Thie conception of the kingdom of God, though it might be more or less altered under different circumetauces, continued to exist in Jewish circles during the period between the la.,t of the prophets and the coming of Jesus,1 and also afterwards. The etmly of the prophets could cause no lees; and the ideal of the kingdom, an ideal to be realized at the coming of Messiah, has always been an integral part of Jewish belief. 9 It is the approach of the realization of this kingdom which John the Baptist announces. The brevity of the form in which hie announcement has been recorded, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand," seems to point to his purposely avoiding all mention of details. He states it in its bare simplicity, without hinting at its extension beyond the Jews (though he must have known the utterances of the prophets), yet, on the other hand, without limiting it in any way to them. The "kingdom of heaven," he simply says, is now at hand. We have been members of it, but we have realized the ideal of it most imperfectly; we have been unworthy subjects, notwithstanding our daily acceptance of our position as subjects. But now its realization is at hand. Arise to it, with preparation of heart. "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." John's expectation, that is to say, of the kingdom was doubtless much the same as that of pious souls in Israel before him, and even of many non-Christian Jews after him. It was the expectation of a kingdom which was to be merely the realization of the old idea of Israel as the kingdom of God, which was to take place in connexion with Messiah, and, in agreement with the expectation of the prophets, to include eventually many of the Gentiles. There is no hint that John the Baptist understood by the phrase any such thing as a distinct and new organization. Did om Lord? For his first proclamation was the same as John's ( eh. iv. 17), "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He used a well-known term which had been understood in a definite meaning. No doubt he could have need it with a modified meaning eo as himself to intend by it, though unknown at the time to his hearers, a separate organization. But is there any valid reason for supposing that he did eo? It is undoubtedly prima facie the easier supposition. _The mere fact that through the coming of Christ an organization began which has proved itself a mighty power in the world makes us inclined to think that this organization is directly meant by om Lord's words; and to our practical and logical Western minds it is far easier to conceive the kingdom of G-od as a realm both organized and visible. In support of this prima f acie supposition is urged the evidence of certain 1 Especially Psalms of Solomon, xvii, xviii. (cf. by all means Ryle e.nd Ja.mes' edition,
pp. lii.-lviii: Cambridge, 1891). See further Stanton, • The Jewish and the Ohristian Messiah,' eh. iii.: Edinburgh, 1886. ' Of. Me.imonidcs, "The King Messiah will in some future time come, restore the king- dom of David to it&! former power, build the Temple, bring together the sce.ttered of Israel ... will reform e.ll mankind, and lead them to the une.nimoue eervice of God" (quoted in Frieillii.nder'11 'Jewish Religion,' pp. 226, 227/{ Kegan Pe.ul, 1891). THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. uv
other eayinge of our Lord's. It ie, for instance, often asserted that when our Lord says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed or a drag- net, he means that the outward and visible organization, the Church, is like these objects. It is a very easy interpretation, but is it the right one? It is a serious matter to suppose that Christ altered the meaning of a ourrent phrase unless the case be fairly made out. What right have we to say that Christ in his parables compared a certain definite organization which he called the kingdom of heaven, with a mustard seed or a drag-net, when we may keep to the earlier meaning of the phrase by interpreting those parables as speaking solely of the principles connected with the establishment of the Divine realm, and of those principles taking effect in history? We must not allow the slowness of our Western imagination to prevent our catching the refined thoughts of Eastern pictures. Again, in support of the belief that by the phrase, "the kingdom of heaven" Christ intended "the Church," appeal is made to eh. xvi. 18, 19. It is said that the two terms are there used synonymously. But this is hardly so. Of the Church Christ affirms that it shall be founded on St. Peter and shall not be overcome by the gates of Hades (both phrases pointing to the personal meaning of "Church"), but of the kingdom of heaven Christ says that St. Peter is to be, as it were, its steward (of.eh. xiii. 52), withholding or granting things in it as he likes. The phrase implies a sphere that includes more than persons only. The Church forms but a part of the kingdom of heaven.1 Christ, then, accepted the usage that he found existing, and only enlarged it; he did not alter it. But as he looked down the ages, and saw multitudes of non-Jews accepting his message and obeying his commands, he knew that his kingdom was not intended to have a merely national limit, but that it would stretch from sea to sea till it embraced the whole earth. 'l'he old idea was that the nation was to be the kingdom; Christ meant the kingdom to embrace the world. "The Church," whatever view we take of it, is only a collection of persona. The kingdom of heaven includes perB0118 and things. The ancient idea was that of a nation with all that belonged to it being the special realm of God. The completed idea is that of Apoc. xi. 15 (Revised Version), "The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; " i.e. all that the world then contains of persons and things will be not merely possessed by God, or ruled as he rules it now, but, permeated with a spirit of submission to his rule, will correspond in will and action and use to its position, the present Church visible being only "the training• school for the kingdom." 11 The " Holy Empire " expresses the idea more than the word "Church," but it will be a "Holy Empire," governed, not by a 1 Apoo. L 6 is more to the point(" He IIl6de us a kingdom, priests to God and hiB Father ")o for in this oa.ae it must be confessod thnt St. John limits the word to the most important pa.rt of the contents of the kingd~-the persons who a.re in it. • Oosterzee, in Candlish, 'The :Kingdom of God,' p. 403. 1.xvi INTRODUCTION TO