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Scripture Reading: Matt. 3:2; 5:3, 10; Mark 1:15; 4:26; Dan. 4:26; Matt. 5:20-45, 48; 6:10; 16:18-19; 13:24-26, 28, 30, 33; 1 Cor. 5:6, 8; Matt. 16:6, 11-12; Rev. 2:20, 24b; Matt. 24:33, 39, 42-47; 25:6, 19; Rev. 20:4-6; 2:26-27; 12:5a; Matt. 19:28; 25:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:12a; 4:18b; 2 Pet. 1:11; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:4-5
Prayer: Lord, we worship and thank You that You have gathered us into Yourself, into Your name, around Your word. We trust in You that we may see light from Your word. Unveil Yourself to us. We are here to hear the word and to have You Yourself, the One whom we seek. Lord, we want to touch You and be touched by You. Thank You, Lord, that You are the Spirit today and that we have You in our spirit. Lord, be with us as we are speaking concerning Your truth. Speak in our speaking the things concerning the mysteries of God’s economy. Lord, give us the utterance and the proper understanding, and bring us into the truth that we may know You according to Your word. Lord, build us up, and build up Your church. Shame Your enemy. Lord, do gain glory among us. Amen.
The kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 3:2; 5:3, 10) is a very crucial item in the New Testament. This item is troublesome to Bible students. For this reason we need to receive light so that we may see a clear vision of the things concerning God’s mysterious economy and concerning the kingdom of the heavens.
The kingdom of the heavens is the last item related to the Body that was constituted by the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the consummated Triune God was for the baptizing of all the believers into one Body. All the believers universally, in space and in time, were baptized in this outpouring of the Spirit into one Body. This one Body comprises a number of items: the Body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the universal new man, the household of God, the temple of God, the church, and the kingdom. The first three items — the Body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the universal new man — are related to Christ. The last four items — the household of God, the temple of God, the church, and the kingdom — are related to God.
In the New Testament the kingdom implies both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens. These are not one thing but two. They are two aspects of the kingdom.
The kingdom of the heavens is the strict section of the kingdom of God (3:2; cf. Mark 1:15; Matt. 13:24; cf. Mark 4:26), whereas the kingdom of God is the kingdom in a broad sense. A person who visits the state of California from another country may say either that he is visiting California or that he is visiting the United States. These are not two separate places but two ways to designate the same place. To say that we are visiting the United States is to speak in a broad sense, whereas to say that we are visiting California is to speak of the same place but in a narrower sense, since California is a section of the United States. In the same way, the kingdom of the heavens is a section, the most crucial section, of the kingdom of God.
In the previous chapter we saw that the kingdom of God is a wide sphere and that, like God’s existence, it is eternal. Where God’s existence is, there His kingdom is also. God’s kingdom was in existence long before man was created, because at that time the angels were under God’s rule. God’s kingdom is unlimited, but the kingdom of the heavens, comparatively speaking, is very narrow. It comprises only two ages: the church age, which began on the day of Pentecost, and the kingdom age, which will end at the close of the millennium. The church age is approximately two thousand years in length, and the kingdom age is exactly one thousand years. Together, these two ages constitute the sphere, the realm, of the kingdom of the heavens, which will last approximately three thousand years. The New Jerusalem, which will come after the millennium, is not included in the kingdom of the heavens; it is a part of the kingdom of God. Today we are in the church age; therefore, we are in the kingdom of the heavens.
The kingdom of God, being broader than the kingdom of the heavens, includes the Old Testament age. However, the kingdom of the heavens has nothing to do with the Old Testament age, since the kingdom of the heavens began on the day of Pentecost in the New Testament age and will conclude at the close of the millennium. The kingdom of the heavens is in the New Testament economy of God and includes the church age and the kingdom age. Matthew 3:2 says, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” This proves that even at the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom of the heavens was not yet present; it had only drawn near.
Mark 1:15, which says, “The kingdom of God has drawn near,” is nearly identical with Matthew 3:2. The latter refers to the kingdom of the heavens, whereas the former speaks of the kingdom of God. Matthew 13:24 says, “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man sowing good seed in his field,” and Mark 4:26 says, “So is the kingdom of God: as if a man cast seed on the earth.” Again, the two verses are nearly the same, except that Matthew refers to the kingdom of the heavens, whereas Mark refers to the kingdom of God. This indicates that the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens are two aspects of the same thing.
