THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Gospel according to Matthew
Message Three—The Reality of the Kingdom of the Heavens
Scripture Reading: Matt. 21:5; 25:34; 13:3; Mark 4:26-29; Luke 17:20-21; Matt. 5:3
I. Like the church and the New Jerusalem, the kingdom is a corporate person—the enlargement and expansion of Christ the King; the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is Christ Himself—Luke 17:20-21; Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45:
A. The kingdom of the heavens is the person of the King—Matt. 2:2; 21:5; Rev. 19:16.
B. We need spiritual eyes to see that the kingdom is actually the wonderful Christ—Luke 17:21b:
1. Where Christ is, there the kingdom of the heavens is also—Matt. 16:16, 18-19.
2. The kingdom of the heavens is actually the Lord Himself as the kingship within us—Isa. 32:1a.
C. The kingdom of God is the reality of the Spirit of God, which is the reality of Christ—Matt. 12:28:
1. The Spirit is the reality of the Lord Jesus, for the Spirit is His person, and His person is His reality—1 Cor. 6:11b.
2. To have the kingdom in reality is to have a spiritual realization of the Lord Jesus—Isa. 6:5; John 12:41; Isa. 33:17; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17a.
II. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is the all-inclusive Christ sowing Himself into His believers as the seed of the kingdom and growing within them—Matt. 13:3; Mark 4:26-29:
A. The King came as a Sower to sow Himself as the seed of the kingdom into our being; the King, the kingdom, and the seed of the kingdom are all Christ.
B. The Triune God in humanity is the seed of the kingdom sown into God’s chosen people that He might grow in them, live in them, and be expressed from within them to develop into God’s ruling realm—Col. 2:9; Mark 4:26-29.
C. The basic element of the reality of the kingdom is Christ Himself as the seed of life—Matt. 13:24, 37:
1. The kingdom is wholly a matter of life—Christ Himself as the seed of life, the seed of the kingdom, sown into our being—Luke 8:8a, 15.
2. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is the enlargement of Christ, the multiplication of Christ, as the seed sown into us—Mark 4:26-29.
D. The establishment of the kingdom is absolutely a matter of growth in life; to establish the kingdom is to grow the kingdom—v. 27; 1 Cor. 3:6-7, 9b.
E. Christ establishes the kingdom not by fighting or by teaching but by sowing Himself as the seed of life into believing people so that the kingdom of the heavens may grow up—Matt. 13:3-4a:
1. The growth of Christ as the seed of life within us is the process of the kingdom—Mark 4:26-29.
2. The kingdom is not established by our outward working but by the inward growing of Christ as the seed of life—1 Pet. 1:23; 2 Pet. 1:5-11.
III. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is Christ as the life-giving Spirit ruling within us—1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Cor. 3:17a; 1 Cor. 6:17; Matt. 5:3:
A. The Lord Jesus came as a King not to rule over us in an outward way but to enter into us in order to impart Himself into us that He might discharge our rebellious element and replace it with Himself—John 6:15; 1:12-13.
B. The basic thought of the Gospel of Matthew is that we must repent of not being in the kingdom and of not being under the kingship and authority of Christ—Matt. 3:2; 4:17.
C. The Christ who enters into our spirit is the King with the kingdom, and now we are under a rule that is with the heavenly nature—2 Tim. 4:22a; Matt. 5:3:
1. Because the kingdom is within us, we are subdued, controlled, and ruled by the indwelling King—Rom. 8:9-10.
2. The heavenly rule in our spirit is Christ, the living One, consummated as the life-giving Spirit—2 Cor. 13:5b; 1 Cor. 15:45b.
3. The life-giving Spirit dwelling in us is the heavenly rule within us, and this heavenly rule is actually the kingdom of the heavens.
IV. The way for us to become the reality of the kingdom of the heavens is to eat Christ as our bread—Matt. 15:26-27, 32-37:
A. God’s economy is not a matter of outward things but of Christ coming into us inwardly; for this, we need to take Christ in by eating Him—Eph. 3:17a.
