Part X4.1 - The Reign Of The Heavens
Come Into The Reign Of The Heavens The Scriptures present many truths pertaining to the path that must be walked by a disciple of the Kingdom. With this in mind, seven Scriptures specifically refer to the disciple’s entrance into the Reign of the Heavens. As recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus went up on a mountain and taught His disciples about the Kingdom; more specifically, He taught them about the principles of entering the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29). Most likely, when people see the phrase the kingdom of heaven, they think of coming under the rule of Christ when He sets up His Kingdom over this earth in the coming age, and they think that only those who are saved will be under His rule. However, this cannot be the meaning of entering the Kingdom, for everyone, whether angels or men, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, will be under the rule of Christ, whether they want to be or do not want to be. They will have no choice in the matter because God has set His King (Psalms 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-9).
Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:9-11) In that day, no matter who a person is or where a person is, he will be under the rule of Christ. All will bow their knee to Jesus Christ and confess that He is Lord. If a person is a Gentile, a Jew or a Christian, he will be under the rule of Christ. If a person is in outer darkness, he will be under the rule of Christ (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30). If a person is in the fire of Gehenna (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 18:8-9), he will be under the rule of Christ. If a person remains in the grave awaiting the second death, he will be under the rule of Christ (Revelation 20:5). Even Satan, who will be bound and cast into the pit for 1,000 years, will be under the rule of Christ (Revelation 20:2-3). Why? Because in that day, the Lord shall be King over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9). All authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He even holds the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). This authority is a reality to God today, but it has not been manifested in its fulness because the world continues to lie in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). In the day of His Kingdom, this authority will be manifested and it will be absolute. There will be only one Lord and one Name that will have absolute authority in heaven and on earth: For He must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). But even when all the enemies of God have been subdued, it is only the beginning of the endless ages: Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7NKJ). Of His reign there will be no end; or as one translation puts it, There is no frontier that He has not conquered (Luke 1:33). There will be nothing outside the sphere of His rule. He is Lord of all. He is the King!
However, if, in exhorting us to enter His Kingdom, the Lord merely meant that we are to come under His rule as everyone, whether they are lost or saved, will one day, then why would He exhort us to enter into His Kingdom? There must be a greater meaning attached to the Lord’s words. He was calling His disciples when He was on earth and He is calling His disciples today through His written Word to enter into His Kingdom, even to be worthy to enter His Kingdom. As emphasized previously, the answer to this question is found in understanding the meaning of the phrase the kingdom of heaven. Unfortunately, in translating the New Testament from the Greek to English, the meaning of words and phrases often are lost or diminished. The words can seem sort of static. The kingdom of heaven is one of those phrases that loses some of its original meaning, leaving people wondering what it really means. The kingdom of heaven is best translated as the reign of the heavens. The word reign implies some form of action, and the heavens implicates where the action is occurring. Perhaps it would be best to paraphrase this term as reigning in the heavenly places or reigning from the heavenly places.
It also has been shown that God has a principle in ruling over His places of dominion-the heavens do rule. In other words, the rule over any place in God’s universe comes from the heavenly realm associated with that place of dominion. It is the heavens that rule over God’s provinces such as earth. This principle did not change with the first advent of our Lord and it will not change with His Second Advent either. God’s principles have been set and will not change.
Thus, when the Lord and His apostles exhort us to enter the Kingdom, we are being exhorted to be found worthy to rule or reign with Christ from the heavenly realm associated with this earth during His millennial Kingdom. It is not a question of being under His rule in that day; it is a question of being above and ruling with Christ in the heavenly places. We are exhorted to come into the Reign of the Heavens. So that we do not lose this perspective, the Reign of the Heavens will be used throughout this chapter in place of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, let us turn to the Scriptures for the specific references about entering the Reign of the Heavens. As we will see, these Scriptures are exhortations to Christians.
Born Again And Born Of Water
First, we need to be clear that the Reign of the Heavens is not in view for the lost. Not until a person is saved is the Kingdom offered to an individual. Once a person is saved, then the Kingdom is to come into view and the Christian is to diligently seek to enter the Kingdom through a life of faithfulness and fruit-bearing. The Lord Jesus gave us the way to see and to enter the Kingdom.
