Will you please turn to the Gospel according to Matthew? Matthew 3, verses 1 and 2.
Now in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
—Matthew 3:1-2
Matthew 4, verse 17.
From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
—Matthew 4:17
Matthew 11, verse 12.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.
—Matthew 11:12
Matthew 24, verse 14.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; and then shall the end come.
—Matthew 24:14
Let us have a word of prayer.
Dear Lord, it is our heart’s desire that we may see the vision of the glory of the Lord. Answer our prayer. Open our inner eyes, that we may see Thee in all Thy beauty, all that Thou hast provided for us, and all that Thou hast called us to enter into.
And Lord, give us grace that, by faith and obedience, we may do so. We want to give Thee all the glory, in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
Yesterday morning, we considered together this matter of the kingdom of God. We mentioned that “kingdom,” in the strict sense, means kingship—the kingship of God.
God, being the Eternal One, His kingdom is everlasting. There is no end to His kingdom. His dominion is over all generations. No matter what happened—even after the rebellion of the archangel and the rebellion of man—God’s kingdom goes on.
And yet, in another sense, the kingdom of God is over those who really submit themselves to the rule of God. Over them is the reality of the kingdom of God.
Thank God, by His grace we have been delivered out of the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love. So today we are in the kingdom of God.
But the thing is, we may be in the kingdom of God positionally, but in our daily lives, are we really living as sons and daughters of that kingdom? I think this is something that we need to consider very seriously before the Lord.
Now this morning, we would like to consider together this matter of the kingdom of the heavens.
Are the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens the same? Are they different? In what way?
The kingdom of God is the kingdom of the heavens, and the kingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of God. Yet in what way are they different? I think this is something we need to understand.
Now, if the kingdom of God is where God rules, then the kingdom of the heavens is where the heavens rule. In a very general sense, God is the God of the heavens and of the earth. So we find that the heavens always rule.
You remember Daniel 4:26. God, through Daniel, showed Nebuchadnezzar that the heavens do rule. So in any age, at any time, the heavens do rule, because God is the God of the heavens.
But we find in the Word of God that the term the kingdom of the heavens is a very special term. It is used only in the Gospel according to Matthew.
Some say it is used thirty-two times; others say thirty-three times. But, anyway, we find that this is a very special term used in the Gospel of Matthew.
The only other place that approaches it in the New Testament is 2 Timothy 4:18. The Apostle Paul said that God would deliver him from every evil work and bring him into His heavenly kingdom.
But aside from 2 Timothy in the New Testament, and Daniel 4 in the Old Testament, the kingdom of the heavens is a very special term used only in the Gospel of Matthew.
Now, what does it mean?
Simply put, the kingdom of the heavens is a part within the kingdom of God. It is a certain period within the kingdom of God, which is from eternity to eternity. Within that time frame, there is a specific period called the kingdom of the heavens.
It begins with the first coming of our Lord Jesus to this earth, and it ends with the second coming of our Lord Jesus, when He comes to this earth and sets up His kingdom upon this earth for one thousand years.
During this specific period is the kingdom of the heavens. So, brothers and sisters, in one sense the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God are one.
Sometimes you will find that even in the Gospel of Matthew, the kingdom of God is used four times. In the other Gospels, the term is the kingdom of God. Sometimes they refer to one and the same thing.
But at other times, you will find that the kingdom of God is greater than the kingdom of the heavens, because the kingdom of the heavens is only one period in the kingdom of God.
Why is the kingdom of the heavens important to us believers? Because this is especially related to us believers—to the church. So, brothers and sisters, it is very, very important for us to have a clear understanding of what the kingdom of the heavens is.
We would like to look into this matter from two different directions: one from the viewpoint of time, and the other from the viewpoint of content.
First of all, we will look at the kingdom of the heavens from the time viewpoint.
John the Baptist was raised up by God to be the forerunner of our Lord Jesus. When he was of age, he came out and began to preach.
He preached in the wilderness, and yet people flocked to hear him. His message was one: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.”
Now, brothers and sisters, we know that for four hundred years God was silent to His own people.
