Shutting Up the Kingdom. Is It Happening Near You?
But woe unto you, scribes and P’rushim (Pharisees), hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Mattityahu (Matthew) 23:13
In a scolding rebuke of their hypocrisy, Yeshua condemns the conduct of Yehudi (Jewish) religious leaders, who in their day were actively trying to prevent the people from becoming citizens of the kingdom of heaven. They themselves would not repent and believe the Tob Shemu’ah (Good News) of the kingdom, being taught by Yeshua, nor would they accept or receive anyone else professing belief in the Tob Shemu’ah (Good News) of the kingdom.
They attempted to create all types of obstacles for the people. They started attacking Yeshua, and falsely accusing Him of being a false prophet, a blasphemer, a devil, and so on. They went so far as putting people out of the assembly Yochanan (John 9:22), if they confessed that Yeshua was the Mashiyach; to even plotting to kill El’ azar (Lazarus), Yochanan (John 12:10) because he resurrected by Yeshua.
The bible tells us that they did these things, because they envied Yeshua, Mattityahu (Mat 27:18) and were losing their control of the people, who were abandoning their hypocritical religious teachings, to follow Yeshua into His kingdom. Yochanan (John 12:11)
Over the centuries, the message of the Tob Shemu’ah (Good News) has spread throughout nearly all the world, changing hearts and transforming lives. Drawing many sons and daughters to Yahweh Elohiym , through the message of salvation by faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiyach.
With the increase in both knowledge and understanding of the Tob Shemu’ah (Good News), one would think that the obstacles of the past, would be a thing of the past.
Unfortunately however, with the growth and spread of the Tob Shemu’ah (Good News), we see new enemies to Mashiyach emerging daily. New leaders bringing old obstacles from the past; challenging a new generation to press their way into the Kingdom. Is it happening somewhere near you? If so, what does it look like? And what should we do about it, if anything?