REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND...


THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE…
PART 2


NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME,
‘LORD, LORD,’ WILL ENTER
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,
BUT ONLY HE WHO DOES
THE WILL OF MY FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN…
MATTHEW 7:21

Matthew 10:32-33 “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father, which is in heaven. (33) But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father, which is in heaven.” (38) “And he that takes not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me.” [Esteem what GOD esteems and value what He values by being a loyal, faithful servant.] (39) He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for My sake shall find it.” [A person that finds his life of selfishness without GOD finds a lower way of life that brings sorrow, destruction, and eternal death; while one that loses his life by surrendering it to Christ will find a higher way of living in GOD unto eternal life.]

THE KING - JESUS CHRIST:

Matthew wrote of the King and his kingdom:
The person of the King in His relationship to earth is true and sinless
(Matthew 1-2);
His relationship to heaven is ‘Beloved’ of the Father (Matthew 3); and
His relationship to hell is ‘Conqueror of the devil’ (Matthew 4).

The book of Matthew announces what the kingdom of heaven is like. The preaching of the King and of the kingdom of heaven begins in Matthew 4:17 and continues through Matthew 16:20 to proclaim hope, deliverance, and eternal salvation to mankind.

Then ‘from that time forth,’ Jesus began to show forth the passion of the King (Matthew 16:21 - Matthew 28) to re-establish the kingdom of GOD over the rebellious part of GOD‘S realm, and to see eternal righteous men and women inherit the earth, for they are the sons and daughters of a loving, caring GOD.


MATTHEW tells how “Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17) With authority He began teaching men to understand that He is the Everlasting King. His parables teach His disciples to have a spirit of loyalty to Him and His kingdom (government). Otherwise, they will have a spirit of rebellion that will take them down a path of destruction AWAY from the love of the Everlasting Father. Luke writes: “The Word which GOD sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is LORD of all): That Word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How GOD anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for GOD was with Him (Acts 10:38-38). Jesus, under the Father’s Divine Commission to ’save the world’ was GOD’S divine Prophet, Priest, and King with all authority to complete His GOD-given task of the redemption of man.

PROPHET:

“For Moses truly said unto the fathers [of Israel], ‘A prophet shall the LORD your GOD raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you”…Acts 3:21-22

At the appointed time Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized in water and in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Even though He, the sinless Son of GOD, did not need to repent of sin or be baptized by John the Baptist, He choose to submit to John‘s baptism of repentance from sin to “fulfill all righteousness” and to identify with sinful men that needed cleansing from sin and needed the empowering of the Holy Spirit to lead a Christ-like life. For thirty years, Jesus had been studying to show Himself approved by the Father to be His divine agent to re-establish the kingdom of GOD over the rebellious part of GOD’S realm. Now as the LORD came up out of the waters of baptism, praying as He came (Luke 3:21), the heavens opened, and the Spirit of GOD descended on Him in the shape of a dove. Then a sound from heaven came saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.“ This evaluation of the hidden years of Jesus’ life by the Father proclaimed Him to be the Heir and adopted Son that would accomplish the Father’s business of saving the world.

Western adoption practices cloud biblical understanding of adoption in Eastern practices. In Eastern practices the eldest ’son’ of the family, if he has proven to have integrity and a propensity for doing the will of the father, will be ’adopted’ by the father ‘at the appointed time’ to continue the family business and the family line. Jesus Christ was adopted to be the ‘first born’ of a family for GOD ALMIGHTY. The Father said, “I will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I command Him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). Recognizing Jesus as the adopted Son to speak GOD’S Word and to finish the plan of GOD for mankind led to His becoming the great Prophet that would reveal GOD to man, as no other man had. This great Prophet’s authoritative ministry of ‘the kingdom of heaven’ would lead Him to become the Saviour of the world!


KING:

“And the seventh Angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ;’ and He shall reign for ever and ever!”

