Ordinarily the English word “kingdom” is defined in the English dictionary as “a country governed by a king or queen (as in Britain)”. “an area over which someone or something has complete control,” Some dictionaries go to the extent of defining the “kingdom of God”. One says it is the spiritual reign of God, and adds that “Thy kingdom come” means “may the rule of God be established” Another says: “the kingdom of God” is simply “the rule of God” and “Thy kingdom come” implies “the state of death.” There is no contradiction whatsoever in the two sets of definitions of the “kingdom of God” and the expression “Thy kingdom come”.
The first kingdom mentioned in the Bible is that of Nimrod (Gen. 10:9, 10), according to the philosophy of history set out in the Bible, kingdoms and kings are set up, not simply by the will or might of man or the whim of circumstance but by the permission and ordering of God. (Dan. 2:20, 21; 4:24, cf I Sam. 28:17; 2 Chro. 1:9). Much of Bible history deals with the kingdomof Israel. God designed that it should function as more than a political unit. It was to be a “kingdom of priests, and an holy nation”. (Ex. 19: 6,). God promised to establish the kingdom of David and Solomon for ever, if the Israelites would co-operate with His plans (2 Sam. 7:16; I Kings 9:2 – 9 etc.). But the people failed to co-operate with God’s plans, and the kingdom was at first divided (1 Kings 12:16, 17, 19) and later the divided kingdoms were carried into exile of captivity (2 Kings 17: 22, 23; 24 : 8 -16; 2 Chro. 36:14 – 2 1). On condition of a belated acceptance of the divine programme, God promised to fulfill His promises with respect to the kingdom of David (Judea) after the return from the Babylonian captivity (Ex 36:37; cf Jer. 18:7 -10). Again the people failed, and the declaration of Jesus concerning them was made:“The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” – (Matt. 21:43).
When John the Baptist and Jesus called the Jews to repentance in view of the fact that ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2;4:l 7) they were again presenting to the Jews, yet another opportunity of becoming citizens of the kingdom the Messiah had come to establish. The qualification for its citizenship up to today remains, genuine or true repentance and through conversion (John 3:3, 5). The principles that control members of this kingdom are set out in the Lord’s sermons on the mount (Matt.5 to 7). The Jews’ rejection of the Messiah called forth the sorrowful pronouncements of Jesus recorded in Matt. 23:36 – 38: “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (cf Luke 19: 42).
And thus the spiritual status of the Jews was removed. The new nation to which the kingdom of heaven was given is the church (Matt. 21:43).
The expressions “the kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of heaven” more appropriately. “The kingdom of the heavens” must be distinguished, as they cannot be interchanged without misapplying them both in concept and in diction.
The kingdomof Godis evidently a more comprehensive term than the kingdom of heaven. It includes or comprehends all created intelligences, both in heaven and on earth, who are willingly subject to God and therefore in fellowship with Him. It is the realm and rule of God through the Messiah, and was the subject of Christ’s preaching. His ethics, His deeds, His redemptive work and His promise to come again all belong within the scope of this subject as attributes of “the kingdom of God”.
The “kingdom of heaven” or the “kingdom of the heavens” is a term which describes any type of rulership God may assert on earth at any given period. As a predictive kingdom, it has reference to the establishment of thekingdom ofIsrael which was taken away from the rebellious Jews for rejecting the Messiah, the restoration, not ofIsrael as a nation, but of repenting and believing literalIsrael which is still being expected by the Jews in fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham.
The Jews were eager with messianic hope. In the Psalms of Solomon —- an apocryphal works written shortly before the Christian era — repeated expression is given to this idea. The following Jewish prayer is typical. “Behold, O Lord and raise up unto them their King, the son of David, at the time in which thou seest, O God, that He may reign over Israel, Thy servant. And gird Him with strength, that He may shatter unrighteous rulers and that He may purge Jerusalem from nations that trample (her,) down to destruction, making it holy as of old: so that nations shall come from ends of the earth, to see His glory, bringing as gifts for her sons who had fainted, and to see the glory of the Lord wherewith God hath gloried her” Psalm of Solomon 17:23-35. (Courtesy of R. H. Charles’ The Apocryphal and Pseudepigrapha vol. 2, pages 6, 650).
