From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17 RSV
What does the phrase "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" mean?
What does the phrase "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" mean?
The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
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GISMYS_7
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Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
That is a great question. I've asked myself that many times in the past. What I currently think it means is that he was announcing that he had come in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. His coming meant that his Kingdom would follow, and that the thing that would give man access to it was soon to be fulfilled at the cross.
It is plain that he did not think the Kingdom would immediately arrive on earth because we see the New Earth mentioned in the book of Revelation after mention of the Millennial Age. All of this follows his 2nd Coming, which Jesus inferred would be "delayed." In Jesus' parables about the Kingdom, Jesus indicates that his Kingdom would be "a long ways off."
Matt 24.48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’
Matt 25. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
...19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
Luke 19.11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
So the "nearness" of Jesus' Kingdom had to do with Jesus' atonement for sin, which would qualify for men to have their names written in the book of the Kingdom in heaven. Though the Kingdom itself would not come to earth immediately, we can have our names written in the Lamb's book of life. And he is currently in heaven, standing in for us.
"The kingdom of heaven is at hand" means it has drawn near in the sense that Jesus came to earth during his earthly ministry. And it came to be "at hand" or close to legal entry at the Cross. But the Kingdom of God remains eschatological, and as such, will not be something we can physically enter into until the 2nd Coming of Christ. My view only....
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Could it mean that we can enter the kingdom of heaven today if we do as he says - repent?
Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
Some would argue that. I don't personally interpret it that way because it seems pretty straightforward that he is talking about the coming of the Messianic Kingdom, which is an eschatological Kingdom.
So the Kingdom being "at hand" seems to mean that it is soon to become "available," meaning that we can enter into it legally. And that legal action took place at the Cross. I don't think we actually enter into the Kingdom of heaven--we just qualify for it.
Another way it is described is that the Kingdom is "near." Again, that sounds like it is available, or within reach by way of membership. It remains geographically distant, and yet immediately available to us legally through Christ. It is not actually entering into the eschatological Kingdom, which remains out of bounds until it actually comes to earth.
I think we will find that when we repent of our sin, we will be at peace.
Of what value is heaven, if we are not at peace?
And therefore, I would define heaven as "peace."
So Jesus told us how to achieve peace: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17
And so it is, we don't have to wait for peace/heaven.
That is my understanding.
Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
Yes, I get where you're coming from, and I at least partly agree with you, In part I apparently do not?
My view is that Heaven is an abbreviated expression of the New Earth, when "Heaven" comes down to Earth to stay. Presently, this Earth is obviously *not* a "Heaven!" ;)
But you have a point. When we accept Christ, we get a bit of "Heaven" inside us. Christ comes to reside permanently in our heart, and we are able to experience this glory to some degree. We are renewed in mind, and think moral thoughts. We are therefore able to participate in Christ's spirit to do good things, to even love our enemies. And this produces peace in our lives with God and even with others at times.
But this doesn't make the Earth "Heaven" presently. And so, the "Kingdom of God" is for me a future, eschatological reality that has drawn near in the 1st Coming of Jesus, but remains miles apart for those who do not yet know him. We have in a sense entered into "Heaven" via Christ living in our heart, but not even we have come to experience the fulness of what this means, when Heaven truly comes to Earth and makes this Earth a paradise.
We must define heaven.
Most people think heaven is a place we go after we die.
But I think they are wrong. I think heaven is the peace that descends on us (the New Jerusalem) when we repent of our sin. Is heaven really heaven if we don't have peace of mind?
I, too, will use the word "heaven" to describe the place we go when we die, but I think a better word for it is the "resurrection."
Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
Yes, I agree that "resurrection" best describes our afterlife experience. But I use the word "heaven" as a synonym for God, who lives throughout the universe, or "in heaven."
Some have suggested that where one Gospel writer used "Kingdom of God" another Gospel writer used "Kingdom of Heaven." And that may be because sometimes the Jews preferred to replace the term "God" with "Heaven" out of respect for His name--doesn't matter which name for God is used. "Heaven" is to preferred in place of "God" on certain occasions.
So when Jesus rose from the dead he still had to ascend into Heaven. This means he had to ascend to the place where God is, beyond the sphere of human sin and worldly corruption. To go where God is "everywhere" is, it seems, to transfer to a different dimension, parallel with the physical universe, or invisible within the present universe.
The place where God dwells is described by a Heaven as viewed in Rev 4-5. God's throne is "holy, holy, holy." When it comes to earth, we will come with it, having received new resurrection bodies. We will have to ascend to heaven, like Jesus, in order to receive our new immortal bodies. Then we will return with him, when some degree of "Paradise" comes down to earth from God.
The "Paradise" to be will be a politically reorganized earth, controlled by the rule of Christ. Satan's angels will be bound, and Man, still infected by a Sin Nature, will not be provoked to international warfare. Instead, many nations will thrive as Christian nations until at the end of a thousand years Satan will be released to expose the inner sins of men again in their most manifest form--international warfare.
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Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
The Bible describes God as a spirit. He can take on a physical form, such as He did with Jesus.
But that would mean He originates from something that pre-existed a physical form, because a "physical form" is part of creation. Creation takes place in time, but God is eternal.
Jesus preached an imminent access into the spiritual realm of the kingdom, through His death and resurrection. When we are thus crucified with Him we are strengthened by grace to walk in His resurrection life...in HIS perfection (without any spot or wrinkle of sin). Truly this is not understood by any man-made religious institution that supposes it is sent by God to preach the gospel. But which gospel?
At the end of the age the kingdom of God will again be preached as being imminent...this time as a forceful subjugation of all nations and all things under His feet.
So for now it is by faith, willingly submitting to His rule...into a translation into a higher kingdom walk...to walk as Jesus walked. This is according to a NEW CREATION order.
But the time is coming when the time will be known to be short...and the gospel will become a preaching about a soon coming universal change in the natural creation order.
The Bible says God created man in his own image. Does that tell us anything? How do we know that spirit preceded physical form?
It means "within reach."
Near.
If I said your hat was at hand, it doesn't at all imply that you are already wearing your hat. It just means that you could if you chose to.
Randy Kluth
Well-Known Member
For me it is just having experienced God as a spirit, and recognizing that same spirit in Jesus' words in the Bible. To be made in His image just tells me that we can communicate with Him, that we're on the same page, so to speak. Sorry, God is so vast I can hardly begin to discuss it.
I can recognize that animals don't relate to God, and do not represent what God is like other than as an artist. But in making us He made us someone who could have fellowship with Him.
Hobie
Well-Known Member
Remember, Christ was 'resurrected' bodily before He ascended, showing us what the resurrection will be at the Second Coming, when He will raised up the saints in the grave and those who are alive and take them to heaven where they will reign for the thousand years.
1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Acts 4:33
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
John 11:24
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 5:29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