During Jesus’ public ministry, there were many at different times who wanted to crown Him as a political ruler to overthrow the oppressive Roman government. “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a King, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone” (John 6:15). GOD’S plan to give Jesus the visible, public throne of authority would come later. Jesus carefully avoided becoming a political ruler, but recognized Himself as the rightful King of Israel, both in an actual and a spiritual sense. Now, ‘in the kingdom of heaven,’ Jesus is Lord and King of all to those who will submit to Him as Saviour and King. The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem with the crowd waving palm branches and shouting ’Hosanna’ and ’Blessed be the king that comes in the name of the Lord (Luke 19:38) was the public testimony of His kingship. The crowd also called Him ‘Son of David’ suggesting His kingly lineage (Matthew 21:9), as they spread their outer garments on the road before Him and carpeted it with foliage, modeling the ancient method of welcoming a new sovereign (Matthew 21:8; 2nd Kings 9:13). Yet He knew that the nation soon would reject and crucify Him. This event underscored His authority as King of Israel, but He knew His actual, physical reign over regenerated Israel from the throne of David would come at a later time during the Millennium.


PRIEST:

“Seeing then that we have a Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of GOD, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”…Hebrews 4:14-16

From the beginning, Jesus ministered in the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, in word and in deed. During this time, the priest of the Israelite nation represented the people in offerings and sacrifices given to GOD in order to contact GOD ALMIGHTY and hear His word. The priest was responsible for bringing GOD’S holy laws to the people in every area of their lives, that they might be sanctified and separated for service to the LORD, to live a joyful and peaceful life. There were many priest from Aaron to Christ, but Jesus, after his death, resurrection, and ascension became GOD’S family’s Great High Priest, the perfect One Who never changes or dies. He is the only Way (the Door) for mankind to come into the Presence of GOD to have fellowship with Him and hear His Words of life, wisdom and compassion. By reason of His endless life, His priesthood supersedes all others. The ascension was GOD’S exaltation of Christ to His right hand, where He now ministers for His family as High Priest. Two angels appeared at the ascension to tell awestruck disciples that Jesus would come again, even as they had seen Him go in the clouds (Acts 1:9-12); thereby anticipating His Second Advent as the King of kings. He ascended bodily in the clouds; so will He soon return to take charge of the governments of this world.




Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. Psalm 25:8-9 (NKJ)


What is the difference between the kingdom of GOD and the kingdom of heaven? The literal kingdom of GOD is a kingdom that includes the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of GOD includes the universe, for GOD is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, and King of His kingdom. It is a “past,” “present,” and “future kingdom” that “is” where GOD sits on His throne and rules over all. GOD spread out the heavens and established the earth (PAST). His glory is revealed in the heavens above (PRESENT), and His greatness is manifest throughout all the earth now and forever (FUTURE). HE is GOD, there is none else. His kingdom is eternal in purpose, with angels and heavenly beings attending the King to do His bidding. It is timeless, and no one or anything can ever destroy this kingdom. At present there is a warfare between good and evil in this kingdom to determine who will submit to the GOD of all gods, the Almighty GOD and belong to Him and His kingdom; or to see who will reject His lordship and burn forever in hell!

The kingdom of heaven is from heaven but only upon earth. It has been given to Christ the Messiah to re-establish the kingdom of GOD over the rebellious part of GOD’S realm. This government of the kingdom of heaven began with John the Baptist’s preaching and continues to be expanded today through the preaching of King Jesus, through His servants. When the end of the battle of Armageddon is finished with the second coming of Jesus Christ, the tangible, invisible kingdom of heaven will then transition into a physical, visible kingdom of the King over all His subjects. King Jesus will come to reign upon the earth in a physical kingdom that He will rule with a rod of iron. The kingdom of heaven has tares and wheat in it that now will be separated by angels, the bad tares from the good wheat. The tares - the mere professors and hypocrites that pretend to know and love GOD will finally be separated forever from the wheat - the meek of the earth who do know and love their GOD. The meek saints are the possessors of this kingdom…the joint-heirs with Christ Jesus. The professors, hypocrites, and all the evil tares will be sent to hell to be burned, along with the evil beast and the deceitful, false prophet. Then the kingdom of heaven will continue in its literal aspect during the Millennium, as King Jesus rules with dominion over all nations. If someone should try to disobey His laws during the Millennium, He will send one of His servant-agents to put things in order. No rebellion will be tolerated. All the seven feasts of the LORD (Leviticus 23) will be reinstituted in Israel and in all the nations. Any nation that will not come up to Jerusalem for the Feasts of Tabernacles will receive no rain for three years, which would cause famine and thirst for that nation. Don’t you know they will decided before the King’s agents leave that they would rather go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, rather than have no rain in their nation for three years. After the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, called the Millennium, His kingdom of heaven will transition into the eternal kingdom of GOD with a new heaven and a new earth.

