Matthew 3 (The Kingdom Offered To Israel)

I. Video:

A. Title: Matthew Chapter 3.

B. Data: LuisetReneeandBill.

II. Introduction. (Mathew Chapter 3). Dr. John F. Walvoord (A.B., M.A., Th. B., Th. M., Th. D., D.D., Litt. D., 1910-2002). 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walvoord

A. The message of John was like that of Elijah, as he heralded his exhortation to Pharisees as well as Sadducees and to all who came: “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” His role was that of a herald coming before the king. Matthew finds John fulfilling the prediction of Isa 40:3-5), that there would be a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way before the Lord. Like the servants of a king who would smooth out and straighten the road in preparation for their sovereign’s coming, so John was preparing the way spiritually for the coming of Christ. 

B. John’s message was a stern rebuke of the hypocrisy and shallow religion of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Unquestionably, he was attacking the established religion of his day and demanding sincerity and repentance instead of hypocrisy and religious rites. His call to repentance is backed up by the succinct announcement, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” What did John mean by “kingdom of heaven”? 

C. While the precise phrase is not found in the Old Testament, it is based on Old Testament terminology. Nebuchadnezzar, for instance, referred to God as the “King of heaven” (Dan 4:37). Daniel had predicted that the climax of world history would come with the advent of the Son of man, who would be given an everlasting kingdom. This was likewise to be fulfilled by the prediction of (Dan 2:44) that “the God of heaven” would “set up a  kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.” Matthew, alone of New Testament writers, uses “the kingdom of heaven” and rarely uses “the kingdom of God,” which is often used in parallel passages in the other gospels and throughout the New Testament. Most expositors consider the two terms identical. Although the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are similar, there seems to be some distinction. The kingdom of heaven refers to that which is obviously in its outer character a kingdom from above. The kingdom of God is more specific and does not seem to include any but true believers who are born again. In Matt 13, the kingdom of heaven seems to include both the good and bad fish caught in the net and the wheat and the tares in the same field, whereas Nicodemus is informed that the new birth is necessary to enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5). All agree that those in the kingdom of God are also in the kingdom of heaven, however. Eschatologically and dispensationally, a threefold distinction must be observed in the use of the term “kingdom of heaven.” First, in John the Baptist’s ministry, it is announced as at hand, meaning that in the person of the King, Jesus Christ, the kingdom was being presented to Israel. Second, in Matt 13, the kingdom in its present mystery form is revealed, that is, the rule of God over the earth during the present age when the King is absent. These are mysteries because they were not anticipated in the Old Testament doctrine of the kingdom. The third and climactic form of the kingdom will be when Christ returns to set up the kingdom of heaven on earth, in fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies and countless other passages of the Old Testament that picture a golden age, when the Son of David will reign over the entire world in righteousness and peace. Only the premillennial interpretation of the concept of the kingdom allows a literal interpretation of both Old Testament and New Testament prophecies relating to the future kingdom. The ministry of John the Baptist signaled a spiritual crisis in Israel. Would they accept their King, or would they reject Him? 

D. The ministry of John the Baptist was to prepare the way by calling Israel to repentance. It is rather a religious rite, signifying their confession of  sins and commitment to a new holy life, such as was proper for Jews in the old dispensation. The ministry of John the Baptist was very pointed: he challenged the prevailing Jewish concept that they were saved simply because they were descendants of Abraham; he declared that God is able to raise up children unto Abraham from the stones of the earth, certainly a dramatic picture of supernatural, spiritual resurrection; he declared that the ax is already in hand to cut down every tree that does not bring forth fruit. By this he meant individual Jews as well as Judaism as a dead ritual.

III. Key Verse Examinations.  Ryrie Study Bible, 1986, Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, Th. M., Th. D., Ph. D., Litt. D., 1925-2016).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Caldwell_Ryrie

A. 3:2. “Repent.” Repentance is a change of mind that bears fruit in a changed life (see vs 8). “kingdom of heaven.” This is a rule of heaven over the earth. The Jewish people of Christ’s day were looking for this messianic, or Davidic kingdom, to be established on this earth, and this is what John proclaimed as being “at hand.” The requirement that the people must repent in order for the kingdom to be established was new and became a stumbling block to them. The rejection of Christ by the people delayed its establishment until the second coming of Christ (25:31). The character of the kingdom today is described in the parables of Matthew 13.

