witness lee - a brief definition of the kingdom of the heavens

7/28/2019 Witness Lee - A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens

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Witness Lee - A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens

CONTENTS

1. Outline of the Kingdom in the Bible2. The Reality, the Appearance, and the Manifestation of the Kingdom of the Heavens

3. Life under the Kingdoms Rule

4. Exercise and Discipline for the Kingdom

5. Gods Various Treatments of Different Categories of People

FOREWORDThe contents of this book are messages that were given in the summer of 1963 in Altadena,California. These messages were among the first that were released by Brother Witness Leeafter having been led by the Lord to begin the work of the Lords ministry in the UnitedStates. Those of us who were privileged to hear these messages at that time, either byattending the meetings or listening to them on audio tapes, can testify of the deep andlasting impression that the Lord gave to us concerning the kingdom. Most of the ones whoheard these messages had been saved for many years, yet as the Word was opened, almosteverything spoken was new light to them. This matter of the kingdom is a great and crucialtruth in the Bible. For God to accomplish His divine purpose, He needs His kingdom. Thegovernment of God is with His kingdom, and in His kingdom He fully exercises His divineauthority. Every believer should live a life that is under this heavenly rule. In addition toour salvation, there is the exercise and responsibility of the kingdom of the heavens in thisage, and those who live in its reality today (Matt. 57) will participate in its manifestationin the coming age as a reward (Matt. 2425). The Lord will judge His believers at Hiscoming back according to their living and work after being saved (2 Cor. 5:10), and willeither reward them or discipline them (Matt. 24:4025:30; Luke 12:35-48; 1 Cor. 3:10-15).

We hope that this book will be read with much prayer and that its contents will encourageus to run the race with endurance (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Heb. 12:1), to pursue toward the goal forthe prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:12-14), looking to the Lord tosave us unto His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18) that we might be awarded the crown ofrighteousness in that day (2 Tim. 4:8), the day of Christs second appearing when He willreward each man according to his doings (Matt. 16:27) and his work (Rev.22:12).

June 1986Benson PhillipsIrving, Texas

CHAPTER ONE

OUTLINE OF THE KINGDOMIN THE BIBLE


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Scripture Reading: Gen. 12:1-2; Matt. 6:9-10; Exo. 19:4-6; Rev. 11:15; Matt.21:43; 3:2; 4:17; 10:5-7; 12:28; 16:19; 13:3, 24, 31, 33; 19:23-24; John 3:3, 5;

Matt. 5:20; 7:21; 18:3; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:50;Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; 2 Thes. 1:5; Rev. 12:10; 2 Tim. 4:18

THE DIVINE IMAGEAND THE DIVINE AUTHORITY

Genesis 1 says that God created man in His own image and that He gave man the authorityto rule all the created things (v. 26). In the creation of man the two vital things are thedivine image and the divine authority. If we are to have the full image of God to expressGod and to realize the full authority to represent God, to subdue His enemy, to subdue thisearth, God Himself must be our life. In the first two chapters of Genesis we see the imageand the dominion, the authority, and the life of God, which is signified by the tree of life(Gen. 2:9). To express God and to represent God in a full way we must take God as our life.

We must have God living within us and through us. Then we will have the real image ofGod to express God, and we will realize the divine authority to represent God on this earthto subdue His enemy. The divine life to be received by man is for two things: to express

God on the positive side and to deal with Gods enemy on the negative side. To expressGod, man needs the image of God. To deal with the enemy of God, man needs the authorityof God. The divine authority, which is something of the kingdom, is revealed throughoutthe Scriptures.

THE KINGDOM AND THE CHOSEN RACE

After man became fallen, God chose the race of Abraham. The first race, the race of Adam,failed God. But after the great flood, God began again with a second race of mankind, therace of Noah. This second race also failed God. Then God chose the third race, the race of

Abraham, after the time of Babel. The purpose of Gods choosing of Abraham is revealed inGenesis 12:1-2. These two verses tell us that God chose Abraham with the intention ofhaving a kingdom. The Lord told Abraham that He would make of him a great nation (v.2). This great nation is a kingdom. The kingdom is a sphere, a realm, to exercise authority.

Without the kingdom God can never exercise His authority. For God to accomplish Hispurpose, He must have a realm, a sphere, as a kingdom for Him to exercise His authority.This is why the Lord Jesus mentioned the kingdom when He taught the disciples to pray inMatthew 6. At the beginning of the Lords prayer and at the end of it the kingdom ismentioned. The beginning of the Lords prayer says, Your kingdom come (v. 10). The endof this prayer says, For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen(v. 13).

The accomplishment of Gods eternal purpose depends on the kingdom. If God does nothave a kingdom to exercise His authority, He can do nothing. Thus, in the Old TestamentGod chose Abraham so his descendants could be made a great nation, a kingdom. Thechildren of Israel came into being, and God did make them a nation, a kingdom. Then afterGod brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He told them that they would be to Him akingdom, a nation (Exo. 19:4-6). God made Israel a kingdom, a nation, and in that nationGod exercised His authority. God accomplished certain things by exercising His authorityin the kingdom of Israel.

THE KINGDOM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

In the New Testament the first preacher was John the Baptist. The first word preached byhim was, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt. 3:2). When theLord Jesus began to preach the gospel, He said the same thing as John the Baptist:Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (4:17). When the Lord sent the


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disciples to preach the gospel, He charged them to say, The kingdom of the heavens hasdrawn near (10:7). The book of Revelation tells us that at the Lords coming back after His

judgment upon the nations, the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ(11:15). Eventually, in the millennium the Lord will rule as a king with all His victorioussaints (Rev. 20:4, 6). Revelation shows that in the accomplishment of His eternal purposeGod eventually will have a kingdom in which He can exercise His authority to the fullestextent. The Scriptures clearly reveal this line of the kingdom of God in which or through

which God can exercise His authority to accomplish His eternal purpose.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

A kingdom is not a simple matter. For example, the United States as a nation, a kingdom,is not a simple matter. The kingdom of God includes many things that need to beunderstood. In the Old Testament there is the kingdom of Israel. In the New Testamentthere is the kingdom of the heavens. Then after the church age there will be a period of athousand years known as the millennium. The millennium is a kingdom of a thousand

years (Rev. 20:4, 6). If we read the Scriptures carefully, we will see that even in themillennium there are some further divisions. The kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament,the kingdom of the heavens in the New Testament, and the millennial kingdom after thechurch age are parts of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God runs from eternity toeternity. It is a realm, a sphere, in which God can rule and exercise His authority. Frometernity past to eternity future there is such a thing called the kingdom of God. In thiskingdom God exercises His authority to rule over all things.

The Kingdom of Israel

Concerning the kingdom of Israel being a part of the kingdom of God in the Old Testamenttimes, Matthew 21:43 says, Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be takenfrom you and shall be given to a nation producing its fruit. The kingdom of God was

already there with the Israelites, but because they did not bring forth fruit, the Lord toldthem that the kingdom of God would be taken from them. That it could be taken fromthem means that the kingdom of God was among them already. The Lord took thekingdom from them and gave this kingdom to another people, which is the church.

The Difference betweenthe Kingdom of the Heavens andthe Kingdom of God

We must also see from the Scriptures that the kingdom of the heavens is different from thekingdom of God. Most Christians think that the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdomof Godare synonymous terms. When John the Baptist came, he told the people to repent,for the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near (Matt. 3:2). This meant that up until thetime of John the Baptist, the kingdom of the heavens had not yet come but had only drawnnear. Then when the Lord Jesus came out to preach the gospel at the beginning of Hisministry, He said the same thing: Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near(4:17). Later, in Matthew 10:7, the Lord sent the first group of disciples and told them tosay the same thing, that the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near. When the Lord cameout to preach the gospel, the kingdom of the heavens had not come yet. On the one hand,the kingdom of God was already among the children of Israel. On the other hand, the

kingdom of the heavens was coming.

Matthew 12:28 says, But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdomof God has come upon you. In this verse the Lord refers to the kingdom of God, not the


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kingdom of the heavens. Even then, the kingdom of the heavens had still not come, but thekingdom of God was there by that time.

