`Where is He that is born King of the Jews? ... In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, And

thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a

Governor, that shall rule My people Israel' (Matt. 2:2-6).

The opening words of the Lord's ministry announce the kingdom:

`Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD,

and saying,

(1) The time is fulfilled

(hence the kingdom is that

of O.T. prophecy),

(2) and the kingdom of God is at hand

(has come nigh - the King

being present):

(3) repent ye, and believe the gospel'

(believe the good tidings -

the condition)

(Mark 1:14,15).

John the Baptist opened his ministry to Israel with the call to repent (Matt. 3). The Lord opened His ministry to

Israel with the call to repent (Matt. 4:17). Peter reopened the ministry to Israel with the call to repent (Acts 2:38;

The miracles which the Lord wrought immediately following His opening words were with the confessed object

of bringing Israel to repentance, and thereby instituting the kingdom:

`Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not ...

Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes' (Matt. 11:20,21).

The parables which immediately follow the Lord's rejection introduce the theme of the restoration. Matthew 12

records the rejection of Christ by Israel; Matthew 13 records the first parables. These parables were uttered because:

`They seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the

prophecy of Esaias' (Isa. 6:9,10; Matt. 13:10-15).

The seed that is sown by the sower is `the word of the kingdom'; and although the earlier sowings were marred,

yet in God's good time that seed of the kingdom shall fall into good ground, and the harvest shall be abundant.

The Transfiguration testified to the fulfilment of prophecy concerning the kingdom of which both Law and

Prophets speak. This is made perfectly clear by Peter's inspired testimony:

`We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty ... We have also a more sure word of prophecy' (2 Pet.

The promise of the Lord to those who had forsaken all and followed Him is directed to the restoration of the

`Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the

throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' (Matt. 19:28).

The accomplishment of the final great prophecy of Matthew 24 and 25 necessitates the restoration of the

`When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the

throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all NATIONS ... Then shall the King say ... inherit the

KINGDOM'(Matt. 25:31-34).

In the last solemn verses, of trial, suffering, and crucifixion, the KING and the

are prominent. The

KINGDOM

High Priest said: