Matthew recorded the words kingdom of heaven 32 times in 31 verses. (Source: Quick Verse for Windows) The words refer to the reign and rule of heaven in the person of Christ instead of a physical governmental rule on the earth as many believe. (See Kingdom and Reign, 3 parts on http://www.godchristspiritbible.com/Word_Meaning_Studies.htm  and in chapter 25, Jesus continued the theme of the kingdom of heaven using parables to explain what was required of those who would allow God to rule their lives. He made it exceedingly plain what was acceptable service and what wasn’t.

One of the lessons of Chapter 25 is be prepared and follow the Lords instructions. Jesus again addressed those who would be ready and those who would waste their time instead of being in God’s service through him. Throughout Matthew, eternal life and eternal destruction are in juxtaposition. Wheat, tares and chaff, broad and narrow roads; the wise and foolish builders; good and bad fish; the sons, the prepared unprepared; the wise and unwise girls and sheep and goats are opposites. There are those who follow the right path and are ready for Jesus to arrive, versus those who squander their time rather than serve God. Follow Jesus and eternal life is the result and refusal of him means eternal destruction/death that continues for eternity with separation from life found only in Jesus Christ.

Jesus again emphasized the servant in verse 30 as he did in chapter 24:51 Verse 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He continued speaking to tell those who served others served him and the failure to serve their fellow man was the same as doing nothing for him. Then he told them that the sure way to end up separated from God was to deny him by not serving others. The result is found in verse 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: Jesus continued speaking to them concerning the need to serve others and he finished in verse 46 by giving them a dire warning for not serving him by serving others. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

He again spoke to the opposites of destruction and life eternal, but he also spoke of another opposite. One is stated and the other is not. He said the righteous shall go away into eternal life and the others to everlasting punishment, which by implication means the unrighteous ones shall go to punishment. Those so affected would be highly emotional with weeping and gnashing-grinding of teeth together when they realized that they were loosing life eternal.

Before moving on to support in the letters for the message of Matthew 24, the words everlasting and eternal must be studied. The word everlasting is the source of much confusion and false doctrine. God told Adam and Eve there was physical life and physical death. Implicit in the life that God gave Adam and Eve was eternal material life with an ongoing fellowship with him. When they disobeyed, they lost their fellowship and spiritual life with God immediately, which set the stage for their eventual physical death. When Jesus spoke of everlasting punishment and life eternal he was stating in different words what his father told Adam and Eve.

While Jesus was on earth, the people had a material relationship with him and an opportunity to have a spiritual relationship forever with God through him. Just as Adam and Eve could have eaten of the tree of life and enjoyed life forever with God, Jesus extends the same offer so that those who obey him will enjoy life perpetually and forever; perpetual, constant, abiding and forever correctly define eternal, aionios--pronounced: ahee-o'-nee-os (G0166) in verse 46 and means time without end. And once it is given when Jesus returns, it will never end.  He told the people in verse 46 they would have life forever by following him.

Due to the length of the study of the words eternal and everlasting, the discussion will continue in part XIX.

 © 09-18-2012 DEC