Beatitudes - Future Kingdom
Transcript
The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5-7.
As Moses delivered the law to Israel on Mount Sinai, so now Jesus delivered instructions on a Mount in Israel to the people.
Eight times he mentions the Kingdom. The question is, how does Jesus indicate we should relate to the kingdom?
We’re going to look specifically at the opening of the sermon. What we call the beatitudes – the eight blessings that Jesus said we would receive if we enter the kingdom. The timing of receiving the blessings will be key.
DIFFERING VIEWS ON THE KINGDOM
There are differing views on the nature of the kingdom. How you view the kingdom has dramatic implications on your biblical framework.
There are those who believe Jesus is presenting a spiritual kingdom that we receive today along with the blessings of the kingdom that we will read in a moment.
Then there are those who believe Jesus inaugurated the kingdom in his first coming and will consummate the kingdom in his second coming. This view is sometimes called “already and not yet” or “now and then”.
Then there those who have the view that Jesus was presenting a future kingdom. Some within this camp have suggested that not only the kingdom is future but also the application of the message is not for gentiles today. Earlier dispensationalists held this view. Having said that, the main body of those who hold a future kingdom view hold that the implications are present. This is my view, that the kingdom is future, and the application of Jesus’ message is for today.
Don’t take my word for it. Grab yourself a bible and let’s find out.
THE BEATITUDES
Mathew 5 starting at verse 3.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(3)
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (4)
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (5)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (6)
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (7)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (8)
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (9)
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (10)
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (11-12)
In Matthew chapter 5, verses 3-10 Jesus reveals that blessings are received for those who meet the requirements of His Kingdom. These spiritual characteristics required for entrance to the kingdom are followed by either “theirs is” (present) or “they shall” (future). Jesus intentionally sandwiched verses 4-9 that present a future fulfilment (“they shall”) between verses 3 and 10 that present an immediate reality (“theirs is the kingdom of heaven”).
The kingdom presently belongs to those who are “meek”, “merciful” and so forth and yet the blessings connected to the kingdom are presented as a future reality.
It would be difficult to support the view that Jesus suggested the Kingdom to be a present spiritual reality. There is no indication that Jesus was completely flipping the Jewish eschatological hope. This was an entirely Jewish audience and their expectation of the kingdom was founded upon the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenant and the words of the prophets. If centuries of thinking were to be flipped on its head, and replaced with a spiritual kingdom, we would expect to see it here. But we don’t.
A future earthly kingdom harmonised with the OT hope is presented: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Jesus is referencing a psalm of David: “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace” (Ps. 37:11). On five occasions this Psalm says that the wicked will be “cut off” from the land. But those who “Trust in the Lord, and do good” (v3), “those who wait for the Lord” (v9, c.f. 34), “the righteous” (v21,29), and “the meek shall inherit the land” (v11), and “their heritage will remain forever” (v18). Jesus uses this Psalm eschatologically knowing that while “The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him… the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming” (v12-13). Continuing the flow from the OT, the land of Israel is intrinsic to the gospel message. There will be a division between the righteous and wicked which is determined by their inward response to the Lord. The righteous of Israel will inherit the land which in turn would become the global blessing.
This was an entirely Jewish audience who would understand that Jesus is referring to the future restoration of Israel and establishment of the Kingdom. Jesus was affirming the Abrahamic Covenant saying the meek of the land, “they shall” receive it. The land of Israel is at the heart of the biblical narrative.
