KEY
#8: The Key to the Kingdom
By
Brother Rabbi Dani’el
Rendelman
Emet Ministries
ravemet@comcast.net
There
was once a majestic king
who ruled his people with
righteousness and justice.
He gave them specific rulings
and instructions to live
by. His law included everything
the society needed to be
prosperous and successful
including instructions on
what to eat, what to wear,
how to settle disputes and
how to properly approach
the king.
When
his people obeyed the specified
written rules, the king
graciously blessed them
with the benefits of his
favor. When the people disobeyed
the king’s commandments
they suffered the consequences.
But over time, rebellion
against the king’s way of
life resulted in many people
blaming the king for their
own self-inflicted conditions.
The loving king never forced
someone to follow his edicts;
instead he gave each person
the free will to choose
obedience and blessing or
disobedience and curses.
Years
passed and each family in
the kingdom chose it’s own
path, whether or not to
follow the king. This falling
away greatly saddened the
king. Finally he developed
a plan to return the people
to his good and perfect
way of life. The king wanted
restoration. So the king
decided to send his one
and only son with a message
of hope to the people of
his kingdom. He wanted things
to be as they once were.
So he sent forth his son
proclaiming the message,
“turn from your lifestyle
and return to the king’s
commands because the rule
of the king is here among
you!” As the people listened
to the son, many began to
submit to the reign of the
king. With the return to
the correct rule of the
king’s ways amazing things
starting to happen like
miracles and healings. The
son soon commissioned a
group of students who could
help carry the father’s
message to those who had
left the kingdom and were
scattered all over the world.
And so began the restoration
of the kingdom…
You
can probably see the similarities
between the above story
and the message of the Bible.
You see, the rule and reign
of heaven on earth is in
fact THE message of the
Bible, from beginning to
end.
In
the Gan Eden man was created
in Yahweh’s image and was
told to rule and reign over
creation. Adam was to represent
Yahweh to creation and was
told his mission in life
even before he was commanded
not to eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good
and evil. “Yahweh Elohim
took the man and put him
in the Gan Eden to tend
and keep it,” Beresheet
2:15. The words “tend” and
“keep” in the original Hebrew,
communicates to us that
Adam was to actually “guard”
and “protect” creation.
Yahweh held Adam responsible
to guard the garden. Guard
it from what? From the entrance
from any “beast of the field”
that had no place in the
Gan Eden (Beresheet 2:20).
In
the next chapter of Beresheet
we learn that Adam failed
in his command and the serpent,
the beast of the field,
was allowed into the garden.
Possibly before Chava (Eve)
sinned in eating the forbidden
fruit, Adam sinned in not
executing his dominion over
the serpent. You see, separation
from Yahweh came because
of man’s failure to exercise
the authority given to him
by Father Yahweh. This failure
to execute kingdom responsibility
continues to this day, partly
because of confusion concerning
the kingdom message.
Get
down to it
So
here is the problem: rebellion
against Yahweh’s commands
has separated mankind from
the Creator. Avi Ben Mordichai
wrote in his book Messiah
3, “In essence, the world
was created in the image
of the Torah, and since
man is equated to a world,
therefore all the world
(or mankind) was fashioned
in the image of Torah. But,
when Adam rebelled against
the Creator, his world and
the worlds to come fell
into a state of corruption,
and came to be in need of
‘tikkun’ or repair.”
To
fix the world Yahweh sent
forth His written Torah
and His living Torah in
order to establish the Malchut
Shamayim or kingdom of Heaven.
As a matter of fact, the
topic Yahshua spoke of the
most during his ministry
time on earth is the Malchut
Shamayim. Over 90% of his
sermons, teachings, and
parables are on the subject
of restoring or establishing
the Kingdom of Heaven. The
pattern of the scriptures
concerning the Kingdom is
creation, redemption, and
then restoration. Yahshua’s
ministry on earth was redemption,
while He came to bring restoration.
The
two become one
Both
Jewish and Christian teachers
have exhausted the subject
of the Malchut Shamayim,
yet most believers do not
fully understand this main
message of the Gospels.