Another important passage showing this distinction between the kingdom of the heavensand the kingdom of God is Matthew 11:11-12: Truly I say to you, Among those born of

women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist, yet he who is least in thekingdom of the heavens is greater than he. But from the days of John the Baptist until now,the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and violent men seize it. This word

indicates that up to this time the kingdom of the heavens had not come, and John theBaptist was not in it, because the smallest in the kingdom of the heavens is greater thanJohn. Also, from the time of John until the time the Lord spoke this word was the period oftime in which people could endeavor to get into the kingdom of the heavens.

In Matthew 16:19 the Lord told Peter that He would give to him the keys of the kingdomof the heavens. Even at the time of Matthew 16 the kingdom of the heavens had not

begun, because the keys had not been given. The Lord gave the first key of the kingdom ofthe heavens to Peter on the day of Pentecost. The kingdom of the heavens started on theday of Pentecost when the church began to be built up. Peter used one key to open the gatefor the Jewish believers to enter the kingdom of the heavens on the day of Pentecost (Acts

2:38-42), and he used the other to open the gate for the Gentile believers to enter thekingdom of the heavens in the house of Cornelius (10:34-48).

The Kingdom of the Heavens in Matthew 13

Matthew 13 is another proof that the kingdom of the heavens started when the churchbegan to be built. In the first parable in Matthew 13 the Lord says, Behold, the sower wentout to sow (v. 3). In the second parable, however, He says, The kingdom of the heavenshas become like a man sowing good seed in his field. But while the men slept, his enemycame and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat and went away (vv. 24-25). In the third

parable the Lord tells us that the kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed (v. 31). Thefourth parable tells us that the kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman tookand hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened (v. 33). The previousthree parables of Matthew 13 always begin with the clause the kingdom of the heavens is(or, has become) like..., but with the first parable there is not such a clause. In the firstparable the Lord was coming to sow Himself into people as the seed of life. At that time thekingdom of the heavens had only drawn near; it had not come yet. With the second parablethe Lord began to say, the kingdom of the heavens is (or, has become) like, because thekingdom of the heavens began to be established when the church was built (16:18-19) onthe day of Pentecost, the time when the second parable began to be fulfilled. It was fromthat time, after the church had been founded, that the tares, the false believers, were sown

among the true believers, the wheat. Therefore, the kingdom of the heavens is a part of thekingdom of God.

Thus far, we have seen that the kingdom of God is from eternity past to eternity future andthat it includes the kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament, the kingdom of the heavens inthe New Testament, and the millennial kingdom after the church age (see chart on pp.12-13).

The Kingdom of the HeavensBeing the Kingdom of God

The kingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of God just as California, as a part of theUnited States, is the United States. Matthew 19:23-24 says, And Jesus said to Hisdisciples, Truly I say to you, Only with difficulty will a rich man enter into the kingdom ofthe heavens. And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
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needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Verse 23 refers to thekingdom of the heavens, while verse 24 refers to the kingdom of God. This proves that thekingdom of the heavens is a part of the kingdom of God. We have already seen from otherpassages that the kingdom of the heavens is different from the kingdom of God because thekingdom of God was there before the kingdom of the heavens had come. This passage,however, proves that the kingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of God. The example ofCalifornia and the United States helps to explain this. On the one hand, California isdifferent from the United States because the United States is an entire nation. California is

a part of this nation, so it is different. On the other hand, California is the United States.When you come to California, you come to the United States. Likewise, when you enterinto the kingdom of the heavens, you enter into the kingdom of God because the kingdomof the heavens is a part of the kingdom of God. If you are in California, you are in theUnited States, but if you are in the United States, you are not necessarily in California. If

you come to the United States, you may come to New York, Oregon, or Washington, butnot to California. If you enter into the kingdom of the heavens, you surely enter into thekingdom of God, but being in the kingdom of God does not guarantee that you are in thekingdom of the heavens.

Entering into the Kingdom of the Heavens

Matthew 19:23 says that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of theheavens. In John 3:3 and 5, though, the Lord reveals that the only requirement forentering the kingdom of God is to be born again. If you have been born again, you haveentered into the kingdom of God. By our second birth we have entered into the kingdom ofGod, but have we entered into the kingdom of the heavens? To enter into the kingdom ofGod is simply by rebirth, but to enter into the kingdom of the heavens is another matter.Matthew 5:20 says, For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of thescribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Toenter into the kingdom of God requires regeneration as a new beginning of our life, but toenter into the kingdom of the heavens demands surpassing righteousness in our livingafter regeneration. How strict this is! Also, Matthew 7:21 says, Not everyone who says toMe, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of MyFather who is in the heavens. Since entering into the kingdom of the heavens also requiresdoing the will of the heavenly Father, it is clearly different from entering into the kingdomof God by being regenerated. The latter is by the birth of the divine life; the former is by theliving of that life. Matthew 18:3 says, Truly I say to you, Unless you turn and become likelittle children, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Once we have

been regenerated, we are in the kingdom of God, but to enter into the kingdom of theheavens we must have the righteousness which exceeds that of the Pharisees, we must dothe will of God, and we must become like little children.

The time for us to enter into the kingdom of the heavens is revealed in Matthew 24 and 25,the prophecy of the kingdom. These chapters also reveal to us that there is a difference

between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God.

THE KINGDOM NOT BEING SUSPENDED

Some Bible teachers claim that when the Lord Jesus came, He came with the kingdom andpresented it to the Jewish people. When the Jewish people rejected Him, He received backthe kingdom and the kingdom was suspended. According to these Bible teachers, thechurch age is not the time of the kingdom, because the kingdom has been suspended.

When the Lord comes back, He will also bring back the kingdom. Even Dr. C. I. Scofieldtaught in such a way, but the Bible reveals that the kingdom of God has never beensuspended. In Matthew 21:43 the Lord said clearly that the kingdom of God would betaken from the Jewish people and given to another people, that is, to the church. Thisindicates that the kingdom of God has never been suspended. Then after the Lords


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resurrection and before His ascension to the heavens, He stayed with the disciples for fortydays. In those forty days the Lord spoke concerning the things of the kingdom of God: To

whom also He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many irrefutable proofs,appearing to them through a period of forty days and speaking the things concerning thekingdom of God (Acts 1:3). This again indicates that the Lord has never suspended thekingdom of God. Acts 8:12 says, They believed Philip, who announced the gospel of thekingdom of God. When the apostles preached the gospel, they preached the kingdom ofGod. The kingdom has never been suspended. The kingdom of God was preached by the

apostles even after the ascension of the Lord and after Pentecost. Acts 14:22 says,Establishing the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and sayingthat through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. Some Bibleteachers say that the kingdom of God is merely a matter for the Jewish people, but here theapostles were exhorting the Gentile churches to continue in the faith so that they couldenter into the kingdom of God. Romans 14:17 is another verse which shows us that thekingdom of God has not been suspended: For the kingdom of God is not eating anddrinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. With the period of theHoly Spirit, there is still the kingdom of God. Also, the context of this verse is dealing withthe church life in the present age. Other verses which show us that the kingdom of God hasnot been suspended are 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:50, Galatians 5:21,

Ephesians 5:5, 2 Thessalonians 1:5, Revelation 11:15, 12:10, and 2 Timothy 4:18 which says,The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will save me into His heavenlykingdom, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Near the end of Pauls journey asa Christian, as a servant of the Lord, he said that the Lord would save him into Hisheavenly kingdom.

Thus far, we have seen that the kingdom of God is related not merely to the Jews but alsoto the Christians. The matter of the kingdom is not so simple. By our new birth we haveentered into the kingdom of God. On the other hand, as far as the kingdom of the heavensis concerned, we are still on the way to entering into it. For example, I have entered intothe United States because I am in California, but I have not entered into the White House.

The kingdom of the heavens is something different from the kingdom of God, yet thekingdom of the heavens is the kingdom of God because it is a part of the kingdom of God.Therefore, one can be in the kingdom of God yet still not be in the kingdom of the heavens.John 3:3 tells us that by the new birth we entered into the kingdom of God. On the otherhand, we are told in Acts 14:22 that we enter into the kingdom through much tribulation.The kingdom of God is the whole realm in which God rules from eternity to eternity. In thekingdom of God there is a part which is called the kingdom of the heavens. This part beganon the day of Pentecost and concludes at the end of the millennium.