B. 3:15. “to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus fulfilled all the righteous requirements to  be Israel’s Messiah. Also, by allowing John to baptize Him, He identified with sinners whom He came to save, though, of course, He Himself had no sin to repent of.

IV. Emphases of Matthew. Matthew. Dr. Charles L. Quarles (M. Div., Ph. D. 

https://www.sebts.edu/academics/faculty/Quarles.aspx

A. The Gospel of Matthew has many Jewish overtones. For example, the term “kingdom of heaven” appears 33 times and the term “kingdom of God” four times. No other Gospel lays such stress on the kingdom; the restoration of the glories of David’s kingdom was a burning hope for many Jews at the time. Matthew clearly identifies Jesus with that hope by using the Jewish royal title “Son of David” nine times in his Gospel. Furthermore he calls Jerusalem “the holy city” (4:5; 27:53) and the “city of the great King” (5:35), both uniquely Jewish ways of referring to it. First-century Jews emphasized righteousness, and Matthew uses the words “righteous” and “righteousness” more often than the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and John combined.

B.  Matthew also discusses the law, ceremonial cleanness, the Sabbath, the temple, David, the Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and Moses—all from a Jewish point of view. He has 53 Old Testament citations and more than 70 allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures. Thirteen times, the book emphasizes that Jesus’ actions were a direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The genealogy of chapter 1 is recognizably Jewish, tracing the lineage of Jesus back through David to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. Furthermore the Gospel mentions Jewish rulers (see 2:1, 22; 14:1) and customs such as ceremonial washing (see 15:2) without explanation, indicating that Matthew expected his predominantly Jewish audience to be familiar with such practices.

V. The Kingdom described (Ryrie Study Bible).

A. The glory of the future kingdom (Isaiah 2:1-4).

B. The governing of Messiah over the kingdom (Isaiah 9:6a-7).

C. Harmony in the Kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-16).

D. Characteristics of the Kingdom (Isaiah 65:18-25).

VI. Parting Thought. 

Matthew’s gospel was written only to Jews. The offer of the Kingdom by Jesus was made only to Jews (Matt 10:1-7). As Jesus was offering the Kingdom to the Jews of Israel, He made a point of telling them that because they were being offered the Kingdom, that they should repent of the way that they had been living, and to act like Kingdom people. Jesus’s ministry was not to Gentiles. Jesus instructed His disciples in the way that they should witness to Gentiles after His ascension to Heaven (Matt 28:18-19). It is obvious that, after having read the above paragraph on the conditions of the kingdom, that the Kingdom has not yet come (Matt 6:10). Scripture does not say that the Kingdom will enter us; however we are told that we will enter the kingdom. The new birth is not the kingdom.

VII.  My Bucket List shows the references that I consult, of theologians and printed resources, whenever I write an article that will be posted. Please go to the Pages of my site to find my Bucket List.

VIII . My Websites To Follow.

https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/ Eternity

https://untotheleastofthese.home.blog/ Book Prep

https://newsandcommentary38395276.wordpress.com/ Thy Kingdom Come

Matthew 2 (Jews or Gentiles?)

I. Video.

A. Video Title. Wise Men From The East (Matthew 2:1-15)

B. Video Data. Sandy Tales

II. Introduction. The Presentation And Rejection Of The Theocratic Kingdom Recorded By Matthew. J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come, p 456, 462. (Th. B., Th. M. Th. D., 1915-2014). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Dwight_Pentecost

A. The purpose of the writing of the Gospel of Matthew was to record the presentation of Jesus Christ as Messiah, to trace the opposition to Him and His offered kingdom by the nation, and to record the official and final rejection of that King and kingdom by Israel. 

B. There are three major movements in the Gospel of Matthew:

1. The presentation and authentication of the King (1:1-11:1).

2. The opposition to the King (11:2-16:12).

3. The final rejection of the King (16:13-28:20).

C. The Gospel of Matthew was written to present the Messiah to Israel and to record the attitude of the nation to Him.

1. The first movement of the book has to do with His presentation and authentication, as He is shown to have the legal, moral, judicial, and prophetic rights to the throne, which rights are fully authenticated by the King in His miracles.  

