Season 4 Podcast 40 “The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 5: The Sermon on the Mount Pt II, The Kingdom of Heaven.”

Season 4 Podcast 40 “The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew Ch 5: The Sermon on the Mount Pt II, The Kingdom of Heaven.”In Podcast 35 we examined the Beatitudes. In this Podcast we shall continue with the Sermon on the Mount, with the focus on The Kingdom of Heaven. MATTHEW 5: 19-2019 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.In the above Christ teaches us two things: (1) There are different degrees of glory in the kingdom of heaven, else how can one be greatest and another least (2) Not everyone is allowed in the kingdom of heaven. That means we must consider two things. (1) What are the degrees of glory and how do we inherit the highest and (2) what keeps us from entering into heaven and where do we go if we don’t go to heaven. In this podcast we shall focus on the kingdoms of heaven. In the previous podcast, entitled The Beatitudes, Christ gave us at least nine virtues we must have to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount is an extension of that discussion. Christ not only refines what he means in the Beatitudes, but he also expands the conditions to get into heaven. Let’s deal first with the degrees of Glory. We can turn to the words of Paul and the words of John. Speaking of the resurrection Paul tells us.1 CORINTHIANS 15: 40-4240 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:Paul describes three kingdoms of glory1.     One glory of the sun, which he calls celestial bodies.2.     One glory of the moon, which he calls bodies terrestrial3.     One glory of the stars. The greatest would be the glory of the sun, which he calls celestial bodies; the least would be the glory of the stars. Paul also indicates that the kingdoms compared to the glory of the stars are infinite in number“for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.”In another place Paul refers to the greater glory, the celestial bodies, as the third heaven.2 CORINTHIANS 12: 2-42 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.It is clear that the kingdom of heaven referred to in the Beatitudes is the Celestial bodies or Celestial Kingdom.