How did they shut up the kingdom of Heaven ?

SANTOSO · Sep 20, 2021

For we heard :

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Share what you may perceive and understand. May Christ give us open ears that you may understand and be healed.

Guojing · Sep 20, 2021

SANTOSO said:
For we heard :

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Share what you may perceive and understand. May Christ give us open ears that you may understand and be healed.

For Israel, their Messiah has arrived to usher them into the promised kingdom, they need to acknowedge his identity as the Son of God in order to do so (John 20:30-31).

Despite the many signs Jesus shown to Israel, the big one being resurrecting Lazarus after 4 days, which led to many Jews believing that he is indeed the son of God, here is how their leaders responded in John 11

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

Jeshu · Sep 20, 2021

i understand the scribes and Pharisees to be the rulers in the hearts of those afflicted by the spirit of religion. At least that is how i got to know the word speaking true inside my heart.

Where i had life in religious convictions with which i approved or disapproved what i could do, eat, go to, or stay with etc etc. Religious attitudes bind people to rules, values and morals, but don't tell believers that loving God and people true are the requirements of our God.

Jesus destroyed my religious leaders when i began to read the book of Jeremiah as a personal address to the rulers of my heart. It was a carnage brother! For i have been brought up very religious and i had lots of religious convictions that kept me out of the kingdom of Christ. Jesus wiped me out being like that completely.

After He killed my religious rulers Jesus taught me what true religion was. Caring for those who are in need and not thinking and acting like the world around me does. He taught me to do that in my heart as well as outside in this world.

In all those parts of myself i had been imprisoned by my religious beliefs Christ set me free and taught me that loving true is all about. i ate grace till His loving truth had killed my in sinful spirit and raised me to life in God loving spirit.

Now i simply let Jesus teach me what is true and not true. i will never let religious rules rule my life again, but have found complete freedom in Him and with Him.

Jesus is an awesome Saviour! For The Word comes to life within us when we have faith in His love. Just as He told me in the bible, what more witnesses do i need? Jesus in my heart and the bible on my lap? No religious teaching can ever compare with that!

Revelation 19:10
At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

honey badger · Sep 20, 2021

SANTOSO said:
For we heard :

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Share what you may perceive and understand. May Christ give us open ears that you may understand and be healed.

they turn the kingdom of God into something to be gained ( labored for ), which mentality is the very thing which shuts it up ...

SANTOSO · Sep 20, 2021

Guojing said:
For Israel, their Messiah has arrived to usher them into the promised kingdom, they need to acknowedge his identity as the Son of God in order to do so (John 20:30-31).

Despite the many signs Jesus shown to Israel, the big one being resurrecting Lazarus after 4 days, which led to many Jews believing that he is indeed the son of God, here is how their leaders responded in John 11

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

Beloved one, I heard what you said but you have explained how they shut up the kingdom of Heaven.

timothyu · Sep 20, 2021

SANTOSO said:
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

No different than what the gentiles did shortly after gaining power in the movement, when they broadsided Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom, abandoning serving the governance of God to now re-join the governance of man to create their own kingdoms in earth following the old patterns of man made institutions while falsely claiming to represent the will of God. Those blind have led the blind ever since, and woe to anyone that criticizes their church/religion for they will persecute those of the Kingdom in order to protect their own earthly creation. The Adversary is proud of how they turned things around.

SANTOSO · Sep 20, 2021

honey badger said:
they turn the kingdom of God into something to be gained ( labored for ), which mentality is the very thing which shuts it up ...

I did quote Matthew 23:13, earlier this is what Jesus said:
“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

What you considered when Jesus said this, and elaborate further till Matthew 23:13 ?
So what you can perceive from what Jesus previously said to what really shut the kingdom of heaven?

SANTOSO · Sep 20, 2021

timothyu said:
No different than what the gentiles did shortly after gaining power in the movement, when they broadsided Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom, abandoning serving the governance of God to now re-join the governance of man to create their own kingdoms in earth following the old patterns of man made institutions while falsely claiming to represent the will of God. Those blind have led the blind ever since, and woe to anyone that criticizes their church/religion for they will persecute those of the Kingdom in order to protect their own earthly creation. The Adversary is proud of how they turned things around.

Beloved one, if we can perceive what really shut the kingdom of Heaven against man ?Surely, we can perceive what really open the kingdom of Heaven for man ?

timothyu · Sep 20, 2021

SANTOSO said:
Beloved one, if we can perceive what really shut the kingdom of Heaven against man ?Surely, we can perceive what really open the kingdom of Heaven for man ?

Of course.

Jesus taught us that God would live among man again and rule. It is even in the Lord's prayer. It was the good news. This of course would put the priests of the Temple out of business but also every government of man. So Jesus was eliminated and after the Pharisees, the priests of Gentile Christianity, anxious to rule the world, also saw their positions threatened by God's governance. So His Gospel of the Kingdom was twisted to become another and they set themselves up as governors for God instead of God being here to rule among us. Their days are numbered and woe to these scribes Pharisees and hypocrites. We can as individuals open up the Kingdom again by putting God's will ahead of man and the churches and promoting His Kingdom/governance rather than trying to keep the governance of man and man's institutions alive (including the misguiding teachings of Christianity that focus what is in it for us but ignores the good news of God's will over mans). Especially essential now that a global government of man called Corporatism has been created to rule over all of mankind and will be the ultimate enemy of God's return.