THE THREE ASPECTS OF

THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENSWith the kingdom of the heavens there are three aspects: the external appearance of thekingdom of the heavens (Matt. 13), the reality of the kingdom of the heavens (chs. 57),and the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens (chs. 2425). If we are going tounderstand the kingdom of the heavens, we must know these three aspects. On the day ofPentecost, the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens and the reality of the kingdom ofthe heavens began. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will begin with thecoming back of the Lord Jesus. When the Lord comes back, the kingdom of the heavens

will be manifested. On the one hand, we can say that the kingdom has started already, butthis is just the appearance and the reality, not the manifestation of the kingdom of the

heavens. The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens includes all of the false Christians,but only the victorious, overcoming Christians are in the reality of the kingdom of theheavens. When the Lord Jesus comes back, that will be the time of the manifestation of thekingdom of the heavens.


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CHAPTER TWO

THE REALITY, THE APPEARANCE,AND THE MANIFESTATION

OF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS

Scripture Reading: Matt. 11:10-12; 13:1-50; 57; 2425

THE FOUR DISPENSATIONS IN THE KINGDOM

The kingdom of God is the rule, the government, of God from eternity to eternity. Thiskingdom is composed of four dispensations (see chart on pp. 12-13). Romans 5:14 refers tothe period of time from Adam until Moses. This was the age before the law, the firstdispensation. The second dispensation is from Moses to Christ. This is the dispensation oflaw. The third dispensation is the dispensation of grace, or the dispensation of the church.Outside the church is the external appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, todaysChristendom. Within Christendom is the true church, which is the composition of the real

believers, and within the true church are the overcomers who are in the reality of thekingdom of the heavens. Outside Christendom is the world, the unbelievers. There is noreal separating line between Christendom and the world. The last dispensation is themillennium of a thousand years. In the millennium there are two parts: the heavenly partand the earthly part. The heavenly part is the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.In this manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, Christ and the overcoming believers

will be the kings (Rev. 20:4, 6). In the earthly part of the millennium the saved Jews will bethe priests teaching people how to serve God (Zech. 8:20-23). The overcoming believers asthe kings, the saved Jews as the priests, and the nations as the people are the three groups

of people in the millennium.

THE THREE ASPECTSOF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS

With the kingdom of the heavens there are three main aspects we must be clear about. Thefirst aspect is the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens. This appearance is todaysChristendom, which includes the Roman Catholic Church and all the false Christians. Thesecond aspect is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. This aspect is composed of theovercomers, the victorious Christians. All the genuine Christians, whether victorious or

defeated, are the church. However, within the real church among the true believers there isa distinction between the victorious ones and the defeated ones. With the victorious onesthere is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. The victorious Christians who are in thereality of the kingdom of the heavens, the defeated believers who are in the church yet notin the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, the false Christians who are merely Christiansin name but not members of the true church, and the world composed of all theunbelievers are the four groups of people on the earth today. The appearance of thekingdom of the heavens, Christendom, and the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, theovercomers, constitute the dispensation of the church.

After the dispensation of the church, the Lord will come back. This will be the

manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Those who live in the reality of the kingdomof the heavens today will be manifested with the Lord to be the kings in the dispensation ofthe millennium to rule the nations on the earth with the saved Jews as the priests. Thekings who are the overcomers in Christ, the saved Jews as the priests, and the people, thenations, constitute the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.


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To be clear about the kingdom truths we must first be clear about the difference betweenthe kingdom of God and the kingdom of the heavens. Second, we must be clear about thethree aspects of the kingdom of the heavens: the appearance, the reality, and themanifestation. We have already seen the difference between the kingdom of God and thekingdom of the heavens. Now we must see in more detail the difference between theappearance, the reality, and the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Matthew is a

book on the kingdom of the heavens. The only other mention of the kingdom of theheavens is in 2 Timothy 4:18 where the term heavenly kingdom is used. In the Gospel of

Matthew there are three main parts. The decree of the kingdoms constitution in chapters 5through 7, the parables in chapter 13, and the prophecy of the kingdom in chapters 24 and25 are the three great parts of the Gospel of Matthew. If we can understand these threeparts, we can understand the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter 13 the Lord unveils theappearance of the kingdom of the heavens. In chapters 5 through 7 we can see the reality ofthe kingdom of the heavens. In chapters 24 and 25 the manifestation of the kingdom of theheavens is revealed by the Lord Jesus.

THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS IN MATTHEW13

THE APPEARANCE WITH THE REALITY

The Parable of the Sower

In Matthew 13 the first parable is the parable of the sower: And He spoke many things tothem in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow (v. 3). This parable does notmention the kingdom of the heavens, because at this time the kingdom of the heavens hadnot come yet. The sower is the Lord Himself, who comes to sow Himself into humanity asthe seed of life. This was the preparation for the coming of the kingdom of the heavens.

The Parable of the Tares

The second parable begins in verse 24: Another parable He set before them, saying, Thekingdom of the heavens has become like a man sowing good seed in his field. Thekingdom of the heavens is mentioned in this second parable. The man sowing good seed inhis field is the sower in the first parable, the Lord Jesus. But while the men slept, hisenemy came and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat and went away (v. 25). Thishappened just a little while after the day of Pentecost. When the day of Pentecost came,thousands of believers were added to the church. Among those believers there were somefalse ones, some tares, among the wheat. The second parable is a parable concerning the

church as the beginning of the kingdom of the heavens.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The third parable is the parable of the mustard seed: Another parable He set before them,saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed inhis field, and which is smaller than all the seeds; but when it has grown, it is greater thanthe herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches(vv. 31-32). The mustard is an herb for food. The real church coming out of the seed of lifeshould be just like the mustard, good for food to others. The herb in this verse, however,

becomes a great tree, and the birds of heaven lodge in its branches. In the first parable thebirds (v. 4) signify the evil one, Satan, who came and snatched away the word of thekingdom sown in the hardened heart (v. 19). The bird is the devil, and the birds are the evilpersons, spirits, and things out of the devil who lodge in this big tree. This happened whenConstantine the Great mixed the church with the world in the first part of the fourthcentury. He brought thousands of false believers into the church, making it Christendom,


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no longer the church. Christianity became the national religion of the Roman Empire, andConstantine encouraged all the unbelievers to come into the church. Before this time theRoman Empire had persecuted Christianity, but during Constantines reign the RomanEmpire welcomed it. From that time onward the churchs nature changed. It becamedeeply rooted and settled in the earth as a great tree, flourishing with its enterprises as the

branches in which many evil persons and things are lodged. Todays Christendom is a bigtree with many branches, and many sinful persons and evil spirits are lodging in its

branches.

The Parable of the Leaven Hidden in the Fine Flour

Matthew 13:33 says, Another parable He spoke to them: The kingdom of the heavens islike leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole wasleavened. This woman is a type of the Roman Catholic Church. In Revelation the Lordlikens the Roman Catholic Church to a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (Rev. 17:3). The

beast is the Roman Empire, and the woman on the beast is the Roman Catholic Church.This portrays religion joining with politics. After Constantine welcomed Christianity intothe Roman Empire as the national religion, the church transmuted into something largeand worldly and even became a worldly power. This worldly power became the RomanCatholic Church, typified by this woman in Matthew 13. The leaven which this woman tooksignifies evil things (1 Cor. 5:6, 8) and evil doctrines (Matt. 16:6, 11-12). Meal, for makingthe meal offering (Lev. 2:1), signifies Christ as food to both God and man. The RomanCatholic Church has something real, but it puts in something false. Todays modernism,

which is even among the Protestant churches, denies the deity of our Lord Jesus and thefact that He was born of the virgin Mary. The Roman Catholic Church, however, alwaysrecognizes that Christ is the Son of God, the very God, born of a virgin. This is the fineflour, the meal, but they added leaven into the fine flour (Lev. 2:4-5, 11). Many paganpractices and heresies were added into the fine flour.

The birth of Christ is a part of the fine flour, but Christmas is the leaven added to the fineflour. History tells us that December 25 was celebrated as the birthday of the sun god.

When Christianity was accepted as the state religion by the Roman Empire in A.D. 313,many people in the church were not regenerated. Some of these unregenerated ones wereaccustomed to having a festival on December 25 to celebrate the birthday of the sun god.To accommodate these unbelievers, the apostate church declared December 25 to be the

birthday of Christ. This is the source of Christmas. The apostate church has the fine flour,but within the flour there is leaven.

