What's Wrong with "The Realm of Heaven" Being Real?
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 9:35 am
In several Threads recently, a point has arisen concerning Matthew's use of "The Kingdom of Heaven". Matthew uses this phrase something like 29 times and it is an unexplained oddity in that Text. I state again that the Moffatt Translation uses "Realm of Heaven" and I have always found that phrase elegant and pleasing. I use that phrase often. James Moffatt was no Fly-By-Nighter in the Translation Biz and I am glad that I found his Work. Recently, I used an Online Version of Moffatt and Searched "Realm of Heaven" and Posted the results.
One thing that using "Realm of Heaven" did for me was to reorient my view of possible Meanings for this phrase. If "Realm of Heaven" was not Glorious Christian Metaphysics, what would another, Physical Meaning of the Phrase entail?
I ask for someone to tell me: "What's Wrong with "The Realm of Heaven" Being a Real, Physical Place?"
***
https://archive.org/details/newtestamen ... +of+heaven
What follows are the verses from Matthew that contain "Realm of Heaven" and have an obvious Physical Possibility. For example:
"Blessed are those who feel poor in spirit! the Realm of heaven is theirs." is too vague for this. I may find a Symbolic Meaning for it but there is nothing in it to suggest to others that this has a particular "Other Meaning".
We start with:
(Matthew and Moffatt):
5: 20:
For I tell you, unless your goodness excels that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the Realm of heaven
The Scribes and Pharisees were Real, Physical People. Unless you can fabricate a Metaphysics that allows real people to prevent Spirit Beings from entering a Spiritual Realm of Heaven, "Your Goodness" has a more Down-to-Earth Meaning.
7:21:
It is not everyone who says to me ' Lord, Lord ', who will get into the Realm of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
This one straddles the fence, so to speak. From the Christian Metaphysics POV, you only have to declare "Jesus as your..." etc., etc. except that here, those who Proclaim haven't completed their Sweepstakes Entry Form just yet. On the other hand, there has to be a Boatload of Analysis to discover just what the Scene is that would allow someone to get into the Realm of Heaven by merely stating "Lord, Lord..."
8: 11:
"Many, I tell you, will come from east and west and take their places beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Realm of heaven, while the sons of the Realm will pass outside, into the darkness ; there men will wail and gnash their teeth."
This is tantalizingly close. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are dead, of course. If seen from a Judaic POV, this is Symbolic. It COULD be descriptive of a Real Place. It is not certain.
11: 11 - 14:
I tell you truly, no one has arisen among the sons of women who is greater than John the Baptist, and yet the least in the Realm of heaven is greater than he is. From the days of John the Baptist till now the Realm of heaven suffers violence, and the violent press into it. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied of it until John: — if you care to believe it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
There is an Implied Logic here and the Metaphysical Explanation hides the fact: No one was greater that John the Baptist yet the LEAST in the Realm of Heaven is greater than he.
John the Baptist did not make it into the Realm of Heaven while the LEAST in the Realm of Heaven did. What Event is given here?
The simpler Understanding is that the Realm of Heaven was a Place of Safety and the LEAST - a child, perhaps? - did in fact, make it to safety while John did not.
18: 1 - 5:
At that hour the disciples came and asked Jesus, " Who is greatest in the Realm of heaven ? " So he called a child, set it among them, and said, " I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like children, you will never get into the Realm of heaven at all. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Realm of heaven; and whoever receives a little child like this for my sake, receives me
This Section points beyond itself. It validates that idea that there was a Realm of Heaven that was a Real Physical Place and that SOMETHING happened that made it imperative that some people would do almost anything to get in. There are alternate Christian Translations that posit, "...unless you CHANGE and become like children..." but it is here that another Document, Luke, tells us that that "TURN" is correct:
Luke 19: 23 - 30 (RSV):
[23] And some one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,
[24] "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
[25] When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, `I do not know where you come from.'
[26] Then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
[27] But he will say, `I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!'
[28] There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out.
[29] And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.
[30] And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
Luke complements Matthew here. I believe these Stories are from the same Source:
"The door to safety is so small that you must turn as a child to get into the Realm of Heaven..."
