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@Jesus talked about the kingdom of God (expressed as the
kingdom of heaven in Matthew's Gospel) in the form of parables.
By using parables, He had intended those who heard them to identify
themselves in them ,to encourage them to put what they heard into
practice and also to meet God but those who did not have listening
ears, hardened their hearts even further and
though seeing, did not see;
though hearing, did not hear or understand.
Although we can have a taste of the kingdom of God here
through Jesus' teaching, it is only when Jesus returns that it will
become a visible reality. Let's begin looking at a number of specific
parables that point towards the kingdom of God.
The famous 'Parable of the sower' describes the four
Different reactions of those who hear the word of God (Gospel).
Through this parable, Jesus suggests that spiritual enlightenment rather
than wisdom of this world is needed to understand the kingdom of
God. The following 'Parable of the weeds' tells us how we can
deal with evil in this wicked world. The 'Parable of the Workers
in the Vineyard' emphasises the fairness of God's kingdom which
is different from the standards of this world, portraying the
master (God)'s grace towards the outcast and excluded from the
society. In the 'Parable of the Tenants', the believer's
responsibility for God's calling is argued; with the attitudes of the
tenants to the master's son(Jesus) being the central focus of argument.
Mt.13:13-16, Mk.4:10-12, Lk.8:8-10
Mt.13:13
Lk.17:20-21,23:43
Mt.13:1-23
Mt.13:24-30,:36-43
Mt.20:1-16
Mt.21:33-44
The 'Parable of the Wedding Banquet' @speaks in a firm
tone about believers who fail to enter the kingdom of God despite
His open invitation because their minds are preoccupied with worldly
matters.
Finally, the 'Parable of the Ten Virgins' and the 'Parable of the Talents'
are both directed towards the followers of Christ; how
to prepare for the second coming of Christ and entrance into the
kingdom of God.
Jesus, who said,
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man
to enter the kingdom of God
also warned the believers of the difficulty of entering the kingdom of
God if they do not obey God's will. The Bible also tells us that
those who fail to enter the kingdom of God are to be thrown into
the outer darkness, the place of eternal punishment, in the fire.
The Bible is also clear to say that hell will not just be a place
prepared for immortal Satan and demons but also a place that the
wicked will be thrown into on the day of judgment, a place of
eternal punishment.
The judgment will be passed by Jesus, who sits on a 'great
white throne'. Then, even the dead who have not been raised at the
first resurrection (the resurrection of saints in ch.5) will be given
a
resurrected body in order to stand before God's judgment seat and
those whose names are not written in the 'Book of Life' will be
thrown into hell. Therefore, 'hell' is a place where a body rather
than a spirit is eternally tormented.
Mt.22:1-14
Mt.25:1-30
Mt.19:24
Mt.13:40-42,22:13,25:30
Mt.25:41
Mt.5:29-30,18:8-9,25:41-46,@Re.19:20,20:10,:15
Re.20:11
2Co.5:10, Re.20:5,:12-15
After the completion of the saints and the wicked along with the
devil are thrown into hell, a new heaven and new earth will be
created and a new Jerusalem will descend from heaven.
God's redemptive plans will then be completed by not only our bodies but
also the environment being redeemed. Thus, the kingdom of God will be
fulfilled. The eternal world symbolised by the tree of
life with twelve fruits where God will live with His people and
where God's Spirit (Holy Spirit) dwells within the people, will come into
existence.
Both 'the throne' in heaven where God sits and 'the great
white throne' on earth will be united as one as 'the throne of God and
of the Lamb' in the new Jerusalem according to God's plan to
bring all things in heaven and on earth
together
under one head, even Christ.
Thus with the whole universe being completed as God's original blueprint,
His plans of salvation written in the whole Bible will come
to an end.
Re.chs.21&22, Zec.12:10, Ro.11:25-27, Re.1:7
Re.22:2, Jn.14:16, Eze.47:1-12
Re.chs.4-5
Re.20:11
Re.22:1,:3
Ep.1:10
Col.1:15-17, Re.1:8
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