Here now we find that Jesus' birth has been recorded, and John the Baptist is beginning to announce the coming of the King, and now verse 2. And this is John the Baptist's message.
Matthew 3:2
"And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
And what is this kingdom? By the every use of this term we have an undivided kingdom and through usage of the Hebrews and pagan gentile world it meant the kingdom of God as its supreme being. This kingdom was what John as the baptist or baptizer (into repentance, which was to change ones course of abstract idolatry [religion in this case] to God) came to introduce to the Hebrews and Jesus as its assigned head brought about through all that had been spoken of Him through the Covenants, Law, Prophets, and Psalms. Then the term "heaven" signifies the seat of Yehovah-God's rule. So anywhere we have these two terms used the meaning is synonyms throughout especially in the New Testament or Covenant revelation of Christ. With this we're moved from an earthly gospel of the Old Testament to the New Gospel of Christ's activity among mankind. The spiritual kingdom of God's purposes revealed in Christ. Where the Old was but a foundation for this New Covenant spoken of through the Prophets and brought about by the vicarious death of the Hebrew Messiah (Christ) as spoken back in Genesis 3:15 as the seed of woman and which the term "son of man" points too. As an identity or identifier with all of humanity.
Now that doesn't sound earthly does it? It sounds heavenly, its full of spiritual reality but where was this heavenly Kingdom going to be, on the earth? NO! All of the things that we see in the Old Testament were that this glorious Kingdom is going to be on the earth (only in the eyes of the beholder, or as we've said to the earthy all things are earthy but for those who have become spiritual the Truth is revealed, it is and was always intended, spiritual), but it's going to be Heaven on earth, because Christ is going to be King. So the whole concept now is that the King is in the midst of Israel, they are being offered the opportunity to enter into all these earthly promises which are going to come to fruition, but in a spiritual reality not physical or materially. But of course according to Ephesians 1:10 that couldn't happen until the Gentiles complement has also been completed, which is the hidden Church. When we enter into the Kingdom economy like it says in this verse, "everything is going to come under Christ's headship." The earthly people of Israel, and their earthly kingdom, and all the ramifications of the heavenly people, the Body of Christ. There leaves room for the operation of one within the other during a period known as the millennium. All right we're going to leave the Body of Christ at least for now for a later time, and continue on with the earthly concept.
So if you will come with me a little further in Matthew, and go to chapter 19. In this chapter again we're in His earthly ministry, and He's been proclaiming to the Nation of Israel that He is the Messiah, the Christ, and He's been proving it with miracles, and signs, and wonders. All of which were a means of teaching hidden truths, that were now about to be revealed. For us these hidden truths are spiritual truths to build our trust in God in Christ, but for the earthy they still seek the physical manifestations of Jesus' power through those sign, miracles and wonders just as the Hebrews did during Jesus' earthly ministration period as proof of His divinity. Now verse 27
Matthew 19:27
"Then answered Peter and said unto him, `Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?'"
In other words, what shall we have for following Christ? Well Peter's not talking about his salvation, he's already got that. That was established back in chapter 16, and verse 16. When Peter said,
Matthew 16:16b
"...Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
So what Peter is saying here is much like what Abraham said back in Genesis chapter 15. Remember God promised Abraham the land, and promised him all these other things, and then the great man of faith still said what?
Genesis 15:8
"And he said, `Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?'"
Then the Lord gave him a title deed. Well here in Matthew chapter 19 Peter is the same way. The Lord just got through telling him a few weeks before -
Matthew 16:17b
"...Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
But Peter comes back and says, "Well what else are we going to have for following you?" Do you see that? Oh they're so human, so earthly. Does Jesus dress him down for saying that? No. Jesus answers and says-
Matthew 19:28
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you. That ye which have followed me, (the Twelve minus Judas) in the regeneration (when the earth is brought back, and made like it was in the Garden of Eden, which will be this 1000 year reign with Christ on the earth) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory (Christ laid aside His glory while down here, and went to the Cross. He's now in His Glory as the Son of God, with a physical body. But now to leave room for this 1000 year reign He will once again be in His glory. This is when He's going to be King of kings and Lord of lords), ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
When we put all this together, Scripture is so logical. Do you see why Peter was up tight when the spot Judas had vacated remained empty? Peter thought the King would be coming back at any moment as Acts chapter 1, so wonderfully demonstrates where he said in effect that, "We have 12 thrones to fill for the Nation of Israel, and we've only got 11 disciples." So what did they do? Hey, they filled it real quick with the 12th man. That was the first item on the agenda after the Lord ascended. They had to get a replacement for Judas. So they chose Matthias. I might point out that from this time forward to today, many have this same earthy mindset. This being Israel now as Israel has been and the church of the world since about 300-500 AD with its contaminated gospel of distortion of our Gospel which is Christ centered or Christ ocentric, just as Christianity is Christ and Christ is Christianity.
Acts 1:26
"And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
Well all of this is just to show that God was promising to the Nation of Israel this earthly kingdom. But again as pointed out earlier God is sovereign and He has left us clues in Old Testament scripture as to what He was about to bring about through His Son. But we have to be born-again and receptive of the Holy Spirits activities of instruction for us to see it. Then finishing up the earthly kingdom concept come up to verse 3. Now the Lord has been crucified, He's been resurrected, and has been walking among the disciples for 40 days.
Acts 1:3
"To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion (His death, burial, resurrection and His first ascension wherein He took those with Abraham's bosom into the Heavenliest place after preaching our Gospel to them as they all had seen as a dim vision which caused them all to have "Hope", the same Hope that we're to have as well) by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:"
Now we've always got to stress that these two terms are synonymous. Matthew over and over says the Kingdom of Heaven, and here in Acts chapter 1, and 28 we have the Kingdom of God. Well the best way we can differentiate this is the Kingdom of God is that whole sphere of God's influence, of His Sovereignty. Whether it's Heaven or the outer fringes of space, whether it's hell, or earth, anything that's under God's domination is included in that "Kingdom of God." That's a big subject. We mean anybody could talk about the Kingdom of God for days on end, so the Lord didn't have any trouble doing that for 40 days. But within the Kingdom of God is going to be that glorious Kingdom on this planet called "The kingdom of Heaven" that everything is waiting for. It's just like those of us sitting here in Tennessee, we're in the United States of America, but we're in Tennessee. Well that's the way we liken it to. We pretty much took care of the earthly aspect, but we still have just a bit more in Acts. After that we'll start the heavenly aspect. Let's read our verse again and pick up where we left off on our Ephesians timeline. Now verse 6.
Acts 1:6
"When they therefore were come together, they (the eleven) asked of him, saying, `Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?'"
Do you see how plain that is? What kingdom were they talking about? The earthly kingdom over which their Messiah would one day rule and reign, they knew it as like the time of David and Soloman's reign. This does pose a problem for me but that is why we have to leave room for other interpretation of scripture.
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