Word Title: Mystery of Kingdom of Heaven (Treasure hidden in the field, Pearl of Great Price)
Before Jesus began his first ministry on earth, through John the Baptist he had him first proclaim to the world what he was going to do. After John was put in jail, he preached saying,, ” Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17).
When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of Heaven, he was saying that the kingdom of heaven was near to the land of the Jews, because he came to the land of Israel as the king of the Jews, but it was not the kingdom in heaven. .
In other words, the kingdom of heaven would be established in the land of Israel as long as the Jews accepted him as their king. However, they did not accept Jesus and killed him so that the kingdom of heaven that will come to the land of Israel will come in the distant future, when Jesus returns and judges all the nations that do not want him to rule as king, and then the millennial kingdom he will establish on all the earth will come. It had to be postponed until his millennial kingdom come.
God has chosen the people of Israel and gave them the law to make them a beautiful nation as a treasure:
Just as God gave Moses a warning message, they entering the Promised Land, worshiped all kinds of foreign gods, and did not stop worshiping idols. From then on, God hid his face. When God hid his face, they became as food for all the Gentile nations such as Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Even though they were chosen as unique treasures by God, but as if they were buried in the ground invisible and trampled under foot by the Gentiles.
However, God, who is rich in mercy, appeared as the King of the Jews and told them to repent and enter the kingdom of heaven that he would set up for them, but they still did not understand and stood on the side of Rome which was trampling on them, rather than the kingdom that God would establish.
However, God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for the sinful world, so that not only Jews but also all Gentiles might repent and enter the kingdom of God. He paid for the sins, death and curses brought by the devil with the blood of Jesus Christ. He took away the sin of the world and bought with his own blood all who believe in him.
Although Jesus knew that the Jews would not accept Him, but rather have Him crucified unto death, He died to take away the sins of the world and when He resurrected, He bought the whole world with His blood to restore the earth that He created. He spoke of the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, unknown to men, knowing that He would find them returning at the end of the Great Tribulation and turn them into pure treasures hidden in the fields when they repent:
Jesus compared Himself to a certain man and compared the people of Israel that had been hid in a field for a long time and suffered. He was talking about himself to be joyful upon seeing them repent looking upon him they pierced. He spoke of himself to shed blood and waters to buy back the earth to save them hidden in a field to be a peculiar treasure again.
Prophet Zechariah foretold and testified that the Israelites repent when they see Jesus whom they pierced unto death when Jesus returns:
Prophet Zechariah also prophesied of a day when the Lord would finally wash away the sins of the people of Israel to purify them and make them a peculiar treasure:
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech 13:1).
Apostle Paul testified of the coming day when the Lord Jesus Christ come as the Savior to save the nation of Israel. He testified to this fact as a mystery:
God has chosen the people of Israel as a nation, and He also deals with salvation for them as a nation. But, Jews and Gentiles, whosoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and born again of the Holy Spirit, become children of God as well as the church of God individually. When speaking of another mystery of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus spoke of another parables about the church of God:
Pearl is a unique one compared to other gemstones. Other gems can be cut and remade if damaged, but pearl loses it’s value even with a slightest blemish. Because pearl is a kind of organisms. Jesus says that he bought a pearl of great value with all that he has . Apostle Paul testified of the body belong to the church of God paid by the blood of Jesus Christ:
The only pearl of great price that Jesus buys with his own blood, which is all his possessions, is the only one that exists in this world that is his own body, his church.
Members of the Church of God, washed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and made the pure bride of Christ are constantly being persecuted while living godly life in the world. Just as pearls that have crystallized over the years appearing as pearls that have crystallized over the years, succumbing to pain each time they are pierced by the sharp things that constantly enter the shell, faithful Christians too, living in the world, endure all kinds of ridicule and persecution, but with love, long-suffering. It bears the fruit of the Spirit as a beautiful pearl and is seen in the eyes of the Lord as a pearl of great price. Apostle Paul testified of them:
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Therefore, the church of God is a living stone and an organic connected with Jesus Christ, the head, as living stones. If even one person has a flaw, it cannot become a pearl of great price as the church of God. Even if there are only two or three in the church, they must be pearls of great price in the sight of God:
That’s right! Although there are many local churches, there is only one church that appears to be a pearl of great price in God’s eyes. The church as an organization can no longer be a pearl-like church in God’s eyes. For this reason, it is necessary to meditate deeply on the words of the Lord Jesus,
“For where two or three are gathered together in myname, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).