Even though the remnant returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple, and the temple service went on all those years without interruption, yet God was silent. He did not speak to His own people for four hundred long years.
We would think it would be a very difficult time for the chosen people of God. But unfortunately, they did not think so.
Because they had the temple, they had the priesthood, they had the sacrifices, they had the Word of God, and they were able to pray. They considered themselves a religious and godly people.
So even though God was silent for four hundred years, the people lived on as if nothing had happened.
But I believe it was very difficult for God. God loves His people. He wants to speak, to converse, to fellowship, and to reveal His heart to His people. Yet the people’s spiritual condition shut Him up.
I believe it is the same thing for us today. It is more difficult for God not to speak to His people than for His people not to hear His voice.
But after four hundred silent years, suddenly God began to speak again—not because the condition of God’s people had changed. It was God Himself; He could not restrain Himself any longer.
And when He began to speak, He electrified the whole situation. What was the message? The message was very simple: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.”
Why repent?
You know, the Pharisees and scribes, when they heard this message, could not accept it, because they did not feel that they needed to repent.
If the message were reform, that would be fine. There is always room for improvement. But to repent—that is too drastic.
Repent is a very strong word. Repent means the past is all wrong. You have to turn around completely and go in a different, opposite direction.
That was too strong for the Pharisees and the scribes. They did not feel that they needed to repent.
But the reason for repentance here is different. Usually, we repent because we have sin. We repent because we have done something wrong. We repent because we know that we are not right. Therefore, we need to repent—to change our mind.
These are the regular, ordinary reasons for repentance. But here the message is new: “Repent.” Why? Because the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.
Brothers and sisters, do you see the difference? Repent, not because of something negative—not because of sin, failures, or shortcomings. Repent for something that is most positive: the kingdom of the heavens is drawing near.
As the chosen people of God, living in Jerusalem, having the temple, having daily worship, fasting twice a week, and giving the tenth, that was good enough to live in the commonwealth of Israel as a people of God, different from the people of the world.
But, brothers and sisters, the message was this: it may be enough for you to be a chosen people, even in the commonwealth of Israel, but it is not enough for you to enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
Therefore, you need to repent—completely turn around, acknowledging that you are a total failure—and come to accept the mercy of God.
That is the message John the Baptist brought to the chosen people at that time.
Six months later, our Lord Jesus Himself also began to preach. When He heard that John the Baptist had been put into prison, He began His ministry in Galilee.
The message He preached was the same message: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.”
Now, brothers and sisters, why did John the Baptist say, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh”?
There is a kingdom very different from all the kingdoms of the world. It is a heavenly kingdom, and this heavenly kingdom is coming. It is drawing near to you. Therefore, you have to prepare. When it arrives, otherwise you will be cast out.
John the Baptist preached in this way because he knew the King of the heavens had already arrived on the earth. He was going to set up His kingdom very soon. Therefore, be prepared to meet the King.
The children of Israel were looking for the Messiah, the King. But the King, the Messiah, had silently, quietly, and hiddenly come already. He was almost ready to begin His work.
So John the Baptist, to prepare the way of the Lord, called everyone to repent.
But is it not strange? When our Lord Jesus began to preach, He should have said, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is here,” because He was here. Where the King is, there will be His kingdom.
But our Lord preached the same message: “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.” Why?
It is because the King is here, but where are His people? He has no one to rule over.
Therefore, you find that in the beginning of the ministry of our Lord Jesus, His message was still, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.”
But strangely, when you turn to Matthew 11, John the Baptist had been put in prison.
His public ministry may have begun in A.D. 27. He was put in prison in A.D. 28, and he was martyred in A.D. 29. While he was in prison, and probably close to the time of his martyrdom, he sent his disciples to our Lord Jesus and asked, “Art Thou He that cometh, or look we for another?”
Now, brothers and sisters, this seems very strange. John the Baptist bore such a powerful, wonderful testimony to our Lord Jesus:
Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!
—John 1:29
He knew that Jesus was the Son of God. He said, “I am the bridegroom’s friend; He is the Bridegroom.” Such a marvellous testimony to the Lord Jesus.
