The Little Children

I was reading 1 John (KJV) and noticed that the author addresses multiple audiences:

• My little children (my dear children in the NIV)
• Brethren and my brethren (dear friends in the NIV)
• Fathers, young men, and children (The IVP Bible Background says this represents different stages of faith; fathers held positions of honor and authority; young men had strength and vigor, but were still vulnerable to temptation; children were still learning)
• Beloved (Rabbi Meir says beloved is Israel) 

I created a table so I could look at the passages side-by-side and noticed that the Greek word for little children was different in just one verse.

1 John 2:1	Tekníon
1 John 2:12	Tekníon
1 John 2:18	Paidíon
1 John 2:28	Tekníon
1 John 3:7	Tekníon
1 John 3:18	Tekníon
1 John 4:4	Tekníon
1 John 5:21	Tekníon

1 John 2:18: Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. (KJV)

I looked up the Greek words using the Complete Word Study Bible:

• Tekníon: Child, a little child.  Used only figuratively and always in the plural.  A term of affection by a teacher to his disciples

• Paidíon: Child, a little child, either male or female. A child recently born, a baby, an infant.  Metaphorically in 1 Cor 14:20, “be not children in understanding,” meaning weak, ignorant, childish.  As an endearing appellation for the followers in Christ

In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says: Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children [paidíon] ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (KJV, notation added)

The late pastor John White preached that it is the little children [paidíon] who are entering the kingdom. They are submissive to the Lord.  He also refers to little children as "a body of believers taken out of the body” who will be great in the kingdom.  

Little children are also the sons and the brethren or brothers of Christ, who are those who are seeking to enter the kingdom by doing the will of the Father (Matthew 5:20, Matthew 7:21; 18:3; 19:23-24, Mark 9:47; 10:23-25; Luke 18:24-25; John 3:5; Acts 14:22). 

Scripture tells us that some will only see the kingdom and not everyone will enter the kingdom:

John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Matthew 7:21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

If we are striving to be little children and enter the kingdom, how do we know what the will of the Father is? White says we discover it by studying the Bible.

Quoteworthy: He Will Return As King!

“It is clear from the Scriptures that God has been trying to set up a "visible" Kingdom on this earth ever since the creation of man, to whom He gave dominion (Gen. 1: 26-28). But that dominion was lost by the "Fall," and Satan set himself up as the "Prince of this World" (Matt. 4:8-10, John 14:30).

In the "Call of Abraham" God took the first step toward the setting up of a visible Kingdom on this earth, which assumed an outward form in the "Jewish Commonwealth" under Moses, but the plan was blocked by the Jews losing their "National Existence" at the time of the Babylonian Captivity B. C. 606, and the beginning of the "Times of the Gentiles."

But when 600 years of the "Times of the Gentiles" had run their course, God again made a move to set up the Kingdom, and the angel Gabriel announced to Mary the Birth of the King (Luke 1:26-33). Thirty years later the King's forerunner, John the Baptist, announced that the Kingdom was "at hand" (Matt. 3:1-2), and when the King manifested Himself to Israel He Himself made the same announcement (Matt. 4:17-23), and later He sent out the "Twelve" (Matt. 10:7), and the "Seventy" (Luke 10:1-9), to proclaim the same thing. But the King was rejected and crucified, and the setting up of the Kingdom postponed, and the Kingdom took on its "Mystery Form" under the name of the "Kingdom of Heaven."

There are some who object to what they call the "Postponement Theory," and claim that the Kingdom which was "At Hand" was not an outward visible Kingdom, but a spiritual Kingdom, and that it was not withdrawn but is seen today in "New Born" believers. They base their claim on the fact that the earthly visible Kingdom of Christ could not be set up until after He had suffered and died on the Cross as the Saviour of men and had risen from the dead, and ascended to the Father and received the Kingdom, and that therefore the offer of an outward visible and earthly Kingdom at that time was not a "bona fide" offer, and that John the Baptist and Jesus must have meant by the "Kingdom of Heaven" something else than an outward visible and earthly Kingdom.