2. The second movement observed is the opposition and rejection of the Messiah by the nation of Israel. The opposition grows into the open rejection by the nation. As a result of this rejection a mystery program for a new age is revealed.

3. The third movement has to do with the culmination of the rejection in the death of the Messiah. It was the King of the Jews that was crucified. The resurrection of the Crucified One is a divine approval of all His claims and His authentication as Messiah. Because Israel rejected the Messiah, they bear their sin until He comes to redeem the nation and to reign in glory, acclaimed as Messiah by all. 

III.  Dispersion Of The Jews.  Israel My Glory. https://israelmyglory.org/article/the-regathering-of-israel/

A. The Bible clearly teaches two distinct dispersions and two subsequent regatherings of the nation of Israel. The first dispersion was prophesied in Deuteronomy 28:36–37 and occurred in two phases. The first phase took place about 721 B.C., when the northern kingdom (Israel) was carried away into Assyria (cp. 2 Ki. 17:6). The second phase began around 608 B.C. when Judah, the southern kingdom, was carried captive into Babylon (cp. 2 Ki. 24:11–16; 25:8–11). Jeremiah-prophesied that the latter dispersion would last 70 years (Jer. 25:11). There was a partial return during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, around 538 B.C. 

B. The Deportation of the Southern Kingdom of Judah  https://bible-history.com/map-babylonian-captivity/the-deportation-of-judah

2 Kings 24:14-16 “Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. And he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. All the valiant men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for war, these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”

This was not the first time that the Jews in the Southern Kingdom of Judah were taken into captivity. Sennacherib, about 701 BC, is stated to have carried into Assyria 200,000 captives from the Jewish cities that he took (2 Kings 18:13).

The carrying away of the people of Judah to Babylon was not accomplished at one time. Three distinct deportations are mentioned in 2 Kings 24:14 (including 10,000 persons) and 2 Kings 25:11, one in 2 Chron 36:20, three in Jer 52:28-30 (including 4,600 persons), and one in Dan 1:3.

The two principal deportations were:

(1) when Jehoiachin with all his nobles, soldiers, and artificers were carried away; and

(2) that which followed the destruction of Jerusalem and the capture of Zedekiah, 586 B.C. The three mentioned by Jeremiah may have been contributions from the more distinguished portions of the captives, and the captivity of certain selected “children” (Dan 1:3), 607 BC, may have occurred when Nebuchadnezzar was a colleague of his father, Nabopolassar. 

C. The Captivity to the return. 

https://bible-history.com/old-testament/return-from-babylon

-from-“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah. Who [is there] among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which [is] in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he [is] the God,) which [is] in Jerusalem.”

– Ezra 1:1-3 

The Return from Babylon

The people of Judah were horribly distressed. They lost their home, their city, their pride, their Temple, the ark of the covenant, and they were taken as prisoners to Babylon, the homeland of idolatry. But God raised up great men to remind them of Jeremiah’s prophesies, that they would only be there for 70 years. Babylon would not be their home:

Jer 29:10-14 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

They would return and the temple would be rebuilt, and the Messiah would still come. Daniel and Ezekiel sought to keep the true faith alive.

The Decree of Cyrus

By 538 BC. Babylon had passed into history and the Medo-Persian Empire took its place. Cyrus the Persian issued a decree to allow the Jews to go back to their land, and with the blessing of The Persian Empire. The Jews were hardly moved. Babylon was their home. Only a portion returned (Neh 7) and only 74 of the Levites, who were supposed to be known for their dedication to the things of God.

The Persians

Zerubbabel

The first move back to Israel was led by Zerubbabel, of the house of David. He was the only one of royal blood to pay any attention to the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 2). When he returned, he found just rubble. No temple, torn down walls, and a mixed breed of corrupt Jews (Samaritans) living there. In 536 BC. he laid the foundations for a new temple, built an altar and worshipped the Lord. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah helped urge the Jews on. They finished the work on the Temple in 516 BC. (exactly 70 years).