Perhaps
the truth is found when
we combine the teachings
of the two, with the understanding
that a great deal of Israel
is located in both the church
and the synagogue.
“Son
of man, take a stick of
wood and write on it, ‘Belonging
to Judah and the Israelites
associated with him.’ Then
take another stick of wood,
and write on it, ‘Ephraim’s
stick, belonging to Joseph
and all the house of Israel
associated with him.’ Join
them together into one stick
so that they will become
one in your hand,” Ezekiel
37:16-17. This popular two-house
verse shows us that the
restoration of Ephraim and
Judah will be their blending
into one united Israel.
One does not fully become
like the other; the two
will become one. Perhaps
this not only means the
people, but also their Torah
interpretations. Perhaps
to fully grasp the eternal
truths of the scriptures
we must glean from both
Ephraim and Judah and find
the truth of Torah somewhere
in the middle.
Here
are the mainstream teachings
on the Malchut Shamayim
from both the Jews and the
Christians:
Jewish
View
Malchut
Shamayim is a pharisaical
term as the Pharisee’s looked
to the Messiah setting up
his kingdom on earth.
The
Pharisees also believed
that they would experience
the kingdom in the resurrection.
The
Malchut Shamayim is the
current rule of Yahweh –
something present, not future.
Judaism
feels that the kingdom of
heaven will be a physical
and political rule of Yahweh.
During
Yahshua’s time many Rabbis
believed the Messiah would
return and exercise rule
over the Romans.
Judaism
is called “the religion
of the now.”
Christian View
Most
Christians view the Kingdom
of Heaven is a future event
after a “rapture” of believers.
Teaches
the Malchut Shamayim follows
this unscriptural theological
pattern:
l
The Jews killed the Messiah
so Yahweh has put Israel
on the shelf until the end
times. The message of salvation
is for the “gentiles” until
the “rapture of the church.”
Then Yahweh will turn his
heart back to the Jews,
the temple will be rebuilt,
the battle of Armageddon
will occur, and then Yahshua
will return and set
up
his kingdom.
The
Kingdom of Heaven is for
the sweet by and by. The
Malchut Shamayim is for
later and is not for now.
The
truth of the Malchut Shamayim
will actually see these
two beliefs become one through
the work of Yahshua the
Messiah. Yahshua came to
bring the proper interpretation
of the Torah, so we can
find the reality of the
Kingdom in His own words
and teachings. Exactly 119
verses in the gospels deal
with the Kingdom of Heaven.
This message is the main
focus of the good news according
to Mattityahu and the rest
of the New Testament. While
translators use the term
“kingdom of heaven” in the
book of Mattityahu, different
terms like the “kingdom
of g/d” are used in the
other three gospels. Both
of these terms mean the
same thing.
The
kingdom is Yahshua’s central
theme of teaching yet He
never defined the term.
He said “the Malchut Shamayim
is like…” but he never said,
“The Malchut Shamayim is.”
Why not? Well, quite possibly
because the people of His
time understood what the
Malchut Shamayim was. The
people Messiah spoke to
had a proper understanding
that the Malchut Shamayim
is Yahweh’s current and
present reign under His
torah.
The
proof is in the pudding
To
prove this is Yahshua’s
central focus message, just
remember that before the
Messiah’s ascension into
heaven the disciples asked
Him one final question.
Now they could have asked
when He would return and
part the sky, but they did
not. The disciples could
have also asked a deep theological
or doctrinal question to
the Messiah. But they didn’t.
They could have even asked
Him who would be the winner
of this year’s Super Bowl.
What they did ask though
is just as surprising as
what they didn’t. Here’s
what the scripture says,
“So when they met together,
they asked him, “Master,
are you at this time going
to restore the kingdom to
Israel,” Acts 1:6. Those
closest to the Messiah understood
what was most important
to Him – the restoration
of the Kingdom of Israel/Heaven.