Jeshu · Sep 21, 2021

timothyu said:
No different than what the gentiles did shortly after gaining power in the movement, when they broadsided Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom, abandoning serving the governance of God to now re-join the governance of man to create their own kingdoms in earth following the old patterns of man made institutions while falsely claiming to represent the will of God. Those blind have led the blind ever since, and woe to anyone that criticizes their church/religion for they will persecute those of the Kingdom in order to protect their own earthly creation. The Adversary is proud of how they turned things around.

Yes i fully agree. Religion is the Great Prostitute riding The Beast, (Human conceived evil actively ruling humanity,) talked about in Revelation 17. Only faith in God's loving truth, as displayed by our Lord Jesus, can bring us into the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:50
"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable."

i know that many dear brothers and sisters are still in her grasp, and i often cry out in spiritual anguish thinking about how they need to run and get out. So much blood gets drunk by that horrible prostitute, every day again, because Saints don't walk in God's loving truth but in their religious straight jackets. That is how she has kept herself alive all this time, on the blood of the Saints. That our Lord Jesus soon destroy her once and for all.

i know He killed my religious, as well as my lawless love completely out of me, and taught me to love Him, myself and my neighbour true. (please note that unfaithful love has existence in both the righteous as well as the unrighteous side in us.)

Like Paul told me in my battle with them;
Galatians 5:12
"As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"

Such good advise from Paul. For castrated by God's loving truth such spirituality inside of us can no longer bring forth any offspring in our hearts, and we get renewal as well as peace of mind, instead of those constant religious demands coming down on us stuck in a very narrow way of looking at things.

As Paul points out in verse 14
Galatians 5:14
"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

And i have learned to understand only His loving truth living in us can do that rightly.
Jude 1:21
"keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Peace.

Guojing · Sep 21, 2021

SANTOSO said:
Beloved one, I heard what you said but you have explained how they shut up the kingdom of Heaven.

Many Jews fear to believe Jesus is their Son of God because they fear offending those leaders. John 12:42

That is how those leaders shut up the kingdom.

splish- splash · Sep 21, 2021

I'm guessing these scribes and pharisees were all for imposing religious laws & practices on people, yet their hearts weren't actually for Christ. For them it was all for show, power & authority and not for Christ. Also It could be, the community picked up and followed their twisted belief system, which displeased Jesus greatly ( Maybe this is why He even said, " For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ) ."
When a shepherd leads his sheep towards a lion infested forest, he shouldn't expect them not to get killed, along with him.

timothyu · Sep 21, 2021

splish- splash said:
I'm guessing these scribes and pharisees were all for imposing religious laws & practices on people, yet their hearts weren't actually for Christ. For them it was all for show, power & authority and not for Christ.

Being a human thing to do it is no wonder many in Christianity followed in it's footsteps in doing the same.

SANTOSO · Sep 22, 2021

Beloved ones, let me share what I perceive what our Lord said:

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, let us come to the beginning before He said this in Matthew 23:13 to Matthew 23:1-12; This is what we have heard:

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:1-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So Jesus said to the multitude and disciples, that they may learn from what He said about the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees sitting in Moses’ seat. They sat as ones who teach the law of Moses. The scribes and Pharisees told the people to observe the teachings of the law that observe and do the teachings of the law but Jesus did not let the people do according to their works.

For the Lord Jesus Christ further said:
“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:8-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, it is clear that we can’t consider the scribes and the Pharisees as our Teacher and that we are all brethren — according to what we heard our Lord said.

Beloved ones, it is clear that our Lord taught us not to call anyone on earth father. So it is evident that there are scribes and Pharisees who regarded themselves as fathers and except others expect to call them fathers of the law.

And for the second time, our Lord said that we are not to regard ourselves as teachers but we are to regard ourselves as brethren, for Christ is our Teacher, and not the scribes and the Pharisees.

Our Lord then said:

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So our Lord taught that among brethren, he who is greatest shall be servant of the brethren. And Jesus taught that among brethren who exalt himself will be humbled and that among brethren who humble himself will be exalted. So our Lord considered that the scribes and the Pharisees who have not acted according to His teachings, for they did not serve as servants of God. And the scribes and the Pharisees who exalted themselves will be humbled.

Then our Lord said :
““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So our Lord Jesus considered the scribes and Pharisees as ones who were cursed, for He said to them, “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,” and labeled them as hypocrites.

For our Lord taught us that the scribes and Pharisees shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. So the scribes and Pharisees shut up the kingdom of Heaven by their teachings — for our Lord considered their teachings as work of the flesh. For the scribes and Pharisees neither go in themselves into the kingdom of Heaven, nor do they allow those who are entering to go in by their teachings.