What are the facts? First, that the Old Testament scriptures teach that there is to be an earthly and visible Kingdom over which the Son of Man is to rule (Dan. 7: 13-14, 2:34-35, 44-45; Jer. 23:5; Zech. 14:9), and we know that at the time of Jesus' birth there was a widespread expectation of the coming of the Messiah, and that Simeon and Anna waited in the Temple for the "Consolation of Israel" (Luke 2: 25-38). We are also told that "Wise Men" came from the East to Jerusalem inquiring "Where is He that is born KING OF THE JEWS?" and when they had found Jesus they worshipped Him as KING (Matt. 2:1-11).

There can be no question but that Jesus was born to be a KING.”

From Rightly Dividing the Word by Clarence Larkin.

The Return of the Jewish Messiah

I am Jewish by birth and attended Sunday school at a synagogue until I was a teenager.  But it wasn’t until many years after becoming a believer that I learned that Jesus was Jewish.  This knowledge was the beginning of an incredible journey to understand His (and my) Hebrew roots.

I often wondered why the Jewish leaders did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.  They dutifully and rigorously studied the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), most likely on a daily basis.  They knew about the writings of the prophets (while there was no collection of these books yet, the various texts were read as separate scrolls).¹  So how could they have missed it?

Believers today are fortunate to have knowledge from both the Old and New Testaments.  We can look back and clearly see how Jesus fulfilled Scriptural prophecies during His first advent on earth.  We have the advantage of having the full picture and of knowing exactly what we are looking for. 

The Jewish people were looking for Christ too, but I think their preconceived beliefs about who the Messiah was — and the role He would play — kept them from seeing the entire story.  When you explore both early and later Jewish beliefs, however, the parallels are amazing.

The Jewish people held the belief that there would be a future Messianic period, which would bring salvation to the Jewish people and to the whole world.  Their hope was for a future king who would redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God on earth.²

In apocalyptic literature of the last two centuries B.C.E., the Messiah is described as a powerful warrior and ruler.  He was also described as a supernatural being who existed from the beginning of days and was close to God; designated as the “son of man” or as “My son.”  He is also sometimes described as an angelic being whose existence antedated the creation of the world, just waiting for the right time to reveal Himself and assume His seat of glory.  At that time He will dispense justice to all the inhabitants of the earth.²

The Jewish people also had a double concept of the Messiah: One Messiah was the son of Joseph, and another Messiah was the son of David.  They came to associate the figure of their Messiah with King David or a descendant of King David.  This idealized version of the Messiah fueled their expectation of a mighty warrior and king — and they were correct — but this will not be fulfilled until Christ Jesus’ second advent. 

When Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-21) he stopped at the comma in the middle of passage:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

The Jewish leaders had no idea that the remaining part of that passage (and the day of vengeance of our God;) would be fulfilled at a future time. 

The idea of a Messiah’s supernatural birth, earthly suffering, and death to atone for sin and bring salvation to those who believe in Him was inconceivable to many Jews during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  It is not so surprising when you consider that even those who were closest to him — his disciples — did not fully understand this for themselves until Jesus appeared to them after He was crucified.  

Jesus’ resurrection was certainly beyond the realm of understanding of the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection.  It was also beyond their level of comprehension that a Messiah could come first as a suffering servant, be raised from the dead, and return to earth once again as king.

The Jewish people looked to the Messianic era (yemoth hamashiah, which literally means “days of the Messiah”) as a period of redemption to be ushered in and ruled over by the Messiah.  It is a time that marks the return of the people of Israel to the land of Israel. 