One
scholar has written that,
“The rule of heaven and
the kingship of Yahweh is
the very substance of the
“Old Testament;” the object
and calling of Israel, the
meaning of all its ordinances,
the underlying idea of all
its institutions.” Here
are some scripture verses
to back this up:
“Yahweh
will reign for ever and
ever,” Shemot 15:18
“Yahweh
has established his throne
in heaven, and his kingdom
rules over all,” Psalm 103:19
“Your
kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom, and your dominion
endures through all generations.
Yahweh is faithful to all
his promises and loving
toward all he has made,”
Psalm 145:10-13
A
Proper Understanding
Now
that we’ve seen that there
is a foundation of the kingdom
reign in the Torah, Prophets,
and Writings let’s look
at the phrase “Kingdom of
Heaven” in the Hebrew.
úeëìî
“Malchut” is the Hebrew
term for kingdom and kingship
reign. The Sages of the
faith compare the kingdom
to the Shekinah, the glorious
manifest presence of Yahweh.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
says this word means “a
rule; concretely a dominion:
—empire, kingdom, realm,
reign, royal, inceptively
to ascend the throne...”
In can be seen as the active
rule and reign of Yahweh.
The Malchut is not a place
but a status; it is not
a time but a rule, not for
the future and political
but present and powerful.
“Who is the king of glory?
Yahweh strong and mighty,
Yahweh Tzvaoth,” Psalm 24:8.
Yes,
every kingdom must have
a king and for the Malchut
Shamayim the king is Yahweh
Himself. “Yahweh is king
forever and ever,” says
Psalm 10:16 while Psalm
95:3 declares, “Yahweh is
the great Elohim, the great
king above all Elohim.”
This fact is acknowledged
in every blessing when someone
says “Baruch atah Yahweh
Eloheynu, melek ha olam…Blessed
are You, Yahweh our Elohim,
King of the Universe…” To
this the Talmud says, “a
blessing that contains no
reference to the divine
kingship of Yahweh is no
blessing at all.”
Yahweh
is the sovereign king or
ruler over all of creation,
including man. His Kingdom
is wherever His reign extends
and His reign is specifically
over the nation or people
of Israel. The term Israel
itself means “one who reigns
with El.” So implied by
the name, we have been called
to exercise the Kingdom
reign and authority here
on earth. Yahweh is King
of kings and the Israelites
are the “kings” he is monarch
over. Israelites have been
called to be the people
on this planet who submit
to the king and establish
His Kingdom through submission
to Yahweh’s Torah.
íPîLÜ
“Shamayim” is the Hebrew
term for “heaven” or more
correctly it is the plural
term for “heavens.” The
Sages of the faith teach
that heaven is not necessarily
a place in the sky but another
realm possibly here on earth.
Some Rabbis teach of seven
heavens, or seven realms
located above the land of
Israel. Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance says it means
“to be lofty; the sky as
aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible
arch in which the clouds
move, as well as to the
higher ether where the celestial
bodies revolve, heavens…”
The term Heaven has been
used in the Bible and in
rabbinic writings as a synonym
or circumlocution for the
sacred name of Yahweh. So
when a person refers to
the Malchut Shamayim this
is a direct reference to
the Malchut Yahweh. Or in
English when a person refers
to the Kingdom of Heaven
this is a direct reference
to the Kingdom of Yahweh.
When
most people think of the
word “heaven” the first
thoughts that come to mind
are those of clouds and
angels and a far away place.
This is contrary to the
teachings of the Messiah
that exclaim “the Kingdom
of Heaven is among you.”
Yahshua taught that the
Malchut Shamayim is the
current rule and reign of
Yahweh here on earth, not
necessarily just in heaven.
So,
what is it?
Putting
the two above definitions
together fully explains
the Malchut Shamayim as
Yahshua taught. It is the
current reign and rule of
Yahweh. The Holman Bible
Dictionary, a Baptist publication
says, “So the kingdom of
Yahweh was the rule of Yahweh
which He extended over human
lives through the ministry
of Yahshua.” It is not necessarily
political, or future. Rather
it is present, powerful,
and made up of people totally
dependent upon Yahweh.
