Chapter 11: The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand!

Yeshua ushered in the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritually, to the elect and chosen of God 2000 years ago.  The people were in the presence of Yeshua, the Holy One of Israel; the door by which each person enters the Kingdom.  His teachings, of love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy and grace were taught by example.  Yeshua’s teachings put love, life and Spirit into the Law, making it complete. Yeshua addresses Law/Spirit completeness in Mattityahu 5:17-20

17 "Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah -- not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

"I AM"

 performed by Mark Schultz

Yeshua is the only One who can describe the Kingdom of Heaven since He was there with His Father God from the beginning!   Yeshua was questioned by the Pharisees about the coming of the Kingdom of God in Luke 17: 20-21.

20 The P'rushim asked Yeshua when the Kingdom of God would come. "The Kingdom of God," he answered, "does not come with visible signs; 21 nor will people be able to say, `Look! Here it is!' or, `Over there!' Because, you see, the Kingdom of God is among you."

The passage refers to God’s Holy Spirit within a believer. Yeshua again explains the Law and Spirit becoming one in Mattityahu 22: 34-40.

34 but when the P'rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz'dukim, they got together, 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh'eilah to trap him: 36 "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?" 37 He told him, "`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot."

Mattityahu 23: 23-24

23 "Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah -- justice, mercy, and trust. These are the things you should have attended to -- without neglecting the others! 24 Blind guides! -- straining out a gnat, meanwhile swallowing a camel!

The Kingdom is referred to in God’s Word as the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven.  The very first phrase of Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”                                                                                                                                                  

Yeshua taught His Apostles how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, with verses 9-10 addressing our Father and His Kingdom. 

Pray, then, in this way,

9.Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name

10.Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Simply put, since God made the heavens, God abides in the heavens on His Throne.  God is holy and is our {the believers} heavenly Father.  Believers pray, Thy will be done, for His Kingdom to come to earth, as it is in Heaven.  This becomes a reality after the seven-year tribulation.  (Much more will be written on this subject later!)  Therefore, it is God’s Kingdom of Heaven where He rules and reigns over all things.       

All believers, while living on earth, receive the Kingdom of Heaven within their hearts.  This takes place by forsaking sin, not simply confessing it, but leaving it behind, repenting in all humility and by choosing God’s way over our own.  Believers are born again spiritually by faith believing and after passing from this world, shall be given a glorified body and live forever in God’s Kingdom of Heaven.

"God of Wonders"

performed by Third Day and Caedmon's Call

Yeshua spoke in parables, a beautiful way of illustration using an earthly story to relate a heavenly meaning.  Several parables are given in Matthew 13:24-51, illustrating the Kingdom of Heaven. 

24 Yeshua put before them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, then went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads of grain, the weeds also appeared. 27 The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' 28 He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The servants asked him, `Then do you want us to go and pull them up?' 29 But he said, `No, because if you pull up the weeds, you might uproot some of the wheat at the same time. 30 Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.'" 31 Yeshua put before them another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man takes and sows in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up it is larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the birds flying about come and nest in its branches." 33 And he told them yet another parable. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with a bushel of flour, then waited until the whole batch of dough rose." 34 All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without using a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, "I will open my mouth in parables, I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe." 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His talmidim approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world. As for the good seed, these are the people who belong to the Kingdom; and the weeds are the people who belong to the Evil One. 39 The enemy who sows them is the Adversary, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all the things that cause people to sin and all the people who are far from Torah; 42 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where people will wail and grind their teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let him hear! 44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field. 45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it. 47 "Once more, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the lake, that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen brought the net up onto the shore, sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away. 49 So it will be at the close of the age -- the angels will go forth and separate the evil people from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth. 51 "Have you understood all these things?" "Yes," they answered.

Yeshua explains some of the parables, with a common theme throughout. 

