Kingdom of Heaven

As we meditate upon the Kingdom of Heaven it should give us a richer understanding of what the Kingdom is and the dynamics of how it works. While the Kingdom of Heaven will break forth in all its fullness at the Second Advent of Christ, it is operating in its power and building in the hearts of those who will receive it. The Kingdom is here and now, hidden to the world, yet invading our hearts in the person of Jesus Christ who stands at the door and knocks. Consequently, it should give us a greater desire to see God's Kingdom operate and grow stronger in our lives so that we may continually be transformed into the image of Christ and to reflect more of the Kingdom qualities of the beatitude believer.

In addition it should help us to sharpen our focus on eternity (2 Cor. 4:18; Heb.11:13-16) and the eternal riches of Christ. The parables in Matthew 13: 44-46 of the "hidden treasure" and the "pearl of great price" teach of the Kingdom of God and its incomparable worth, far surpassing any "perceived treasure" in the world. The Kingdom's value is of such significance that both persons in these parables parted with everything they had previously valued in order to gain this eternal treasure. The apostle Paul stumbled across this treasure when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He later wrote to the Philippians of his change in outlook when he found this "pearl of great price". Once he had gloried in his ancestry, education, and religious position, but now concerning those things, which were gain to him, he counted as loss for Christ. "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ" (Phil. 3:7,8). Likewise, Matthew a wealthy tax collector, was approached by Jesus while sitting in the tax collector's booth located on the highway that runs from Damascus down to Jerusalem. Jesus called Matthew out of this kind of livelihood and told him to "follow me". The gospels record that Matthew at his moment of decision left everything, rose up and followed Jesus (Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:28). Matthew also had given up all for the treasure of Christ.

Two pastoral applications that I discovered while in this study are found in the fourth chapter of Mark which states, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, the head, after that the full grain in the head"(Mark 4:26-29 NKJV). First, this parable reveals that if this seed, which is the Word of God, is planted on good soil, where it can take root, it will grow spontaneously and inevitably. Once this divine seed of the Kingdom has taken root in the hearts of men, it will grow all by itself. This takes away the anxiety of the sower because this parable reveals that the life is in the seed and not in the sower. A faithful sower of the Word of God can go to bed at night in quiet confidence knowing that it is God who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:16). Secondly, where the seed that is sown does begin to sprout, its growth is progressive: "first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head" (Mark 4:28 NKJV). This helps a pastor to understand that a new believer's spiritual growth is going to be progressive. In addition, the various disciples of Jesus will not all develop at the same rate of spiritual growth. This parable should spur the pastor and evangelist on to greater efforts knowing that their continued work will lead to inevitable success, as it is the power of God that is at work. The maturity of a believer often will develop after very crude beginnings. In the Kingdom we see that great things develop from small origins as in the "parable of the mustard seed". However, this requires patience on the part of the sower as the results are not always immediately noticed.

What is the Kingdom of Heaven?

While the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" does not appear in the Old Testament, the concept is found throughout the writings of the Old Testament prophets. God is often referred to as the King over Israel (Isa. 43:15; Exod. 15:18) as well as the King over all the earth (2 Kings 19:15). Although God is currently King, other passages refer to a time when He shall become King and rule and reign over all the earth. For example, the prophet Zechariah anticipates the Lord's glorious reign when he writes, "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be- 'the Lord is one', and His name one (Zech. 14:9 NKJV). The Lord's reign will also usher in a time of peace (Isa. 2:2-4), righteousness (Isa. 11:4,5), as well as physical and spiritual healing (Isa. 53:5). The teaching of Old Testament scripture was eschatological in that it revealed a time when God would "break in" and bring this present age to an end and usher in this new Kingdom age. The Greek word for this "breaking in" is called the eschaton, which means the last thing. Bible scholar George Ladd explains, "The truly Hebraic, prophetic hope expects the Kingdom to arise out of history and to be ruled by a descendent of David in an earthly setting….they look for an apocalyptic inbreaking of God in the person of a heavenly Son of Man with a completely transcendental Kingdom 'beyond history' (Dan.7)." Consequently, when John the Baptist announced that he was preparing the way for the Messiah, and that men should "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2 NKJV), there was great anticipation to see the end of this age and the beginning of God's rule. When Jesus began His ministry, He came preaching that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and working all kinds of miracles, healing all kinds of sickness, casting out demons, forgiving sins, and raising the dead (see Matt. 8:16; Mark 2:5; John 11:40-45). In His defense to the Pharisees attacks against these miracles, Jesus responded, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matt. 12:28 NKJV). In addition, John the Baptist, in a moment of doubt, sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the Coming One. Jesus replied, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them because of Me" (Matt. 11:4-5). Based on this information, the Kingdom of Heaven may be defined as, "the rule and reign of God breaking into and manifesting itself onto planet earth". Inherit to this Kingdom is righteousness, peace, joy, health, and the fullness of the Spirit's presence.