But now he asked, “Are we to wait for another one? Art Thou Someone else?” He was in prison, probably fully expecting the Lord to deliver him. But the Lord did not do anything.
He was almost offended by the Lord. Why was it that the Lord did all these things for other people and was not doing it for him?
And the answer of the Lord is also striking. The Lord said, “Go and tell him what I am doing. Yes, I am opening the eyes of the blind. I am making the lame walk, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead. But I am not doing anything for you. Blessed is he who is not offended in Me.”
Thank God, John took that message. He was faithful to the very end.
But after these messengers from John left, the Lord began to praise John. He said, “Do you know who he is? He is greater than the prophets. There is no one born of woman greater than John. But the least one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than John.”
Now, from the time of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and men of violence seize upon it.
Brothers and sisters, do you notice? There is a change of time.
When the Lord first preached, He said, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.” But now He said, “The kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence.” It is already here. If you want to take it, you can take it now. If you want to enter it, you can do so.
There is a change of time within a very short period. Our Lord had already begun to set up His kingdom—the kingdom of the heavens—in men on earth.
Why? Because, you remember, at that time He had already called disciples. There were some people who responded to Him and followed Him. They left everything behind and followed the Lord Jesus.
These few became the kingdom of our Lord—the kingdom of the heavens.
In view of the kingdom of the heavens drawing near, what is the proper response? Repent.
But when the kingdom is now, when it has already begun, what is the proper attitude toward it? Very simple: lay hold of it.
The kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence. It is such a kingdom, so different from the kingdom of the world. It is a heavenly kingdom, and the only way you can take it is through violence.
Now, we must remember that the word violence is a very strong word. But the violence here is a heavenly word, not an earthly word.
The violence here is not doing violence to other people. It is to do violence to yourself.
The problem of this world is that we love ourselves too much. Self is the sign of this world. But in the kingdom of the heavens, this self has no place.
We have to do violence to ourselves in order to gain the kingdom. That is the reason why our Lord Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, let him deny himself.”
That is to say to yourself, “I do not know you. I do not know you. I have nothing to do with you. I am not going to cater to you, to gratify you. I deny you.”
We must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. Otherwise, we are not worthy to be His disciples. We are not worthy of the kingdom of the heavens.
Brothers and sisters, the message is very clear. From John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and those who do violence to themselves seize upon it. It is theirs.
Dear brothers and sisters, from that time onward until now, this is the way to the kingdom of the heavens.
But thank God, one day this kingdom of the heavens will be publicly manifested on this earth.
So you find in Matthew 24:14 that our Lord Jesus said the glad tidings of the kingdom of the heavens must be preached throughout the habitable earth as a witness to all the nations. Then the end will come.
In other words, when this message has gone out as a testimony to the world that God has a people upon this earth who are altogether different, who belong to the kingdom of the heavens, and who exhibit a heavenly life, then one day this kingdom of the heavens will be publicly manifested on this earth.
The kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. This will happen at the second coming of our Lord Jesus. Thank God, we know it is very soon.
So, brothers and sisters, from the viewpoint of time, the kingdom of the heavens can be seen in three different stages:
The message when the kingdom of the heavens is near is repentance. The word when the kingdom of the heavens is now is violence. And when the kingdom of heaven is to come, the word is watch.
Watch, for the kingdom of the heavens is coming very soon.
Now, this is one way to look at the kingdom of the heavens. There is another viewpoint we would like to consider, and that is from the viewpoint of its content.
We know that the Gospel of Matthew is the Gospel of the kingdom. Thank God, even though it was not the first Gospel written, yet in God’s sovereignty it is placed first among the Gospels.
Because the gospel is so full. There is the Gospel of the kingdom, as we find in Matthew; there is the Gospel of servanthood, which we find in Mark; there is the Gospel of grace, which we find in Luke; and there is the Gospel of life, which we find in John.
All these are different aspects of the gospel. There is only one gospel—the gospel of Jesus Christ—but it is so full. It has many aspects.
The first thing God wants us to understand is the Gospel of the kingdom. That is why, when you open the New Testament, you find Matthew first.
Now, in the Book of Matthew, we find there are three peaks. These three peaks concerning the kingdom of the heavens show us what the kingdom of the heavens is like.