Included are terms such as:

Good seed - the children of the Kingdom

The tares - the children of the wicked one

The weeds - the children of the wicked one

The wicked - those who refuse Yeshua and will be cast into a furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The reapers - the angels separate the good and bad

The Harvest - the End!!  It is all over for planet earth!!  No more good and evil together. You will either be eternally part of the Kingdom of Heaven or the devil’s Hell.

The net - gathered every kind; when full, the good were saved; the bad cast away.  Full as complete; the end of the world! The angels earlier were called reapers, shall come and sever (separate) the wicked from the just. Yeshua asked those present, “Have you understood all these things?”  and they said to Him, “yes, Lord.”

What is your answer?

The Kingdom of Heaven – priceless!!!  In two separate parables a man and a merchant sold all of their possessions and each obtained their one treasure: life everlasting in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Matthew 13:44-46

44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, hid it again, then in great joy went and sold everything he owned, and bought that field. 45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for fine pearls. 46 On finding one very valuable pearl he went away, sold everything he owned and bought it. 

This is summed up perfectly in Mattityahu 6:33.

33 But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 "I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy"

performed by Michael English and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Here is a true story of a small party of missionaries, one of whom was Jim Elliot, a young man totally dedicated to spreading the gospel message to a lost world.  After much preparation in language and customs, he and others traveled to Equador, Latin America.  There mission:  witness to the Quechua Indians, a primitive, violent and murderous tribe, with no contact with the outside world, nor white man, other than killing. On January 8, 1956 it was time, after many months of their presence made known, to visit the Auca tribe, but instead, twenty to thirty of the tribe ran into their camp, killing them all.  Their bodies were brutally pierced with spears and hacked by machetes.  Jim Elliot and the others gave all in faith to the Auca people and cannot lose in the Kingdom of Heaven!!!  Jim Elliot, a godly missionary, gave the world a profound quote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”

This account tells of a rich man and El’azar (Lazarus) in Luke 16:19-31.

19 "Once there was a rich man who used to dress in the most expensive clothing and spent his days in magnificent luxury. 20 At his gate had been laid a beggar named El`azar who was covered with sores. 21 He would have been glad to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table; but instead, even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 In time the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Avraham's side; the rich man also died and was buried. 23 "In Sh'ol, where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Avraham far away with El`azar at his side. 24 He called out, `Father Avraham, take pity on me, and send El`azar just to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, because I'm in agony in this fire!' 25 However, Avraham said, `Son, remember that when you were alive, you got the good things while he got the bad; but now he gets his consolation here, while you are the one in agony. 26 Yet that isn't all: between you and us a deep rift has been established, so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27 "He answered, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house, 28 where I have five brothers, to warn them; so that they may be spared having to come to this place of torment too.' 29 But Avraham said, `They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 However, he said, `No, father Avraham, they need more. If someone from the dead goes to them, they'll repent!' 31 But he replied, `If they won't listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won't be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!'"

 The Rich Man and Lazarus

from the God Provides Series of

Crown Financial Ministries 
God Provides... A Film Learning Experience

The passage in 1Timothy 6:6-10 reads:

6 Now true religion does bring great riches, but only to those who are content with what they have. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world; and we can take nothing out of it; 8 so if we have food and clothing, we will be satisfied with these. 9 Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all the evils; because of this craving, some people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves to the heart with many pains.

Herein is one of two choices: live on planet earth for 70 or so years and go to Sh’ol or chose great spiritual riches through Yeshua and follow Him and live forever in the Kingdom of heaven.  One cannot begin to understand the powerful deception of evil that permeates our world. 

Again, let’s repeat this quote:  “The lost man is blinded, by the deception of Satan, to believe that he has control over his own destiny.  One is given sight only when he chooses God’s way over his own.”

Yeshua continues teaching the Apostles concerning money in Mattityahu 6:19-24.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. 21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also. 22 `The eye is the lamp of the body.' So if you have a `good eye' [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if you have an `evil eye' [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and money.

This account shows the Law and the fulfillment of the Law, yet the fulfillment -Spirit of the Law- was refused, therefore Yeshua’s fulfillment of the Law was refused, for you see, money was still his god, not ADONAI God.

