Living in the Kingdom of Heaven

 

            These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do             not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as             you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”                 Matthew 10:5-7 

In the above passage, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go to the Jews, the lost sheep of Israel, village to village, and declare to them that “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This was the same declaration made by John the Baptist during his public ministry prior to his arrest and imprisonment. When asked by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:20-21). He was saying that the kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom Jesus introduced was not a physical kingdom but a spiritual reality to be experienced within. Even His disciples were asking, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6).

According to The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, The "kingdom of God" is evidently a more comprehensive term than the "kingdom of heaven" and embraces all created intelligences, both in heaven and on earth, who are willingly subject to God and thus in fellowship with Him. The "kingdom of heaven"-more precisely, the "kingdom of the heavens"-is a term descriptive of any type of rulership God may assert on the earth at a given period. As a predicted kingdom, it has reference to the establishment of the kingdom of Israel on the earth (Acts 1:6) and is the subject of extended glowing prophecies in the OT (cf. Ps 2:6; 72:1; Isa 11:1; 32:1; 65:17; Jer 33:15; Dan 7:13-14; Mic 4:1; Zech 9:10; 12:1; 14:9). As a covenanted kingdom, the kingdom of heaven becomes the national hope of Israel (2 Sam 7:4-17).

Kingdom Authority

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.                      Daniel 7:13-14

Nearly 600 years before the birth of the Son of Man, Yahweh, the Ancient of Days, gave Daniel a vision about the coming kingdom. The defining characteristic of that kingdom is dominion, the authority given to the Messiah as king of a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. This dominion is everlasting, and the kingdom will never be destroyed. Although the physical kingdom will be established at His Second Advent, His First Advent introduced the spiritual kingdom that would be governed by His dominion. At the cross, Jesus was surrounded by two thieves, and one recognized Jesus as a king and said to Him, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" (Luke 23:42). Jesus’s response: "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." This thief understood kingdom authority.

A Spiritual Kingdom

This “spiritual” kingdom requires a new approach to God’s laws. Instead of the old covenant, the Law of Moses, written on tablets of stone, the new covenant specifies that God’s laws are written on the believer’s heart (Hebrews 8:10). Instead of Jewish leaders enforcing these laws externally, the Holy Spirit would be the administrator, from the inside. John 16:8-11 tells the story:

And He, when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, will convict [elegcho – convince, persuade, show to be wrong] the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.          

Jesus's public ministry began at His baptism, followed immediately by His temptation in the wilderness. While still ministering in Galilee, He introduced the principle of kingdom life, proper behavior in the kingdom of heaven. It meant a radical change in the laws given at Sinai, those commandments that focused on the public activities of the believer. The Sermon on the Mount was intended to focus attention on the private, inward life. In the beginning, Jesus centered on the inward convictions that would lead to the blessings of the kingdom. Each of these blessings is associated with a godly, internal condition that focuses on the Father's attitudes. These blessings would be tied to the kingdom of heaven:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."             Matthew 5:3 

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."                        Matthew 5:10

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.                            Matthew 5:19-20

Jesus taught that living in the kingdom of heaven centers on honoring God in the heart, not just outwardly. "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell (Matthew 5:21-22). The scribes and Pharisees were only concerned about outward actions, but the righteousness of God is manifested to those who honor God from the heart, under the administration of the Holy Spirit. According to Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore, I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled.                        Matthew 13:10-14

Matthew 13 includes eight parables dealing with the kingdom of heaven, beginning with the Parable of the Seed and the Sower. He chose to teach in parables since He could speak to His followers with the word of the kingdom (Matthew 13:19) and they would understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, while those who were not followers from the heart would not: while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In this first parable, Jesus is emphasizing the condition of the heart when hearing His words. The different types of ground speak about the degree of faith mixed with what is heard; the good ground will bear fruit.

The Harvest has Come 

And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself [without visible cause]; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."                 Mark 4:26-29

The above parable appears only in the Mark account and is directly related to the first parable. Jesus is speaking of the seed produced by the good ground, addressing the process of its growth, first the blade, then the head [ear], then the mature grain in the head. The emphasis is that after the word of the kingdom is planted, the growth process is not dependent on anything else added. Instead, growth occurs on its own, without human intervention, dependent only on heaven’s blessing of sunshine and showers, until its maturity. Many scholars believe the parable is meant to illustrate believers during the Church Age, in which Christians will experience the life of the Holy Spirit as they grow to maturity, culminating in the Rapture of the Church, when Jesus will come and harvest His followers. 

Wheat and Tares

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.                            Matthew 13:24-26

The Parable of the Wheat and Tares uses the same metaphor of seed and sower. In this case, the uniqueness of the ground is not mentioned, but the spiritual warfare which surrounds believers during the Church Age is depicted. The enemy strategically plants counterfeit Christians within the congregations who will become evident to the leadership and other spiritual members. Instead of expelling those who appear to be imitations, the Lord will deal with this matter, Himself. According to Matthew 13:30, “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn. 

A Mustard Seed 

He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."                       Matthew 13:31-32

To complement this principle of mixing faith with what is heard, the above parable addresses faith in the king and His kingdom, and it will grow from something very small to something larger than the garden plants, and becomes a large tree. In addition, the birds will nest in its branches. According to Alfred Edersheim’s Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: 

And the general meaning would the more easily be apprehended, that a tree, whose wide-spreading branches afforded lodgment to the birds of heaven, was a familiar Old Testament figure for a mighty kingdom that gave shelter to the nations.  Indeed, it is specifically used as an illustration of the Messianic Kingdom.  Thus, the Parable would point to this, so full of mystery to the Jews, so explanatory of the mystery to the disciples: that the Kingdom of Heaven, planted in the field of the world as the smallest seed, in the most humble and unpromising manner, would grow till it far outstripped all other similar plants, and gave shelter to all nations under heaven. 