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you,unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3; John 3:5-6{ea}) The first step to the Kingdom is to be born again, to be born of the Spirit. We must become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and receive eternal life (John 3:16) as a free gift (Ephesians 2:5; Ephesians 2:8), based on the work of Christ who died once for all the sin of the world. The work of redemption is finished (John 19:30). There is no more work to be done to bring eternal life to the lost. All we must do is believe on the work that was done by Another (Christ) on our behalf (Acts 16:30-31). When we do believe, our eyes are to be opened to what lies ahead. There is a purpose for our creation and for our redemption and it is to reign, to have dominion (Genesis 1:26; Hebrews 2:6-8). Without the new birth, we cannot see nor can we enter into the Reign of the Heavens. The new creation in Christ is the beginning of a new view, and that is the Kingdom that is set before us. When we are born again and see the Kingdom set before us, then we must be water baptized (believer’s immersion in water) into Christ (Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21) and begin walking in the newness of life as we are led by the Holy Spirit. This is what "born of water and the Spirit" means. Thus, baptism is a very important step for the believer who wants to seriously and diligently seek after the Kingdom. In fact, water baptism of believers is essential to come into the Reign of the Heavens.
Unless Your Righteousness
It is fitting that the book of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament because it was written with one perspective-the Reign of the Heavens and its coming King. Much of what is contained in Matthew was spoken by Jesus to the nation of Israel. He came to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24) by offering them the Reign of the Heavens. With their Messiah, the King of the Jews, standing in their midst, the leaders of Israel rejected not only the offer of the Kingdom but also the very King who was offering them the Kingdom. If they had received Him, Israel would have received the right to enter into the Reign of the Heavens and rule with their King from the heavenly realm. The offer of the Kingdom was taken from Israel and presented to a new nation (the one new man, the new creation in Christ) that is called to bear the fruit of the Kingdom (Matthew 21:43). The Lord Jesus turned His view from the Crown (reigning) to the Cross (dying for the sin of the world). Also, as recorded in Matthew 16:18, Jesus pointed ahead to the new creation, His Church, that only He will build. It is this new creation that is now being offered the Reign of the Heavens to rule from the heavenly realm.
However, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). In the Kingdom Age, Israel will be restored as a nation and reign on earth as the head of the nations with Christ seated upon the throne of David (Luke 1:32). God has made a covenant with Israel that they will possess the land. So, although they lost the right to reign in the heavenly realm of the Kingdom, they will reign but it will be in the earthly realm during the coming millennial Kingdom. They will be healed as a nation and their sins forgiven. They will see the One whom they crucified, mourn and repent for their transgressions (Zechariah 12:10-14; Revelation 1:7). In that day, Israel will be fully restored and the nations of the earth will be blessed through them (Jeremiah 33:6-26; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Ezekiel 39:21; Ezekiel 39:29).
Although much of Matthew was spoken to Israel, once they rejected the offer of the Kingdom, the words spoken by Jesus became applicable to the new nation that came forth from Calvary. Thus Matthew, with all its exhortation and encouragement, is written to Christians; and we must heed the words of our Lord regarding the Reign of the Heavens. If Israel could be disqualified for their unbelief, then Christians can be disqualified from entering the Kingdom in the Day of Christ. From Matthew 5:1-48 through 7, the Lord spoke to His disciples about entrance into the Kingdom as well as exclusion from the Kingdom. These chapters are often called the Sermon on the Mount, for the Lord sat on a mountain and taught His disciples with a view to the Kingdom. Matthew 5:20 could be called the summation of all that He taught. [Please keep in mind that the Sermon on the Mount is not to the lost but to the saved (to those who have applied the blood); and it is not in reference to eternal salvation but to entrance into or exclusion from reigning in the coming Kingdom.]
"For I say to you, that if your righteousness may not abound above that of the scribes and Pharisees, ye may not enter to the reign of the heavens." (Matthew 5:20YLT {ea}) The scribes and the Pharisees had a righteousness derived from the Law. Paul, who was circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews and, as to the Law, was a Pharisee, stated that he was found blameless as to the righteousness which is in the Law (see Php 3:5-6). However, after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul’s perspective on righteousness changed. Paul desired to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Php 3:9). What the Law could not do, God has done in His Son. When we believe on the Lord Jesus, Christ becomes our righteousness before God. God no longer sees our filthy rags of unrighteousness but He sees His Son who is the Righteous One (Jeremiah 23:6 b; Acts 22:14; 1 John 2:1). By God’s own doing we are placed in Christ who became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). We become the righteousness of God in Him (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Without the righteousness of Christ, no man can stand before God. The good news is that all who believe in Christ receive the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
However, once a person is saved and receives the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:22-25), there is a necessity placed on the new creation to practice righteousness (1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:7; 1 John 3:10; Revelation 22:11). Paul wrote, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" (1 Corinthians 6:9). Just as He is holy, we are to be holy (1 Peter 1:16). In like manner, He is righteous and we are to live righteously.
Now, the Pharisees had a righteousness before men, but this righteousness led them to be excluded from the Kingdom. They were right in their own eyes; but they were blind and they became the blind leading the blind and they all fell into a pit (Matthew 15:14). But we too are warned through the words of our Lord as He spoke through John to the church in Laodicea (which represents the church on earth when He returns).
‘Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eyesalve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.’ (Revelation 3:17-18).
Nakedness and blindness go together. Blindness speaks of a self-righteousness: "We are all right. We have no needs. We are wealthy; our teaching is right; our methods are sound; our doctrines are all correct." Nakedness speaks of a lack of righteous acts. When Adam sinned, he found himself, along with Eve, naked (Genesis 3:10). When He receives His people in the air and sets up His judgment seat, the Lord, as God’s Judge, will judge His people according to what they have done (2 Corinthians 5:10). Those who will be chosen out from the called will rise up to reign with Him as His Bride.
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright {and} clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8) The Bride will be clothed with the wedding garment that is fine linen, the righteous acts of the saints. In other words, it is the righteous acts done while in the body that will commend and bring approval to a Christian in the Day of Judgment and the receiving of reward.
Why is righteousness so important? Because the Reign of the Heavens is the reign of righteousness (Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 5:10; Matthew 6:33; Romans 14:17). Thus, we not only need the imputed righteousness of Christ to enter the Kingdom but we also need the practical righteousness (right behavior) that will be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. This is the type of righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.
Enter By The Narrow Gate
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
There is an entrance into the Kingdom, but it is a narrow entrance. Again, we need to be reminded that this exhortation is not to the lost and the saved together, as if the lost go the wide way and the saved go the narrow way. The lost have no entrance into the Kingdom, so they are not in view. Many Christians probably prefer a broad, wide way into the Kingdom. After all, a broad way means that there is a lot of room to do what we want and not be held accountable for our actions. But the Scriptures are very clear that we will be held accountable and that there is a right way to enter the Kingdom and it is only through a narrow gate. In the Greek, the wide or broad way means that the way is like "an open square" or "a spacious place." In other words, it is wide open to go in any direction one desires. There are no constraints. The person can wander aimlessly in the spacious place with no restraint on what is done. On the other hand, the narrow way is surrounded by things that press the person into the Kingdom. There are restraints and conditions. There are spiritual battles, trials, tribulations and persecutions that press on the person. There are demands on the flesh to exercise self-control. In Luke, a parallel verse adds another dimension to this entrance.
"Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luke 13:24) The word strive comes from the Greek word agonizomai from which we get our English word agonize. It means that Christians are to strain every muscle of their being to enter the Kingdom. This narrow entrance is likened to a race to be won. We are to cast aside every weight and encumbrance that might hinder us from running the race of the faith and figuratively squeeze ourselves through this narrow gate. Anything that is of no value in running this race is to be cast aside so that we can press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2; Php 3:7-14).
Both Paul and Jude used the word agonizomai to encourage and exhort the saints to strive in this race or this good contest of the faith (1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Jude 1:3). There is a prize awaiting all that finish the race according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5). It is like an athletic contest with a prize given to the winner. Christians are in such a contest. But every contest requires diligence and effort on the part of the participant. Christians cannot be lazy and slothful in their walk with the Lord. There must be a striving and a diligence on the part of every believer. In 2 Peter 1:5-11, we are exhorted to be diligent to build and add to our faith in such a way that we will have an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Striving (agonizing), being pressed in on all sides is the only way that a Christian will enter the Kingdom. Our flesh must be pressed into obedience; our wills must be pressed into the will of God; our desires must be pressed into the desires of our Lord; our views must be pressed into a view of the Kingdom and Glory. There is no other way.
Obedience To The Will Of God
"Not everyone who is saying to me, ‘Lord, lord,’ shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens." (Matthew 7:21YLT {ea})
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:22-23)
Prior to His exhortation to enter by the narrow gate, the Lord warned the disciples to beware of false prophets (Matthew 7:15). He warned that they would be known by their fruits. Why would the Lord warn about false prophets at this point? Because false prophets (who are apostate Christians, ones who have fallen away from where they once stood) lead other Christians away from the narrow gate which leads into the Kingdom. They draw people to follow them through a false or leavened message pertaining to the Word of the Kingdom. In other words, they teach a false message of the Kingdom that bears bad fruit that brings no glory to God but causes others to bear bad fruit as well. They lead other Christians to fall away from the narrow way into the Kingdom and, in the end, not to enter it.
These apostates are like the Pharisees whom the Lord called hypocrites.
"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13)
They knew the way into the Kingdom, but they rejected the way and prevented the nation of Israel from entering, as well. Except for a remnant, the entire nation failed to enter into the Kingdom being offered by their Messiah. It is important to keep in mind that the scribes and Pharisees were within the nation. They were sons of the Kingdom (Matthew 8:12), and these sons caused the falling away. Throughout the history of Israel, there were false prophets and teachers who were Israelites. The greatest danger to Israel was from within. The greatest danger to the church today is from within!
Now, there is a common teaching that says that false prophets/teachers are lost and the way to tell if a person is saved is to look at their fruit, whether it is good or bad fruit. This is not what the Lord taught His disciples nor does He teach this to us either. According to the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-58, only believers can bear fruit. The lost are in no position to bear fruit, good or bad, because the Kingdom is not in view for them and fruit-bearing is in reference only to the Kingdom. The Word of the Kingdom is sown amongst Christians, and where they are sown (by the wayside, on stony places, amongst the thorns, on good ground) is based on whether they hear the Word, understand it and bear fruit. Of the four types of Christians, only one type bears fruit to the glory of God. They understand the Word of the Kingdom and are entering by the narrow gate. The apostate teaching of today is doing the very same thing. A false system is taught which says that fruit-bearing is a sign of eternal salvation. Eternal salvation is never based on works, for by grace you are saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9, also Romans 11:6). The false system says that all Christians bear good fruit and the lost bear bad fruit. Ultimately, this thinking leads Christians from the truth that there will be Christians who will appear at the judgment seat of Christ and have no good works (fruit) to their account (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Wrongly dividing the Word in this fashion leads people to be lazy and slothful in their Christian life (Matthew 7:13-14). They seek for the wide gate. The apostates bear fruit to their own glory and cause other Christians to fall away from the faith and bear no fruit. This is the basis for the Lord’s warning. The Lord continued His warning to His disciples. He warned that Christians can do things in the name of the Lord but not be doing the will of the Lord. This is a most serious matter. Christians are being offered the reward of occupying positions of power and authority in the coming Kingdom but many in that day will be rejected. The Lord will say, "I never knew you; depart from Me."
It must be stated once again that this is not in reference to eternal salvation. Those rejected are not the lost. They are the saved because the Lord is warning in reference to entering His Kingdom. In addition, no one can say "Lord" apart from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The lost do not have a revived spirit and cannot know the things of the Spirit. Jesus is not the Lord of the unsaved and they cannot so make the claim. Also, the way the Greek is worded in this verse indicates that those who say "Lord, Lord" expect the Lord to give them a positive answer. He gives them just the opposite of what they expect. The Lord truly will know those He rejects for He knows the hearts of all men (John 2:24-25). He will reject them as not knowing them in reference to their works. The works for which these Christians will be seeking approval will not have been done according to the will of God. Only those who do the will of His Father will be counted worthy to enter the Reign of the Heavens. This should cause all Christians to pause and meditate on their works.
Note that the Lord will acknowledge in that day that these individuals did prophesy, did cast out demons and did perform miracles, but they were not done according to the will of God. How can this be? There is only one other source of this type of power and it comes from the ruler of this world, Satan. Instead of being sons of the Kingdom, some Christians will become sons of disobedience, tares amongst the wheat (Matthew 13:38; Matthew 23:15; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 5:6; 1 John 3:8). They will perform signs and wonders as if it is of the Lord, but it is of the devil. The Lord has left us His word regarding the entrance into the Kingdom. It is by doing not only the will of the Father but doing the will of the Son as well. In Luke we find an equivalent verse to Matthew 7:24-27.
"And why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard, and has not acted {accordingly,} is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)
It is not enough to give the Lord lip service by saying "Lord, Lord." We might think that if we call Him Lord then we are in a good place, as if His name is a "good luck charm." But no; the Lord warns us that we must hear His Word and we must act upon His Word. Lord means that He is in charge of our lives and that we are truly living under His authority and rule. If we do not act upon His Word, then we are like a foolish man who builds on sand. We are not under His Lordship. In the Day of Judgment, all that we built and did in His name but not according to His will will be destroyed in the fire of judgment. It will collapse in a heap of ashes (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). We are to build according to the written Word of God. We are to hear Him in His Word and act upon what the Spirit reveals in the Scriptures. This is how we are to build in His name. God demands obedience to His will. There is no other way into the Kingdom. With Peter, we find a good example of such action outside the will of God. Peter had been given the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; but when the Lord told the disciples that He was going to suffer and be killed, Peter rebuked Him. The Lord turned to Peter and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Matthew 16:23NKJ). There are some who teach that Satan himself was standing there, but this is not what the Word reveals. The Lord said these words to Peter. Why? Because he was speaking as a son of disobedience. If we do things in the name of the Lord and yet we are not doing the will of God, then we are disobedient. In that day, he will say, "Depart from Me," just as He rebuked Peter to get behind Him.
However, do not let this lead to despair. Just as Peter was restored when he denied the Lord, so Christians will be if they confess their sins to the great High Priest (Hebrews 7:25) and appropriate the blood for forgiveness of sins and cleansing from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Thank God for the precious blood of the Lamb which is incorruptible, imperishable (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Become Like A Child And Jesus having called near a child, did set him in the midst of them, and said, "Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens; whoever then may humble himself as this child, he is the greater in the reign of the heavens." (Matthew 18:2-4YLT {ea}; also Luke 18:17)
Matthew and Luke tell us that our entrance into the reign is by becoming like a child. First, we must be converted (saved by grace through faith), and then we must approach the Kingdom like a child. It is like starting over. We come out of the world and we must be taught the way to enter the Kingdom. While we were in the world we were taught the ways of the world and we lived by them, walking by sight. However, just because we are saved does not mean that these ways have been routed out of us. On the contrary, they are still in us and will influence us. If we continue in these old ways, we will not learn the abundant entrance into the Kingdom. We must learn to walk by faith, not by sight. A child has the innocence of faith. Children do not know very much, so they depend on adults to lead the way. Children are also humble; knowing very little, they must be taught every step of the way. We must humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our poverty and our great need.
Happy the poor in spirit-because theirs is the reign of the heavens (Matthew 5:3YLT {ea}).
