The Secrets of the Kingdom

Luke 17:20,21 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isn't ushered in with visible signs. You won't be able to say, 'Here it is!' or 'It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is among you."

Jesus said the Kingdom of God was already hear, it is not visible. The reign and control of God in our lives does not appear from without. When Jesus came the Kingdom came, the full completion of the kingdom will come in the future when Jesus returns to this earth in the Millennial Kingdom. In Daniel 2:43 it says "in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom". The days of these kings is a list of kingdoms that reign one after another starting with Babylon to Rome. To enter the Kingdom of God, one must be born-again; have a spiritual new birth. Then you are translated into the Kingdom of God, the kingdom is present within you.

Our first priority is to seek first the kingdom of God

Mat 6:31 - 33 "So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

The kingdom of God is the rule of God which He extended over our lives through Jesus. The Kingdom of God, or Kingdom of heaven, was and is the theme of the teaching and preaching of Jesus. Those who receive Jesus as Lord “be born again” come under the rule of God in their lives.

Jesus spoke in parables to describe the nature of

The kingdom of God

Mat 13:11,12 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

The word mystery means previously hidden truth, now revealed. The teachings of Jesus are available to all, but not everyone will understand. Why is this so?

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

This is a quote from Isa 6:10 and in Isa 29:10-13 it is explains more fully why they were not able hear or see.

Isa 29:10-13 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

So we can see, as it was in the days of Isaiah, so it was in the times of Jesus and sadly to say it is also true today. People have closed their eyes and ears they have removed their hearts from God and are taught doctrines of men.

Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Unless we are really open to hear and see the truth, the truth will be hidden from our eyes and our ears and our hearts. God will not force us to understand the truth, we have to want to understand. We have to get rid of all of our prejudice and listen with our spiritual ears and look with our spiritual eyes and feel with our spiritual hearts.

(Mark 4:9 KJV) And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

(Mark 4:12 KJV) That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; "to put together" lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

(Mark 4:13 KJV)

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Jesus said if we do not know and understand the parable of the SOWER we can not understand or put together any of the other parables. If we do not understand this one which Jesus explained it; made it plain. Then how will we be able to understand the numerous parables hereafter which are related and which will be much more difficult? We read in 1Cor 2:14 that "the natural man reciveth not the things of the Spirit of God" for "they are spiritually discerned."

Jesus said that the parable of the Sower is the most important parable to be able to understand the other parables. In the parable of the sower God gives a understanding of how a person receives and losses or keeps the Word of God; the states of a mans heart.

For a full teaching on the The Parable of The Sower

Mat 13:24 - 30 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Jesus gives us the interpretation of this parable

Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Mat 13:37 - 43 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This parable is a picture of the kingdom of God that Jesus setup when he came. The field is the world and at the end of this age the character of all people will be revealed and judged. The good seed are believers; God's people, the tares are all unbelievers; evil people, who are influenced by Satan.

God is aware that some will reject and some will accept His Son. God wishes to give every opportunity for people to accept but cannot ignore the difference between the followers of Him, which are illustrated by the useful wheat and those that are not following him are illustrated as weeds.

A MUSTARD SEED & yeast in bread

Mat 13:31 - 32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

When we interpret parables we need to be careful not to think just because a word was interpreted one way in one parable it is interpreted the same all the time. For example in the parable of the sower the seed is the word of God, where in the wheat and tares the seed is the Children of God.

The Sower Seed = the Word of God

Wheat and tares Good Seed = Children of God

These two parables are showing the great power of the Word of God and the Kingdom of God to grow to enormous size, In spite of its small beginning.

As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is the word of God works to transform our life, God's word starts as the smallest in us and becomes the greatest in us. As a mustard seed is the least and becomes the greatest.

A treasure & a merchant pearl

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Mat 13:45, 46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

There is nothing as valuable as God's kingdom. These parables show us that God's kingdom is like a great treasure or great pearl. The kingdom is priceless, it is worth all that we could pay, it will cast us all we have. To become a citizen of God's Kingdom means you will have to give up all to follow Jesus, take up your cross daily and forsake family and possession. But the Kingdom is worth much more than any thing that we give up.

Mat 13:47 - 50 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This parable of the Net is another view of the Kingdom like the wheat and tares. In this parable the sea is the world; God's Kingdom. At the end of the age the angels sever the wicked; unsaved, from the just; God's children.

A teacher who brings out the new and old

Mat 13:51 - 52 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Disciples of Jesus' are teachers trained in the Kingdom. As such, they combine the riches of their knowledge from the Old Testament with the new meanings taught by Jesus. We must draw on the old Testament truths and the new teaching of Jesus. Both Testaments contain the truths of God. Neither one should be neglected. Both point to Jesus and the kingdom of God.

Mat 13:53, 54 When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was astonished and said, "Where does he get his wisdom and his miracles?