Why
will John the Baptist be considered least in the kingdom?
I
know what you are saying, but actually John will not be considered least in the
kingdom, even though it is normally read that way in two passages. The Lord Jesus Christ mentions John the
Baptist as well as someone who will be least in the kingdom.
Matthew
11:11
Verily I say unto you, Among
them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he.
It
looks like he is saying that John is the very least in the kingdom, but he is
not. Let’s look at one more verse. Obviously John won’t be the least in the
kingdom; he will be great and I will show you why.
Luke 7:28
For I say unto you, Among
those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than
John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater
than he.
The
Lord is talking about the current
world. When he was on earth before the
kingdom was actually established, it was at hand; it was within Israel’s reach. That was John’s message:
Matthew
3:1-2
In those days came John
the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
It
was the Lord’s message:
Matthew
4:17
From that time Jesus
began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And
it was the 12 apostles’ message to Israel:
Matthew
10:7
And as ye go,
preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
But
it wasn’t there yet. The Lord was trying
to show the significance of actually entering into the coming kingdom. We can see how much he exalted John’s office
as a prophet when he said, ‘Among those that are born
of women there is not a greater prophet’
and, by the way, the man himself. Of men
born of women there was not a greater man, not a greater prophet than
John. The Lord holds John in high
esteem.
From the beginning of John’s
ministry in the wilderness he did the will of God. John was a godly man and he will have a great
reward in the kingdom. The Lord was
trying to show, that in that current world/dispensation of his day before the
kingdom which was at hand but not there yet, that John was great at the time,
but that current age/world was not the issue.
The issue was to get into the kingdom.
By comparison, the Lord says that
even though John was great in the current age at that time, what really
mattered was getting into the kingdom.
Luke 16:16
The law and the prophets
were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presseth into it.
He
is saying that the law and the prophets were the issue in Israel until John the
Baptist showed up – the voice crying in the wilderness.
Matthew
3:3
For this is he that was
spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Elijah], saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
He
became the spirit and power of Elijah.
When he came proclaiming, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’ to prepare
for Messiah’s coming, he was telling Israel that the kingdom of heaven was at
hand.
Luke 1:17
And he [John the Baptist] shall go before him [Messiah – the Lord Jesus Christ] in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers
to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make
ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Christ
is not saying that John will be the least in the kingdom. He is saying that although in that age (when
John, the Lord Jesus and the disciples were preaching the coming kingdom), John
was very great; there was none greater; but by comparison the person who will
be least in that kingdom will be greater than the greatest in the current age
(John). By the way, the Lord actually says who will be least and great in the
kingdom.
Matthew
5:19
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.
So here we have who will be great
and who will be the least in the kingdom.
But the bigger issue is actually getting into the kingdom. In prophecy, in order for Jews to get into
the kingdom they had to continue on. It
wasn’t enough just to believe on the Lord (Messiah) even in Christ’s day nor will
it be in the future after our dispensation is over; they had to and will have
to endure to the end.
Matthew
10:22
And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
John 8:31
Then said Jesus to those
Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;
Hebrews
6:6
If they shall fall away, to renew them again
unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put
him to an open shame.
They will have to endure and not take the mark of the beast in the
future as well.
Revelation
14:11
And the smoke of their
torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor
night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth
the mark of his name.
They can believe on the Lord Jesus
as their Messiah, but when persecution comes and they flee away from him and
his word, they will not get into the kingdom.
John 6:66
From that time many of
his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
The Lord was saying that John (and
all Israel) needed to get into the Kingdom.
That was the point. The issue was
not who was the greatest at that time, but who was getting into the kingdom
because that man who gets into the kingdom but is the least, will be greater than
even the greatest man in that current
world.
Matthew 11:11-13
Verily I say unto you,
Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the
Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he. And from the days of
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied
until John.
So what is the issue? John is part of that old economy of the law
and the prophets, at least until he started preaching. But when John’s preaching of Messiah began,
the kingdom of heaven became the issue.
Let’s sum it up this way: Christ
was not saying that John will be the least in the kingdom; he was saying that
although John was the greatest at that time, when the earthly kingdom that
Christ will set up begins (future from us; the dispensation of grace is not in
view here; that was the mystery given to Paul), John still needs to get into
the kingdom. The least in that future
kingdom will be greater than the greatest in the world (Israel) before the
kingdom in the prophecy program.
John 3:15,
18
That whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God.
Hopefully this helps!
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