The kingdom of the heavens is the realm of God’s heavenly rule in the New Testament believers in Christ (cf. Dan. 4:26). We are presently in such a realm. However, some teachers of the Bible, most notably those among the Brethren, have taught that, because the Jews rejected the kingdom when it was offered to them by the Lord Jesus, the kingdom of the heavens was suspended, and the church age came in to replace the kingdom. According to this teaching, after the church age has passed through a period of about two thousand years, the kingdom of the heavens will come down to the earth. Such a teaching regarding the kingdom is inaccurate. The kingdom of the heavens has not been suspended, and we are not waiting for the kingdom of the heavens to come. We are in the kingdom of the heavens today, and we are even part of the kingdom of the heavens.
The kingdom of the heavens has three aspects: the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, and the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Without a proper understanding of these three aspects, we could never understand such a subject as the kingdom of the heavens in the Bible.
In chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew, the Lord Jesus gave a long message to His disciples. In this long discourse He unveiled to them that the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is the victorious living of the overcoming believers. When we rise early in the morning to have a morning revival in the holy Word with the Lord, while we are there enjoying and praising the Lord, we are a part of the heavenly kingdom. This is an aspect of our victorious living. If, on the other hand, we sleep late and do not rise up early to be with the Lord, that should be considered a defeated living, a living that is not part of the kingdom of the heavens.
The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is a living that surpasses that of the law, with the highest standard of ethics. Matthew 5:20-44 shows us that the standard of the Lord Jesus is much higher than that of the law. For example, the law tells us to love our neighbor (Lev. 19:18), but the Lord Jesus tells us to love our enemies as well (Matt. 5:44). This indicates that the standard of ethics in the kingdom of the heavens is much higher than that of the law.
The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is a living by the divine life expressed in the human life (v. 45). The human life is not capable of living a life that matches the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. A dog cannot live the human life; only a human being can live such a life. Similarly, only the divine life can live a life that matches the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. The marvelous thing is that the living of the divine life is expressed through the human life. It is the living of a mingled life. This is proved by Matthew 5:45, which says, “That you may become sons of your Father who is in the heavens.” We can live the divine life because we are children of the divine Father. We could never live such a life as children of our human father. There is a much greater capacity in the divine life than in the human life. To live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens by the capacity of the divine life, we need to exercise our spirit to praise Him, to fellowship with Him, and even to remain in Him and to abide in Him all day.
Such a living is the expression of the processed Triune God mingled with the regenerated and transformed believers (v. 48). During our morning revival with the Lord and in the church meetings, we all enjoy the Lord and are living in the reality of the heavenly kingdom. However, those who have experienced more of the Lord’s transformation will be in this reality to a greater degree than those who have been saved only recently. If several pieces of cloth are put into blue dye, all the pieces will become blue, but the darkness of the blue will vary depending on the length of time each piece has been in the dye. Likewise, all believers are the same in being regenerated, but not all are the same in the degree of transformation. The process of transformation is somewhat like the procedure of dyeing a piece of cloth. The degree of transformation we have experienced depends on how much we have given the Lord the opportunity to mingle Himself with us. We all enjoy the same Lord, but there is a difference in our enjoyment based on the degree of our transformation.
Matthew 5:48 says, “You therefore shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In order to be perfect, we must be perfected, and the only way for us to be perfected is to be mingled with the Father. Other than the way of mingling, there is no way for us to be perfected. We may illustrate the process of being perfected by the pouring of lemon juice into a glass of tea. The more we pour lemon juice into the tea, the more the tea will be “lemoned,” that is, the more it will be perfected to be like the lemon juice in its color, taste, and element. Without the heavenly Father’s mingling of Himself with us, there is no way for us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
The apostle Peter was one who became perfected. On the day of Pentecost he was not as fully perfected as he was when he wrote his two Epistles, 1 Peter and 2 Peter. Between these two times, Peter’s being perfected became very much intensified. On the day of Pentecost Peter had not experienced much mingling, but at the time that he wrote his two Epistles, his experience of the mingling had greatly increased. The same can be said of the apostle Paul. By comparing 2 Timothy with 1 Thessalonians, it is clear that 1 Thessalonians was written by a younger apostle, and 2 Timothy by an older, more mature apostle. At the time of the writing of 2 Timothy, Paul had experienced much more mingling.
Matthew 5:45 indicates that we have the heavenly life because we are children of the heavenly Father. Matthew 5:48 says that we shall be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. These two verses show not only that we have the life of the heavenly Father but also that our being becomes mingled with the heavenly Father’s being.
The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is a living that brings the heavenly rule to the earth for the fulfillment of God’s New Testament economy (6:10). In ancient times the Jewish people wore a long gown with a blue band encircling the bottom, signifying that their conduct (typified by the garment) was under the rule of the heavens (signified by the band of blue) and reminding them to keep God’s commandments (Num. 15:38-39). Today, as we live under the heavenly ruling, the heavenly rule is brought down to the earth. This rule is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens and is for the fulfillment of God’s New Testament economy, which is to build up the organic Body of Christ. The Lord’s goal, the Lord’s purpose, in saving sinners, dealing with us, disciplining us, and operating in us is the building up of the organic Body of Christ.
In our going to visit people and baptize them, in our speaking the Lord’s word to others, in our praying for certain ones who are on our heart, everything should be for the building up of the Body of Christ. If we are not under the heavenly rule of the kingdom of the heavens, it will be very difficult for us to have any capacity to participate in the building up of the organic Body of Christ. The more we are under the heavenly rule of the kingdom of the heavens, the more capacity we have. Then whatever we do, whatever we are, whatever we say, however we act, and wherever we go will be for the building up of the Body of Christ. This is for the purpose of fulfilling God’s New Testament economy.
The kingdom is for the church. Matthew 16:18 says, “I will build My church,” and verse 19 says, “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens.” One verse concerns the building up of the church, and the other verse concerns the establishing of the kingdom. If the church is not built up, there can be no establishing of the kingdom. The building up of the church is for the kingdom, and whatever the kingdom is, is for the building up of the church. In the two verses quoted above, the church and the kingdom are mentioned interchangeably, indicating that the church and the kingdom are closely related to one another. In a sense, the church is for the kingdom, and in a deeper sense, the kingdom is for the church.
If there is no kingdom rule in a local church, there will be no building up of the Body in that locality. If there is quarreling, debating, murmuring, and reasoning in a local church, there can be no rule of the heavens in that church. In that case the building up of the church will be annulled. If those in that locality would live a life that brings the heavenly rule to the earth, then God’s New Testament economy will be fulfilled.
The reality of the kingdom of the heavens had its beginning with the formation of the church on the day of Pentecost (vv. 18-19). Before the day of Pentecost, there was no reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
The Lord’s sermon revealing the reality of the kingdom of the heavens was given on a mountain in Matthew 5—7, whereas the Lord’s parables revealing the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens were spoken on the seashore in Matthew 13. In typology a mountain signifies elevation, which corresponds to the heavenly nature of the kingdom, and the sea signifies the corrupted world under Satan. This indicates that the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is higher than the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens.
According to Matthew 13, there are three things that denote the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. The first of these is the tares, signifying the nominal Christians, growing together with the wheat, the real believers (vv. 24, 30). The nominal Christians are those who have the name of a Christian but do not have the reality in life. The tares were not sown among the wheat by the Lord but by the Lord’s enemy, Satan (vv. 25, 28). Tares bear the appearance of wheat but do not have the life of wheat. Similarly, the nominal Christians do not have the life of God. When I was young, I read an article describing the appearance of the tares. As the tares grow, they appear to be identical to the wheat. They can be differentiated from the wheat only at the point that the fruit is produced. The fruit of the wheat is golden yellow, but that of the tares is black. Actually, what the tares produce is not fruit at all (v. 26). Once the fruit comes forth, it is obvious to everyone which are the wheat and which are the tares. This is why it is often difficult to discern whether a person is a nominal Christian or a real believer.
The second item in the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens is the mustard herb growing abnormally into a tree (vv. 31-32). Mustard is an herb, not a tree. When a mustard plant grows into a tree, it becomes abnormally large. The mustard in the Lord’s parable grew abnormally into a large tree, as indicated by the fact that birds come and roost in its branches (v. 32). In typology, the tree signifies abnormal Christianity. Nominal Christianity is abnormally large. In Luke 12:32 the Lord Jesus called the church a “little flock.” Comparatively speaking, the church should be much smaller than human society, yet today approximately one-third of the people on the earth, including both the Catholics and the Protestants, call themselves Christians.
When the mustard herb becomes abnormally large, the branches of its tree become the roosting place for the birds. The birds signify the persons and matters that are related to Satan, the enemy who sowed the tares among the wheat (Matt. 13:25, 28). In today’s Christianity there are many enterprises, and there are many “birds,” denoting Satan and all the persons and matters that belong to Satan, roosting in these enterprises.
The third item in the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens is leaven taken by a woman and hidden in three measures of meal (v. 33). Bread made without leaven is hard and is not easy to eat. Leaven makes bread easier and more pleasant to eat. This principle has been applied by the Catholic Church to many spiritual things. For example, in order to help people to know who Jesus is, Catholicism utilized a painting done in the Middle Ages by a skillful artist and called it a picture of Jesus. However, the handsome man in that painting is not the real Jesus (Isa. 53:2). That picture is devilish and idolatrous. Now, not only Catholics but many Protestants as well revere that picture. Such pictures are idols and are leaven.
Leaven signifies evil things and evil doctrines (1 Cor. 5:6, 8; Matt. 16:6, 11-12). Many evil things can be found in today’s Christianity, especially in Catholicism. The woman in Matthew 13 signifies the Catholic Church, which has taken many pagan practices, heretical doctrines, and evil matters and mixed them with the teachings concerning Christ to leaven the whole content of Christianity (Rev. 2:20, 24b). Two clear examples of such leaven are Christmas and Easter.
The meal in which the woman hid the leaven is the fine flour for making the meal offering (Lev. 2:1), signifying Christ as food to both God and man. Today this food has become mixed with leaven. The Catholic Church does teach something concerning Christ, but all its teachings are leavened. In a sense there are some deeper truths in Catholicism, but every teaching has been leavened.
Three measures of meal is the quantity needed to make a full meal, signifying that the Catholic Church has fully leavened in a hidden way all the teachings concerning Christ. There is not one exception; baptism, the Lord’s table, and everything concerning Christ have been leavened. Unless we have a keen discernment to see through the good outward appearance, we will not be able to detect the leaven.
The reality of the kingdom of the heavens began on the day of Pentecost with the formation of the church. The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens began immediately after the formation of the church on the day of Pentecost. Immediately after the baptism of all the believers, possibly even the next day, Satan came in to sow the tares. When farmers sow wheat, they may examine each individual grain, yet tares will still appear as the wheat grows. No one knows where the tares come from. It is unlikely that they could come from the birds or from the wind. According to the Lord’s word in Matthew 13:25 and 28, the sowing of the tares is the work of the enemy, Satan.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens is the last aspect of the kingdom of the heavens. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens is revealed by the Lord’s prophecy on the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24 and 25. Today among us there is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, but this reality is hidden. Most unbelievers do not see this reality; what they see is the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. They see the false appearance that is today’s Christianity.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will occur at the Lord’s coming back (24:33, 39, 42-44; 25:6, 19).
This manifestation is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens manifested as the heavenly part of the millennium (Rev. 20:4-6). The reality of the kingdom of the heavens today will be the heavenly part of the thousand-year kingdom. The thousand-year kingdom will have two parts: the upper part as the heavenly part and the lower part as the earthly part. In the heavenly part will be the overcoming saints, including both those in the Old Testament, such as Abraham, and those in the New Testament.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens is for the overcoming saints as the co-kings with Christ to rule over the nations as the people and over Israel on the earth (Rev. 2:26-27; 12:5a; 20:4; Matt. 19:28). At the Lord’s coming back, all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25-27), but they will not be transfigured right away; they will remain in the body of flesh. However, by that time the overcoming Christians will have been transfigured to have a glorious body like Christ’s.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens is also for the overcoming saints as priests to serve God and Christ (Rev. 20:6). On one hand, the overcoming saints will be kings to rule over the people. On the other hand, they will be priests to serve God and Christ.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will be a reward to all the overcoming saints of both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Matt. 24:45-47; 25:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:12a; 4:18b; 2 Pet. 1:11; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:4-5). To be in the kingdom of God is one thing, and to inherit the kingdom of God is another. In referring to the kingdom, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, and Ephesians 5:4-5 all use the word inherit or inheritance, saying that those who are sinful can never inherit the kingdom of God. To inherit the kingdom of God as the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, we must pay a price. We must live a kingdom life, a higher life with a higher standard of ethics. We also must overcome all the things that are against God. Otherwise, we will have no right to inherit the kingdom.
The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will end at the close of the millennium.
It is worthwhile for us to study the three aspects of the kingdom of the heavens — its reality, its appearance, and its manifestation — and to remember the items that constitute each aspect.