Leaven 

He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman [the church] took and hid in three pecks [saton - measures] of flour until it was all leavened."                        Matthew 13:33

There has been much speculation as to the intended meaning of this Parable. Since leaven is used extensively in the Old Testament as a symbol of evil, some scholars apply the same interpretation here. Rather than spiritualizing the understanding of leaven and the three measures, a closer look at the isagogics (historical frame of reference) of the details, adding nothing to what has been spoken, makes the proper interpretation of the Parable clear.

The three measures of flour in which the leaven is hidden represent an ephah, of which the exact capacity differed in various districts. According to the original Biblical measurement, it was supposed to be a space holding 432 eggs, while the Jerusalem ephah was one-fifth, and the Galilean ephah two-fifths, or, according to another authority, one-half larger. To mix three measures of flour was common in Biblical times. It represents a common process of everyday life. The conclusion, then, is that when the kingdom of heaven is received within by the believer, the kingdom would gradually grow and multiply within him in the same way leaven expands and multiplies when combined with flour. The kingdom of heaven will transform the life of each believer within the details of life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hidden Treasure

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”     Matthew 13:44

In the above, a man discovers a treasure hidden in a field not his own, and in his joy, parts with all else to become the owner of the field and of the hidden treasure which he had found unexpectedly. This treasure is hidden from common view in the field, and the finder discovers it, filling him with joy. We can best understand this to be a reference to Israel, God's special treasure. In Exodus 19:5, Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. One reason Jesus came into the world was to redeem Israel, so that He could be seen as the One who sold all He had to purchase the treasure. This interpretation thoroughly undermines those who believe in replacement theology, that the Church has taken the place of Israel in time.

Pearl of Great Value

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.        Matthew 13:45-46 

In the above, a wise merchant travels in search of pearls, and when he finds one of great value, he returns and sells all that he has to buy this unique gem. The merchant is in search of pearls, but he has the wisdom to discover the transcendent value of this one gem, and the greater wisdom to give up all further search and to acquire it at the surrender of everything else.

A pearl forms when an irritant, such as a parasite or food particle, enters the shell of an oyster or mussel. The mollusk secretes layers of a substance called nacre to coat the irritant, gradually creating a pearl. The merchant represents Jesus Christ, who gave up all, and the pearl is the believer in Christ; the irritant is tribulation. The Lord is seeking those who are His. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro, throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

Dragnet 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So, it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”                            Matthew 13:47-50 

This Parable has a similar meaning to the Wheat and Tares. The gospel, the good news of Jesus's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, is compared to a net dragging along on the bottom of the sea, gathering the good and bad. The gospel may be expected to do the same; but at the end of the world, when the net is drawn, the bad will be separated from the good; the one will be cast into a furnace of fire (judgment), and the other saved. In Matthew 25:30, the Parable of the Talents, the wicked, lazy slave will be judged: And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In the Wheat and Tares, the enemy is the agent that introduces the counterfeits, while in this Parable, the good and bad are gathered together by the dragnet. This net represents the drawing power of the Father (John 6:44) and the Son (John 12:32), who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, the kingdom of heaven. In Song 1:4, the Shulamite woman says: Draw me after you and let us run together! The king has brought me into his chambers.” There will be a separation of the good and the evil at the end of the age. Jesus came to preach salvation, and it is a remarkable fact that the most fearful accounts of hell and of the sufferings of the damned in the Scriptures are from His lips. The Lord's lovingkindness is His motive, and the angels will properly judge those who are righteous and wicked. Permanent separation from God is the wicked’s ultimate fate. 

Disciples of the Kingdom 

"Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes." And Jesus said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old."             Matthew 13:51-52

As with the owner of a house, this type of scribe brings things new and old out of his treasure. The owner of the house in the Parable brings things out of his storeroom to use them for the benefit of all. The storeroom from which the disciple brings these things is his heart and inner self. He brings forth new understanding of the kingdom that Jesus had taught him, as well as old understanding of the kingdom from his Old Testament teaching. The new did not displace the old but supplemented it. Jesus was comparing His believing disciples to this believing scribe. They said they understood what Jesus had taught them. Therefore, they had a responsibility to teach others what they now understood. Every disciple must become a scribe, a teacher of the law, because he understands things that require communication to others.

Greatest in the Kingdom

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.            Matthew 18:1-6

While still in the city of Capernaum, the disciples asked Jesus a question they had undoubtedly been pondering among themselves: Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The disciples were still anticipating an earthly kingdom and wondering what great positions they would have. In response, Jesus took a little child, who had no rights according to the Law, and stood him in their midst. A change in their thinking was necessary; greatness in the kingdom of heaven is not based on great works or words, but on childlike humility of spirit. They should have been concerned about serving the Lord, not asking about positions in the kingdom. Their service needed to be directed toward people, for Jesus spoke about welcoming a little child... in His name. Little thought was directed in those days toward children, but Jesus did not overlook them. In fact, He gave a stern warning concerning anyone who might place a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in Him. A truly humble person does not concern himself with position or power, but is concerned about active service, especially toward those who are most in need. Living in the kingdom of heaven is most richly experienced in those who live for Christ and His will and not self.