Ezra and Nehemiah

58 years later (458 BC) more Jews returned (Ezra 7) under the leadership of Ezra. 12 years later, Nehemiah, received permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to govern Judea. He arrived in 444 BC. Despite much opposition, Nehemiah completed this seemingly hopeless task in 52 days. Then a revival followed. Ezra and Nehemiah canonized the books of the Old Testament. They read aloud to the people and gave interpretation. About 40 years later, the prophet Malachi condemned the people for slipping back into their sinful ways.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-important-events/rivers-babylon-life-ancient-babylon-s-thriving-jewish-community-0010021

By the rivers of Babylon: Life In Ancient Babylon’s Thriving Jewish Community.

In the 6th-century BC, the armies of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Judah. They tore down the city walls, burned the temples, and ran down every person who tried to escape. The few survivors were dragged out of their homeland and forced to live in Babylon as vassals to the men who butchered their children.

And yet, when the Jews in exile won their freedom, most of them didn’t leave. They stayed in Babylon – and kept a thriving community that lasted for more than 2,000 years.

It’s one of the stranger moments in human history. These people were brutalized by an invading army. They were taught to hate so viciously that, for hundreds of years, the word “Babylon”, to the Jews, was synonymous with evil. But most chose to stay right there with their captors, living side-by-side with the men who had made their lives miserable.

Why didn’t they leave? It’s a question that’s plagued historians and theologians alike; but some recently uncovered documents shed a little light on how Babylon created a Jewish community that still lives on today.

That doesn’t mean that every Jew in Babylon was living in paradise. Most were poor; typically, they were farmers who struggled to feed their families through heavy taxes from the state. In Babylon, though, they had opportunity. They had a way of rising up to the top, even if most didn’t make it.

Perhaps that’s why they stayed. About sixty years after the Babylonian exile began, the Jews were freed. The Persian Empire defeated Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to the home country. About 40,000 people took the offer and went home – but another 80,000 stayed behind in Babylon.

IV. Ongoing return of Jews to Jerusalem. MacArthur Study Bible. Note on Lev Chapter 23. The three major feasts for which all males were required to traveled to the temple in Jerusalem (Ex 23:14-19)

A. Unleavened Bread (Ex 12;15-20)

B. Pentecost (Harvest or Weeks) (Deu 16:9-12; Ac 2:1)

C. Booths (Tabernacles  or Ingathering (Neh 8:13-28; Jn 7:2)

V. Dispersed Areas From Where Jews Returned To Jerusalem For Jewish Feasts

A. The name of Babylon appears in the Bible 273 times, and in each instance, “Babylon means Babylon.

1.2 Kings 17:6, “Halah and Habor, on the river or Gozan in the cities of the Medes. (721. B.C.)

2.2 Kings 24:10-16; 25:11-21, To Babylon (607-586 B.C.)

3. Esther 2:5-8, “Susa” in Persia ( 519 B.C.)

4. Acts 2:9-11, Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Judea and Pamphylia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and Rome… (33 A.D.)

5.1 Peter 1:1-2, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (60 A.D.)

VI. Were the wise men Jews or Gentiles? (Matthew 2:1-13).

A. The theocratic kingdom under the prophets.

1. God entered into an eternal, unconditional covenant with David (2 Sam 7:16, 1042 B.C.) in which God guaranteed that the Davidic kingdom should come to full realization as one from David’s line reigned forever. The prophets were the divinely appointed spokesmen for God, who relayed God’s message to the kings, who sometimes obeyed, but with greater frequency did not. (The Coming Kingdom, p 441).

2. The future theocratic kingdom now becomes the major theme of the prophets’ message (The Coming Kingdom, p 442).

3. The prophets, with one voice, describe this one kingdom, thus restored, in terms expressive of the most glorious additions. They predict, from the Psalmist, down to Malachi, a restoration of the identical overthrown Kingdom, linked with the astounding events which shall produce a blessedness and glory unexampled in the history of the world….Since the overthrow of the Theocratic-Davidic Kingdom, these predicted events have not taken place as delineated, and therefore, the predicted covenanted Kingdom has not yet appeared….It is the same Kingdom overthrown has not yet appeared….It is the same Kingdom overthrown that receives those additions, and not another Kingdom that obtains them; hence, no professed Kingdom, however loudly proclaimed and learnedly presented, should, lacking these, be accepted by us….Those additions are so great in their nature, so striking in their characteristics, so manifesting the interface of the Supernatural, that no one can possibly mistake when this Kingdom is restored….After the downfall of the Davidic Kingdom, the Prophets predict this Kingdom as Future. (The Coming Kingdom p 445).