For a moment picture this Jewish audience:
They would be familiar with the story of Adam’s disobedience, thrown out of the Garden of Eden (which is the same land as Jerusalem), and the curse that was put upon the land. They would teach their children about how God removed the people from the land by destroying it which had global implications in the time of Noah. They would also know the Noahic Covenant meant that God promised never to curse the land in a global flood again. They knew He kept the covenant as they encountered the cycle of the seasons. They would know the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth” (Gen 9:7) was reaffirmed to Noah and “all flesh that is on the earth” (vv. 17), and kindly prompted by God at Babel. Love for their father Abraham would adorn their faces as they recited the covenantal promises of the land, their people dwelling safely within, and blessing all others. They would remember in the festivals how God lead them in the exodus, giving them a law to live by, birthing the nation, and leading them towards the promised land. They knew that within this law, this instruction, contained the promises that they would eventually be reinstated to the land if they corporately repented (Lev 26:40-45; Deu 30:1-8). It would click that the man stood before them, Jesus (Yeshua), had the same name as Joshua (Yeshua), who courageously first claimed the land. They knew that the land was a key component of the kingdom, and the everlasting throne promised to David was the backdrop to great hope that the rightful king would soon appear. They would be very aware of the history of removal from the land to Assyria, Babylon, and the miraculous return to the land. As He spoke to their hearts, they would wonder about the timing of New Covenant and its promise to “restore their fortunes” of the land as spoken by their prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 31:23). They would long for the words of prophets that consistently speak of the full restoration of Israel and the judgement of those who have “divided up” (Joel 3:2) the land to come to fruition. Finally, they mused, the Romans would be removed from the land along with the puppet kings and “they shall” be blessed. Jerusalem their dusty capital suddenly looked like it was on track to return to Edenic conditions.
When you face the message from the Jewish worldview in the first century, it’s hard to conclude anything other than Jesus affirming the OT hope of an earthly kingdom established by a warrior king.
The present application is clear. Jesus expects certain characteristics from those who are sealed for the kingdom. Interestingly, speaking of those declared righteous, Psalm 37 says that “The law of his God is in his heart” (v31). It was to their heart that Jesus is speaking. Jesus was saying that certain inward characteristics would receive the external blessings. Moments later he would encourage them to glorify the Father in heaven by being salt and light to those around them (v13-16). That they were warned some would be “persecuted for righteousness' sake” (v10) makes it clear that their character traits were expected in this age and not purely for the future kingdom (because there will not be persecution in the kingdom).
Also, verses 11-12 is a side to the sandwich (or expounding upon the bottom slice, v10) in which Jesus informed them that those who will receive the blessing above should be prepared to be reviled, persecuted, and slandered during the wait. Their reward of blessings “is” presently in heaven and will be received in the future (v12). They are told to rejoice now because of their great hope waiting for them to receive in the future. They are expected to endure like the “prophets who were before” them.
Those who hold to a view which see’s Jesus inaugurate the kingdom point to verses 3 and 10. The use of “is” acknowledges the possession of the kingdom that will be received in the future. When you order a product online, you have secured the possession of it by paying for it. You could rightly say the product “is” yours. However, the blessings you receive from the product will arrive when the delivery is made. Therefore, the present tense of “is” should be seen in light of the future delivery of the Kingdom. An Inaugurated kingdom or “already and not yet” or “now and then” viewpoint is therefore not the best interpretation.
Also, one of the issues of the inaugurated view is that of timing. When precisely did Jesus inaugurate it? If here on the mount at his famous sermon, when does he announce it? He had not secured the kingdom at the cross yet. He had not risen or ascended to the throne in heaven. The kingdom cannot be inaugurated until The Day of Lord has arrived. The resurrection of the dead, and the judgement of the nations must occur first.
CONCLUSION
I cannot see how you can interpret a spiritual kingdom in the beatitudes or elsewhere in the NT. Why you would want to replace a great tangible hope with a fluffy concept I don’t know. Because in the west we have watered down the gospel, I believe many people are just not aware of views outside of the over-spiritualised bubble. So we use phrases like “we’re building the kingdom” when in fact you’re building on sand.
I have sympathy with those who have an “already and not yet” view. In my experience they have a much better grasp of kingdom concepts. However, I would say that very often we end up putting more emphasis on the now than the then. Not always, I know a great ministry that has blessed me immensely and they hold to the inaugurated view.
I am more convinced than ever that the kingdom is firmly in the future. It changed my study entirely. When you start to read the NT with a framework that focuses on a future kingdom – you can’t unsee it. All of a sudden, the OT makes way more sense and the grand narrative from Genesis to Revelation is thunderous.
We’ve only looked at one passage of the NT, and I haven’t even touched the obvious verses that revel a future kingdom that sees the restoration of Israel, but I hope to do more videos on this topic of the nature of the kingdom because I believe it’s of such importance.
Anyway, hope this was helpful.
Blessings.