event of being asked, and that in spite of being falsely accused as an evil doer (3: 16). In

a day when the righteous suffer and evil doers prosper, the sanctification of the Father's

Name must remain unfulfilled except in the way already suggested, in the heart, and

inasmuch as it was the province of the Son to manifest the Father's Name (John 17: 6),

and that all should honour the Son even as they honour the Father (John 5: 23), so it could

be possible to "sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts" (I Pet. 3: 15).  (Christ is

substituted for God in the best texts).

In the narrow dispensational sense the petition "sanctified be Thy Name" belongs

basically to Israel, but surely all can join voices to desire earnestly the day when both in

heaven and upon earth that Name shall be sanctified.

The kingdom for which the disciples of the Lord were to pray had already been

qualified in the Sermon on the Mount as "the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5: 3, 10, etc.).

More literally it should read "the kingdom of the heavens", an expression peculiar to

Matthew and used some 32 times. This kingdom had drawn near at this time and both

John the Baptist and the Lord Himself proclaimed it (3: 2; 4: 17).  It was to be

possessed by the "poor in spirit . . . . . persecuted for righteousness sake" (5: 3, 10),

whose righteousness exceeded that of the Scribes and Pharisees and who had become

`little children' (5: 20; 18: 3). Many of these would come from the east and west to

recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom (8: 11).

The expression `kingdom of God', used 5 times by Matthew is used by the other

evangelists in such a way as to suggest that at this time it meant the same as "the

kingdom of the heavens". It seems that "the kingdom of God", insofar as it is found in

Col. 4: 11, is an embracive term covering more than one aspect of the purposes of God,

and is to be looked upon as including within its meaning "the kingdom of the heavens".

Viewed in this light, it was true to say that at the time of our Lord's earthly ministry, and

afterwards during the Acts period, the kingdom of God, described by the specific term

"the kingdom of the heavens", had drawn near. It was this that was implied in "Thy

kingdom come".

One other expression which may be looked upon as further explaining this kingdom is

"My Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26: 29), or speaking of the righteous of this kingdom,

"the kingdom of their Father" (Matt. 13: 43). The kingdom of God was to be sought--

"seek ye first the kingdom of God" (Matt. 6: 33), and the petition "thy kingdom come"

should be looked upon as being included within this seeking.