Such thoughts may very well have led the disciples to hope that the time had arrived for establishing the promised dominion. The disciples of Jesus had learnt that the kingdomof Israelwould be restored, so when they came together following the risen Messiah’s instructions to them “…not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father…” (Acts 1:5). They asked the Lord: “… Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel” (Acts 1:6).
The concern of the disciples was about the kingdom of literalIsrael. Jesus foreknew that the kingdom would be taken away from literal Israel – their name as God’s chosen race — and given to the Church, the subject of the various extended OT prophecies (see Isa. 11:1; 32:1, Jer. 33:15 etc.) This question shows clearly that the disciples did not yet understand the nature of His kingdom. Christ did not promise the kind of restoration they were anticipating. They expected Jesus to redeemIsrael(Luke 24:21) from the Romans. However, the ascension of Jesus and the pentecostal experience gave the disciples a new understanding, and, they finally realized the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom.
Before pentecost, the disciples were yet to understand the concept of the spiritual kingdom that will be constituted with all believers from various nations (Matt. 8:11, 12) including the true Israel of the “circumcised heart” (Rom. 2:28,29), nor had they realized that when the Jewish nation rejected Jesus, it cut itself off from the root and stock of the true Israel into which the Christian converts – both Jews and Gentiles – were now to be grafted (see Rom 11) to make up the spiritual Israel of God. Obviously they were still expecting the messianickingdom ofDavid to be established in the royal nation ofJudah, among the literal Jewish people.
For purposes of better understanding and clarity, it is necessary to point out that the term “Israel” used by the disciples in their question did not refer only to the ten Northern tribes in contradistinction to Judah. It is however true that Israel often means the ten Northern tribes, and even, to Judah in particular, as well as, to the chosen people of God without tribal distinction hence the spiritual Israel, the Israel of God. The context must indicate the usage in any given case. Therefore it is not surprising that the NT writers consistently applied the term “Israel” to the entire Jewish nation, although the Jews of that time were predominantly of the tribe of Judah, who were in the direct and legitimate line of succession, not only from the postexile province of Judah (which was the continuation of the earlier kingdom of Judah) but also from the original united Israel.
The Jews of Christ’s days were the heirs of the old theocracy that had been governed by the divinely appointed Davidic dynasty, centered in the divinely prescribed temple worship and founded on the national covenant between God and His chosen people. Apostle Paul called his fellow Jews. “Who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh, Christ came who is over all, God blessed for ever Amen” (Rom. 9:4,5; cf v3; also see Rom. 3:1, 2, I1:1).
The disciples of Jesus, therefore, were not being unreasonable in their belief that the prophecies and promises given to early Israel belonged to the Jews as the successors to the old Davidic kingdom – not to the “Israel” of the ten tribes that had seceded from the house of David, because those tribes had separated themselves from the Temple and the true worship of God, and hence from the national covenant.
To Judah’s royal heritage was added the fact that the Southern nation had, from the time of the division under Jeroboam, included a lot of people from the Northern tribes who wished to remain true to Jehovah(2 Chro.l1:13-16;15:9;cf.2Chro.16:1)These facts explain the repeated use of the term “Israel” for both the kingdom of Judah and, after the captivity, for the Jewish community reconstituted as the province of Judah, to which belong all those, of whatever tribe, who returned from exile (see Ezra2:70; 3:1; 4:3; 6:16, 17, 21; 7:7, 13; 8:29; 9:1; 10:5; Neh. 1:6; 9:1, 2; 10:3, 20; Eze. 14:1, 22; 17:2; 12; 37: 15-19; Dan. 1:3; Zech. 8:13; Matt. 1:1).