Remember what our Lord said two times:
“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:8-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, we are also told not to consider the scribes and the Pharisees as fathers who taught us the law but only to regard One who is our Teacher, the Christ.

So beloved ones, what open the kingdom of Heaven for man is the teachings of Christ.

May God’s peace be with you.
To God be thanksgiving through Christ.
Amen.

Guojing · Sep 22, 2021

SANTOSO said:
Beloved ones, let me share what I perceive what our Lord said:

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, let us come to the beginning before He said this in Matthew 23:13 to Matthew 23:1-12; This is what we have heard:

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:1-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So Jesus said to the multitude and disciples, that they may learn from what He said about the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees sitting in Moses’ seat. They sat as ones who teach the law of Moses. The scribes and Pharisees told the people to observe the teachings of the law that observe and do the teachings of the law but Jesus did not let the people do according to their works.

For the Lord Jesus Christ further said:
“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:8-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, it is clear that we can’t consider the scribes and the Pharisees as our Teacher and that we are all brethren — according to what we heard our Lord said.

Beloved ones, it is clear that our Lord taught us not to call anyone on earth father. So it is evident that there are scribes and Pharisees who regarded themselves as fathers and except others expect to call them fathers of the law.

And for the second time, our Lord said that we are not to regard ourselves as teachers but we are to regard ourselves as brethren, for Christ is our Teacher, and not the scribes and the Pharisees.

Our Lord then said:

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So our Lord taught that among brethren, he who is greatest shall be servant of the brethren. And Jesus taught that among brethren who exalt himself will be humbled and that among brethren who humble himself will be exalted. So our Lord considered that the scribes and the Pharisees who have not acted according to His teachings, for they did not serve as servants of God. And the scribes and the Pharisees who exalted themselves will be humbled.

Then our Lord said :
““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So our Lord Jesus considered the scribes and Pharisees as ones who were cursed, for He said to them, “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,” and labeled them as hypocrites.

For our Lord taught us that the scribes and Pharisees shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. So the scribes and Pharisees shut up the kingdom of Heaven by their teachings — for our Lord considered their teachings as work of the flesh. For the scribes and Pharisees neither go in themselves into the kingdom of Heaven, nor do they allow those who are entering to go in by their teachings.

Remember what our Lord said two times:
“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:8-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Beloved ones, we are also told not to consider the scribes and the Pharisees as fathers who taught us the law but only to regard One who is our Teacher, the Christ.

So beloved ones, what open the kingdom of Heaven for man is the teachings of Christ.

May God’s peace be with you.
To God be thanksgiving through Christ.
Amen.

Every time you read what Jesus taught in Matthew, you should always bear in mind Matthew 10:5 and Matthew 15:24, on the audience of Jesus during his first coming, who is in, and who is not.

aiki · Sep 22, 2021

SANTOSO said:
For we heard :

““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Share what you may perceive and understand. May Christ give us open ears that you may understand and be healed.

The entire 23rd chapter of Matthew sketches out in what ways the Pharisees "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men."

Matthew 23:1-4
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
4 "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

"Sitting in the chair of Moses," who gave the law of God to the Israelites and communicated God's will to them, the Pharisees issued rules, and ritual observances, and traditions to the Jews, burdening them heavily with these Pharisaic laws, all the while neglecting to keep their own laws, rituals and traditions themselves. In the layering on of these traditions/laws of men, the Pharisees had obscured "true religion," making onerous and impossible the good and perfect law of God and leading the Jewish people away from God rather than toward Him.

Matthew 23:5-12
5 "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
6 "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

The religious leaders of the Jews had become vain, glory-seeking, and power-hungry. In becoming so, what message did they communicate about the purpose of their religion to the people over whom they had set themselves? All of their religious doings were temporally-focused, aimed at accruing prestige and power for themselves. Their example directed attention away from God and His glory, orienting the Jewish religion instead upon its human leaders. As Christ pointed out, the religion of the Jews should have produced humility in its leaders whose role it was to constantly point to God.

Matthew 23:13-15
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 ["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

The Pharisees made the highest levels of the Jewish religion a cesspit of hypocrisy - and of a very vicious type. In so doing, they discouraged sincere and serious pursuit of God, defaming Jehovah whom they claimed to represent and making those who followed their hypocritical example "twice the sons of hell" as they were themselves.

And so the chapter goes, explaining in detail how the Pharisees "shut up heaven." We have only to consider Jesus's words in their immediate context to fully understand them.

SANTOSO · Sep 22, 2021

Guojing said:
Every time you read what Jesus taught in Matthew, you should always bear in mind Matthew 10:5 and Matthew 15:24, on the audience of Jesus during his first coming, who is in, and who is not.

Beloved one, I don’t understand what you quoted related to the thread. If you can relate the relevance, I am sure not only me who would like to discuss with you how we may apprehend the will of God in regard to what He has said in Matthew 23:13.
May God’s peace be with you. Amen

How did they shut up the kingdom of Heaven ?

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