The
Malchut Shamayim is the
people of Yahweh submitted
to Yahweh’s Torah. It is
a mode of operation and
a lifestyle of living based
on the foundation of teshuvah.
“Teshuvah”
is the Hebrew term for “repentance.”
It literally means to “turn
from and return to.” Believers
are to turn from their sinful
life and return to the reign
of Yahweh and His ways.
This is the message of the
Gospel and the message of
the kingdom:
“In
those days Yochannan the
Immerser came, preaching
in the Desert of Judea and
saying, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near,”
Mattitiyahu 3:2.
“From
that time on Yahshua began
to preach, “Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is
near,” Mattitiyahu 4:17.
This
was Yochannan’s message
and it became Yahshua’s
and it should be our message.
The meaning, the subject
of the Kingdom is “DO TESHUVAH
– turn, return, change,
be more like Yahweh!” When
a person repents, truthfully
and selflessly repents the
action of teshuvah returns
the person to the kingdom
rule of the Garden of Eden.
When you walk in the Kingdom
you take your rightful place
as one who is “seated in
high heavenly places and
rules and reigns with Messiah”
True
teshuvah is a total abandonment
of an evil act and a direct
effort to correct the wrong
and do the right. True teshuvah
includes regret and sorrow
but does not stop there.
Teshuvah is characterized
by joy – joy found in the
renewal to connection with
Yahweh. True teshuvah doesn’t
just promise to do better
next time; it rights the
wrong and really does do
better next time. And true
teshuvah is a direct command
for every follower of the
Bible, “Repent! Turn from
your idols and renounce
all your detestable practices,”
Ezekiel 14:6. Notice this
verse includes repenting
and turning from sin. Also
notice the use of the word
“repent.” Though teshuvah
is more than just simply
repenting, teshuvah is the
English word “repent” found
in most English Bibles.
This term, this action is
essential to the kingdom.
The
message of the good news
Many
people, in fact many churches
say the gospel is simply
“believe in Jesus and you
will be saved” or just repeat
this prayer and you will
go to heaven.” The true
gospel is “repent for the
kingdom of heaven is here.”
The real good news is “Yahweh’s
reign is for today, repent
and accept His will for
your life and rule as you
were created to!”
It
is when a person repents
and accepts the Torah of
Yahshua that the Messiah’s
prayer is answered. For
Yahshua prayed, “Your kingdom
come, Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Well, the kingdom comes
WHEN His will is done. What
is His will? The will of
the Father is expressed
through His Torah. Needs
are met, sins are forgiven,
healing comes, and miracles
happen when the kingdom/Torah
is lived out. Again, His
kingdom comes when His will
is done!
Do
it and be it
When
a person performs a commandment,
like keeping the Shabbat,
this action of obedience
affects the physical realm
and the spiritual realm.
A simple act of faith is
much more than just a simple
act of faith.
At
what time you fulfill the
smallest mitzvah (commandment)
you are bridging the gap
that exists between heaven
and earth. When you obey
you are actually bringing
heaven to earth. It is the
power of obedience that
does this. In the Hebrew
language this is called
“tikkun olam.” Tikkun olam
is Hebrew for literally
“fixing/repairing/restoring
the world.”
There
is much more to the mitzvah
than you think. When you
do something, as simple
as resting from work on
the Shabbat, you are not
just resting on the Shabbat.
You are doing tikkun olam,
you are restoring the world
to the way it was created
to be, and you are establishing
the kingdom. While Christianity
teaches people to sit on
the pew and await the rapture
bus, the scriptures teach
that man should live out
his faith through obedience
and faith, thus being the
kingdom of heaven while
on earth. “Yahweh’s ultimate
plan is to bring heaven
to people on earth. It is
not to bring His people
on earth to heaven,” wrote
Angus Wooten in the book
Restoring the Kingdom of
Israel. (This is not Kingdom
Now or Dominion theology,
which is a gross twisting
of scripture and totally
anti-truth)
A
person once came to Yahshua
and asked Him specifically
what He must do to have
eternal life. His response
was that man must do tikkun
olam. “Now a man came up
to Yahshua and asked, “Teacher,
what good thing must I do
to get eternal life?” Yahshua
replied, “Why do you ask
me about what is good? There
is only One who is good.