Interestingly, the “days of the Messiah” are different from the “world to come,” which will usher in resurrection and the judgment and the reign of God.   Later Jewish writings suggest that the Messianic era was postponed due to sin and will be preceded by social and political problems, extreme poverty, heresy, and wars, including the wars of Gog and Magog.  Jewish writers during the Middle Ages pointed to a new Jerusalem and a time of perfection.²

A more contemporary parallel to what we see with “kingdom now” believers is a platform that was established by American rabbis in 1937.  They stated that their historical task is to “cooperate with all men in the establishment of the Kingdom of God, of universal brotherhood, justice, truth and peace on earth.”² 

Issac Landman, an American reformed rabbi, educator, and prolific author who lived from 1880 to 1946 and edited the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, wrote that “The hope for a future king who will redeem Israel and establish the kingdom of God upon earth is not expressly found either in the Biblical or in the Apocryphal writings.”  

Believers know that there are Bible passages that speak to Jesus’ return to earth as King and reigning upon David’s throne (Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:31-33, Psalms 132:11, the tenth chapter of Zechariah, and the eleventh chapter of Romans, to name a few).  But we have the power of the Holy Spirit, which reveals to us the mysteries of the Kingdom within Scripture.

It is impossible for unbelievers to understand these mysteries (some believers are blind to them as well).  God opened my eyes when I asked Him to show me that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and our future King.  If you happen to be of the Jewish faith, I pray that you will ask God to open your eyes too. 

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7)

1. Jones, Barry A (2000). "Canon of the Old Testament." David Noel Freedman. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Eerdmans.

2.  The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.  Isaac Landman, Ed.

Dividing, Selecting, and Electing

 

Tom Bradford speaks of God’s pattern of dividing, selecting, and electing in Scripture.  He runs a wonderful website called Torah Class, which offers free lessons on the first five books of the Bible.  It provides bible studies and Scripture research for Christians, Messianic Jews, and all seekers of truth. 

This spurred me to find examples in Scripture where God divides, selects, and elects:

• Enoch is credited for walking faithfully with God and God removes him from the earth prior to the flood, which is a type of the rapture of the saints before the tribulation.
• God tells Noah to build an ark and enter it and thus only eight souls are saved from the flood (1 Peter 3:20, KJV), which is a type of the 144,000 who will be sealed and preserved through the tribulation.
• Abraham is told to separate from his people and his country to go to the land of Canaan. But Abraham never actually occupies the land flowing of milk and honey, which is promised to his descendents.
• God leads Lot and his two daughters out of Sodom and Gomorrah before its total destruction, which is an example of the danger of being yoked with unbelievers.
• Moses is told to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37 tells us they eventually numbered 600,000), yet only Joshua and Caleb are allowed to enter the promised land.

I know that many have been led to believe that when Christ Jesus returns all believers will be rewarded equally in His Kingdom. But I believe that God’s pattern of dividing, selecting, and electing in Scripture tells us otherwise.

Quoteworthy: Faith Undone by Leaven

“…when the Son of Man returns for His Church, He will not find “the faith” being proclaimed by elders in the Churches of the land.  The whole will have been leavened.  Those in the Churches will be talking about everything but the central message of Scripture.  And the dispensation will end with the Church — the complete Church — in the condition depicted by the Church in Laodicea.

We’re in the final days of a dispensation in which the leaven has been working for almost two millenniums.  The Church at the end of the dispensation is to be completely permeated by the leaven, and this has particular reference to the message surrounding the Word of the Kingdom.  This is the message Christ will not find being proclaimed in the Churches at the time of His return.”  From Redeemed for a Purpose by Arlen Chitwood. 

Chitwood references Jesus’ parable of the leaven in Matthew 13:33:

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Many believe that this parable is describing the tremendous growth of Christianity.  But when you compare Scripture with Scripture, leaven is never anything desirable.  In his book, A Dictionary of Bible Types, Walter Wilson writes: “In every place where leaven is mentioned, it is a type of evil teaching, evil doctrines, and evil practices.  It is always to be put away and cast out as an unclean thing.  The gospel is never called leaven.  Nothing good is ever compared to leaven.  Nothing good is ever said about leaven.” 