The Messiah’s kingdom would have belonged to the Jews if they had not forefeited it by rejecting the Son of David, because He came offering a kingdom of universal righteousness instead of Jewish conquest. As the Northern tribes of Israel severed themselves irrevocably from true Israel of the covenant, except as individual members might choose to rejoin the chosen people; in the like manner, the Jewish nation having rejected the Son of David was nolonger the chosen people, although individual Jews might be grafted into the stock of true Israel — the church of Christ, the Spiritual Israel, the Israel of God in whom there is no distinction of race, nationality or position (Gal. 3:28, 29; Col. 3:11).
Jesus living as a man among men, knew neither the day nor the hour of His second coming. He rather gave no direct answer to the disciples’ question, instead He directed them on to the work that lay ahead (Acts. 1:7.8): “… It is not for you to know the times and seasons, which the Father has put in His power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
By this answer, Jesus indicated that there shall yet be witnesses of the gospel of the kingdom, even in “the uttermost part of the earth” — a reference to the Gentile nations where the universal Church — yet to be instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary — “shall bring forth the fruits” of the kingdom – leading believers into the “new heaven and the new earth”, the millennial kingdom. Then Isreal’s kingdom “shall not be remembered, nor come in mind” (see Isa. 66:17; cf Dan. 7:13, 14) because the Jews rejected the Messiah when He came, and were consequently rejected by God.
This rejection did not abort God’s redemption plan, but brought about a change in the instrument — the people — He would use and the time, to offer the sinful mankind, opportunity to embrace the church and prepare for the kingdom. Thus the earthly manifestation (through Israel) of the kingdom of heaven which was to accompany Christ’s first advent was postponed to the second advent of Christ. This will not take place until His Church becomes “wrinkless” and without “blemish” for Him to present same to Himself (see Eph. 5:27) as a glorious church with which to usher in His kingdom of glory. But now having left the kingdom of grace as the instrument of the preparation for His second coming. This kingdom now exists as “GRACE” in the minds and hearts of members of the body of Christ, “the spiritual Israel, the Israel of God” – the church as a preparatory kingdom of grace.
According to the clear teachings of the Scriptures, this glorious or millennial kingdom will be realized only in connection with the Second Advent of Christ. The parables of Matt. 13 teach that the present gospel or church age represents the mystery form of the kingdom of the heavens. And since the kingdom of the heavens is no more than the rule of God on earth, He must now be ruling in the minds and hearts of believers to the extent of the full realization of those things termed “the mysteries” in the NT which really constitute the gospel or new message. (The kingdom of the heavens discussed in these paragraphs is distinct from “heavenly kingdom” which refers to a physical location or literal kingdom.).
The difference between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God is neither narrowed, diminished nor removed by the fact that Matthew’s gospel employs the term kingdom of heaven while Mark and Luke use the term kingdom of God in presenting practically the same teachings (the sower: Matt. I3 Mark 4, Luke 8. The mustard seed. Matt. 13:31, 32; Mark 4:31, 32; Luke 13.18, 19; The leaven: Matt. 13, 32; Luke 13: 20 etc). Again, according to the Scriptures “the children of the kingdom of heaven” may be condemned and cast out (Matt. 8:12; 13:41,42, cf 24:50,51; 25:28-30). This fate cannot be applied to the kingdom of God and its members (implied in John 3:15). The parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:47-50) are references only to the kingdom of heaven. The parable of the 1eaven, however, (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20, 21) is applied to both kingdoms. Leaven represents evil doctrine rather than evil person; and evil doctrine may and does corrupt both kingdoms.
The contents of Christ’s parables in Matt. 13 are revelations of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven which were previously hidden. Their interpretations relate to the present day. The glories of the messianic reign are clearly foretold in the OT Scriptures but the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews, and the events occurring between His first and second advents are not clearly articulated nor understood, hence Christ used these parables to describe the seeming strange form of the kingdom of heaven on earth in His absence, during which time the gospel is preached and a spiritual nucleus is developed for the establishment of the messianic reign (Col. 1:13; Matt. 25:34). Christ’s revelation of these mysteries in parabolic form was due to the existence of two distinct groups viz: “to you it is given” the believer; and “to them it is not given” the unbeliever. The Christians having responded in faith to the gospel, therefore already possess a lot of truth about the Messiah and His programme for the redemption of sinful man, and a careful reflection upon these parables would not only enlighten them the more, but will bring them into full realization of the joy of the kingdom of heaven. But, the determined unbelievers who reject the gospel truth will not be given the bare fruits of the Word of God to trample under foot. However there remains yet abundance of grace (for they had been spared the retribution of rejecting Christ and His gospel truth) and there remains also, the possibility that these deep and intriguing parables might arouse curiosity in them and lead them to a change of heart.
