The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Saturday, 19-4-2014, at Starbucks Station 18 Ipoh, (continued)

Reading Mark 2: 1-2; 3-12; 23-28 NKJV

Mark 2: 1 - 2 NKJV
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

The Master Yeshua the Messiah (the Lord Iesous Christos) entered the city of Capernaum on the northern side of the Sea of Galilee after some days. Verse 2 records that Iesous "preached the word" to those who crowded into his house, so much so that there was no room even at the door.

What was this "word" that our Master Yeshua preached in verse 2b? We can get a better understanding from Mark 1:15, where Yeshua put it in a few words, saying,

Mark 1: 15 NKJV
The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the gospel.

This "word" is further explained by Yeshua telling the multitudes about the significance of the ministry of John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 11 where he explained that the Torah and the Neviim prophesied (were given) until John only, i.e. no more prophecies would be added to the Law and the prophets after that. In
other words, the scripture has been completed, one might perhaps even say "sealed" and no more new prophecies will be recorded in them from that time onwards.

Instead, Yeshua the Messiah (the Lord Iesous Christos) declares that, beginning from the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God is "taken violently".

Matthew 11:12, 13 NKJV
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

A similar statement is recorded in Luke chapter 16, where Yeshua told the people that everyone is "pressing" into the kingdom of God.

Luke 16:16
The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached and everyone is pressing into it.

What did our Master Yeshua mean when he said that the kingdom of God is taken by violent force? In what way is God's kingdom suffering violence? There are some who think that Yeshua (Iesous Christos) is alluding to the prophecy written in Micah 2: 12-13 which likens the remnant of Israel to a flock of sheep breaking through the gate of their sheep pen, with their King ahead of them.

Micah 2: 12 - 13 NKJV
“I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
    I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture;
    the place will throng with people.
The One who breaks open the way will go up before them;
    they will break through the gate and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
    the Lord at their head.”

Yes, this is the "word" that our Master Yeshua the Messiah (Iesous Christos) preached. He is telling us that, starting from the times of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God is at hand, and that many are returning to God in repentance, and are pressing into the gates of the kingdom with great force.

Let us join the remnant of Israel. Like a flock of sheep. let us break through the gate with our Messiah ahead of us.