The Kingdom: Present or Future?

The Scripture clearly reveals that in some sense, the Kingdom of Heaven has already broken into the present. The apostle Paul wrote in his book to the Colossians, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of his love…"(1:13 NKJV). This passage reveals that believers are no longer under the dominion of evil (darkness), but have been transferred into the Kingdom and are presently under the benevolent rule of God's Son. Likewise, the writer of Hebrews declares that believers have "tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come…(6:5 NKJV). These believers have tasted in the present, the powers of the Kingdom that is to come in the future. Thus, in some sense, the Kingdom of God is here in the present but in another sense it has yet to come in its fullness in the future. The "age to come" has been inaugurated as it has broken into this present evil age. This was a new revelation about the Kingdom that Christ had revealed. As Jesus said, "…the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old")Matt. 13:52 NKJV). This mystery of the Kingdom was concealed in the Old Testament, but it was revealed and brought to light by Jesus and the New Testament apostles. Jesus opened this truth to us in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43). In it He reveals that the consummation of the Kingdom of Heaven will be preceded by an age in which good and evil will co-exist. As the Son of man sows the good seed (sons of the Kingdom) into His field (the world), his enemy (the devil) sowed tares (sons of the wicked one) among the wheat while men slept. Consequently, when the grain has sprouted and produced a crop, the tares appeared as well. When the servants saw this they asked the owner if they should gather up the tares. Then the owner responded, "…No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn"' (Matt. 13:29-30 NKJV). Jesus later explained that the harvest is the end of the age and at that time "the Son of Man will gather out of His Kingdom all things (the tares) that offend…and will cast them into the furnace of fire…. Then the righteous will shine forth as the Son in the Kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13:41-43 NKJV). Consequently, the mystery was that there would be a time when these two Kingdoms would co-exist and operate side by side and would be in a state of conflict. The kingdom of this age (this evil generation) and the Kingdom of Heaven (the Kingdom of Light). During this time the Kingdom of Heaven would be expressed through the Lord's true believers, His ekklesia (the church), which is the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13), and the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Since the nation of Israel as a whole rejected the prophesied Messiah, the Kingdom was taken from Israel and given to others (the Jewish and Gentile believers), who would accept it (Mark 12:9). These believers who become the true sons of the Kingdom, enter into the enjoyment of its blessing and power, as well as become its custodians (Matt. 16:19). Finally, when Christ returns at the Second Advent, the Kingdom will be consummated and come in its fullness. As the apostle Peter said, "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" ( 2 Peter 3:13 NKJV). This final inbreaking of the Kingdom will swallow up all rival kingdoms and will be climactic, visible, and appear suddenly. As Jesus taught "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day" (Luke 17:24 NKJV).

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God: Is there a Difference

A close evaluation of the harmony of the Synoptic Gospels reveals that the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are synonymous. For example, the Gospel of Matthew records that after Jesus had heard that John the Baptist had been put into prison, He began His Galilean ministry. "From that time on Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"' (Matt. 4:17 NKJV). The Gospel of Mark also records this beginning point in Jesus' ministry; "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying 'the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand'" (Mark 1:14,15 NKJV). In these passages, the gospel writers are referring to the same event, the initiation of Christ's ministry and His public proclamation, while using these two Kingdom terms interchangeably. There is also a harmony of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God in Matthew and Luke's recordings of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:3 states, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (5:3 NKJV). Luke also records this eternal inheritance in his gospel. "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God" (6:20 NKJV). It is clear that these two gospel writers are using these two different terms to refer to the same Kingdom inheritance. Lastly, Mark and Luke write of the difficulty that a rich man will have in entering the Kingdom of God (Mark 10:23-25; Luke 18:24,25). But what is particularly interesting is that Matthew shows Jesus using both phrases interchangeably. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 19:23,24 NKJV).

