After seeing the above points we can understand an overview of the beginning and ending of the kingdom of the heavens and its process.
The kingdom of the heavens was a hidden mystery from the creation of the world. No one knew of it during the Old Testament times. Even when John the Baptist began to preach, it was only near. Although it was only near, John called people to repent and to prepare to enter into the kingdom.
When the Lord Jesus began to preach, the kingdom of the heavens still was only near. It was near because the Lord preached the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens, defined the kingdom of the heavens, and sent the disciples forth into all the places of Judea to tell the Jews that the kingdom of the heavens was near and that they should prepare to enter into it. He presented the kingdom of the heavens to the Jews and wanted them to pursue and receive it, but they rejected it. Because of their rejection, the Lord hid the kingdom of the heavens from them.
Before the kingdom of the heavens began, the Lord Jesus went out to preach the word of the kingdom of the heavens, to sow the seed of the kingdom of the heavens, and to obtain “sons of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38). Satan did his best to frustrate and damage this matter. Nevertheless, a group of people accepted the word of the kingdom of the heavens and became sons of the kingdom.
Later, the Lord gave all upon the cross for the sake of obtaining the kingdom and its life-pulse, the church. On the day of Pentecost and later in the house of Cornelius, Peter used the keys of the kingdom of the heavens that had been given to him by the Lord to open the door for Jews and Gentiles to believe the word, thus establishing the church. Once the church was established, there were some who lived in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens and submitted to the heavenly authority, so the reality of the kingdom of the heavens began at that time. However, not long after the church began, Satan mixed false believers in among the true believers in the church, and the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens began to develop. From this time onward, the reality of the kingdom of the heavens and the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens have been with the church and will continue until the end of this age. From the beginning of the church, there have been those who are strict and righteous with themselves, broad and gracious toward others, as well as absolutely pure in their heart and service toward God. They live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, submit to the heavenly authority, and bring in the kingdom of the heavens. There are also many false believers and evil ones in the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, which is so-called Christianity. Such ones cause confusion and damage the kingdom of the heavens.
After the day of Pentecost the Lord used the apostles to preach the kingdom of the heavens to the Jews to tell them that all things had been prepared for them to come and receive. But the Jews rejected the apostles. Then God sent apostles to the Gentiles to preach the gospel of the kingdom of the heavens and to call them to enter into the kingdom. Although many have responded to His call and have been saved, the overcomers chosen to enter into the kingdom are few.
Not long after the gospel came to the Gentiles, Satan caused the church, the life-pulse of the kingdom of the heavens, to be joined to the world and to develop abnormally in the world, which gave him a place to roost. He added all kinds of heresies and evil things into the church to corrupt God’s work. This chaotic, mixed, and corrupted condition will continue to worsen until the end of this age.
At the end of this age when the Lord returns, He will rapture the overcoming believers who are watchful, ready, have paid the price, pursued the Holy Spirit, matured in life, and have been waiting for Him; they will enter into the feast of the kingdom with Him. For a short time He will leave the cold believers, who did not pursue Him, on the earth. At the end of the great tribulation these ones will be raptured, but they will be refused entrance into the kingdom feast. When the believers are raptured, the hidden aspect of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens will end.
After all the believers are raptured, the Lord will establish His judgment seat in the air and settle accounts with the true believers. All who have been faithful to work and serve Him and to use the gifts He has given them to do a fruitful work for Him will be set by Him over many things in that day. They will enter into the glory of the kingdom and into His joy. All the unfaithful believers who were lazy and who buried their gifts will not be set over anything, nor will they be allowed to enter the glory of the kingdom or into His joy; moreover, He will take away the gifts He has given them and cast them into the outer darkness where they will weep and gnash their teeth.
Then the Lord will receive the kingdom from God and return to the earth to crush the nations, and the kingdom of this world will become His kingdom. The Lord will send His angels to pick out the false believers and cast them into the lake of fire. This will be the end of the outward appearance of the kingdom of the heavens, so-called Christianity.
The Lord will then gather before Him the people of all nations who are living on earth and separate those who are righteous from those who are evil. The righteous ones will be allowed to enter into the earthly part of the millennial kingdom to be its people and to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The evil ones will be cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels to be companions of the devil and to suffer the punishment of eternal fire. The millennial kingdom will begin, and the kingdom of the heavens will be completely and properly manifested upon earth.
During the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, the overcoming believers will reign with the Lord Jesus for one thousand years. There they will shine with light as bright as the sun. At the end of the millennial kingdom the Lord will completely destroy the authority of Satan and give back to God the kingdom He obtained from God. This will be the end of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. This is an overview of the beginning, continuation, and end of the kingdom of the heavens.