12-4-2016 Weekly Message

The contemplation of the week: Psalm 30: 1-12

Text: Matthew 11: 1-15

The title of the Word: Postponed Kingdom of Heaven that was violently taken by force

          God has foretold through the prophet Isaiah the purpose of bringing John the Baptist into this world:

” The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. “(Isaiah 40: 3-5)

          John the Baptist testified to those who asked who he was, not Elijah, not a prophet, and crying voice in the wilderness that he had spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

” I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.. ‘” (John 1:23)

        Finally, John the Baptist began to preach to the Jews in the wilderness of Judea in the voice of the crying . Matthew testified:

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. “(Matthew 3: 1-3)

           John the Baptist first cried out, “Repent!” It was a voice calling out to the Jews who left the Lord God and served idols and serving the Gentile nation of Rome. He also cried out about why they should turn away from their sins and repent, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The nearness of the heavens means that after they were taken to Babylon, they have passed through six hundred years without a royal kingdom, but their King, who appeared in the land of Judea, and they had to repent and come to Him. The heaven of John the Baptist proclaimed not the Heavenly Kingdom but the Kingdom of heaven finally coming  to the land of Judaea.

           John the Baptist did not introduce Jesus not only as the King of the Jews, but the One that takes away the sin of the world through his death, and testified in advance that he would be King of Kings and Lord of Lord of Lord in the future:

” The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. “(John 1: 29-31)

         Finally, when John the Baptist was imprisoned, he sent his disciples to Jesus to confirm that Jesus was the Messiah and King of Israel. Jesus gave John the Baptist  the prophet to announce to him that he was the Messiah of the Jews so that he may be able to end his life  in peace:

” Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. “(Matthew 11: 4-6)

          John the Baptist testified that the kingdom of heaven was near, but he did not see the kingdom of heaven coming to the land of Israel. In addition, Jesus Christ, the  king of heaven, eventually died on the cross like John, and  the Kingdom of heaven has not come into the land of Israel ever since. John was personally larger than everyone who was born of woman, but he had said in terms of position  that he was less than the least in the kingdom of heaven to come, because he had not seen the coming of the kingdom in his life.

           Jesus knew that John the Baptist, who cried that the kingdom of heaven was near, and himself would eventually be killed. He died for the sins of all the people of the world, and in the future he planned to gather heaven and earth into the kingdom of God by not only for Israel but also  for all nations as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He said that through his death the kingdom of heaven shall be seized by violence:

” And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12)

           As Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven that Jesus rules and reigns has been taken by the Principalities, the Poser, the rulers of darkness, and evil spirits dominated by Satan in this world for the past two thousand years. God has postponed the kingdom of heaven in Israel that is the Millennium of Christ, and he has brought forth the children of God for them to enter the New Jerusalem in heaven not the kingdom of heaven in the earth. Until He come, He made the kingdom of heaven be fulfilled in those who believe in Him. The apostle Paul testified that this kingdom is the kingdom of God. In other words, an invisible spiritual kingdom:

” For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)

            The Jews who executed Jesus Christ, their King and Messiah, two thousand years ago, are still keeping  the feast of all the seasons, looking for the heavenly Kingdom in their land. But the Lord said that they would have to pay a great price in the future for their sin against the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Christ:

” I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” (John 5:43)

             They shall receive the Antichrist, the false Messiah that will appear in the Great Tribulation. But in return for the killing of the true Messiah, they will again be in danger of being put to death by all Jews under the Antichrist. But the Lord, who is abundant in mercy, will appear again at the end of the Great Tribulation and will cause them to repent and enter the kingdom of heaven ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. The prophet Zechariah testified about this:

” And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn….. 1In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitant of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.“(Zech. 12:10; 13: 1-2)

           That’s right! Finally, at this time, the kingdom of heaven that has been seized by those who have been violent for the past two thousand years will come not only to Israel but to the whole world. All Christians who have been reborn as children of God will be glorified together forever in his kingdom of heaven for as much  as they suffered for Christ and worked for the Lord . Apostle Paul thus witnessed clearly to the saints in Rome in extreme suffering of the glory that they would enjoy in heaven to be restored in the future:

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.“(Romans 8: 17-18)

            Apostle Paul testified that not only the suffering Christians, but also all the creatures, look upon the heaven on which this earth is coming, to see all sufferings:

” 19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.“(Romans 8: 19-23)

             Our Lord Jesus Christ said in a parable that he would remove the devil that seized the kingdom of heaven in the future, and that he would reward them  for their  works as he bring forth  his kingdom by establishing it on earth:

”  And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.  And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.  And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. “(Luke 19: 15-19) )

Amen! Hallelujah!