What Is The Kingdom?--Part 1

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church [assembly]; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:18-19 NASB Update).

What is the kingdom? The kingdom is not the church. Some people make no distinction between the two. The kingdom of God is something described in the Scriptures for the chosen of God to believe. Therefore, it is not one thing today and something entirely different tomorrow, not one thing in this dispensation and something entirely different in another dispensation.

The kingdom has been compared to a seed. Christ said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows—how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29 NASB). However, the original truth, which portrays certain things that are to transpire, prophecies to be fulfilled, and promises to be experienced, cannot be a mere germ which is to sprout into something entirely different. Could the prophecies or promises of the virgin birth, life, death, resurrection, and second coming be nothing more than mere germs which were to sprout into other things?

God’s description of the kingdom is unchangeably the same. Many formal statements have been made concerning the kingdom, but there is only one true definition. There is little agreement among exegetes concerning the meaning of the kingdom. This should be reason enough to drive any sincere believer to search the Scriptures for himself or herself.

Beware of subtle analogies! Many persons, possessed with subjectivism, object to the Scriptures as the infallible standard of man. These persons say that if scientists used this standard, it would curtail all scientific discoveries. However, such comparison is unjust when put on the level with Holy Scripture. Scripture is the most important thing in the world. It is God’s truth to mankind. Science cannot set up an infallible standard because such information is gathered by fallible men. By way of contrast, consider what Peter, Paul, and Job said—Peter, because he is being addressed within the context; Paul, because he has given us more of the New Testament epistles than anyone else; and Job, because his book is the oldest book in the Bible. Peter said, “And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (II Pet. 1:19-21 NASB). Paul said, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16, 17 NASB). Job said, “But He [God] is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does” (Job 23:13 NASB).

God can never be absent from His people, either essentially or spiritually. However, He may be absent as to His discernible presence or the manifestation of His favor. This is illustrated in a wonderful way in the Song of Solomon. This book is a revelation of the chaste and virtuous love which no splendor can dazzle and no flattery can seduce. Christians are attracted to Christ not merely for what He has done for the elect, but because of who He is. He is the eternal Son of God. He is who He said He is—the only Savior and the only way to the Father. Song of Solomon is full of types, figures, and similitudes. Let us see what God says about His own in chapter 5.

Inspired by God, Solomon said, “I HAVE come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers. I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking; Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night. I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again? My beloved extended his hand through the opening, And my feelings were aroused for him. I arose to open to my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the bolt. I opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me. The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, They struck me and wounded me; The guardsman of the walls took away my shawl from me. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick” (Song of Solomon 5:1-8 NASB).

There are a few things in this passage to be pointed out. “I was asleep” (v. 2)—there are different kinds of sleep. There is the sleep of lethargy (Eph. 5:14), the sleep of unconcerned assembly members, and the sleep of watchlessness. When Samson went to sleep, he lost his power, his strength. The one in verse 2 should not have been asleep. “I have taken off my dress” (v. 3)—this is the dress of practical righteousness. “I have washed my feet” (v. 3)—her problem was that she had washed her own feet rather than the Lord washing them (John 13:3-10). In verses 6-8, she went outside and was found by the watchmen and abused. Finally, she said, “I am lovesick” (v. 8). When you have been born of God and His love has been poured out in your heart by the Holy Spirit, you never cease to love Him. He never ceases to love you.

In the Song of Solomon 5:1, “I am come into my garden…” does not typify either the first advent or the second advent of Jesus Christ. It refers to a spiritual visit in the spiritual life of Christians between the advents. Let us look at the application of the types given in the Song of Solomon. John 13-17 covers the short period time before the death of Christ. Christ said to His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him” (John 14:18-23 NASB). Do you see the harmony of the Old and New Testament Scriptures?

There is no enrichment that compares to that which is found beginning with Genesis 1:1 and concluding at Revelation 22:21. Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible. Job’s name means “the cry of woe, one who has turned penitently to God.” Men may debate who wrote it, but every child of God knows one thing for sure—God wrote the book of Job. The book shows how remarkably full the theological knowledge and intellectual culture of the patriarchal age were. Job recognized important things when he heard them. “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:23-26 NASB). Job knew three things: (1) that his Redeemer lives (v.25), (2) that He will stand on the earth at His first advent (v. 25), and (3) that He will stand on the earth from which the curse has been delivered, His second advent (v. 26).