The first peak is found in Matthew 5 through 7, the so-called Sermon on the Mount. It gives us the spiritual reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
The second peak is Matthew 13, where our Lord Jesus uses parables to tell the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens.
The third peak is Matthew 24 and 25. This is prophecy. Our Lord Jesus prophesies concerning the kingdom of the heavens coming upon this earth. On the Mount of Olives, He shows us how the kingdom of the heavens will eventually come upon this earth and fill this earth with the glory of God.
First, Matthew 5 through 7.
I believe, brothers and sisters, we are all familiar with the so-called Sermon on the Mount.
The Bible says that our Lord Jesus went up into a mountain. His disciples followed Him, but there were also great crowds following Him. So the Lord Jesus sat down and began to speak.
But the Bible tells us very clearly that He was not speaking to the crowds. He was speaking to His own disciples.
He wanted to tell His own disciples what the kingdom of the heavens really is—what manner of life is lived in that kingdom. The crowds only overheard it, but they were not the object of our Lord’s word.
Some people think that on the mountain our Lord Jesus proclaimed a new law. Moses gave the children of Israel the law, the Ten Commandments, and now our Lord Jesus, on that mountain, proclaimed a new law—higher, nobler, and greater than the law that came through Moses.
But if it is a law, then we must keep it; we must do it. Now, if the children of Israel could not keep the Ten Commandments, do you think we can keep the Sermon on the Mount?
If you have not tried, you may think you can. But if you try, the more you try, the further away you are. It is impossible.
So some people think that the Sermon on the Mount is a new system of ethics, moral ethics. But if it is, who is able to live that kind of life? Nobody can.
So we know that the Sermon on the Mount is not a new law, nor a new ethical standard, because it is way beyond man. It is grace. It is what grace can do for us.
Only by grace are we able to live that kind of life. In order to live that kind of life, you need a new life.
That is the reason why our Lord is showing us this new life that He has given us. This new life in us—what kind of a life is that? What is the character of that life?
So, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, we have the Beatitudes: “Blessed,” “happy.” If you really want to be happy, to be blessed:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
—Matthew 5:3
What kind of people are living in the kingdom of the heavens? The poor in spirit. Who is poor in spirit? Our Lord Himself.
He was so rich. He was so high. He was God, and still is God. Equality with God was not something to be grasped at, but He emptied Himself.
He could not empty Himself of His deity, because that is what He is and always is. But He emptied Himself of all the glory, honour, and majesty surrounding Him.
He took upon Himself the form of a bondservant—no rights, no position, not even holding on to His own life. As He was found in fashion as a man, He was obedient to the Father, even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
This is poor in spirit. Not because He was poor, but because He emptied His riches, obedient until death.
Brothers and sisters, humanly speaking, this is impossible. We may try to be humble, but the more humble you are, the prouder you are.
I remember when we were young Christians, we were told that Christians should be humble. So we tried, when we walked, to be humble. But the more you bow yourselves, the pride within you says, “See how humble I am.”
Poor in spirit is real—not because of poverty, but because of riches. Brothers and sisters, that is Christ.
But it is Christ in you, telling me. The same is true with all the Beatitudes. Nothing is of ourselves; it is all Christ, and Christ in us.
Because He is in us, living out His life, therefore this righteousness is more excellent than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. It comes from within; it is not put on from without.
Then we become the salt and the light of the world. Then you find it is much higher than the law of Moses, because it not only governs our outward actions; it governs our inward thoughts.
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
—Matthew 5:48
So, brothers and sisters, in Matthew 5 the word is life. It is a new life. It is the life of Christ—the life of Christ in us.
Because it is the life of Christ in us, we can live the kind of life that Christ lived, and we are in His kingdom. So it is not a matter of doing; it is a matter of being—being what we are.
Then in Matthew 6, to put it very simply, it is a life of faith—a life of faith.
Do not be anxious about what you shall eat, what you shall drink, or what you shall be clothed with. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Our Lord Jesus says, “O ye of little faith, look at the birds; look at the lilies. Why do you not believe your heavenly Father?”