4. The Jewish prophets provided very specific information on who it would be from the line of David’s line, and the details of who would be the King of the Davidic Kingdom, the Messiah:

a. Isaiah 7:14 (742 B.C.) would born of a virgin. Fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-23.

b. Micah 5:2 ((710 B.C.) would be born in Bethlehem. Fulfilled in Matthew 2:4-6.

c. Matthew 10:5-7 (31 A.D.) The offer of the Davidic Kingdom would be made only to Jews, and not to Gentiles, with the message, “the kingdom of Heaven is at hand (meaning, the kingdom of heaven is near, but not here.”

B. Who Were The Wise Men?

1. Jews and the Feast of Pentecost.

The Feast of Pentecost is the Greek phrase for a Jewish feast day, also known as the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22) or Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23:16). Pentecost is a Greek term that means “fiftieth,” and the Feast of Pentecost took place 50 days after Passover.

The Lord instituted this celebration when He renewed His covenant with the people as He spoke to Moses in Exodus 34:22-23. In Numbers 28:26, the feast is called the Day of First Fruits. The day was to consist of:

• A holy convocation wherein people would not do ordinary work
• An offering of new grain
• A burnt offering of two bulls, one ram, seven one-year-old male lambs, their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil (three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, and a tenth for each lamb), and one male goat (all blemish-free), along with their drink offering.

The celebration usually took place in May or early June, 50 days after Passover.

2. Peter’s Message on the Day of Pentecost. (33 A.D.)

a. The audience was Jewish (Acts 2:9-13). (V.A.5 above).

b. The sermon that Peter preached related to the Jewish prophet, Joel , of whom Gentiles would have had no knowledge. (Acts 2:16-36; Joel 2:28-32; 39). (33 A.D.)

c. Gentiles were not allowed in the Temple (Acts 21:28-19). (60 A.D.)

3. Consider the Magi. The Magi traveled about 800-900 miles, from the area of Persia to see the Christ Child. There is nothing that would indicate that these men were other than Jews. God did not send prophetic messages to Gentiles, as he did concerning the Messiah, and the end times. There are many opinions on this matter, but it is important to remember that Jesus went to the Jews (John 1:11), and that He had no ministry to Gentiles, just as His disciples followed his teaching on the subject. The offer of the Davidic Kingdom was made only to Jews, which was the purpose of Christ coming to our world. Jesus instructed His disciples on ministry to Gentiles, but that did not happen until 41 A.D., in the case of Cornelius (Acts 10: 34-43), when the Apostle Peter preached the message of Jesus, of His death, burial and resurrection (Acts 10:39-40).

VII.  My Bucket List shows the references that I consult, of theologians and printed resources, whenever I write an article that will be posted. Please go to the Pages of my site to find my Bucket List.

VIII. My Websites To Follow.

https://equippingblog.wordpress.com/ Eternity

https://untotheleastofthese.home.blog/ Book Prep

https://newsandcommentary38395276.wordpress.com/ Thy Kingdom Come

Matthew And Israel (Overview)

I. Author And Writing.

A. The heading of the first book of the New Testament is in most manuscripts “Gospel according to Matthew”. There is only one good news of the great work that God had accomplished by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, but in His wisdom it needed four different men to make this news of salvation known to the world in written form.

