Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven:
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.:
Matthew 5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.:
Do Not Be Anxious But seek the kingdom:
Matthew 6:
25. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27. And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28. And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,
29. yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32. For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Luke 12:
22. And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
23. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
24. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25. And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
26. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
27. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29. And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.
30. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Matthew 9:
35. And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
36. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38. therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 10:
5. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans,
6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
8. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
9. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts,
10. no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.
11. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
12. As you enter the house, greet it.
13. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Luke 9:
1.And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
2. and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.
3. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.
4. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.
5. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6. And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
John 18:
36. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
37. Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose, I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38. Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
Luke 17:
20. Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,
21. nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Romans 14:
17.For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The kingdom of God is at hand:
Matthew 3:
1.In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
Mark 1:
9. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
10. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
12. The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
13. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
15. and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 4:
12. Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
13. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
14. so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15. “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16. the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17. From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
Luke 10:
5. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
6. And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.
7. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.
8. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.
9. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10. But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,
11. ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
12. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
The Kingdom of God has come upon you:
Matthew 12:
28. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
30. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Luke 11:
14. Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.
15. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,”
16. while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.
17. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.
18. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.
19. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
20. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;
22. but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil.
23. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
25. And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order.
26. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”
To know the secrets of the kingdom:
Matthew 13:
10. Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
11. And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15. For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Enter the kingdom of heaven:
Matthew 7:
21. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23. And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 5:
17. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
22. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
23. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24. leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
26. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
The violent take it by force:
Matthew 11:
7. As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
8. If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.
9.Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10.This is the one about whom it is written:
“ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
11.Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12.From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.
13.For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14.And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
15.Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Luke 16:
14. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.
15. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16. “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
John 3:
1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4. Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5. Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Psalm 103:
15. As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16. for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18. to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20. Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
Peter receives authority through Revelation:
Matthew 16:
13. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14. And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16. Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17. And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20. Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Teaching on the Kingdom of God:
Matthew 4:
23. And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
24. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
25. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Acts 28:
23. When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
24. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.
25. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26. “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27. For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
28. Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
1Corinthians 15:
42. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
43. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
44. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
46. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual.
47. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
50. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
54. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55. “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Corinthians 4:
16. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.
17. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.
18. Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
19. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.
20. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
21. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble on Food:
Romans 14:
13. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
14. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.
15. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.
16. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.
17. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
20. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.
21. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
22. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
23. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Daniel Interprets the Dream of the Kingdoms:
Daniel 2:
31. “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening.
32. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
33. its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
34. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36. “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,
38. and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.
39. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
40. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
41. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay.
42. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
43. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
45. just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel 7:
23. “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24. As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25. He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.
26. But the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27. And the kingdom and the dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High;
his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Revelation 11:
15. Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
16. And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17. saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
18. The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
19. Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Zechariah 14:
6. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost.
7. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.
8. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
9. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
The Final Judgment:
Matthew 24:
9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
10. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
11. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.
12. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 25:
31. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
34. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36. I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38. And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39. And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40. And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44. Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
45. Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
46. And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Acts 1:
4. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6. Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7. He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven:
Matthew 13:
The Parable of the Sower:
1. That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.
4. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
6. but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.
7. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9. He who has ears, let him hear.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained:
18. “Hear then the parable of the sower:
19. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
20. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
21. yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
22. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds:
24. He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,
25. but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
26. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
27. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
28. He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
29. But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven:
31. He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
32. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33. He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and Parables:
34. All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.
35. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained:
36. Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37. He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
39. and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
41. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,
42. and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure:
44. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value:
45. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
46. who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net:
47. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.
48. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.
49. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
50. and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51. “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.”
52. And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Matthew 19:
13. Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people,
14. but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
15. And he laid his hands on them and went away.
Colossians 1:
9. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10. so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11. being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
13. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14. in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Luke 13:
22. He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.
23. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them,
24. “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’
26. Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’
27. But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’
28. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.
29. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.
30. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Isaiah 9:
6. For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7. Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Revelation 5:
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10. and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11. Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
12. saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14. And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