The message of the book is the mystery of suffering. Although Job’s acquaintances brought heated accusations against the patriarch, God intervened and made Job’s latter end greater than his beginning (Job 42:7-17). True self-abhorrence comes not from self-examination but in looking away from self to Jesus Christ. Job was very much satisfied with himself until he saw the Lord. Isaiah describes it clearly in the following words: “In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple…Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is. 6:1, 5 NASB).

Job’s final knowledge was not second hand. The eyes of his understanding had been enlightened. What he knew in his prosperity was little in comparison to what he had learned in the day of adversity. Job had repented: “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth” (Job 40:4 NASB). The only way that pride can be abased is for the person to be brought face to face with the majesty of God. Jehovah’s mode of dealing with Job is remarkable. The change in God’s conduct toward Job was preceded by a change in Job. Formerly Job had justified himself, but now he justifies God. When God denies us temporal things for our spiritual good, it is a terrible sin to complain. When Job accepted the mystery, God gave him the victory. “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…And Job died, an old man and full of days” (Job 42:12, 17 NASB).

Peter, like Job, must learn some valuable lessons. Those lessons will come between the first and second advents of Jesus Christ. It is humbling to have our sin and restoration predicted. Christ, the Rock of Offense (I Pet. 2:8), subsequent to the institution of the Lord’s Supper, said to the disciples, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED. But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. But Peter answered and said to Him, Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away. Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you that this very night, before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times. Peter said to Him, Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny you. All the disciples said the same thing too” (Matt. 26:31-35 NASB). Peter argued with Christ when he did not know himself. However, before Christ completed His sifting of Peter, he was prepared to strengthen the brethren (Luke 22:31, 32).

The flesh is going to be exposed in God’s people, because its untrustworthiness must be brought to light. At the same time, the removal of the chaff causes the faith to be more evident. Sifting describes the effect of temptation on a believer. It exposes his infirmities for the purpose of strengthening him spiritually. Therefore, before Christians can be of help to others, they must be sifted. This shows how Christ as Intercessor protects what has been given to Him in the eternal covenant of grace (John 17). He did not pray that Peter might escape the sifting, but that his faith might not fail (Luke 22:31, 32; I Pet. 1:3-5). Therefore, Peter was not preserved from but in the sifting. Here we learn the excellence of God-given faith. Satan hates the faith of God’s elect. Paul introduced his letter to Titus by saying, “PAUL, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness” (Titus 1:1 NASB).

The keys of Matthew 16:19 are for the kingdom, not the assembly. The Greek word for keys is kleidas (noun accusative feminine plural of kleis), which is used to denote authority. It is used only six times in the New Testament—Matthew 16:19; Luke 11:52; and Revelation 1:18; 3:7; 9:1; and 20:1. To whom were the keys given? Some say they were given to Peter, and others say they were given to the assembly. There are those who say, “In Matthew 16:19, continuing the establishment, the Lord promised to give to members of the body the powers of administration. The church, inspired and God-breathed, carries the keys….” Another said, “God gave the church so much power that what she does on earth is approved by God in heaven.”

In Matthew 16:18 and 19, the assembly is connected with the eschatological kingdom. The disciples had a foretaste of the kingdom in their experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13). Hence, the attempt to identify the kingdom is very serious. Such authority could never be committed to imperfect men. The assembly must be perfected to reign with Christ over the nations of the earth. Church (assembly) history proves the evil and disaster of believing the imperfect assembly has the authority religionists claim.

In Matthew 18:18, the context limits the authority in three respects: (1) Context limits the authority to the local aspect of the assembly in time. (2) The authority of discipline is restricted to the affairs of the local assembly in time. (3) There is no mention of the keys of the kingdom. Therefore, in Matthew 16, the assembly is presented in its relation to the kingdom. In Matthew 18, the assembly is viewed in relation to its present responsibility. There is no guarantee of perpetuity and final victory of local assemblies in time (Rev. 2-3), but there is the guarantee of the perpetual duration (existence) of the body of Christ and final victory. There is no harmony between heaven and earth where discipline is lacking. What about preachers, missionaries, and evangelists who operate independently of local assemblies in time? Walvoord said, “A key was the sign of authority…Peter was told he would possess the keys and be able to bind and loose people…He carried out God’s direction by proclaiming the gospel on the day of Pentecost.” Roman Catholics say, “Sins are forgiven by the minister…through the power of the keys.” A. T. Robertson said, “Jesus put into the hands of Peter and of all believers the keys of the Kingdom which we should use to open the door for those who wish to enter.”— Word Pictures In the New Testament, Vol. V, p. 315