ALL THE NATIONS YOU HAVE MADE
WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
O LORD;
THEY WILL BRING GLORY
TO YOUR NAME!
Psalm 86:9


Without the WORD of GOD there could be no standard against which to measure ‘true profession.’ There would be no gospel of salvation, nothing to believe in, and therefore no kingdom, but GOD has magnified His WORD above all His name. Therefore, the Covenant of laws and standards of GOD’S Word, like any contract, is above the signature of the one involved in the contract. He has magnified His Word (the Covenant contract) above all His name (His signature in blood). His Word signed by His blood is our guarantee that all the promises from Genesis to Revelations are true! The parables of Jesus, that help people learn the standards of GOD, are apt similes or comparisons relating to man‘s way of life, which was an extremely common way of speaking in eastern countries. In this way, Jesus’ word drew and fixed the attention of many on what He was saying, and was the occasion for His truths to be delivered more deeply to the humble and serious hearers. At the same time, the meaning of the parable was hid from the proud and careless. The parables of the kingdom of heaven apply to this age to help mankind understand the importance of being in the kingdom of heaven, for Christ Jesus will come - the kingdom of heaven is at hand - and set up a literal earthly kingdom that will last forever. During the first 1,000 years of His eternal reign and government, or during the Millennium, Christ will put down all rebellion and rid the earth of all rebels. Then, GOD will become all in all as He restores all things as before the rebellion of the angel Lucifer (the devil) and before the rebellion of Adam and Eve. Anything that is said of the kingdom of heaven can also be said of the kingdom of GOD because the former is only the earthly dispensational appearance of the latter. Because the kingdom of heaven is part of the kingdom of GOD, some things can be said of both kingdoms. However, the dispensational kingdom of heaven is only on earth. Therefore there are other things said of the kingdom of GOD that can not be said of the kingdom of heaven.


LOYALTY AND OBEDIENCE TO JESUS BRINGS HIS WONDERFUL, GLORIOUS LIFE.
REBELLION AND DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS DESTRUCTION AND LOSS OF LIFE…FOREVER!

As Jesus sat near the Sea of Galilee, and He said, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He continued preaching to explain with understanding about the mysteries of GOD that men and women might understand about the ‘kingdom of heaven’ and be saved from eternal hell. And Jesus proclaimed, “From the days of John the Baptist until now (today) the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). There is a war now going on for the souls of men in the kingdom of GOD. Before John the Baptist came as a prophet, the kingdom of heaven could only be viewed in the light of prophecy, but now that the GOOD NEWS, the Word about the kingdom of heaven has been preached, men must press into it with an eagerness resembling violence to take hold of all that salvation is. This means making a fervent 100% commitment to become a naturalized citizen of the kingdom of GOD to serve GOD as his subject now and forever. A man (or woman) must commit his whole self to serving the King in loyalty and faithfulness to receive the inheritance that the King has promised to everyone who believes on His name, in His blood, and in His kingdom. A man’s response to the gospel is not automatic, but a choice…to be violently and eagerly responsive immediately and to receive GOD”S Word of light into His spirit and soul; or to eagerly choose selfishness, self-pleasure, and his own voluntary perverseness to live in utter darkness, without the Presence of GOD ALMIGHTY. The kingdom of heaven parables parallel salvation, which is GOD‘S rescuing power in this life and eternal life in the age of GOD‘S kingdom. These parables teach us how to live as subjects in His kingdom under grace, mercy, and His rule of righteousness, and with the favor of the King to live in His Presence.