YMMV.
19: 23 - 24:
" I tell you truly, it will be difficult for a rich man to get into the Realm of heaven. I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of heaven."
Regardless as to whether it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye or a ROPE, this continues and reinforces the idea: There is a "Realm of Heaven" reserved for people who have greater Righteousness than the Scribes and Pharisees and some Event occurred that caused people to try anything to get there, only to be prevented by the Scribes and Pharisees.
23: 13:
Woe to you, you impious scribes
and Pharisees ! you shut the Realm of heaven
in men's faces; you neither enter yourselves, nor will you let those enter
who are on the point of
entering
Here it is again, with feeling! Scribes and Pharisees were REAL PEOPLE and they kept MEN - Real People - from entering the Realm of Heaven! This is not Glorious Christian Metaphysics. This offers very plain evidence that the Realm of Heaven was a Real, Physical Place!
25: 1 - 13:
1 Then shall the Realm of heaven be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.*
2 Five of them were stupid and five
3 were sensible. For although the stupid took their lamps, they took
4 no oil with them, whereas the sensible took oil in their vessels as
5 well as their lamps. As the bride- groom was long of coming, they all grew drowsy and went to sleep.
6 But at midnight the cry arose, ' Here is the bridegroom! Come out to
7 meet him ! ' Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 The stupid said to the sensible, ' Give us some of your oil, for our
9 lamps are going out.' But the sensible replied, * No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy
10 for yourselves.' Now while they were away buying oil, the bride- groom arrived ; those maidens who were ready accompanied him to the marriage-banquet, and the door
11 was shut. Afterwards the rest of the maidens came and said, * Oh sir, oh
12 sir, open the door for us ! ' but he replied, ' I tell you frankly, I do not
13 know you.' Keep on the watch then, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
This not only gives a reason for believing that the Realm of Heaven was Real but that there are Historical Markers. I take it that this is a thinly covered rewrite of the Passover of 4 BCE at the ascension of Archelaus.
***
There's enough Metaphysics for everyone who wants to imbibe but there are Passages in Matthew that are telling us that "The Realm of Heaven" was a Real, Physical Place. It appears to be a Place reserved for the Priests (and the child Peter, who is therefore from a Priestly Family).
Someone tell me: What's Wrong with "The Realm of Heaven" Being Real?
CW
One thing that using "Realm of Heaven" did for me was to reorient my view of possible Meanings for this phrase. If "Realm of Heaven" was not Glorious Christian Metaphysics, what would another, Physical Meaning of the Phrase entail?
I ask for someone to tell me: "What's Wrong with "The Realm of Heaven" Being a Real, Physical Place?"
***
https://archive.org/details/newtestamen ... +of+heaven
What follows are the verses from Matthew that contain "Realm of Heaven" and have an obvious Physical Possibility. For example:
"Blessed are those who feel poor in spirit! the Realm of heaven is theirs." is too vague for this. I may find a Symbolic Meaning for it but there is nothing in it to suggest to others that this has a particular "Other Meaning".
We start with:
(Matthew and Moffatt):
5: 20:
For I tell you, unless your goodness excels that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the Realm of heaven
The Scribes and Pharisees were Real, Physical People. Unless you can fabricate a Metaphysics that allows real people to prevent Spirit Beings from entering a Spiritual Realm of Heaven, "Your Goodness" has a more Down-to-Earth Meaning.
7:21:
It is not everyone who says to me ' Lord, Lord ', who will get into the Realm of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.
This one straddles the fence, so to speak. From the Christian Metaphysics POV, you only have to declare "Jesus as your..." etc., etc. except that here, those who Proclaim haven't completed their Sweepstakes Entry Form just yet. On the other hand, there has to be a Boatload of Analysis to discover just what the Scene is that would allow someone to get into the Realm of Heaven by merely stating "Lord, Lord..."
8: 11:
"Many, I tell you, will come from east and west and take their places beside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Realm of heaven, while the sons of the Realm will pass outside, into the darkness ; there men will wail and gnash their teeth."
