The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

As I progress through this study of the “kingdom” we must learn to listen closely to the words, terms and phrases recorded as witness to John the Baptist, Jesus and then Paul's own words, terms and phrases because they reveal the intolerance to error, the spirit of Religion. It is my personal belief that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who is to guide us into the deeper revelation of Christ, causes a sharpened discernment just as Jesus did with those disciples who walked and talked with Him after His first ascension and return, while they walked on the roads of Israel. This is made plain in Luke 24 and in particular in verse 45 and of the Apostle Paul, in Acts 17:2-3 and 28:23 and is again witnessed to in Isaiah 50:4, and Jeremiah 15:16 and 20:9, of those who have become a son of God and even Jesus' own words of John 6:63, also bear this out. All of these are again witnessed to by the writer of Hebrews in chapter 4 verse 12 where he says that God's word is sharper than a double edged sword. As I progress through the passages listen for the voice of Christ's own Spirit to speak within your soul as He has done mine and others for almost 2000 years now. We are not to be as His disciples were when He said to them that they could not bear to receive of the deeper revelations of Him, at that time (in John 16:12), but would when the Spirit of Truth would come, to testify of Him. This said, there is a spirit of error which works among those who profess and even confess a trust in Christ which is false as witnessed to in 1John 1. They claim to be seeking Truth by the true Spirit of Truth, when in fact this spirit is not the ontological essence of Christ, because this spirit misdirects them to Israel's past history, in a literal and often a futuristic understanding of deception, these things are not Christ. Mans Religion is not Christ centered but it is world centered, in a gospel of self exultation, which has many forms as said elsewhere. This self exultation is the error which the Priest's of Israel, at the time of John the Baptist and Jesus, exhibited and we will be able to hear and see this as we pass through these scriptures which lay ahead of us. Before I leave this subject I must say this, “If” these words cause offense or a clanging like sound of a loud symbol with an off key metallic sound, in your ears, chances are good that this spirit of error is at work within you, as it was in me for many years. This is born out by the ancient Prophets, who spoke as directed by God's own Spirit to Israel, for Israel itself also had this same kind of reception to all things spiritual, when spoken to them.

The Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 13:3-9, 10-18, 19-23, 24-30, 31-32, 33, 34-52 He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when He sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root (no understanding), they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit (the uprightness of God restored to man), some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear. (parallel passages Mark 4:1-9 and Luke 8:4-8)

The disciples came, and said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables? He said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Deuteronomy 29:29; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10; 1Corinthians 2:9-10, 14, 1John 2:27), but to them it is not given. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever have not, from him shall be taken away even what he has. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias (Isaiah 6:9-10; Ezekiel 12:2; Hosea 12:10; 2Corinthians 3:14), who said, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and have ears that are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say to you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things which you see, and have not seen and to hear these things which you hear, and have not heard. (parallel passages Mark 4:10-12 and Luke 8:9-10)

Hear therefore the parable of the sower. When any one hears the words of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and anon (at once) with joy receives it; Yet has he no root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arise because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands; which also bears fruit (Philippians 1:11), and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (parallel passages Mark 4:13-20 and Luke 8:11-15)

Another parable put He forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? From whence then has it tares? He said to them, an enemy has done this. The servants said to him, will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said, nay; lest while you gather up the tares, and root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Another parable put He forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (parallel passages Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-21; Isaiah 2:2-3, Micah 4:1, 5)

Another parable spoke He to them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (parallel passage Mark 4:33-34 and Luke 13:20-21)
  
All these things spoke Jesus to the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not to them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. ( John16:12-13, Philippians 1:6, 9, 2:13-16; Ezekiel 17:22-23; 1Corinthians 5:6-7; Psalm 78:1-3, Romans 16:25, 1Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:26) 

Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came to Him, saying, Declare to us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (parallel passage Daniel 12:1-3) Who has ears to hear, let him hear.
 
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. (parallel passages Philippians 3:7-9, Revelation 3:18)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. (parallel passage Proverbs 3:13-18, 8:10-10, 18-20, Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (parallel passage Matthew 22:10)

Jesus said to them, Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes, Lord. Then He said to them, Therefore every scribe* which is instructed and understands the kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is an householder (a steward, a husbandman), which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old**. (Parallel passage 2Timothy 3:14-17; Song of Solomon 7:13; Daniel 9:25, 10:13, 12:1)