The Gospel of the Kingdom

MEMORY VERSE: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” —Matthew 3:2

MATTHEW 3:1-12

THE Gospel of the kingdom is one of the principal themes of the entire Bible. It is the good news that the God of heaven proposes to establish a world-wide government in the earth, and that through its agencies all mankind will be given an opportunity to be blessed with peace, prosperity, happiness, and everlasting life. This divine rulership in the affairs of men was implied in God’s promise to Abraham that through his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed.—Gen. 12:3

It is often referred to in the New Testament as the “kingdom of heaven.” This is because God’s world-wide government will be established by the authority and power of the God of heaven. But the rulership of this kingdom will be exercised on earth. In one of the prophecies the kingdom of heaven is likened to a great mountain which fills the whole earth.—Dan. 2:35,44

John the Baptist was the forerunner who announced the presence of the foretold King, the Messiah. In our Memory Verse John called upon the people of Israel to repent, because the kingdom was at hand. The Emphatic Diaglott translation of this text gives a more accurate thought. It reads, “Reform! because the Royal Majesty of the heavens has approached.” The rulership of the kingdom of heaven was not due to begin at the first advent of Jesus, but Jesus as the “Royal Majesty” or King in that kingdom had appeared, and the work of preparing for the kingdom then began.

The people of Israel had been promised a very important share in the kingdom, but it was essential that they repent of their evil ways and return to God through the terms of the Law Covenant in order to be eligible for this share in the kingdom, so the ministry of John the Baptist called upon the Israelites to repent. Many flocked to hear John, but apparently only a few received his message in their hearts, and were prepared to become followers of Jesus. It is said concerning those who did become followers that Jesus gave them power, or, as the margin states, the right or privilege to become the sons of God. (John 1:11,12) Later the Apostle Paul explained that the sons, or children of God, are heirs of God and joint-heirs of Jesus Christ to reign with him.—Rom. 8:16,17; II Tim. 2:11,12

John the Baptist was particularly severe toward the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of his day. The scribes and Pharisees were the religious rulers in Israel, who had much to do with shaping the viewpoints and attitudes of the Israelites as a whole. It was under their leadership that Israel was led to reject Jesus as their Messiah. It was this that led a short time later to the destruction of the nation and of the Jewish polity in general.

John forecast this in a dramatic manner. He said, “Now … the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”—vss. 10,11

Those of Israel who repented and became disciples of Christ were, at Pentecost, baptized with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5; 2:1-4) The baptism of fire came upon the unbelievers in the great time of trouble which consumed the nation in A.D. 70-73. This is indicated in verse 12 of the lesson, where the repentant and believing ones of Israel who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit are likened to “wheat” which was gathered into the Lord’s garner, and the unfaithful to “chaff’ which was to be burned with unquenchable fire.

Just as both the wheat and the chaff referred to in this prophecy are symbolic, so the fire is also symbolic—symbolic, that is, of destructive trouble which came upon the nation when invaded by the armies of Titus some forty years thereafter. This prophecy has no reference at all to the traditional doom of eternal torture which, according to the creeds of the Dark Ages, is the fate of all unbelievers.

The fire is spoken of as unquenchable because nothing could be done to hold back the destructive forces of the invader until Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Any fire which cannot be brought under control before the object of its fury is destroyed is an unquenchable fire.

QUESTIONS

What is the Gospel of the kingdom, and how was the kingdom at hand in Jesus’ day?

Who was John the Baptist, and what was his message?

What two classes in Israel became manifest under John’s ministry, and what were the later experiences of these?

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