We must be totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in such a way that we will come into the Reign of the Heavens. As Paul wrote, the Kingdom is in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) who is our Comforter and Teacher. The Spirit is the One who is searching for the Bride of Christ that will come out from the Body of Christ. We must come under His leadership like a child and be taught. In this way, we will enter the Kingdom. If we are humbled in this day, we will be exalted in the Day of Christ and we will be offered positions of power and authority as the Bride of Christ in His Kingdom. As Peter wrote, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Who will be the greater in that Day? It will be those who are humbled in this day. God is not after the exalted men of today; He is after the humbled men, those who are as dependent on the Lord and the Holy Spirit as the Lord Jesus was dependent on the Father and the Spirit when He walked this earth.
Hard For A Rich Man To Enter And Jesus said to His disciples, "Verily I say to you, that hardly shall a rich man enter into the reign of the heavens; and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to go, than for a rich man into enter the reign of God." (Matthew 19:23-24YLT {ea}) [This verse is an example of where the Reign of the Heavens (Kingdom of Heaven) and the Reign of God (Kingdom of God) are one and the same.] In Matthew 6:21, the Lord said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The Lord used a rich man as an example of entering the Kingdom to reveal the truth that our hearts must be set on the Kingdom in order to enter into it. If our treasure is on this earth, then entering the Kingdom will be a very difficult, if not impossible, task. The Lord instructed the disciples: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33NKJ). Paul exhorted the saints: "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2NKJ). This is the way for the saved to enter the Kingdom. In his letter to Timothy, Paul warned of Christians whose hearts will fall away from the faith due to the temptations of riches. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:9-11) To enter the Reign of the Heavens we must flee such things. James wrote to converted Jews who were scattered abroad. These Christians had become rich and they were acting unrighteously toward the poor; therefore, James exhorted them over their sin.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, {and} which has been withheld by you, cries out {against you} and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous {man;} he does not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. (James 5:1-9)
Behold, the Lord is coming! The Judge is standing right at the door. He is coming to judge the lives of His people. It is in the last days that His people will be storing up their riches. Their hearts are set on the earth and the things that will rot and be consumed in the fire of judgment.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal." (Matthew 6:19-20) The Reign of the Heavens is set before every child of God. We must lay aside every encumbrance today so that we will abundantly enter the reign in the Day of our Lord. We have a heavenly calling, for this is where our reward is and this is where our treasure is.
Through Many Tribulations And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and {saying,} "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:21-22NAS {ea}) "Through many tribulations it behoveth us to enter the Reign of God." (Acts 14:22YLT {ea})
Finally, Paul went through great hardship as he preached the Kingdom throughout the known world of his day. He suffered to the point of being stoned (probably to death) and being revived. Following this experience, he made this statement about entering the Kingdom. In the Greek, the word tribulation has the meaning of "pressure." In other words, through many pressures, we must enter the Kingdom. As we seek to enter the Kingdom, we will experience all sorts of pressures-on our flesh, on our souls, on our very lives. At times, we might wonder if we will make it into the Kingdom. Paul and the others who co-labored with him experienced all of these pressures firsthand, and because of this, they continually prayed for those whom they had taught.
After they preached the gospel in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas returned to areas that they had previously visited to strengthen the souls of the disciples and encourage them to continue in the faith. Continuing in the faith is directly related to entering the Kingdom of God. In fact, throughout the Scriptures, where the faith is used, it generally refers to the mature knowledge of the Lord and His coming Kingdom (see the next two chapters). This is why Paul and Barnabas encouraged the disciples that the Kingdom is something that must be entered and that to enter it there is a need to continue in the faith. In other words, do not give up your hope. The Kingdom is coming; but until it comes, there will be much challenge. We must endure through these times, keeping our eyes set on the goal and the prize that lie ahead. This is very similar to a word we have already reviewed: "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). The word strive implies that we are pressed on all sides-our flesh, our wills, our desires, our views. This is what Paul and Barnabas impressed upon the disciples. Through much pressure, much striving, we must enter the Kingdom. Tribulation is a suffering. There is no other way, for this is the path that our Lord walked.
Suffering and glory go hand in hand, just as the Kingdom and Glory go hand in hand. Thus, we must go through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of God. This is the glorious experience of all those who have gone before us (2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; Hebrews 11:1-40).
Let us strive to come into the Reign of the Heavens!