The Kingdom of God: 4 - The Kingdom Statements of Jesus
Jesus' Kingdom Statements: Matthew 25:31-46.
Though not a parable, this is the passage toward which all the Kingdom parables point.
Jesus comes.
He sits on a Throne.
All nations are "gathered".
Good and bad are divided (judgment).
To the righteous Jesus says, "Come...
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
" Jesus, when leaving the disciples (John 14) let them know He was going to prepare a place for them.
The Kingdom was there.
Jesus was preparing and is preparing particular places for those who are being saved.
"In My Father's House are many mansions!" Though at first glance this simple incident seems easy enough to understand, a second look brings up some questions, at least to me: a.
If, according to Zechariah 14, the Gentile nations just come right into the millennium, live natural lives, are invited to worship Messiah on a regular basis, how can there be this cut and dried division between those who go to the City and those who go to torment, immediately? b.
Why does entry into the eternal kingdom seem to be based here on works, specifically our attitudes toward Messiah Jesus? c.
Why are these believers so shocked that what they did was done to Jesus Himself? Do not most believers know that? Especially, the saints who have just come through the Great tribulation, would they not know thatsimple truth? d.
Yet, if they are not the true church, are they merely the Gentile nations? But they are here and now given eternal life, something that many of those peoples will not have when all is said and done in this story.
e.
Are these merely believers in prospect? That is, could it be that there is a third group present? The CHURCH has already been caught up to be with Jesus, after all.
They return with Him.
It is obvious they are His, or they would not have been resurrected at this time.
The 144,000 are here.
The tribulation saints are here.
Could it be that these are "good" Gentiles or even Jews, who risked their lives for Christians during the awful tribulation, but were not yet saved, and are just now receiving Christ's invitation to Himself, based on their heart love for His people? Then they live a great life during the Millennium, like Old testament saints, they die, and are resurrected in the last day, to live with Jesus forever? f.
Or could it be that the wicked Gentiles are cursed at this time yet not sent to their actual punishment for 1000 years? After all, Jesus is to reign among His enemies, is He not? These evil ones will have children, and many of them will be allowed to seek after Jesus later.
Daniel sees the antichrist given to the flames, but his fellow-nations' peoples have their lives prolonged awhile, long enough anyway for Jesus to reign over them, and for the Kingdom to get rolling.
g.
Is this story just a "story", meant to summarize the events that are to come? That is, the wicked shall indeed be punished, the righteous shall indeed be rewarded, but not necessarily according to the time-frame of this story.
A.
Other Statements about the Kingdom in the life ofJesus 1.
Luke 12:32-34.
"Do not fear, little flock.
It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
" Invest in the Kingdom, be sure your treasure is there, so your heart will be there, too.
2.
Matthew 7:21-23.
"Noteveryone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
" Many will say to me in THAT DAY...
the day of the kingdom's COMING to earth.
The Kingdom Coming that Jesus has in mind here is not Pentecost, but the Mt.
of Olives.
Entrants are those who knew Him and worked righteousness, not those who knew how to "prophesy", cast out demons, and do wonders.
3.
Matthew 8:11-12.
In response to the faith of the centurion, indicating that those who will enter heaven will be a surprise, He says, that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out...
Here He tells us again of the LITERAL PHYSICAL nature of the Kingdom, its earlier Jewish residents, both saved and unsaved varieties, AND the opening of the door to Gentile converts.
4.
Matthew 18:1-4 Who is greatest in the kingdom?You will not even enter the Kingdom unless you are converted and become as a little child.
5.
Matthew 19: 28-30 andLuke 18:29-30 Seem to be parallel passages.
One seems to promise a manifold return of blessing to the one who has forsaken all for Christ, in the "regeneration" or "renewal" of the earth; the other says "in this present time.
"If they are truly parallel, it seems to indicate that even the renewed earth will be much like the present one, even as our resurrected bodies will be recognizable.