Often Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes developing them from scenes that He witnessed in first century Israel. A parable illustrates truth and makes it clear by comparing it with something all ready familiar. His parables of enlightenment illumines subjects that otherwise would be difficult to understand. During the first century everyone had lamps to lighten their dark homes. By comparison Jesus Christ is the light, the lamp, that came into the world to shine light into a darkened world. From His parables, one can see that Jesus Christ came into this world with a passion and a mission to establish and rule the kingdom of heaven with dominion and authority over His just and righteous subjects; and to rid the world of all rebellion. He wanted everyone to understand and recognize their time of ‘visitation’ from ALMIGHTY GOD, EL SHADDAI (Reference - Luke 19:31-44). Even though His kingdom now is a spiritual kingdom, it is a real, tangible kingdom, not a temporary one but a permanent one! He has given men (mankind) the choice to receive His rule now, or later. You can choose to serve the King with a spirit of loyalty, and faithfulness or you will serve a substitute and be yielded to something that will lead to your destruction. Now you can bow your knee to King Jesus, as you enter into the kingdom under the leadership of GOD, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and be lead into a joyous life of fellowship with GOD ALMIGHTY. With steadfast loyalty and devotion to the King, we must lay hold of the kingdom of God to alleviate the justice of God that cries out for the destruction of rebellion and unbelief. Later, after it is no longer ’today,’ ‘those’ - the tares - who have not believed on Him or obeyed His law of government will bow before Him in deference to the King of kings. However ‘those’ who do not know Him, at this point, will not be given the choice to believe on Jesus and have eternal life in heaven. They
will find that after physical death there is no recourse or appeal to be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven with Jesus, as King, Lord, and Saviour. Later ‘those’ tares will see that the second death is to live eternally “without” the awesome presence of ALMIGHTY GOD, who gives peace, love, comfort, and every need met. It will be a place of horrendous darkness filled with burning fire, incessant strife, no drop of water, no crumb of bread, no comforting love, no sweet peace, no sound mind,…a place of pandemonium OF PAIN AND FEAR that can’t be healed. HOW HORRIBLE it will be to find that you have missed ’your visitation’ by GOD to know Him and live in glory with Him forever!


MATTHEW 13:44...FIFTH MYSTERY:
PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE(v44)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field: the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy, thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.”

This is a prophecy that has been fulfilled and is continuing to be fulfilled. What is the treasure? The treasure for GOD is the salvation of His Chosen People, the nation of Israel, and the salvation of His Church from the field of timeless ages of “today.” The Man who found the treasure by making a Plan for mankind is Christ Jesus. GOD ‘found’ this treasure when Abraham believed the Word that was spoken to him that he would be the father of many nations, and GOD promised Abram that He would bless all of the nations of the earth through him. Soon Isaac was born, then Jacob realized the El Shaddi blessing of provision for his life. It was GOD’S plan that Jacob, later named Israel, would have twelve sons from which would come the nation of Israel. Because of sin, Israel would be tested to see if they would be loyal and faithful to GOD. They, over many years, were not faithful to a faithful, loving GOD. To rectify this situation, GOD Himself came in the likeness of sinful men to give to Israel, but not only to Israel, but to give any person of any nation another opportunity to recognize their visitation from GOD ALMIGHTY to accept Him for who He is, King of the Universe. This plan for mankind’s salvation was proclaimed by the prophets of old, and retold by the Church, and is still being told by the Church to ’whoever’ will believe on Jesus, the Son of GOD, and be born-again of His Spirit. The field, therefore, is the timeless ages of ’today’ …since the birth of Christ Jesus until the new heaven and earth comes with ’eternal time.’ GOD the SON was willing to ’sell everything’ by leaving the glories of heaven to give everything of His love and willing to sacrifice in order to get the treasure of mankind’s salvation…Israel and the Church. Jesus gave His life, His love, suffered the painful death of a cross, and died as a Man, that His resurrection might prove Him to be the Son of GOD, who has the WORDS OF LIFE. These Words of Life were hidden among the Jewish nation of Israel until the fullness of time came for Christ to be born into this sinful world. Now, ’today,’ the priceless treasure of mankind’s salvation can be found by anyone who is willing to seek the kingdom of heaven and find the King.