Leaven is mentioned for the first time in Exodus 12:15:

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

Do a word search, and you will find 29 passages that reveal the true meaning of leaven.  Here are a few (emphasis is mine):

Exodus 34:25: Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

In Matthew 16:6, Jesus says:  Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

1 Corinthians 5:7: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Galatians 5:9: A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

The only passage that at first glance seems like an exception is Amos 4:5:

And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

The context of this passage is that Amos is talking about the sinful women of Israel.  David Guzik sheds some light in his commentary: “Only one offering in Israel included leaven, the wave offering made on the Day of Pentecost.  Here the prophet either refers to this one offering, or to mock their corrupt sacrifices, he suggests they bring an offering polluted by leaven.”

Matthew Henry tells us: “They had their thank-offerings as God had, only they allowed leaven in them, which God had forbidden, because their priests did not like to have the bread too heavy and tasteless as it would be if it had not leaven in it.”

The days grow short.  Satan has caused the whole to be nearly leavened.  And this leaven has prevented Christians from both hearing and understanding the gospel of the Kingdom.

Tested Against Body, Soul, and Spirit

While studying the book of Matthew, I came upon an interesting commentary by the late Ray Stedman.  He wrote about the three parts or levels of man — body, soul, and spirit — and that Jesus was tested against all three by Satan.

The Body — Matthew 4:1-4:

¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Jesus had not eaten for 40 days and nights and He must have been starving.  Stedman questions whether we would have had such fortitude? 

The Soul — Matthew 4:5-7:

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”  ⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Here Satan tries to attack by appealing to Jesus’ ego and pride.  Jesus proved Himself true and steadfast.  I shudder when I think of the times when Satan has appealed to my ego and pride — and how easily I was deceived.

The Spirit — Matthew 4:8-11:

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Here Stedman writes that the spirit is always looking for something to worship.  That the spirit of man craves to find someone or something to idolize and follow.  Perhaps this explains why so many believers today are being deceived by false prophets and man-driven church leaders.

Instead of hearing about kingdom truths, and “seeking first the kingdom,” church pews are overflowing with people who are hearing about having their best lives now.  And instead of learning about what it means to store up treasures in heaven, believers are hearing sermons about getting out of debt!

What is so heartbreaking is that they have no idea that their greatest debt will be the incredible loss that they will suffer when they come before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Binding and Loosing: What Do They Mean?

There has been a lot of conversation lately over what a church should or should not be and I wanted to see what Jesus had to say about it.

Surprisingly, our Lord only mentions the word “church” two times in the book of Matthew:

¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  ¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  ¹⁹And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  (Matthew 16:17-19)

¹⁵Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. ¹⁶But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  ¹⁷And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.  ¹⁸Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:15-18)

These two passages also appear to be the only time that Jesus refers to “binding and loosing.”  Since I have an interest in Hebrew idioms, I did some searching to learn more about what these words might mean.

In his book “New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus,” David Biven writes that the asar and hitir, the Hebrew words for bind and loose, have more than one meaning.  During Jesus’ time, asar also meant “forbid” and hitar also meant “permit.”  Prior to our Lord’s time on earth, bind usually meant imprison, hitch, tether, or tie. 

Biven states that the Greek words that are used for bind and loose in Matthew are forms of the verbs dein and luein.  Dein means to tie, bind, and imprison.  Luein means to untie, loose, or release from prison.  Biven points out that this meaning does not seem to fit within the context of what Jesus is saying (and I agree).  He believes that since Jesus was giving Peter authority, He was saying that Peter’s decisions on earth would be upheld in Heaven. 

That explanation, however, does not resonate with me.  I wonder if Jesus was actually telling us that whatever is forbidden on earth shall be forbidden in heaven, and whatever is permitted on earth shall be permitted in heaven? 