The point: there IS a separate phase of existence coming, a time when the Kingdom reigns in a different setting.
The Matthew passage also points out that the disciples will reign with Christ, sitting on 12 thrones! This, after the Son of Man sits on HIS THRONE, as in Matthew 25.
So obviously a future manifestation.
6.
Matthew 20:20-23.
Salome wants her boys James and John to be seated in special seats of honor in the Kingdom.
Though the place is denied, the idea of such a Kingdom with such seats is not.
Here is another place to deny the literal idea of the Kingdom altogether, but Jesus does not! 7.
Mark 12:34.
Jesus here points out that to be filled with a spirit of wisdom regarding the Word of God and its proper meaning is to be "not far" from the Kingdom! This would be the present phase, filled with the King Jesus, obeying Him, waiting for the appearance of the Kingdom on earth.
8.
Mark 15:43/Luke 23:51.
Joseph of Arimathea was "waiting for the Kingdom" as was every learned Jew.
They understood the prophets to be telling them that David's reign was to be carried on, on earth, someday.
How they longed for the event! 9.
John 18:33-36.
Pilate says, "Are You a King?"Jesus: "My Kingdom is not of this world.
" True.
It is the Kingdom OF (originating from) Heaven, not of men.
But it is coming! And Rome and all the kingdoms of history will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ! Yes, I am a King! I came (this time) to bear witness to the truth.
What He did not tell Pilate is that the next time He comes it will be to take over the world! Pilate did not need to know that any more than unbelieving Jews needed to know the time of the Kingdom.
But for His own, clear parables and statements and time tables! 10.
Luke 23:42.
The thief on the cross believed in the Kingdom and asked to be remembered when Jesus got to it.
Jesus let Him know that "paradise" was the first stop.
But Jesus will bring the thief with Him on that day.
Because Paradise will come back to earth, when the tabernacle of God is with men.
I realize that these brief capsules of thought can be glossed over too quickly.
My plan is simply to offer an outline of this subject, with references provided for the earnest seekers of this glorious Kingdom.
Though not a parable, this is the passage toward which all the Kingdom parables point.
Jesus comes.
He sits on a Throne.
All nations are "gathered".
Good and bad are divided (judgment).
To the righteous Jesus says, "Come...
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
" Jesus, when leaving the disciples (John 14) let them know He was going to prepare a place for them.
The Kingdom was there.
Jesus was preparing and is preparing particular places for those who are being saved.
"In My Father's House are many mansions!" Though at first glance this simple incident seems easy enough to understand, a second look brings up some questions, at least to me: a.
If, according to Zechariah 14, the Gentile nations just come right into the millennium, live natural lives, are invited to worship Messiah on a regular basis, how can there be this cut and dried division between those who go to the City and those who go to torment, immediately? b.
Why does entry into the eternal kingdom seem to be based here on works, specifically our attitudes toward Messiah Jesus? c.
Why are these believers so shocked that what they did was done to Jesus Himself? Do not most believers know that? Especially, the saints who have just come through the Great tribulation, would they not know thatsimple truth? d.
Yet, if they are not the true church, are they merely the Gentile nations? But they are here and now given eternal life, something that many of those peoples will not have when all is said and done in this story.
e.
Are these merely believers in prospect? That is, could it be that there is a third group present? The CHURCH has already been caught up to be with Jesus, after all.
They return with Him.
It is obvious they are His, or they would not have been resurrected at this time.
The 144,000 are here.
The tribulation saints are here.
Could it be that these are "good" Gentiles or even Jews, who risked their lives for Christians during the awful tribulation, but were not yet saved, and are just now receiving Christ's invitation to Himself, based on their heart love for His people? Then they live a great life during the Millennium, like Old testament saints, they die, and are resurrected in the last day, to live with Jesus forever? f.
Or could it be that the wicked Gentiles are cursed at this time yet not sent to their actual punishment for 1000 years? After all, Jesus is to reign among His enemies, is He not? These evil ones will have children, and many of them will be allowed to seek after Jesus later.