It is evident that both the phrases Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are referring to the same thing. This being the case, then why is it that Matthew uses the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" and the other three gospel writers do not? First, it should be noted that Matthew's original audiences were Jewish believers. In a sense, Matthew is a "transitional gospel" because it sets the story of Jesus the Messiah against the backdrop of the Old Testament and links together these Old and New Testaments. The reason that Matthew uses the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" is because of his Jewish audience. Out of reverence for the "divine name", the Jews tried to avoid the name 'God' and would substitute some other term. As George Ladd explains, "The 'Kingdom of Heaven' is a Semitic idiom where heaven is a substitute for the divine name." Another example where the word heaven is used in place of God is in the "Parable of the Lost Son". In this parable when the wayward son came to his senses he said, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you" (Luke 15:18 NKJV). In conclusion, Matthew is using this term to relate to the Jewish mindset with the ultimate purpose of establishing Jesus as the promised Messiah who fulfilled the Jewish scriptures

During this interadvent period, the Kingdom is already operating in our midst, but in an unexpected form. It was not initiated with all the climactic and outward display that suited the Pharisees expectations. When the Pharisees asked Jesus when His Kingdom would come, He answered, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21 NKJV). This gives meaning to Jesus statement to Nicodemus, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3 NKJV). This new birth, or spiritual regeneration (see Titus 3:5), is the act by which God imparts life to those who place their trust in Christ. It is the invisible entrance or "breaking in" of the Holy Spirit into the lives of those who receive Christ with a childlike attitude of complete trust (Matt. 18:3). No man can perceive spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:10), nor enter the Kingdom of heaven (John 3:5) without this spiritual rebirth. This divinely imparted life produces internal fruit, expressing itself in love, joy peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22). These things are hidden from those who do not have ears to hear. As the apostle Paul declares, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17 NKJV). This is in sharp contrast to the righteousness of the religious leaders of Jesus' time. As Jesus explained, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:20 NKJV). Jesus is not teaching about having "more righteousness" in terms of quantity. Rather, it is a difference in the "kind" of righteousness. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was an "external righteousness" giving adherence to outward rules and regulations. On the other hand, the beatitude believer has an internal righteousness; one of poverty of spirit, meekness and hungering and thirsting on the inside, expressing itself outwardly in acts of mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking (Matt. 5:3-9). Jesus sharply rebuked these religious leaders for their "Pharisaical righteousness." "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside you are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matt. 23:27,28). In contrast, the only righteousness that satisfies God's perfect standard is faith in Jesus Christ ( Rom. 3:21,22). This Kingdom of righteousness will for a period of time, operate side by side with the kingdom of this age, bringing conflict and persecution to the people of faith. As Jesus encouraged His followers, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…(Matt. 5:11,12 NKJV). As theologian Ronald Wallace explains, "The Kingdom of God is in the midst of this world working like an underground movement of cosmic significance toward a glorious future climax….It spreads and increases in a process of secret and gradual growth, but this process will find its culmination in one great crisis when the glory and gathering power of that Kingdom will suddenly break forth."

Conclusion

The Kingdom of Heaven has been inaugurated with the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is presently expanding throughout the earth and is making its presence known in the very heart of man. It begins with a tiny seed falling into one's heart. Often going unnoticed and being seen as an insignificant event, it grows all by itself and begins to work powerfully, changing a person's whole life and entire value system. It urges him to produce good works, which will bring glory to God and reveal the power of the living Word. Jesus has left us with seed to sow for His Kingdom. While many will reject this seed as insignificant, some will see its great value and receive it gladly and with great joy. Where the seed is genuinely received, it will grow and produce much fruit, and bear witness to a lost world. Then at the Lord's return, this present age will have come to an end, the Kingdom will come forth in all of its completeness, and "the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13:43 NKJV).