The Word of God gives us clear instructions for how we are to live on earth, and perhaps Jesus is telling us that these instructions will also be followed in His Millennial Kingdom.

This is one of many questions I have that I can’t wait to have answered when our Lord returns!

Signs of the Times: As in the Days of Noah

Lately I have been thinking about Matthew 24:37-42 where Jesus provides a clue as to when He will return to rapture believers:

³⁷But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  ³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,  ³⁹And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  ⁴⁰Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  ⁴¹Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  ⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 

I went to Genesis to study more about what was happening during Noah’s time.  Genesis 6:1-7 tells us much of what we need to know:

¹When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. ³ Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”  ⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.  ⁵ The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” (NIV)

The Nephilim — which are also referred to as giants in other translations — are the offspring of the sons of God (fallen angels) and mortal women.  Unger writes: “This utterly unnatural union, violating God’s created order of being, as such a shocking abnormality as to necessitate the worldwide judgment of the Flood.”¹  Some argue that the Nephilim² are the result of the intermarriage between the godly line of Seth and the ungodly line of Cain.  But if mortal men mated with mortal women, how did we end up with a race of Giants?  And why single them out as Nephilim?

I agree with other writers, like Chuck Missler, who believe that Satan was attempting to alter the human gene pool to prevent the birth of a perfect Messiah.  Our Almighty God thwarted Satan’s plan by flooding the earth and killing every human and every animal, bird, and creature that moved along the ground (except for Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark).  I bring this up because this week there have been news reports in the media that British scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos.  Since Genesis 6:4 tells us that the Nephilim were still on the earth after the flood (we read about them again in Numbers 13:33) I can’t help but think…as the days of Noah were.

Satan may have been foiled temporarily, but his plan has always been same: to prevent man from ruling and reigning with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom.  When we read the kingdom parables in Matthew, Jesus says in the parable of the sower that the birds of the air represent the evil one (Matthew 13:19).  Comparing Scripture with Scripture, in the parable of the mustard tree, we learn that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches of the tree (Matthew 13:32).  Those who know Scripture have eyes to see the apostasy that is growing like a cancer in visible churches.  What better way to deceive professed believers than to stand beside them in the pew (just as Jesus prophesied in the parable of the wheat and tares) and get them to question, “Did God really say?”

I believe that the signs of our times are telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven is near, and it is definitely time to repent.

¹Unger MF.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary.  Harrison RK, Vos HW, Barber CJ, eds.  Chicago, IL: Mood Press; 1988.

²To learn more about Nephilim, you might want to start with  "As the Days of Noah Were" and "Mischievous Angels or Sethites?" by Chuck Missler.

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven: The Same or Different?

I have been researching the phrases "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Kingdom of God," and whether there is a difference between the two.  Kingdom of Heaven is used throughout the gospel of Matthew, while the other gospels use Kingdom of God. 

Some scholars believe that both phrases mean the same thing.  In his book, New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus, David Biven states that Jesus often used euphemisms for God (including the Kingdom of Heaven).  His audiences would have been shocked if He had not because it was forbidden for the Jews to utter the name of God.

This thinking seems to fall apart, however, when you look at several other passages in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 6:33:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 12:28:

But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.

Matthew 19:24:

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 21:31:

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:43:

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

In Matthew 12:28, 21:31, and 21:43, Scripture tells us that Jesus is addressing the Pharisees (also referred to as chief priests) or the elders.  If Biven is correct, why would Jesus use the phrase Kingdom of God when addressing these Jewish leaders?  What confounds me even further is that in the other gospels, there are several passages—which are obvious references to similar passages in Matthew—where the phrase Kingdom of Heaven has been replaced with the phrase Kingdom of God.

As much as it would be very tidy to say that the two phrases mean the same thing, the fact that Jesus uses both terms in Matthew has me wondering if they must mean something different?