The settled state of spiritual insensibility among the unbelievers appear to be a partial fulfillment of Isa. 6:9,10 quoted by Jesus in Matt. 13:14,15 and presents the condition as a judgment from God upon their spiritual hardness. But, the believers who have responded to the Messiah’s gospel, will ever remain beneficiaries of the privileges longed for by the prophets and righteous men in the OT economy. (compare I Peter 1: 10). And Christ’s interpretation of the parables explains the fate of the world in this age as due, humanly speaking, to the condition of human hearts.
In the parable of the “sower” (Matt. 13: 18-23) the “Word of the kingdom” which is no other than the Word of God is presented as the “seed” – the message Christ proclaimed to the world about Himself and the kingdom. Whosoever rejects the Word of God, rejects God and His kingdom and man should therefore not allow worldly problems, circumstances and conditions to rob him of the grace to receive salvation through Christ. For example: the wayside is the completely unresponsive one from whom Satan and his agents — men, women and divers problems of this world represented as birds (birds, v 4 are often in the Scriptures symbolic of evil – Jer. 5:26, 27; Rev. 18:2) soon remove all spiritual impression. The seed on rocky hedge describes the case of the shallow, emotional hearer whose initial enthusiasm is completely withered by the invigorating and necessary “sun” of tribulations or persecutions. The seed germinating among the thorns depicts the preoccupied hearer whose heart is already full of care and wordly interests (the “thorns” having been in place before the seed’ was planted). A divided allegiance prevents the maturing of spiritual values. The only hearer who is approved is that of the good soil. Only on such can fruits be produced (Gal. 5:22,23), and fruitfulness is the test of life (John 15:1-6).
In Matt. 13:24-30 is another parable on the kingdom of heaven – the husbandman and the tares; in verses 31 and 32 is another of the mustard seeds. The three parables have the symbols of man, seed and field. In each of them, man symbolizes Christ Himself, the seed is the Word of God or the gospel and the field is the world.
The interpretation of the parable of the tares was made by Christ Himself to His disciples in verses 36-48 of Matt. 13.
The smallness of the mustard seed is proverbial (cf. Matt. 17:20). Yet in the instance of this parable, it grew until it became “greater than the herbs” — it became a very large and big tree with great branches (Mark 4:3-2). Instances of unusual growths in Palestine have been recorded by travelers, but rarely, if ever, to the extent pictured in this parable. That such growth is regarded as unfavourable (to the Word of God or Gospel) is suggested by the birds that “lodge in its branches” (Matt. 13:32). In this parable series, birds are agents of evil (Matt. 13:4) as they are frequently in Scripture (Jer. 5:26, 27; Rev. 18:2) that Mark 4:32 says “the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it” does not in any way diminish nor alter the fact that the presence of “birds of the air” denotes the presence of the “evil one”. The whole setting of the parable draws some confirmation from some events in church history which confirm the fact that the church from the smallest beginning made astounding growth through the proclamation of the gospel. Yet such unusual growth has provided “roosting place” for those who are enemies of God, who seek the cover and wealth from the church for their own interests (even nations like to be called Christian nations). True followers of Christ or true believers are by this parable warned to be careful about “the church of the multitude” or unusual growths that appear outwardly to be Christ’s kingdom. Jesus must have had this in mind when He prophesied: “Behold 1 send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matt. 10:16).
And reassures the believer in Mark 10:32 saying: “Fear not little flock: for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
The two passages confirm the Lord’s teaching, that true believers are “a little flock” surrounded by “wolves”