Christ is the fine flour, but the so-called pictures of Jesus are included in the leaven. Anypicture of Jesus is false. The book of Isaiah tells us that when the Lord was on the earth, He

had no attracting form nor majesty that we should look upon Him, / Nor beautifulappearance that we should desire Him (53:2). Isaiah 52:14 tells us that His visage wasmarred more than that of any man, / And His form more than that of the sons of men.Todays pictures of Jesus always portray Him as a handsome man. This is not the truepicture of Jesus, but the leaven. In 1937 when I was traveling in northern China, a case ofdemon possession was brought to my attention. A certain Christian sister had becomepossessed. When I was asked the reason for this, I said that, in principle, either sin or someidols or images in that sisters home would give ground for the demon to possess her. Thissister was a young Christian and did not know these things. She had bought a picture of theso-called Jesus and had put that picture in her room. Eventually, she was bowing down toit with respect. Later on she was possessed by a demon. I told her to burn the picture.

From the moment she burned that picture, the demon departed.

Adding leaven to fine flour makes it easier for people to take. Unleavened bread is harderfor people to eat. This is the principle operating in the Roman Catholic Church. Theymaintain that if the leaven is not put into the things concerning Christ, it will be hard for


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the people to take. If people were simply told that God is in Christ as the Spirit, they wouldnot be able to take it. To put up an image of Christ or a statue of Christ at the entrance ofthe cathedral and tell people that this is Christ makes it easier for people to worship andrealize Christ, according to the Roman Catholic Church. They maintain that the images,even though they are not really Christ, remind people of Christ. To them, the image ofChrist makes it easier for people to contact Christ. This is the leaven within the fine flour.

When I was in Manila, I visited a Catholic cathedral. At the entrance of this cathedral was a

statue of Mary. Noticing that one of the hands of the statue was almost completely wornout, I asked the people what had happened. They said that everyone who entered thecathedral first touched the hand of the statue and that, through the years, this had wornout the hand. When I asked them about the need for such a statue, they said, If people donot have statues, they cannot understand what we are saying when we talk about the Bible.They need something solid to grasp. This is their justification for having statues of Jesusand Mary. What subtlety! That is not Jesus or Marythat is an idol. Apparently, they

worshipped Jesus; actually, they worshipped an image of stone. This is the subtlety of theenemy.

Now we can see the evil of the apostate churchit absorbs pagan things and adds them to

the fine flour. How wicked this is! The Roman Catholic Church preaches Christ withpaganism, with heathenism, with idols, with images, and with sinful things and falsethings. The Lord likens the kingdom of the heavens to this practice; hence, this is theappearance of the kingdom of the heavens. This is not the real thing.

The Parable of the TreasureHidden in the Field

A fifth parable says, The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hidden in the field,which a man found and hid, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has, and buys that

field (Matt. 13:44). In the Scriptures, the sea denotes the world corrupted by Satan (Isa.57:20; Rev. 17:15), and the field represents the earth created by God for His kingdom (Gen.1:26-28). The treasure hidden in the field signifies the kingdom hidden in Gods created

world. The treasure hidden in the field must consist of gold or precious stones, thematerials for the building of the church and the New Jerusalem (1 Cor. 3:12; Rev. 21:18-20). The church is the practical kingdom today, and the New Jerusalem will be thekingdom in manifestation in the coming age. Before the Lord came, the kingdom was ahidden matter. When the Lord came, He found the kingdom, made it open, and presentedit to the Jewish people. Since the Jewish people rejected it, the Lord hid this matter fromthem. The Lord then went to the cross to die, to pay the cost to buy the field with itstreasure. This means that the Lord died on the cross to redeem the earth with the kingdom.

The Parable of the Merchantand the Pearl

The sixth parable says, Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking finepearls; and finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it(Matt. 13:45-46). The Lord in this parable is the merchant, and the pearl is the church. Thepearl comes out of the water, which denotes the corrupted world. The pearl, produced inthe death waters (the world filled with death) by a living oyster (the living Christ) that is

wounded by a little rock (the sinner) and secretes its life-juice around the wounding rock(the believer), is also the material for the building of the New Jerusalem. Since the pearlcomes out of the sea, which signifies the world corrupted by Satan, it must refer to thechurch, which is constituted mainly of regenerated believers from the Gentile world and

which is of great value.


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The Parable of the Net Cast into the Sea

The seventh parable says, Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a net cast into the seaand gathering from every species, which, when it was filled, they brought onto the shore,and sat down and collected the good into vessels; but the foul they cast out (vv. 47-48).The sea denotes the corrupted world. At the end of the church age, when the Lord comes

back, He will send the angels to bring all the living peoples, the unbelievers, unto Him. Hewill divide them into two classesa class of good and a class of evil. The evil ones will

perish immediately, and the good ones will be translated into the millennial kingdom to bethe nations (Matt. 13:49-50; 25:32-46).

These seven parables show us the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens with thereality of the kingdom of the heavens. The appearance of the kingdom of the heavensincludes the true believers, the false ones, and all the evil things in todays Christendom.

THE REALITY OF THE KINGDOM OF THEHEAVENS

The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is revealed in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. The parablesin Matthew 13 reveal many evil things, leaven, and false believers. In Matthew 5, 6, and 7,though, the kingdom of the heavens is revealed as something very pure. This is the realityof the kingdom of the heavens. Matthew 5:3 says, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirsis the kingdom of the heavens. Verse 10 says, Blessed are those who are persecuted forthe sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Verse 20 says, For Isay to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, youshall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens. These verses show us how strictthe kingdom of the heavens is and how pure this kingdom is. Matthew 7:21 says, Noteveryone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he

who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens. This is the reality of the kingdom ofthe heavens. To be in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens we must be poor in spirit,we must suffer persecution for righteousness sake, we must do the will of the Father, andwe must be pure and meek (5:3-10). The parables in Matthew 13 unveil the appearance ofthe kingdom of the heavens, whereas the teachings in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 unveil the realityof the kingdom of the heavens.

A real believer in the church is not necessarily an overcomer. We may be in the church andstill not be in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Some people are in Christendom,the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, but not really in the church. To be in thechurch a person must be a real believer in Christ, regenerated with the life of God. After

regeneration, a Christian has to go on with the Lord to be victorious. He must overcome allthe sinful things; then he will be in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. To seewhether or not we are in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, we need to compareourselves with the teaching in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We may be saved, but are we in thereality of the kingdom of the heavens?

THE MANIFESTATIONOF THE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS

When the Lord comes back, the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will be

realized. This is revealed in Matthew 24 and 25. Only the overcomers who are in the realityof the kingdom of the heavens today will have a share in the manifestation of the kingdomof the heavens in the future. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will be areward, a prize, given to the overcomers.


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CHAPTER THREE

LIFE UNDER THE KINGDOMS RULE

Scripture Reading: Ezek. 28:11-19; Isa. 14:12-20; Rev. 12:3-4; Rom. 14:17; 1Cor. 3:9; 5:1-5; 6:6-7, 9-10; 3:13-15; Matt. 24:38-51; 25:1-30

What is the real meaning of the kingdom? A kingdom is a rule, a government, and thekingdom of God simply means the rule and government of God. From eternity to eternityGod is the King, the sovereign almighty Ruler of the whole universe. The entire universefrom eternity to eternity is the kingdom of God. According to Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah14:12-20, one of the archangels, Lucifer, rebelled against God, and a number of the angelsfollowed him in his rebellion (Rev. 12:3-4). After the creation of man, Lucifer, or Satan,came to induce man to rebel also. Due to these two rebellionsthat of Satan with hisangels and that of manthe ruling and government of God has been greatly interrupted,tested, and attacked. Instead of being under the rule and control of God, the earth hascome under the rule and control of Satan with fallen man. This is the earthly kingdom. Bythe time the Lord Jesus came to the earth at His incarnation, nearly the whole earth was

the kingdom of the earth, controlled by Satan with man. The Lord Jesus came to work outGods intention of bringing His kingdom into this world. Gods intention is to have theearth controlled by the heavens. For this reason He needs to bring His kingdom to theearth. The whole earth needs to be brought under a heavenly rule and government. TheLord Jesus came to bring the earth under the rule of the kingdom of the heavens.

