The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Kept Secret

Last time we talked about the reasons why Yeshua had begun to teach in parables. Today, we're going to take that a little further and look at how the mysteries that He was going to teach had been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 13:34-35 (KJV)
³⁴ All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
³⁵ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

In verse 34 Matthew confirmed that Yeshua would only be speaking to the multitudes from that point on in parables. This was a fulfillment of prophecy that makes it sound like the things Yeshua would be teaching would be something that had been kept secret for a very long time. But let's look at the actual prophecy from which this quote comes.

Psalm 78:2 (KJV)
² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

This one verse confirms that Yeshua was speaking from the book of Psalms and that He would be teaching in parables, uttering dark saying of old. However, by using this one verse, His hearers, who were very conversant in the Scriptures, would recognize that Yeshua's intent included more than just the one verse.

Psalm 78:1-8 (KJV)
¹ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
³ Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
⁴ We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
⁵ For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
⁶ That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
⁷ That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
⁸ And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

According to Psalm 78 these "dark sayings of old" were not actually kept secret, as if God had kept this information from humanity, but rather that they had been known, but forgotten by man because of stubbornness and rebellion against God. By uttering these teachings, Yeshua would be re-establishing the line of communication, so that His disciples would have right hearts and steadfast spirits with God that they would communicate to others as God had intended.

Teaching in Parables the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 13:10-17 (KJV)
¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
¹² For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
¹⁵ For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

After the Pharisees had been given several warnings regarding their unbelief, Yeshua began a series of teachings on the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. This time, however, He spoke only in parables when He addressed the multitudes. This apparently confused the disciples and they came to Him to inquire about His reasoning for this manner of teaching (verse 10). Quite plainly Yeshua explained that the mysteries of the Kingdom were given to the disciples and not to the multitudes (verse 11). He then quoted from Isaiah 6:9,10 for His answer (verses 14 and 15).

Isaiah 6:9-10 (KJV)
⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

It is obvious that Yeshua had begun to hide His message regarding the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven so that the multitudes, which included His opponents, would not understand what He was teaching. Yet, Yeshua said that the disciples' eyes and ears were blessed because they would be able to understand (verse 16).

Yeshua's hiding of His teaching was in no way an obstacle to anyone who seriously was searching for the truth of God. The principle expressed here relates how those who are open to the message of God will hear and understand, but those who are not open will not hear nor understand. Yeshua also seemed to be applying the "pearls before swine" advice.

Matthew 7:6 (KJV)
⁶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Pharisees had been given multiple opportunities to hear Yeshua and to repent, but most refused. Why should they be given any further pearls?  The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven would be given to those open to repentance and faith.

By Whose Authority?

Matthew 12:48-50 (KJV)
⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

In this brief passage we learn that belonging to the spiritual family of Yeshua means that we do the will of the Father. But how do we know what the will of the Father is? Where can we find what the Father requires? At the time that Yeshua made this comment, there was no New Testament. Therefore, Yeshua's audience could only look to the Old Testament for those answers. They would have searched out the laws and requirements in the Torah.

If we ask ourselves today these same questions do we come up with different answers because we have the New Testament? Many would say, "Yes." Many would say that Yeshua fulfilled the requirements of the Old Testament Torah, so we don't have to. However, doesn't this answer cause a disconnect with Yeshua's audience? Why would Yeshua imply one thing to His audience and something different to His followers throughout the later centuries?

Also, if the requirements of following the Father's will have changed, by whose authority were these changes made? Let's look at some possibilities.

1. Yeshua changed the requirements. In the first place, in order for Yeshua to be qualified to be our Savior, He had to follow the Torah completely and perfectly. If He hadn't, He would have been a sinner and could not have been a qualified substitute for us.  We would not have had a Savior and we would still be held responsible for our own sins. There would be no eternal life! Secondly, if Yeshua had followed the Torah completely, but taught anyone else that the Torah didn't need to be followed, He would then be called, "The least in the kingdom of Heaven," according to Matthew 5:19.

Matthew 5:17-19 (KJV)
¹⁷ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so , he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Italics mine).

 Yeshua will one day reign as King over the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, it is not possible that He would be "least" in the Kingdom and He did not have any authority to change the requirements of God's will as taught in the Torah.

2. Paul or Peter changed the requirements. Most believers would say that the requirements were changed in the New Testament and that there are many verses that indicate this. One such section noted might be Peter's vision of the sheet and the non-Kosher animals that he was instructed to eat. A careful reading of the text shows us that three times Peter indicated what the vision meant. Each time the meaning had to do with the acceptability of Gentiles coming to faith and never once were the food laws in the Torah mentioned.

Paul also makes statements that have been misinterpreted to say that the Torah has been set aside. It could also be said that Paul received this "new" understanding while he was in the desert for three years being instructed by God. However, there are some serious problems with relying on either Peter or Paul as having the authority to change Torah requirements.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 (KJV)
¹ If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
² And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
³ Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
⁴ Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
⁵ And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee (Italics mine).

Both Paul and Peter had "visions." If these visions instructed the people to turn away from the way in which God had commanded them to walk in, they were worthy of death. Therefore, if we believe that Paul and Peter wrote parts of the inspired Word of God, it is impossible that they had any authority to change the requirements of God's will either.

So who are we left with? There really is no one. No one has the authority to change what God has required. No one can change what God's written Word has stated.

So, if belonging to the family of Yeshua is determined by the observance of Torah, are you a member of His family?