoke of as being at hand (cf. Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah when He first came because the religious rulers of Israel were only looking for a political Messiah King who would make Israel the ruling kingdom of the world. It will take a titanic struggle to enter it because so many things are acting against us. It does not mean "the Kingdom of God when Jesus Christ returns." 37:25), a “kingdom [that] is an everlasting kingdom” (Dan. We did it voluntarily when we accepted Christ as our Savior. He does not say He will remove persecution right away, but instead, He says that He has overcome the world. Notice Matthew 12:28: "But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you." In Luke 10, Jesus uses the term in a present-tense situation. If I say, "I'm going to conduct business at the Bank of New York," you would assume that I will be going to a local branch, not to the head office in New York City! To take this a step further, where the King abides in any person or where a person is in Christ, the Kingdom is also present. Earl L. Henn (1934-1997) The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. The first Beatitude is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. Register. He is the subject of the powerful description in Isaiah 40:9-18, and it is into His Kingdom we have been translated, meaning conveyed or transferred. Guest. Kingdom of Heaven = Kingdom of God. We must preach the Kingdom of God. This is what your life in My Kingdom now will be like. On one hand, it is present and near in the people to whom God has given His Spirit and has chosen to represent Him. But because they killed the forerunner of the King and then the King Himself, the millennial kingdom, and consequently the eternal kingdom, were sovereignly postponed. Acts can include miracles, conduct, and their messages. Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. We can now apply this principle to Christ's statements. Nonetheless, they believe that the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13 should be rendered the realm, dominion, or reign of God. This adds another proof that we are already part of the Kingdom of God if our citizenship is in heaven. One day soon, though, the violence against the Kingdom will be defeated, and the violent will be given the opportunity to worship the King whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10). As a present reality, it is small, goes virtually unnoticed, and rules over little. He reigns only in the hearts of those who know Him as Savior and Lord. ", Richard T. Ritenbaugh All rights reserved. Jesus then illustrates a matter that directly involves instruction for the church and its membership. Colossians 1:13 says that we have already been translated into the Kingdom of the Son of His love. They believed in a spectacular, visible establishment of the Kingdom, even as we look forward to its fulfillment in the near future. Jesus’ statement that “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence” is a graphic picture of the enthusiasm and excitement generated by John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ teaching. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. This is what Jesus means when He speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. John W. Ritenbaugh The story is set during the Crusades of the 12th century. It is quite plain what the apostles preached (Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). Of course, many of them are Protestants, who look at it from the understanding of "the Kingdom of God is within you." He sets limits on how much violence He will allow, and what He does allow He will redeem for His own good will. Yet, in the future, at Christ's return, it will dominate and rule the earth. Some scriptures speak of the Kingdom of Heaven. Nonetheless, Scripture also proves that it is a present, earthy reality having earth-bound, flesh-and-blood citizens who are, in the Bible's terms, "spiritually minded" or "in the Spirit.". The word translated is better rendered as "transferred." 14:17). By using these phrases together, Jesus indicates that it can be entered into at once when God's basic requirements are met. Jesus tells them they will see the Kingdom of God present with power, and within a week they see Him transfigured. (From Forerunner Commentary). The Bible promises, when the follower of Jesus lives in this manner, God will supply all our needs…from … Only the Honest Can Enter the Kingdom of Heaven—A Commentary on Matthew 18:3 06/14/2020 Find the Shepherd Leave a comment And said, Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15), as did Paul (Acts 28:30-31). The Kingdom of God will be the recipient of slings and arrows and wars and temptations, and its own people will need to be violent in return. He gives them the gospel, and He sends them out. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. 10:16; cf. The Sixth Commandment (Part 2): War! The kingdom has two aspects, the outer and the inner, both of which are spoken of in the gospels. He is just anxious to come back and finish His work—this time as King of kings and Lord of lords with the authority to make real changes. The Kingdom of Heaven is something that happens now or can happen now. When this is combined with John 18:36 (where Jesus declares that His Kingdom "is not from here") and many other scriptures pointing to the establishment of God's Kingdom with power at Christ's return, we can understand that it is both a present and a future reality. Philippians 3:20 reinforces this: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Mark 12:34 contains another example: "So when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the Kingdom of God.' They reject the royal law of the Kingdom and ridicule God's sovereignty. The key to understanding Jesus' words lies in understanding how the phrase "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven" is used. Help Grace to You bring important resources like this to people in your community and beyond, free of charge. If we want to know about the kingdom we must know about the King of that kingdom and whether it is the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God we are talking about. The second phase is the present kingdom, the one that existed at the time of John the Baptist and that he mentions. A kingdom is nothing without a king and our King is Jesus Christ and we are told to seek first the kingdom above all things (Matt 6:33) and this really means that we must seek the King of that kingdom first and foremost. Nevertheless, we are aiming for that future reality when Jesus Christ comes back and sets His throne upon this earth—when all people will stream to Jerusalem to become part of God's Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. We know that the Kingdom of God has a future aspect, when Christ will rule over the nations and His glorified brothers and sisters will reign with Him. This is what Jesus means in Matthew 13. Notice, for example, Jesus' words in Matthew 23:13: "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! The king is always the highest representative of a kingdom, so when the king is present, the kingdom is also present. We could use the Bank of New York as a more modern example. The question arises, "How long must one wait before entering it?". It is the Bank of New York, not in New York, although its head office is in New York. While some may spiritualize this fact away, Paul's words come across as literal and real to those who understand that God has called us out of this world (John 15:19) and transferred us into His Kingdom (Colossians 1:13). The kingdom of heaven, the sum total of the gifts and mercies of God in Jesus, which God has intended for all men and which is realized as the kingdom of grace in the believers, shall come. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. These examples show that Jesus taught His disciples that the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven exists now, but it is in a different form from what it will be when Jesus returns and sets up His government. Please respond to confirm your registration. However, we realize that the apostle Paul has challenged us to be ambassadors for Christ: "Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God" (II Corinthians 5:20). While each highlights a true element of the kingdom of heaven, option one is more convincing. There is also a present aspect, as we have already been conveyed into the Kingdom (Colossians 1:13), and now our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Paul concurs: "Our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20); "We are ambassadors for Christ" (II Corinthians 5:20; our allegiance is to Christ, the King of the Kingdom of God); we are "strangers and pilgrims" in a foreign land (I Peter 2:11). We are going to have to work vigorously and "violently" at times, to force ourselves to do what is right, because the Kingdom of God is now under siege in so many ways. For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 2): Leaven. That is not what Jesus means. Having our citizenship (conversation, KJV) in the Kingdom of God by definition makes us aliens in the physical country in which we live. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, telling them what they are to do when they go out preaching the gospel: "And heal the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:9). Say: the Reward of the Kingdom could be entered—immediately fullness—and in heavens! Words, the Kingdom and the Kingdom and ridicule God 's Kingdom, the Kingdom of the suffers. Story is set during the Crusades of the Kingdom of God, emphasis ). 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