This is why John the Baptist cried, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawnnear (Matt. 3:2). Men needed to repent and to come under the heavenly rule. When theLord Jesus came with the kingdom of the heavens, He was rejected by the Jewish people,so He turned to the Gentiles and established His church among the Gentiles. Within thechurch He brought all things under the rule and government of the heavens. In the church

there is the heavenly rule and government, and there is the reality of the kingdom of theheavens. During the period of the church age, however, the kingdom of the heavens, theheavenly rule, is not manifested in an open way. Rather, it is a heavenly rule in a verymysterious and hidden way. Although it is not yet manifested, the reality of the heavenlyrule is present. In the church at least some of the Christians are under the ruling of theheavens. With them there is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens.

When the Lord Jesus comes back, He will subdue the whole world, and the kingdom of theworld will become the kingdom of our Lord. At that time the kingdom of the heavens willbe manifested in an open way (Rev. 11:15). The kingdom of the heavens will become theruling power and will govern in a manifested, open way, not in a mysterious and hidden

way. Now the kingdom of the heavens rules within the church in a hidden, mysterious way,but at that time the kingdom of the heavens will be fully manifested. The kingdom of theheavens simply means the heavenly rule and government. If you are in the reality of thekingdom of the heavens, you are under the rule of the heavens.

When the Lord Jesus turned the kingdom of the heavens to the church, He brought agroup of people out of the world to be under the heavenly rule. Through regeneration allthe Christians have been brought into the kingdom of the heavens. This means that allChristians by their regeneration have been brought under the rule of the heavens. This is amarvelous beginning, but after such a good beginning through regeneration, not many are

willing to be ruled by the heavens. Therefore, they are regenerated and saved by the Lord,yet they are defeated. They had a good beginning, but they did not have a goodcontinuation. They were brought into the kingdom by their new birth, but they did notcontinue practically in the kingdom by being willing to be ruled by the heavens. Within thechurch the true believers have been regenerated and brought into the kingdom of God. Butamong these true believers many are defeated. Only a small number are victorious and


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overcoming. The overcomers are the ones who are willing to be under the rule of thekingdom of the heavens. They are willing to live and walk and do things according to theteachings of the Lord concerning the reality of the kingdom in Matthew 57. They aresanctified, they are victorious over sin, self, the flesh, and the world, and they are in theprocess of being transformed.

Let me cite some examples to help you understand the meaning of being under the rule ofthe heavens. In a university there are many students who are unsaved; there are other

students who are regenerated, saved Christians, but who are not victorious andovercoming. Rather, they are defeated. Only a small number of the Christians arevictorious and overcoming. Because most of the students may be naughty, they need to becontrolled by the administration of the school. If, however, you are a Christian under therule of the kingdom of the heavens, you should not need the control of the administrationof the school. If the rules say that the lights must be off by 10:30, you do not need someoneto come by and enforce this rule. The unbelievers and the defeated Christians may evencover the light and continue to study until two oclock in the morning. If you did such athing and you were under the rule of the kingdom of the heavens, you would surely repentand go to the school administration, apologizing and offering to pay for the electricity. If

you are under the rule of the kingdom of the heavens, there is no need for anyone to

control you. If we need policemen to control us, it means we are defeated Christians. Wemust be those heavenly people who are under a heavenly ruling and a heavenlygovernment. We should have no need of any other kind of rule.

Even cultured, educated ladies and gentlemen will sometimes steal something when theyhave an opportunity. This means they are simply under the control of this earth; they arenot under the rule of the heavens. If the police were removed from any major city, whatconfusion and chaos would result! This is because people today are under the control of theearth and the earthly government and not under the rule of the kingdom of the heavens.

As the heavenly people, we must be under the heavenly rule, under the kingdom of the

heavens. This is the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Gods intention in regeneratingus is to bring us under His heavenly rule. But many of us, after being regenerated, are not

willing to be ruled by the heavens. We are in the church, but we are not in the reality of thekingdom of the heavens.

The kingdom of the heavens belongs to those who are poor in spirit, who are pure in heart,who are meek, whose righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, and who do the will ofGod. Whoever lives in such a way is in the kingdom of the heavens, and the kingdom of theheavens is theirs. The Word does not sayshall be yours but is yours (Matt. 5:3). When weare pure in heart and poor in spirit, the kingdom is ours. This means we are in the kingdomnow, and we are under the ruling of the kingdom of the heavens now.

THE KINGDOM BEINGRIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY

In Romans 14:17 the apostle Paul tells us that the kingdom of God is righteousness andpeace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness refers to your relationship with others. Asto yourself you must be righteous. With others you must be peaceful. With God you must

be joyful. If you are not joyful before God and with God, that means you are wrong. Ourdaily living must match Romans 14:17.

In our meeting place in Taiwan we used to have benches, not chairs. Sometimes when weexpected that not many people would come to the meetings, we announced that every

bench would be for four persons. When more people were expected to come to themeetings, we announced that each bench would be for five persons. Some of the brothersand sisters would not be righteous to share their seat with another brother or sister. If you


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are a Christian under the rule of the heavens, in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens,you surely would not occupy another persons seat. You would sacrifice a little part of yourseat for others. To fail in this matter shows that you are a greedy person. Do not believethat all Christians are wonderful people. Many Christians are selfish. They are not underthe ruling of the heavens. They are not righteous as to themselves, so they do not have thefull peace with others, and they do not have joy before God and with God. If you are wrong

with God, you will not be happy. If you are under the ruling of the heavens, you will berighteous as to yourself, you will have peace with others, and you will be joyful with God.

This is the heavenly ruling, the heavenly government. This is what it means to be in thereality of the kingdom of the heavens.

You may be a regenerated member of the church and yet not be under the rule of theheavens. Although you are in the church, you are not in the reality of the kingdom of theheavens. If you are a defeated Christian, not living in the reality of the kingdom of theheavens, where will you be when the Lord Jesus comes back? Some have taught in the pastthat although you are defeated now, when the Lord Jesus comes back, you will be treatedthe same as the overcoming, victorious one, and you will go into the manifestation of thekingdom of the heavens to be a king with the Lord. This is not logical.

THE KINGDOM AS AN INHERITANCE

Consider the case of 1 Corinthians 5. A brother who was in the church at Corinthcommitted a sin that even the worldly people would condemn. Let us read 1 Corinthians5:1 and 5: It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornicationthat does not even occur among the Gentiles, that someone has his stepmother...To deliversuch a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the dayof the Lord. When the Lord Jesus comes back, will such a sinful one be lost? No! Verse 5says, That his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

When the Lord Jesus comes back, surely the apostle Paul will be transferred into themanifestation of the kingdom of the heavens and rule as a king with the Lord Jesus,because he already lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. But what about thatsinful brother in Corinth? Do you think that he was living in the reality of the kingdom ofthe heavens? He was in the church at Corinth, but he was not in the reality of the kingdomof the heavens. Surely a defeated, sinful believer who is living in fornication will not betransferred into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens to rule and reign with theLord.

Let us also read 1 Corinthians 6:6 and 7: But brother goes to court with brother, and thisbefore unbelievers. Already then it is altogether a defeat to you that you have lawsuits with

one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? The Lordsattitude toward the brother who was in fornication and toward those who were defraudingone another is in verses 9 and 10: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inheritthe kingdom of God? Do not be led astray; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterersnor effeminate nor homosexuals nor thieves nor the covetous, not drunkards, not revilers,not the rapacious will inherit the kingdom of God. Chapter 5 shows that a fornicator isstill saved, but chapter 6 shows that such a person cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The

Word does not say that he cannot enter the kingdom of God, but that he cannot inherit thekingdom of God. There is a big difference between entering the kingdom of God andinheriting the kingdom of God. To enter the kingdom of God, we simply need a new birth(John 3:3, 5). But to inherit the kingdom of God, we need to live in the reality of the

kingdom of the heavens now.

When will the overcomers, the victorious ones, inherit the kingdom of God? Surely thatwill be at the time when the Lord Jesus comes back. The kingdom today is not anenjoyment but an exercise. Today we are not enjoying or inheriting; today we are being


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exercised in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. But when the Lord Jesus comesback, the kingdom will be an enjoyment to us. At that time we will enjoy the kingdom, andwe will be kings ruling with the Lord Jesus. The kingdom will be an inheritance to us. Tobe saved into the kingdom is one thing; to inherit the kingdom of God is another thing.