Mark 10:17-22.

17 As Yeshua was starting on his way, a man ran up, kneeled down in front of Him and asked, "Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?" 18 Yeshua said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good except God! 19 You know the mitzvot -- `Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't give false testimony, don't defraud, honor your father and mother, '" 20 "Rabbi," he said, "I have kept all these since I was a boy." 21 Yeshua, looking at him, felt love for him and said to him, "You're missing one thing. Go, sell whatever you own, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!" 22 Shocked by this word, he went away sad because he was a wealthy man.

Was the Law kept?  Was ADONAI God number one?  Sad to say money, not God, was on the throne of his life.

The Law has become a heart issue!  Yeshua simply condensed the Ten Commandments into one called the Greatest Commandment.  

"Follow Me"

performed by David Kauffman

Mark 12:29-31.

29 Yeshua answered, "The most important is, `Sh'ma Yisra'el, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, O Isra'el, the LORD our God, the LORD is one], 30 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other mitzvah greater than these."

The first four of the Ten Commandments describe man’s relationship to God.  The remaining six describe man’s relationship with man. There is no way the ten can be broken when one loves God with all his heart and soul and loves his neighbor as himself! The Word says, God is love, and that love is personified in His only Son, Yeshua, to complete and fulfill the Law.  The Law is a mind that obeys, willingly or unwillingly, without emotion. The Spirit is a heart that willingly follows out of love.

Several passages in the Bible give insight to the coming Kingdom of Heaven. 

Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 35:1-10, 17-19.

1 The desert and the dry land will be glad; the 'Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily. 2 It will burst into flower, will rejoice with joy and singing, will be given the glory of the L'vanon, the splendor of Karmel and the Sharon. They will see the glory of ADONAI, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen your drooping arms, and steady your tottering knees. 4 Say to the fainthearted, "Be strong and unafraid! Here is your God; he will come with vengeance; with God's retribution he will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped; 6 then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the mute person's tongue will sing. For in the desert, springs will burst forth, streams of water in the 'Aravah; 7 the sandy mirage will become a pool, the thirsty ground springs of water. The haunts where jackals lie down will become a marsh filled with reeds and papyrus. 8 A highway will be there, a way, called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for those whom he guides fools will not stray along it. 9 No lion or other beast of prey will be there, traveling on it. They will not be found there, but the redeemed will go there. 10 Those ransomed by ADONAI will return and come with singing to Tziyon, on their heads will be everlasting joy. They will acquire gladness and joy, while sorrow and sighing will flee. 
17 When that time comes, they will call Yerushalayim the throne of ADONAI. All the nations will be gathered there to the name of ADONAI, to Yerushalayim. No longer will they live according to their stubbornly evil hearts. 

18 On that day the deaf will hear the words of the Book, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19 The humble will again rejoice in ADONAI and the poor exult in the Holy One of Isra'el.

In Z’kharyah (Zechariah) 14:8-9.

8 On that day, fresh water will flow out from Yerushalayim, half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea, both summer and winter. 9 Then ADONAI will be King over the whole world. On that day ADONAI will be the only one, and his name will be the only name.

   

Yeshua, Holy One of Israel, King of kings and Lord of lords, ushers in the millennium period bringing peace to the earth, the Kingdom of Heaven, with life on earth without sin as it was in the beginning in the Garden, so it is now restored!!! All because the Lamb has brought us home!! Amen!!  Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!!

Revelation 5:1-14

1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.

4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;

5 and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a   Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

14 And the four living creatures kept saying, " Amen " And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Let all who read this give glory and honor and power and praise and thanksgiving and blessing to the One, the Holy One of Israel, for He alone, our Yeshua Messiah, is Worthy of all our worship and praise and adoration forever. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!  Worthy is the Lamb that brought us home!  The everlasting Kingdom of Heaven without end! Amen. 

"Worthy the Lamb"

performed by the Gaither Vocal Band