Ever since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, humanity has been searching for the perfect kingdom. The Hebrew nation was no different – they too desired a government different than God had provided, and asked for a king so that they might be like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:4-22). In his gospel, Matthew speaks to the Jews about their quest for the perfect kingdom and the restoration of “the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The result is surprising – the Kingdom of Heaven is nothing like what mankind has ever devised. We need to pay attention to what Matthew has to say so that in our personal search for the perfect kingdom, we don’t go down the same paths that have caused much sorrow, death, and destruction in this world.
In this lesson, I will focus on providing an overview of what scripture, using stories, types, and prophecy, has shown us is the physical Kingdom of Heaven. My hope is that we can further explore the details that Matthew so brilliantly presented to his audience in future sermons. Through this journey, let us nurture the longing in our hearts for a better kingdom – one that is not built by the hands of man (2 Corinthians 5:1). In doing so, may our lives and the lives of those around us be changed as we await the final consummation of the Kingdom of Heaven (Revelations 21&22).
Scripture: Gen. 1:1-3; 1:27-28; 2:6; 2:10; 2:25; 3:1-5; 3:8; 3:15; 3:23; 15:18; Ex. 25:8-9; Joshua 24:14-15 Isaiah 11:6; 60:19 Ezekiel 43:7; 48:31-35; Matt. 4:17; 5:22; 5:44-45; 6:9-10; 6:33-34; 12;15; 22:37-39; 25:34-36; Gal. 3:28; Titus 1:1-2 Rev. 21:1-8; 21:10-16; 22:1-5
“In Search of the Perfect Kingdom” preached by Elder Steve Ebsen on March 18th, 2023 at the Mount Vernon Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mount Vernon, Washington