SUFFERING A LOSS

When the Lord Jesus comes back, the apostle Paul will inherit the manifestation of the

kingdom. But what about the sinful brother in 1 Corinthians 5? Will he inherit the kingdomof God? No! What will happen to him? The answer to this is found in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15:The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed byfire, and the fire itself will prove each ones work, of what sort it is. If anyones work whichhe has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward; if anyones work isconsumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Whenthe Lord Jesus returns, the fire will try every mans work. If a mans work remains, he willreceive not salvation but a reward. These verses are not related to the security of oursalvation; they are related to whether we shall receive a reward or suffer a loss when theLord Jesus comes back. Verse 15 says, He will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yetso as through fire. Do not consider that as long as you are saved there is no problem. To

be saved is one thing, and to be rewarded or to suffer a loss is another. You can be savedand yet still suffer a loss. And even though you suffer a loss, you will still be saved. Once weare saved, we can never be lost (John 10:28-29). But once we are saved, we can either berewarded by the Lord or suffer a loss.

THE EXERCISE OF THE KINGDOM

The kingdom of the heavens is used by God for two purposes: the first is for the exercise ofHis children, and the second is for a reward to His children. Today the kingdom of theheavens is an exercise. Do not say that we have been saved by grace and that everything is

by grace. Yes, we do have Christ as grace, but we also have the kingdom as an exercise.Even with a proper family life there are these two sides. In the Bible there is surely the sideof enjoyment and grace, but there is also the side of exercise and responsibility. Christ isthe grace, and the kingdom is the exercise. By His resurrection the Lord Jesus hasregenerated us (1 Pet. 1:3). But now that we are regenerated, we must be exercised in thekingdom. We are not simply in the house of God; we are also in the kingdom of God. Thehouse is a place for grace and enjoyment, but the kingdom is a place for exercise. ManyChristians simply enjoy the family life of the household of God, but they neglect theexercise of the kingdom life. The kingdom of the heavens is used by God to cause us to beexercised.

THE REWARD OF THE KINGDOM

The kingdom of the heavens is also used by God as a reward to His faithful children. If weexercise ourselves in a proper way after we are saved, we will enjoy the manifestation of thekingdom of the heavens as a reward. Today the kingdom of the heavens is an exercise to us,

but tomorrow it will be an enjoyment to us. The big question is whether or not we will bequalified to inherit the kingdom of the heavens. God is very gracious, but He is also very

wise. He saves us by His grace, but in His wisdom He causes us to be exercised by thekingdom, and He will reward us with the kingdom. If we are defeated, when He comes

back, surely He will punish us. We will not enjoy the manifestation of the kingdom of the

heavens as our inheritance.

Let us read Matthew 24:45-51: Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom themaster has set over his household to give them food at the proper time? Blessed is thatslave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Truly I say to you that he will


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set him over all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master delays,and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master ofthat slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he doesnot know, and will cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. In thatplace there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Do not consider that the slave

who was cut off signifies an unbeliever. The fact that he is a slave indicates that he is saved.Consider your own situation: You are saved, but are you a faithful slave of the Lord? Are

you the first slave or the second? If you are the first slave, the Lord Jesus will appoint you

to be the ruler over His goods when He comes back. But if you are the second, you will becut off from this ruling manifestation, and furthermore, you will suffer. You will weep andgnash your teeth.

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

The second parable in Matthew 25, the parable of the talents, shows the same principle. Allare servants, and yet some are not allowed to enter into the manifestation of the kingdomof the heavens. Let us read from verse 22: And he who had received the two talents alsocame and said, Master, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I have gained another twotalents. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over afew things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master. Then he whohad received the one talent also came and said, Master, I knew about you, that you are ahard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow. And I

was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the earth; behold, you have what is yours.And his master answered and said to him, Evil and slothful slave, you knew that I reapwhere I did not sow and gather where I did not winnow. Therefore you should havedeposited my money with the money changers; and when I came, I would have recovered

what is mine with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him whohas the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall abound; butfrom him who does not have, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. Andcast out the useless slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be the weepingand the gnashing of teeth. The faithful slaves were invited into the joy of the Lord, but theslothful slave was rebuked by the Lord and cast into the outer darkness, where he wouldexperience weeping and gnashing of teeth. The slothful slave was punished so that hemight become ripe and matured.

A SERIOUS WARNING

The kingdom of the heavens is the heavenly ruling, the heavenly government of the LordJesus. After we have been regenerated, we have to be under this ruling. If we are under thisruling, we will be victorious and overcoming. We will be in the reality of the kingdom of the

heavens, and we will enter into the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens to ruleand reign with the Lord. But if we are defeated Christians, when the Lord Jesus comes

back, we will suffer loss, and we will be punished so that we may become mature. When theLord returns, we will be rewarded or punished according to our exercise in the kingdom. Ifour exercise has been proper in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord willreward us with the manifestation of the kingdom. If we have not been exercised in thereality of the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord will render a certain kind of punishment tous at the time of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. This does not mean that

we will be lost but that we will suffer something to help us ripen.

We are the Lords children, His crop, His plantation (1 Cor. 3:9). As the Lords crop, wemust eventually be matured, whether in this age or the next. If we are not willing to beripened in this age, when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will deal with us, and we will beforced to be ripened in the next age. On the one hand, we have eternal security; once weare saved, we are saved forever. But on the other hand, there is a serious warning. Todaythe Lord gives us the kingdom of the heavens as an exercise to test us. When He comes


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back, He will give us the kingdom of the heavens as a reward if we exercise ourselvesproperly. Otherwise, He will render a certain kind of punishment to us so that we can paythe price to be ripened. May the Lord be gracious to all of us.

CHAPTER FOUR

EXERCISE AND DISCIPLINE FOR

THE KINGDOMScripture Reading: 1 Cor. 3:12-15; Luke 12:42-47; Acts 14:22; John 3:5; 1 Cor.

5:1, 5; 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3-5; Gal. 5:19-21; 2 Thes. 1:5; 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13-15;2 Tim. 4:1, 7-8, 18

THE ETERNAL LIFE OF GODFULFILLING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THEKINGDOM

The kingdom truths have much to do with the inner life as well as the church life. If we aregoing to realize the church life, we must know something about the kingdom of God andthe kingdom of the heavens. If we are going to experience the inner life in a practical way,

we must know the kingdom of the heavens. We have already pointed out that the kingdomof God is the rule of God, the government of God. The kingdom of the heavens is theheavenly rule, the heavenly government. We must remember that the first gospelpreaching, preached by both John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus, was concerning thekingdom of the heavens. Because of our natural concepts, we are prone to consider that thefirst item of the New Testament gospel is the forgiveness of sins, and the second item is

eternal life. Negatively, our sins have been forgiven, and positively, we have eternal life.But in fact, the first word of the New Testament gospel is to repent for the sake of thekingdom of the heavens (Matt. 3:2; 4:17). We need forgiveness of sins so that we can haveeternal life, and we need eternal life so that we can be under the heavenly rule. Thekingdom is the requirement of the gospel, and the life is the supply of the gospel. What thegospel requires, it also supplies. The gospel requires us to be governed and ruled by theheavens. The gospel also supplies us with the divine life for us to fulfill the requirements ofthe kingdom.

Matthew 5, 6, and 7 reveal the highest standard of living, a living on the highest plane.These chapters reveal that we must be poor in spirit (5:3), pure in heart (v. 8), and meek

(v. 5). We must even suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness (v. 10). If someonetakes your tunic, you should let him have your cloak (v. 40). If a man compels you to goone mile, you should go with him two miles (v. 41).

When Brother Nee was young, he preached the gospel, and a number of young people werebrought to the Lord. These young people went to the country to preach the gospel to thefarmers, and a number of the farmers were saved. Most of the farmland was on the hills, sothe farmers had to bring the water up to water their fields. Two of these farmers who metthe Lord had some land close to the top of a mountain. Their neighbor owned some fieldsunder their land. After these two farmers brought the water to their fields in the evening,they went home. When they came to their fields the next day, they found that all the water

was gone. Their neighbor had stolen the water from their fields by draining the water fromthe two farmers fields down to his fields.

