Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 19:21:39 03/20/12 Tue
Question - How do you interpret the verse you mentioned about the Kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
Pardon the length of my response but to get the proper perspective will take laying the foundation for understanding the Kingdom of Heaven.
First we must differenciate between the physical kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. Jesus said one time: Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Now let's look at another passage that seems to contradict the above statement: Matthew 8:11-12 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In scripture there are two kingdoms in view. That kingdom within is the "Spiritual Kingdom" and it is "Christ in you, the hope of glory".(Col. 1:27) Looking at the second passage we find something entirely different. We find the nature of the Kingdom Jesus is speaking of to be very physical. Not only that we see there is corruption in the kingdom and Jesus is "cleaning house". There is corruption in the physical kingdom.
This corruption is the "leaven" you questioned. Leavin is sin and false doctrine. It is "another gospel" (Gal. 1:8-9). In Matthew 16:6-12 Jesus gave the lesson on being wary of the leaven of the Pharisees but the disciples missed His meaning altogether. Jesus explained what He meant in verse12; "Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
Now with the background let's attack the verse you had the question about. Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
The kingdom has been corrupted by sin and false teachings. The Jews had corrupted God's law with all their man made statutes they added to the law making the law totally different than what God had intended. That there were 3 measures of meal is probably a reference to the children of Shem, Ham and Japheth of which everyone on the entire planet is descended from. These are the 3 major or main races from which all others come.
The problem many have with corruption in the kingdom is they don't understand the nature of the kingdom on earth or the millennial kingdom where Jesus will rule and reign for 1,000 years. Sure the wolf will lie down with the lamb and the lion will eat straw (Isaiah 11:6) but Jesus will also rule with a rod of iron (Rev. 2:27, Rev. 12 5, Rev. 19:15). Why is this necessary? Becuase sin is not done away with until the New Heavens and New Earth of Revelation 21. The White Throne Judgment of Rev. 20:11-15 is the end of all sin and death.
Finally, in understanding the difference between the spiritual kingdom and the physical kingdom when you run across it is scripture is to remember the Kingdom of Heaven is always the physical kingdom. When you see it written as the Kingdom of God it can be either or both. The context will help in discerning. When you say "the kingdom of God" the preposition "of" can denote ownership because God is a being. In the Kingdom of Heaven the word "of" wouldn't denote ownership because heaven is an obeject and not a person.
One last passage which shows both kingdoms: John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Jesus has put a little riddle in the verse. "My kingdom is not of this world" so we have a bunch of people saying all the kingdom is spiritual and there is not going to be a kingdom on earth. What they omit is the little word "now" and what follows. At the time and even untiil now and on until the second advent the Kingdom of God will reside in the Church and in Jesus. It is totally a spiritual kingdom and as such has no leaven. It is not corrupt.
Jesus says that if His kingdom were of the world His servants would fight for the kingdom. Well when Jesus comes back in Revelation 19 the armies of heaen follow the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS all the way back to the battle here on earth where Satan will be defeated and bound for the 1,000 yrs. of the kingdom which has leaven.
I hope this helps.
Dwight
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