Those who live in the kingdom of the heavens live a life of faith, trusting with their confidence in the heavenly Father.
Then Matthew 7 is a life of obedience—not only believing, but obeying. Choose the narrow way. Do not just say, “Lord, Lord,” but do His will. It is a life of obedience.
So, brothers and sisters, when you come to the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, it is just a matter of life, faith, and obedience.
Then you find in Matthew 13 the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens.
They are called mysteries because, to the world, they are something unknown and puzzling. The world looks at them and does not know what they are. It is confused.
But to us, our Lord Jesus said, “You know. You shall understand.” He used parables so that those who do not understand will never understand, but those who know may know the depths of these mysteries.
In these parables, you find there is a continuous history behind them. The first parable is the parable of the sower.
The Sower is none other than our Lord Jesus Himself. When He was on this earth, He sowed the seed. The seed is the word of the kingdom.
The field is the heart of man. When the word of the kingdom is spread and reaches the hearts of men, you find that some hearts are like the wayside—trodden by the world and hardened.
The seed will not even get into the heart. After they hear, the birds come and swallow it. The birds here represent the evil powers, the evil forces.
So when the gospel of the kingdom is preached, some hear, but it never enters into their heart, as if they had never heard.
Some are like stony ground. There is only a thin layer of soil. When the seed falls into it, it quickly begins to sprout, but there is no root. When the sun comes out, it withers.
Some people hear the word of the kingdom and receive it joyfully, but there are stones—the world and other things—within. There is no root, so with a little persecution they fall away.
Some are like thorny ground. The seeds fall into the heart and begin to grow, but they are squeezed by the thorns and cannot bear fruit. The word is there, but there is no fruit.
Only the good ground—the ground that has been tilled and softened—receives the Word of God gladly and patiently bears fruit: thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold unto God.
That is the first parable. Then this is continued by the second one.
In the second parable, the seed is no longer the word of the kingdom. The seeds sown are the sons of the kingdom of the heavens.
In other words, the word of the kingdom has borne fruit. These people have received the word patiently, allowed the word to work within them, and begun to grow. They become the sons of the kingdom of the heavens.
Our Lord Jesus sows them in the field, but the field is no longer the heart. The field is the world.
Brothers and sisters, do you know that you are sown by the Lord, say, in California? He has sown you in California for a purpose.
But at the same time, the enemy came in quietly and sowed his seed in the same ground, the world. They look alike, and they all grow together in the world.
But when they begin to grow and bear fruit, the difference is evident.
So the servants came to the Lord and said, “Did You not sow only good seed? Where did all these bad ones come from?”
The Lord said, “An enemy did this.” So they said, “Do You want us to pull them out?” “Oh, no. If you pull the tares out, you will pull the wheat out too, because their roots are entangled. Wait until the harvest time, and then they will be separated.”
The evil ones will be bound up and burned, and the good ones will be taken into the garner.
Now, brothers and sisters, wherever the gospel is preached, wherever Christianity spreads, you find this picture in the world—in the so-called Christian world, where the influence of Christianity is found.
Christendom: Christian schools, hospitals, orphanages, churches. You find a mixture.
There are sons of the kingdom, but unfortunately they are entangled with the sons of the evil one. They grow together. There is no way to separate them. This is Christianity today. This is Christendom.
We have to wait until the end, and God will send His angels to separate them.
Then it is followed by two parables: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the leaven in three measures of meal.
Now, brothers and sisters, even though today there are many different interpretations, I hope you will consider the sequence of the development.
I believe the Lord is showing us that in the second parable you have both the tares and the wheat growing together. Now the Lord shows us two sides.
On the one hand, Christianity begins as a mustard seed. A mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but there is life in it. Yet mustard is a plant, not a tree. Each is after its kind.
The church is a little flock, hidden in this world. But then you find that the mustard seed has grown abnormally into a big tree—out of species.
The birds came and dwelt in it. If you remember the first parable, the birds represent the evil one.
Christianity has developed. Instead of being a humble, little flock, it has become a huge institution. Some people say Christianity has succeeded, but God says it is corrupted.
The birds came—the evil powers. That is the outward appearance. How about the inside? It is like leaven.