Israel’s name as a nation and a kingdom would not have been cut off, if they had obeyed GOD (Isaiah 48:18-19). They were never cut off entirely as a race, for a remnant always was and always will be saved (Isaiah 1:9). Jehovah GOD commissioned the Messiah, His Son Jesus Christ to be His servant to bring back JACOB (ISRAEL) to Him (Isaiah 49:1-9) and TO BE A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS, so that HIS SALVATION could extend to the end of the earth. GOD the Father held the death of His Son as so precious in His sight that He would not waste this act of Christ Jesus’ obedience JUST to bring forth the twelve tribes of Israel, but He would also glorify Himself by giving Jesus as a light of SALVATION for the Gentile world also. GOD will arise at the end of the age and scatter His enemies forever, and all Israel, His peculiar treasure, will be saved to live eternally with Christ Jesus, their King and their GOD, forever! So will the Church that has been adopted into the Faith.

One must understand that GOD’S Word to mankind ‘must be precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little’: that those who have understanding will acquire more understanding of the rules of moral conduct of the kingdom, and walk pleasing and righteous in GOD’S sight. And those who do not want to understand and reject Messiah’s precepts will walk in darkness and stumble and fall at the Messiah, the Stumbling Stone, and eventually be destroyed at the end of time. Precept upon precept is learning one truth principle from GOD’S Word today and continuing to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with a little more understanding and knowledge each time His Word is heard. GOD’S Word, the Bible, is line upon line of information, line upon line of understanding, layer upon layer of knowledge, and layer upon layer of truth, which always requires a response. Today, you can read a passage and understand some of it, and the next day you can read that same passage and, by the Spirit of GOD, our Teacher, you can learn a little more to know how to conduct yourself in the kingdom of heaven, as the King’s subject.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU...

Then look at the parable again. Another layer of information speaks out. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.”

“And when Jesus was demanded of by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of GOD should come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of GOD comes not with observation’ (of hostile watching): Neither shall they say ‘Lo, here! Or lo there!’ For behold, the kingdom of GOD is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom is in the midst of you. The King of the kingdom of heaven, which is the earthly aspect of the universal kingdom of GOD, is in the midst of you now. His government, if you are His disciple, governs your life, from the midst of your spiritual heart. The treasure of the kingdom of heaven within us is a treasure indeed, but a treasure hid from the world, and from the most wise and prudent in it. What then is the treasure? The ‘treasure,‘ being equivalent to salvation, ’ is the ‘treasure of salvation’ of born-again men and women that Christ Jesus has purchased with His blood for His saints (Reference -Isaiah 55:1-3). The salvation that He gives is our redemption, our new covenant, and our new life in Him, which can be found in Christ Jesus alone. Any person that finds this treasure, hides it in his heart, willing to give all of himself (sell all that he is) to the Master Jesus Christ with joy, to be under his subjection in a glorious kingdom of salvation, including peace, joy, and love in the Holy Ghost. The believer, an heir of salvation, makes a 100% commitment to the LORD (sells all that he is) to buy (by laying down his own life) to be renewed and molded into the divine image of Christ Jesus to love righteousness and hate iniquity, as he serves the GOD of his salvation in a glorious kingdom of peace and love (purchases field).

Some people find the LORD after a long search for Truth, while others seem to ‘accidentally’ stumble upon the Truth and respond to it in a positive way. Regardless of the way you find ‘The Truth,” it is worth everything. Devote yourself wholeheartedly to finding and keeping the truth with all your heart and find the salvation Jesus Christ gives freely to all who will ask!

PRAISE GOD FOREVER MORE! FOR HIS GREAT SALVATION TO ALL MEN!