The two farmers were very angry, but as Christians they thought that they needed to learnpatience. So they brought up the water once more to water their fields. When they came


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again the next day, they discovered that their water had been drained to their neighborsfields again. They were very angry again, but since they were Christians, they thought thatthey needed to learn patience. Therefore, they did not say anything or do anything. They

brought the water up again to water their fields. The next day the water was gone again. Bythis time they were so troubled that they went to see Brother Nee. They told Brother Neethe story and that as Christians they felt they had to be patient in this matter. WhenBrother Nee asked them if they felt joyful within, the two brothers replied that the morethey exercised to be patient, the more they suffered.

Then Brother Nee read them Matthew 5:40-41: And to him who wishes to sue you andtake your tunic, yield to him your cloak also; and whoever compels you to go one mile, go

with him two. Brother Nee told them that if they wanted to be happy Christians, theyshould bring the water to their neighbors fields first and then bring the water to theirfields. The next day the two brothers brought the water first to their neighbors fields, andthen they brought the water to their own fields. They were flooded with joy and praise tothe Lord. That night their neighbor came again to steal their water. When the neighborarrived, he saw that his fields were already filled with water and that there was no need forhim to steal. The neighbor was so moved that, soon after that, he was saved and became a

brother in the church. These two brothers exercised to be under the heavenly ruling, the

heavenly government.

As Christians who are born from above, we do not need any kind of earthly government torule over us. We already have the heavenly government ruling over us. This is the realmeaning of the kingdom of the heavens. The kingdom is simply the requirement of thegospel. The gospel requires us not only to be sinless but also to be ruled by the heavenlygovernment.

If we are going to meet the requirements of such a high standard, we must have a life thatis on an equally high plane. Otherwise, we cannot meet such a high standard. Only thedivine life can meet such a high standard. Only the divine life can meet the requirements of

the heavenly government. The kingdom is the requirement of the New Testament gospel,and the eternal life, which is Christ Himself, is the supply. The divine life can fulfill therequirements of the kingdom. Once we see the matter of the kingdom, we can see how higha standard is required by the gospel. After we are saved, we have a heavenly requirement

within us demanding us to live on a high level. This level can be reached only by the supplyof the divine life.

THE WISDOM AND JUSTICE OF GOD

The kingdom is also related to the wisdom and justice of God. The kingdom proves both

the wisdom and the justice of God. Without the kingdom, Gods wisdom and justice cannotbe proved to the fullest extent. Also, apart from the truth concerning the kingdom, it is verydifficult to solve the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism. The Calvinists stresseternal security, while the Arminians stress that one can lose his salvation. For manygenerations these two groups have been quarreling and debating. Both of these sides havetheir points. The Calvinists can point out many passages which prove eternal security. The

Arminians, however, will bring up other passages, such as Hebrews 6 and 10, which seemto indicate that a person can be saved and then fall and be lost again. Without the kingdomtruth, these two extremes can never be reconciled.

There is no doubt that once we have been saved, we are saved forever. Our salvation is

eternally secure. But on the other hand, besides Gods salvation there is Gods wisdom.There is the truth concerning the kingdom. In addition to salvation there is the matter ofthe kingdom. Today the kingdom is an exercise for us. After we were saved, God set thekingdom before us as an exercise. In a sense, we are born in Gods home, but we areexercised in Gods kingdom. The home is a place for birth and enjoyment, but the kingdom


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is a place for exercise and responsibility. After we have been regenerated, we must beexercised. The home is the place to enjoy grace, but the kingdom is the place to exerciseresponsibility. We should not take one and neglect the other. We have to take the grace,and we also have to take the responsibility. We have to take the home, and we also have totake the kingdom. We enjoy and share in the home by partaking of the grace. We share inthe kingdom by being exercised to take the responsibility. Today, in the church age, thekingdom is an exercise to us. In the age to come, the millennium, the kingdom will be areward to us. If we exercise well today, the Lord will reward us at that day. If we do not

exercise well today, we will lose the reward of the kingdom. By this the wisdom of God isproved, and the justice of God is maintained. Salvation is eternal; once we gain it, we willnever lose it (John 10:28-29). But we may suffer the loss of the kingdom reward, though

we will still be saved (1 Cor. 3:8, 14-15). Besides eternal salvation there is the matter of thekingdom, which requires our exercise in this age to be a reward to us in the coming age.

THE EXERCISE OF THE KINGDOM

We need to read a number of passages which indicate that in addition to salvation there isthe exercise of the kingdom. First Corinthians 3:12-15 says, But if anyone builds upon thefoundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, the work of each will becomemanifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself willprove each ones work, of what sort it is. If anyones work which he has built upon thefoundation remains, he will receive a reward; if anyones work is consumed, he will sufferloss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. These few verses show clearly thatif we exercise properly, we will receive a reward, but if we do not exercise properly, we willsuffer loss. It does not mean that we will lose our salvation but that we will suffer a loss.Both the reward and the loss are something in addition to salvation. Once we receivesalvation, we have it eternally. But besides salvation there is the matter of the reward orthe loss. We must realize that after we are saved, we are put into the kingdom to beexercised. Because we are born again, we must be under the rule of the heavenly kingdom,under the heavenly government. For this exercise, there will be a reward or a loss. There isno problem concerning salvation, but there is a problem concerning the exercise.

A FAITHFUL AND PRUDENT STEWARD

Now let us read Luke 12:42-47: And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and prudentsteward, whom the master will set over his service to give them their portion of food at theproper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.Truly I tell you that he will set him over all his possessions. But if that slave says in hisheart, My master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male servants and thefemale servants and to eat and to drink and become drunk, the master of that slave will

come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, andwill cut him asunder, and will appoint his portion with the unbelievers. And that slave whoknew his masters will and did not prepare or do according to his will, will receive manylashes. If the steward is faithful, the master, at his coming back, will make him ruler overall that he has. But if he is not faithful, that steward will be cut asunder and will have hisportion with the unbelievers. Please notice that there are two possibilities for the samesteward. Both possibilities refer to the same person. This is a matter of the reward of thekingdom. Today we are in the kingdom to be ruled, but in the next age we will be in thekingdom to rule. Today the kingdom is an exercise, but in the next age the manifestation ofthe kingdom will be a reward. First, we must be ruled, and then we can rule oversomething. If we have never been ruled, we can never rule over something. We must be

exercised in this age so that we will be qualified to rule in the next age. The present age isthe age for the Lord to exercise His children and to prepare His kings. We all must beprepared. As a steward, you must learn how to take care of the household of the Lord. Youmust learn how to be exercised to be a king and to rule. Then when the Lord comes back,


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you will be appointed to rule in the kingdom. At that time the manifestation of thekingdom of the heavens will be a reward to you.

There are two possibilities for the same slave. The first possibility is that he would befaithful and be appointed to rule over all that his master has. The second possibility is thathe would be a slothful slave and would be punished by his master. Some Christians havethe wrong concept that these are two different slaves. They think that one is the real slaveand the other is the false slave. But by careful reading, we can see that these are not two

different slaves. It is the same slave with two different possibilities. Instead of beingfaithful, the steward may quarrel with the brothers and sisters and may beat them. Whenhis master comes, he will surely cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with theunbelievers. This steward is a believer, but he will suffer in that time as if he were anunbeliever. This does not mean he will lose his salvation. This means he will suffer someloss. When the Lord comes back, he will be beaten. Some Christians would argue that whenthe Lord comes back, we all will simply be resurrected and taken up to be with Him. Theycannot imagine that the Lord would punish any believers. It is not my word which says thatthe master will beat the slave. The Bible says that he will beat the slave.

We must see several points very clearly. Surely this steward is saved, because once we are

saved we can never be lost. Yet because of his unfaithfulness, the steward will suffer abeating from his master. The master will reward the faithful one and will punish theunfaithful one.