B. As the heavenly King, Christ rules over us by feeding us with Himself as bread—John 6:15, 32-35:
1. We can be the reality of the kingdom of the heavens only by being nourished with Christ as our food—Matt. 15:26-27, 32-37.
2. The Lord Jesus is the kingdom of obedience; we need to take Him in by eating Him as our bread so that He may be wrought into us—Phil. 2:8.
3. The more we eat Christ as our bread, the more the royal ingredients in this bread are constituted into us to become the ruling element within us.
Ministry Excerpts:
In the progressing stage of God’s full salvation, the believers experience the dispensing of the divine Trinity corporately by entering into the kingdom of God. We have entered into the kingdom through regeneration (John 3:3, 5), but we still need a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through growth in the divine life (2 Pet. 1:5-11). Now we need to see that, having entered into the kingdom of God, we need to live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 5—7). In order to develop in the divine life that we may have a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we need to live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
TO LIVE IN THE REALITY OF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS
The kingdom of the heavens is a specific term used by Matthew. This indicates that the kingdom of the heavens differs from the kingdom of God, a term used in the other Gospels. The kingdom of God refers to God’s reign in a general way, from eternity past to eternity future. The kingdom of the heavens is a special section within the kingdom of God, composed only of the church today and the heavenly part of the coming millennial kingdom. For this reason, the kingdom of the heavens, a section of the kingdom of God, is also called the kingdom of God in the New Testament, especially in the other Gospels. Matthew 5—7 describes the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. The word spoken by the Lord Jesus in these chapters is the revelation of the spiritual living and heavenly principles of the kingdom of the heavens. These chapters are composed of seven sections (5:1-12; 5:13-16; 5:17-48; 6:1-18; 6:19-34; 7:1-12; 7:13-29). Let us briefly consider each of these sections in order to see the believers’ living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
In the Heavenly Nature of the Kingdom People
If we would live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we must live in the heavenly nature of the kingdom people. Matthew 5:1-12 depicts this nature under nine blessings. Those who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens are poor in spirit, they mourn for the present situation, they are meek in suffering opposition, they hunger and thirst for righteousness, they are merciful toward others, they are pure in heart, they make peace with all men, they suffer persecution for righteousness, and they are reproached and evil spoken of.
Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” The spirit here refers not to the Spirit of God but to our human spirit, the deepest part of our being, the organ for us to contact God and realize spiritual things. To be poor in spirit is not only to be humble but also to be emptied in our spirit, in the depth of our being, not holding on to the old things but unloaded to receive the new things, the things of the kingdom of the heavens. We need to be poor, emptied, unloaded, in this part of our being so that we may realize and possess the kingdom of the heavens. If we are poor in spirit, the kingdom of the heavens is ours. We are in its reality now in the church age, and we shall share in its manifestation in the coming age.
In verse 4 the Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The entire situation of the world is negative toward God’s economy. Satan, sin, self, darkness, and worldliness predominate among all people on earth. God’s glory is insulted, Christ is rejected, the Holy Spirit is frustrated, the church is desolated, self is corrupted, and the whole world is evil. Hence, God wants us to mourn over such a situation. If we mourn according to God and His economy, we shall be comforted by being rewarded with the kingdom of the heavens. We shall see God’s heavenly ruling over all the negative situation.
Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Those who are poor in spirit in verse 3 and who mourn in verse 4 are now the meek in verse 5. To be meek does not simply mean to be gentle, humble, and submissive. To be meek means to not resist the world’s opposition but to suffer it willingly. To be meek means not to fight or to resist. If we are meek, willing to suffer the world’s opposition in this age, we shall inherit the earth in the coming age, as revealed in Hebrews 2:5-8 and Luke 19:17, 19.
In verse 6 the Lord says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Righteousness here is to be right in our behavior. We need to hunger and thirst for this righteousness, to seek after such a righteousness, that we may enter into the kingdom of the heavens (vv. 10, 20).