B. As in most books of the Bible, the name of the author is not mentioned in Matthew’s gospel. But right from the beginning the Christian tradition confirms that the apostle Matthew is the author of this gospel. But this tradition also says that Matthew’s gospel was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. Papias (ca 65 – 150 AD) writes: “Matthew has written these words (Greek logia) in the Hebrew language, but everybody translated them as best they could.” The interpretation of this is not easy, and there have been various explanations. The view of the more recent scholars is that the gospel was neither written by Matthew nor in Hebrew or Aramaic. They believe that the writer was no apostle, that he wrote the gospel in Greek and based it on two sources: the gospel of Mark and a so-called “Logia Source Q”, which only exists in theory. The reason for the assumption that the apostle Matthew could not have been the author of this gospel is that an eye witness could not have written like this, and that it is unthinkable that an apostle would have based his writings on the work of a non-apostle like Mark. But both arguments miss out that the Holy Scriptures have been written by men, who were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Who led them in their writings with regard to contents as well as form (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:13-14, 2 Peter 1:21). On the other hand it is possible that at the beginning there was a collection of the words of Jesus in Aramaic, but this remains a theory if not confirmed by text findings. The text of Matthew’s gospel is now generally viewed as Greek original, and not as a translation.

C. The name of the author, Matthew, is listed in all lists of apostles at the seventh or eighth place (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13). All three synoptic gospels – so called because of their similarity – tell us about his calling (Matthew 9:9 ff, Mark 2:13 ff, Luke 5:27 ff). While on this occasion Luke calls him “Levi, the tax-gatherer” and Mark “Levi, the son of Alphaeus”, he is called “Matthew” only in our gospel. Another noteworthy fact is that Matthew is only called “Matthew the tax-gatherer” in the list in Matthew 10:3. The name Matthew can be traced back to various Hebrew names: Matthija, Matthitja, Mattanja or Matthai, which all have the same meaning – “gift of the Lord”.

D. The gospel does not contain any details about its exact time of writing, therefore the opinions in regard to that vary considerably. While some researchers believe the gospel was written after the destruction of Jerusalem (70AD), others think that there are no facts supporting this, and they date it as 60-70AD. The church father Irenaeus (ca 140-202AD) hints on the gospel of Matthew having been written around 61-66AD.

II. Subject and purpose of writing.

A. The gospel according to Matthew is the most detailed and, in its format, clearest of all four gospels. This however is not the only reason for it to be rightly listed in the first place, but also because it forms a link between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

B. The gospel of Matthew contains some sixty quotes from the Old Testament. But some of these are only a few words (for example Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:38; Matthew 5:43; Matthew 24:15).

C. A total of thirty quotes from the Old Testament are actually mentioned as such (for example Matthew 2:5-6; Matthew 3:3; Matthew 4:4; Matthew 4:7; Matthew 4:10).

D. Things that happened in the life of the Lord Jesus are on fourteen occasions explicitly described as fulfilments of prophecies of the Old Testament (Matthew 1:22-23; Matthew 2:5-6; Matthew 2:15; Matthew 2:17-18; Matthew 2:23; Matthew 4:14-16; Matthew 8:17; Matthew 11:10; Matthew 12:17-21; Matthew 13:35; Matthew 21:4-5; Matthew 21:42; Matthew 26:31; Matthew 27:9-10).

E. The aim of the Holy Spirit in this gospel is made clear already in the first verse: Jesus Christ is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, and therefore the Messiah, the rightful, promised King of Israel, the fulfiller of all prophecies of the Old Testament. Altogether eight times the Lord Jesus is called the “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1; Matthew 9:27; Matthew 12:23; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 20:31; Matthew 20:31; Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:15).

F. In close connection with this is a further important mark of the gospel of Matthew: the frequent mention of the messianic kingdom, which is mentioned fifty times. Whereas it is in other places mostly called the “kingdom of God”, Matthew calls it thirty two times “kingdom of the heavens”; only five times the expression “kingdom of God” is used.

G. The gospel of Matthew is arranged according to a divine plan. In the first half the Lord Jesus is introduced as the king of Israel and presented to His earthly people. This part ends in chapter 12 with His rejection: the rulers of Israel reject their king.

H. In the second half, from chapter 13 , the service of the rejected King is described, which is now not only restricted to Israel, but takes in also the heathen nations. It is in this part that the assembly (or church) of God, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, is first mentioned by name in the Bible (Matthew 16:18; cf 1 Corinthians 12:13).

I. The service of Christ ends with His sufferings and death, but also with His resurrection and the sending out of the apostles. Matthew does not mention the ascension of the Lord to heaven. The structure of the gospel is underlined by the five great sermons of Christ, which always end with the same sentence: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, .”

J. In the so-called sermon on the mount (Matthew 5; Matthew 6; Matthew 7:1-28) the Lord proclaims the principles of the kingdom of heaven.

