Heaven’s Secret Kingdom

(8) Therefore considering all this, Jesus is the fulfillment of not only the great OT message, but also the greater OT mystery (cf. ). He is certainly the subject and object of OT revelation, but profoundly He is the also the subject and object of OT redaction.

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: “The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

>>>There is a kind of cryptography going on here. CRYPTOGRAPHY is the science of revealing information to the target while simultatenously higing it from all others. In Jesus’ phraseology “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” will only be successfully received by those to whom it belongs, i.e. the subjects of that Kingdom.<<<

Why Cryptography:

Because Christ came as the leading edge of a great resistance movement in a time of war. See (NIV): “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Because the (temporary) blindness of the Jews was necessary. See (NIV): “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in...”

“The deliverer will come from Zion;

Matthew’s implication to his readers (in ): You are invited into the group who knows the secret!

he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

27 And this is my covenant with them

Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables (), but he gave the inside scoop to his disciples ().

when I take away their sins.”

The OT Secret that Jesus Fulfills

Involves the finalization of salvation history via the inbreaking of Heaven’s kingdom into the enemy occuplied teritory of planet earth.

“But I freely admit that real Christianity (as distinct from Christianity-and-water) goes much nearer to Dualism than people think. One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe—a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin. The difference is that Christianity thinks this Dark Power was created by God, and was good when he was created, and went wrong. Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel. Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

---C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 2, “What Christians Believe,” Chapter 2, “The Invasion”

Matthew explains Jesus use of parables by citing in Jesus a fulfillment of , (NIV): “I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—” (). By quoting from so near the beginning of the Psalm, Matthew is likely inviting his readers to see in Christ te fulfillment of the entire Psalm.

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order

A Biblical Parable is at its core a an analogical comparison, i.e. a simile or metaphor.

I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

Excursus on

v. 2 speaks of revealing ancient hidden things, while

v. 3 speaks of them as things openly spoken of...

This wonderful juxtaposition—hidden yet simultaentously revealed—is the point of parabolic language in Matthew.

vv. 4-66 recounts the early history of national Israel, from the Exodus through the events immerdiately after the taking of the Ark by the Philistines along with the fall of local Shiloh as a place of worship.

This history highlights, (1) the wonderful deeds of God, against the backdrop of (2) the terrible mis-deeds of God’s people.

DO NOT MISS THE FACT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF , THIS ENTIRE HISTORY IS ITSELF A PARABLE!!!

vv. 67-72 recounts the selection by God of David as the skillful shepherd, the king, of national Israel.

This final part of must also be seen as a parable. Just as the history of national Israel earlier in the parable is a comparison to something of greater importance, even so the Shepherd-King David is parabolic of a greater more important Person!

In fact, the entire history of man’s rebellion and God’s response should be seen as one great parable speaking of God’s ultimate response to man’s ultimate rebellion: Jesus, David’s ultimate heir, is mankind’s Shepherd-King-Savior from all man’s horrific sin!

Overwealmingly the subject matter of Parables in Matthew is the kingdom of heaven:

—True subjects of the Kingdom

—Identifying False and True Kingdom Citizens

—(Sower) Responses to the Gospel of the Kingdom

& —(Weeds) False and True Kingdom Citizens Co-Existing

—(Mustard Seed) Kingdom Grows into Prominence from Obscurity

—(Yeast) Kingdom Grows into Prominence from Obscurity II

—(Hidden Treasure) To the Discerning the Kingdom is of Utmost Value

—(Highly Valuable Pearl) To the Discerning the Kingdom is of Utmost Value II

—(Fishing Net) False and True Kingdom Citizens Coexisting II

—(Homeowner) The Potential in an OT Scholar who is also a Kingdom Citizen

—(Wayward Sheep) Heavenly Father’s Attitude Toward the Lost*

—(King Settling Accounts) Forgiveness as A Governing Ethic of the Kingdom

—(Day Laborers) Reversal of Prominence in the Kingdom when Compared with the Present Order

(Sons) Reversal of Prominence in the Kingdom when Compared with the Present Order II*

(Wicked Vineyard Tenants) Reversal of Prominence in the Kingdom when Compared with the Present Order III*

(King Hosting Son’s Wedding Banquet) Reversal of Prominence III & Exclusivity of Citizenship

-44 (The Days of Noah) Be Prepared for the Final Arrival of the Kingdom will be Unexpected*

(The Wise and Unwise Servant) Be Prepared for the Final Arrival of the Kingdom will be Unexpected II*

(The Ten Virgins) Be Prepared for the Final Arrival of the Kingdom will be Unexpected III

(The Master’s Gold) Be Prepared for the Final Arrival of the Kingdom will be Unexpected IV & Fruitfulness as a Governing Ethic of the Kingdom*

(Sheep and Goats) Fruitfulness as a Governing Ethic of the Kingdom II

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*--Kingdom of Heaven not expressly mentioned or expressly implied

italics--Status as parable less certain

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The reason that the Kingdom of Heaven is the major focus of the parables is almost certainly because the Kingdom of Heaven was the message Jesus preached(!):

(John came preaching repentance due to the Kingdom of Heaven’s advent—)

(NIV, emphasis mine): “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”

Jesus dispatched the Twelve to the Jews instructing them, (, NIV): “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

Furthermore, even what we call the “gospel” is not generic good news, or even generically wonderful spiritual news, but it is really “the gospel of the Kingdom,” i.e.the good news that Heaven’s Kingdom has landed to take back our world’s enemy occupied soil.

See (NIV): “ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.”

Again, see (NIV): “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

Such is the importance of Gospel of the Kingdom, that Jesus even names it as the prerequisite for the end of the age (). See Matthew 24:14 (NIV): “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

The content of the gospel message concerns the person and ultimate work of Jesus Christ. This is because the Kingdom of Heaven landed in our world in the Person of the King Of Heaven! See Matthew 26:13 (NIV): “Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (cf. Paul’s definition of the gospel in 2 Tim. 2:8).

>>NOTICE THAT THE MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM’S ARRIVAL IS ACCOMPANIED BY A WAR ON THE SINFUL, BROKEN WORLD SYSTEM AND THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD<<

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(NIV):” Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.”