Message One

The Aspects of the Kingdom of the Heavens,
a Picture of the Millennium,
and a Miniature of the Manifestation of the Kingdom

Scripture Reading: Matt. 5:3, 20; 13:31-32; 16:28—17:5; 13:43

1. If we would know the truth of the kingdom in a thorough way, we need a full understanding of the three aspects of the kingdom of the heavens—the reality, the appearance, and the manifestation— Matt. 5:3; 13:31-32, 43:
   1. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is the inward content of the kingdom of the heavens in its heavenly and spiritual nature—chs. 5—7:
      1. The reality of the kingdom of the heavens is an exercise to the seeking believers—5:3, 20; 7:13-14, 21.
      2. Only the overcomers are in the reality of the kingdom—Rev. 2:7.
      3. Those who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today will be manifested with Christ to be kings in the millennium—20:4, 6.
   2. The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens is the outward condition of the kingdom of the heavens in name—Matt. 13:
      1. The appearance of the kingdom of the heavens is today’s Christendom, which includes all the false Christians—vv. 27, 38-39a.
      2. That which constitutes the appearance of the kingdom of the heavens will be thrown into the lake of fire—vv. 30, 40-42a.
   3. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens is the practical coming of the kingdom of the heavens in power—chs. 24—25:
      1. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens will be the manifestation of the reality of the kingdom of the heavens—5:3; 13:43:
         1. In the next age the reality of the kingdom will become the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens—7:21.
         2. At His coming back, the Lord will deal first with the appearance of the kingdom, and then He will transfer the reality of the kingdom into the next age to become the manifestation of the kingdom—13:41-43.
      2. The manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, composed of the overcoming saints, will actually be the New Jerusalem during the millennium—Rev. 2:7; 3:12.
2. In Genesis 47 we have a picture of the millennium:
   1. Under Joseph, Egypt prefigured the millennium with all the people on the same level; no longer were there distinctions between high and low and between rich and poor:
      1. The whole land of Egypt became a land of enjoyment.
      2. All the people became enjoyers on the same level because everyone and everything was under Joseph; this is a picture of the millennium, where everything will be under the Lord’s hand—vv. 14-21; Psa. 24:1.
   2. Christ is typified by Joseph, and the kingdom is foreshadowed by the house of Israel—Gen. 45:8; 47:11, 27:
      1. Joseph’s life under the heavenly vision was the life of the kingdom of the heavens described in Matthew 5—7.
      2. We, the kingdom people, are being trained to be Josephs, to be kings, to manifest the reigning aspect of the mature life—2 Pet. 1:5-11.
      3. Joseph’s self-denial, his restriction under God’s sovereign hand, was the key to the practice of the kingdom life—Gen. 45:4-8; 50:15-21.
      4. Because Joseph denied himself and lived under God’s restriction, the kingdom could be brought in through him—Matt. 16:24-28.
3. What is described in Matthew 16:28—17:5 is a miniature of the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens in the millennium:
   1. The center of this miniature is the glorified Jesus, and with Him are Moses and Elijah, representing the Old Testament overcomers, and Peter, James, and John, representing the New Testament overcomers— 17:1-3.
   2. On the mountain with the Lord Jesus, Peter, James, and John had a foretaste of the coming manifestation of the kingdom—16:28—17:3.
   3. For the Lord Jesus to be transfigured meant that His humanity was saturated and permeated with His divinity; this transfiguration, which was His glorification, was equal to His coming in His kingdom— v. 2:
      1. The transfiguration, the shining, of the Lord Jesus was His coming in His kingdom; where His transfiguration is, there is the coming of the kingdom— Mark 9:1-4; Luke 9:27-31.
      2. The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus was the realization of what He is.
      3. The kingdom is the shining of the reality of the Lord Jesus; to be under His shining is to be in the kingdom—Rev. 22:4-5.
   4. “Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”—Matt. 13:43a:
      1. At the time of the manifestation of the kingdom, our humanity will be glorified by the glorious divinity within us—Col. 1:27.
      2. Christ has been sown into our heart as a seed; this seed will grow and develop until it is manifested in glory—Mark 4:26-29; Col. 3:3-4.
      3. In one sense, the Lord will come back from heaven, but in another sense, He will come out of us; when He fully lives Himself out of us, that will be the time of His coming—Matt. 16:27a; 2 Thes. 1:10; Col. 1:27; 3:4.
      4. At the time of the full manifestation of the kingdom, we will fully enter into glory—Rom. 8:18, 21; Heb. 2:10; Phil. 3:21.
      5. In the millennium the overcoming believers will be with Christ in the bright glory of the kingdom, whereas the defeated Christians will suffer discipline in the outer darkness—Matt. 13:43a; 8:12:
         1. The outer darkness is the darkness outside the bright glory in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens—22:13.
         2. To be cast out into outer darkness is to be dealt with dispensationally, to be disqualified from participating in the enjoyment of the kingdom during the millennium, for not having lived by Christ an overcoming life.