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THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN;
WHAT IS IT?
BY
EDWARD BURBIDGE, M.A.
RECTOR OF BACKWELL, SOMERSET.
PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE.
LONDON:
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE;
NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS;
4, ROYAL EXCHANGE; AND 48, PICCADILLY.
PREFACE.
There is nothing new in the following pages; except it be that they
call popular attention to facts which have been commonly recognised
only by scholars.
But I am aware that their contents will appear novel to many; and to
remove this idea some extracts are here given from the Commentaries in
general use.
1. Bishop Wordsworth on S. Matt. xiii. 3; "This chapter may be
described as containing a Divine Treatise on the Church Militant here
on earth."
2. Dean Alford on S. Matt. xiii. 52; "The seven Parables compose in
their inner depth of connexion, a great united whole, beginning with
the first sowing of the Church, and ending with the consummation."
3. The Speaker's Commentary on S. Matt. iii. 2; "It--the Kingdom of
Heaven--signifies the promised Kingdom of the Messiah. Hence the
expectation of the Messiah is spoken of as a _waiting for the Kingdom
of God_. Our Lord, adopts the expression and frequently employs it to
denote His Spiritual Kingdom the Church."
4. Bishop Walsham How (S. P. C. K. Commentary) on S. Matt. iii. 2;
"It--the Kingdom of Heaven--is generally used to signify the Kingdom
of Christ on earth, the Kingdom of the Gospel, the Church of Christ."
I desire also to remove by anticipation a fear that some may feel,
lest, in regarding the Gospel as being the good news of the Kingdom of
Heaven, the great doctrine of the Atonement should be forgotten. Such
an idea is refuted by the words of Holy Scripture. For not only is the
Preaching of our Blessed Lord, before He suffered, thus described--see
S. Mark i. 14--but also the teaching of S. Paul, in later years, who
gloried in knowing only "Jesus Christ and Him crucified"--see Acts xx.
25.
My object has been to provide an answer to two questions.
1. What did our Blessed Lord teach about His Church in His discourses?
2. What is meant by the words of the Creed, "The Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints?"
May these pages help men to gain an intelligent knowledge of that
Kingdom, into which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has called us.
May they lead many to desire the fulfilment of His last prayer for us
before His Passion, "That they all may be one." And may every word in
this little book, which is not in accordance with God's will, be
pardoned, and overruled to His Glory.
BACKWELL, _August 1879_.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE KING'S HERALD 7
II. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM 18
III. THE PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM 32
IV. THE SUBJECTS OF THE KINGDOM 50
V. THINGS PERTAINING TO THE KINGDOM 66
VI. THE KING ON HIS THRONE 76
VII. THE PARABLES EXEMPLIFIED IN THE EARLY HISTORY
OF THE CHURCH 88
VIII. THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF THE KINGDOM 99
IX. THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH 121
X. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS 145
XI. CONCLUSION 160
"_Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on ME through their word; that they all may be one; as THOU
FATHER art in ME, and I in THEE, that they also may be one in US; that
the world may believe that Thou hast sent ME._"--S. John xvii. 20, 21.
"_When THOU hadst overcome the sharpness of death: THOU didst open the
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN to all believers._"--Te Deum.
"_THY KINGDOM come._"--S. Matt. vi. 10.
CHAPTER I.
THE KING'S HERALD.
"On Jordan's banks the Baptist's cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King...."
When the Saviour of the world was about to enter upon His public
ministry, the Jewish nation was startled with the cry, "The Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand" (S. Matt. iii. 2).
Such was God's call to His people of old time, to prepare themselves
to take part in the fulfilment of the promises, on which their faith
and hopes were founded. The fulness of the times had come; and Christ,
the long-promised and long-expected Saviour and King, was nigh at
hand.
And ever since that day, as the good news of the Kingdom has spread
from land to land, it has been the portion of the Lord's people to
endeavour to realise their high position in that Kingdom, and to
discharge their duties loyally to their Heavenly King.
But the words--"The Kingdom of Heaven"--are apt to lead away the
thoughts from the present to the future, from this world to a better
one. And since men are not in Heaven now, but are surrounded with
earthly cares and troubles, there is danger lest they should forget or
be ignorant of the intimate connection which these words have with
their daily life as Christians, and with its duties, privileges, and
blessings.