Leaven in Scripture always speaks of something evil, whether it is doctrine or behaviour. Three measures of fine flour ought to be the meal offering to God. There should be no leaven there, and yet leaven has been put into it, and it is corrupted.
That is Christianity. That shows the one side of it.
But thank God, He also shows us the other side of it. This is followed by two other parables: the parable of the treasure and the parable of the pearl.
The treasure and the pearl speak of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.
The merchant, the seeker of pearls, is Christ. He came into this world seeking for treasure, looking for a pearl.
Treasure and pearl are precious to Him. For their sake, He was willing to sell everything to buy the world in order to get the treasure.
That is the picture here.
Then finally, the dragnet. That is the end of the world. At the end of the world, everything will be sorted out. What is of God will enter into the kingdom to come, and what is not of God will be thrown out.
So, brothers and sisters, there you find the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, so far as the world understands. But still, it is a mystery to them. The Lord says, “You know it.”
Now, brothers and sisters, are we confused? Do we know it? Are you still saying, “Well, look at Christianity. It is going to conquer the whole world”?
How do you see it? Corruption everywhere. But thank God, He is looking for the real thing, and He will have it.
Now that is Matthew 13. Then Matthew 24 and 25—this is prophecy.
To say it very briefly, the disciples asked three questions: “When shall these things be? What shall be the sign of Thy coming? And what shall be the end of this age?”
Maybe to the disciples these three things were one. If Jerusalem should be destroyed, with no stone upon another stone, certainly that would be the time, the sign that the Lord had come, and the end of the age.
But our Lord knew the difference. So, in answering them, you find there are three things in that prophecy.
First: when shall these things be? When shall Jerusalem be destroyed? When shall there be no stone upon another stone in the temple?
Our Lord’s answer begins with Matthew 24:4. From verse 4 to verse 13 is His direct answer to that question.
But because it is prophecy, He goes on. From verse 14 until verse 31, He goes on to the future. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple had a near fulfilment in A.D. 70, but the full fulfilment is toward the end of this age.
Then you will find the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. That shows the end. You remember Daniel’s prophecy.
Then the Lord said how He will come as lightning, and He will gather His chosen people together from every corner of this earth. Israel shall be restored.
That is, “When shall these things come?” and the sign of His coming.
From Matthew 24:32 to Matthew 25:30, He tells us the sign of His coming.
As were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
—Matthew 24:37
As it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.
—Luke 17:28-30
Suddenly, He will come as a thief. Two men are working in the field; two women are grinding meal; two persons are sleeping in a bed. Suddenly, without any notice, one is taken and one is left.
Brothers and sisters, we are on the verge of this. Any moment now.
Throughout the whole world, because the world is round, some are sleeping, some are in the early morning grinding, and some are in the daytime working in the field. But suddenly, all over the world, certain believers will disappear.
The Lord comes and takes them away. They will be taken right up to the throne as a welcoming party for the return of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, may it be that by His grace we are among the ready ones. If we watch, if we wait, if we pray, if we are ready, then when He comes, we will go and meet Him.
Then comes the end of this age. Matthew 25:31 to the end: our Lord shall come upon this earth, set up His throne of glory, and He will judge the nations.
The sheep nations will be received into the kingdom of the heavens upon the earth, and the goat nations will be thrown into the lake of fire. That is the end, and the end is coming.
So, brothers and sisters, you can look at it another way: the first part, Matthew 24:4 through verse 31, is to the Jews; Matthew 24:32 through Matthew 25:30 is to the church; and Matthew 25:31 to the end concerns the nations.
You find that it is all-inclusive, telling us that one day this kingdom, which has been hidden throughout the ages—and even in the age of grace is still hidden, though known to some—will be manifested.
The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.
—Revelation 11:15
Hallelujah. Shall we pray?
Dear Lord, we do want to thank Thee that by Thy grace we have repented. Only by Thy grace, Lord, are we able to do violence to ourselves and seize upon the kingdom today.
We do look forward to the day when Thou shalt return, and we shall reign with Thee for one thousand years, to the glory of God. In Thy precious name we pray. Amen.