This is tantalizingly close. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are dead, of course. If seen from a Judaic POV, this is Symbolic. It COULD be descriptive of a Real Place. It is not certain.
11: 11 - 14:
I tell you truly, no one has arisen among the sons of women who is greater than John the Baptist, and yet the least in the Realm of heaven is greater than he is. From the days of John the Baptist till now the Realm of heaven suffers violence, and the violent press into it. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied of it until John: — if you care to believe it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
There is an Implied Logic here and the Metaphysical Explanation hides the fact: No one was greater that John the Baptist yet the LEAST in the Realm of Heaven is greater than he.
John the Baptist did not make it into the Realm of Heaven while the LEAST in the Realm of Heaven did. What Event is given here?
The simpler Understanding is that the Realm of Heaven was a Place of Safety and the LEAST - a child, perhaps? - did in fact, make it to safety while John did not.
18: 1 - 5:
At that hour the disciples came and asked Jesus, " Who is greatest in the Realm of heaven ? " So he called a child, set it among them, and said, " I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like children, you will never get into the Realm of heaven at all. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Realm of heaven; and whoever receives a little child like this for my sake, receives me
This Section points beyond itself. It validates that idea that there was a Realm of Heaven that was a Real Physical Place and that SOMETHING happened that made it imperative that some people would do almost anything to get in. There are alternate Christian Translations that posit, "...unless you CHANGE and become like children..." but it is here that another Document, Luke, tells us that that "TURN" is correct:
Luke 19: 23 - 30 (RSV):
[23] And some one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them,
[24] "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
[25] When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, `I do not know where you come from.'
[26] Then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
[27] But he will say, `I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!'
[28] There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out.
[29] And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.
[30] And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
Luke complements Matthew here. I believe these Stories are from the same Source:
"The door to safety is so small that you must turn as a child to get into the Realm of Heaven..."
YMMV.
19: 23 - 24:
" I tell you truly, it will be difficult for a rich man to get into the Realm of heaven. I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of heaven."
Regardless as to whether it is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye or a ROPE, this continues and reinforces the idea: There is a "Realm of Heaven" reserved for people who have greater Righteousness than the Scribes and Pharisees and some Event occurred that caused people to try anything to get there, only to be prevented by the Scribes and Pharisees.
23: 13:
Woe to you, you impious scribes
and Pharisees ! you shut the Realm of heaven
in men's faces; you neither enter yourselves, nor will you let those enter
who are on the point of
entering
Here it is again, with feeling! Scribes and Pharisees were REAL PEOPLE and they kept MEN - Real People - from entering the Realm of Heaven! This is not Glorious Christian Metaphysics. This offers very plain evidence that the Realm of Heaven was a Real, Physical Place!
25: 1 - 13:
1 Then shall the Realm of heaven be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride.*
2 Five of them were stupid and five
3 were sensible. For although the stupid took their lamps, they took
4 no oil with them, whereas the sensible took oil in their vessels as
5 well as their lamps. As the bride- groom was long of coming, they all grew drowsy and went to sleep.
6 But at midnight the cry arose, ' Here is the bridegroom! Come out to
7 meet him ! ' Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 The stupid said to the sensible, ' Give us some of your oil, for our
9 lamps are going out.' But the sensible replied, * No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy
10 for yourselves.' Now while they were away buying oil, the bride- groom arrived ; those maidens who were ready accompanied him to the marriage-banquet, and the door
11 was shut. Afterwards the rest of the maidens came and said, * Oh sir, oh
12 sir, open the door for us ! ' but he replied, ' I tell you frankly, I do not
13 know you.' Keep on the watch then, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
This not only gives a reason for believing that the Realm of Heaven was Real but that there are Historical Markers. I take it that this is a thinly covered rewrite of the Passover of 4 BCE at the ascension of Archelaus.
***
There's enough Metaphysics for everyone who wants to imbibe but there are Passages in Matthew that are telling us that "The Realm of Heaven" was a Real, Physical Place. It appears to be a Place reserved for the Priests (and the child Peter, who is therefore from a Priestly Family).
Someone tell me: What's Wrong with "The Realm of Heaven" Being Real?
CW