SEMESTER 5
171 – General Facts about the Kingdom “5”
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: THEOLOGY V LESSON # 71
ESCHATOLOGY – THE KINGDOM OF GOD – GENERAL FACTS ABOUT THE KINGDOM # 5
Read: Mat. 22:1-22
INTRODUCTION:
1. If you are beginning to think from the multitude of passages used, that the entire New Testament is related to the Kingdom of Heaven, you are learning.
2. Remember my present direction of study and teaching:
i. Assemble and identify all possible obvious Bible facts.
ii. Let them drive us to application and thus conclusions.
3. Up until now we have discovered the following 18 facts:
(1) It is a common New Testament theme,
(2) It is the message of all New Testament preachers,
(3) It is total in tenses,
(4) It is spiritual,
(5) It is physical,
(6) It is mysterious,
(7) It is partial and intermingled,
(8) Its Premium attribute is subjection,
(9) Its citizens are poor in spirit,
(10) Its citizens are persecuted for righteousness sake,
(11) Its citizens are the salt and light,
(12) Its citizens love God’s law,
(13) It has more claimants than citizens,
(14) Men are responsible to seek it,
(15) Men, by nature, resist it,
(16) It may be sought and not entered,
(17) It is entered only by free grace,
(18) Those who enter by Christ are eternally safe.
4. I shall give at least 8 or 9 more, and 5 of them in this lesson.
I. THIS KINGDOM IS IN THE PROCESS OF FILLING (LK. 14:15-24
)
1. This is Luke’s account of the parable of Matthew 22:1-14.
2. We see the parabolic declaration of a progressive filling in verses 21-23.
3. We see here rejecting Israel, the calling of the Gentiles, and the decree of God, that His house would be filled. (Jn. 10:14-16, Jn. 10:26)
II. THIS KINGDOM IS TO BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD (MAT. 24:14)
1. I used to relegate this passage to another dispensation, i.e., a new message during the tribulation.
2. Whatever a man’s position on dispensation, he would put Paul and us in the same one.
3. Yet Paul clearly says he preached the Kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8, Acts 20:25, Acts 28:23,31, plus 16 written references.)
4. Herein, I must conclude, that the Gospel of Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom are not two separate messages.
III. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KINGDOM IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH (MAT. 16:18-19)
1. While any careful Bible student perceives that the church (verse 18) and the kingdom (verse 19) are not the same, such verses as this force us to admit relativity.
2. I will touch upon this relationship later, but now let it suffice to say:
i. The work of the church now is bringing men in.
ii. The kingdom into which men are subjected here is the same one into which they shall be subjected there.
iii. That is to say, men who are rebels in this world need not expect to be subjects in that kingdom.
iv. It seems also to imply that God’s exclusive means of “binding for heaven” is the church.
IV. IT HAS MORE SERVANTS THAN CITIZENS (MAT. 25:14-30)
1. There were “good and faithful” servants of varying ability, responsibility and product.
2. There was the “wicked and slothful servant;” the one who neither regarded God, nor willingly served.
3. This is the apparent categorizing in the sheep and goat judgment. (Conduct flows out of faith.)
V. IT IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM (DAN 2:44 AND DAN 4:3)
1. It is this kingdom which Peter describes in II Peter 1:11.
2. It may be seen emerging in prophecy, reigning in a few hearts, shaking the nations of the world, or acquiring them all in victory. (Rev. 11:15-18)
3. In any case it is always there and always shall be. Are you in or out? Friend or foe?