“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand'.”
And as they go out the twelve are to preach ‘The Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand'. But while the words are the same, this is not the same message as that of John. For John was looking ahead to a Kingly Rule that was about to break in, but was still in the future, a Kingly Rule that would arrive in the coming of the Coming One for Whom he was preparing the way. But these are proclaiming that the Coming One is now here, and that men can now enter under the Kingly Rule of Heaven by responding to the One Who Has Come. The Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand, and if they respond it can be theirs. For to enter under the Kingly Rule of Heaven is to come into the position of submission to the King, Whom God has proclaimed both at His birth (Matthew 1:23; Matthew 2:2), and after His baptism (Matthew 3:17), Who is manifesting that Kingly Rule by His power over evil spirits (Matthew 12:28) and Who is now establishing His Kingly Rule prior to being enthroned in Heaven (Acts 2:36). This was how kings were established in those days. First they were acclaimed, then they established their position, often by force, and then when they were finally recognised by sufficient people they were enthroned. In the same way Jesus has been acclaimed and is now establishing His position preparatory to His enthronement (Matthew 28:18).
We have already been told how to enter the Kingly Rule of Heaven. It is not just by saying, ‘Lord, Lord'. That is, of course necessary, but equally necessary is it to recognise that this then involves a commitment to do, and a genuineness in doing, the will of His Father Who is in Heaven (Matthew 7:21). To acknowledge His Kingly Rule and not to obey His will is a contradiction in terms. Thus in the Day that is coming the question will be whether they were ‘known' (acknowledged personally as His) by the King, something revealed by whether they had heard His words and done them (Matthew 7:22-27).