K. When sending out the twelve disciples to the people of Israel, the Lord instructs them as to their service as His ambassadors (Matthew 10; Matthew 11:1).

L. In the parables of the kingdom of heaven He explains that this kingdom would develop in the new, mysterious way because of His rejection (Matthew 13:1-53).

M. In His fourth sermon (Matthew 18; Matthew 19:1) the Lord Jesus presents the various principles for the personal and collective behavior of believers.

N. In His last great sermon about the times of the end the Lord explains to the disciples the fate of Israel (Matthew 24:1-44), Christendom (Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:1-30) and the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) in the times until His appearing in glory.

III. Peculiarities.

A. The kingdom of the heavens.

1. The kingdom of God describes the rule of God over the world by the man appointed by Him for this purpose, Christ Jesus. The Jews were awaiting this kingdom as liberation from the yoke of the Romans. Therefore Matthew’s gospel uses the name “kingdom of the heavens” thirty two times, in order to emphasise that the origin of the ruling power of this kingdom is in heaven and not on the earth. The kingdom of the heavens describes in principle the same as the kingdom of God, but it emphasizes the heavenly character of this kingdom.

2. The kingdom of the heavens is also always viewed in Matthew’s gospel as something future, i.e. beginning after the Lord’s ascension to heaven, whereas the kingdom of God, also in Matthew, is seen as being present already now (Matthew 12:28). Many parables which are used by Mark and Luke to explain the kingdom of God bear the “heading” kingdom of the heavens in Matthew.

B. The assembly (Greek: ecclesia).

1. Matthew’s gospel is the only gospel in which the assembly (church) of the New Testament is mentioned (Matthew 16:18). Only after the Messiah had been rejected by His earthly people, He announced the founding and building of His assembly, the foundation of which is He Himself.

2. The assembly began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and consists of all believers of the present dispensation of grace. She will be taken to the Fathers house in heaven by the Lord Himself, before the judgments of the end times, in order to be there with Him in glory for eternity.

3. In Matthew 18:15-20 the Lord then speaks of the local assembly, i.e. of those who gather in any place as assembly. In all questions of order and discipline the Lord confers the highest authority on earth to the local assembly, because He Himself is in the midst of those gathered to His name.

4. The assembly was not yet revealed in the Old Testament. She belongs to the mystery of God which is only revealed in the New Testament (Ephesians 3:1-12), after the Son of God had completed the work of redemption and the Holy Spirit had come down to live in the believers.

IV. Sources Of Information and Credentials. (DTS relates to Dallas Theological Seminary. The individuals who are listed below, have degrees of Doctor of Theology (Th. D.), or greater, and have been aligned with DTS, by either being an instructor or graduate).

A. Sources.

Charles C. Ryrie, Merrill F. Unger, J. Vernon McGee, J. Dwight Pentecost, John F. Walvoord, Harry A. Ironside, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum. Thomas Ice, Charles L. Feinberg. Lew Sperry Chafer. Mark M. Yarbrough. Harold Hoehner.

B. Credentials.

1. Ryrie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Caldwell_Ryrie

2. Unnger.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrill_Unger

3. McGee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Vernon_McGee

4. Pentecost.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Dwight_Pentecost

5. Walvoord. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Walvoord

6. Ironside. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_A._Ironside

7. Fruchtenbaum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Fruchtenbaum

8. Ice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ice

9. Feinberg. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_L._Feinberg

10. Chafer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Sperry_Chafer

11. Yarbrough. https://www.dts.edu/employee/mark-yarbrough/

12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Hoehner

C. The source of this article is J. Vernon McGee.

V. Disclosure.

A. One of the most difficult and most important factors of writing an article is related to sources of information. A writer must ensure that such sources must have a high degree of knowledge on the subjects that are being written, and also must have a high degree of respect from other writers. A second factor that must be considered relates to how to lawfully use material of other writers. In this web site, copyright statutes are not violated. Also, the term “public domain,” is a factor that is often considered. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

B. The names and credentials of all contributors to this, and other, series of articles will be provided. Such author information will be shown below each article. If a contributor who is outside of the names and sources of this web site, full name and credential data will be shown.