Featured Luke 7:28

The kingdom of heaven starts with the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, which itself starts when John's finishes (Matthew 4:17; 11:12; 12:28). The least on the KoH is the weakest true believer in the Lord Jesus. JTB never heard our Lord's public ministry, and did not witness His atoning death or resurrection. Therefore that weakest believer has a clear advantage over JTB whose faith, despite his wonderful ministry, almost failed him in prison.

The contrast our Lord is drawing is between the privileges of those who lived to hear the Lord's teaching and witness the atonement and those who did not. The "way into the holiest of all was not made manifest" (Hebrews 9:8) until Christ died and rose again and the veil of the Temple was broken. We need to remember how dimly and indistinctly the great Gospel truths were understood before the event (cf. Ephesians 3:4-5).

 

The Gospel of the Bible really shows from how in the OT, how we sinned and needed a Savior. To that of the NT that died and rose from the grave and will come again. And whoever wants to be first will be last. And whoever is last will be first.

 

One possibility is that the "least" does not refer to the least in size or rank, but least in age. The word μικρότερος/μικρός is what is translated "least" in this verse. According to Strong Concordance, for example, μικρός means small or little in all of the following categories:

1. of size: hence of stature, of length
2. of space
3. of age: less by birth, younger
4. of time: short, brief, a little while, how little!
5. of quantity: i.e. number, amount
6. of rank or influence

If it means smaller in age (i.e., younger, born/came later) it may very well be referring to Jesus himself, who is younger than John and came after him (Compare John 1:15, 27, 30), and without doubt the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. To me this is an appealing interpretation which gives glory to Jesus and avoids setting up "ranks" of God's people. On the other hand, it is hard to show it is used like this elsewhere in the New Testament -- although "James the less" in Mark 15:40 is a possibility.

 

Christians in this dispensation will be in heaven in the millennium. Jews in the future millennial age will be on earth. Elijah was taken to heaven, John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah, yet he was not raptured to heaven like Elijah was. Whoever is least in heaven is greater than the earth inhabitants.


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I believe the least are those in position and not character or ministry. John the baptist was a herald announcing the King and his kingdom while believers today are children of the kingdom and friends (John 15:15) of the King.

 

John was the last person under the Old covenant, so now all who would get saved are under the new/Better One!

 

John was in on "the beginning of the gospel of the Son of God," according to the inspired record in Mark chapter one:

 

I had this thought for what it is worth.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

He did not live to see the fulfillment of what he declared but we on this side of the cross see the fulfillment of what he declared. Not only do we understand by the Holy Spirit that our sins have been taken away by a crucified, resurrected Christ but the least in the Kingdom of Heaven can declare to another of a risen Savior... Brother Glen

 

he was the last prophet of the OT era....

 

And the first prophet of the New Testament era! (See above.)

 

Maybe they were baptized after the resurrection?

Help me understand something, please brother.

Acts 19:3-5 Why were they rebaptized?

3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

My first statement was just a statement, just something I threw out there.

I do want to know, however, why they were rebaptized in Chapter 19 of Acts.

 

Five considerations why the Ephesians of Acts 19 were not baptized by John the Baptist (i.e., the defect was not John's baptism):

(1). John's authority was from heaven. Compare Matthew 21:25-27 and John 1:6.
(2). John the Baptist preached the Holy Spirit (of whom they professed they had not heard). Compare Acts 19:2 & Matthew 3:11.
(3). John required evidence of repentance (Matthew 3:8), and no one can experience it without the influence and work of the Holy Ghost.
(4). Their answer (v. 3 "Unto John's baptism"; eis to Ioannou baptisma) implies that they were not actually baptized by John, but by someone following his teachings. John was beheaded probably a year or more before the crucifixion of Jesus. The events in Acts 19 occurred as much as 25 or more years after the death of John the Baptist.
(5). Apollos, a disciple of John ("knowing only the baptism of John," Acts 18:25,26) was not "re"baptized. He only needed further instruction, which he received from Aquilla and Priscilla.