FOUR DISPENSATIONS OF THE LORDSDEALINGS

We must realize that there are four dispensations, or ages, in which the Lord willaccomplish His work. There are the age from Adam to Moses (Rom. 5:14), the age fromMoses to Christ (John 1:17), the age of the church, and the age of the millennium. The last

of these four ages, the millennium, will be an age of restoration but not an age ofperfection. This means it will still be an age of dealing, an age for the Lord to accomplishsomething. In the age of the millennium there will still be some of the curse, and some will

be dead due to that curse (Rev. 20:5). In addition, at the end of these thousand years thenations will rebel again (Rev. 20:8-9). Although mankind will be restored for one thousand

years, mans rebellious nature will still remain. This proves that the millennium is not theage of perfection but the age of restoration. The Lords dealing with the believers is mainlyin two ages: the church age and the millennium. If we are willing to be dealt with by theLord to the fullest extent in this age, we will enjoy the reward in the next age. But if we arenot willing to be dealt with by the Lord to the fullest extent in this age, He will still deal

with us when He comes back. At one time or another we must be dealt witheither in this

age or the next. But there is a big difference. If we are willing to be dealt with by the Lord inthis age, we will be rewarded. If not, we will be punished during the next age. Either way,

we will be dealt with by the Lord.

Why would the Lord still deal with us during the next age? It is because we are His harvest(Rev. 14:15; 1 Cor. 3:9), His crop. As a crop, we must ripen; otherwise, the husbandmancannot receive us into the barn. If we would not ripen in this age, the Lord will make usripe in the next age. If we are not mature in this age by the time the Lord comes back, He

will cause us to be matured in the next age. For a crop to be matured is a fixed principle.We must be matured. As the Lords crop we must be mature and ripe. If we are not willingto be ripened and matured in this age, the Lord will cause us to be matured and ripened inthe next age, but we will suffer.

Many Christians today mistakenly think that once they die, everything will be all right.That can never be. Even after we die, whatever problems we have with the Lord will stillremain. If we are not ready and mature before we die, we will remain in the same condition


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after we die. Then, when the Lord Jesus comes back and we are resurrected, He will tell usthat we are not ready and that we need to pay the price to become ripe and mature. Thisprinciple is quite logical. On the one hand, it corresponds with Calvinism, which says that

we are saved eternally, and on the other hand, it corrects Arminianism by the fact that wewill not be lost again but may suffer some punishment. At the Lords coming back,immature believers will not be lost, yet they will suffer some kind of punishment. If we arenot living in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today, under the heavenly rule, we

will not be able to go into the manifestation of the kingdom in the next age as a reward. If

we want to enter into the manifestation of the kingdom in the next age, we must live in thereality of the kingdom of the heavens today. In other words, if we would rule in the nextage, we must be ruled in this age. We must be exercised in the matter of the kingdom inorder to enter into the kingdom to rule.

The kingdom is the requirement of the gospel, and the life we receive at regeneration is thesupply to meet this requirement. It is not a loose and light matter to become a Christian. Itis a very serious matter. We have been saved, and we have been born into a royal, heavenlyfamily. Therefore, we have to be exercised in a heavenly way and to be ruled and governed

by a heavenly rule in order to be qualified to be heavenly kings in the next age.

EXERCISE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Many verses in the New Testament show the need of exercise for the kingdom. Acts 14:22says, Establishing the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith andsaying that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. Bycomparing this verse with John 3:5, we can see a great difference. John 3:5 simply saysthat by being born of water and the Spirit we can enter into the kingdom of God. Accordingto John, entering the kingdom is a matter of another birth. But Acts 14 says that we mustsuffer much tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God. These two verses show twoaspects. To enter into the kingdom of God is one thing, but to enter into it in the way ofinheritance is another. If we would inherit the kingdom of God, we must suffer thetribulation. We must be tested and exercised.

We can see the same principle in 1 Corinthians 5 and 6. Chapter 5 indicates that a brotherwho is living in fornication will still be saved. Even such a sinful, defeated believer will stillbe saved. But in chapter 6 we are told that fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God.This means that a fornicator cannot enjoy or inherit the kingdom of the heavens as areward.

Now let us read Ephesians 5:3-5: But fornication and all uncleanness or greediness, let itnot even be named among you, as is fitting for saints, and obscenity and foolish talking or

sly, filthy jesting, which are not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks. For this yourealize, knowing that every fornicator or unclean person or greedy person (who is anidolater) has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. The kingdom of Christand of God is the part of the kingdom of God which is the kingdom of the heavens. As a

whole, it is the kingdom of God, but particularly, it is the kingdom of the heavens. In thekingdom of God and of Christ there is no inheritance for the sinful one. If you are still infilthiness and sinfulness, although you are a saint, a saved one, you will have noinheritance in the kingdom of God and of Christ.

Galatians 5:19-21 says, And the works of the flesh are manifest, which are such things asfornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy,

outbursts of anger, factions, divisions, sects, envyings, bouts of drunkenness, carousings,and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, even as I have said before, that those

who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Thus, three portions of theBible, 1 Corinthians 6, Ephesians 5, and Galatians 5 tell us basically the same thing: youmay be a saved person, but if you are still living in sin and filthiness, you will not inherit


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the kingdom of God. You will have no share in the manifestation of the kingdom of theheavens, because you are not qualified.

Second Thessalonians 1:5 says, A plain indication of the righteous judgment of God, thatyou may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which also you suffer. This verseindicates that to suffer persecution causes one to be worthy of the kingdom of God. Thiscan enable one to inherit the kingdom of God.

Let us also read 2 Timothy 4:18, 7-8, and 1: The Lord will deliver me from every evil workand will save me into His heavenly kingdom, to whom be the glory forever and ever.Amen. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith.Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, therighteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those whohave loved His appearing. I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is to

judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom. These verses,written near the end of Pauls life, indicate that he was sure of being in the heavenlykingdom, because he had fought a good fight, he had run the course well, and he had keptthe faith.

THE EXAMPLE OF THE APOSTLE PAUL

Surely we have been saved eternally. But whether or not we will be able to share in themanifestation of the kingdom is the problem. At the conclusion of this chapter we need toconsider the history of the apostle Paul. First, let us read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: Do younot know that those who run on a racecourse all run, but one receives the prize? Run inthis way, that you may lay hold. And everyone who contends exercises self-control in allthings; they then, that they may receive a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible. Itherefore run in this way, not as though without a clear aim; I box in this way, not asthough beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest perhaps having

preached to others, I myself may become disapproved. Surely Paul had the assurance thathe was saved. Yet he emphatically told us that he was running the race. During the timePaul was living, there were the Greek Olympic Games where people ran the race in order toreceive a prize. Paul used this as his example, saying that he too was running a race toreceive a prize.

Philippians 3:13-15 says, Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but onething I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things

which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus hascalled me upward. Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind; and if inanything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you. At the time Paul

wrote Philippians, he had been a believer for many years, but he was still pursuing towardthe goal for the prize. The prize is the uttermost enjoyment of Christ in the millennialkingdom as a reward to the victorious runners of the New Testament race. In 1 Corinthians9 the apostle was running the course (v. 26). In Philippians, one of his last Epistles, he wasstill running (3:14). It was not until the last moment of his running, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,that he had the assurance that he would be rewarded by the Lord at His appearing. WhenPaul knew that his martyrdom was imminent, he had the assurance to tell us that he would

be awarded the crown of righteousness. The crown is a symbol of glory given as a prize, inaddition to the Lords salvation, to the triumphant runner of the race (1 Cor. 9:25). Thisprize is not of grace nor by faith as salvation is (Eph. 2:5, 8-9), but of righteousnessthrough works (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). Such a reward will be awarded to the

believers, not according to the grace of the Lord but according to His righteousness. Hence,it is the crown of righteousness. The Awarder of this crown is the Lord as the righteousJudge. Paul was assured that such a prize was reserved for him and would be awarded tohim at the day of the Lords second appearing. This is to be rewarded with the kingdom ofthe heavens. We must all be clear that to be saved eternally is one thing, and to be


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exercised to bear responsibility in the kingdom is another thing. Based upon our exercisein the kingdom, we will either be rewarded with the manifestation of the kingdom of theheavens or suffer loss in the next age. We must realize that as Christians today we are inthe kingdom of the heavenstoday to be exercised and tomorrow to be rewarded.

CHAPTER FIVE

GODS VARIOUS TREATMENTSOF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OFPEOPLE

Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 10:32; Zech. 13:8-9; 8:20-23; Rev. 14:6-7; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 21:24; 22:2-5

After having been saved, we can be assured of our eternal security. However, we must beclear concerning the matters of

witness lee - a brief definition of the kingdom of the heavens

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