Clarence Larkin writes that the Kingdom of God represents the reign of God over all things in the universe and is spiritual.  He also states that the Kingdom of Heaven is of “time and sphere.”  The time is between the first and second coming of Christ, and the sphere represents all of Christendom.

Scofield (according to David Reagan) takes the view that the Kingdom of Heaven “signifies the Messianic earth rule of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.”  Reagan concludes that "the kingdom of God is the kingdom set up by God. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom that finds its source in heaven." Others say that the Kingdom of Heaven is a political kingdom. 

There are other explanations offered by other authors, but none of them completely satisfies me.  What I do know with absolute certainly is that every jot and tittle in Scripture has been placed there for a specific reason.  I may not see it yet, but pray that one day the Lord will reveal it to me.

Awaiting Christ’s Kingdom

Among the Israelites, the title “king” referred to the supreme head of the nation.  A king was commander in chief of the army, supreme judge, and the absolute master of all his subjects’ lives.¹  Knowing this has helped me to understand why the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.  They were expecting a mighty king who would redeem Israel!  They did not realize that when Jesus returns to earth, He will reign as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16) and Israel will finally be redeemed. 

Do you believe that Christ Jesus will rule and reign upon a literal throne when He returns?  This is a topic that is rarely discussed in pulpits today.  But there is no denying that it is a major theme from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. 

Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel 7:13-14: ¹³I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. ¹⁴And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Jeremiah 33:14-16: ¹⁴Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

Jesus is the righteous branch.  Jeremiah 33:14-15 refers to Jesus’ first appearance on earth, when he impressed upon the hearts of believers the gospel of his glory.  Jeremiah 33:16 refers to Jesus’ second coming to earth when he will reign as king on the throne in Jerusalem.  We have the benefit of knowing this because we live on this side of the cross and have all of Scripture to read.  But it is easy to see how early readers of the Torah could not possibly understand that there would be two comings of the Lord.

Zechariah 14:5 also prophesies that Jesus is coming, and that He will be bringing His saints with him:

And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

Zechariah 14:9 makes it crystal clear that when Jesus returns, his kingdom will be an earthly one:

And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

You are probably very familiar with this passage from Romans 14:11, which stirs every bride’s heart:

For it is written,
AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." (NASB) 

The prophet Isaiah correctly prophesied the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 9:6) and foretold that the government would be on his shoulders.  Isaiah 9:7 tells us exactly where Jesus will reign over his kingdom: 

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

And in Zechariah 9:10 we learn that His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.  Amen!

 A future event

Many “kingdom now” proponents base their belief on what Jesus said in Luke 17:21:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (NIV)

Look up this passage in the online NET Bible (a great resource for comparing different translations side-by-side), and you will see that a more accurate translation is probably “in your midst” or “in your grasp.”  Jesus was telling them that the king was among them.

Context is everything when reading Scripture.  Who was Jesus talking to in Luke 17:21?  The NET translators make an excellent argument by stating that Jesus was talking to a group of angry Pharisees.  Why would He tell them that the kingdom was within them? 

  

Remember Jesus’ words a bit later in Luke 11:44: 

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  

Finally, if the kingdom was already here, why would Jesus instruct us to pray for the kingdom to come in Matthew 6:9-13?:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Reference: 1. Merril F. Unger and R.K. Harris, ed.  The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary  (Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1988), 739.  

Quoteworthy: Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God?

Jesus often used euphemisms for God — his audiences would have been shocked had he not.  The most common world for God used by Jesus was "Heaven."  This occurs often throughout the Gospel of Matthew in the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven," the term Jesus used for his community of disciples.

Mark and Luke used "Kingdom of God," possibly because most of their Greek readers might not have understood the euphemism.  The original, however, is malchut shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven), which is common in the Hebrew literature of the period while "Kingdom of God" is never used.

David Bivin.  2007.  New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus.  Holland MI: En-Gedi Resource Center, Inc.