Kingdom of Heaven: The Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12-14)

(Class Notes)

• Teaching of The Law and The Prophets (Matthew 7:12)
  • The Lord concludes His TEACHING concerning GIVING (Matthew 7:11) by declaring that WHAT you would LIKE TO RECEIVE FROM others you should LIKEWISE GIVE TO others - He declares this to be the VERY HEART of THE LAW and THE PROPHETS (Matthew 7:12)
  • When asked WHICH COMMANDMENT was THE GREATEST (Matthew 22:36) - the Lord responded with TWO COMMANDMENTS which were NOT of the TEN COMMANDMENTS (Matthew 22:37-39) and declared that "on these TWO COMMANDMENTS hang ALL THE LAW and THE PROPHETS" (Matthew 22:40):
    • The FIRST and GREATEST COMMANDMENT (Matthew 22:37-38 cf. Deuteronomy 6:5)
    • The SECOND COMMANDMENT LIKE unto the FIRST (Matthew 22:39 cf. Leviticus 19:18)
  • Paul declared that LOVE is the FULFILLMENT of THE LAW (Romans 13:8), i.e. THE COMMANDMENTS (Romans 13:9 cf. Romans 2:20-24; Exodus 20:12-17), because "LOVE worketh NO ILL TO his NEIGHBOR" (Romans 13:10)
  • The Lord cited THE PROPHETS in declaring that "I will have MERCY, and NOT SACRIFICE" (Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7 cf. Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8), i.e. He taught that "the WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW" are the SHOWING of MERCY in the DOING of GOOD TO one's NEIGHBOR (Matthew 23:23) - as also say THE PROPHETS (Hosea 12:6; Zechariah 7:8-11)
  • Israel FAILED under the OLD COVENANT of THE LAW, but WILL SUCCEED under the NEW COVENANT of DIVINE GRACE (Hebrews 8:7-13 cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34)
    • THE LAW written in "TABLES of STONE" (Exodus 24:12) reflected Israel's "STONY HEART", which God will replace with "an HEART of FLESH" (Ezekiel 36:26)

• Broad Way unto Destruction (Matthew 7:13)
  • In the Law, God declared that He would raise up unto Israel a PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES (Deuteronomy 18:15) and that HIS WORDS were TO BE OBEYED or ELSE there would be JUDGMENT (Deuteronomy 18:18-19)
  • MESSIAH'S FORERUNNER testified that "He that BELIEVETH NOT the Son shall NOT SEE life, BUT the WRATH of God abideth on him" (John 3:36)
  • MESSIAH WARNED His enemies repeatedly of THEIR DESTRUCTION due to THEIR REJECTION of Him (John 5:39-40; John 8:24; John 12:48)
  • MESSIAH WARNED His enemies that by NOT RECEIVING HIM - they WOULD RECEIVE ANOTHER (John 5:43), i.e. the LIAR who "ABODE NOT in the TRUTH" (John 8:44)
    • The TRUE MESSIAH came in HIS "FATHER'S NAME" (John 5:43) and is called "THE TRUTH" (John 5:32-33; John 8:32,36)
    • The FALSE MESSIAH will come in "HIS OWN NAME" and is called "THE LIE" (II Thessalonians 2:11 cf. Romans 1:25) "whose COMING is after the working of SATAN with ... LYING wonders, and with all DECEIVABLENESS of unrighteousness" (II Thessalonians 2:9-10) and who shall be DESTROYED by the BRIGHTNESS of the TRUE MESSIAH'S COMING" (II Thessalonians 2:8 cf. Isaiah 30:33)
    • Thus, the FALSE MESSIAH is also fittingly called "the Man of SIN" and "the Son of PERDITION (DESTRUCTION)" (II Thessalonians 2:3 cf. John 17:12), because he causes all who PLEDGE their ALLEGIANCE to him Revelation 13:15-17) to SUFFER his SAME DESTRUCTIVE END (Revelation 19:20 cf. Revelation 14:9-11)

• Narrow Way unto Life (Matthew 7:14)
  • MESSIAH DECLARED that WHOSOEVER BELIEVES in "the SON of Man" SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:14-15) "for as the FATHER HATH LIFE IN HIMSELF, so HATH He given the SON to have LIFE IN HIMSELF" (John 5:26)
    • Therefore, "he that HATH THE SON HATH LIFE, and he that HATH NOT THE SON of God HATH NOT LIFE" (I John 5:12)
  • MESSIAH DECLARED that ONLY HE is "the DOOR unto the SHEEPFOLD" and that to go through ANY OTHER is to be a THIEF and a ROBBER (John 10:1)
    • MESSIAH'S REFERENCE to the SHEEPFOLD (John 10:1) is to the KINGDOMS of ISRAEL and JUDAH (John 10:16 cf. Ezekiel 37:19-24)
  • MESSIAH DECLARED that ONLY HE is "the TRUE and LIVING WAY" unto the FATHER (John 14:6)
  • MESSIAH WARNED that "FEW there WOULD be that FIND it" (Matthew 7:14), i.e. FEW would "BELIEVE that JESUS is the CHRIST, the SON of God ... and that BELIEVING ... might HAVE LIFE THROUGH HIS NAME" (John 20:30-31 cf. John 1:11-12)
    • It was ISRAEL'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS who HINDERED the people from ENTERING into the KINGDOM of God (Luke 11:52) and, thus, the people would have to FORCE their way past them in order to ENTER into the KINGDOM of God (Luke 16:16)
    • Note the CONTRAST between the PARENTS who FEARED the RELIGIOUS LEADERS (John 9:18-23) and their SON who BOLDLY WITHSTOOD the RELIGIOUS LEADERS (John 9:24-34)
      • The LORD FOUND the MAN who was CAST OUT of the synagogue and the LORD LED this MAN to FAITH and WORSHIP (John 9:35-38)
      • The MAN who was BORN BLIND was used by the LORD to MANIFEST "the WORKS of GOD" (John 9:2-3) and as such - was an example of one of the FORCEFUL ones who was able to LAY HOLD of the KINGDOM of Heaven (Matthew 11:12)
      • ISRAEL'S FAITHFUL TRIBULATION REMNANT (Revelation 2:9-10) will also be CAST OUT by their apostate brethren and the Lord will also APPEAR to their JOY (Isaiah 66:5) - "in that DAY WHEN I MAKE UP MY JEWELS" (Malachi 3:16-17)

Study Outline

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