Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

Within the warnings of Jesus against the falsehood and corruption within the Jewish Religion, of Judaism, we find these parables. Because within each Jesus reveals the error which came about during Ezra's time, we have the following revelation spoken by both Jesus and John the Baptist, much of which remains but a fog and veiled because of mans religion.

The Barren Fig Tree,
Which Represents the Jewish Priesthood and indeed all of Judaism
Matthew 21:18-22, 23-32, 33-46 He went out of that and went into Bethany; and He lodged there. Now in the morning as He turned into the city, for He hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said to it, Let no fruit grow on you henceforward for ever. Presently the fig tree withered away. When the disciples saw they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this to the fig tree, but also if you shall say to this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. (parallel passage Mark 11:12-14, 20-24)
 
Jesus' Authority Challenged by the Chief Priests
When He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, and said, By what authority do You these things? and who gave You this authority? Jesus answered them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you can tell Me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say to us, Why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, We cannot tell. To this He said to them, Neither can I tell you by what authority I do these things. (parallel passages Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8)
 
The Wicked Landowner
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them likewise. But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen? They said to Him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 
The householders here is Satan within the High Priest's of Israel, their master, the husbandmen are the lower level Priest's, the servants are the prophets and of course the son is Jesus Himself. The vineyard Israel and indeed Jerusalem as the set of Judaism, from which Jesus was rejected and sent out for execution at the hands of the people through the householders and husbandmen; the new husbandmen are the heirs of His kingdom, and not yet revealed by Him.

To this Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
When the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet. (parallel passages Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19, the land owner is God the Father and the husbandmen are the Priests and the servants are the prophets which means Jesus is the Son and the stone rejected by the builders, who again are the Priests of this parable.)

The next passages are taken from the Last Passover or Marriage Feast of the Lamb of God, but before I go there I must look at what Jesus warns all of us not to become a part of, as recorded in Matthew 9, Mark 2:21 and Luke 5:36.  

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