| Matthew | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Matthew 19 |
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| 23. | Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. | Jesus autem dixit discipulis suis : Amen dico vobis, quia dives difficile intrabit in regnum cælorum. | ο δε ιησους ειπεν τοις μαθηταις αυτου αμην λεγω υμιν οτι δυσκολως πλουσιος εισελευσεται εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων |
| 24. | And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. | Et iterum dico vobis : Facilius est camelum per foramen acus transire, quam divitem intrare in regnum cælorum. | παλιν δε λεγω υμιν ευκοπωτερον εστιν καμηλον δια τρυπηματος ραφιδος διελθειν η πλουσιον εις την βασιλειαν του θεου ειουρανων |
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The kingdom of God: as in Mt 12:28; 21:31, 43 instead of Matthew’s usual kingdom of heaven.
however both are used to refer to what Christ inaugurates on His ascension.
You are correct, that this is NOT just some earthly realm - I added the "just" - the Kingdom is God's covenant family. The Church is the physical representation on earth of the Kingdom of God in heaven
The Bible continually uses the terms kingdom of God, Kingdom of heaven, Messianic Kingdom and Church interchangeably
-- And if we look at Daniel's timing - he was clear that the Kingdom of heaven would start in the 1st century AD
Let's look at Matthew 13
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[a] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[b] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matt. 13:24-30, ESV)What is this saying? Jesus is saying the kingdom of God has arrived and is GROWING. BUT…the kingdom of the world and demons (Jesus always appears to take note of BOTH earthly and heavenly realities as at war with one another) has been sown and is ALSO GROWING. God is permitting this too, so that his kingdom may continue to grow and that perhaps some of those weeds might become wheat.
From the standpoint of a Christian believer, the Kingdom of God is considered the Church of Christ or the Church of the Firstborn as stated in the New Testament. So in essence that means yes, it exists now.
The Kingdom of God has already arrived, and was fully instituted by Christ while He was on earth. There are three dimensions of the Kingdom of God, and all three remain valid:
I don't think you can make this claim. If the Kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God is one in the same, one cannot say that the Kingdom of heaven is the Catholic Church. That is absolutely absurd, especially if you substitute the Catholic Church for the Kingdom of heaven in Matthew. For example, some of the text would read:
Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven Catholic Church.
Matthew 8:11 I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven Catholic Church
Christ is reigning on His throne right now. The Kingdom of God/heaven is made up of all faithful believers throughout the age. Anyone who has been born of God (repented and accepted Christ for their salvation), is a new creature in Him. We become slaves to Christ for we have been bought with a price. We have passed from death to life because of His righteous work and God's grace and mercy to open our eyes and ears to the truth of the gospel.
Phil 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
BTW-Israel once thought as many in the Catholic Church. They had the temple. Things were handed down to them. They had their traditions, their laws, their sacrifices. They were also entirely wrong and killed the Messiah that they professed to long for.