Matthew 5:7 continues, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” To be righteous is to give one what he deserves, whereas to be merciful is to give someone better than he deserves. For the kingdom of the heavens we need to be not only righteous but also merciful. To receive mercy is to get better than we deserve. If we are merciful to others, the Lord will grant us mercy (2 Tim. 1:16, 18), especially at His judgment seat (James 2:12-13).
In verse 8 the Lord goes on to say, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” To be pure in heart is to be single in purpose, to have the single goal of accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31). This is for the kingdom of the heavens. Our spirit is the organ to receive Christ (John 1:12; 3:6), whereas our heart is the ground where Christ as the seed of life grows (Matt. 13:19). For the kingdom of the heavens we need to be poor in spirit, empty in our spirit, that we may receive Christ. We also need to be pure in heart, single in our heart, that Christ may grow in us without frustration. If we are pure in heart in seeking God, we shall see God. Seeing God is a reward to the pure in heart. This blessing is both for today and for the coming age.
Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Satan, the rebellious one, is the instigator of all rebellion. For the kingdom of the heavens, under its heavenly ruling, we must be peacemakers with all men (Heb. 12:14). The sons of the Devil cause discord, but the sons of God make peace. As the Son of God, the Lord Jesus made peace with God and man. Now, as the sons of God, we should follow Him to be peacemakers.
In verses 10 and 11 the Lord speaks about the believers being persecuted and reproached. Verse 10 says, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” The whole world lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19) and is filled with unrighteousness. Every aspect of the world is unrighteous. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we shall be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. This indicates that we need to pay a price for the righteousness we seek for the kingdom of the heavens. If we are righteous, we shall be condemned, opposed, and persecuted.
In verse 12 the Lord Jesus speaks an encouraging word to those who are persecuted for His sake: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in the heavens; for thus they persecuted the prophets before you.” This reward indicates that the results of all the foregoing blessings are also rewards. This reward is great and is in the heavens, a heavenly reward, not an earthly one.
As the Salt of the Earth to Restrict Its Corruption,
and as the Light of the World to Enlighten It
In speaking of the believers’ influence upon the world, the Lord Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (vv. 13-14). There is a difference between the earth and the world. What was created by God is the earth, and what came in through the corruption of Satan is the world. To the God-created earth we are salt, but to the Satan-corrupted world we are light.
Matthew 5:13a says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt by nature is an element that kills and eliminates the germs of corruption. To the corrupted earth the believers living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens are such an element, keeping the earth from being fully corrupted. This means that we exercise our influence over the earth created by God. Through its killing and preserving function, salt brings the earth back to its original condition or keeps it in its original condition.
In verses 14b and 15 the Lord goes on to say, “A city situated upon a mountain cannot be hidden; neither do men light a lamp and place it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it shines to all who are in the house.” Here the Lord refers to both the outward and inward shining of the believers. The light as a city on a mountain shines over the outsiders, whereas the lighted lamp on the lampstand shines over those who are in the house. As the city, the light shines upon people, but as the lamp in the house, the light shines into people.
Practicing the Higher Law of the Heavenly Kingdom to
Have the Surpassing Righteousness
Those believers who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens practice the higher law of the heavenly kingdom to have the surpassing righteousness. In 5:17-48 the Lord Jesus decrees the law of the kingdom people. Now as children of the Father, we need to fulfill this new law, the higher law, by the resurrection life, which is the eternal life of the Father.
In verse 20 the Lord says, “Unless your righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” Here “righteousness” does not refer to the objective righteousness, which is the Christ we received when we believed in Him that we may be justified before God (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 3:26). Instead, it refers to the subjective righteousness, which is the indwelling Christ lived out of us as our righteousness that we may live in the reality of the kingdom today and enter into its manifestation in the future. This subjective righteousness, according to the new law of the kingdom, surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It is impossible for our natural life to gain this surpassing righteousness; it can be produced only by a higher life, the resurrection life of Christ.
