As we have mentioned previously, Matthew 5, 6, and 7 unveil the reality of the kingdom. We should not consider that these chapters are merely dispensational and relate only to the future. These chapters must also apply to our present situation in the church life. The proper church life is the reality of the kingdom. The reality of the kingdom can be found in the proper church life.
We have also seen that Matthew contains many seeds of the truth. The seeds are sown in Matthew and developed in the Epistles. For example, in Matthew 5 the seed of the human spirit is sown. The Lord said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." The seed of the heart is also sown, for the Lord said, "Blessed are the pure in heart." In the Epistles there are many verses concerning our spirit and our heart. While Matthew mentions our spirit and our heart in a very brief way, the Epistles mention our spirit and our heart in many verses. This indicates that our spirit and our heart are sown as a seed in Matthew. Then there is the blossoming of the seed in the Epistles. Based upon this principle, we can see that Matthew 5, 6, and 7 are not simply related to a future dispensation. They are also for our present situation.
In order to understand this matter of the kingdom of the heavens, we must realize that there are three aspects of the kingdom. If we do not see these three aspects we can never fully understand the real definition of the kingdom in Matthew. These three aspects are: the reality of the kingdom, the outward appearance of the kingdom, and the manifestation of the kingdom. In Matthew these three aspects are covered in three great sections. In Matthew 5—7 the Lord Jesus presented the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. The parables spoken by the sea in Matthew 13 revealed the appearance of the kingdom, and the prophecies in Matthew 24 and 25 revealed the manifestation of the kingdom. The reality of the kingdom and the appearance of the kingdom are present today, but the manifestation of the kingdom will be in the future. In order to better understand the difference between these three aspects of the kingdom, please refer to the chart which shows the difference between the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God. According to the chart, the kingdom of God is a general term which includes six aspects. The kingdom of God is the rule or government of God from eternity past to eternity future. The first circle represents the section of the kingdom of God before creation. The second circle represents the portion of the kingdom of God before the law, that is, from Adam to Moses (Rom. 5:14), and the third circle represents the portion of the kingdom of God covered by the dispensation of law, that is, from Moses to Christ (John 1:17). The fourth and fifth circles represent the kingdom of the heavens including the millennium. The final circle represents the new heaven and the new earth with the new Jerusalem.