And yet the practical importance of this subject to Christian men and
women will be seen clearly after a moment's consideration. For any
one, who is at all acquainted with the words of Holy Scripture, will
recall to mind at once the frequent reference to "The Kingdom of
Heaven" in the Gospels. And though it will probably seem a somewhat
startling assertion to most persons, yet it is nevertheless a true
one, that from the day when our Lord began His public ministry, until
He ascended into Heaven, His teaching was almost wholly occupied with
this one subject--"The Kingdom of Heaven." And it is the purpose of
the following pages to bring together the various statements about
it, in such a way as to lead to a clear understanding of "The Kingdom
of Heaven"--what it is--and of our position in this Kingdom, with its
present blessings, privileges and duties, and its future glories.
"The Kingdom of Heaven"--What is it?
There are three things which are necessarily included in the idea of a
Kingdom--a King to rule over it; subjects to be ruled; and a place
where they dwell. And since it is necessary, if we would enquire into
the nature of "The Kingdom of Heaven," first of all to understand
clearly who is the King, and who and where are His subjects, let us
begin with taking a general view of these chief points; and then
afterwards enter more fully into the consideration of the various
passages of Holy Scripture which describe the details of the Kingdom.
The Jews expected the Messiah as their King. And when the Wise Men
came from the East, and asked "Where is He that is born King of the
Jews" (S. Matt. ii. 2), we read that King Herod referred their enquiry
to those who were learned in the Scriptures, in this form, "He
demanded of them where Christ"--i.e. Messiah, The Anointed
One[1]--"should be born" (S. Matt. ii. 4). And that there should be no
doubt at all about the person of the King, so long expected, God in
His providence had arranged that one should go before Him to announce
His coming. For John the Baptist acted as a herald going before a
king, proclaiming his approach. And this was the proclamation, "Repent
ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (S. Matt. iii. 2). And then
the Herald declared that he was come as foretold by the prophet
Isaiah, and that the people must prepare at once to receive their
King, saying, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make
straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias" (S. John i.
23; Isaiah xl. 3).
The proclamation of "The Kingdom of Heaven" by John the Baptist
defined the exact time in the world's history when this Kingdom took
its rise. And our Lord afterwards called express attention to this,
saying, "The Law and the Prophets were until John: since that time the
Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it[2]" (S.
Luke xvi. 16). And because John was only the Herald going before, and
was not himself enrolled as a subject of the Kingdom, He added, (after
referring to the greatness of John the Baptist), "Notwithstanding, he
that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he" (S. Matt.
xi. 11).
Thus we are assured that "The Kingdom of Heaven" began from the
proclamation of John the Baptist; and, therefore, we know for certain
that the Lord Jesus Christ, whose coming he proclaimed, is the King of
this Kingdom.
This is the great truth which forms the foundation of all the teaching
of the New Testament; and it is of the utmost importance to have a
clear idea of it. The Lord Jesus Christ came to be the Saviour of the
world by becoming King of a spiritual Kingdom of grace and blessing,
whose subjects were to be purchased and redeemed by His own Blood shed
upon the Cross. He was not merely the greatest of God-inspired
teachers: but He came to found God's Kingdom upon earth, and to rule
in love over the hearts of men of all nations and ages, and thus
prepare them for life everlasting. And when Nicodemus, one of the
rulers of the Jews, thus addressed Him, "We know that thou art a
teacher come from God," He at once endeavoured to lead him to grasp
this truth, by the abrupt reply, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God;" and
again, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the Kingdom of God" (S. John iii. 2-5). In other words, men
must not merely listen to His teaching; but they must have their eyes
opened to see Him as the promised King, and receive the principle of a
new Life as His subjects; or, else, His coming would be in vain.
Taking now as our starting-point the great truth that the Lord Jesus
Christ came to found a Kingdom, our next enquiry must be respecting
the subjects or citizens of this Kingdom.
Who are the subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven?"
One of the woes pronounced by our Lord against the Scribes and
Pharisees was for this, "Ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men;
ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering
to go in" (S. Matt. xxiii. 13). They would not themselves enter this
Kingdom by accepting Him as Christ the King; and they hindered others
from doing so. The Jews had thought themselves to be the subjects of
God, whilst all the rest of the world were castaways. But from these
words, as well as from those referred to above, which were spoken to
Nicodemus, we conclude that the subjects of Messiah's Kingdom are
they, and only they, who "believe and confess that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God" (1 S. John iv. 15, v. 1), and, having thus
accepted Him as their King, have been admitted by a formal act into
His Kingdom.