If you want to enter life,
obey the commandments,”
Mattitiyahu 19:16-17.
The
Messiah also said, “Not
everyone who says to me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will
of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we
not prophesy in your name,
and in your name drive out
demons and perform many
miracles?’ Then I will tell
them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Mattitiyahu 7:21-23.
Tikkun
olam brings the spiritual
to the natural and restores
life to the way it was supposed
to be. Obedience to Yahweh
restores man to the Gan
Eden and proclaims, “the
Malchut Shamayim is among
you!” You see, Adam’s original
job after the fall was to
“work the ground” to do
tikkun olam but because
he failed the second Adam
did it for man.
The
power of the mitzvah is
that through submission
to Yahweh’s way of life
the kingdom is here, it
is established. Take note,
that this is NOT about building
a ministry or building the
kingdom. This is not about
building anything. Though
a preacher may tell you
that the kingdom of heaven
is something you build,
it simply is not. “For the
kingdom of Yahweh is not
a matter of talk but of
power,” 1 Corinthians 4:20.
The kingdom of heaven is
something you be it is something
you do! Be the kingdom don’t
build it. Live out the kingdom
through love and submission
to the Torah. To this mitzvah
the Talmud says, “If the
world would keep just one
Shabbat the world would
be restored to Gan Eden’s
glory.”
Seek
ye first
What
this teaching means to you
is that through obedience
and faith exhibited in love
the reign of heaven is brought
to earth. The kingdom is
to be:
Ø
Acknowledged today – this
comes through a proper understanding
of what the kingdom is.
Study the scriptures and
learn more about the kingdom
of Yahweh.
Ø
Manifested tomorrow – take
this revelation of what
the Malchut Shamayim is
and act it out. Share the
message and perform the
mitzvah.
Ø
Performed later – the Kingdom
will be fully consummated
with the reign of Yahweh
on earth in the future,
“You have made them to be
a kingdom and priests to
serve our Yahweh, and they
will reign on the earth”
Revelation 5:10.
This
message is to be priority
in the lives of all believers.
“Seek ye first the kingdom
of Yahweh and His righteousness
and all these things will
be added unto you,” Mattitiyahu
6:33. Each day, through
each mitzvah that is obeyed
a person is a step closer
towards the day when His
kingdom is fully manifest
and established on earth.
“And Yahweh shall be king
over all the earth: in that
day shall there be one Yahweh,
and his name one,” Zechariah
14:9. But how does a person
do this? How can a person
prepare for this time and
live out the kingdom now?
1)
First understand what the
kingdom is. The Malchut
Shamayim is Yahweh’s reign
for today for you. Repent
and accept His will for
your life and rule as you
were created to…
2)
Receive the kingdom. To
do this you must dethrone
the kings in your life.
Remember Yesha’yahu (Isaiah)
who saw Yahweh? Refresh
yourself with these verses,
“In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Yahweh seated
on a throne, high and exalted,
and the train of his robe
filled the temple. Above
him were seraphs, each with
six wings: With two wings
they covered their faces,
with two they covered their
feet, and with two they
were flying. And they were
calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh
Almighty; the whole earth
is full of his glory.” Note
that it wasn’t until King
Uzziah died that Yesha’yahu
saw Yahweh. And it won’t
be until the kings in your
life are dethroned and THE
King of kings is enthroned
that the kingdom comes.
Receiving the kingdom takes
teshuvah through humbleness.
3)
Depend upon Yahweh totally.
The kingdom is people of
the king simply being dependent
of the king. The kingdom
is the subject of Yahweh
obeying the king.
4)
Do the kingdom. Too many
preachers teach sermons
on establishing the kingdom
through man’s teachings
and man’s way. The kingdom
is the reign of Yahweh now
and in the future. For his
kingdom to come His will
must be done. Don’t just
talk about it or just learn
about it – do it. Live the
Torah, love your neighbor,
and worship in Spirit and
in Emet, truth.
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