by Dave Root, VividChristianity.com, last modified on 10/20/2024.

As you read this section, keep in mind that the New Testament is not merely a history book, it's meant to change us to become more and more like Jesus. When we read any passages in the New Testament, our goal should be to discern what God wants us to believe and do so that we can be obedient to Him.


Jesus said that some people will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, and some people will be called great in the kingdom of heaven, based on their obedience to Him while they were on earth (Matthew 5:19, below). After you get to heaven, you won't have any more opportunities to be obedient to Him on earth, so if you don't want to find that you're among the least in heaven then it's important to begin obeying Him in all things while you still have the chance.

In the passages below, Jesus also said that many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first in the kingdom of God (the kingdom of heaven). In context, Jesus was referring to individual people being first or last. So once again, we see some kind of ranking in the kingdom of heaven because some will be first (protos in Greek) and some will be last (eschatos in Greek). These Greek words mean:

"(III) Figuratively of rank, dignity, meaning first, chief, so without the art. (Mat 20:27; Mat 22:38; Mar 12:30; Act 16:12; Eph 6:2). ... "the first shall be last, and the last first", meaning those who seem or claim to be first shall be last (Mat 19:30; Mat 20:16; Mar 10:31; Luk 13:30)." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, protos, emphasis added)

"(B) Metaphorically implying rank or dignity, the last, lowest, least (Luk 14:9-10). Generally (Mat 19:30; Mar 9:35; Mar 10:31; Luk 13:30; Joh 8:9; 1Co 4:9)." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, eschatos, emphasis added)

My article called What Will Happen after the Second Coming? explains in scriptural detail what life and government will be like after Jesus returns and sets up His thousand-year kingdom on earth. Many Christians don't seem to realize it, but we Christians will have different levels of authority in His kingdom (e.g., ruling over cities or regions) that will be directly tied to our level of obedience to Him while we were on the earth.

Therefore, we will not all be equal in Jesus' future kingdom. If we're not trying to be fully obedient to Him in this life, we're jeopardizing our future in heaven.

Relevant passages:

[Jesus is speaking:] Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)

[Jesus is speaking:] I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11)

[Jesus is speaking:] Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4)

Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." (Matthew 19:27-30)

[Jesus is speaking:] For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last. (Matthew 20:1-16)

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35)

Then Peter spoke up, "We have left everything to follow you!" "Truly I tell you," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - along with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:28-31)

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." (Luke 13:22-30)

If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! (1 Corinthians 6:1-3)

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us (2 Timothy 2:11-12)

[Jesus is speaking:] To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations - 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' - just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26-27)

[Jesus is speaking:] To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21)

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

The above passages show that Christians will be ranked (from the greatest or first down to the least or last) and will have a certain degree of authority (e.g., ruling over cities or regions) in Jesus' future kingdom on earth after the Second Coming. As my article above explains, our level of authority will be directly tied to our level of obedience to the Lord while we were on the earth. We will not all be equal in Jesus' future kingdom.


In the following parable, the obedient servants are given authority over a certain number of cities in proportion to their level of obedience to their master, but the disobedient servant ends up suffering loss. This is what will happen to obedient and disobedient Christians at the judgment described in my article called Cheat Sheet #12:

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.' He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.' The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.' Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.' His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?' Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!' He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. (Luke 19:11-26)

Again, our level of authority in Jesus' future kingdom will be directly tied to our level of obedience to Him while we were on the earth. Notice that even the original 12 apostles were not all treated equally by Jesus, just as we will not all be treated equally by Jesus in His future kingdom:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them...As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves (Mark 9:2-10)

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James...He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:35-43)

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. (Mark 14:32-33)

As we've seen, Christians will not all be equal in Jesus' future kingdom. After you get to heaven, you won't have any more opportunities to be obedient to Him on earth, so if you don't want to find that you're among the least in heaven then it's important to begin obeying Him in all things while you still have the chance.

Even after reading this, most Christians will probably assume that they'll be fine at the judgment described in my article called Cheat Sheet #12 because they assume that they're being obedient to God. Yet how many of them are diligent enough to find out what the New Testament actually tells us to do (not just what feels right to them) so that they can be certain they're obeying God's instructions?


Are you reading and obeying God's instruction manual (the New Testament) and listening to the Lord every day (see my article called How to Discern God's Guidance), being diligent to find out what He wants you to believe and do?