In 5:48 the Lord says, “You, therefore, shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” For us to be perfect as our Father is perfect is to be perfect in His love. We are the Father’s children, having His life and nature. Hence, we can be perfect like the Father. The demands of the new law of the kingdom can be met only by the divine life, not by the natural life. The kingdom of the heavens is the highest demand, and the divine life, the life of the Father, is the highest supply to meet this demand.
Doing Righteousness and Contacting God in Secret, Not Making a Show of It
Matthew 6:1-18 concerns the righteous deeds of the kingdom people. The Lord says, “Take heed not to do your righteousness before men to be gazed at by them; otherwise, you surely have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens” (v. 1). Man’s flesh, seeking to glorify itself, always wants to do good deeds before others to be praised by them. But those believers who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, who live in an emptied and humble spirit and walk in a pure and single heart under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, are not allowed to do anything in the flesh for the praise of men, but must do all things in the spirit for the pleasing of their heavenly Father. They do their righteous deeds not to gain man’s glory but to receive the Father’s reward.
Not Loving Mammon and Serving It, but Loving God and Serving Him
In 6:19-34 we have the Lord’s word concerning our dealing with riches. In these verses the Lord charges us not to love mammon and serve it but to love God and serve Him. In verse 20 He says, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” This is to give material things to the poor (Matt. 19:21) and to care for the needy saints (Acts 2:45; 4:34-35; 11:29; Rom. 15:26) and the Lord’s servants (Phil. 4:16-17).
In verse 21 the Lord says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” We need to send our treasure to heaven so that our heart can also be in heaven. Before we go there, our treasure and our heart must go there first.
In 6:22 the Lord continues, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is single, your whole body will be illuminated.” Our eyes can focus on only one thing at a time. If we endeavor to see two things at once, our sight will be blurred. If we focus our eyes on one thing, our sight will be single, and our whole body will be illuminated. But if we lay up our treasure both in heaven and on earth, our sight will be blurred. If we would have single sight, we must lay up our treasure in one place.
In verse 24 the Lord tells us that we cannot serve two masters: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” The word “mammon” is an Aramaic word signifying wealth, riches. Here mammon, standing in opposition to God, indicates that wealth or riches are the opponent of God, robbing God’s people of their service to Him. As those living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we should not allow mammon to replace God in our living. Instead of loving money and serving it, we should love God and serve Him. This is an aspect of living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
In verse 33 the Lord Jesus says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” The Father’s kingdom is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today and its manifestation in the coming age; the Father’s righteousness is the righteousness by keeping the new law of the kingdom. If we seek first the kingdom and righteousness of our heavenly Father, not only will His kingdom and righteousness be given to us, but also our necessities will be added.
Dealing with Themselves More than with Others
As we live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we shall deal with ourselves more than with others (7:1-12). The Lord Jesus says, “Do not judge, lest you be judged; for with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you” (vv. 1-2). If we live in a humble spirit under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, we shall always judge ourselves, not others. Under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, the believers will be judged with what they judge. If we judge others with righteousness, we shall be judged by the Lord with righteousness. If we judge others with mercy, we shall be judged by the Lord with mercy.
If we live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we shall do the will of the Father who is in heaven. We are not for anything other than doing the will of the Father. We are here for the accomplishment of the Father’s will. In order to do the will of the Father, we need to walk in the constricted way, the way that leads to life. Our Father has a will to accomplish, but we can accomplish it only by His life. Therefore, we need to live in the life of the heavenly Father and by His life. This kind of living is for doing the Father’s will.
In chapter sixteen of Matthew we see that the Father’s will is to build the church upon the Son as the rock. This is fully developed in the Acts, the Epistles, and the book of Revelation. The New Testament reveals that the Father’s divine, eternal will is to build up the church. Those believers who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, corporately experiencing the dispensing of the divine Trinity, will take the way which leads to life and will take the words of Christ as the ground for their living and work to do the will of the Father to build up the church for the corporate expression of the Triune God. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 158)