Kingdom of heaven

Matthew’s gospel emphasizes the kingdom of heaven. “The central emphasis of the book is found in what is designated (uniquely in the Gospels) as … ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ (Matt 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; cf. 26:13).” To understand the gospel, we must understand the kingdom. In Matthew 19, Jesus uses four…

Jesus asked his disciples an important question. “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matt 16:13). Peter responded correctly: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” (Matt 16:16 HCSB). Jesus then gave Peter a great revelation: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock…

Our last post (here) discussed Jesus’s parables of the “treasure” and the “pearl of great price” (Matt 13:44–46). Our view of them agrees with the majority view on a key point. In these stories, “Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God to the treasure and to the pearl.” We disagree,…

My mom used to make butter from fresh cow’s milk. She poured it into a churn and agitated it with a wooden plunger. This caused the milk solids to separate from the liquid. She then skimmed the butter off the top and pressed it into a mold. When the butter…

We Christians would do well to remember an important aspect of the gospel. In the New Testament, the kingdom of heaven was at the core of the “good news.” As we have seen, John the Baptist preached this message. He proclaimed, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at…

Preaching the kingdom of heaven was central to the early church’s ministry. This was true from the start of the gospel. God chose John the Baptist to prepare the way for Christ. His first and primary message was about the kingdom. He said, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at…

The Song of Moses was an age-changing song. As we saw in our last post, John hears the saints in heaven singing it in the Vision of Seven Vials. God would soon judge apostate Israel. This judgment would end the Mosaic age and allow the Messianic Age—started by Jesus during his…

Jesus taught parables that show the kingdom of heaven changing. For example, it grows like a mustard seed becoming a tree (Matt. 13:31–32). But can God’s kingdom grow? Our first answer might be that it cannot grow: God’s domain already includes heaven and earth. He exercises absolute rule everywhere. God…