Daniel sees the antichrist given to the flames, but his fellow-nations' peoples have their lives prolonged awhile, long enough anyway for Jesus to reign over them, and for the Kingdom to get rolling.
g.
Is this story just a "story", meant to summarize the events that are to come? That is, the wicked shall indeed be punished, the righteous shall indeed be rewarded, but not necessarily according to the time-frame of this story.
A.
Other Statements about the Kingdom in the life ofJesus 1.
Luke 12:32-34.
"Do not fear, little flock.
It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
" Invest in the Kingdom, be sure your treasure is there, so your heart will be there, too.
2.
Matthew 7:21-23.
"Noteveryone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
" Many will say to me in THAT DAY...
the day of the kingdom's COMING to earth.
The Kingdom Coming that Jesus has in mind here is not Pentecost, but the Mt.
of Olives.
Entrants are those who knew Him and worked righteousness, not those who knew how to "prophesy", cast out demons, and do wonders.
3.
Matthew 8:11-12.
In response to the faith of the centurion, indicating that those who will enter heaven will be a surprise, He says, that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out...
Here He tells us again of the LITERAL PHYSICAL nature of the Kingdom, its earlier Jewish residents, both saved and unsaved varieties, AND the opening of the door to Gentile converts.
4.
Matthew 18:1-4 Who is greatest in the kingdom?You will not even enter the Kingdom unless you are converted and become as a little child.
5.
Matthew 19: 28-30 andLuke 18:29-30 Seem to be parallel passages.
One seems to promise a manifold return of blessing to the one who has forsaken all for Christ, in the "regeneration" or "renewal" of the earth; the other says "in this present time.
"If they are truly parallel, it seems to indicate that even the renewed earth will be much like the present one, even as our resurrected bodies will be recognizable.
The point: there IS a separate phase of existence coming, a time when the Kingdom reigns in a different setting.
The Matthew passage also points out that the disciples will reign with Christ, sitting on 12 thrones! This, after the Son of Man sits on HIS THRONE, as in Matthew 25.
So obviously a future manifestation.
6.
Matthew 20:20-23.
Salome wants her boys James and John to be seated in special seats of honor in the Kingdom.
Though the place is denied, the idea of such a Kingdom with such seats is not.
Here is another place to deny the literal idea of the Kingdom altogether, but Jesus does not! 7.
Mark 12:34.
Jesus here points out that to be filled with a spirit of wisdom regarding the Word of God and its proper meaning is to be "not far" from the Kingdom! This would be the present phase, filled with the King Jesus, obeying Him, waiting for the appearance of the Kingdom on earth.
8.
Mark 15:43/Luke 23:51.
Joseph of Arimathea was "waiting for the Kingdom" as was every learned Jew.
They understood the prophets to be telling them that David's reign was to be carried on, on earth, someday.
How they longed for the event! 9.
John 18:33-36.
Pilate says, "Are You a King?"Jesus: "My Kingdom is not of this world.
" True.
It is the Kingdom OF (originating from) Heaven, not of men.
But it is coming! And Rome and all the kingdoms of history will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ! Yes, I am a King! I came (this time) to bear witness to the truth.
What He did not tell Pilate is that the next time He comes it will be to take over the world! Pilate did not need to know that any more than unbelieving Jews needed to know the time of the Kingdom.
But for His own, clear parables and statements and time tables! 10.
Luke 23:42.
The thief on the cross believed in the Kingdom and asked to be remembered when Jesus got to it.
Jesus let Him know that "paradise" was the first stop.
But Jesus will bring the thief with Him on that day.
Because Paradise will come back to earth, when the tabernacle of God is with men.
I realize that these brief capsules of thought can be glossed over too quickly.
My plan is simply to offer an outline of this subject, with references provided for the earnest seekers of this glorious Kingdom.
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