When the Herald proclaimed "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" (S.
Matt. iii. 2), he was calling upon the whole Jewish people to enter
into it. But the call to enter Messiah's Kingdom was not to be
confined to the Jews. It was to be published far and wide throughout
the world.
The Prophets had foretold a day when "The Gentiles shall come to Thy
light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising" (Isaiah lx. 3), and
that "in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not My people,
there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God"
(Hosea i. 10). And this was now about to be fulfilled. And in the
homage which the Wise Men from the East paid to the infant Saviour,
"born King of the Jews," we see the first sign that free and full
salvation was henceforth placed within the reach of all the nations of
the world without distinction. And thus it came to pass that, in after
years, the Apostles addressed their converts, taken equally from
amongst Jews and Gentiles, in such words as these, "God hath called
you unto His Kingdom and glory" (1 Thess. ii. 12); God "hath
translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. i. 13).
In other words, "The Kingdom of Heaven" is a real Kingdom, though a
spiritual and heavenly one. The Lord Jesus Christ is King, and all
the nations of the world are called to be His subjects.
And where is "The Kingdom of Heaven"?
The answer is clear. Wherever they are who have accepted the King and
been admitted as His subjects.
"The Kingdom _of_ Heaven" is not as yet _in_ Heaven, so far as its
subjects are concerned. It is true that the King Himself has ascended
His throne in Heaven. And as members of Christ we share in some degree
in the exaltation of our Head, so that S. Paul does not hesitate to
say of the Lord's people here on earth, God "hath raised us up
together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
(Ephes. ii. 6). But such words seem to apply to that part of our
nature to which our hopes and affections belong. So far as our duties
and difficulties are concerned, we are still surrounded with earthly
temptations. We are still in a state of trial here, however much we
may be looking for and longing after our home. And Heaven will not be
opened to receive the subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven" until the
Great Day, when they will be welcomed with the words, "Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you" (S. Matt.
xxv. 34).
Christ's Kingdom "is not of this world" (S. John xviii. 36), as He
declared plainly to Pilate when he questioned Him about Himself. But
for the present we may consider that, practically speaking, it is _in_
the world though not _of_ it. For its subjects are not yet in Heaven:
but are partly at rest in Paradise; partly here on earth still warring
against evil.
We can now express in few words the chief points respecting the nature
of that "Kingdom of Heaven" which John the Baptist, in his office as
Herald, proclaimed to be "at hand."
The Lord Jesus Christ came to found a Kingdom. He is the King of "The
Kingdom of Heaven."
All who will accept Him as their King--all the men and women and
little children in the world, of every land and of every age--may be
admitted as the subjects of "The Kingdom of Heaven." For "He died for
all" (2 Cor. v. 15).
And "The Kingdom of Heaven," though it is a spiritual and heavenly
Kingdom, is as yet here on earth, and will not be in Heaven, until the
subjects of the King have been tried and found faithful, and the
number of the elect shall be accomplished.
It follows that the statements of Holy Scripture respecting "The
Kingdom of Heaven," which are to be considered in the following pages,
refer not merely to the world to come--to that which we commonly
understand by the word Heaven--but to that Kingdom which has been
founded here on earth; and into which, as Christians, we have been
already called. And the subject becomes of infinite importance to us
all, when it is understood that "The Kingdom of Heaven" is, at this
present time, that Kingdom of grace in which we may obtain salvation
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He has called us all to be
subjects of this Kingdom now, that, by obtaining a share in His
precious merits, we may be brought into a state of present salvation;
and that, by continuing in this state through His grace, we may be
recognised as His subjects in that great day, when the Kingdom of
Grace will have become the Kingdom of Glory Everlasting.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Christ is the Greek word which corresponds with the Hebrew word
Messiah, meaning "The Anointed One." Amongst the Jews three classes of
men were anointed to their official duties--Prophets, Priests, and
Kings. And the name "Messiah" implied that they expected the Deliverer
to bear office in these ways; and especially as King, the highest of
these offices.
[2] In a similar passage of S. Matthew the difficult expression
occurs, "The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent
take it by force" (S. Matt. xi. 12); but the meaning seems to be the
same. Our Lord was calling attention to the fact that the expected
King had come and His Kingdom was open to the eager zeal of such as
would seize upon it and press into it.